The Future of Innovative Technologies for Measuring and Engineering Life

25-26 March 2025, Wellcome Genome Campus, UK

Looking back at the last 25 years, it’s clear that biotechnology has advanced in ways once unimaginable – becoming cheaper, higher resolution, and capable of generating vast amounts of data. Looking forward, we need technologies that can measure life, predict disease, and engineer medicines. The ongoing genomics revolution is setting the stage for biological engineering approaches, founded on data generation at an unprecedented scale, to enter everyday life.

In terms of research direction, we’re focused on clarifying our objectives, such as enhancing research methods that go beyond the capabilities of standard randomised controlled trials. Advancements in sequencing technology are rapidly progressing, with long-read sequencing methods providing greater clarity on genetic mechanisms such as methylation, a process that can change the activity of a DNA segment. 

There is a shared belief in the growing importance of AI and machine learning as tools in biological research. However, there are existing hurdles in effectively connecting genotypes (our genes) to phenotypes (how those genes manifest physically).

This workshop will focus on:

• Where are the capability gaps in engineering and measurements across different scales, from molecules to organs?
• What technologies would change the world if advanced 100 times in terms of speed/resolution/scale?
• How do we improve knowledge transfer and provide interpretations across different scales?

How the workshop will run

This two-day workshop will surface 25-year visions for understanding and engineering, explore three “grand challenges” and the pathways to addressing them, and discuss the fundamental debate over the value of a holistic understanding of biological systems versus understanding enough to develop predictive models and engineer biology.

The workshop will enable you to gather with world-leading experts from a wide range of relevant disciplines to imagine how we can best deliver greater understanding and engineering of genomes and cells. In coming together, we hope to generate discussion and debate that informs the trajectory of these challenges and surfaces opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and sectors.

We hope that this workshop will be the beginning of a conversation that will be taken forward by everyone present to realise novel ways of delivering future research and health benefits through the understanding and engineering cells and genomes. To drive change and delivery, we’ll produce a report and summary illustrations of the 25-year vision and the group’s perspectives on grand challenges for the next 25 years and pathways to addressing a selection of these challenges.

Programme

The programme will be available to download closer to the time. Please check back shortly.

Programme planning group

Related Genomics Futures Workshop

The ‘Understanding and engineering cells and genomes for the future‘ workshop happening on 27 and 28th of February 2025

Our ability to understand and manipulate cells and organisms is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, driven by technological advances. The next 25 years offer the opportunity to master biology and create new biological structures from scratch, from genomes to protein assemblies, cells to whole animals or plants and even the necessary knowledge to survive on an unstable planet.

Learn more: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/innovation/understanding-and-engineering-cells-and-genomes-for-the-future/

Travel and Accommodation

Travel Visas

Citizens of many countries can travel to the UK to attend a workshop without needing a visa. Please check the UK government website for visitor information: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor.

Confirmed attendees requiring a letter to support a visa application should indicate this when registering.

Accommodation

As part of the workshop invite, one night of accommodation is booked automatically when you select the accommodation option at registration. If you require any additional nights accommodation please indicate when registering.

Travel Terms

As our guest, we will provide you with a complimentary registration, accommodation and meals/refreshments during the event. We will also reimburse travel expenses to the the maximum stated on your invitation letter, subject to the following terms:

• Maximum amount is determined by your location and included the cost of ground transportation whether arranged by you or us
• Payment will be reimbursed in GBP, USD or Euro
• Travel is by the most economical method. If not then any excess will be at your expense
• If you require additional support due to a medical condition this will need to be pre approved, please contact genomicworkshops@sanger.ac.uk
• We cannot reimburse any accommodation costs that you may incur whilst travelling
• Original receipts should be retained
• Provide your own travel and medical insurance policy cover
• If you require a UK standard visitor’s visa, apply early (three months before you travel as processing time of visas is approx. 10 weeks). We cannot reimburse travel that has been paid for if a visa was not issued due to failure to apply in time
• To contribute to the overall success of the event, we request full commitment for the duration of the workshop.

Travel Allowances

Getting here

Travelling by air

The following are estimated travel times to the Campus:

• Cambridge City Airport 25 minutes
• London Stansted 30 minutes
• London Luton 1 hour
• London City 1 hour
• London Gatwick 1 hour 30 minutes*
• London Heathrow** 1 hour 30 minutes*

*We recommend you allow 2 hour journey time to Heathrow and Gatwick in case of traffic delays.

**You can catch the underground from Heathrow. However, the journey will take about one hour to get to Kings Cross. A quicker option would be to catch the Heathrow Express train, which would take you to Paddington station in London. You can then pick up the London Underground from Paddington to London Kings Cross which is only 5 stops away on the Circle Line.

From London Kings Cross you can catch a direct train to Cambridge which departs at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past every hour (depending on the time of day)

Alternatively you can take the London underground to London Liverpool Street and catch the train to Whittlesford Parkway station.

We recommend not taking a black cab from the airport unless pre-booked. London cabs will charge around £250 for the journey.

Travelling by train

The nearest railway station to the Campus is Whittlesford Parkway. A small, free shuttle bus runs between the station and the Campus. Please note all shuttle buses operate on a first-come-first-served basis and have limited operating times. Please check the timetables for all shuttle buses here.

Travellers from Cambridge railway station can use the shuttle bus stop at Centennial Hotel on Hills Rd, just left of the junction with Station Road.

No taxi ranks are present at Whittlesford Parkway, Great Chesterford, nor Audley End railway stations. If you require a taxi to collect you from these stations, we recommend pre-booking (see local taxi companies below). There is a taxi rank at Cambridge station.

Local taxi companies

For Cambridge and the airports
Panther Taxis
+44 (0)1223 715715

Sawston Carriages (for all journeys)
mick@mickgomm.com
+44 (0)7449 822626

For Whittlesford Station & the Holiday Inn Express, Audley End & Great Chesterford Stations
City taxis + 44 (0)1223 832832
Crocus +44 (0)1799 525511

The cost of a taxi from Cambridge to the campus is ~£25, from Stansted Airport to the campus is ~£68 and from Heathrow Airport is ~£130. Please contact the taxi firm directly for a quote.

Travelling by car

There is ample onsite parking. The Conference Centre postcode is CB10 1RQ.

Please contact Amanda Fletcher, Events Lead: af18@sanger.ac.uk for a parking permit.

There is no charge for parking at the Conference Centre.