Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

Radio 4,17 Jan 2008,30 mins

XEUS: A New Space X-Ray Telescope - Plant Disease Immunisation

Material World

Available for over a year

XEUS – A New Space X-Ray Telescope Quentin Cooper finds out about one of the European Space Agency’s cosmic visions – XEUS – a new x-ray telescope that will explore the super-hot million degree universe. Will it be the first instrument to sheds light on the dark ages of the universe when the first galaxies and stars were formed? Quentin is joined by Martin Turner from the University of Leicester and Paul Nandra from Imperial College, University of London. Plant Disease Immunisation We discover how plants defend themselves from attack by predators and disease – like having furry leaves to put off hungry grazers. Researchers are taking the idea of immunisation technology in humans and using it to pre-arm these formidable arsenal of defences. Could it lead to the protection of our crops in the future? Quentin is joined by Gary Lyon from the Scottish Crop Research Institute and John Lucas of Rothamsted Research.

Programme Website
More episodes