We are Genomics England and our vision is to create a world where everyone benefits from genomic healthcare. Introducing our refreshed podcast identity: Behind the Genes, previously known as The G Word. Join us every fortnight, where we cover everything from the latest in cutting-edge research to real-life stories from those affected by rare conditions and cancer. With thoughtful conversations, we take you behind the science. You can also tune in to our Genomics 101 explainer series which breaks down complex terms in under 10 minutes.
Episodes
Wednesday Feb 24, 2021
Wednesday Feb 24, 2021
"Humans are fantastically complicated, with 37 trillion cells and we don’t even know how many different cell types there are. But’s there’s a place to build from now. Having AlphaFold is like having a Rosetta Stone to translate; you couldn’t read the language of proteins - sequence defining structure and function - before."
Tim Hubbard is a Professor of Bioinformatics, Head of the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics at King's College London, and also a Senior Advisor to Genomics England. And no wonder, with so many achievements under his belt; Tim has had a vital role in the Human Genome Project - where the first human genome was mapped and annotated in Ensembl and Gencode - as well as in co-organising Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction (CASP) competitions for several years.
In this episode, Tim tells Chris about how he first got hooked on bioinformatics before it was formalised as a field, and how the breakthrough with AlphaFold means a better understanding between genomics and healthcare.
Find out more about AlphaFold, the AI system that has made a huge scientific breakthrough and solved a 50-year grand challenge.