Slovakia Today, English Language Current Affairs Programme from Slovak Radio

The problem of 'brain drain' has long been an issue in Slovakia, especially in the sciences, and programmes offering financial incentives to attract Slovaks back home have met with limited success. The founder of a new private research institute focused on 'intelligent technologies', however, has this problem in her crosshairs and believes her new institute is pursuing the right strategy for improving the situation. Jonathan recently caught up with Mária Bieliková to find out more. A tissue biopsy has long been the preferred method for detecting or monitoring the progress of a cancer disease, but its shortcomings - it's both invasive and restricted to a limited area of tissue - have led to the development of liquid biopsy, based on a simple blood test. Jonathan speaks with Irena Hudecová, a Slovak scientist working in this fast-growing field in cooperation with Cambridge University.