Resurrection of 50,000-year-old gene reveals how malaria parasite jumped from gorillas to humans
For the first time, scientists have uncovered the likely series of events that led to the world’s deadliest malaria parasite being able to jump from gorillas to humans. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Montpellier reconstructed an approximately 50,000-year-old gene sequence that was acquired by the ancestor of Plasmodium falciparum, giving it the ability to…
Jumping genes can cause rare developmental disorders in children
The largest study of its kind into childhood developmental disorders has discovered that jumping genes cause genetic changes in some patients with undiagnosed neurodevelopmental diseases.
First cell map of developing human liver reveals how blood and immune system develops
In a world first, scientists have created the human developmental liver cell atlas that provides crucial insights into how the blood and immune systems develop in the foetus. It maps changes in the cellular landscape of the developing liver between the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, including how stem cells from the liver seed other tissues to support the high demand for oxygen needed…
Human kidney map charts our growing immune defence
The first cell atlas of the human kidney’s immune system has been created after scientists mapped nearly 70,000 individual kidney cells from early life and adults. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University of Cambridge, Newcastle University and their collaborators have generated the atlas and used it to map the communities of immune cells in the kidney. This shows for the first…
Scientists hone in on DNA differences behind immune diseases
Scientists are one step closer to discovering the causes of immune diseases such as asthma, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Research from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, GSK and Biogen, under the Open Targets initiative, has shown that thousands of differences in DNA between individuals, associated with immune diseases, are linked with the switching-on of a specific subtype of immune cells.
Babies' gut bacteria affected by delivery method, Baby Biome project shows
Babies born vaginally have different gut bacteria - their microbiome - than those delivered by Caesarean, research has shown. Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UCL, the University of Birmingham and their collaborators discovered that whereas vaginally born babies got most of their gut bacteria from their mother, babies born via caesarean did not, and instead had more bacteria…
Brown trout genome will help explain species' genetic superpowers
Better conservation and management of fish stocks is on the horizon, after the completion of the brown trout reference genome by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators. The genome will help settle a longstanding debate about whether the physically-varied brown trout is actually a single species or several, and give insights into their ability to quickly adapt to…
LifeLab 2019 – discovery on your doorstep with an exciting programme of free events and activities
LifeLab has launched an exciting programme of events for Friday 27th and Saturday 28th September 2019, transforming parts of Cambridge, Peterborough and Ely into discovery zones for the weekend. Most events are free, taking place in a range of venues including shopping centres, theatres, cafes and bars.
Map of malaria behaviour set to revolutionise research
The first detailed map of individual malaria parasite behaviour across each stage of its complicated life cycle has been created by scientists. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators used advanced single-cell technology to isolate individual parasites and measure their gene activity.
Diarrhoea-causing bacteria adapted to spread in hospitals
Scientists have discovered that the gut-infecting bacterium Clostridium difficile is evolving into two separate species, with one group highly adapted to spread in hospitals. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and collaborators identified genetic changes in the newly-emerging species that allow it to thrive on the Western sugar-rich diet…
Hospitals key in the spread of extremely drug resistant bacteria in Europe
New research has found that antibiotic-resistant strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, an opportunistic pathogen that can cause respiratory and bloodstream infections in humans, are spreading through hospitals in Europe.
Multi-drug resistant malaria spreading in Asia
Genomic surveillance has revealed that malaria resistance to two first-line antimalarial drugs has spread rapidly from Cambodia to neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University of Oxford and Mahidol University, Bangkok, discovered that descendants of one multi-drug resistant malaria strain are replacing the local parasite populations in…
Low doses of radiation promote cancer-capable cells
Low doses of radiation equivalent to three CT scans, which are considered safe, give cancer-capable cells a competitive advantage over normal cells in healthy tissue, scientists have discovered. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge studied the effects of low doses of radiation in the oesophagus of mice.
First lung map uncovers new insights into asthma
For the first time, researchers have mapped the building blocks of the human lungs and airways, in both asthma patients and normal people.
Pneumonia mapped in largest genomic survey of any disease-causing bacterium
Researchers have mapped the most common bacterial cause of pneumonia around the world and revealed how these bacteria evolve in response to vaccination.
Major stem cell discovery to boost research into development and regenerative medicine
A new approach has enabled researchers to create Expanded Potential Stem Cells (EPSCs) of both pig and human cells.
Global Strep A vaccine one step closer
The search for a global Strep A vaccine has narrowed after researchers sequenced the DNA of more than 2,000 Group A Streptococcus samples from around the world.
CRISPR catches out critical cancer changes
Researchers reveal which gene fusions are critical for the growth of cancer cells and identify a new drug target for multiple cancers.
Mice reveal 38 new genes involved in hearing loss
Multiple new genes involved in hearing loss have been revealed in a huge study of mouse mutants by researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and King’s College London, and colleagues. The new genes reveal the metabolic pathways and regulatory processes involved in hearing.
New cancer drug targets accelerate path to precision medicine
Researchers discover thousands of genes essential for cancer’s survival and rank which ones show the most promise as drug targets for developing new treatments.
Genetic code of WWI soldier’s cholera mapped
The oldest publicly-available strain of the cholera-causing bacterial species, Vibrio cholerae, has had its genetic code read for the first time by researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators. The bacterium was isolated from a British soldier during World War One (WWI) and stored for over 100 years before being revived and sequenced.
Major mutation pattern in cancer occurs in bursts
Researchers have created a huge resource for investigating the biological mechanisms that cause cancer. The scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators identified which patterns of DNA damage - mutational fingerprints that represent the origins of cancer - were present in over a thousand human cancer cell lines.
Improving global surveillance of antibiotic resistance
A World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Note has been published that will enable health authorities to make informed choices on the most appropriate molecular tests in order to achieve a clearer picture of antimicrobial resistance globally.
Cancer comparison across species highlights new drug targets
Cancer genes in mucosal melanoma, a rare and poorly understood subtype of melanoma, have been compared in humans, dogs and horses for the first time by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators. Researchers sequenced the genomes of the same cancer across different species to pin-point key cancer genes.
100 cancer organoid models developed by Sanger Institute scientists
Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute have developed 100 cancer organoids.The work was co-funded by Cancer Research UK and the Sanger Institute and leads the UK effort as part of the international Human Cancer Model Initiative (HCMI). The organoids will soon be available for researchers, together with associated data including whole genome sequences.