The study published today (26 September) in Nature will help researchers understand how an individual’s whole genetic make-up can modify the effect of rare damaging variants typically thought to cause these developmental disorders. They also revealed that common genetic variants known to increase the risk of conditions such as schizophrenia also increased the risk of rare developmental disorders.

This October, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, one of the world’s leading centres of genomic research, celebrates 25 years of research and discovery through genome sequencing. In the same week, the NHS will become the first health service in the world to routinely offer genomic medicine as part of patient care.

The Genome 10K (G10K) launched a new project, the international Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP), and released 15 new, high-quality reference genomes for 14 species representing all five vertebrate classes – mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes. The mission of the VGP is to provide high-quality, near error-free, and complete genome assemblies of all 66,000 vertebrate species on Earth to address fundamental questions in biology, disease, and conservation.

LifeLab has launched an exciting programme of events for Friday 28th and Saturday 29th September, to transform parts of Cambridge and Peterborough into centres of discovery and opportunity for the weekend. Most of the events in shopping centres , cafes and public spaces are free, with a range of activities to inspire all ages and interests.

Adult humans have many more blood-creating stem cells in their bone marrow than previously thought, ranging between 50,000 and 200,000 stem cells. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome – MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute developed a new approach for studying stem cells, based on methods used in ecology.

New experimental research by the University of Glasgow and the Wellcome Sanger Institute published in Nature Microbiology, demonstrates that a regulator protein, AP2-G, may hold the key to finding new approaches to prevent malaria.

Conservation and monitoring efforts for the golden eagle will benefit from the newly-completed golden eagle genome sequence – the first of 25 species’ genomes sequenced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh. The golden eagle genome, released today (31 August), will help scientists and conservationists understand the diversity and viability of the species worldwide.

Researchers have discovered that some childhood bone cancers start growing years before they are currently diagnosed, and found many contained large-scale genetic rearrangements. This study will help unravel the causes of childhood cancers and could help to find ways to diagnose and treat these cancers earlier in the future.

Using single-cell RNA sequencing, the researchers discovered that children’s Wilms’ cancer cells have the same characteristics as a specific normal developing kidney cell, indicating that these kidney cells failed to develop properly in the womb.

The funding announced today (9 August) is the first major financial commitment in the UK to power the collection, sequencing, and analysis of cells. It will build on the UK’s long history of excellence in genomics and biomedical research, aided by strong links between research groups, tissue biobanks, and hospitals.