News archive

Disease genes that followed the Silk Road identified
Scientists have identified key genes responsible for a severe inflammatory disease that has spread along the old silk trading routes from the Far East to the edge of Europe. University of Manchester researchers, working as part of a large international consortium, have revealed some of the genetic mutations that lead to Behçet’s disease. The group’s findings are published in Nature Genetics. (July 2010)

Rare genetic variations of DNA implicated in autism
Losses and duplications of whole chunks of DNA at sites across our genomes are likely to play a role in autism spectrum disorders, suggests a new study published in the journal Nature. (June 2010)

Blaine Award 2009
Bill Ollier and Lorna Kennedy recently received the Blaine Award 2009 for their outstanding contribution to the veterinary profession’s understanding of canine and feline genetics. (April 2009)

MRes Translational Medicine student awarded poster prize
Rupak Doshi, student on MRes in Translational Medicine course 2007-8, awarded poster prize at recent Biochemical Society/Wellcome Trust Focused Meeting on "Advances in nucleic acid detection and quantification". (October 2008)

Prestigious new role for Research Group member
Philip Dyer, Consultant Clinical Scientist, and Honorary Professor of Transplantation Science with the Genomic Epidemiology Research Group has been appointed to a new post. (August 2008)

Manchester clears first hurdle in €170 million biobank building boom
Pan-European research infrastructure will manage biological samples across continent. (June 2008)

New Years Honours 2008
Honorary member of staff awarded OBE. (January 2008)

World's first major genome screen for osteoarthritis
University of Manchester scientists are part of the world’s first search of the human genome for genetic risk factors for osteoarthritis. (October 2007)

Results of largest ever genome scan for autism
Study provides new insights into the genetic basis of autism (Press release: February 2007)

Dr Hector Chinoy wins prestigious award
Dr Chinoy’s submission to the British Society of Rheumatology’s Young Investigator Award selected as one of six winning entries (February 2007)

Follow that gene: the story of three young scientists
Dr Eleftheria Zeggini, ex-CIGMR staff member, featured in a career development article (November 2006)

CIGMR celebrates 5th anniversary
Over the first 5 years, CIGMR has collaborated extensively nationally and internationally, published over 150 original papers and has been awarded over £7million funding (October 2006)

Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre (MIB)
CIGMR's Affymetrix GeneChip suite moves into new MIB building (March 2006)

UK DNA Banking Network
Online resource launched for doctors and scientists nationwide to search for genes that underlie a range of chronic diseases (December 2005)

ISO accreditation for DNA Banking
CIGMR achieved ISO 9001:2000 certified status in October 2005 following 18 months of hard work designing and implementing a quality management system appropriate to a dynamic DNA Bank (October 2005)

Mensa and dementia study
Researchers undertaking the world's most sophisticated study of brainpower will ask members of the high-IQ society Mensa for DNA samples (February 2005)