
Biography
Contact details:
- +44 (0) 1603 450 036
Richard is Group Leader of the Technology Algorithms Group (Leggett Group). His research interests include:
- Application of new sequencing technologies
- Real-time sequence analysis
- Sequencing for diagnostics and surveillance
- Classification and assembly of metagenomic samples
- In-field and in situ sequencing
- Development of new bioinformatics tools
He has been involved in the development of a number of bioinformatics tools, including:
- NanoOK (https://documentation.tgac.ac.uk/display/NANOOK/NanoOK)
- NextClip
- Bubbleparse
- Cortex_con and MetaCortex (http://cortexassembler.sourceforge.net/)
- StatsDB
- RADplex
Graduating in Physics, Richard spent 10 years working as a software engineer, before undertaking an MSc in Advanced Computing Science and a PhD in Computational Biology. His PhD thesis was entitled, "Computational approaches for the analysis and modelling of filamentous growth and branching of Steptomyces coelicolor". Following the PhD, and prior to joining EI, Richard was a postdoc at The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, looking at novel methods for SNP detection in reference-free organisms.
Projects
Publications
Related reading.
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20 April 2016
Technology
FEATURE
| 3 min READ
MinIONs, MAP and MARC: Nanotechnology developments
We're working with the latest in nanopore sequencing technology to push the boundaries of low-cost, portable genomics solutions.
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27 January 2023
People
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Excellent science? It’s in the technical detail
While a lot of people might still picture scientific breakthroughs as down to a lone genius having a eureka moment, science is a team sport.
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20 December 2022
Science
Public engagement
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Finding fungi at the fen
The Earlham Institute and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew received funding from Wellcome to train the Norfolk Fungus Study Group (NFSG) in sampling fungi for the Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) project, which aims to sequence the genome of every eukaryotic organism in Britain and Ireland.
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01 July 2022
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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
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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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22 February 2022
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Could long-read RNA sequencing be the future of drug discovery?
New research using long-read RNA sequencing provides a robust platform for the future discovery of novel gene isoforms and future medicines.
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11 February 2022
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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
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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
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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.
21 December 2015
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NanoOK: Quality Control for portable, rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing
Scientists at the Earlham Institute (EI) have been putting Oxford Nanopore’s MinION sequencer through its paces with an open-source, sequence alignment-based genome analysis tool called ‘NanoOK’.
06 February 2023
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Key tilapia genome offers boost to global food security
The first full, high-quality reference genome for a genetically improved tilapia strain has been published, offering the potential to improve food security for billions of the world’s poorest people.
10 January 2023
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Exotic wheat DNA could help breed ‘climate-proof’ crops
Wheat containing exotic DNA from wild relatives benefits from up to 50 per cent higher yields in hot weather compared with elite lines lacking these genes.
22 November 2022
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Sequencing project to unleash the huge potential of euglenoids
An ambitious plan to sequence the genomes of all known species of euglenoids over the next decade has been launched today.
24 October 2022
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Circadian clock insights could be key to increased wheat yields
New research carefully measuring the influence and regulation of the circadian clock in wheat could help breeders improve key agricultural traits in one of the world’s most important crops.
28 September 2022
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European consortium launched to reverse biodiversity loss through genomics research
A quantum leap in the use of genomics is needed to reverse unprecedented species loss and ecosystem degradation, according to a new pan-European consortium of leading research organisations.
22 September 2022
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Tracking bacterial evolution in real time spots emergence of antimicrobial resistance
Single-cell genomics technology could transform understanding of how bacterial populations evolve and combat the growing issue of antibiotic resistance
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.