Discover how Earlham Institute is tackling the global challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more >

FEATURE: Pollinating the future of single-cell genomics and crop breeding

NEWS: ViralLink identifies key proteins in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells: workflow open to all

FEATURE: 5 ways single-cell genomics can transform our understanding of biology

FEATURE: Five reasons why gene editing is good for the UK

Tackling global challenges through life science research.

About the Institute

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Learning, events and training

EI's research brings together a wealth of expertise in biosciences, bioinformatics, high performance computing and statistics to understand complex biological systems in plants and animals and their interaction with the environment.

Latest updates.

Could our immune system be why COVID-19 is so deadly?

Scientists at the Earlham Institute (EI) and the Quadram Institute study how the immune system responds to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and other similar respiratory viruses, in particular to identifying unique features in severely ill COVID-19 patients.

  • 01 March 2021

ViralLink identifies key proteins in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells: workflow open to all

Bioinformatics researchers at the Earlham Institute (EI) and Quadram Institute (QIB) have today published a workflow to identify key proteins and interactions in cells infected with SARS-CoV-2.

  • 16 February 2021

New UK centre of excellence to help improve global food security threatened by climate change

A new UK centre of excellence is being set up by partners on the Norwich Research Park to improve global food security which is threatened by the effects of climate change.

  • 01 February 2021

Strict lockdown measures must continue to stem the rise of more dangerous COVID-19 variants

Experts in evolution, virology, infectious disease and genomics at the Earlham Institute (EI), University of East Anglia (UEA) and University of Minnesota warn that, while governments are negotiating a ‘precarious balance’ between protecting the economy and preventing deaths, strong action now is the fastest way to end this pandemic.

  • 26 January 2021

Investigating new treatment for schizophrenia as first Psychiatry Consortium funded project announced

A partnership between the University of Oxford, Earlham Institute (EI), and global pharmaceutical companies Biogen Inc and Boehringer Ingelheim will investigate a promising new drug target for the treatment of schizophrenia.

  • 22 January 2021

Genetic rewiring behind spectacular evolutionary explosion in East Africa

Genetic rewiring could have driven an evolutionary explosion in the shapes, sizes and adaptations of cichlid fish, in East Africa’s answer to Darwin’s Galapagos finches.

  • 14 January 2021

Data Carpentry Virtual Workshop 2021

Data Carpentry workshops are for any researcher who has data they want to analyze, with no prior computational experience required.

  • 01 Mar -
  • 04 Mar
  • 2021
  • Scientific training

Genome Annotation Workshop 2021

Registration is now closed for this event as we have reached capacity. If you wish to be placed on the waiting list, please email training@earlham.ac.uk

  • 13 Apr -
  • 15 Apr
  • 2021
  • Scientific training

EI Long Read RNA Symposium 2021

This three-day symposium is aimed at researchers currently using long read technology for transcriptome annotation and analysis

  • 15 Jun -
  • 17 Jun
  • 2021
  • Scientific training

Introduction to Python for Biologists 2021

This introductory level course is intended for people with a biological background but with no previous programming experience. The course introduces basic programming concepts with plenty of time to practice writing code and working on your own data.

  • 05 Jul -
  • 16 Jul
  • 2021
  • Scientific training

Norwich Single-Cell Symposium 2021

Now in its fifth year, the annual Norwich Single-Cell Symposium at Earlham Institute covers single-cell genomics technologies and their application in microbial, plant, animal and human health and disease.

  • 14 Sep -
  • 16 Sep
  • 2021
  • Science

Advanced Python for Biologists 2021

This Advanced level workshop is ideal for researchers and technical workers with a background in biology and a basic knowledge of Python, to develop bigger or more complicated programs and increase skills and knowledge about the language, including object-oriented approaches to programming.

  • 04 Oct -
  • 15 Oct
  • 2021
  • Scientific training

Feature | 10 min READ

Undervaluing our natural world: where would we bee?


Insect pollinators are responsible for most of what we eat, yet they remain largely overlooked in discussions about environmental protection.

  • 26 February 2021
  • Science

Feature | 15 min READ

Pollinating the future of single-cell genomics and crop breeding


With a wealth of experience in genomics and plant biology, Ashleigh Lister is applying her expertise to single-cell genomics - pioneering detailed analysis of pollen grains that can give an unprecedented boost to crop breeders.

  • 19 February 2021
  • Science

Feature | 8 min READ

Connecting the dots: ensuring science has impact where it's needed


Dr Nichola Wong became interested in science after recognising its inherent power to change the world. Through her career in knowledge exchange, she’s working to ensure that transformative potential is realised for some of the most urgent scientific issues facing the planet.

  • 12 February 2021
  • Organisation

Feature | 15 min READ

The story of ageing, told by a single blood cell


Dr Laura Mincarelli works at the cutting edge of single-cell technology, isolating individual blood stem and progenitor cells to understand how we age. What she discovers could one day help us to prevent ageing. In the short term, she is helping to transform our understanding of biology - one cell at a time.

  • 03 February 2021
  • Science

Opinion | 15 min READ

Gene editing: why scientists need to be part of the conversation


With the UK no longer a member of the European Union, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has opened a public consultation on the regulation of gene editing in England. We spoke to Synthetic Biology Group Leader, Dr Nicola Patron about her view of the debate and why it’s important for scientists to share their expertise with policymakers.

  • 26 January 2021
  • Science

Feature | 8 min READ

5 ways single-cell genomics can transform our understanding of biology


Single-cell sequencing is increasingly becoming an essential part of the biologists’ toolkit.

  • 22 January 2021
  • Technology

VIDEO | 01 min 27 secs duration

Research Group Leaders: come and do your best with us.

VIDEO | 01 MIN 53 secs duration

New ways of thinking. New discoveries. Be a part of something bigger. Join us.

VIDEO | 02 mins 38 secs duration

Unravelling complex and critical genomes

VIDEO | 01 min 40 secs duration

Working with industry to develop new products and applications

VIDEO | 02 mins 29 secs duration

Synthetic Biology for the UK bioscience community

VIDEO | 02 minS 20 secs duration

High-quality genomics data on a large scale

VIDEO | 01 min 53 secs duration

End-to-end single-cell genomics for plant, microbial and animal cells

Laboratory Technician

Salary range: £19,505 - £23,790

Opening date 17 February 2021

Closing date 01 March 2021

View details

  • Impact story

Global food security

Our wide-ranging research into animal, plant and microbial genomics helps us improve crop breeding, withstand disease and enhance yields for future generations.

Read the full story