Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 2d

It's inspiring working with researchers and communicating science beyond the lab.
So this story from @spectrum.ieee.org hit home. Glenn (writer) and Luigi (photographer) joined @ebpgenome.bsky.social researchers in the field for @projectpsyche.bsky.social.

spectrum.ieee.org/whole-genome...

Mass-Scale Genome Sequencing Will Change Our Understanding of Life

The Earth BioGenome Project aims to sequence 1.8 million species. It's one of the most ambitious science projects ever, and it will revolutionize biology

spectrum.ieee.org

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 2d

Used to dive for these in Bermuda as undergrads. Tasty curries - brutal to bring up though!

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 12d

In molecular microbiology, you can't get very far in the laboratory without plasmids. 🧬

Whether designing them (SnapGene 💙) synthesising them (@genescript.bsky.social 💙), recombining them, or making them glow - plasmids are the bread and butter of lab work.

Now, we know more about their history ⤵️

Wellcome Sanger Institute @sangerinstitute.bsky.social · 12d

In the future, developing ways to target these plasmids could lead to new therapies to combat treatment-resistant infections worldwide 🗺️

Explore the full story, here ⤵️
https://www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/capturing-100-years-of-antibiotic-resistance-evolution/

Capturing 100 years of antibiotic resistance evolution

Researchers have dived into the pre-antibiotic history of plasmids — one of bacteria’s tools of antimicrobial resistance — to understand how they have facilitated the spread of treatment-resistant infections worldwide.

www.sanger.ac.uk

Reposted by Carmen Denman Hume

Connor Rogerson @doctorconnor.bsky.social · 13d

We have space for two postdoctoral fellows in the Taipale Lab at the @sangerinstitute.bsky.social. This is a core-funded open position! Come with your ideas and interests and we can develop a project together.

sanger.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Wellco...

Postdoctoral Fellow - Gene Regulation and Functional Genomics

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenge...

sanger.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com

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Reposted by Carmen Denman Hume

Open Targets @opentargets.org · 13d

CLOSING:

➡️ Senior Bioinformatician with Roser Vento Tormo
sanger.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Wellco...

➡️ Technical Specialist (neuro) with Omer Ali Bayraktar
sanger.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Wellco...

Both @sangerinstitute.bsky.social roles close on 2 October

Technical Specialist: Neurodegenerative Disease Spatial Transcriptomics and Data Generation

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenge...

sanger.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com

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Reposted by Carmen Denman Hume

Paul Carini @uncultured.carinilab.com · 13d

SO CLOSE to submitting our last paper that was started pre-pandemic!

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Reposted by Carmen Denman Hume

Charlotte Wright @charlottewright.bsky.social · 14d

Join us at #Biodiversity25 !

Interested in Lepidoptera? There will be the session on @projectpsyche.bsky.social with project updates, the highly anticipated re-launch of Lepbase and discussions on the analysis of the first 1,000 lep genomes. Plus there's a keynote by @lepphylo.bsky.social!🦋

Peter Mulhair @petermulhair.bsky.social · 14d

Last chance to join us next month for the #Biodiversity25 conference.

A fantastic set of speakers, mix of talks & focused workshops, and the chance to meet others in the field of biodiversity genomics 🧬

In-person registration closes next Monday 29th September!

Registration 🔗: bit.ly/4j3vAZ9

Understanding Life: Using Largescale Biodiversity Reference Genomes — 20251027

Understanding life: Using largescale biodiversity reference genomes

bit.ly

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 13d

Exciting work at the intersection of AI and genomics, have a quick read ⤵️

Plus, beautiful images of skin fibroblasts by April Rose Foster from the @mhaniffa.bsky.social lab.

Wellcome Sanger Institute @sangerinstitute.bsky.social · 13d

Find out more on our website ➡️
https://www.sanger.ac.uk/news_item/universal-drug-target-potential-in-scaffolding-cells-found-across-the-body/

Universal drug target potential in scaffolding cells found across the body

Researchers have created a high-resolution atlas of fibroblasts in human skin and reveal their roles in diseases.

www.sanger.ac.uk

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Reposted by Carmen Denman Hume

Science Magazine @science.org · 14d

Early-onset colorectal cancer is expected to become the leading cause of #cancer death in ages 20 to 49 in the U.S. by 2030.

Research is urgently needed to better detect and treat patients, argues this #SciencePerspective: https://scim.ag/3IfUgBA #WorldCancerResearchDay

A common cancer at an uncommon age

The etiology of early-onset colorectal cancer needs to be understood to tackle rising incidence

scim.ag

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 14d

As if campus couldn't get any prettier - a rainbow appeared as I walked to my car yesterday 🌈

Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 19d

Congrats to you and all the authors!

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 19d

Sooooo excited to see this paper in @science.org now live!

Bravo to @marakat.bsky.social , @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social , and an impressive team of authors -spanning continents - who were involved in this research.

Wellcome Sanger Institute @sangerinstitute.bsky.social · 19d

One of the most dangerous malaria-carrying mosquitoes is rapidly evolving in response to control efforts, genetics has revealed.

Findings could inform smarter tools to monitor for and fight malaria. 🦟

Read more here ⤵️
http://bit.ly/4pwQKDv

Genomic evolution of major malaria-transmitting mosquito species uncovered

Sequencing hundreds of Anopheles funestus mosquitoes provides new insights into the evolutionary patterns of this important human malaria-transmitting species.

bit.ly

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 21d

James has some seriously cool photos and shares some really unique knowledge in this thread 🧵 ⤵️

James McCulloch @jamesimcc.bsky.social · Aug 24

I've reached 100 British springtail species! This was helped by a recent glasshouse sampling trip, where I added these 4 species.

3 are now in the pipeline to have reference-quality genomes sequenced for the first time, by the @sangerinstitute.bsky.social. More info in the thread below! 🧵1/7

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Reposted by Carmen Denman Hume

Project Psyche @projectpsyche.bsky.social · 25d

(5/6)The #ProjectPsyche community is also forming international teams to jointly use these genomes to:
🧬 Drive discovery with genome data.
🌍 Inform conservation strategies.
📌 Help tackle societal challenges.
Link Psyche: www.projectpsyche.org

The potential of Psyche genomes to address evolutionary questions and impact society.
A. Evolution of chromosome structure through fusions, fissions and inversions.
B. 3D genome, chromosome territories.
C. Compartments and topologically associated domains (TADs).
D. Time-calibrated species phylogeny.
E. Diversification rates over time of two lineages.
F. Discordance between phylogenies (e.g. horizontal gene transfer, cobionts, mitochondria, hybridisation).
G. Gene duplication, loss, transfer, and gain of new regulatory elements.
H. Gene evolution/copy number variation in the context of a tree, and correlation with phenotypic traits.
I. Gene expression across different conditions/states and association with phenotypic traits.
J. Population size changes over time in three lineages.
K. Tracking species range expansion or genetic connectivity across space.
L. Correlates of genetic diversity with traits such as range size.
M. Food security. Lepidoptera are an important source of food and protein which has potential for expansion facilitated by genomics. In addition, genomics aids tracking and management of species of Lepidoptera which are major agricultural pests.
N. Discovery of new compounds for biotechnology.
O. Integrating genomics with ecology and taxonomy will feed into knowledge dissemination to the public and influence policy
P. Genetic comparisons between populations, informing conservation units and species re-introductions
Q. Conservation case studies, Large Blue and Apollo butterflies

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 26d

I think @tom-mathers.bsky.social might be able to comment!

Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · 26d

Working in science communication nearly a decade I have worked with a variety of incredibly intelligent, creative humans and met some kindred spirits.

Fer - one of those kindred spirits - wrote this great piece in @cenmag.bsky.social.

Have a read about blue poo ⤵️
cen.acs.org/analytical-c...

Responsive sugar polymer pill dyes poop if it detects gut inflammation

If it’s blue, call your doctor

cen.acs.org

Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · Sep 8

Interesting. My partner and I definetely have cycling in our Top Five when we have looked for new opportunities and new locations to live.

From Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Konstanz, Germany to Cambridge, UK, we've been fortunate to keep biking as our family's main form of transport.

MRC Epidemiology Unit @mrcepid.bsky.social · Sep 8

New research by Caroline Kienast-von-Einam et al. into changes in cycling behavior following residential relocation, finds most participants didn't base relocation decisions on cycling intentions, and physical and social changes were far more important in shaping cycling behaviour.

buff.ly/EalRoo1

Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · Sep 8

I love the black-and-white presentation of these as a collage!

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Reposted by Carmen Denman Hume

Charlotte Wright @charlottewright.bsky.social · Aug 26

An amazing PhD opportunity with strong links to @projectpsyche.bsky.social, LepEU & @10klepgenomes.bsky.social!

Pável Matos @pavelmatosm.bsky.social · Aug 19

New PhD position: Butterfly Conservation Genomics 🦋
The project focuses on threatened butterflies in Czech dry grasslands and steppes.
Deadline: September 12, 2025
More info: pavelmatos.wordpress.com/join-us/

Join us

Opportunities Below are the positions currently open in our lab. PhD position (full-time doctoral funding) We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join our team. The goal of the project is…

pavelmatos.wordpress.com

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · Sep 4

Listening via Zoom to author of The Authority Gap.

She's speaking @sangerinstitute.bsky.social right now!

Mary Ann Sieghart, 'a recovering journalist' authored the book to give a name/proof for something she experienced in her career. "Once you see the authority gap, you can't unsee it".

Book written called 'the authority gap' by Mary Anne Sieghart. The book is red and blue, with white writing.

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · Aug 29

I first met Colin whilst wondering the halls @sangerinstitute.bsky.social, looking for large cardboard recycling. ♻️

He pointed me in the right direction, then stayed on for a chat where I learned about all about his cool career.

Now you can meet Colin too ⤵️

sangerinstitute.blog/2025/08/27/b...

Basement builds that are shaping our research - Wellcome Sanger Institute Blog

The basement. The setting for every horror movie. While we all shout at the main character to not go down there to inspect the strange noise, sometimes it is all too enticing. At the Wellcome Sanger ...

sangerinstitute.blog

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Reposted by Carmen Denman Hume

Petra Korlević @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social · Aug 20

she is beauty
she is grace
she will bite your face

#SciArt drawing of a Sabethes mosquito on a white background. The mosquito has beautiful iridescent cyan to blue to purple hues, with little fuzzy black leg tips on the first two legs and very long hind legs with white tips. often regarded as the most beautiful mosquito in existence.

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · Aug 20

This blog might be the most fun you'll have reading all week.

Are there pink mosquitoes?
Can you identify this squished bug?
Are there evil mosquitoes in the UK?

Go on, indulge your inner 7 year-old and have a read ⤵️

🦟...with beautiful main image by @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social

Wellcome Sanger Institute @sangerinstitute.bsky.social · Aug 20

Are there any pink mosquitoes?

For #WorldMosquitoDay, we answered four deceptively difficult mosquito questions from 7-year-olds. 🦟

Find out how genomics can answer them all ⤵️

sangerinstitute.blog/2025/08/20/h...

Artwork & inspiration from @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social ‬

Cartoon image with a larger mosquito and five mosquito larvae, all with speech bubbles and images to represent different questions.
Credit: Petra Korlević Wellcome Sanger Institute.

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Reposted by Carmen Denman Hume

Kiri Carini @kiricarini.com · Nov 21

Hi 👋 I'm the human behind the @developmentseed.org account. I do my best to share our work so that the things we are building and learning can be helpful and useful to as many people as possible.
Give the DevSeed account a follow for me, and share our posts if you find them useful. 🚀

Development Seed @developmentseed.org · Nov 21

Just realized we've been on Bluesky since August 2023. If you aren't sure who we are or what we do this thread of earlier posts is a good overview 🧵

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Carmen Denman Hume @carmcdhume.bsky.social · Aug 1

Meet @amjadkhalaf.bsky.social.

Amjad is a great science communicator.

I've listened to him present his research.
I've interviewed him twice.
I've read his papers.

Head to the blog, so you too can get swept up by his enthusiasm and #microsporidian studies ⤵️
sangerinstitute.blog/2025/07/29/s...

Studying intracellular parasite DNA is like panning for gold - Wellcome Sanger Institute Blog

PhD Student Amjad Khalaf shares how his research on microsporidia is creating new high-quality genomes to help better understand how they cause, and sometimes prevent, disease.

sangerinstitute.blog

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