Alannah King
@dralannah.bsky.social
Staff Scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Insitute, and part of the Global Pneumococcal Sequencing project! 🧬 🖥️ 私はアラナです、一、二年間日本語を辺境しています。よろしくお願いします!
You can now view a tree of 2,399,238 bacterial genomes we made from AllTheBacteria (on the great Taxonium): taxonium.org/atb That's a big tree! (unless you're used to SC2 trees)
Taxonium
Interactive exploration of large phylogenetic trees
taxonium.org
Inspection time! A Chaffinch has dropped by your feed to keep an eye on things... 👀 📷 @kiransimpson.bsky.social
Incredible time at #AIR2026 covering breadth of respiratory infection, microbiomes and immunology with some really beautiful biology. Thanks to fellow committee members @resp-micro.bsky.social @drclairesmith.bsky.social @ewanharrison.bsky.social , Alex Kayongo and organisers @eventswcs.bsky.social
Completed my first half marathon! 🏆 The big question is... Will it also be my last half marathon, given how fun it ended up being? 👀
Well, well, well. It seems you've been paid a visit by the inspector Robin. I do hope for your sake nothing is amiss...
Our Genomewatch on genomics to monitor emerging zoonotic threats is in the first Nature Reviews Microbiology of 2026! 🖥️🧬🦠 It's so exciting to see it in print, surrounded by so many other interesting papers! Find our article: rdcu.be/e0TS1 Read the full issue: www.nature.com/nrmicro/volu...
Performing GPSC/lineage-specific analysis? We have made assemblies and annotations for 73 common GPSCs more accessible than ever: github.com/GlobalPneumo... Annotations were generated using Bakta v1.11.4 with the v6.0 full database.
GitHub - GlobalPneumoSeq/gpsc-reference-genomes: The reference genomes for common Global Pneumococcal Sequence Clusters (GPSCs)
The reference genomes for common Global Pneumococcal Sequence Clusters (GPSCs) - GlobalPneumoSeq/gpsc-reference-genomes
github.com
SeroBA(v2.0) and the SeroBAnk are published! 🧬🖥️ SeroBA(v2.0) can identify 102/107 pneumococcal serotypes, and the SeroBAnk is a guide to their cps loci, capsular structure, and antisera 🧪 Many collaborations were needed to make this detailed resource! ➡️ www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
SeroBA(v2.0) and SeroBAnk: a robust genome-based serotyping scheme and comprehensive atlas of capsular diversity in Streptococcus pneumoniae
The unprecedented number of Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) genomes sequenced in recent years has accelerated the discovery of novel serotypes and highlighted the genetic diversity both be...
microbiologyresearch.org
Last week I was in Beijing, China for the 5th Asia Pneumococcal Symposium! 🇨🇳 So many amazing talks - I learnt a lot and also recieved valuable feedback on my recent work! 🖥️🧬 🧪 The next Asian Pneumococcal Symposium will be held in Chiba, Japan, in 2027 🇯🇵 I am already looking forward to it!
Read #8 to learn about how the GPS project is working to support global research into how vaccines impact AMR 💊 🧪 Leading the GPS placement scheme, supporting and meeting talented global pneumococcal researchers, has been incredible. I have learnt so much from them! Papers coming soon... 🖥️🧬
Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health threat 🌍 Without action, deaths will keep rising. See how we’re tackling it in our new blog ⬇️ https://sangerinstitute.blog/2025/10/01/ten-ways-the-sanger-institute-is-tackling-the-global-fight-against-amr/
New online! Zoonotic threats hidden in wildlife
Zoonotic threats hidden in wildlife
Nature Reviews Microbiology, Published online: 22 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41579-025-01239-xThis Genome Watch article explores how metagenomics can be used to investigate viral diversity and track emerging zoonotic disease threats from wildlife.
nature.com
It's likely the next pandemic will come from wildlife. But how can we prepare for the next spillover event, if we don't understand the diversity of viruses out there? 🦔🦠 Check out our Genomewatch article, where we discuss using meta-genomics to study viral diversity in wild mammals 🖥️🧬 rdcu.be/eHIBl
Zoonotic threats hidden in wildlife
Nature Reviews Microbiology - This Genome Watch article explores how metagenomics can be used to investigate viral diversity and track emerging zoonotic disease threats from wildlife.
urldefense.proofpoint.com
[🚨 New paper] The first nationwide, longitudinal WGS analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Taiwan (2006–2022). 1,343 isolates from 27 hospitals, we track serotype, AMR, and genomic lineage before and after PCV13. #GPS_project #PCV13_impact #Taiwan www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Genomic analysis of the Streptococcus pneumoniae in Taiwan: a nationwide study from 2006 to 2022
Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a leading respiratory pathogen for children and the elderly. In Taiwan, a national PCV13 catch-up vaccination programme for children began in March 2013. This study in...
microbiologyresearch.org
happy #WorldMosquitoDay 🦟🦟🦟 what started as some really funny questions at a @skypeascientist.bsky.social call with 7 year olds is now a @sangerinstitute.bsky.social blogpost, check it out to learn funky new mosquito trivia! sangerinstitute.blog/2025/08/20/h...
Our review on the peculiar properties of mitochondrial carriers of the SLC25 family out: portlandpress.com/biochemj/art...
What do the BIOSCAN project and the Duxford Imperial War Museum have in common? They are both interested in things that fly! ✈️ 🐝 It was amazing to be at the Duxford Air Show with @engagewcs.bsky.social to discuss how the BIOSCAN project uses DNA barcoding to study flying insects in the UK 🧬
If EMBL-EBI managed data resources have ever saved you time & effort, this is your chance to give back! Fill in a 15-minute survey to help us: 🌍Demonstrate the real-world impact of our resources 🤓Understand your needs 🌟Secure continued funding Closes 16 July www.surveymonkey.com/r/QGFMBH8?ch...
We sequenced pneumococcal isolates from children with pneumococcal disease in Suzhou, China, 2014-2023 🖥️🧬 94% expressed serotypes in PCV13, which is not part of China’s National Immunisation Programme 💉 96% were multidrug-resistant 💊 🧪 Paper here 📄 www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Genomic analysis of invasive and non-invasive disease-causing Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from children between 2014 and 2023 in Suzhou, China
In 2017, 553,000 clinical cases of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children were reported in China, although the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), which targets the pneumococcal capsule, is not includ...
microbiologyresearch.org
Last week I co-chaired the 2025 Mechanisms of Membrane Transport Gordon Research Seminar! 🎤 🇨🇭 With cutting-edge science from early career researchers, thoughtful discussion, and insightful career conversations, I'm proud of the programme we put together 🧪 Thank you to all speakers and attendees! 🥳
Last week in #Europneumo2025, the GPS core team presents 1) Database of 26k pneumococcal genomes @harryhung.bsky.social 2) Global population structure of serotype 12F @dralannah.bsky.social 3) SeroBA - WGS-based tool to detect 102 known pneumococcal serotypes @OliverLorenz
(Hopefully) Coming soon to a journal near you: serotype 12F is global 🌍, expressed by diverse pneumococcal lineages 🧬🖥️, and often antimicrobial resistant 💊 I had a great time at #Europneumo 2025 presenting a poster on our recent work on the invasive pneumococcal serotype 12F. Watch this space! 🧪
Do you need a #bioinformatic tool to detect almost all serotypes in #pneumococci? The new SeroBA v2.0 can detect 102 of 107 known pneumococcal serotypes www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
SeroBA(v2.0) and SeroBAnk: a robust genome-based serotyping scheme and comprehensive atlas of capsular diversity in Streptococcus pneumoniae
The unprecedented number of Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) genomes sequenced in recent years has accelerated the discovery of novel serotypes and highlighted the genetic diversity both be...
biorxiv.org
Struggling to keeping track of >100 pneumococcal serotypes? 🧪 Meet SeroBA(v2.0), an updated tool that can accurately type almost all serotypes from WGS data, plus the SeroBAnk, a pocket guide to the serotypes! 🧬🖥️ Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... SeroBAnk: www.pneumogen.net/gps/#/serobank
SeroBA(v2.0) and SeroBAnk: a robust genome-based serotyping scheme and comprehensive atlas of capsular diversity in Streptococcus pneumoniae
The unprecedented number of Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) genomes sequenced in recent years has accelerated the discovery of novel serotypes and highlighted the genetic diversity both be...
biorxiv.org