Singapore-led study shows specialised support cells in the gut form direct, neuron-like connections to deliver precise instructions to stem cells; 

Overturns long-held beliefs about how gut cells communicate; 

Opens new paths for treating colon cancer and IBD

An international team of researchers have significantly expanded the catalogue of known human genetic variation. The resulting datasets, shared in two back-to-back publications in the journal Nature, constitute what may be the most complete overview of the human genome to date. In tests, the new reference set reduces the list of suspect mutations from tens of thousands to just a few hundred, accelerating the path to the diagnosis of rare genetic syndromes and other types of diseases like cancer. The two papers provide a roadmap that makes assembling a complete human pangenome more practical rather than aspirational.

The 1000 Genomes Project (2007–2015) collected DNA samples from diverse human populations across five continents to analyse genetic variation from humans across the globe. Using advanced sequencing technologies, scientists have now mapped genomic variation in over 1,000 individuals from the project, offering new insights into human biology. In a complementary study, researchers assembled nearly complete genome sequences for 65 individuals, enabling detailed analyses of complex regions such as centromeres. These new datasets represent one of the most comprehensive overviews of the human genome to date and will enhance our understanding of genetic diversity across populations. Structural variations mapped through these datasets play a major role in many diseases, including cancer, providing a reference to allow understanding of what goes wrong under disease conditions in future clinical studies.