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25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050....
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25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050.
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
show less
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
Transcribed
19 MAY 2026 · The final episode of the #GenomicsFutures podcast focuses on how genomics can change patient care over the next 25 years.
In the last 100 years, genetics and genomics have transformed our understanding of the human body. We have mapped thousands of genes and discovered the origins of around 80% of rare conditions, yet most insights have not translated into real patient benefit. In this episode, we talk about how this could change, including:
- A move towards pre-emptive and predictive healthcare, where diagnosis will shift from identifying clinical symptoms to defining diseases by their underlying molecular pathology, ending trial-and-error treatments. Technology may also help detect abnormal biological pathways and prompt clinical action before a patient even feels sick.
- The need to capture global diversity in our data to ensure that people globally can benefit from advances in genomics.
- How we can use genomics to accelerate the success rate of drug discovery.
This episode includes interviews with:
- Professor Carl Anderson, Head of the Human Genetics programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute
- Professor Rachel Freathy, Lecturer in Human Genetics at Exeter University
- Professor Soo Teo, Chief Scientific Officer of Cancer Research Malaysia
- Dr Alejandra Medina Rivera, Principal Investigator at the Regulatory Genomics and Bioinformatics laboratory in Mexico
- Professor Zane Lombard, Academic Head of Human Genetics at the University of the Witwatersrand
- Dr Rob Scott, Vice President of Human Genetics at GSK
- Dr Gosia Trynka, Science Director at Open Targets and Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute
Further information on topics discussed in the episode:
- https://ourfuturehealth.org.uk/ – an ambitious collaboration between the public, charity and private sectors in the UK to build the UK’s largest health research programme
- BRCA1/2 – BReast CAncer gene 1 and BReast CAncer gene 2, genes that when altered can significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, among other cancers.
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-twin-definition/digital-twin-official – a virtual replica of a biological entity or process. It can use real-time data to simulate, predict and optimise outcomes.
- Human Genome Project – a landmark 13-year international research effort (1990 to 2003) that successfully mapped and sequenced the entire human genetic blueprint.
- https://h3africa.org/ – Human Heredity and Health in Africa, was formally launched in 2012 in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa and has grown to include research projects across 32 countries, a pan-continental bioinformatics network, and the first https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_genome_sequencing of many African https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnolinguistic_group. 25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050.
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Transcribed
12 MAY 2026 · The fifth episode of the #GenomicsFutures podcast focuses on the impact new technologies could have over the next 25 years, and what is needed to ensure everyone benefits from these.
Science is evolving, with things such as AI and other new technologies that could radically reshape the research landscape. This episode dives deeper into what this might lead to, covering topics such as:
- Data as the primary substrate: Discovery is no longer just downstream of experiments; foundational data resources (like biobanks) are becoming the place from which all future research flows.
- Continuous wearable monitoring: The future of research involves moving away from episodic sampling toward dense longitudinal monitoring through wearables, allowing for predictive and preventative medical interventions.
- Decolonising research funding: Equity requires dismantling extractive practices and shifting power so that regional institutions hold the governance for their own programmes and set their own priorities.
- Reproducibility through automation: Standardised automation is essential for global reproducibility, ensuring that experiments performed in different parts of the world yield consistent results for AI training.
This episode includes interviews with:
- Professor Matt Hurles, Director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
- Dr Tariq Khokhar, Head of Data for Science and Health at Wellcome.
- Dr Dana Cortade, Project Manager at the Align Foundation.
- Dr Denis Chopera, Senior Programme Manager at the Leadership for African Research Networks (LEARN R&D)
- Dr Sophie Gilbert, Programme Lead at the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA).
Links to things mentioned in the episode:
- https://zenodo.org/records/15367758 – A project managed by the Align foundation.
- https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/ – A long-term prospective https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biobank study in the United Kingdom that houses the de-identified biological samples and health-related data of half a million people.
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-twin-definition/digital-twin-official – A virtual replica of a biological entity or process. It can use real-time data to simulate, predict and optimise outcomes.
- https://www.mlw.mw/ – The Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLW) is built around excellent laboratories, strategically located in the largest hospital in Malawi, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, which is closely linked with the community and an integral part of the medical school.
- https://africacdc.org/ – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a public health agency of the African Union to support the public health initiatives of member states and strengthen the capacity of their health institutions to deal with disease threats.
- https://www.nist.gov/ – The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness.
- LDL – Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is often referred to as “bad cholesterol” because it can build up in arteries if levels are too high, increasing the risk of health issues. 25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050.
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Transcribed
5 MAY 2026 · The fourth episode of the #GenomicsFutures podcast series focuses on the future of environmental genomics!
Genomics could transform how we protect life on Earth, but big challenges remain. This episode covers topics including:
- Genomics for climate resilience: Genomic information is seen as a critical catalyst for mitigating climate change impacts, particularly in developing resilient crops to ensure global food security.
- Real-time biomonitoring: Future tools, such as handheld "tricorders" or autonomous marine samplers, could provide real-time dashboards of ecosystem health, flagging disease outbreaks or invasive species before they become crises.
- Indigenous knowledge and sovereignty: Integrating indigenous knowledge and ensuring data sovereignty are essential, making local communities equal partners in research and benefit-sharing.
- Functional biodiversity: Rather than just saving single species, the focus is shifting toward restoring the functions and connectivity of entire ecosystems to make them self-sustaining and resilient.
This episode includes interviews with:
- Dr Mark Blaxter, Head of the Tree of Life programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and Dr Alan Dangour, Director of Climate and Health at Wellcome.
- Dr Federica Di Palma, Vice President of Genome British Columbia, talks about bioprospecting and data sovereignty.
- Professor Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther, from the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of Copenhagen, speaks about climate resilience and ethics.
- Dr ThankGod Ebenezer, Global Engagement Manager at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute, discusses the future of biodiversity and biomonitoring.
- Dr Roksana Majewska, marine researcher at Nord University in Norway, and Professor Maui Hudson, co-director of the Te Kotahi Research Institute in New Zealand, explore restructuring degraded ecosystems and the role of indigenous knowledge in science.
More information about things mentioned in this episode:
- https://www.earthbiogenome.org/ – a project aiming to sequence, catalog and characterise the genomes of all of Earth’s eukaryotic biodiversity over a period of ten years.
- https://africanbiogenome.org/ – A coordinated pan-African effort to build capacity (and infrastructure) to generate, analyze and deploy genomics data for the improvement and sustainable use of biodiversity and agriculture across Africa.
- https://www.sanger.ac.uk/collaboration/ancient-environmental-genomics-initiative-for-sustainability-aegis/ – a global consortium led by the https://globe.ku.dk/ at the University of Copenhagen. AEGIS aims to develop the essential science and methodology to use ancient environmental DNA (eDNA) – coupled with other ancient and modern biomolecule-based approaches – to identify important organismal associations and genetic adaptations in natural and agro-ecosystems that will improve future food security under climate change.
- https://unfccc.int/process/bodies/supreme-bodies/conference-of-the-parties-cop – the supreme decision-making body of an international convention.
- Benefits sharing – a concept referring to the equitable distribution of advantages derived from the use of resources, particularly in contexts like genetic resources, community projects, and environmental conservation.
- https://www.erga-biodiversity.eu/ – a pan-European scientific response initiative to current threats to biodiversity with the mission to sequence reference quality genomes for all European species.
- Onso system – a benchtop short-read benchtop DNA sequencing platform.
- https://www.moanaproject.org/ – an $11 million ocean project funded by the NZ Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment. The project aims to vastly improve understanding of coastal ocean circulation, connectivity and marine heatwaves to provide information that supports sustainable growth of the seafood industry, science research efforts, iwi initiatives and how we manage our marine environments. 25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050.
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Transcribed
28 APR 2026 · The third episode of the Genomics Futures podcast focuses on AI and synthetic genomics!
In part two of this two-part episode, we explore how AI will play a key role in shaping the future of genomics. But progress depends on shared data, sustainable models, and local infrastructure, moving from one-size-fits-all medicine to population-level precision, with equity built in.
Topics covered in part two include:
- Precision global health: Instead of a "one-size-fits-all" approach, the future involves "population-level precision".
- Democratising infrastructure: True equity requires investing in local data centres and infrastructure in low-resource settings so that data is not just collected locally but also processed and controlled by local researchers.
- The AI-automation feedback loop: Lab automation is critical for accelerating the "learning rate" of biology; robots generate the massive datasets needed to train AI, which in turn helps design better experiments, creating a positive feedback loop.
- Overcoming the data bottleneck: Biology must focus on creating large, standardised, and quantitative datasets to train reliable predictive models.
- Pre-competitive data sharing: To speed up drug discovery for thousands of rare diseases, the industry must move toward publicly sharing data on how small molecules interact with proteins, as "data hoarding" is a primary barrier to progress.
This episode includes interviews with:
- Professor Kondwani Jambo, Professor of Immunology and Infection at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who explores the concept of personalised medicine and democratisation of genomics technologies.
- Dr Patrick Boyle, an automation and digital data expert, discusses automation in the lab and the possibilities it may offer in twenty-five years.
- Professor Ben Lehner, Head of the Generative Genomics Programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, speaks about the possibilities of engineering biology in the future.
Mentioned in the episode:
- https://www.undp.org/malawi/publications/mw2063-vision – a vision aiming to transform Malawi into a wealthy and self-reliant industrialized ‘upper middle-income country’ by the year 2063.
- https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/ – an artificial intelligence programme, which performs predictions of protein structure.
- https://www.ebi.ac.uk/pdbe/ – a data bank that collects, organises and disseminates data on biological macromolecular structures. 25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050.
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Transcribed
28 APR 2026 · The third episode of the Genomics Futures podcast focuses on AI and synthetic genomics!
The future of genomics is not just being read, it is also being written, and AI will play a key role. AI will design experiments, labs will automate discovery, and human tissues-in-a-dish will unlock real causality in disease.
In this two-part episode, we talk about how this could look, with part one covering a few key topics, including:
- The shift from reading to writing: Genomics is moving from a "reading frame" (sequencing) to a "writing frame" where scientists can synthesise large segments of DNA from scratch to create synthetic cell states or highly efficient artificial systems.
- AI-commissioned research: Future AI models may go beyond data interpretation to actively designing experiments, potentially transforming the role of the researcher into a strategic driver rather than a performer of routine tasks.
- Human proxies and tissues-in-a-dish: A major goal for 2050 is to move beyond simple cell cultures to create complex artificial tissues and organoids that faithfully mimic human systems (like vasculature and immune responses) to derive true causality in disease research.
- Sustainability of business models: Current pharmaceutical business models may be unsustainable for "one-and-done" genomic cures; new systems are needed to amortise the high costs of these therapies over a patient's lifetime.
This episode includes interviews with:
- Professor Muzlifah Haniffa, Deputy Director at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Dr Mathew Garnett, Group Leader also at Wellcome Sanger Institute, who speak about synthetic biology and the use of Artificial Intelligence for the advancement of genomics.
- Dr Alta Charo, emeritus professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin and Professor Robert Smith, lecturer of Science and Technology Studies at the University of Edinburgh, discuss the ethics around these topics. 25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050.
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Transcribed
21 APR 2026 · The second episode of the Genomics Futures podcast focuses on microbial genomics!
Genomics has revolutionised how we study disease and health - from global pathogens to the human microbiome. Yet major gaps remain.
This episode covers a few key topics, including:
- Critiquing the "global" in global health: should we remove the word "global" from global health? To prioritises local research agency and needs.
- The microbiome as a finite resource: Western lifestyles and the heavy use of antimicrobials are eroding the human microbiome, which is a precious resource essential for digestion and disease protection.
- Domesticating genomic education: True equity in 2050 will require the domestication of scientific training, allowing local researchers in the Global South to lead genomic centres and interpret data through their own cultural and regional lenses.
- The vision of digital twins: While "digital twins" of infection offer exciting predictive possibilities, they currently lack the representative data from diverse populations and sustainable infrastructure needed to be viable.
This episode includes interviews with:
- Professor Nick Thomson, Head of the Parasites and Microbes Programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and Dr Claire Chewapreecha, researcher at the Mahidol Oxford Research Unit in Thailand.
- Dr Senjuti Saha, researcher at the Child Health Research Foundation in Bangladesh and with Professor Iruka Okeke, Professor of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, who discussed the concept of Global Health.
- Dr Charles Agoti researcher at the KEMRI Research Centre in Kilifi, Kenya, and Dr Sophie Bellman researcher at the supercomputing Centre in Barcelona, Spain, dived into the concept of digital twins and sustainability in the future of genomics research.
- Lastly, we spoke about the future of microbiome research with Professor Alejandro Reyes at the University of Los Andes in Colombia.
Mentioned in the episode:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6830280/ – A series of essays by Seye Abimbola
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-twin-definition/digital-twin-official – a virtual replica of a biological entity or process. It can use real-time data to simulate, predict and optimise outcomes. 25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050.
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Transcribed
14 APR 2026 · In Episode 1, we introduce the Genomics Futures workshops, and discuss:
- Genomics as basic infrastructure: Envisioning a future where genomics is no longer a luxury but a foundational infrastructure, similar to electricity, that communities can control and use daily.
- Technological shifts and the impact on democratisation: Considering the influence of wearable devices and automated laboratories on the democratisation of genomics.
- Addressing power dynamics in science: To achieve true equity, science must move away from being Western-centric or paternalistic, ensuring that legal rights are given to biodiversity and that global health becomes truly inclusive.
- Rethinking time and deadlines: The concept of chrononormativity highlights how the way we frame time (such as 25-year goals) can be a tool of control that may exclude certain communities or people with different needs.
We speak to:
- Professor Matt Hurles, Wellcome Sanger Institute Director
- Dr Julia Wilson, Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Innovations, Sanger
- Dr Matt Kaiser, Head of Major Initiatives, Wellcome
- Dr Kat Gold, Research Lead from the Discovery Research Team, Wellcome
- Professor Patricia Kingori, sociologist and researcher at Oxford University and Professor Itai Yanai, Director of the Institute for Computational Medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
The Genomics Futures series comprised six workshops that invited 133 participants from 86 different organisations and 24 countries and 6 continents to offer their perspectives and identify opportunities for genomics over the next 25 years as well as identifying the possible barriers and bottlenecks. 25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050.
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050....
show more
25 years on from the release of the first draft of the human genome, the Genomics Futures podcast series explores what the future of genomics will be like in 2050.
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
show less
Across 6 episodes, we explore the themes and topics that arose from discussions that took place during the Genomics Futures workshops, hosted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome in 2025.
The aim of these podcasts is not to showcase definitive thoughts, but to explore the possibilities of genomics in twenty five years’ time, hence why some speakers may contradict each other. The views expressed in these podcasts are of the speakers alone.
Further information about the workshops including further outputs can be found here: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/sanger-genomics-futures-series/
This podcast is produced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Information
| Author | Genomics Futures |
| Organization | Wellcome Sanger Institute |
| Categories | Science |
| Website | www.sanger.ac.uk |
| genomicsfutures@sanger.ac.uk |
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