
PNAS Science Sessions
Welcome to Science Sessions, the PNAS podcast program. Listen to brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in PNAS, plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.
Latest episodes

Jun 11, 2019 • 6min
Manipulation of ant behavior by parasites
David Hughes discusses how a parasitic fungus manipulates ant behavior for reproduction.

Jun 11, 2019 • 5min
Gut microbiota and human health
Rob Knight discusses the role of the human gut microbiota in health and disease.

Jun 11, 2019 • 7min
Wearable health monitors
John Rogers describes soft, wearable electronic devices for health monitoring.

Jun 11, 2019 • 7min
Gene therapy for retinal disease
Karina Guziewicz and Artur Cideciyan explain a potential gene therapy approach for macular degeneration.

Jun 11, 2019 • 6min
Global hydrologic models and water storage
Bridget Scanlon discusses the use of global hydrologic models for studying changes in water storage worldwide.

Jun 11, 2019 • 6min
Project MindScope
Christof Koch describes a large-scale effort to understand how the cerebral cortex functions.

Jun 11, 2019 • 7min
Science and Philanthropy
Robert Tjian discusses the role of philanthropy in funding scientific research.

Jun 11, 2019 • 6min
Gene editing in mosquitoes
Omar Akbari and Kevin Esvelt discuss a gene editing approach for harmful mosquitoes.

Jun 11, 2019 • 7min
Big data
Atul Butte explains how researchers can use existing data to answer biomedical questions.

Jun 11, 2019 • 6min
Molecular contraception
Polina Lishko discusses the development of unisex contraceptives.