THE FARM REVEALED

PROGRAMME 1: SELECTIVE BREEDING AND TRANSGENICS

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

00:00 – 01:02

Introduction and titles.

01:22 – 01:43

Geneticist Dr Chris Smith explains that selective breeding is a technique used to breed domestic plants and animals from their wild relatives. In the studio, Chris will be demonstrating the science of transgenics by putting a jellyfish gene into a bacterium.

01:43 – 03:46

A studio discussion with Chris and the audience uses the hairless cat as an example of selective breeding.

03:46 – 07:00

Giles Corin reports from the farm where he meets the Belgian Blues. This breed has double muscle and the bulls resemble pumped-up bodybuilders.

07:00 – 11:14

Back in the studio, Rufus explores human selective breeding. He begins an audience breeding experiment in which he will merge photos of audience members two by two for three generations.

11:14 – 12:21

Chris explains the basics of transgenics, which takes a whole gene from one species and transfers it into another.

12:21 – 14:22

Olivia Judson reports on the transgenic rabbits that glow green in the dark as the result of a jellyfish transgene.

14:22 – 16:03

Chris Smith introduces his studio experiment. He prepares to transfer the glow-green-in-the-dark gene of a jelly fish to some gut bacteria.

16:03 – 18:14

Rufus returns to the audience breeding experiment and Chris describes some of the more bizarre human genetic traits, such as tongue rolling.

18:14 – 21:35

Chris treats his bacteria so that they will take up the jellyfish DNA from solution.

21:35 – 23:06

Rufus reveals the results of the third generation of the audience breeding experiment.

23:06 – End

Chris reveals his transgenic bacteria that now glow green in the dark.