Impact

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:

• GROQ-seq platform – A project managed by the Align foundation.
• UK Biobank – A long-term prospective biobank study in the United Kingdom that houses the de-identified biological samples and health-related data of half a million people.
• Digital twin – A virtual replica of a biological entity or process. It can use real-time data to simulate, predict and optimise outcomes.
• MLW – 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.
• Africa CDC – 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.
• NIST – The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the 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...