The Francis Crick Institute

The Francis Crick Institute

@crick.ac.uk

We're the Crick, a biomedical research lab in London working to figure out how life works. Home to more than 2,000 scientists and a free public exhibition space. https://www.crick.ac.uk/

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The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

How do flies help us to understand health and disease? Book now for our free talk from Nic Tapon, who will discuss the importance of flies to some of our research. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crick-crash-course-how-the-fly-helps-us-to-understand-health-and-disease-tickets-1991188792279?aff=Bsky

eventbrite.co.ukCrick Crash Course: How the fly helps us to understand health and diseaseOur series of morning lectures sharing science from across the Crick in a simple and accessible way continues.
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

The West Africa, West Indies, West London (WWW) Consortium, which convenes researchers from the Crick and across the UK, Ghana and Jamaica, are hoping to reveal the impact of genetics and the environment on responses to future pandemic threats. www.crick.ac.uk/news/2026-10...

crick.ac.ukA global effort to understand immunity before potential future pandemicsThe COVID-19 pandemic revealed striking differences in how people responded to COVID-19 within and across populations. A team of infectious disease researchers, working across three continents, are ho...
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

In a piece in @thelondonstandard.bsky.social, the Crick’s @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social and @charlesswanton.bsky.social explain how AI could help us shift from reactive disease management to proactive prevention and true precision medicine. Read the full article ➡️ www.standard.co.uk/news/tech/ai...

standard.co.ukIf AI can learn how life works, it could help us live longer, healthier livesThe Francis Crick Institute’s expert scientists on how AI can help the healthcare industry
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

This research, which involved developing a replica bone model, was carried out by Stefania di Blasio and Tatiana Rizou in the Tumour-Host Interaction Lab, led by Ilaria Malanchi, and built upon previous work from Laurie Gay.

The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

PhD recruitment is now open at the Crick, and we're looking for people to join a community of researchers tackling big scientific questions in the heart of London. Apply by 3 November: www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-... Find out more about the three routes into our 2027 PhD programme in this thread ⬇️

crick.ac.ukPhD studentsOur PhD programme attracts the brightest scientific minds and is an opportunity for talented people to embark on their career in biomedical research.
View full thread
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

PhD recruitment is now open at the Crick, and we're looking for people to join a community of researchers tackling big scientific questions in the heart of London. Apply by 3 November: www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-... Find out more about the three routes into our 2027 PhD programme in this thread ⬇️

crick.ac.ukPhD studentsOur PhD programme attracts the brightest scientific minds and is an opportunity for talented people to embark on their career in biomedical research.
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

γδ T cells don’t fit neatly into the immune system’s traditional categories. Crick and King’s researchers found that these cells use adaptive immune receptors to drive rapid, innate-like responses to tissue stress, inflammation, and cancer. www.crick.ac.uk/news/2026-09...

crick.ac.ukImmune cells defy textbook classificationsResearchers at the Francis Crick Institute, King’s College London and Complutense University of Madrid have shown that γδ T cells use adaptive immune receptors to drive rapid, innate-like responses to...
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

Researchers have identified a response to a rhinovirus infection in which airway cells physically remove infected neighbours from the tissue. The process helps protect the airway, but it might also help the virus spread. Read the full story: www.crick.ac.uk/news/2026-09...

crick.ac.ukFirst defence: how airways remove infected cellsThe immune system kicks into gear to fight back against viruses, bacteria or other threats. But an ancient process is likely defending us even earlier.
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

“The scientific endeavour is a global endeavour, and crossing both geographical boundaries and scientific boundaries is key to success.” Our Director Edith Heard joined The Life Scientific today, discussing her global career in research. Listen on BBC Sounds: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

bbc.co.ukThe Life Scientific - Edith Heard on unravelling the mystery of X-chromosome inactivation - BBC SoundsEpigeneticist Edith Heard on decoding the details of how X chromosomes are expressed.
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

Group Leader @foadrouhani.bsky.social is working with his team to try and figure out why children who receive platinum-based chemotherapy have a higher number of DNA changes in their liver cells that may increase the risk of developing cancer. https://bit.ly/3UIbYDC

bit.lyProtecting the liver from the long-term effects of cancer treatmentLife-saving chemotherapy treatment can have a hidden impact on the liver later in life, so researchers are investigating how to protect healthy tissues.
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

We’re excited to announce five new group leaders will join the Crick in the coming months. Welcome to Katya Osipova, @joshuabull.bsky.social, @vchandra.bsky.social, @sami-c.bsky.social and James Cranley, whose specialties range from artificial intelligence to cell biology. https://bit.ly/3SPC6vJ

bit.lyFive new group leaders to launch ambitious research programmes at the CrickThe Francis Crick Institute has announced the researchers selected to establish new labs at the institute, following an international recruitment round that attracted a record number of applications.
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

Early bird tickets are available until 15 October for Stemness, Regeneration and Immunity: from development to therapy. This two-day symposium will explore the biological intersections that shape development, tissue repair, immunity and next-generation therapies. https://bit.ly/4r6JfVa

eventbrite.co.ukStemness, Regeneration and Immunity: from development to therapyExploring the biological intersections that shape development, tissue repair, immunity and next-generation therapies.
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

This research was carried out by Lorenza Iolanda Tsansizi and Sophie Guan from the Antimicrobial Defence Lab, led by Veni Papayannopoulos, in a collaboration with the DNA Recombination and Repair Lab, led by Steve West.

The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

Researchers at the Crick and @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social have deepened our understanding of how evolution often fine-tunes existing molecular mechanisms, such as the cell membrane, and how that can lead to extraordinary diversity between species. https://bit.ly/4wdeSgF

bit.lyHow evolution fine tunes molecular mechanisms to create and maintain membrane diversity between speciesMost cells share the same fundamental molecular machinery, but evolution has produced extraordinary diversity in form and function across species by subtly adjusting how that machinery behaves.
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

“I didn’t think we could cure this condition, but I now do.” In a profile interview, Veronica Kinsler reflects on one amazing evening of scientific discovery that opened up the possibility of a cure for congenital melanocytic naevi (CMN). Watch the full interview: youtu.be/Gqtm6G587SQ

The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

Scientists at the Crick have identified three crucial proteins that make up the ‘portal complex’ in the vaccinia poxvirus. The finding could lead to new ways of treating other poxviruses like mpox which have similar portal complexes. https://bit.ly/45vMhbi

bit.lyTuning into the channel helping poxviruses replicateUncovering the structure of the poxvirus ‘portal complex’, a channel used by the virus to release its genetic material into infected cells, could help develop new antiviral treatments.
The Francis Crick Institute
@crick.ac.uk

Following his death from lymphoma, Edward Speed left his body to PEACE, a study revealing the hidden impacts of cancer treatment, including how DNA in healthy tissue might change. Read more about Edward’s story and the @cancerresearchuk.org-funded PEACE study: https://bit.ly/4x0KKpl

crick.ac.ukA legacy written in DNADistinctive patterns of DNA mutations in otherwise healthy tissue could help scientists understand the lasting effects of both cancer and the treatments used to beat it.