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sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Wellcome Sanger Institute
@sangerinstitute.bsky.social
3.3K followers 94 following 200 posts
We are a world leader in genomics research. We apply and explore genomic technologies to advance the understanding of biology and improve health 🧬
https://www.sanger.ac.uk/
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sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Have you heard of the Sanger Prize? It is a three-month undergrad placement at the Institute, and applications are open.

Hear from our current Sanger Prize holder Beatriz Rodrigues Estevam, here ⤵️
https://sangerinstitute.blog/2025/11/20/unravelling-the-mysteries-of-the-worm-through-bioinformatics/
Beatriz Rodrigues Estevam is pictured smiling to the camera while working on her laptop while seated in a booth.
November 20, 2025 at 10:55 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Three-year-old Jacob was diagnosed with T-ALL leukaemia in December 2024 and is now in remission.

Find out more about his story here ⤵️

www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/my...
Jacob is sitting on the grass smiling, wearing a smiley face cap and patterned outfit. He has a bandage on his cheek, holding in a nose tube, and holds pink shoes.
November 12, 2025 at 10:37 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Huge congratulations to our Senior Group Leader, Dr David Adams who has won an award for his research on melanoma. 🎉

The award for Outstanding Research was presented at the Society for Melanoma Research (SMR) 22nd International Congress in Amsterdam.
David sits with his award certificate and on the left of his picture, his quote reads: "I’m honoured to have received the Outstanding Research Award. Melanoma remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and there’s still much more to do to improve treatment options. Improving our understanding of this disease at the molecular level is essential if we’re to find better ways to prevent and treat it."
November 10, 2025 at 10:59 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
The team at @sangerinstitute.bsky.social and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) will combine genomics, microbiome science and global collaboration to uncover causes of early onset bowel cancer, which may lead to preventative strategies in the future.
Alt Text: Image shows quote card with Professor Sir Mike Stratton standing in front of a brown background and text on the left reads: “The rise in early-onset bowel cancer is one of the most urgent conundrums in modern medicine. This grant will enable us to combine cutting-edge genomic and microbiome research to uncover its causes and ultimately, help develop strategies to prevent it.”
November 6, 2025 at 3:16 PM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
The so-called 'London Underground mosquito' linked to West Nile Virus evolved over 1,000 years ago — not 200 years ago in Europe. 🦟

New research reshapes our theories of urban mosquito evolution. 👇
http://bit.ly/4qnJOJi
October 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
A new dimension of genomics is here. Spatial transcriptomics is transforming how we understand tissues – revealing where genes act, and why it matters. 🧬

Try our spatial-inspired game before reading the latest blog ⬇️ https://sangerinstitute.blog/2025/10/22/what-is-spatial-transcriptomics/
October 22, 2025 at 1:02 PM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Lupus is a complex autoimmune condition that affects thousands of people globally 🌍

This #LupusAwarenessMonth, learn how our scientists are advancing understanding through genetics and immune research 🧬

https://sangerinstitute.blog/2025/10/07/five-questions-on-lupus-with-catherine-sutherland/
Catherine Sutherland at her desk working.
October 7, 2025 at 11:58 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
PhD Applications now open! Join a world-class community training the next generation of genome scientists and clinicians.

Apply now 👉 lnkd.in/g_JfNuFE

📅 Closes 27 Nov 2025
#ScienceCareers
October 6, 2025 at 1:03 PM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health threat 🌍

Without action, deaths will keep rising.

See how we’re tackling it in our new blog ⬇️

https://sangerinstitute.blog/2025/10/01/ten-ways-the-sanger-institute-is-tackling-the-global-fight-against-amr/
Different infectious agents.
October 1, 2025 at 9:58 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Immigration is critical for UK research and development. With other leading organisations, we have worked with @sciencecampaign.bsky.social to share insights about how the UK visa system impacts research.

Read the full statement, here ⤵️

www.sanger.ac.uk/about/influe...
Quote card with image of Sarion Bowers, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Sanger Institute on right hand side. Quote says: At a time when the UK could be strengthening its global leadership through its science, we continue to deter scientists from coming to our country and we damage our global standing.
September 26, 2025 at 2:13 PM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Read ‘Constraints on chromosome evolution revealed by the 229 chromosome pairs of the Atlas blue butterfly’ from @sangerinstitute.bsky.social and @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social in @currentbiology.bsky.social‬ ⬇️

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096098222501098X
The Atlas Blue Butterfly. Credit: Martin Gascoigne-Pees.
September 11, 2025 at 11:27 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
The Atlas blue butterfly evolved 229 chromosome pairs — the most of any animal — over 3 million years, enabling new research 🦋

https://www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/the-tale-of-the-creature-with-the-most-chromosomes/

@rogervilalab.bsky.social @charlottewright.bsky.social @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social
The Atlas Blue Butterfly. Credit: Roger Vila / The Institute of Evolutionary Biology.
September 11, 2025 at 11:27 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
In our favourite sci-fi films, ignoring safety equals disaster. But here at Sanger, health & safety is our secret superpower 🦺

Dive into 5 ways we keep our staff safe and sound while still innovating ⬇️

https://sangerinstitute.blog/2025/09/09/five-ways-health-and-safety-are-enabling-our-science/
Researcher holding frozen sample for DNA extraction.
September 9, 2025 at 10:45 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
As of today, Sanger's spin out @Congenica is part of the SeqOne family – its clinical decision support software is now available to more patients in more countries.

Learn more 👇

www.seqone.com/news-insight...
September 2, 2025 at 1:18 PM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Enter into the wonderful world of the Sanger workshop 🔨.

Here, Colin works away building new tools to make life easier for our researchers. Check out his latest inventions in our blog ⬇️

sangerinstitute.blog/2025/08/27/b...
Colin Barker in a workshop holding up a 3D-printed item.
August 27, 2025 at 12:50 PM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Are there any pink mosquitoes?

For #WorldMosquitoDay, we answered four deceptively difficult mosquito questions from 7-year-olds. 🦟

Find out how genomics can answer them all ⤵️

sangerinstitute.blog/2025/08/20/h...

Artwork & inspiration from @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social ‬
Cartoon image with a larger mosquito and five mosquito larvae, all with speech bubbles and images to represent different questions. Credit: Petra Korlević Wellcome Sanger Institute.
August 20, 2025 at 9:23 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Organoid research is rapidly evolving, shifting how we do science.

We spoke to two experts to learn more about what organoids are and how they are enabling us to understand more about how organs function in health and disease🔎

Read more below ⤵️
sangerinstitute.blog/2025/08/07/5...
Injected gut organoids (circular red shapes). Credit: Hongorzul Davaapil / Wellcome Sanger Institute.
August 7, 2025 at 9:32 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Meet Amjad Khalaf – who has spent his PhD panning for parasite DNA, allowing him to create a goldmine of information for the research community🔎

Amjad shares what first brought him to the Sanger Institute, his research and what he is dreaming about next:
sangerinstitute.blog/2025/07/29/s...
Image shows Amjad Khalaf sitting on a bench outside, working on his laptop.
July 29, 2025 at 2:49 PM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Experts have remapped the evolutionary tree of glasswing butterflies found across Central and South America, highlighting six new species.

This research helps track biodiversity and reveals genetic insights into how these insects evolve into new species.

sanger.ac.uk/news_item/re...
Two vibrant butterflies of the species Mechanitis polymnia perched closely on a green life back to back. The butterflies are orange and black and the image showcases their intricate wing pattern. Credit: Alex Arias.
July 29, 2025 at 8:39 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Ben Lehner, Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute is pictured. He discusses advancements in protein engineering and biological design. The quote reads "The ability to predict and model protein evolution opens the door to designing biology at industrial speed, challenging the conservative pacing of protein engineering."
July 25, 2025 at 9:34 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
The Sanger Excellence Fellowship is back for 2025!

Our 3 year fully funded postdoctoral position supports early-career researchers from Black heritage backgrounds.

📅 Apply by 7 Sept 2025
🔗 www.sanger.ac.uk/about/equali...

#BlackInSTEM #GenomicsResearch
July 23, 2025 at 8:11 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Meet Omer Bayraktar – scientist, spatial transcriptomics enthusiast, and fan of serendipitous discovery. 👋

Omer shares his career journey and his drive to probe further into one of our most complex organs: the brain.

Read our blog here ➡️
sangerinstitute.blog/2025/07/22/l...
Headshot of researcher, Omer Bayraktar, standing in front of a wall.
July 22, 2025 at 12:43 PM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
Are you taking part in the Big Butterfly Count this year?

Our latest blog dives into the DNA of butterflies and moths that have been spotted and sequenced at the Sanger Institute. 🦋

Find out some fun facts about these colourful creatures ⤵️
sangerinstitute.blog/2025/07/18/t...
Marbled White butterfly - credit Luke Lithgoe/Wellcome Sanger Institute Six-spot Butnet moth - credit Luke Lithgow/Wellcome Sanger Institute Orange-tip butterfly credit Dr Sam Ebdon/Wellcome Sanger Institute
July 18, 2025 at 1:12 PM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
As part of this, the team aim to encode and process an entire genome on a quantum computer — a potential world-first
James McCafferty, Chief Information Officer at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, discusses the integration of genomics and quantum computing. His quote reads: "This is an extraordinary opportunity to bring together the power of genomics and the potential of quantum computing. Processing the PhiX174 genome with quantum technology not only builds on the work that Fred Sanger completed but it tests what is possible for quantum computing in modern biology."
July 16, 2025 at 11:14 AM
sangerinstitute.bsky.social
A new drug target that has the potential to treat aggressive eye cancer has been discovered 👁️

This research may provide a hopeful outlook for eye cancer patients with very limited treatment options and has implications for a range of other cancers ⤵️

www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/ne...
Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, David Adams stands outdoors, discussing the significant genetic discovery related to uveal melanoma and cancer therapy. His quote reads: “Our study reveals a previously unrecognised genetic relationship in uveal melanoma, driven by a particular relationship between the CDS1 and CDS2 genes. This discovery not only deepens our understanding of tumour biology but also opens new routes for precise therapy development. What makes this finding especially exciting is its relevance beyond uveal melanoma as our research suggests a therapeutic potential for a broad range of cancers.”
July 4, 2025 at 10:37 AM