Scientific Group
Tree of Life

Tree of Life Enabling Platforms

Tree of Life Programme

Our team is responsible for writing and maintaining the core software used in the Tree of Life programme. We work closely with our Sample Management, Core Lab, Assembly, Curation and Faculty teams and with external partners. Our largest piece of software is the Sample Tracking System, which is responsible for keeping track of all samples as they are collected, pass through legal and regulatory compliance, and arrive on site to be sequenced. We also develop the ToL Portal, an interactive reporting hub for data generated in the Tree of Life programme.

Our software

Most of our software is written in Python and Javascript (React) and deployed on Sanger’s in-house cloud (OpenStack). We like to work in an agile way, delivering software in a two-weekly sprint cycle. We work very closely with other teams in the Tree of Life programme to define their requirements. Covering such a wide range of the programme’s work (everything up to the point where the genomes have been produced) means our work is quite varied – we could be doing anything from helping interface a lab instrument, or specifying an API or UI, to working with external partners to share our programme’s results.

Our people

Group lead

Photo of Dr Andrew Varley

Dr Andrew Varley

Enabling Platforms Team Lead

Andrew is Team Lead in the Enabling Platforms team in the Tree of Life programme, leading our software development team. He helps develop software that supports the work of the programme, for example enabling the lab teams to track samples throughout the whole lab process. He has a PhD in Engineering from Cambridge University.

Core team

Photo of Kiernan Harding

Kiernan Harding

Senior Software Developer

Photo of Mr Logan Howat

Mr Logan Howat

Apprentice Software Developer

Photo of Edward Moulsdale

Edward Moulsdale

Software Developer

Photo of Luke Wilson

Luke Wilson

Informatics & Digital Associate

Photo of Ahmad Zuheir bin Zaidon

Ahmad Zuheir bin Zaidon

Informatics & Digital Associate

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Wellcome Sanger Institute

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