MRC Human Genetics Unit
Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit

Latest News

The following news articles were published in 2023.

Shining a Light on Skin Cancer

The Institute and Robertson Construction Central East joined forces for the week of Melanoma Monday to raise awareness of the risks of skin cancer: May 2023

Thousands of people diagnosed with rare genetic diseases in major research study

The Brogden family
​​​​​​​Around 5,500 people with severe developmental disorders now know the genetic cause of their condition, thanks to a nationwide study which will help improve diagnosis across the world: April 2023

Adhesion protein that regulates gene transcription via direct signalling across the nuclear envelope

Colocalisation of Mena with nesprin-2 (left) and model of the proposed role for Mena at the nuclear membrane (right)
Edinburgh-led study identifies a novel function for the cell adhesion protein Mena at the nuclear membrane, where it regulates actin-nuclear lamina associations, nuclear architecture, chromatin repositioning and gene expression.

Research reveals Orkney link to BRCA1 gene

IGC Sequencing Facility
One in 100 people who have grandparents from Orkney have a gene variant that causes a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, study shows: March 2023

More than 500 genes are linked to lung health, new study finds

16 weeks post-conception human fetal lung
Genomes from over half-a-million participants, including from Viking Genes and Generation Scotland data, were analysed: March 2023

Didier Devaurs takes his research to UK Parliament

Didier, Cross-Disciplinary Research Fellow at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, attended Parliament to present his research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of STEM for BRITAIN on Monday 6th March.

Expanding cell numbers is important for generating specific cell types

Collaborative work from the Bickmore group gives insight into how cell number affects cell fate: January 2023

ecDNA copy number is key to high-level oncogene expression, new research shows

A recent study has demonstrated that, contrary to recent reports, the transcriptional output of oncogenes carried on extrachromosomal DNA in glioblastoma stem cells is driven by the copy number of the ecDNA, rather than their spatial localization into transcriptional hubs: December 2022

Kiltwalkers take important steps for Edinburgh Research into Cancer Fund

The IGC kiltwalk team together
On 18 September a group of passionate staff and students from the Institute of Genetics and Cancer walked in aid of the Edinburgh Research into Cancer (ERIC) Fund: October 2022

Edinburgh Super-Resolution Imaging Consortium will play key role in UK Euro-BioImaging node

ESRIC
The new node brings together state-of-the-art biological imaging instruments from world class research environments, including the Advanced Imaging Resource facility at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer: October 2022