Wellcome Sanger Institute

Every discovery starts with reading 📚

In our latest blog, we explore how the Wellcome Sanger Institute library supports research at every stage – from accessing journal articles and datasets to navigating the evolving world of open access.

As we celebrate the UK’s National Year of Reading, it is a reminder that curiosity, access and openness are at the heart of scientific discovery.

Read more 👇 https://sangerinstitute.blog/2026/06/11/how-our-library-powers-discovery-and-open-access/

Sloths are the slowest mammals on the planet, and now we know why. For the first time, scientists have sequenced and analysed the two-toed sloth genome and revealed the genetics behind their extremely slow metabolism. 🦥

By mapping their evolution, the team discovered sloth-specific ‘jumping genes’ that have been conserved over millions of years and are linked to their mitochondria and metabolic pathways.

The findings begin to uncover the genetics behind the sloth’s unique biology, and could lead to new research into metabolism-associated conditions and ageing in other mammals, including humans.

Uliano-Silva, who co-led the study, said: “Evolution has already run billions of experiments. By studying unusual animals like sloths, we sometimes uncover biological solutions that humans never evolved.”

Read more about this work from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin, Hospital Sírio Libanês in São Paulo, and others, here ⤵️

Why are sloths so slow? It’s in their DNA Researchers uncover unique ‘sloth genes’ that are likely linked to their slow metabolism.

Sloths are the slowest mammals on the planet, and now we know why. For the first time, scientists have sequenced and analysed the two-toed sloth genome and revealed the genetics behind their extremely slow metabolism. 🦥

By mapping their evolution, the team discovered sloth-specific ‘jumping genes’ that have been conserved over millions of years and are linked to their mitochondria and metabolic pathways.

The findings begin to uncover the genetics behind the sloth’s unique biology, and could lead to new research into metabolism-associated conditions and ageing in other mammals, including humans.

Marcela Uliano-Silva, who co-led the study, said: “Evolution has already run billions of experiments. By studying unusual animals like sloths, we sometimes uncover biological solutions that humans never evolved.”

Read more about this work from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin, Hospital Sírio Libanês in São Paulo, and others, here ⤵️

Why are sloths so slow? It’s in their DNA Researchers uncover unique ‘sloth genes’ that are likely linked to their slow metabolism.

Exciting news for the future of AI-powered biology. 📣

The Wellcome Sanger Institute is partnering with Google DeepMind, with support from Google.org, to launch a new artificial intelligence (AI) consortium for genomics.

By addressing critical data gaps and creating large-scale datasets designed for AI, the collaboration aims to accelerate scientific discovery, unlock deeper biological insights, and help make biology more predictive.

It's an important step towards enabling the next generation of AI models for the life sciences. 🧬

Read more below 👇
https://www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/google-deepmind-google-org-and-sanger-institute-to-launch-new-ai-consortium-for-genomics/

Google DeepMind, Google.org and Sanger Institute to launch new AI consortium for genomics The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Google.org, and Google DeepMind are partnering up to generate large-scale genomic datasets and power AI-driven discoveries.

What can stool samples tell us about the impacts of climate change?💩

Archana 'Archie' Madhav is working with collaborators to use stool (poo) samples to study the impacts of climate change on the human microbiome.
Studying poo can give researchers insights into the diet and overall health of individuals, and Archie is on a mission to develop methods that make studying stool at the genomic-scale easier. 🧬

Instead of sampling people’s waste during a disease crisis, she wants to understand what a ‘healthy’ gut in Bangladesh looks like when participants are those who live with the constant impact of climate change: rising sea level, salty water and frequent flooding.

Together with expert collaborators at the ,b, Archie and the laboratory teams will collect and process thousands of stool samples and household water samples. In our latest blog, Archie takes us through this study and what it could lead to. Read more ⤵️

https://sangerinstitute.blog/2026/06/04/chasing-the-secrets-of-healthy-stool/

📸 Images: Despite occasional power cuts, laboratory staff continue to process stool samples. Credit: Dr Archana Madhav/Wellcome Sanger Institute

The largest cellular study of gut tissue reveals how differences in DNA influence the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). 🧬

Researchers used data from millions of individual cells to find key genetic and cellular drivers of IBD that are often missed when looking at whole tissue samples. This work provides new insight into how immune dysfunction and impaired gut repair contribute to IBD.

Part of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation IBD Genetics Initiative, this research included experts at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Open Targets, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and their collaborators.

Take a read of the full story here 👇
https://www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/study-of-millions-of-cells-reveals-new-way-to-understand-genetic-risk-of-disease/

We’re excited to announce that Matthew Coelho and the BASE Rx team have been selected for the 2026 Accelerate@Babraham pre-seed support programme led by the Babraham Research Campus. 🎉

BASE Rx, a company spun out of the Sanger Institute, is advancing cancer drug discovery using advanced genomic techniques to find therapies that are less likely to fail due to drug resistance.

The programme will provide mentoring, workshops and investor support to help accelerate the company’s growth as it continues translating cutting-edge science into real-world impact for patients.

We caught up with Matt directly to find out more about BASE Rx, his journey to stepping beyond academia, and co-founding the spin-out ⤵️
https://sangerinstitute.blog/2026/05/26/from-bases-to-breakthroughs-editing-cancers-weak-spots-with-crispr/

You can read more about Accelerate@Babraham here 👇
https://www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/sanger-spin-out-secures-spot-on-game-changing-accelerator-programme/

Sanger spin-out secures spot on game-changing accelerator programme BASE Rx joins company support programme, Accelerate@Babraham, designed to help start-ups navigate the life science sector.

Have you ever heard of Carl Linnaeus, the “founder of Taxonomy"?
Taxonomy is the science and practice of classifying, naming, and organising living organisms into structured categories.

Sanger scientist James McCulloch is very familiar with taxonomy, being the UK's National Springtail Biological Recorder, as well as a PhD student.

Springtails are tiny creatures that can be found in the soil all around us, and help recycle nutrients. James finds, classifies, and studies the DNA of these unsung soil heroes to hopefully understand more about their diversity and the role they play in the ecosystem.

Hop over to our blog to learn more ⤵️
https://sangerinstitute.blog/2026/03/26/studying-soils-unsung-heroes/

📸 Macro-photography reveals details of the eyes, hairs, and patterns, which are often crucial for identifying springtails to species level. Images by photographer Tim Jonas.

TETTRIs Project

Congratulations to Jyoti Nangalia on being elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences! 🎉

Jyoti's research has transformed our understanding of how blood cancers develop and evolve, including the discovery of changes in the 𝘊𝘈𝘓𝘙 gene as a cause of certain blood cancers. Testing for these changes in DNA is now used routinely in clinics worldwide to help diagnose patients. 🧬

Her work continues to uncover how DNA changes acquired across a lifetime can drive cancer and other health conditions, with important implications for earlier diagnosis, monitoring, and future treatments.

Read more ⬇️
https://www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/jyoti-nangalia-elected-fellow-of-the-academy-of-medical-sciences/

Scientists have developed a new tool that makes bird genomes faster and easier to assemble — including tiny pieces of DNA that are usually missed. 🐦

The new tool, known as MicroFinder, helps researchers identify and organise difficult sections of bird DNA, improving the accuracy and quality of bird genomes.

By speeding up a highly manual process, the tool could support future research into bird biology, evolution, biodiversity and conservation.

MicroFinder has also been made freely available to researchers worldwide.

Read the full story here 👇
https://www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/new-tool-helps-accurately-assemble-notoriously-difficult-bird-genomes/