Naked Genetics - Taking a look inside your genes

Twenty years ago, gene therapy was a great hope for the future of medicine - directly tinkering with faulty genes to cure diseases, but progress has been slow. Now, things seem to be changing. Plus, silencing crickets, evolving brain and brawn, and a flowery gene of the month.

The more we understand about the genetic variations that affect our brains, the more questions are raised - for example, are we a product of nature or nurture, and what should we test for? Plus, why Y loss is bad for men, the usefulness of junk DNA, and a crunchy gene of the month.

Around one in four adults in the UK experiences mental health problems in any year, and mental illness is a major problem for sufferers, their loved ones, and society. It's becoming clear that genes are involved, but what do we actually know? Plus, artificial chromosomes, autism in the womb, and a toddling little gene of the month.

Every second your DNA is under assault - not just from chemicals in our environment or food, but from the hurly-burly of life within our own cells. We'll be finding out how DNA gets damaged and repaired, and how researchers are exploiting this to find better treatments for cancer. Plus, liver from skin cells, DNA from ancient teeth, and a scary little gene of the month.

Smell is probably the oldest sense, hardwired right into our brains and closely linked to memory. Now researchers are trying to unravel the complex genetics that underpin it. Plus, contagious dog genital cancers, gene therapy for blindness, and a rather slimy gene of the month.

Hearing loss is distressing, whether it occurs later in life or in childhood. Now researchers are starting to unpick the genetic causes behind some of these problems. Plus, mice on drugs, stress and death, and a wobbly gene of the month.

Across the natural world, cells organise themselves into a wonderful array of shapes and structures. But how do they do this? Plus, building bones, plant sex in space, and a rather plump gene of the month.

All living cells are made up of protein molecules - but how do they organise themselves into structures? Plus bee sex, tough mice, and a happily married gene of the month.

The heart is a vital biological pump, beating around a billion times in a lifetime. But faulty genes can cause big problems. Plus, taming the tiger genome, solving citrus sickness, and our gene of the month is for all you hopeless romantics out there.

Who do you think you are? And is the answer in your genes? This month we're delving into genes and genealogy. Plus, putting an end to genetic determinism, and an ancient Egyptian gene of the month.

Why can some people stay fit as a fiddle, while other seem to catch every bug that's going? As you might expect, the answer lies in our genes. Plus, a multitude of mutant mice, the state of gene therapy for epilepsy, and an unseeing gene of the month.

Summer loving is in the air, so what better time to think about sex? But we're not going to get graphic - we're talking about the genetics of sex determination. Plus, why turkeys need a wingman, figuring out fingerprints, and a leggy gene of the month.

Our genes are our unique calling card, and DNA analysis has been used to solve crimes and resolve paternity disputes for decades. Now new genetic technology promises to revolutionise medicine. Plus, we meet the man who invented genetic fingerprinting, discuss Angelina Jolie's breasts, and savour a cheesy gene of the month.

Genetic technology is expanding at a pace that few can keep up with, with huge amounts of data being generated every week. But is this explosion of information delivering meaningful advances for patients? Plus, how one scientist tracked down the gene fault behind his own disease, what sequencing the HeLa genome means for genetic privacy, and a Pythonesque gene of the month.

Almost every single cell of your body is packed with more than two metres of DNA, containing your genes. But not only does it have to be packed up to fit in there, it also has to be organised and read. Plus, how genetic variations are linked to cancer risk,analysing dinosaur DNA, and an adventurous gene of the month.