Excited to share our latest work in Nature. Applying single-molecule and single-cell DNA sequencing methods, we uncover an extraordinary landscape of somatic mutations in immune checkpoint genes in autoimmune B cells, suggesting that somatic mutations may be key to autoimmunity [1/n] rdcu.be/fdqbr

Carl de Boer on understanding the evolution of gene regulatory complexity and its role in complex disease #MITS2026

Isidro Cortes-Ciriano on small molecule cell-free DNA sequencing at national scale #MITS2026

Neville Sanjana on scalable methods to determine the function of noncoding DNA and RNA #MITS2026

A whole new world… Inigo Martincorena presents paradigm shifting work showing a key role for somatic evolution in autoimmune disease. Long-term, polyclonal, multistage evolution #MITS2026

Nicole Lake on constraint in mitochondrial genomes with insights into health and evolution #MITS2026

Amanda Larracuente on meiotic drive and satellite DNA in drosophila #MITS2026

Talks exploring the heritability of mutational processes and inferring de novo mutation rates across primates #MITS2026

Evan Eichler on using near-complete human genomes to more fully understand mutational processes #MITS2026

Talks on selection in sperm and population differences in germline mutational processes #MITS2026

Siyao Wang on transgenerational inheritance of DNA damage and sex specific effects #MITS2026

Hakon Jonsson on insights into de novo genetic variation and genetic causes of pregnancy loss #MITS2026

Diverse mutational patterns between neuronal populations in the cerebellum #MITS2026

Talks on heterozygosity induced de novos and new indel mutational signatures at #MITS2026

Two more talks on single cell resolved clonal haematopoiesis research and using methylation patterns to study clonality #MITS2026

Caroline Watson gives the first talk at the Mutations in Time and Space conference on the evolutionary road to AML #MITS2026

Delighted to have contributed a comment piece and the cover illustration to a @natecoevo.nature.com focus issue on "Evolution in medicine". I discuss how the emerging field of somatic evolution is providing new opportunities to understand disease and promote healthy ageing doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Thrilled to announce that I'm on Curious Cases tomorrow at 10am on BBC Radio 4! The episode - Immortal Jellies - looks at some remarkably long-lived species and what they can teach us about ageing. This is a key area of focus for our lab. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Julie Ahringer from @gurdoninstitute.bsky.social @geneticscam.bsky.social @cam.ac.uk gives talk on decoding genome regulation during development. Exploring how chromatin accessibility changes throughout development enable single cells to become multicellular organisms.

This is a fantastic opportunity to do exciting research on comparative somatic evolutionary genomics as part of a great team. I've collaborated with Peter for many years and highly recommend this position! Please email Peter if you'd like to learn more, including a copy of your CV.

night science

Closing keynote from the fabulous @atjcagan.bsky.social on "The impossibility of whales" discussing somatic mutagenesis across species. Brilliantly delivered and exceptionally illustrated talk, as anyone who knows Alex's work would expect! #EBECancer25 @eventswcs.bsky.social

Thanks @amyboddy.bsky.social for the invitation to run this workshop on where ideas come from in science, barriers to creativity and how to overcome them. Great discussion from the group! I'm a convert to 'night science' @urialonlab.bsky.social

The Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues Network @nature.com @timcoorens.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

If you’ve ever wondered about the statistical significance of differences among mutational signature profiles, check out our new Aggregate Mutation Spectrum Distance (AMSD) preprint co-led by Sam Hart and @alisonfeder.bsky.social with @nalcala.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

A new review paper for those interested in how comparative approaches are informing cancer research. Advances in genomic resources for non-traditional model organisms (whales, bats, and beyond!) is set to transform our ability to gain insights from cancer resistant species. doi.org/10.1038/s415...

New Review Paper! I usually study mutations caused by failures to repair DNA damage, but organisms also deliberately edit their own genomes. This review by Vincent, @sebastianevda.bsky.social and myself takes a look at 'How and when organisms edit their own genomes' www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Another great Sanger Sketcher to follow for summaries of research talks @isabellease.bsky.social

Elegant new theory on polygenic adaptation by Will Milligan, Laura Heyward, and Guy Sella.

Thanks to everybody who chimed in! I arrived at the conclusion that (1) there's a lot of interesting stuff about interactions and (2) the figure I was looking for does not exist. So, I made it myself! Here's a simple illustration of how to control for confounding in interactions:>

Had a lot of fun designing this special double issue cover on long reads with @genomeresearch.bsky.social

“A rising wave of white nationalism in many parts of the globe could threaten the progress that has been made in science — and broader society — towards a more equitable world As scientists and members of the public, we must push back against this threat” 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...

B͓̊å͓c͓̊t͓̊e͓̊r͓̊i͓̊å͓l͓̊ s͓̊ů͓g͓̊å͓r͓̊ f͓̊ů͓e͓̊l͓̊s͓̊ c͓̊å͓n͓̊c͓̊e͓̊r͓̊ r͓̊i͓̊s͓̊k͓̊ Study in 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 finds ADP-HEPTOSE, a bacterial sugar produced by Gram- gut flora, leaks into the bloodstream with age, activating NF-κB, giving pre-leukaemic blood cells a growth edge, and triggering dangerous clonal haematopoiesis Starczynowski Lab U Cincinnati

I had a great time working with @genomeresearch.bsky.social on these two covers that combine to form a single image for part 1 and 2 of their long-read sequencing special issues

The MIMIC lab is hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join my team at @Cambridge_Uni! Exploration and engineering DNA-mimicking proteins (wet-lab position.) 🧬 Details: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/50652/ Please get in touch / circulate !

Interested in a starting PI position at University College London to work on Genetics, Evolution or the Environment? My department has opened the call for expressions of interest for sponsorship of independent fellowship applications. www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

Our paper on ancient human population structure is now published. We find that the ancestors of modern humans lived in multiple populations during the period when Homo sapiens evolved in Africa. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

An excellent postdoc opportunity with Adrian Baez-Ortega at the University of Cambridge on the genomics of transmissible cancer. Adrian is a brilliant scientist and mentor, this is a fantastic opportunity I strongly recommend.

Talk by @khmiga.bsky.social for the @sinaigenhealth.bsky.social Institute for Genomic Health Seminar Series on the potential of complete genomes and pangenomes for improving human health

Why do some animals, like whales, live exceptionally long lives free from many age-related diseases? 🐋 Join @atjcagan.bsky.social to see how nature’s solutions to longevity may hold the key to tackling our own health challenges: www.festival.cam.ac.uk/events/impos...

Come learn how to apply approaches in evo-eco to cancer biology 🧬 ✨

How would you expect somatic mutation rate to correlate with species longevity? Study in 2022 by @atjcagan.bsky.social etal in @nature.com discovered key patterns. Our model predicts some of these and highlights possible mechanisms driving co-evolutionary dynamics. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

I wrote up a presentation from a recent @cancerresearchuk.org workshop on 'the biology of ageing to cancer prevention' into my first post on substack open.substack.com/pub/alexcaga... #CRUKPrevResearch

Sir Mark Caulfield from @qmul.ac.uk speaking @geneticscam.bsky.social on how genomics is transforming healthcare @genomicsengland.bsky.social

Come and join our postgraduate community 🫶 We have a fully funded PhD studentship available either with @virologyhouldcroft.bsky.social, @atjcagan.bsky.social or @ahocher.bsky.social Read about their research projects⬇️ and apply by 07 January 25 gen.cam.ac.uk/funded-phd-s...

Fantastic presentation by @caroleyauk.bsky.social on proof of principle for using error corrected next gen sequencing to detect mutagenic exposures in mouse models -> duplex sequencing has the potential to revolutionise genotoxicology

A fascinating talk on the similarities between computation and nature

I'm lucky to have such awesome colleagues at @geneticscam.bsky.social - got to sketch some science during our recent Departmental Research in Genetics day.

If you're interested in mutations and the role they play in evolution I HIGHLY recommend this conference in Boston next year.