Lives could be saved from tropical disease with new rapid test
A new test diagnoses patients with melioidosis within hours, rather than days, meaning they can receive the correct antibiotics faster
New microbiome insights could help boost immunotherapy for a range of rare cancers
The microbiome can identify those who benefit from combination immunotherapy across multiple different cancers, including rare gynaecological cancers, biliary tract cancers and melanoma.
New screening tool to explore mechanisms behind cancer, autoimmunity and neurodegeneration
Scientists have developed a new screening tool to uncover how genetic changes affect gene activity and can lead to diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration and cardiovascular disease. This new tool enables the investigation of thousands of DNA mutations identified by genetic studies in one experiment, guiding the development of advanced diagnostics and treatments.
Butterfly and moth genomes mostly unchanged despite 250 million years of evolution
Comparison of over 200 high-quality butterfly and moth genomes reveals key insights into their biology, evolution and diversification over the last 250 million years, as well as clues for conservation.
Key genes linked to DNA damage and human disease uncovered
More than one hundred key genes linked to DNA damage have been uncovered through systematic screening of nearly 1,000 genetically modified mouse lines, in a new study published (14 February) in Nature.
Leading UK and South African genomics labs unite to take disease surveillance beyond Covid
Genomic surveillance laboratories in the UK and South Africa, renowned for their work identifying new variants during the COVID-19 pandemic, have joined forces to identify emerging threats from infectious diseases.
Role of inherited genetic variants in rare blood cancer uncovered
Large-scale genetic analysis has helped researchers uncover the interplay between cancer-driving genetic mutations and inherited genetic variants in a rare type of blood cancer.
Antibiotic use is not the only driver of superbugs
For the first time, researchers have analysed the impact of antibiotic use on the rise of treatment-resistant bacteria over the last 20 years in the UK and Norway. They show that while the increase in drug use has amplified the spread of superbugs, it is not the only driver.
Cancer drug discovery accelerated as hundreds of overlooked targets prioritised
A new, systematic analysis of cancer cells identifies 370 candidate priority drug targets across 27 cancer types, including breast, lung and ovarian cancers.
New methodology unifies single-cell data
A new methodology that allows for the categorisation and organisation of single-cell data has been launched. It can be used to create a harmonised dataset for the study of human health and disease.
Secret vulnerabilities of cancer's 'Death Star' revealed
Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, Spain, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute have comprehensively identified the allosteric control sites found in the protein KRAS. These are highly sought after targets for drug development, representing secret vulnerabilities, which can be exploited to control the effects of one of the most important causes of cancer.
Immune cells shape lung before birth and offer potential new avenues for treating respiratory diseases
Researchers reveal that healthy lung development hinges on immune-epithelial crosstalk, with implications for respiratory diseases.
First map of human limb development reveals unexpected growth processes and explains syndromes found at birth
Human fingers and toes do not grow outward; instead, they form from within a larger foundational bud, as intervening cells recede to reveal the digits beneath. This is among many processes captured for the first time as scientists unveil a spatial cell atlas of the entire developing human limb, resolved in space and time.
New research - Psoriasis not caused by spontaneous mutations in skin cells
Psoriasis — a chronic skin condition — is not caused or spread by spontaneous genetic mutations in the skin, new research suggests.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria mapped in Ghana
Some strains of heavily antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Ghana are not successful at spreading outside of the hospital, suggesting that control measures can be focused on clinical settings to help curb treatment-resistant infections.
Contagious cancers in cockles sequenced, showing unexpected instability
Transmissible cancers in cockles — marine cancers that can spread through the water — have been sequenced for the first time, unearthing new insight into how these cancers have spread across animal populations for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years.
Explosion in fish biodiversity due to genetic recycling
Scientists show the extraordinary diversity of cichlid fish in Africa’s Lake Victoria was made possible by ‘genetic recycling’ - repeated cycles of new species appearing and rapidly adapting to different roles in the ecosystem. In an evolutionary case study that has fascinated researchers for decades, the research sheds light on how 500 species of fish were able to emerge and thrive in just 16…
Genes fuelling antibiotic resistance in Yemen cholera outbreak uncovered
Scientists have identified the source of antibiotic resistance that emerged within bacteria driving the ongoing Yemen cholera epidemic.
Genetic code of rare kidney cancer cracked
The genetic code of a rare form of kidney cancer, called reninoma, has been studied for the first time.
Wellcome Connecting Science: Positive framing of genomics met with scepticism in some communities
New research published today in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances reveals the difference between ‘what we say’ and ‘what people hear’ when engaging underrepresented communities around genomics and healthcare.
Key human bladder cancer genes pinpointed in cats and dogs
Key bladder cancer genes have been uncovered through studying the cancers in cats and dogs, in a significant stride for finding which of many mutations are the most important in the cancer’s development.
Top sustainability award for Hinxton Hall Conference Centre
The Hinxton Hall Conference Centre, based at the Wellcome Genome Campus, has achieved a Silver Award from Green Tourism, the largest and most established sustainable certification programme in the world.
Multiple organ functions of the yolk sac revealed by early human development map
The role of the human yolk sac in supporting early embryonic development and the first wave of the prenatal immune system has been mapped in a study published today (17 August) in Science.
Wellcome Sanger Institute highlight skin cancer-related mutations higher in the UK than Singapore
A new study has shown how, on average, people in the UK have facial skin that is far more DNA damaged from the sun than people in Singapore, explaining the far higher risk of developing the most common skin cancers in the UK.
New Cholera substrains in Bangladesh uncovered by genomic surveillance confirm the importance of vaccination
Researchers have uncovered two new cholera substrains in a displaced refugee population in southern Bangladesh, where a pre-emptive mass vaccination campaign of over one million refugees was successful in preventing an epidemic. They also showed that the cholera bacterium initiating this campaign was the high risk pandemic strain that has caused outbreaks of cholera globally.