Oxford Sparks Big Questions

Put simply, most drugs work by binding to a protein and altering how they function. But how can we model how well a particular molecule will bind to a particular protein, and use that knowledge to help discover new treatments? In this episode, we talk to Prof Fergus Imrie from Oxford's Department of Statistics, who is one of the lead researchers on the OpenBind consortium. This project aims to create the world's largest open-access dataset of protein-ligand interactions, providing invaluable quantities of data for AI-driven drug discovery

In 2022, 7% of the UK's total carbon emissions came from the aviation sector - a figure that's on the rise. This means that - while a flight is often the start of a well-deserved holiday - a lot of us feel at least a sprinkling of guilt over our carbon footprint. So, what if we could reduce the carbon emissions associated with air travel? In this episode, we chat to Dr Tamsin Whitfield from Oxford's Department of Materials Science, and hear about her research developing new metals, which will ultimately allow jet engines to burn hotter, increasing their efficiency.

Until recently, most of us had probably never even heard of the hantavirus. Now - with memories of the global COVID-19 pandemic still fresh in our minds - it's only natural to feel slightly concerned about the new virus hitting our headlines. But are our worries justified? We chat to Dr Daniel Wright from the Oxford Vaccine Group, who develops vaccines against emerging outbreak viruses, to learn more about hantaviruses, and what they really mean for public health.

'Killing animals' and 'conservation' sound mutually exclusive, but when it comes to managing populations that are having a negative environmental impact, is culling the answer? If so, how do people feel about it? We chat to Jessica Frater from the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford about Scotland's deer cull, exploring why human perceptions are often at the heart of conservation challenges, and how gaining deeper insight to these perspectives can support more conservation efforts.

"It's as likely as winning the lottery." A phrase used in situations where something is, well, pretty near impossible. But is there anything you can do to increase your chances of claiming that life-changing pot of money? What about one of the smaller prizes? We chat to applied mathematician Dr James Munro about probability, chaos theory and whether anyone could ever predict the lottery.