Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel are talking all things ancient DNA.

Over the past 50 years, new technology has allowed researchers to sequence and study centuries-old DNA taken from ancient, long-buried human remains. This new insight into our past has led to a whole new understanding of our ancestors, from our migration across the globe, to the environmental changes we’ve experienced, and even the spread of ancient deadly pandemics like the black plague. Our panel of scientists answers questions from a studio audience about the usefulness of commercial DNA tests, the true meaning of ancestry, and what our ancient genetic material could reveal about our future.

Panellists
Pooja Swali – Research Fellow in Pathogen Genomics, UCL
Pontus Skoglund – Group Leader, Ancient Genomics Lab, Francis Crick Institute
Adam Rutherford – Lecturer in Biology and Society, UCL
Tom Booth – Senior Research Scientist and Archaeologist, Francis Crick Institute

Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/ancientDNA.

If you have a follow up question about any of the episodes in the series, email us:  aquestionofscience@bbc.co.uk

A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.

Music by John Biddle

© BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025

 

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel are talking all things ancient DNA.
Over the past 50 years, new technology has allowed researchers to sequence and study centuries-old DNA taken from ancient, long-buried human remains. This new insight into our past has led to a whole new understanding of our ancestors, from our migration across the globe, to the environmental changes we&rsquo;ve experienced, and even the spread of ancient deadly pandemics like the black plague. Our panel of scientists answers questions from a studio audience about the usefulness of commercial DNA tests, the true meaning of ancestry, and what our ancient genetic material could reveal about our future.
Panellists
<ul>
<li>Pooja Swali &ndash; Research Fellow in Pathogen Genomics, UCL</li>
<li>Pontus Skoglund &ndash; Group Leader, Ancient Genomics Lab, Francis Crick Institute</li>
<li>Adam Rutherford &ndash; Lecturer in Biology and Society, UCL</li>
<li>Tom Booth &ndash; Senior Research Scientist and Archaeologist, Francis Crick Institute</li>
</ul>
Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: <a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/ancientDNA">www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/ancientDNA</a>.
If you have a follow up question about any of the episodes in the series, email us:&nbsp; aquestionofscience@bbc.co.uk
A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.
Music by John Biddle
&copy; BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025
&nbsp;

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.  

Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world’s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today. 

Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a live audience and it’s their questions that drive the debate. 

Hear from the experts who actually know what they’re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C’s Lauren Mahon.  

With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don’t, and where science might take us next. 

A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab. 

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world&rsquo;s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today.&nbsp;
Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a live audience and it&rsquo;s their questions that drive the debate.&nbsp;
Hear from the experts who actually know what they&rsquo;re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C&rsquo;s Lauren Mahon.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don&rsquo;t, and where science might take us next.&nbsp;
A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab.&nbsp;

A Question of Science

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.  

Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world’s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today. 

Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a lively audience and it’s their questions that drive the debate. 

Hear from the experts who actually know what they’re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C’s Lauren Mahon.  

With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don’t, and where science might take us next. 

A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab. 

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world&rsquo;s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today.&nbsp;
Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a lively audience and it&rsquo;s their questions that drive the debate.&nbsp;
Hear from the experts who actually know what they&rsquo;re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C&rsquo;s Lauren Mahon.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don&rsquo;t, and where science might take us next.&nbsp;
A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab.&nbsp;