Ioan Fuller, a PhD student in the Chemistry Department, talks about lipids: what they are, why we should care, and how he is exploring what lipids there are in New Zealand’s native shellfish.

Charlie Ruffman, a PhD student in chemistry at Otago University, talks about how he is using computers to explore new types of catalysts for making hydrogen, a simple molecule which may have an important role to play as we move away from fossil fuels.

In this, the 2020 Christmas episode of Science Notes, host Dave McMorran looks at the scientific basis for Rudolph actually having glowing red nose.

Lynn Lisboa, a PhD student in the Chemistry Department at Otago University, describes her research into making molecule-sized containers who contents, which could include chemotherapy drugs, can be released on demand by a unique switching process.

Rebecka Raymond, an MSc student in Anatomy of Otago University, talks about her research into a new way to potentially detect Alzheimer’s Disease in patients much earlier than is currently possible.

Host Dave McMorran talks about the life and work of Frederick Soddy, whose research into the makeup of the atom won him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921.

Pascale Lubbe, a PhD student in Anatomy and Zoology, talks about her research into the extent to which climate controls birds’ preferences for particular habitats, both in the past and also into the future.

Sriram Sundaresan, a PhD student in Chemistry at Otago University, talks about his research into making molecules with useful magnetic properties, which may one day act as switches in nanoscale devices.

Mojdeh S Najafabadi, a PhD student in Physics at Otago University, talks about her research, both theoretical and experimental, into what’s required to make a quantum computer, which runs on currents of atoms rather than electrons and needs to work at extremely low temperatures.

Charlotte Patterson, a Masters student in Ecology at Otago University, talks about her studies on the possums who live in Dunedin city and how they are different to their country cousins.