What are copy number variants?

Everyone has unique variants in their genome - and many are harmless - but which types can have an impact on our health and how do they occur?

We all have 'the breast cancer gene'

You’ve seen the headlines and heard people talk about having ‘the gene for’ x, y or z – but do you know the facts behind the headlines?

What is whole exome sequencing?

Following the recent NHS announcement that WES will be used for critically ill babies and children, we explore what it is and the benefits it could bring
Genomics lab

What is functional genomics?

'Functional genomics' is a phrase that crops up frequently in discussion around genomics, but what does it actually mean?

Obesity: is it in our genes?

A complex and serious issue, obesity is the result of a combination of factors; but at least some our destiny lies in our genomes

Omics: A cut-out-and-keep guide

You might already know about the genome, but what of the other 'omes’ that affect our health – from the microbiome to the epigenome?

Understanding pleiotropy

We explore one of the many phenomena that show genomics to be far more complex than the ‘one gene per characteristic’ rule

Meet the mitochondria

You’ve heard of the genome – our complete set of DNA – but do you know about mitochondrial DNA and its relevance to health?

Pharmacogenomics: mechanisms of action

We know that different people react differently to drugs. But how does this actually happen? And where does genomics come in?

Four types of genomic testing explained

In the age of genomics, it can be difficult to understand the ins and outs of different types of testing; here we break down four of the most common 

Probability, chance and genetic inheritance

When it comes to genetic inheritance from parent to offspring, there isn’t a guaranteed outcome. But there are ways to assess the possible outcomes

Do our genes govern our fate?

A ‘faulty’ gene can result in different outcomes for different people – penetrance and expressivity influence the impact of our genetic code