History of the Sanger Institute

Fewer than 50 people were employed when the Sanger Institute, then called the Sanger Centre, was officially opened on 4 October 1993; today more than 1000 people work here and nearly 2000 people in total work on the Wellcome Genome Campus. With a vision to provide world-class research on a large scale, we have evolved from principally a sequencing centre to a leader in genomics research.

Set on this path by John Sulston, founding Director, the Institute grew and matured under Allan Bradley (Director from 2000-2010). Allan’s vision reshaped the Institute’s scientific portfolio: he transformed the Sanger Institute from a world leading sequencing centre to encompass ground breaking research into the impact of genetics on health and disease.

The Institute’s current Director, Mike Stratton, leads the Institute as it enters a new era of genome research – an era that will be about application of genomics research to develop new diagnostics and precision treatments for patients.