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Click to read the report 25 Genomes was funded by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute as part of their 25th Anniversary celebrations. In 2018, the Institute is going to decode the DNA of 25 UK species for the first time, five of which have been decided by the 25 Genomes public vote. Over five weeks, scientists and wildlife experts championed species they thought deserved to have their entire DNA decoded. They competed for votes across five Zones from school students and the public, and answered questions about everything to do with their species and genome sequencing. A variety of different scientists took part, including some working at the Sanger Institute, scientists from the Natural History Museum, PhD researchers and conservation workers. Some species were championed by teams, such as the Asian Hornet whose team consisted of experts in the UK, France and Italy. Schools all over the UK were involved, as well … Continue reading →

The end is nigh! After five brilliant weeks of over 130 chats and 500 questions for the 42 species, 25 Genomes will be drawing to a close. Voting will close at 3pm GMT this Friday 8th December, when we’ll announce the five winning species who will have their genome fully sequenced by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Until then, there’s still time to get involved.   Public Drop-In Chats, Friday 12pm-3pm Thousands of students and members of the public have already taken part, and people as far afield as California chatted with the Species Champions in our public chats last week. If you missed out on the public chats, or want to ask more, we’re holding drop-in Live Chats in every Zone this Friday from 12pm-3pm, just before voting ends. They are open to everyone – school students and the general public. What better way to spend your Friday afternoon? … Continue reading →

25 Genomes so far: hundreds of questions, thousands of public votes and more than 80 live chats between schools and the 42 Species Champions. Meeting the champions isn’t just for schools, though – you too can hear their cases for sequencing in the 25 Genomes Open Live Chats. This Wednesday 29th November, you’re invited to join the drop-in Live Chats, happening in every Zone. From 8pm-9pm, join the Species Champions for live chats, talking to any-and-everyone about what makes their species the perfect candidate for having its genome sequenced! Want to find out whether it takes longer to sequence the DNA of bigger organisms, how global warming is affecting species or even to know what a genome is? Join a chat and find out about the species in the running and DNA sequencing.     How to take part If you’ve not already registered an account, simply connect with your preferred … Continue reading →

Voting for 25 Genomes is OPEN!                   A genome is an organism’s complete set of genetic instructions written in DNA. Each genome contains all of the information needed to build that organism and allow it to grow and develop, and sequencing the genome is an important step towards understanding a species. In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is going to decode the DNA of 25 UK species for the first time. So far, twenty of the 25 species have been decided, and the remaining ‘big five’ will be voted for by school children and the public, starting NOW! From 6th November – 8th December, scientists and teams from the Sanger Institute, wider Wellcome Genome Campus, Natural History Museum, and other institutions will champion a species they think should have its entire DNA sequence decoded. They’ll go head to head … Continue reading →

25 Genomes: Mapping Nature’s Code The Wellcome Sanger Institute is one of the world’s leading genomics research centres. It was the UK home for the Human Genome Project – which revealed the entire DNA code of life. In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, the Institute is going to decode the DNA of 25 UK species for the first time…and you can vote to decide 5 of them! From 6th November – 8th December, a team of scientists and wildlife experts will each champion a species they think should have its entire DNA sequence decoded, competing for votes from students and the general public. For the latest news and announcements about the event, find us on Twitter, @imascientist, and follow the hashtag, #25Genomes. Let’s meet the species taking part…   Cryptic Zone Cryptic species are those that are other than they appear. They might mimic the behaviour of other species to avoid … Continue reading →

Having your genome sequenced is a big deal. Studying the genomes of different organisms can tell us so much about a species; how it has evolved, how it deals with changes in its environment and why it looks like it does. Between the 6th November – 8th December, 40 UK species are competing to have their genome sequenced, and your votes decide which 5 species win. Each species will be championed by a wildlife enthusiast, displaying their passion for the species and trying to convince you they are deserving of your vote. The full list will be announced soon, but here are some of the species that will be up for the vote…   Common starfish Although they don’t look much like us, the common starfish is actually more closely related to humans than other invertebrates. The starfish is famous for its ability to regenerate its arms, and studying its genome … Continue reading →