News

Thank you from the Iconic Zone winner – Catshark!

I am absolutely thrilled to the gills about winning a place for the lesser spotted catshark in the 25 genomes competition. What a ride it has been! I especially want to thank all of the students and members of the public for participating (and for voting). There were a lot of excellent questions! Some of them were really tricky and I have to admit I needed to do some research myself to answer them more than once. Thankfully I was sharing the chatroom with some other amazing Iconic species champions who provided excellent, informative and entertaining answers while I consulted my textbooks! I wish we could all have been winners this time but I am certain that after these 25 genomes are sequenced more will be right around the corner and there are very good reasons to do every other species submitted in this competition. We have a lot of … Continue reading

Posted on December 13, 2017 by in News | Leave a comment

And the winning species in the Iconic Zone is…

After five weeks and thousands of votes, 25 Genomes has come to a close. We can now announce the Iconic Zone species that will have its genome sequenced by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute next year: Lesser Spotted Catshark A huge thank you to all the Species Champions for taking part, you were all brilliant!

Posted on December 8, 2017 by ModShane in News | 1 Comment

Public chat open NOW in the Iconic Zone – it’s the 25 Genomes finale!

Thanks for registering in the Iconic Zone as part of 25 Genomes. Your votes will help decide which five UK species will have their DNA fully sequenced by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute as part of it’s 25th Anniversary celebrations. You’re invited to join the Species Champions for a drop-in Live Chat, open now! This is your last chance to meet the scientists and wildlife experts championing the species in the competition. Voting will close at 3pm, when we will announce the winners in the chat! How to chat 1. Make sure you’ve logged in at the side of the Iconic Zone homepage 2. Click the Chat icon at the top of the page to meet the Species Champions! 3. Live Chats in all Zones will be open, so you can meet Species Champions across all five zones! To head to another Zone, just click the option to chat there … Continue reading

Posted on December 8, 2017 by in News | Leave a comment

Join the Live Chat now in the Iconic Zone!

Thanks for registering in the Iconic Zone as part of 25 Genomes, where your votes will help decide which UK species will have their DNA sequenced by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. This evening’s Live Chat has now started. Drop in to find out about genome sequencing, and why the Champions think their species deserves to have its DNA fully decoded. How to chat 1. Make sure you’ve logged in on the Iconic Zone homepage 2. Click the Chat icon at the top of the page to meet the Champions! 3. Live Chats in all five Zones will be open, so you can meet Champions across all five zones! To head over to another Zone, just click the option to chat there in the menu bar.   The chat is open from 8pm-9pm GMT. Drop in for five minutes to see what’s happening or stay for the whole hour to enjoy … Continue reading

Posted on November 29, 2017 by in News | Leave a comment

Iconic Zone public live chat: meet the Champions!

Thanks for registering and voting in the Iconic Zone as part of 25 Genomes. Your votes will help decide five UK species that have their DNA fully sequenced by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute as part of it’s 25th Anniversary celebrations. There are 42 species in the running, championed by team of scientists and wildlife experts answering your questions and competing for votes. Tomorrow evening (Wednesday 29th November) from 8pm – 9pm, you’re invited to join the Species Champions in a drop-in Live Chat! So far 25 Genomes has seen hundreds of questions and more than 80 live chats between students and the Champions. Meeting the Champions is open to everyone – you too can hear their cases for sequencing in the 25 Genomes drop-in Live Chats. From 8pm-9pm, the Live Chat in the Iconic Zone will be open for an informal chat with the Champions. It’s a chance to … Continue reading

Posted on November 28, 2017 by in News | Leave a comment

Meet the species in the Iconic Zone!

In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, the Wellcome Sanger 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. The Iconic Zone The UK is home to many organisms that are recognisable to all. Sequencing the genome of an iconic species such as these would be great for public outreach and engagement in science. It’s also a chance for us to help make sure we continue to support well-loved species from becoming extinct. The Species   St Kilda Wren | Championed by Anthony Caravaggi ‘Despite being one of the smallest birds in the UK, I have a very powerful voice.’   … Continue reading

Posted on November 1, 2017 by in News | Leave a comment