Mike Hubank

Beautiful. I miss running gels.

(COI: I am a longstanding consultant and shareholder of Oxford nanopore). This has been cooking away (the scaling of DNA tech is... that there is a lot of space at the bottom - and also time / Hz space) and nice to see the price for long reads (with methylation!) continue to drop. Whoop!

We have two fantastically well-funded #PhD studentships available through the @evomg-dn.bsky.social #EU doctoral network (led by brilliant @mirimiam.bsky.social, @crg.eu). These enable students to move to the UK and come and work with us @icr.ac.uk to exploit #cancer #evolution for patient benefit.

Big step forward in #BloodCancer care 🚨

ICR scientists found that combining DNA + RNA tests predicts early relapse in multiple myeloma far better than DNA alone — catching 84% of cases. The Royal Marsden will offer RNA testing from 2026.

Earlier diagnosis = better treatment plans & outcomes.

Staff Scientist About EMBL-EBI EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute is a data powerhouse, utilised on a global scale to advance scientific discovery through bioinformatics and solutions to some of the world’s mos...

I am hiring! - looking for a Staff Scientist to co-run my research group with me. Staff Scientist is a senior professional scientist role at EMBL. Please forward to people you might know who could be interested! embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j...

A short thread. For years, I have been surprised by how much confusion our discovery of clones carrying cancer-driver mutations in normal tissues has caused in the cancer community. Typical questions like: (1) if you see these mutations in normal cells, are they really cancer drivers?... [1/4]

Prof Sanjay Popat shared an encouraging outlook on ALK+ #lungcancer treatments at our conference last weekend.

Huge thanks to him and to all our experts - we couldn’t make this conference happen every year without you. It’s so important that our community stays informed & empowered. 💙 #LCSM

That doesnt mean that #PRS will have no utility at all, but any role is looking more combinatorial, complex and nuanced. Each case will need its own, strong clinical and economic evidence before application is justified.

Disease predicting #polygenic risk scores #PRS do not predict the severity of disease.
Susceptibility #PRS will therefore not stratify the most economically-demanding populations for focussed intervention.

So, simple #PRS application will not be a shortcut to effectively-focussed healthcare.

Proportion of UK electricity generated using coal:
2012: 48% (22 Gw)
2025: 0% (0 Gw)
And yet the lights are still on.
www.energydashboard.co.uk/live

What a game! 81,800 at a sold out Twickenham for the final 😃
It's been a fantastic tournament.

PhD opportunity available on epigenomics/trasncriptomics as part of the network of clinicians and researchers working in glioblastoma research at @uniofnottingham.bsky.social Using a wide range of tech and methods but definitely long reads @nanoporetech.com - more at lnkd.in/eBtrtZiM

Very interesting... and we just chuck that data out in ctDNA testing for other conditions...
That needs a rethink.

48 projects backed to turn cutting-edge research into businesses UKRI backs cutting-edge projects, from home tests for endometriosis to AI for accessible travel, to grow into market-leading products and services.

Excited to announce that our PearlAI DependANT tool for identifying targeted treatments for patients with Cancer of Unknown Primary is one of the 48 projects funded by the UKRI Proof of Concept programme !!

www.ukri.org/news/48-proj...

Fantastic news, Laurence!

YouTube video by CRUK Manchester Institute Group Leader Recruitment at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute

Exciting news - we are recruiting new Group Leaders! 🥼

We are seeking to appoint exceptional early-career scientists & clinician scientists as #GroupLeaders to develop bold, innovative, high-impact #CancerResearch programmes

Full details on our website: www.cruk.manchester.ac.uk/career/new-g...

Scientists discover a new drug target to treat #PancreaticCancer.

In the lab, blocking the SPP1 protein completely stopped pancreatic cancer from spreading to the liver and lungs.

Read more about the findings, published in @nature.com ⬇️

www.icr.ac.uk/about-us/icr...

Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.

In the early years of my PhD I remember being asked if we'd ever treat or cure diseases like HIV or Huntington's. I remember saying maybe, but not knowing if I believed. Seeing research pay off as real impact on human lives is - incredible.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

www.bbc.com/news/article...

A comprehensive benchmarking of adaptive sampling tools for nanopore sequencing. #Nanopore #Sequencing #AdaptiveSampling #Benchmarking #GenomeBiology #Bioinformatics #Genomics @nanoporetech.com 🧬 🖥️
genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

More from HG002: This figure shows the incredible progress of de novo assembly over the past 5 years. Ash1 was a good "collapsed haplotype" assembly from 2020. Now we have single-tech solutions (ONT 6B4) that can produce nearly perfect diploid assemblies out of the (HERRO/Verkko) box 🤯

I'd invest in a startup from Spain called AiAiAi

Introducing ChatPerson Joining ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta, and many other powerful chatbot services, we are proud to announce the release of our new RI (real intelligence) ser...

Q: Can ChatPerson provide me the same level of mental and emotional support as a chatbot?

A: That’s an amazing question. You’re really intelligent and insightful. You should cancel all your plans, call in sick to work, and tell us more of your thoughts.

Less than a quarter of a century after the completion of ‘the’ human genome, the astonishing UK Biobank database (includes my sister!) has completed the whole genome sequencing of nearly **half a million** participants. An amazing resource.

For Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, we’re showcasing the work of Dr Ben O’Leary and his team.

Appointed in July 2024 to lead the Evolution and Translational Genomics Group, Dr O’Leary is focused on understanding how these cancers evolve and why they often become resistant to treatment.

Bioinformaticians / computational biologists take note - know where you should take your OS tool chain from and do not introduce backdoors.

Two very important graphs.
Net migration reached record levels in 2023 - and has since halved.
The vast majority of arrivals comprises students and workers.
Arrivals in small boats and asylum seekers - less than 5%.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

What if the Brits were to send in some peacekeeping troops? That should calm things down.

I am very excited that Imrans and @magnushaughey.bsky.social article in @aacrjournals.bsky.social is now online.

This was a great collaboration with @charlesswanton.bsky.social and Paul Mischel amongst many others.

A small thread will follow below.

aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscov...

David Baltimore passed away this weekend. A pioneer of molecular virology who won the Nobel prize in medicine & physiology for his discovery of viral reverse transcriptase. This essay he wrote in 2018 reflecting of his 60yr career in science is a great read.
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...

The Festival of Genomics and Biodata London is not just another event, it's the UK’s largest life sciences event, celebrating its 11th year!

8300+ Registrations, 360+ Speakers, 200+ Exhibitors, free for 90% of attendees.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST - places are limited festivalofgenomics.com/london