Podcasts about Wellcome Sanger Institute

Zoologist, microbiologist and science champion Dr Bushra Schuitemaker has carved out a career in research and is determined to ensure young people from disadvantaged backgrounds know that science is for them too.Growing up in a single parent household in rural Essex, entitled to free school lunches, Bushra's stella science career is all the more remarkable because her local secondary school offered pupils no opportunities at all to take science A level courses.Positive she wanted to study zoology at university, she petitioned the school board, teachers and fellow pupils to get A level biology put on – which they did. Several years later, the school has full physics, chemistry and biology classes.Bushra's professional achievements, include working for Cancer Research UK at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and now researching childhood obesity and puppy gut health at Biome9 and the Quadram Institute in association with the Guide Dogs organisation. And she partly puts her success down to thinking differently (she describes this as a superpower) because she has both dyslexia and dyspraxia.Read more and find extra links on the ProGRESS website show notes page hereYou might like to listen to:Sarah Ashworth, Researcher developer at University of Manchester S1 E11Rachel Warren, Professor of global change and environmental biology, The Tyndall Centre UEA S1 E7Matthew Halteman, Philosophy professor and animal and food ethicist, S3 E10Lydia Carrington, Sustainability manager Edgbaston Stadium S2 E1About ProGRESS:Host Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible careers, courses and activities and asks for real-world insights into the paths and decisions that led to them.Original content © Sandra Kessell Original music © Lyze KessellFollow ProGRESS on LinkedInInstagram: @progress_green_careers_podcastEmail us: hello [@] mypro-gress.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Although one in five colorectal cancers having microsatellite instability and expressing the Werner Helicase (WRN) gene could be treated with drugs that inhibit WRN, the effectiveness of such an approach has been limited by resistance. However, researchers identified the Cys727 mutation as being solely responsible for WRN inhibitor resistance. This potentially opens the door to using WRN inhibitors in the cancer clinic by inactivating this resistance gene. At the EORTC-NCI-AACR 2024 Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Symposium Gabriele Picco, PhD, Senior Staff Scientist in the Translational Cancer Genomics Team at the Wellcome Sanger Institute’s Genome Campus, reported findings about WRN resistance mechanisms that may clear the path to introducing WRN inhibitors to the cancer clinic to fight microsatellite unstable cancers.

This week on The Genetics Podcast, we're joined by Hilary Martin, Group Leader in Human Genetics at the world-renowned Wellcome Sanger Institute. Hilary and Patrick discuss her group's work on neurodevelopmental conditions, the role of common genetic variants in rare disease, and how to untangle the impact of direct and indirect genetic influences on various traits. Find out more Nature paper: Examining the role of common variants in rare neurodevelopmental conditions https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08217-y Genes and Health Project https://www.genesandhealth.org

This event brought together academics and healthcare professionals to shed light on the healthcare crisis in Sudan. With more than 70% of Sudan's healthcare facilities currently non-functional according to the International Rescue Committee, speakers will discuss the challenges of delivering care during this increasingly protracted conflict, with insights from research and experience. The event will provide an opportunity to share reflections about what political and humanitarian responses, at local and international levels, may be helpful. Meet the speakers Ibrahim Bani is Associate Professor Adjunct at the Yale School of Public Health. Bani is a public health physician by training with over 20 years of experience in International Public Health. Eva Khair is a British-Sudanese medical doctor, global and humanitarian health consultant as well as a political and parliamentary advisor on Sudan. Majdi Osman is a doctor and scientist at the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. He founded Nubia Health in Wadi Halfa, Sudan building community health worker programs and primary health care centres in the Northern State. Nahid Toubia is a researcher, practitioner and activist in the field of sexual & reproductive health and rights.

Our DNA is made up of 3000 million letters of code. They make up genes within our DNA and are responsible for how cells in our body grow and multiply. But what happens when something in that code goes wrong? Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation, a podcast from Cancer Research UK that brings together the science and the stories behind cancer. In this episode, Sophie will be looking at the human genome and explore how changes in our DNA can increase our risk of getting cancer. Prof Mike Stratton, former director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and a pioneer in cancer genetics, helps unpack this question and tells us how he and his team persevered to find the second BRCA gene (BRCA2) and its mutation. It's been 30 years since the discovery of the first BRCA gene, BRCA1. Sophie sits down with Maria, her sister, Chrissy, and their mother, all who were tested positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation. They discuss their cancer stories and how the life-changing discovery of the BRCA genes has affected them as a family. Read more cancer stories on Cancer NewsYou can donate to Cancer Research UK here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're joined by Tony Cox, CEO of UK Biocentre. After spending more than 20 years at The Wellcome Sanger Institute, where he worked on the Human Genome Project, Tony moved to UK Biocentre in January 2020 – just before the world was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization pivoted to play a key role in the UK's response effort, and under Tony's leadership the center sequenced 33 million DNA samples in just two years. Patrick and Tony discussed receiving a phone call from the UK government, scaling from sequencing 1,000 to 100,000 samples per day, and how to manage producing five tonnes of cardboard waste on a daily basis.

The Standard's Business & Technology Correspondent, Simon Hunt, explains how Nvidia overtook Microsoft and Apple to become the world's most valuable company.Dr Katie Burnham, Senior Staff Scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, discusses their new study which suggests that sepsis patients ‘could get the right treatment faster, based on their genes'.Also in this episode:Self-driving cars found to be safer - except at dawn, dusk, or when turning, according to studyPrince Charles Cinema cancels screening of film which was written by AI following backlashMcDonald's AI mishaps with bacon ice cream and chicken nugget overloadFollow us on X or on Threads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Veronika Kedlian explains the two muscle mechanisms that fight against the ageing process. Google announces new AI-powered Vids app. Nasa asked to help in search for Loch Ness Monster. The Instagram rats that have learned how to drive. Also in this episode:Dr Kedlian explains Wellcome Sanger Institute research on musclesBrightest-ever cosmic explosion was 'caused by collapse of a massive star'Google's Pixel 9 may get an Apple-like satellite SOS featureWatch: Instagrammer teaches pet rats how to driveMcDonald's launches 'smell the billboard' marketing campaignFollow us on X or on Threads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As lava consumes homes on the Reykjavik Peninsula in Iceland, evacuated communities have been witnessing eruptions shifting and intensifying. We take a look at the latest science that's helping teams on the ground accurately predict where the danger is coming from, helping people to stay safe. Our go-to volcanologist, Dr Evgenia Ilyinskaya, and her colleague, Professor Andrew Hooper, from the University of Leeds tell presenter Victoria about these new technological advancements, and ask the crucial question: are we entering a new millennium of volcanic activity in Iceland? When looking at clear ocean water, you might assume that, aside from fish and some algae, there isn't much living in it. But Prof Carlos Duarte knows it is full of life. In fact, his new study shows just how many different microbes – bacteria, viruses & fungi – live in all parts of our ocean. He and his team at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia have created the largest ocean genome catalogue to date. Prof Mark Blaxter from the Wellcome Sanger Institute joins us to discuss this new study, the benefits of hypothesis-free science, and why he believes cataloguing the code of life of all the species on earth is an important endeavour. And, lastly, an old dinosaur fossil in New Mexico has been re-examined. What was believed to be of the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex may have been a different species all along. But not all palaeontologists agree. How do scientists even tell a dinosaur species from a fossil? Prof Stephen Brusatte tells Vic that it's all about comparing bones. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Florian Bohr, Louise Orchard, Hannah Robbins Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth  BBC Inside Science is produced in collaboration with the Open University.

Genomic surveillance laboratories in the UK and South Africa, renowned for their work identifying new variants during the COVID-19 pandemic, have come together to identify emerging threats from infectious diseases. The Wellcome Sanger Institute's Genomic Surveillance Unit (GSU) and Stellenbosch University's Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) have announced a new partnership to coordinate the genomic surveillance of infectious diseases globally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Human Cell Atlas is a project that has 3000 researchers in over 94 countries working to collect samples of every single cell in the human body. The idea is that an interactive map of the body will be created. It will be a reference for what every kind of normal human cell should look like. But that will also vary depending on who you are and where you live. It will give doctors a tool to measure illness and disease and make diagnosis and treatment much quicker. The database will enable any doctor, anywhere in the world, with the right kind of interface, to access the information. It could be ground-breaking for the treatment of disease and the democratisation of healthcare. Contributors: Dr Aviv Regev, one of the co-chairs of the Human Cell Atlas Dr Sarah Teichmann from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge Dr Piero Carninci, Geneticist, Transcriptome Technology and RIKEN Centre Sean Bendall, Associate Professor of pathology and immunology at Stanford University Presented by Tanya Beckett Produced by Louise Clarke Researched by Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Edited by Tara McDermott Technical Producer is Richard Hannaford Production Co-ordinator is Jordan King Image: Medical Technology Stock Photo by Kentoh via Getty Images

What are PhD fellowships and should you do one? Oumie and Kudzai answer these questions for us on today's episode. They are both PhD fellows at the Wellcome Sanger Institute for Genomics. They talk about their journey there, their current research projects and how Black women can thrive in the space of academia. Host: Tulela Pea, from Black Women Science Network Speak to Oumie: Twitter: @popgen_oumie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/okuyateh/  Speak to Kudzai: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kudzai-nyamondo Twitter: @nyamondo_kudzai More information: Check out our ⁠website⁠. Follow us on social media @bwisnetwork Check us out on this list for Top Women in Science Podcasts on Feedspot - ⁠⁠https://blog.feedspot.com/women_in_science_podcasts/⁠

With digital technology increasingly fundamental to both art and science, two leading thinkers discuss the evolving relationship with Alex Estorick. 

In this milestone episode, we welcome Dr Matthew Hurles, geneticist and pioneer in the field of human genomics. Dr Hurles has dedicated his career to unravelling the secrets hidden within our DNA, as well as harnessing cutting-edge research to revolutionise our understanding of genetic disorders, human evolution, and the potential for personalised healthcare. Join Patrick and Matt as they delve into the frontiers of genomic science, from the implications of newborn screenings to emerging technologies and the transforming role of researchers. 0:00 Intro 1:55 Genetics in the '90s compared to genetics today 4:30 Work-life balance in science 8:00 Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study 13:10 New technologies in genome sequencing 14:45 How far are we from using next-generation sequencing as standard for diagnosing rare disease? 17:10 The Industrialization of genomics research 21:10 Will we move to a world where everyone is sequenced at birth? 25:20 Uses for cellular assays in healthcare and research 27:15 Bridging the gap between rare and common diseases 31:35 Birth cohorts and newborn screening studies 33:30 The power of early diagnosis and intervention with genomics 36:30 Open access databases 38:40 Advice for early-career researchers 41:20 Future directions for the Wellcome Sanger Institute 43:30 Applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in genomics 45:30 Thank you 46:50 Outro

In this milestone episode, we welcome Dr Matthew Hurles, geneticist and pioneer in the field of human genomics. Dr Hurles has dedicated his career to unravelling the secrets hidden within our DNA, as well as harnessing cutting-edge research to revolutionise our understanding of genetic disorders, human evolution, and the potential for personalised healthcare. Join Patrick and Matt as they delve into the frontiers of genomic science, from the implications of newborn screenings to emerging technologies and the transforming role of researchers. 0:00 Intro 1:55 Genetics in the '90s compared to genetics today 4:30 Work-life balance in science 8:00 Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study 13:10 New technologies in genome sequencing 14:45 How far are we from using next-generation sequencing as standard for diagnosing rare disease? 17:10 The Industrialization of genomics research 21:10 Will we move to a world where everyone is sequenced at birth? 25:20 Uses for cellular assays in healthcare and research 27:15 Bridging the gap between rare and common diseases 31:35 Birth cohorts and newborn screening studies 33:30 The power of early diagnosis and intervention with genomics 36:30 Open access databases 38:40 Advice for early-career researchers 41:20 Future directions for the Wellcome Sanger Institute 43:30 Applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in genomics 45:30 Thank you 46:50 Outro

In this weeks episode I am joined by Nick Ewing, Managing Director at EfficiencyIT. Nick is on a mission to challenge the status quo of what is achievable and what is acceptable within the data center sector.First we discuss Nick's career and how he made the move to  the data centre sector. Nick shares how the sector has changed throughout his career, and his learnings throughout his journey.We then discuss EfficiencyIT and the importance of organisations focussing on improving efficiency within a data centre. Nick shares his experience of challenges within legacy data centres, the impact efficiency has on ESG, and some of the organisations work with Wellcome Sanger Institute.We also discuss how modular data centres have evolved, and where Nick sees this aspect of the sector going over the next few years.Nick is very passionate about the data centre sector and offers some excellent value on how we can improve efficiency, and also make it a better sector to work within.Learn more about efficiencyIT here - https://efficiencyit.com/

In this episode, Patrick is joined by Alex Cagan, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, specialising in evolutionary processes in somatic tissue. Tune in as Alex walks us through a fascinating new study, years in the making, looking at somatic mutation rates across 16 mammalian species, spanning 30-fold in lifespan and around 40,000-fold in body mass. This work sheds light on fundamental questions in cancer and ageing across the tree of life. 0:00 Intro 6:00 Collaborating with the London Zoo, and the challenges of sourcing tissue from long-living animals 9:06 Why are naked mole rats so important to the cancer and ageing community? 11:32 The scale and breadth of species sampled in the study 14:53 Is there a ceiling to how many mutations an organism can tolerate? 17:53 Why are intestinal crypts so effective for sequencing somatic mutations? 20:44 Key learnings from driving a 5-year study into somatic evolution 22:46 Are there really any “immortal” species, and what are they? 25:19 Why are cancer rates lower in larger species, and is this related to lower mutation rates, DNA error correction or both? 27:24 Investigating transmissible cancers in Chernobyl 29:40 Is cancer everywhere in the tree of life? 31:23 Alex talks about applying his talent for illustration to science 38:56 The Sanger Tree of Life program, the Darwin Tree of Life project, and the bright future ahead for research on somatic mutations 40:14 Outro Find out more about the study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04618-z

In this episode, Patrick is joined by Alex Cagan, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, specialising in evolutionary processes in somatic tissue. Tune in as Alex walks us through a fascinating new study, years in the making, looking at somatic mutation rates across 16 mammalian species, spanning 30-fold in lifespan and around 40,000-fold in body mass. This work sheds light on fundamental questions in cancer and ageing across the tree of life. 0:00 Intro 6:00 Collaborating with the London Zoo, and the challenges of sourcing tissue from long-living animals 9:06 Why are naked mole rats so important to the cancer and ageing community? 11:32 The scale and breadth of species sampled in the study 14:53 Is there a ceiling to how many mutations an organism can tolerate? 17:53 Why are intestinal crypts so effective for sequencing somatic mutations? 20:44 Key learnings from driving a 5-year study into somatic evolution 22:46 Are there really any “immortal” species, and what are they? 25:19 Why are cancer rates lower in larger species, and is this related to lower mutation rates, DNA error correction or both? 27:24 Investigating transmissible cancers in Chernobyl 29:40 Is cancer everywhere in the tree of life? 31:23 Alex talks about applying his talent for illustration to science 38:56 The Sanger Tree of Life program, the Darwin Tree of Life project, and the bright future ahead for research on somatic mutations 40:14 Outro Find out more about the study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04618-z

Twenty years ago, the Human Genome Project was completed. It unveiled a mostly complete sequence of the 3 billion pairs of building blocks that make up the code within every set of human chromosomes. These are the instructions that create humans. Almost all of human biology research uses the Human Genome Project's findings in some way, from understanding why some people are more likely to develop diseases than others, to uncovering the secrets of our ancestors and evolution. But for genomics to become a part of everyday medicine, paving the way for personalised medicines, the hard work is still ahead.Natasha Loder, The Economist's health editor and Geoff Carr, our senior editor for science and technology, reflect on the completion of the Human Genome Project in the early 2000s and the gaps that still remain. Natasha also visits the Wellcome Sanger Institute, to explore the next frontiers for genomics in medicine—she meets the outgoing director, Mike Stratton; the incoming director, Matt Hurles; and the boss of the European Bioinformatics Institute, Ewan Birney. Plus, Mathew Davies, an engineer at the Sanger Institute, and his team, discuss the challenges with storing and processing vast amounts of sequencing data. Alok Jha, The Economist's science and technology editor, hosts.To dive deeper on genomics, find our recent episode from the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing, or explore the power of gene therapies, and also an explainer on how genomic sequencing works.If you love Babbage, why not work with us? We're hiring for an Assistant Audio Producer to work on the show. Apply by May 15th.For full access to The Economist's print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty years ago, the Human Genome Project was completed. It unveiled a mostly complete sequence of the 3 billion pairs of building blocks that make up the code within every set of human chromosomes. These are the instructions that create humans. Almost all of human biology research uses the Human Genome Project's findings in some way, from understanding why some people are more likely to develop diseases than others, to uncovering the secrets of our ancestors and evolution. But for genomics to become a part of everyday medicine, paving the way for personalised medicines, the hard work is still ahead.Natasha Loder, The Economist's health editor and Geoff Carr, our senior editor for science and technology, reflect on the completion of the Human Genome Project in the early 2000s and the gaps that still remain. Natasha also visits the Wellcome Sanger Institute, to explore the next frontiers for genomics in medicine—she meets the outgoing director, Mike Stratton; the incoming director, Matt Hurles; and the boss of the European Bioinformatics Institute, Ewan Birney. Plus, Mathew Davies, an engineer at the Sanger Institute, and his team, discuss the challenges with storing and processing vast amounts of sequencing data. Alok Jha, The Economist's science and technology editor, hosts.To dive deeper on genomics, find our recent episode from the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing, or explore the power of gene therapies, and also an explainer on how genomic sequencing works.If you love Babbage, why not work with us? We're hiring for an Assistant Audio Producer to work on the show. Apply by May 15th.For full access to The Economist's print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear Mihir Kekre, who spent 4 years at the Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, share his experience in antimicrobial resistance research and pathogen surveillance.                                  

The genome itself was the beginning of a whole technological revolution. Matt and Chris talk about taking on the challenge, searching for the needle in the haystack, and making it work at scale! Join Chris and population geneticist Prof Matthew Hurles this week as they delve into the genetic detective work and the future of research while engaging the research and participant community. If you're a student wanting to get into the field, Matt gives his take on how to go about it.   You can find our transcript here – https://files.genomicsengland.co.uk/documents/Podcast-transcripts/Matthew-Hurles.docx.   “The reference datasets of normal population variation in individuals of African ancestry are just smaller, and therefore less powerful than the ones of European ancestry. What we really need to do is enrich those African ancestry population datasets, that's something we really can hit on. I think that's a real global challenge."   Prof Matt Hurles is Head of Human Genetics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Senior Group Leader of The Hurles Group. He is also the founder of Congenica and an honorary professor of Human Genetics and Genomics at the University of Cambridge. He leads the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) Study and the Prenatal Assessment of Genomes and Exomes (PAGE) Study. He also led the DECIPHER initiative that is enabling rare disease patients to share anonymised genetic and clinical data globally.   

"Getting your genetic information isn't just [of] your own, it belongs to your ancestry too."   On today's episode of The G Word, Chris Wigley, our CEO is joined by Georgia Whitton, the Senior Genomic Data Scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. She is also a broadcaster on YouTube. She hosts 'Genomics with Georgia', and is bringing new talent into the tech and science field through volunteering with Code First Girls and many other great activities. From aspiring actress to senior genomic data scientist, Georgia walks us through her genomic journey, starting with her A-level choices to deciding which variant of COVID-19 was infecting the UK. Chris and Georgia also discuss her current work in genomics surveillance and amplicon sequencing of malaria. 

Show Notes:  Groundbreaking heart disease treatment uses ultrasound-assisted lasers | Brighter Side News (01:21) Atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque, can lead to heart disease, artery disease, and chronic kidney disease and is traditionally treated by inserting and inflating a balloon to expand the artery.  Rohit Singh, of the University of Kansas, and other researchers developed a method that combines a low-power laser with ultrasound to remove arterial plaque safely and efficiently.  High-power laser treatments direct thermal energy to vaporize water in the artery and create a vapor bubble, which expands and collapses to break the plaque. The addition of irradiation from ultrasound causes the microbubbles to expand, collapse, and disrupt the plaque. Singh talks about the combo of laser treatment with ultrasounds:“In conventional laser angioplasty, a high laser power is required for the entire cavitation process, whereas in our technology, a lower laser power is only required for initiating the cavitation process … Overall, the combination of ultrasound and laser reduces the need for laser power and improves the efficiency of atherosclerotic plaque removal." Because it destroys rather than compresses the plaque, the combination technique will have a lower restenosis rate, or re-narrowing of the artery, compared to balloon angioplasty or stenting.Restenosis occurs when an artery that was opened with a stent or angioplasty becomes narrowed again. Singh and collaborators are also using the methodology for photo-mediated ultrasound therapy and ultrasound-assisted endovascular laser thrombolysis. Former can be used to remove abnormal microvessels in the eye to prevent blindness The latter can dissolve blood clots in veins.   Locusts can 'smell' human cancer cells | Futurity (05:54) Researchers, at Michigan State University, have shown that locusts can not only “smell” the difference between cancer cells and healthy cells, but they can also distinguish between different cancer cell lines.This work could provide the basis for devices that use insect sensory neurons to enable the early detection of cancer using only a patient's breath. The success of engineered devices can make it easy to overlook the performance of our natural tools, especially the sense organ right in front of our eyes.Why we trust dogs and their super-sniffers to detect telltale smells of drugs, and explosives Scientists are working on technology that can mimic the sense of smell, but nothing they've engineered can yet compete with the speed, sensitivity and specificity of old-fashioned biological olfaction.Olfaction: The sense of smell. Why not start with the solutions biology has already built after eons of evolution, and engineer from there? The research team is essentially “hacking” the insect brain to use it for disease diagnosis. Easily attach electrodes to locust brains The scientists then recorded the insects' responses to gas samples produced by healthy cells and cancer cells, and then used those signals to create chemical profiles of the different cells. How well could the locusts differentiate healthy cells from cancer cells using three different oral cancer cell lines?According to Christopher Contag, the director of IQ, “We expected that the cancer cells would appear different than the normal cells … But when the bugs could distinguish three different cancers from each other, that was amazing.” Although the team's results focused on cancers of the mouth, the researchers believe their system would work with any cancer that introduces volatile metabolites into breath, which is likely most cancer types. In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term metabolite is usually used for small molecules.  Let's end it off with a quote from Contag about early detection:“Early detection is so important, and we should use every possible tool to get there, whether it's engineered or provided to us by millions of years of natural selection … If we're successful, cancer will be a treatable disease.”   Scientists create first full map of human immune system connectivity | New Atlas (11:15) By using advanced screening methods to tune into the communications taking place between individual cells, scientists have produced the first full connectivity map of the human immune system.Will help researchers better understand the way different disease such as cancer progress, and work towards next-generation treatments Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and ETH Zurich have been working to establish a more comprehensive diagram of the immune system throughout the body. The breakthrough stems from new understanding of the signaling that takes place between different immune cells.Some of these patrol the body looking for signs of injury or disease, and then send messages to other immune cells to join the fight. Communication takes place through proteins on the surface of immune cells, which bind to receptor proteins on the surfaces of other cells. Mapping involved a technique called high-throughput surface receptor screening, which allowed them to map immune cell protein interactions on an unprecedented scale. This wiring diagram details how immune cells connect and communicate throughout the body and includes previously unknown interactions. Valuable insights into the way the body organizes its immune defenses,  May help efforts to develop treatments that increase their ability to fight disease, with immunotherapy for cancer a prime example. Additionally, it could offer a blueprint for the prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases Let's end it off with a quote from Professor Gavin Wright, senior author, discussing the research:“Immunotherapies work with the body's immune system to combat diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity… They can be incredibly effective in certain groups of people, but not all, leaving some people without treatment. Our research, a culmination of over two decades of work, could hold the key to understanding why these treatments are more effective in some groups, and how they could be adapted to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from them.”   Flying car 'Switchblade' with foldable wings and a retractable tail gets FAA approval | Interesting Engineering (15:46) A flying sports car named Switchblade recently passed the safety tests of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and now it is ready for market launch. Oregon-based company Samson Sky claims it took 14 years to develop this innovative vehicle.  Can be easily parked inside a residential garage, and it is suitable for both roadside driving and flying. Not the first to receive approval from the FAA, but it might become the first flying car available to the public in the US.Already started taking online reservations for Switchblade, and over 1,600 people have already shown interest in buying the car.  The estimated starting price for Switchblade would be $150,000. The features of the Switchblade:Three-wheeler sports car that comes with foldable wings and a retractable tail Within three minutes, these flexible components can turn this roadside vehicle into a small aircraft Capable of flying at 16,000 feet (4.8 km) The top speed of this two-seater flying machine ranges between 125 mph (201 km/h) (on-road) and 200 mph (321 km/h) (during flight). Runs on 91 octane gasoline The official website of Samson Sky mentions that the car comes equipped with a hybrid electric drive and fly system, a climate-controlled cabin, front and rear crumple zones, and a parachute that covers the whole vehicle to ensure complete comfort and safety of its users. For instance, the vehicle has been approved by the FAA, but that only means that Samson Sky can sell this vehicle. Buyers might still need to get permission from local authorities before they drive or fly Switchblade for the first time since it is not an ordinary vehicle. Another difficulty, the Switchblade is a flying vehicle, and there is no company in the US that offers flying car insurance.Insurance laws in most American states require drivers to carry active vehicle insurance with them. Switchblade buyers might need to buy both car and aircraft insurance. What's interesting about this is that Switchblade isn't the only flying car that is ready to launch.  Real Flying Cars That Will Soon Take Flight There are companies working on this, and it would be fascinating to see which of them we see first on the road. List by Interesting Engineering of 14 other flying cars being developed:   Czinger's 3D-Printed 21C Hypercar Could Spark an Automaking Revolution | Robb Report (22:00) The $2 million, carbon-fiber-bodied, tandem-seat Czinger 21C astounds with specs—1,250 hp, zero to 62 mph in 1.9 seconds, a claimed top speed of 253 mphRecently blew away the McLaren P1's production-car track record at Circuit of the Americas by six seconds. However, more impressive is the hybrid's build process: The main structural components are designed by Czinger's proprietary AI software and then 3-D-printed.Co-founder Kevin Czinger, stated: “These structures cannot be made more perfect for the requirements inputted … You could have 1,000 engineers and they would never get to this solution.” Figuring out how to put these “perfect Lego blocks” together was tasked to Lukas Czinger, Kevin's son, who invented a fixtureless assembly systemNo part-specific fixture or tooling required to hold pieces in place during the robotic build. Additionally, the polymer team created an adhesive that bonded in under two seconds.The result is a 22-robot cell that doesn't have to be retooled from one application to another, meaning the same hardware can transition from creating a rear frame to a full chassis with only a software change—a potentially revolutionary new approach to manufacturing.

The 2019 finalists of the TDR Global Mentorship Contest for improving research mentorship in low- and middle-income countries joined us to share their experiences implementing their respective projects. We had: Dr. Ana Maria Aguilar also discussed the pivotal shift in her community-based mentoring project in Bolivia. Her project initially focused on creating a horizontal style, participatory community mentor program, but shifted to focus on meeting the needs of the community. They began working with a community that had used herbal packages as an approach to bridge the distrust between the health sector and the local community. Connect with Ana Maria on ResearchGate. Guest informationProf. Aguilar is a senior pediatrician. Currently a professor in child growth and development research at the Medical College at University Mayor de San Andres in La Paz, Bolivia. She has designed and implemented health and nutrition interventions for children under five years of age for the last thirty years. She also led the conformation of the Food and Nutrition Council in Bolivia and was the First National Coordinator of the Malnutrition Zero Program until 2012. Among many of her work and achievements, she has also authored and co-authored several articles, book chapters on nutrition and child health, description of the nutritional transition in Bolivia. About TDR GlobalTDR Global is a worldwide community of passionate scientists and experts who have been working with TDR on research on infectious diseases of poverty. TDR is the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training and Tropical Diseases, based at the World Health Organization.Resources Oppong, E., Bao, H., Tang, W., Mejia, M.I.E., Glozah, F., Asanga, N., Boinett, C.J., Aguilar, A.M., Valido, E., Lestari, T. and Tucker, J.D., 2021. A Global Crowdsourcing Open Call to Improve Research Mentorship in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: A Mixed Methods Analysis. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1(aop).AcknowledgmentsEditing by Cassandra SooResearch: Emmanuela Oppong & Alice MatimbaProducers: Emmanuela Oppong (Producer), Alice Matimba (Senior Producer), Isabela Malta (Producer), Christine Boinett (Creator and Executive producer).Host: Emmanuela OppongMedia and Marketing: Catherine HolmesMusic: https://freesound.org/s/477388/ SponsorsWellcome Connecting Science: https://coursesandconferences.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/Wellcome Sanger Institute: https://www.sanger.ac.ukSESH: https://www.seshglobal.org/

Towards complete and error-free genome assemblies of all vertebrate species, The Earth BioGenome Project 2020: Starting the clock, and Scientific excellence in sequencing all life on Earth depends on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion Scientific Sense ® by Gill Eapen: Dr. Marcela Uliano-Silva is Senior Bioinformatician at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Her research interests are (i) mechanisms of genome evolution, (ii) the improvement of genome assembly pipelines and (iii) actions towards inclusion and diversity in science. Please subscribe to this channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ScientificSense?sub_confirmation=1 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/scientificsense/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/scientificsense/support

The 2019 finalists of the TDR Mentorship Contest for improving research mentorship in low- and middle-income countries joined us to share their experiences implementing their respective projects. We had:Dr. Ezra Valido who shared his Getting Research To Work (G.R.O.W) for people project in the Philippines, focused on bringing local-non academic organisations, practitioners, and local experts together to collaborate as a small community of practice that can mentor, support and learn from each other. He highlighted some advantageous steps he took, including working with local societies that had the resources he needed. He also discussed some challenges he faced implementing his project during the COVID pandemic, including difficulties gaining funding to navigate the dynamics of mentoring people within different stages of their career. Connect with Ezra on LinkedinGuest informationDr. Ezra Valido is both a biologist and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines. He also holds a Master's degree in public management and public health, and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Lucerne and Swiss Paraplegic Research. He is broadly interested in infectious disease and designing, scaling, and implementing public health programs related to them, focusing on health systems and development and in public health concentrating on tropical medicine. He worked previously as a primary care physician and was employed in the medical affairs units of Sanofi and Novo Nordisk in the Philippine affiliate handling endocrine, cardiovascular, and renal therapeutic areas.ResourcesOppong, E., Bao, H., Tang, W., Mejia, M.I.E., Glozah, F., Asanga, N., Boinett, C.J., Aguilar, A.M., Valido, E., Lestari, T. and Tucker, J.D., 2021. A Global Crowdsourcing Open Call to Improve Research Mentorship in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: A Mixed Methods Analysis. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1(aop).AcknowledgmentsEditing by Cassandra SooResearch: Emmanuela Oppong & Alice MatimbaProducers: Emmanuela Oppong (Producer), Alice Matimba (Senior Producer), Isabela Malta (Producer), Christine Boinett (Creator and Executive producer).Host: Emmanuela OppongMedia and Marketing: Catherine HolmesMusic: https://freesound.org/s/477388/ SponsorsWellcome Connecting Science: https://coursesandconferences.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/Wellcome Sanger Institute: https://www.sanger.ac.ukSESH: https://www.seshglobal.org/

Today we're talking about some exciting new developments in the area of comparative genomics. We are joined by Dr. Zamin Iqbal who is a Research Group Leader at the European Bioinformatics Institute and Dr. Grace Blackwell who is jointly at the European Bioinformatics Institute, in Zam's group and Nick Thomson's team at Wellcome Sanger Institute

Experts say that an alleged hybrid coronavirus mutation dubbed Deltacron reportedly discovered in a Cyprus lab is most likely the result of lab contamination and not a new worrying variant. Cypriot media reported the discovery describing it as having the genetic background of the Delta variant along with some of the mutations of Omicron. Jeffrey Barrett, the head of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at Britain's Wellcome Sanger Institute, says the alleged mutations are located on a part of the genome that is vulnerable to an error in certain sequencing procedures. He says this is almost certainly not a biological recombinant of the Delta and Omicron lineages.

Experts say that an alleged hybrid coronavirus mutation dubbed Deltacron reportedly discovered in a Cyprus lab is most likely the result of lab contamination and not a new worrying variant. Cypriot media reported the discovery describing it as having the genetic background of the Delta variant along with some of the mutations of Omicron. Jeffrey Barrett, the head of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at Britain's Wellcome Sanger Institute, says the alleged mutations are located on a part of the genome that is vulnerable to an error in certain sequencing procedures. He says this is almost certainly not a biological recombinant of the Delta and Omicron lineages.

Experts say that an alleged hybrid coronavirus mutation dubbed Deltacron reportedly discovered in a Cyprus lab is most likely the result of lab contamination and not a new worrying variant. Cypriot media reported the discovery describing it as having the genetic background of the Delta variant along with some of the mutations of Omicron. Jeffrey Barrett, the head of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at Britain's Wellcome Sanger Institute, says the alleged mutations are located on a part of the genome that is vulnerable to an error in certain sequencing procedures. He says this is almost certainly not a biological recombinant of the Delta and Omicron lineages.

What are variants? Where do they come from? Why do they develop and how do they take over? Currently Delta is the dominant variant in the UK and across much of the world; but now Omicron, first identified in South Africa, looks like it could take over. How does that happen? And what can we do about variants?Joining David Aaronovitch in the Briefing Room are:Emma Thomson, Professor of infectious diseases at the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. Dr. Jeff Barrett, Director of the Covid-19 genomics initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Dr. Charlotte Houldcroft, virologist from the University of Cambridge.Producers: John Murphy, Ben Carter and Kirsteen Knight Studio Manager: Graham Puddifoot Editor: Richard Vadon

Researchers are moving to other countries for different reasons, such as building a career, lack of funding, lack of mentoring. However, many face a dilemma between returning home, transferring knowledge and skills to local research, or staying. So when is the right time to return home? And when you get home, how do you prepare for the challenges around settling down?We asked our guests Daniela and Brighton their own experiences; how they decided to go back and what motivated them to overcome challenges and strengthen the research in their home...Guests Information: Dr. Daniela Robles-Espinoza is an assistant professor at the International Laboratory for Human Genome Research (LIIGH), National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and an international fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK. She studied a BSc in genome sciences at UNAM and a PhD in cancer genetics at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on using large-scale sequencing data for investigating the driver alterations, risk factors and potential therapeutic targets of types of cancer important in Mexico and Latin America, such as acral lentiginous melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. https://liigh.unam.mx/drobles/ @daniela_oaksDr. Brighton Samatanga is founder & CEO of The Biotech Institute (Zimbabwe). He is a molecular biophysicist with general interest in genome regulation and control. He did his PhD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and was Professor for Physics for Soft and Biological Matter in Germany.https://twitter.com/drsamatanga https://www.biotechinst.comResourcesFangmeng, T. (2016). Brain circulation, diaspora and scientific progress: A study of the international migration of Chinese scientists, 1998–2006. Asian and Pacific migration journal : APMJ, 25(3), pp.296–319.Mwampamba, T.H. et al. (2021). Challenges encountered when doing research back home: Perspectives from African conservation scientists in the diaspora. Conservation science and practice.  AcknowledgmentsEditing by Mariana Vaz, https://www.marianacpvaz.com/Research: Alice MatimbaProducers: Christine Boinett (Creator and Executive producer), Alice Matimba (Senior Producer), Isabela Malta (Producer and Research Lead), Emmanuela Oppong (Producer), Nagehan Ramazanoglu (Producer), Catherine Holmes (Marketing Lead).Host: Alice MatimbaMedia and Marketing: Catherine HolmeMusic: https://freesound.org/s/477388/Contact usEmail: enquiries@yourdigimentor.netTwitter: @mentor_podcastSupportWCS: https://www.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/WSI: https://www.sanger.ac.ukSESH: https://www.seshglobal.org/OR for simplecastSupport:Wellcome Connecting SciencesWellcome Sanger InstituteSocial Entrepreneurship to Spur Health

Our guests talk about the pros and cons of careers in industry and academia, and mention some of the traits that might be beneficial to have to be successful in each environment. ResourcesResearch culture, changing expectations. Darren Logan for the Royal Society: https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/research-culture/changing-expectations/dr-darren-logan/10 Simple Rules for Choosing Between Industry and Academia: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000388Guest informationProf. Soranzo is a human geneticist working in the field of human complex trait genetics. She graduated in biological sciences at the University of Milano, Italy, obtained a PhD in genetics from the University of Dundee, and undertook post-doctoral training at University College London. Between 2005-2007 she worked for Johnson & Johnson in the USA, before returning to academia. Presently, she is a Senior group leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Professor of Human Genetics at the School of Clinical Medicine of the University of Cambridge, and Head of the Genomics Research Centre at Human Technopole in Italy.@nicolesoranzoAfter an academic career in genetics leading to the Wellcome Sanger Institute faculty, Darren Logan joined for the Waltham Petcare Science Institute – the global research centre for Mars Petcare. There he leads a multidisciplinary team of over 90 scientists that strive to improve the health and wellbeing of pets worldwide. @darrenloganAcknowledgementsEditing by Mariana Vaz, https://www.marianacpvaz.com/Research: Isabela MaltaProducers: Christine Boinett (Creator and Executive producer), Alice Matimba (Senior Producer), Isabela Malta (Producer and Research Lead), Emmanuela Oppong (Producer), Catherine Holmes (Marketing Lead).Host: Isabela MaltaMedia and Marketing: Catherine HolmeMusic: https://freesound.org/s/477388/ Contact usEmail: enquiries@yourdigimentor.net Twitter: @mentor_podcast SupportWCS: https://www.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/WSI: https://www.sanger.ac.ukSESH: https://www.seshglobal.org/

Leadership might be fulfilling, but it is not easy: Our guests Marcia Philbin and Stephen Baker talk about some of the challenges they face as leaders and what skills and factors helped them succeed. ResourcesTed talk by Carla Harris - How to find the person who can help you get ahead at work: https://www.ted.com/talks/carla_harris_how_to_find_the_person_who_can_help_you_get_ahead_at_work?language=enGuest informationMarcia Philbin's Jamaican parents believed in the transformative power of education. For Marcia, this is the reason she is now a black female scientist with a PhD in chemistry, the Chief Executive of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. @Mphil22M @FacultyFarmMedStephen Baker is Director of Research For Global Health in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge and Honorary Faculty at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. He is a molecular epidemiologist whose career has focused on understanding how infectious disease in people in low-middle income countries evolve and spread. He was previously located at the Wellcome Africa- Asia programme in Vietnam for 12 years, where he established an internationally recognised programme of research on enteric (gastrointestinal) infections. @Baker_Lab_CamAcknowledgementsEditing by Mariana Vaz, https://www.marianacpvaz.com/Research: Isabela MaltaProducers: Christine Boinett (Creator and Executive producer), Alice Matimba (Senior Producer), Isabela Malta (Producer and Research Lead), Emmanuela Oppong (Producer), Catherine Holmes (Marketing Lead).Host: Isabela MaltaMedia and Marketing: Catherine HolmeMusic: https://freesound.org/s/477388/ Contact usEmail: enquiries@yourdigimentor.net Twitter: @mentor_podcast SupportWCS: https://www.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/WSI: https://www.sanger.ac.ukSESH: https://www.seshglobal.org/

From the hive of molecular activity inside every cell to how cells self-organise into complex living things and those organisms evolve into different species, host Kenneth Cukier explores the fundamental architecture of life. He also investigates how the power of stem cells could be used to treat genetic diseases and why there is still debate about the origins of modern humans.With Geoffrey Carr, The Economist's science editor; Dr Alison Woollard, professor of biochemistry at Oxford University; Dr Alena Pance of the Wellcome Sanger Institute of genomics; and Dr Viviane Slon, a paleogeneticist at the University of Tel Aviv.Subscribers can read our essay series exploring how life works from the scale of the molecule all the way up to that of the planet at economist.com/biology-briefs For full access to The Economist's print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our new weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From the hive of molecular activity inside every cell to how cells self-organise into complex living things and those organisms evolve into different species, host Kenneth Cukier explores the fundamental architecture of life. He also investigates how the power of stem cells could be used to treat genetic diseases and why there is still debate about the origins of modern humans.With Geoffrey Carr, The Economist's science editor; Dr Alison Woollard, professor of biochemistry at Oxford University; Dr Alena Pance of the Wellcome Sanger Institute of genomics; and Dr Viviane Slon, a paleogeneticist at the University of Tel Aviv.Subscribers can read our essay series exploring how life works from the scale of the molecule all the way up to that of the planet at economist.com/biology-briefs For full access to The Economist's print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our new weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“In most countries where there's large scale funding, ethnic minority populations are, by definition, minorities. And so in order to collect enough ethnic minority data in the given healthcare system, you really have to oversample those people. And in order to do that you need to have good public engagement programmes to persuade them to participate and to reassure them that you're going to look after their data responsibly.”  In this week's episode of The G Word #sciencepodcast, Rich Scott is joined by Dr Hilary Martin, a group leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute with a PhD in Human Genetics from Oxford University. Hilary's research focuses on exploring genetic architecture in the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study, with a particular focus on the role of rare recessive variants and polygenic risk.   Today Hilary talks about the diversity of genomic data, working with British Pakistani populations and consanguinity. She also discusses polygenic risk scores and the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study. 

What is covered in this episode¿Qué es para ti la mentoría ?¿Cómo la mentoría ha influenciado en tu carrera?¿Has encontrado, a lo largo de tu carrera, desafíos y/o dificultades en encontrar o mantener una relación de mentoría?¿Qué estrategias recomiendas para romper con la estructura jerárquica y con las viejas ideas y conceptos que impiden un mejor relacionamiento entre las partes?¿Existen dificultades particulares al establecimiento de mentorías en tu región de origen? Por ejemplo, falta de cultura de mentoría, falta de entrenamiento, falta de reconocimiento del rol de mentor.ResourcesStrengthening mentoring in LMICs: https://europepmc.org/article/med/30430982Benefits of mentoring: https://hr.ucdavis.edu/departments/learning-dev/toolkits/mentoring/benefitsImportance of mentoring: http://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2014/11/06/how-important-is-it-to-have-a-mentor-in-your-academic-career/What makes a good mentor: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/what-the-best-mentors-do?utm_source=pocket-newtabMore about our host Anna Protasio:Originally Uruguay, Anna is currently a Research Fellow at Christ's College Cambridge and Group Leader at the Dept of Pathology, University of Cambridge. Her expertise is in helminth parasitology and genomics. Apart from research, Anna has developed online and in-person courses in bioinformatics with particular focus in genomics and computational tools. Learn more about Anna's career here (add link : https://annaprotasio.github.io/). Follow Anna on twitter @annaprotasioGuest informationDr. Alena Pance: Originally Czech, I grew up and went to university in Venezuela, focussing on cell biology of infectious diseases. A PhD in Cambridge followed, introducing me to transcriptional regulation that became my long-term interest. After a postdoc in France, an MC Fellowship brought me back to Cambridge, at the Wellcome Sanger Institute working on malaria. I am also passionate about teaching and supporting colleagues and students to achieve their career goals. I'm heavily involved in public engagement activities to explain science to the wider public and make it accessible to everyone. LinkedIn. Hear more of Alena's story here.Dr. Andres Lescano: Dr. Lescano leads Emerge, the Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Unit and Epidemiology Masters' and Doctoral programs at Cayetano University in Peru. He trained at Johns Hopkins, has published >130 manuscripts, trained hundreds of epidemiologists, and has joint appointments at the Tulane, Johns Hopkins, Wake Forest and Texas/Medical Branch universities. Connect with Andres on twitter here: @emergeupchAcknowledgementsGuest Host: Anna ProtasioEditing by Mariana Vaz, https://www.marianacpvaz.com/Producers: Anna Protasio, Isabela Malta (Producer), Christine Boinett (Creator and Executive producer), Alice Matimba (Senior Producer), Emmanuela Oppong (Producer).Media and Marketing: Catherine HolmesMusic: https://freesound.org/s/477388/ Contact usEmail: enquiries@yourdigimentor.net Twitter: @mentor_podcast SupportACSC: https://coursesandconferences.wellcomegenomecampus.orgWSI: https://www.sanger.ac.uk

Is evolution incompatible with Christianity? Is Genesis 1-3 literal history? We discuss this and more with Zachary Ardern. Zachary is a Christian and an evolutionary biologist using microbial genome and gene expression data to answer fundamental evolutionary questions and to understand microbial diversity better (we'll ask him what this means). Originally from New Zealand, Zachary is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in Germany. Prior to this he was a junior group leader at the chair of Microbial Ecology at the Technical University of Munich, and later this year will move to the Wellcome Sanger Institute as a postdoctoral fellow. More about Zachary at his website here: https://zacharyardern.com/ #evolution #genesis #christianity --- About the channel --- Dan and Phil are mates who like talking apologetics, philosophy, ethics and theology. They interview Christians who are evangelists, authors, scientists, apologists, comedians or simply interested in talking about big topics. In the future, we're looking to interview people from other faiths and atheists in a non-confrontational format. We put all interviews on a podcast. We aim to update the podcast every other week: https://criticalwitness.uk/podcast If long form interviews aren't your thing and you just want short, digestible videos, subscribe for our #shortconvos from our longer conversations that come when we have time. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Insta and let us know what you think of the conversations. Find: @CritWitnessUK Finally we're looking to feature other writings on our website. If you write on the topics above get in touch! https://criticalwitness.uk/blog Want more content? Support what we do on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/criticalwitness

Lindsey Crosswell is Head of External Relations at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), an organisation that sits on the Wellcome Genome Campus alongside The Wellcome Sanger Institute and many others. Lindsey has had an extensive career spanning many industries, this vast experience is something she has brought to her current role. It was really interesting to talk about such a different aspect of working in science. Lindsey also reflected on how things have changed for women in the workplace over the years. We tend to focus on the present when pushing for equality and how much there still is to do, but it was lovely to think about how far we have come! If you're interested in learning more about EMBL-EBI, how they adapted to the pandemic, and their work on public engagement and EDI then this is the episode for you! Find out more about EMBL-EBI here: https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ Music: 'Lion' by Sapajou Free download: bit.ly/3q6w8mW --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/decoding-life-pod/message

Dr. Sarah Teichmann is a group leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in cellular genetics, and co-founded the Human Cell Atlas. We start with the science of protein structure and move into single cell genomics and the human cell atlas. We discuss the global perspective that has motivated her research from her PhD to now. We also dive into what it's like to go from mentee to mentor and championing those that come after you. It was a really enjoyable conversation, in which we learned a huge amount of biology as well as what it takes to be an impactful and inspirational female leader. Resources! The Human Cell Atlas - https://www.humancellatlas.org/ The Teich Lab Webpage - http://www.teichlab.org/ One thousand families for the molecular biologist by Cyrus Chothia - https://www.nature.com/articles/357543a0 SARS-CoV-2 entry factors are highly expressed in nasal epithelial cells together with innate immune genes - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0868-6 Music: 'Lion' by Sapajou Free download: bit.ly/3q6w8mW --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/decoding-life-pod/message

In this episode of the Dive Into Your Career podcast about "Diversity, Recruitment & Standing Out as a Jobseeker", Gina Visram is in conversation with Tobi Ogundipe of Diverse, a recruiter who is committed to supporting underrepresented young professionals in securing early-career roles with inclusive employers.His company Diverse. is a purpose-driven start-up, committed to democratising access to the best early-careers advice before connecting our diverse community to inclusive employers. It is trusted by renowned organisations such as Warner Media, Capital One and Wellcome Sanger Institute.In this episode, you will hear about:The importance of levelling the playing fieldWhy Tobi hopes the work he does won't be needed one day (although it's essential now) What might come next after the diversity statements from organisations, published in the summer of 2020Simple things candidates can do which make a big difference to their job applicationsHow to reach out to potential LinkedIn connections The one thing you might be doing on LinkedIn which will most likely be destroying your chance of a successful job application...... and so much more. It's a fun episode between two new friends who are both dedicated to supporting you on your early careers journey, so grab yourself a pen and paper to make notes... and enjoy! Don't forget to take a screenshot of the podcast playing while you are listening and tag us on @we.are.diverse (Tobi) and @diveintoyourcareer (Gina) To connect with Tobi: If you're looking for jobs & careers resources sign up here at wearediverse.io/joinFollow Tobi on InstagramFollow Tobi on Clubhouse (& Follow Gina on Clubhouse while you're there!)Connect with Tobi on LinkedIn

On this week's episode, Fraser Nelson is joined by Conservative MP and former chancellor Sajid Javid; Dr Jeffrey Barrett from the Wellcome Sanger Institute; former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt; and a team of Spectator journalists.We discuss how Joe Biden has fared in his first 100 days in office, whether the government was right to intervene in plans for a European Super League, and if the Indian coronavirus variant is something to worry about.To watch the show, go to www.spectator.co.uk/tv.

As Covid cases surge almost beyond belief in India, how much is to do with social distancing, and how much to do with the mutations to the original virus? Ramanan Laxminarayan talks to Roland from Delhi about ways in which the huge second wave could and could not have been predicted and avoided. Suggestions of the latest variant to make the headlines, B1.617, have got virologists such as Ravindra Gupta working hard to identify the clinical significance of the latest combinations of mutations. In the journal Science, Stephen Chanock of the US Cancer program reports work with colleagues in Ukraine looking at the long footprint of radiation dosing from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, 35 years ago this week. In the first of two papers, they find a definite footprint of radiation damage accounting for the many sad cases of thyroid cancer in people alive in the region at the time. But in another study, they looked at whether any higher level of mutations could be detected in the germlines of children conceived subsequently to parents who had experienced radiation in the disaster. While the parents' own health is often affected, 35 years on, thus far their offspring show no widespread elevated levels of disease, as was commonly expected. And in the week that the world witnessed a guilty verdict delivered in the trial for the murder of George Floyd in the US, David Curtis of the University of Utah and colleagues report in the journal PNAS a study that suggests the widespread media coverage of acts of racial violence, including deaths at the hands of police, leads to poorer mental health in Black Americans. As the BBC’s Samara Linton reports, the study involved google search data over five years up to 2017, and nearly 2.3 million survey respondents. Also, most of us don’t like to dwell on our toilet habits, but this week we have gone down the drain to discover what wastewater can tell us about our health. It’s been more than a year since scientists across the globe started to track the spread of Covid-19, with help from home test results and hospital data. Marnie Chesterton investigates the latest tool in their arsenal: sewage. Listener Kevin has heard how human waste can be monitored to check for virus levels, and wants to know if it can also be used to stop the disease in its tracks? Although the coronavirus has been discovered in people’s poo, so far there’s little indication it’s actually being spread through the water system. But by taking regular samples from different parts of cities, authorities are now able to accurately predict a local peak weeks before the population shows signs of sickness, then take immediate measures to alert them. In Detroit we hear how environmental engineer Professor Irene Zagoraraki used this method to detect a rare strain of Herpes which doctors didn’t even know was a potential problem. We talk to Professor Nick Thomson from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, who sequenced the genome of the bacteria that causes cholera, to understand how it has crisscrossed the globe. He discovered that the pandemic currently devastating Yemen actually originated in Asia. It’s a discovery that has changed how the WHO is thinking about this killer disease and could have important implications for vaccination programmes. But our effluent can also pose environmental problems, and Professor Andrew Johnson from the UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology explains there are now as many as 300,000 chemicals that could threaten natural habitats. While authorities try to test each one individually, he’s concerned they may have different effects when they mix in wastewater, and current monitoring systems don’t take this into account. Not only that, but some of these substances contain silver nanoparticles, which Professor Juliane Filser tells us stick around in soil for ever, threatening organisms and bacteria at the base of the food chain Image: NurPhoto/Getty Images

Most of us don’t like to dwell on our toilet habits, but this week Crowdscience has gone down the drain to discover what wastewater can tell us about our health. It’s been more than a year since scientists across the globe started to track the spread of Covid-19, with help from home test results and hospital data. Marnie Chesterton investigates the latest tool in their arsenal: sewage. Listener Kevin has heard how human waste can be monitored to check for virus levels, and wants to know if it can also be used to stop the disease in its tracks? Although the coronavirus has been discovered in people’s poo, so far there’s little indication it’s actually being spread through the water system. But by taking regular samples from different parts of cities, authorities are now able to accurately predict a local peak weeks before the population shows signs of sickness, then take immediate measures to alert them. In Detroit we hear how environmental engineer Professor Irene Xagoraraki used this method to detect a rare strain of Herpes which doctors didn’t even know was a potential problem. Marnie also talks to Professor Nick Thomson from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, who sequenced the genome of the bacteria that causes cholera, to understand how it has crisscrossed the globe. He discovered that the pandemic currently devastating Yemen actually originated in Asia. It’s a discovery that has changed how the WHO is thinking about this killer disease and could have important implications for vaccination programmes. But our effluent can also pose environmental problems, and Professor Andrew Johnson from the UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology explains there are now as many as 300,000 chemicals that could threaten natural habitats. While authorities try to test each one individually, he’s concerned they may have different effects when they mix in wastewater, and current monitoring systems don’t take this into account. Not only that, but some of these substances contain silver nanoparticles, which Professor Juliane Filser tells us stick around in soil for ever, threatening organisms and bacteria at the base of the food chain. Presented by Marnie Chesterton and Produced by Marijke Peters for the BBC World Service. [Image: Sewage outlets. Credit: Getty Images]

Residents in certain postcodes in Smethwick are being urged to get tested for coronavirus after a case of the South Africa variant was detected. It comes as surge testing is deployed in four London boroughs in a bid to halt its spread. Today programme's Justin Webb spoke to Dr Jeff Barrett, director of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute; and Professor Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director for Public Health England. (Image: Surge testing for coronavirus disease in Lambeth and Clapham areas of London; Credit: Reuters)

As the old adage goes, you are what you eat. But do you really know what you are eating on a daily basis? You might be surprised to find out that the institutions in charge of keeping our food safe are really not as interested in your health as you think. In episode 39, we sit down with long time GMO activist John Diaz as he breaks down the corporate monster that is the bio tech industry and gives you tips on how to avoid Frankenfood Fever!For full episodes check out deadrabbitssociety.com!2008 Presidential Panel on Cancer: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#imp/FMfcgxwLtGqDjZpnPLxtZVTVGdMnlZTh?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1GM Watch, Michael Antoniou, a London-based molecular geneticist, explained that significant changes could occur due to genetic editing, in both agricultural and medical contexts, necessitating long-term safety and toxicity studies. He explained:15"Many of the genome editing-induced off-target mutations, as well as those induced by the tissue culture, will no doubt be benign in terms of effects on gene function. However, many will not be benign and their effects can carry through to the final marketed product, whether it be plant or animal …Thus not only is it necessary to conduct whole genome sequencing to identify all off-target mutations from CRISPR-based genome editing, but it is also essential to ascertain the effects of these unintended changes on global patterns of gene function.… In addition, it is important to acknowledge that the targeted intended change in a given gene may also have unintended effects. For example, the total disruption or modification of an enzyme function can lead to unexpected or unpredictable biochemical side-reactions that can markedly alter the composition of an organism, such as a food crop.The compositional alterations in food products produced with genome editing techniques will not be fully revealed by the molecular profiling methods due to the current inherent limitations of these techniques. So it is still necessary to conduct long-term toxicity studies in established animal model systems. In the absence of these analyses, to claim that genome editing is precise and predictable is based on faith rather than science."Gene Editing May Not Be as Precise as It SeemsResearchers at the U.K.'s Wellcome Sanger Institute systematically studied mutations from CRISPR-Cas9 in mouse and human cells, focusing on the gene-editing target site. Large genetic rearrangements were observed, including DNA deletions and insertions, that were spotted near the target site.They were far enough away, however, that standard tests looking for CRISPR-related DNA damage would miss them. The DNA deletions could end up activating genes that should stay "off," such as cancer-causing genes, as well as silencing those that should be "on."16CRISPR-Cas9 also leads to the activation of the p53 gene, which works to either repair the DNA break or kill off the CRISPR-edited cell.17 CRISPR actually has a low efficacy rate for this reason, and CRISPR-edited cells that survive are able to do so because of a dysfunctional p53.The problem is that p53 dysfunction is also linked to cancer (including close to half of ovarian and colorectal cancers and a sizable portion of lung, pancreatic, stomach, breast and liver cancers as well).18https://www.nexusnewsfeed.com/article/science-futures/genetic-editing-of-animals-has-horrible-side-effects/#GMOs #Monsanto #frankenfood #bigpharma #bigagra #glyphosate #rounduplawsuits #roundup #geneticallymodifiedorganism #covidvaccine #vaccinecourt #yesonprop37 #billgates #eugenics #dupont #dowchemical #leakygut #crisprgeneediting #presidentialpaneloncancer #johndiaz #goldenrice #mrnatechnology #rockefeller #algore #sunrisemovement #gmoinsulin #georgesoros #depopulation

New variants of COVID-19 have caused spikes in infections around the world and rang alarm bells about vaccine resistance. We speak to two scientists tracking mutant strains of the virus. How are these variants discovered? And just how dangerous are they?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of reader of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimesGuests:-Sharon Peacock, Professor of public health and microbiology at The University of Cambridge and Director of the COVID 19 Genomics UK consortium.-Dr Jeffrey Barrett, Director of COVID-19 Genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: BBC News, UK Government, Sky News, UK Parliament, ITV News, DW News, KTLA, Bloomberg, ABC See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to Dr. Amy Cain. Dr. Cain is a Molecular Biologist who uses genomics to study deadly, antibiotic resistant bacteria. She completed both her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry (graduating with first class honours) and then her PhD in Microbiology at the University of Sydney, Australia. After PhD submission, she moved to Cambridge, UK, for a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (where they first sequenced the human genome!) and was awarded a prestigious fellowship at the University of Cambridge. Dr. Cain then moved to Malawi in sub-Saharan Africa to track outbreaks in hospitals, employed by the Wellcome Trust charity.    Since 2018, Dr. Cain has been a Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor at Macquarie Macquary University, Sydney, having received a number of grants to develop new antibiotics and study antibiotic resistance; setting up her research group across 3 different labs. Dr. Amy Cain is also Deputy Director of the JAMS organisation, a microbiology society that runs over 5 countries and she has just started a podcast called JAMSpod to spread microbiology knowledge far and wide. She loves travelling (having visited 70-odd countries so far), scuba diving, live music and cooking.   Amy shares: The circumstances surrounding her diagnosis The ADHD symptoms that she always wondered about but now recognizes as clearly ADHD. Why she became an infectious disease and genetics expert What has changed since her diagnosis Why she loves science so much Why she started a podcast interviewing microbiologists Her advice to young women with ADHD Her ADHD workarounds What she believes the key is to living successfully with ADHD   Resources: Amy's Facebook Profile Page Amy’s Twitter handle: @flamycain The Waking Up App Manuka Honey

Takeaways from today's episode:In reverse mentoring, find someone who is different from you, has a different background and has different perspectives. Aim to build a mutual connection as mentor and mentee, firstly creating a sense of psychological safety which enables open and honest dialogue Reverse mentorship approach empowers people with skills to effectively engage in sensitive topics such as racism and facilitates discussions with the right audiences who have the power to do something about it. A mentor supports the organisation through the person they are mentoring, bringing awareness to unspoken nuances which could help to refine organisational initiatives and policies for promoting positive behaviours and culture. Reverse mentoring is a rewarding experience to learn, educate and feed forward. If you get a reverse mentorship opportunity - go for it!ResourcesCreating better leaders by Patrice Gordonhttps://www.ted.com/talks/patrice_gordon_how_reverse_mentorship_can_help_create_better_leadersImpact of reverse mentoring - NHShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaoN8JV4LKA&feature=emb_logoValue of reverse mentoringhttps://www.hsj.co.uk/workforce/reverse-mentoring-delivers-real-value/7025222.articleReverse mentoring for senior NHS leaders: a new type of relationship. Future Healthc J. 2020 Feb;7(1):94-96. doi: 10.7861/fhj.2019-0028. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7032576/Reverse mentoring for equitable workplaceshttps://ssir.org/articles/entry/how_reverse_mentoring_can_lead_to_more_equitable_workplacesReverse mentoring frameworkhttps://www.mdx.ac.uk/about-us/policies/equality-diversity-inclusion/reverse-mentoring-framework  Host and guest informationDr. Alice Matimba is the Senior Producer of YDMP. In her role at the Wellcome Genome Campus, she manages the organisation, development and delivery of genomics courses for researchers and healthcare professionals in Africa, Asia and Latin America as part of the ACSC programme. Her expertise is in biomedical sciences, pharmacogenomics, health research and education, and capacity building for LMICs. Connect with Alice on Twitter @alicepnDr. Martin Dougherty is the Chief Operating Officer at Wellcome Sanger Institute and have the pleasure of working with our senior operational leadership team across all areas of our organisation.  He is also a Special Constable and combat organised crime gangs and dealing with their victims and he quotes - “This keeps my feet firmly on the ground”. Connect with Martin on https://www.linkedin.com/in/martindoughertyAcknowledgementsEditing by Mariana Vaz, https://www.marianacpvaz.com/Research: Alice MatimbaProducers: Alice Matimba (Senior Producer), Isabela Malta (Producer), Christine Boinett (Creator and Executive producer), Emmanuela Oppong (Producer)Host: Alice MatimbaMedia and Marketing: Catherine HolmesMusic:  https://freesound.org/s/477388/ SponsorsACSC: https://coursesandconferences.wellcomegenomecampus.orgWSI: https://www.sanger.ac.uk

Si chiama Cancer Dependency Map. È la nuova frontiera della ricerca sul cancro

Over the course of the pandemic, scientists have been monitoring emerging genetic changes to Sars-Cov-2. Mutations occur naturally as the virus replicates but if they confer an advantage – like being more transmissible – that variant of the virus may go on to proliferate. This was the case with the ‘UK’ or B117 variant, which is about 50% more contagious and is rapidly spreading around the country. So how does genetic surveillance of the virus work? And what do we know about the new variants? Ian Sample speaks to Dr Jeffrey Barrett, the director of the Covid-19 genomics initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, to find out Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Tapoka Mkandawire is a PhD student in parasitology & genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. She studies neglected tropical diseases, which affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide but aren't that well known in the UK. Tapoka talks about what's causing the reducing rates of these diseases, and what role the gut microbiome plays in parasite life-cycle. From researchers who self-infect themselves with whipworms, to citizen science projects, and the crucial role the gut microbiome plays in everyone's life.

Tapoka Mkandawire is a PhD student in parasitology & genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. She studies neglected tropical diseases, which affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide but aren't that well known in the UK. Tapoka talks about what’s causing the reducing rates of these diseases, and what role the gut microbiome plays in parasite life-cycle. From researchers who self-infect themselves with whipworms, to citizen science projects, and the crucial role the gut microbiome plays in everyone’s life.

The Gary Null Show is here to inform you on the best news in health, healing, the environment.   How adding green tea extract to prepared foods may reduce the risk for norovirus In study, edible coating made with tea extract killed the virus and bacteria Ohio State University, July 22, 2020   Infusing prepared foods with an edible coating that contains green tea extract may lower consumers' chances of catching the highly contagious norovirus by eating contaminated food, new research suggests. Norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, sickens an estimated 48 million people in the United States every year and causes about 3,000 deaths. It's transmitted from person to person and through consumption of contaminated water and food. Lots of things we consume contain what are known in the industry as edible films: They can enhance appearance, like wax that makes apples shiny; hold contents together, like plastic drug capsules; and prevent contents from seeping together by, for example, being placed between a prepared pie crust and the filling. "In many cases, an edible film is in a product, but you are not aware of it," said Melvin Pascall, professor of food science and technology at The Ohio State University and senior study author. "We don't have to put that on the label since the material is edible. That's another way in which we use packaging - and the consumer doesn't have to know." Some edible films are also enriched with antimicrobial agents that can kill or slow the growth of organisms that cause illness, such as E. coli and mold. In this new study led by Pascall, adding green tea extract to a film-forming substance created a safe-to-eat barrier that killed norovirus as well as two types of bacteria. While most antimicrobial packaging advances to date have emphasized fighting bacteria, this finding holds promise for a newer area of research into the concept of using edible film to kill a virus, Pascall said. "Norovirus is a tough virus to work with - it is a non-enveloped virus, which is the type more resistant to sanitizers and antimicrobial agents," he said. "However, because it has public health concerns and has been implicated in a number of foodborne outbreaks, we wanted to look at the effects of green tea extract on norovirus." The study is published in the International Journal of Food Science. Pascall and his team created the films with a base substance called chitosan, a sugar found in the exoskeleton of shellfish. Chitosan is marketed as a weight-loss supplement and used in agricultural and medicinal applications, and has been studied extensively as a safe and readily available compound for edible film development. Previous studies have suggested that chitosan has antimicrobial properties. But norovirus might exceed its bug-fighting abilities: In this study, the researchers found that chitosan by itself did not kill the virus. To test the effects of green tea extract, the researchers dissolved it alone in water and added it to a chitosan-based liquid solution and dried film. Several different concentrations of the extract showed effectiveness against norovirus cells, with the highest level tested in this study killing them all in a day. "We had tested the chitosan by itself and it didn't show much antimicrobial activity against the virus," Pascall said. "But when we added the green tea extract to chitosan, we saw that the film had antiviral properties - so we concluded the antiviral properties were coming from the green tea extract." The scientists introduced at least 1 million virus cells to the solution and dried films. Those containing green tea extract lowered the presence of virus cells within three hours. The films with the highest concentration of green tea extract reduced norovirus to undetectable levels by 24 hours after the exposure. Though norovirus was the focus of this work, the researchers also found that green tea extract lowered E. coli K12 and listeria innocua, surrogates for bacteria that also cause foodborne illness, to undetectable levels within 24 hours. This study didn't identify how the killing happens - typically an antimicrobial agent disables organisms in ways that cause them to die or render them unable to reproduce. The researchers used mouse norovirus cells because human norovirus cells don't grow well in a lab setting. There is still a lot of work to do before green tea extract-infused films are ready to enter the market. A tricky part of adding natural substances to edible packaging is ensuring that enough is used to deliver the microbe-killing effect without changing the taste or smell of the food. "A higher concentration of a natural antimicrobial might cause a large drop in the target organism, but at the same time it defeats the purpose of the food by adding an objectionable taste or odor," Pascall said. "There is also the impact of the natural compound on the material itself - it may cause the film to become too brittle or sticky. These are things food scientists have to consider when using antimicrobial agents, especially those from natural sources." It's also too soon to tell which kinds of food would be the best candidates for antiviral edible films made with green tea extract. It depends on whether the food would be exposed to heat, moisture or acidic conditions, for example. There is also a chance another natural substance could do an even better job - Pascall is conducting similar studies with other extracts.       The brain-boosting potential of tart cherry juice University of Delaware, July 21, 2020   A recent study by scientists from the University of Delaware (UD) has found that drinking cherry juice has beneficial effects on memory. Published in the journal Food & Nutrition, it demonstrated that drinking Montmorency tart cherry juice every day for 12 weeks improved cognitive function in adults aged 65 to 80. Tart cherry juice supplementation can improve cognitive performance in older adults Lead author Chai Sheau Ching and colleagues had previously observed the beneficial effects of tart cherry antioxidants, such as melanin, melatonin and anthocyanin, on high blood pressure and cholesterol. In particular, the team found that drinking juice made from Montmorency tart cherries, the most common cherries in the U.S., helped reduce systolic blood pressure, fight inflammation and neutralize the harmful effects of oxidative stress. Based on these earlier findings, the team speculated that the antioxidants in tart cherries could also exert neuroprotective effects on the brain and improve cognitive abilities in older adults. To test their hypothesis, the team asked 37 adults, aged between 65 and 80, to drink either 16 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice or a placebo drink of the same amount every day – one in the morning and one in the evening – for 12 weeks. The team also asked the participants to maintain their diet and record their food consumption for the duration of the trial. None of the participants had prior diagnoses of medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and neurological disorders at the time of the trial. Neither were they taking medications that might affect their cognitive abilities. To see whether or not the cherry juice had any effect on the participant's cognitive abilities, the team had each participant answer a series of questionnaires and tests before and after the trial period. At the end of the experiment, the researchers found that the participants in the tart cherry group scored higher in the tests that measured subjective memory, episodic visual memory and spatial memory than the participants in the placebo group. Compared with their pre-trial test results, the tart cherry group also experienced a four percent reduction in their movement time – the time it takes to complete a task – in the post-trial cognitive tests. In addition, the tart cherry group had a 23 percent reduction in errors in episodic visual memory. In both the pre- and post-trial cognitive tests, the participants in the tart cherry group scored significantly higher than those in the placebo group. These findings suggest that the antioxidants in tart cherries are behind the juice's beneficial effects on cognition. Chai hopes that future studies can shed more light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the cognitive-enhancing effects of Montmorency tart cherries. Cognitive health and aging Commenting on their findings, Chai noted that cognitive health plays a key role in determining the quality of life of older adults. According to recent reports by the World Health Organization, about 50 million people around the globe suffer from some form of dementia. And every year, 10 million cases are added to this figure. (Related: Adding more dietary choline can cut back the risk of dementia.) Dementia is a major cause of disability and dependency among older adults. Despite the fact that dementia is not a natural part of aging, its symptoms, including forgetfulness and difficulty communicating, are usually felt later in life. Fortunately, an emerging body of evidence suggests that proper diet and nutrition can reduce the risk of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases in old age. For instance, people can incorporate Montmorency tart cherry juice into a well-balanced diet to enhance their brain performance.     Study suggests benefit for vitamin C in endometriosis Zhejiang University (China), July 20, 2020   According to news reporting originating in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, research stated, “Endometriosis is a common disease in females that seriously affects quality of life. The principal pathological process of endometriosis is pelvic inflammation, and local and peripheral fibrosis.” The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Zhejiang University, “Treatment of endometriosis requires both pharmacological and surgical approaches. Vitamin C can scavenge oxygen free radicals and thus accelerate repair of damaged endometrium. This aim of this study was to investigate whether vitamin C can reduce fibrosis in endometriotic lesions. After establishing a rat model of endometriosis, vitamin C solution (vitamin C group) or physiological saline solution (control group) was injected into the abdominal cavity. We compared the indices of fibrotic endometriotic lesions between the two groups. The volume of endometriotic lesions and degree of fibrosis observed in rats within the vitamin C group was significantly reduced compared with those observed in the control group. Immunohistochemistry showed that transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), alpha-SMA, and collagen type I staining in lesions of the vitamin C group was significantly less than that observed in lesions from the control group (P < 0.05). Quantitative, real-time PCR (RT-PCR) determined that relative mRNA expression levels of TGF-beta 1, CTGF, alpha-SMA, and collagen type I in lesions obtained from the vitamin C group were significantly lower than levels measured in lesions obtained from animals in the control group. Vitamin C can reduce the volume of endometriotic lesions and inhibit fibrosis of lesions in rats.” According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “This study supports the use of vitamin C in the treatment of endometriosis.”     Cannabis Appears Safe And Effective At Treating Chronic Pain, New Clinical Trial Shows University of California Irvine, July 21, 2020   Cannabis appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment for the chronic pain that afflicts people with sickle cell disease, according to a new clinical trial co-led by University of California, Irvine researcher Kalpna Gupta and Dr. Donald Abrams of UC San Francisco. The findings appear in JAMA Network Open. “These trial results show that vaporized cannabis appears to be generally safe,” said Gupta, a professor of medicine on the faculty of UCI's Center for the Study of Cannabis. “They also suggest that sickle cell patients may be able to mitigate their pain with cannabis – and that cannabis might help society address the public health crisis related to opioids. Of course, we still need larger studies with more participants to give us a better picture of how cannabis could benefit people with chronic pain.” Opioids are currently the primary treatment for the chronic and acute pain caused by sickle cell disease. But the rise in opioid-associated deaths has prompted physicians to prescribe them less frequently, leaving sickle cell patients with fewer options. The double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was the first to employ such gold-standard methods to assess cannabis's potential for pain alleviation in people with sickle cell disease. The cannabis used in the trial was obtained from the National Institute on Drug Abuse – part of the National Institutes of Health – and contained equal parts of THC and CBD. “Pain causes many people to turn to cannabis and is, in fact, the top reason that people cite for seeking cannabis from dispensaries,” Gupta said. “We don't know if all forms of cannabis products will have a similar effect on chronic pain. Vaporized cannabis, which we employed, may be safer than other forms because lower amounts reach the body's circulation. This trial opens the door for testing different forms of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain.”   Twenty-three patients with sickle cell disease-related pain completed the trial, inhaling vaporized cannabis or a vaporized placebo during two five-day inpatient sessions that were separated by at least 30 days. This allowed them to act as their own control group. Researchers assessed participants' pain levels throughout the treatment period and found that the effectiveness of cannabis appeared to increase over time. As the five-day study period progressed, subjects reported that pain interfered less and less with activities, including walking and sleeping, and there was a statistically significant drop in how much pain affected their mood. Although pain levels were generally lower in patients given cannabis than in those given the placebo, the difference was not statistically significant.     Bad eating habits may cause blindness, warn researchers University of Bristol (UK), July 20, 2020   There's no denying that eating junk food is bad for your health, as it's linked to obesity and an increased risk of various health problems. A report in the Annals of Internal Medicine even found that a diet full of junk food could eventually cause vision loss. Researchers from the University of Bristol in the U.K. looked at a particular case involving a teenager who was a “fussy eater” and didn't eat anything except junk food. Several years of following an unhealthy diet eventually made him lose his eyesight. This unusual and shocking case highlights the dangers of an unhealthy diet. It can cause obesity and increase your risk of developing heart disease and cancer. The report also found that consuming junk food may “permanently damage the nervous system, particularly vision.” The adverse effects of poor eating habits The teen first experienced problems when he was 14, and he consulted a doctor due to symptoms like tiredness. His blood tests then revealed that he had anemia. Since the teenager had B12 deficiency, he was also treated with injections of the vitamin. His physician then told him to improve his eating habits. When the teenager turned 15, he reported more issues like hearing loss and vision problems. His physicians were baffled because the results from an MRI and eye exam were all normal. (Related: Cut the junk: Eating junk food can give you food allergies.) After two years, the teenager's vision worsened. At 17, an eye test revealed that his vision was 20/200 in both eyes: The threshold for being considered “legally blind” in America. Results from other tests revealed that the teenager also suffered damage to his optic nerve, the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the back of the eye to the brain. Despite being told to improve his eating habits when he was 14, the teenager still had a vitamin B12 deficiency. Worse, he also had low levels of copper, selenium and vitamin D. The physicians were alarmed at these deficiencies. After questioning the teenager, they found out that he didn't like eating “certain textures of food.” Since elementary school, the patient followed a limited diet that consisted only of foods such as: Chips Fries Processed ham slices Sausage White bread Once the doctors ruled out other possible causes for his vision loss, the patient was diagnosed with nutritional optic neuropathy or damage to the optic nerve because of nutritional deficiencies. The researchers noted that “[purely] dietary causes are rare in developed countries.” Most of the time, nutritional optic neuropathy is caused by alcohol abuse, drugs, poor diet or the malabsorption of food. Early detection can potentially reverse vision loss due to nutritional optic neuropathy. But unfortunately for the teenager, by the time his condition was diagnosed, his vision loss was permanent. Dr. Denize Atan, a senior lecturer in ophthalmology at Bristol Medical School and a co-author of the study, explained that eyeglasses wouldn't help the patient's vision since any damage to the optic nerve can't be addressed with lenses. To prevent his vision loss from worsening, physicians prescribed the teenager nutritional supplements. Avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder and mental health The doctors involved in the patient's case also referred him to mental health services for an eating disorder because there seemed to be more to his unusual diet. Unlike kids who were simply picky eaters, the teenager's diet “was very restrictive and caused multiple nutritional deficiencies.” They believe that the teenager might have a condition called “avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder” (ARFID). This relatively new diagnosis, previously called “selective eating disorder,” may cause a lack of interest in food or avoidance of foods with certain colors, textures or other factors without links to the patient's body weight or shape. Other symptoms of ARFID include: Abdominal pain, cold intolerance, constipation, lethargy or excess energy Dramatic restriction in amount or types of food eaten Dramatic weight loss Eating only certain textures of food Eating a limited range of preferred foods that becomes narrower over time or picky eating that worsens with time Fears of choking or vomiting Inconsistent and vague gastrointestinal issues, like an upset stomach, around mealtimes with no known cause No body image disturbance or fear of weight gain ARFID often manifests in childhood, and patients tend to have a normal body mass index (BMI) like the teenaged boy, concluded the study authors.   Chronic inflammation alters the evolution of cells in the colon, study finds Researchers have compared diseased colon with healthy tissue to better understand how inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancers Cambridge University and Wellcome Sanger Institute, July 21, 2020   In a new study, researchers have compared diseased colon with healthy tissue to better understand how inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancers, at a molecular level. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Cambridge University Hospitals found that the rate of DNA change within colon cells affected by IBD was more than double that in healthy colon, increasing the likelihood of these cells gaining DNA changes that could lead to cancer. The study, published today (21 July) in Cell, also found that chronic inflammation associated with IBD disrupts the tissue structure of the colon, allowing cells to expand over an abnormally wide area. The results provide valuable insights into evolution within the body, and the development of IBD and colorectal cancers. IBD primarily refers to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, chronic illnesses characterised by inflammation of the digestive system that can be highly disruptive to a patient's quality of life. Between 1990 and 2017, the number of IBD cases worldwide rose from 3.7 million to 6.8 million*. The causes of the disease remain unknown, though it is thought that inflammation occurs as a result of an inappropriate immune response to gut microbes. People suffering from IBD are at an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal cancers compared to the general population. Patients will undergo regular surveillance for this and may, in some cases, opt to undergo surgery to remove their entire colon in order to mitigate this risk. In this new study, clinicians at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge provided colon tissue samples donated by 46 IBD patients, along with anonymised information about their medical history and treatment. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute then used laser-capture microdissection to cut out 446 individual crypts, the tiny cavities that make up colon tissue, so they could be whole-genome sequenced. These sequences were analysed to discover the mutation rate in the tissue, the genetic relationship between crypts and any genes that were more mutated than normal. They were then compared to sequences from 412 crypts from 41 individuals without IBD, so that the effects of chronic inflammation on the DNA sequence could be observed. The team found that there were more than twice as many DNA changes in the diseased tissue than in normal, and the longer the duration of the disease, the greater this excess. The study also uncovered evidence of an evolutionary process whereby mutations in particular genes are under positive selection. Some of these positively-selected mutations were enriched in genes associated with colorectal cancers, shedding light on the link between IBD and certain cancers. The researchers also detected evidence of positive selection of mutations in genes associated with immune system regulation in the gut and the ability of the cells to fend off the bacteria resident in the colon. Sigurgeir Olafsson, first author of the study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: "How our bodies continue to evolve during our lifetime is a fundamental part of our biology. It has been fascinating to study the effect of a chronic disease on this process and uncover evidence that changes in the genetic sequence of gut cells could have a direct role in the onset of inflammatory bowel disease." Dr Tim Raine, clinical lead for the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) service at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge and Honorary Faculty member at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: "Colorectal cancer is one of the main clinical concerns when treating patients with IBD. In this study, we found that normal mutational processes that are operative in us all are accelerated in the IBD affected gut, leading to a more than two-fold increase in the rate at which some gut cells acquire mutations, and this underpins the increased cancer risk in IBD." Dr Peter Campbell, an author on the study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: "The role of somatic mutations in cancer susceptibility has long been appreciated. It is exciting to see the methods that we and others have used to understand cancers now being applied to other common diseases. These approaches have given us unique insights into the effects of inflammatory bowel disease on the DNA sequence of the inflamed tissue." A previously unexplained observation in IBD is that repeated flares of inflammation tend to affect the same patch of tissue, suggesting some permanent alterations to the colon. These findings highlight genetic mutations as a possible explanation, with some positively-selected mutations in immune regulation genes occurring in the same regions of the bowel affected by chronic inflammation. Dr Carl Anderson, lead author of the study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: "We know that DNA changes contribute to the development of cancer, but their role in common non-cancerous diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been extensively studied. Our study revealed that somatic changes in the DNA sequence of the cells that line our gut may contribute to the development of IBD. I strongly believe that studying somatic mutations in all common diseases, not just IBD and cancers, has the potential to provide novel insights into disease biology and highlight potential drug targets."   Studies suggest a fasting diet could boost breast cancer therapy A USC-led team of international scientists found that a one-two punch of a fasting diet with hormone therapy may enhance the effects of breast cancer treatment  University of Southern California, July 22, 2020   A USC-led team of scientists has found that a fasting-mimicking diet combined with hormone therapy has the potential to help treat breast cancer, according to newly published animal studies and small clinical trials in humans. In studies on mice and in two small breast cancer clinical trials, researchers at USC and the IFOM Cancer Institute in Milan -- in collaboration with the University of Genova -- found that the fasting-mimicking diet reduces blood insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and leptin. In mice, these effects appear to increase the power of the cancer hormone drugs tamoxifen and fulvestrant and delay any resistance to them. The results from 36 women treated with the hormone therapy and fasting-mimicking diet are promising, but researchers say it is still too early to determine whether the effects will be confirmed in large-scale clinical trials. The research was published in the journal Nature. "Our new study suggests that a fasting-mimicking diet together with endocrine therapy for breast cancer has the potential to not only shrink tumors but also reverse resistant tumors in mice," said Valter Longo, the study's co-senior author and the director of the Longevity Institute at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and professor of biological sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "We have data that for the first time suggests that a fasting-mimicking diet works by changing at least three different factors: IGF1, leptin and insulin." The researchers say the two small clinical trials are feasibility studies that showed promising results, but they are in no way conclusive. They believe the results support further clinical studies of a fasting-mimicking diet used in combination with endocrine therapy in hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. The scientists also contributed to a recent clinical study of 129 breast cancer patients conducted with the University of Leiden. The results, published last month in Nature Communications, appeared to show increased efficacy of chemotherapy in patients receiving a combination of chemotherapy and a fasting-mimicking diet. In the two new small clinical trials -- one of which was directed by the study co-corresponding author Alessio Nencioni -- patients with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer receiving estrogen therapy along with cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet seemed to experience metabolic changes similar to those observed in mice. These changes included a reduction in insulin, leptin and IGF1 levels, with the last two remaining low for extended periods. In mice, these long-lasting effects are associated with long-term anti-cancer activity, so further studies in humans is needed. "Some patients followed monthly cycles of the fasting-mimicking diet for almost two years without any problems, suggesting that it is a well-tolerated intervention," Nencioni said. "We hope this means that this nutritional program that mimics fasting could one day represent a weapon to better fight cancer in patients receiving hormone therapy without serious side effects." "The results in mice are very promising. And the early clinical results show potential as well, but now we need to see it work in a 300- to 400-patient trial," Longo explained. The data also suggest that in mice, the fasting-mimicking diet appears to prevent tamoxifen-induced endometrial hyperplasia, a condition in which the endometrium (or the lining of the uterus) becomes abnormally thick. The study authors believe this potential use of the fasting diet should be explored further, given the prevalence of this side effect of tamoxifen and the limited options for preventing it. Approximately 80% of all breast cancers express estrogen and/or progesterone receptors. The most common forms of hormone therapy for these breast cancers work by blocking hormones from attaching to receptors on cancer cells or by decreasing the body's hormone production. Endocrine therapy is frequently effective in these hormone-receptor-positive tumors, but the long-term benefits are often hindered by treatment resistance. Several clinical trials, including one at USC on breast cancer and prostate patients, are now investigating the effects of the fasting-mimicking diets in combination with different cancer-fighting drugs. "I like to call it the nontoxic wildcard for cancer treatment," Longo said. "These clinical studies we have just published -- together with the many animal studies published in the past 12 years -- suggest that cycles of the fasting-mimicking diet has the potential to make standard therapy more effective against different cancers, each time by changing a different factor or nutrient important for cancer cell survival."   Scientists identify 10 risk factors for Alzheimer disease Fudan University (China), July 17, 2020   Alzheimer's disease may be preventable by keeping an eye on key factors including weight gain, blood pressure and avoiding stress, experts say. Researchers said many risk factors are modifiable in the fight to prevent dementia, which affects around 850,000 people in the UK, two-thirds of whom have Alzheimer's. Their review of existing studies found 10 risk factors had strong evidence of a link with Alzheimer's, and people could take action to avoid them. These included ensuring good education in early life, keeping the brain active through activities such as reading, and not being overweight or obese in later life. People should also avoid depression, stress, high blood pressure, head trauma and diabetes to reduce their risk, they said. Other factors had weaker links that could be adjusted, including not being obese in midlife, taking exercise, getting enough sleep, including vitamin C in the diet and not smoking. The study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, was led by Professor Jin-Tai Yu at Fudan University in China. The researchers gathered 395 studies and came up with a list of factors that could be used by doctors to try to prevent Alzheimer's disease. They said research into preventing dementia should continue but their report offered “clinicians and stakeholders an evidence-based guideline for Alzheimer's disease prevention”. Fiona Carragher, director of research and influencing at the Alzheimer's Society, said: “In recent years, research has suggested that nearly a third of dementia cases may be preventable and this review builds on this idea, specifically in relation to Alzheimer's disease and how certain risk factors, many of which are associated with cardiovascular health, may be within our control. “We need a deeper dive into each of these risk factors to understand how they work together on an individual level and how best to support people to manage them. “This review demonstrates that, while observational studies are useful to help identify potential risk factors, we need to see many more interventional trials to understand what the best approaches are to preventing Alzheimer's disease developing in the first place. “We don't have all the answers yet, but we do know that small steps to improving your physical and mental health can make a big difference, like walking to your local shop for milk instead of jumping in the car.”

The Human Genome Project has been referred to as one of the great feats of scientific exploration and discovery in human history. But what was it, and, more to the point, what is the human genome and why was sequencing it such a big deal? And in 2020, some 17 years after it was deemed completed, what has it helped us with in the fields of biology and medicine, and what is there still to discover?Robin Ince is joined by three experts in the field. Geneticist, broadcast and author of a number of best selling books on the subject, Dr Adam Rutherford, one of the founders of the Human Cell Atlas Group and the Head of Cellular Genetics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Dr Sarah Teichmann and co-chair of the 1000 Genomes Project and founder of Genomics plc, Professor Gil McVean.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip

Naomi is a senior staff scientist in the DNA pipelines research and development team at the Sanger Institute. Thirteen years ago, her PhD included researching improvements to multiplex PCR – an integral method to many of the processes she has since been involved with at Sanger. Discovering this experience would be extremely useful in the midst of a pandemic is something she didn't see coming.. Referenced Links: Josh Quick 2020. nCoV-2019 sequencing protocol. dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bbmuik6w COVID-19 ARTIC v3 Illumina library construction and sequencing protocol. dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bgxjjxkn Naomi's Tweet https://twitter.com/SequencingPark/status/1263802155816947715?s=20

Naomi is a senior staff scientist in the DNA pipelines research and development team at the Sanger Institute. Thirteen years ago, her PhD included researching improvements to multiplex PCR – an integral method to many of the processes she has since been involved with at Sanger. Discovering this experience would be extremely useful in the midst of a pandemic is something she didn’t see coming..Referenced Links:Josh Quick 2020. nCoV-2019 sequencing protocol. dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bbmuik6wCOVID-19 ARTIC v3 Illumina library construction and sequencing protocol. dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bgxjjxknNaomi’s Tweethttps://twitter.com/SequencingPark/status/1263802155816947715?s=20

This week on CUTalks we are talking to Adrian Ibrahim, Head of Technology Transfer and Business Development at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. With a background spanning academic research, structured finance and technology protection, Adrian was recruited to optimise the ability of the Sanger Institute science to provide healthcare benefit. Adrian talks about the institute’s efforts to help technology transfer for impact to patients.

The latest space mission to the Sun is due to launch on Sunday. SolO, the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter, will loop around our star in an elliptical orbit, sling-shotting around Venus. Professor Richard Harrison at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory has been on the mission from its conception, he details the instruments and what they're hoping to discover about the Sun and its impact on space weather back here on Earth. If chemicals in cigarette smoke or exposure to UV light played a role in causing a cancerous tumour, we can now see this evidence in the DNA. These and other causes of cancer are being catalogued by a huge international study revealing the genetic fingerprints of DNA-damaging processes that drive cancer development. Professor Mike Stratton, is director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and author of one of many papers released in Nature and associated journals this week that detail the results of the Pan-Cancer of Whole Genomes Consortium. Cancer is not a modern disease. Evidence in bones and remains reveal our ancient ancestors also suffered. Dr. Kate Hunt is a paleo-pathologist studying paleo-oncology, a very specific, very recent branch of archaeology, looking through ancient burial sites, artefacts and literature for signs of cancer. Presenter - Marnie Chesterton Producer - Fiona Roberts

"If you're a scientist and you can look at data; if you can look at a problem and spot the pattern to figure out what the probable solution is, then it's exactly the same thought process, just applied to Operations." Chris Kirton's career started out like many others in biotech - a PhD in Immunology followed by a couple of post-docs that built on his research. When he took his first steps into industry, Chris didn't expect to change direction, but after becoming Head of Operations for Envigo, the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Absolute Antibody, he stepped into the role of Chief Operating Officer at Axol Bioscience, a specialist stem cell company facilitating cutting edge research. We spoke to Chris on Careers in Discovery about:

Measles was thought to have been eradicated from the UK in 2017, but following an outbreak the very next wear, we lost this elimination status. Measles is a highly infectious disease that can quickly spread through the unvaccinated population with a high complication rate involving pneumonia, gastroenteritis and even encephalitis. And having recovered from that, there's a further sting in the tail: measles virus suppresses the immune system for years after the infection clears. Amalia Thomas hears why from Velislava Petrova, at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, who has discovered the... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Measles was thought to have been eradicated from the UK in 2017, but following an outbreak the very next wear, we lost this elimination status. Measles is a highly infectious disease that can quickly spread through the unvaccinated population with a high complication rate involving pneumonia, gastroenteritis and even encephalitis. And having recovered from that, there's a further sting in the tail: measles virus suppresses the immune system for years after the infection clears. Amalia Thomas hears why from Velislava Petrova, at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, who has discovered the... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Our guest this week is Dr Yan Shao from The Wellcome Sanger Institute, a non-profit British genomics and genetics research institute. In this episode, Dr Shao discusses the findings from his most recent study; where he and his team found significant differences in the microbiomes of newborn babies depending on delivery method.

Our guest this week is Dr Yan Shao from The Wellcome Sanger Institute, a non-profit British genomics and genetics research institute. In this episode, Dr Shao discusses the findings from his most recent study; where he and his team found significant differences in the microbiomes of newborn babies depending on delivery method.

Advances in computer science, genomics and molecular biology are redefining what we mean by personalised medicine. More and more, medical science is able to take advantage of differences between patients to generate individual treatments with improved efficacy and reduced risk of side effects. Dr Emma Davenport of the Wellcome Sanger Institute joins us to discuss the potential and limitations of personalised medicine today and her research which guides more personalised approaches to the treatment of sepsis.

Zoonotic diseases are infections that transfer from animals to people, and include killers such as bubonic plague, malaria, ebola and a whole host of others. Trying to understand how diseases make the leap from animals to humans – so called spillover – and how outbreaks occur is a crucial part of preventing them. But outbreaks are complex and dynamic, with a huge number of factors playing a role: What animal is hosting the disease, the environment in which it lives, the changing climate, human presence and impact on the local area and many other factors. Kate Jones is professor of ecology and biodiversity at University College London, and has been tracking ebola in Africa. Her team has just published a new study that models how and when spillover might happen in the future. On the lushly forest islands of French Polynesia, there lives a very special snail. Partula are around 100 species of tiny snails who give birth to live young and feed on decomposing plants. Each species is uniquely adapted to a particular ecological niche. But in 1967, the highly edible Giant African Land Snail was introduced to the islands as a source of food. They quickly became pests, and in response, the French Polynesian government then introduced carnivorous Rosy Wolf Snails - aka Euglandina rosea - to quell the spread of the introduced Giant Land snails. Reporter Naomi Clements-Brode picks up the story with scientist Ann Clarke, along with Dave Clarke and Paul Pearce-Kelly at ZSL London Zoo. Finally this week, malaria is, as best we can account for it, the single greatest killer in human history. The vast majority of malaria is caused by a type of single celled protozoan called Plasmodium falciparum, carried by mosquitos. But according to new research published this week, it started out around fifty thousand years ago not in us, but as a gorilla disease, and in one particularly unlucky gorilla, two simultaneous infections prompted the mutation and rise of the plasmodium parasite that would go on to kill millions. Dr Gavin Wright from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hinxton lead the team behind this molecular archaeology.

The Latest Malaria News, in 60 Seconds. Scientists learn that a child's immunological signature can predict whether they will develop malaria fever and the Wellcome Sanger Institute launch their Malaria Cell Atlas. More: www.fightmalaria.uk/MalariaMinute

This week has seen Alzheimer's Research UK host its 20th annual conference in Harrogate, bigger than ever, and packed with talks from researchers working at all levels and across many areas. This podcast was recorded on location in Harrogate from the conference. Our panel share their highlights, and all they've seen and heard from across the three days, for those who couldn't make it, . Dr Katy Stubbs from Alzheimer's, Research UK is a great host, she is joined by Dr Chris Henstridge, from the University of Edinburgh, Dr Christina Toomey from University College London and Fiona Calvert from the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Please remember to subscribe, like, review and share our podcast. If you would like to get involved drop us a line www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk

Hey everyone, welcome back to Bionic Bug podcast! You’re listening to episode 14. This is your host Natasha Bajema, fiction author, futurist, and national security expert. I’m recording this episode on July 22, 2018. First off, an update on my fiction. On this podcast, you’re listening to Bionic Book, which is Book One of the Lara Kingsley Series. As you know, Book Two Project Gecko is currently with my editor. But you don’t know that I’ve started the outline for Book Three Genomic Data, which will carry on a theme in the series about DNA and genomic data. Even more exciting, I came up with the title and draft cover for Book Four this week. It will be called Black Box and will involve artificial intelligence and machine learning. I’ll provide a sneak preview of the cover in the show notes, so make sure you check it out! “Potential DNA damage from CRISPR has been ‘seriously underestimated,’ study finds” on July 16, 2018 at statnews.com A sobering article about a new gene editing technique that promises to transform the field of synthetic biology, cure diseases, correct genetic errors and produce new products that improve human life. CRISPR is an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat. It refers to a gene editing technique that emerged in 2012 that allows researchers to quickly and cheaply change the DNA of nearly any organism. The technique uses the Cas9 enzyme and an RNA molecule matching the target DNA sequence identified for editing. The RNA guides Cas9 to the correct target sequence in the genome where it cuts the DNA. After the cut, the DNA is repaired, causing the gene sequence to be disrupted or modified. A recent study suggests that making such cuts in DNA could cause more havoc than previously thought. The study identified DNA damage including deletions of thousands of DNA bases, including at spots far from the edit. Some of the deletions can silence genes that should be active and activate genes that should be silent, including cancer-causing genes. Geneticist Allan Bradley of England’s Wellcome Sanger Institute, who led the study, warns of DNA chaos as a result of using CRISPR. This reminds me of Michael Crichton’s Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park warning us about playing god with nature. Since I just revealed the title of my fourth novel in the Lara Kingsley series, it’s only fitting that I shift gears to look at Artificial Intelligence. “Microsoft calls for regulation of facial recognition, saying it’s too risky to leave to tech industry alone” on July 13 in the Washington Post Think about this for a second. A major corporation is calling for government regulation on the use of artificial intelligence for facial recognition. I think we should pay attention. China has been using facial recognition technology to crack down on crime where there is an estimated 170 million CCTV cameras. In April 2018, a man was arrested for economic crimes while attending a concert.He was identified by cameras equipped with facial recognition technology at the venue’s entrance and arrested while in the crowd. In February 2018, the Chinese police introduced new sunglasses equipped with facial recognition technology to identify criminals. Sound like big brother in George Orwell’s 1984? In Project Gecko, I introduce this type of glasses. Detective Sanchez participates in a pilot program to see how they might be used at the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Microsoft thinks this type of technology should have the technology to greater public scrutiny and oversight. Amazon is selling its facial recognition technology to law enforcement. This is happening under our noses. I think it’s time to take a look at these technologies. This leads to my final headline. “How Artificial Intelligence Will Reshape the Global Order” on July 10 in Foreign Affairs After the Cold War, scholars pronounced the end of history with the triumph of the liberal de...