News

We are absolutely thrilled (or rather otterly delighted) to be the winners of the Floundering Zone! Competition was both fierce and really fun, and we’ve really enjoyed being part of this. Many thanks are due to the 25 Genomes team from I’m a Scientist – get me out of here and the Sanger Institute for giving us this opportunity. The online chats were at times fast and furious; questions from students and public alike were insightful and thought-provoking. Despite being otter researchers, we actually learned something from the chats, too. For instance, we didn’t know that otter faeces had been used as an aphrodisiac, and hadn’t considered whether otters with glowing bums might be easier to survey (shoutout to one of our lovely competitors, the Glowworm!). We want to take the opportunity to thank our supporters, who logged in from all over the world. We look forward to working with other … Continue reading →

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

Thanks for registering in the Floundering 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 Floundering 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 →

Thanks for registering in the Floundering 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 Floundering Zone homepage 2. Click the Chat icon at the top of the page to meet the Champions! 3. Live Chats in all 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 the … Continue reading →

Thanks for registering and voting in the Floundering 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 for 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 for 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 Floundering Zone will be open for an informal chat with the Champions. It’s a chance to ask … Continue reading →

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 Floundering Zone Due to factors like climate change and destruction of natural habitats, many UK species are becoming endangered. In this zone you’ll meet organisms whose populations are declining. By sequencing their genome we could work out why and potentially save them from disappearing forever. The Species   Strapwort | Championed by Anne Visscher ‘I am critically endangered in the UK, only surviving on the shore of Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve in South Devon’       Spotted Flycatcher | Championed … Continue reading →