Queenswood Scientists at the Wellcome Genome Campus
Wednesday 21 February 2018
UVI Biologists spent an enthralling day the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday 20 February. Since the early 1990s, the campus has been at the cutting edge of genome research.
The girls browsed copies of the vast books containing the genetic code for the human chromosome 22 and handled some of the intricate equipment that has been developed to aid the process of gebnome sequencing.
They enjoyed a fascinating lecture by Dr Marcus Lee, who is leading pioneering research into a cure for malaria. Dr Lee also introduced the CRIPSR/Cas9 technology, which is set to revolutionise the world of genetics.
Later the students got to do their own research into the genetic mutations caused by skin cancers, identifying specific proteins that could potentially be targeted by drugs.
Finally they were taken on a tour of the campus by Senior Staff Scientist Kim Judge. They saw the sequencing labs where genomes are now being decoded at unimaginable speeds, and the banks of vast computers that process and store the information.
We are extremely grateful to the staff at the Genome Campus who made our young scientists so welcome.
