DNA&

DNA& is a brand new podcast created and hosted by Dr Hannah Maude and Angelos Manolias where they share their passion for genetics and genomics in healthcare.

It’s a remarkable time for genomics, with the ability to read, edit and interpret DNA offering the possibilities of treating, preventing and understanding human disease better than ever before. We can already see rare diseases being treated with gene therapies, or identified and managed at birth, with routine tests to predict and prevent drug resistance and adverse effects just around the corner. Such incredible advances, combined with the shared curiosity of visitors at our outreach events, inspired Hannah & Angelos to team up and start the DNA& podcast.

Fast forward a few months and the podcast has been so well received across the community. DNA& is made possible thanks to support from The Genetics Society and The Society for Endocrinology, and their work is facilitated by Imperial College London, where Hannah and Angelos both work and study.

Our music brief was a lo-fi, synthetic vibe that captures a sense of scientific discovery. In an attempt to use numbers and shapes from our (somewhat limited) genetics knowledge, Nikki had the idea to create a synth melody which visually made X and Y shapes on the piano roll, played on a quirky little synth to match the cute animation of the show’s graphics, whilst keeping it upbeat but also complex-sounding to match the subject matter. The music is also in 5/4 split into 2 and 3, and the opening melody is playing the 2nd/3rd and 4th/6th of the scales, and we used a helical shaped delay and panner as well. Here’s the end result: