Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 1h

We're now recruiting early career group leaders at the Crick to lead ambitious research programmes and explore bold scientific questions.

Hear our Director, Edith Heard, explain why the Crick is a unique place for curiosity-driven research.

Apply now ➡️ www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 1d

This week's guests are Tess Lambe‬, Wendy Barclay‬, @dremmacbw.bsky.social and @drkevinfong.bsky.social.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 1d

NEW EPISODE: Are we prepared for the next pandemic?

Join our expert panellists as they answer audience questions about COVID-19 and whether we're ready for the next pandemic.

Listen on your favourite podcast platform: lnk.to/AQOSPandemic...

Promotional image for Can We Stop the Next Pandemic? featuring five speakers and logos for The Francis Crick Institute and BBC Studios.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 1d

2026 PhD recruitment is now open.

As well as our main PhD recruitment, which is open to all, we are pleased to be offering scholarships for candidates of Black or mixed Black heritage. Learn more and apply on our website:

www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...

PhD student recruitment

PhD recruitment information.

www.crick.ac.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 6d

Long dismissed as genetic junk, the dark genome is stepping into the spotlight.

@rogerhighfield.bsky.social speaks to George Kassiotis and Samra Turajlic @turajliclab.bsky.social about how ancient viral remnants and rogue DNA impact evolution and disease.

www.crick.ac.uk/news/2025-10...

A message from the dark genome

Long dismissed as genetic junk, the dark genome is stepping into the spotlight, revealing how ancient viralremnants and rogue DNA elements impact evolution and disease.

www.crick.ac.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 7d

Motivated graduates with backgrounds in biological or biomedical sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering and/or computer science are invited to apply to our 4-year fully funded PhD programme.

Apply by 05 November 2025

www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-...

PhD students

Our PhD programme attracts the brightest scientific minds and is an opportunity for talented people to embark on their career in biomedical research.

www.crick.ac.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 7d

Are you a researcher at @ucl.ac.uk, @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social, or @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social looking to keep up with the Crick?

Sign up to our monthly newsletter for researchers at our partner universities to hear about events, opportunities and news ➡️ www.crick.ac.uk/research/res...

Four scientists in lab coats in a laboratory space, talking and listening.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 8d

This research was led by Rebecca Andrews, Bin Fu and Christina Toomey, with corresponding authors @weisslab.bsky.social, Sonia Gandhi and @stevethechemist.bsky.social.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 8d

Researchers from the Crick, @ucl.ac.uk, @cam.ac.uk and @polymtl.bsky.social have directly observed the protein clusters believed to trigger Parkinson’s disease in human brain tissue, developing a new technique that could support future diagnostics and treatments.

www.crick.ac.uk/news/2025-10...

Parkinson’s ‘trigger’ directly observed in human brain tissue for the first time

A team of scientists have, for the first time, directly visualised and quantified the protein clusters believed to trigger Parkinson’s disease. Their new technique, published today in Nature Biomedica...

www.crick.ac.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 8d

We're looking for clinicians who are passionate about research to join our 3-year fully funded clinical PhD programme. 🔬🩺

Apply by 14 November 2025. 👇

www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...

Doctoral clinical fellows

The Crick's clinical PhD programme.

www.crick.ac.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 8d

This week’s guests are Adrian Weller‬, Jeanette Winterson‬, @elmosmoe.bsky.social and @lawrennd.bsky.social.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 8d

NEW EPISODE: Can we harness AI for good?

Join our expert panellists as they answer audience questions about the future of cancer research and treatment.

Listen on your favourite podcast platform: lnk.to/AQOSAIBB

Panel discussion promotional image titled ‘How Can We Harness AI for Good?’ featuring several speakers with microphones.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 13d

Free tickets are still available for our Hard X-ray imaging of biological soft tissues symposium.

The event will explore current limitations in throughput, volume, and resolution and examine the latest advancements in sample preparation.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hard-x-ray...

Hard X-ray imaging of biological soft tissues symposium 2025

In the fourth edition of this symposium, we will hear about what the recent and upcoming synchrotron upgrades will bring in nanoimaging.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 13d

Listen to our director Edith Heard on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour - discussing her career, working with AI and the importance of attracting the best global scientific talent to the UK.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Woman's Hour - Child benefit cap, Prof Edith Heard, Book banning - BBC Sounds

We look at the mounting pressure to scrap the two child benefit cap.

www.bbc.co.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 14d

This team are now exploring the role of interstasis in controlling proteins that play a role in neurodegeneration.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 14d

The study was led by Rupert Faraway, Neve Costello Heaven and Jernej Ule @ulelab.bsky.social, collaborating across labs at the Crick, @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social, @ukdri.ac.uk and @kemijski.bsky.social.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 14d

Researchers have discovered a new biological process they've called 'interstasis', which keeps groups of proteins in check, preventing excessive build up and protecting the cell from potential harm.
www.crick.ac.uk/news/2025-09...

Better together: researchers discover how cells keep groups of proteins in check

Researchers have discovered a new biological process that they’ve called ‘interstasis’, a way for cells to promote the equilibrium of functionally-related proteins, preventing too many from accumulati...

www.crick.ac.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 15d

This week’s guests are Gerard Evan, Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke, Lauren Mahon and @charlesswanton.bsky.social.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 15d

NEW EPISODE: Can we cure cancer?

Join our expert panellists as they answer audience questions about the future of cancer research and treatment.

Listen on your favourite podcast platform:
lnk.to/AQOSCancerBB

Promotional image with the text 'Can We Cure Cancer?' showing four panellists on the left and a host speaking into a microphone on the right against a colourful background.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 16d

Researchers from the Crick, @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social, Waseda University and the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research have found that chromosomes aren’t always stable X-shaped structures, but are constantly in flux as cell division takes place.

www.crick.ac.uk/news/2025-09...

X doesn’t always mark the spot: researchers challenge idea of chromosome shape

An international group of researchers from the Francis Crick Institute, Imperial College London, Waseda University and the Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research have redrawn ...

www.crick.ac.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 17d

Book now for our next #MedicineAtTheCrick event, where researchers and clinicians will explore new insights and breakthroughs in autoimmunity.

🎤 Hosted by @dr-james-lee.bsky.social and @carovinuesa.bsky.social
📅 Thursday 20 November

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/medicine-a...

Medicine at the Crick

New insights and breakthroughs in autoimmunity

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 20d

Applications are now open for our single-cell genomics course.

This course covers the complete end-to-end workflow of single-cell sequencing, from experimental design to data analysis.

📅 18 – 21 November
Learn more and apply 👇
www.crick.ac.uk/whats-on/sin...

Single-cell genomics: from bench to bioinformatics

www.crick.ac.uk

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 22d

This week's guests are Lynne Cox, Paul Nurse, Linda Partridge and @statto.bsky.social.

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 22d

NEW PODCAST: ‘A Question of Science’ with Professor Brian Cox.

In every episode, panels of scientists and experts answer audience questions about some of the biggest issues facing us today.

Listen to the first episode, ‘Can we live forever?’: lnk.to/AQOSAgeingBB

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The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 22d

This research was led by Harry Booth and @zenahadjivasiliou.bsky.social

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