Microorganisms are constantly adapting to evade human-made interventions such as antibiotics and sanitisers. One of these adaptations is to use their strength in numbers and form a biofilm. One bacteria in particular forms biofilms that we encounter in many situations in our everyday life - salmonella. But what do we know about how salmonella forms this biofilm, so that we know how to eliminate it?

In the first episode of the From the PhD Lab miniseries, PhD student Josh Horton discusses his project investigating the genetic mechanisms controlling biofilm regulation in salmonella.

From the PhD Lab is a series in which we welcome back PhD interns who previously worked at the Royal Institution, to learn more about their PhD research and experience in science communication. From the PhD Lab episodes will be released on the second Wednesday of every month, and regular episodes on the last Wednesday.

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Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The PLATO mission from the European Space Agency is set to launch next year, and is hoping to identify thousands of exoplanets in our galaxy which could have the right conditions to support life.

Lead project scientist for the mission Ana Heras, and engineer Alistair Winton, join the podcast this month to explain the scientific aims of this mission. Discover the different methods that are used by astronomers to discover exoplanets, the role of the 26 cameras onboard the PLATO telescope, and what the data we obtain from PLATO will teach us.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!

• Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Assistant producer: Teni Gomez

Music: Joseph Sandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this month's From the Theatre episode, we explore how AI could actually be a force for good in the world of batteries. In collaboration with the Faraday Institution, we hear from three experts to understand how artificial intelligence could optimise the performance of batteries at every scale.

Aaron Walsh (CuspAI / Imperial College London) explains how AI acts as a "digital alchemist" — simulating billions of possible crystal structures to discover battery materials that don't exist yet.

Mona Faraji Niri (WMG, University of Warwick) shows how AI acts as a forensic investigator, decoding sensor data to detect hidden faults and predict a battery's remaining lifespan — sometimes before it's even been used.

Sam Cooper (Imperial College London) reveals how machine learning is used to reverse-engineer the perfect internal "microstructure" of a battery electrode — the missing link between atoms and real-world performance.

This talk was recorded at the Ri on 15 June 2026.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!

• Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.