ESR

Genome sequencing has become a household term during this pandemic. This week, we explore how it became an important tool in the fight against Covid-19. Audio

Covid-19 put wastewater testing on our radar, but what else can this technology tell us about our lives? Audio

Geneticist Neil Gemmell is calling for a wastewater monitoring system to find hidden Covid-19 clusters and people who could be asymptomatic carriers of the disease. Professor Gemmell is part of a… Audio

The US announced that a $750 million deal to acquire 150 million rapid Covid-19 tests is a "game changer." The Ministry of Health's chief science advisor Ian Town joins the show to discuss if New… Audio

Six new Covid-19 cases in the community as of yesterday, four linked to the existing Auckland cluster and the origin of the other two cases is being looked into. Professor Michael Baker is back for… Audio

ESR started examining sewage for traces of SARS-CoV-2 back in April, and is now routinely sampling wastewater at one quarantine isolation hotel in Auckland. It's hoped sewage monitoring could… Audio

Groundwater scientists are using John Saywell's Canterbury farm to measure how well buried trenches filled with woodchips and bacteria break down nitrates in drainage water. Audio, Gallery

Waikato iwi have joined forces with ESR scientists and community volunteers – including rugby league legend Tawera Nikauto and his family – to plant thousands of native plants around Lake Waikare in… Audio

A team of ESR scientists have recently received New Zealand's most valuable science prize for the development of STRmix - scientific software that is used to interpret DNA material from a crime scene… Audio

An ESR software package that analyses complex crime scene samples containing DNA from multiple people, has won the 2018 Prime Minister's Science Prize. Video, Audio

Psychoactive substances have been banned in New Zealand for five years, but their illicit trade is booming. Why is it so hard to determine what's in them? Forensic toxicologist Diana Kappatos is with… Audio

A new drug testing regime of our waste water will reveal what drugs are being used in our towns and cities, and in real time. Wastewater testing is set to be rolled out across New Zealand, with the… Audio

ESR's new chief scientist, Brett Cowan, has an honours degree in mechanical engineering as well as a medical degree. Last year, he graduated with an MBA from Auckland University - his youngest son… Audio

ESR has developed a new way of tracking the spread of flu in real time. The Flu dashboard feeds in information from hospitals, doctors, Healthline and laboratories around the country, testing which… Audio