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Calum Raine
Postdoctoral Scientist
Biography
Biography
After completing an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia, I began my PhD with Professor Philip Gilmartin. My project was split between the John Innes Centre and the Earlham Institute.
Our research focussed on characterising genes that function in the heteromorphic self-incompatibility system of heterostylous Primula flowers. During my PhD, I was given the opportunity to get involved with bioinformatics and quickly became engrossed in computing; from BASH scripting to bare metal chip programming in low-level assembly language.
I am now employed to work on the Darwin Tree of Life project as part of a team aiming to obtain reference genomes for all 66,000 eukaryotic species in the UK. My focus is on population genetics and genome assembly of Hymenoptera species, many of which are important pollinators.
Related reading.
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07 August 2019
CSP
Science
FEATURE
| 5 min READ
Where bees collect pollen
Bees are in decline. How can technology and algorithm development boost their chances, through understanding which wild flowers they pollinate?
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06 September 2019
Learning
Public engagement
FEATURE
| 5 min READ
Barney Bee is buzzing for Norwich Science Festival
Last year we brought you the award winning Pink Pigeon trail. This year we’re going even bigger, with an exploration of pollinators, food & health.
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01 November 2016
Science
FEATURE
| 3 min READ
Moku virus highlights potential threat to pollinators worldwide
We help identify invasive species virus which could threaten global pollinator health - particularly under threat are honey bees, who are vital to our food systems.
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01 July 2022
Science
FEATURE
The genetic machinery that drives biodiversity
Thanks to new technologies and novel approaches to big data, researchers are revealing new secrets into the genetic processes that power Cichlid evolution.
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23 March 2022
Science
FEATURE
On the origin of errors: the causes and consequences of mistakes during DNA replication
DNA replication is a simple enough concept. Copy, divide, rest, repeat. While the basic idea is straightforward, the actual machinery governing the process of replication remains something of an enigma.
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11 February 2022
Science
FEATURE
| 10 min READ
Why is genome annotation important?
Genome annotation is no simple feat, but it’s incredibly important in identifying the functional elements of DNA. Building the appropriate tools and pipelines is key.
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04 February 2022
Science
Technology
FEATURE
| 5 min READ
Why cloud computing is important for data-driven bioscience research
Access to powerful compute resources via our cloud computing infrastructure enables bioscience research, collaboration, and innovation.
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10 December 2021
Science
FEATURE
| 15 min READ
How bioinformatics can crack the complex case of protist biodiversity
Protists defy taxonomic classification and wow us with their weirdness on a daily basis. They’ve been excruciatingly difficult to study but, thanks to single-cell genomics and bioinformatics being carried out at the Earlham Institute, we’re finally decoding their abundant biodiversity.
07 August 2019
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Where are the bees? Tracking down which flowers they pollinate
Earlham Institute researchers develop a new method to rapidly identify sources of bee pollen to understand which flowers are important for bees.
01 November 2016
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Study highlights a new threat to bees worldwide
We help identify new virus affecting social insects which could be a threat to pollinator health worldwide.
11 December 2018
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Transformed: the plant whose sex life fascinated Charles Darwin
Researchers have genetically transformed the Common Primrose <i>(Primula vulgaris)</i> for the first time.
29 June 2022
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Big Data initiative awarded £6.3 million as part of major UKRI investment in research infrastructure
UK Research and Innovation has awarded £6.3 million of new funding to support the development of BioFAIR, a collaborative virtual infrastructure that will support the sharing and management of life science data.
13 May 2022
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Not all looks rosy for the pink pigeon
Boosting numbers of the once critically endangered pink pigeon may not be enough to save it from extinction in the future, according to a major study on the iconic species.
02 May 2022
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Coronavirus jams communication signals to immune cells in the gut
A computer model could help to reveal how some infectious diseases - including COVID-19 - trigger an overactive immune response in certain patients, which can drive inflammation and lead to serious complications or even death.
28 April 2022
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Precision medicine tool finds hidden genetic connections that could personalise IBD treatment
People with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) develop the condition due to distinct and different mechanisms, determined by their genetics. Researchers and clinicians from the Quadram Institute, the Earlham Institute, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and University of East Anglia with collaborators in Cambridge, London and Leuven (Belgium), have found that natural genetic variation appears to influence the development of IBD.
14 March 2022
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Deciphering gut microbiome ‘chatter’ to combat IBD
Scientists at the Earlham Institute, Quadram Institute and University of East Anglia on the Norwich Research Park, have developed a new computational biology method to better understand IBD for targeted clinical treatments.
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Responding to emergencies with genomics
What happens when you get an outbreak of a disease? You sequence it to tell you where it’s come from, how it’s spreading and most importantly how to combat it.
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Sustainable bioproduction of insect pheromones for pest control in agriculture
We are developing low-cost manufacturing platforms for the production of insect pheromones for the control of insect pests of agriculture and horticulture as a sustainable alternative to conventional pesticides.