Every cell in the body holds a story written in three billion letters. For decades, scientists struggled to translate that code into something they understood and could use. On a sunny Santa Cruz rooftop on October 28th, the emerging rewards of that struggle were on full display.

A crowd of scientists, entrepreneurs, investors and students mingle at the Genomics Rooftop Mixer.

At the Genomics Rooftop Mixer, hosted by Santa Cruz Works in partnership with the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and community members gathered to see how genomics is reaching an inflection point as new advancements and innovations are changing our approach to everything from cancer care to the management of natural resources. At the Genomics Institute, scientists and engineers are not only reading the story in our cells—they’re learning to harness it for the better. The question is no longer can we read the genome, but how we’ll use that knowledge to build a healthier world.

From the first genome to new standard of care

The event took place atop the new Anton Pacific apartments, overlooking the beautiful Santa Cruz skyline. Guests gathered for lightning talks and hands-on demos from more than a dozen UC Santa Cruz laboratories—a small sampling of the 60-plus faculty members of the Genomics Institute, one of the world’s leading centers for open, cutting-edge, data-driven genomics research.

Doug Erickson, director of Santa Cruz Works, opened the evening by celebrating the spirit of local innovation that defines the region’s growing biotech ecosystem. He then introduced David Haussler, the Genomics Institute’s scientific director.

Haussler reflected on the day, 25 years ago, when UC Santa Cruz posted online the first draft of the human genome, generated by dozens of international labs, for the world to explore. It was a radical act of open science that is now paying dividends in advancements for human health and environmental conservation. Haussler stated that we are now at the precipice of a scientific revolution that can be directed toward human and ecological flourishing.

The lightning talks from Genomics Institute faculty members that followed these remarks highlighted how the institute scientists are turning complex biology into tangible tools and therapies. A common theme was the unique mix of expertise in genomics, computational biology, RNA metabolism, and technological innovation that have made the institute an international leader in large-scale, interdisciplinary, and highly collaborative applied projects to leverage the benefits of genomics in human health and ecology.

This point was so well established that near the end of the talks, when Olena Vaske described her new RNA-based treatment pipeline for pediatric cancer, she jokingly asked the crowd, “And where do we now know is one of the best places to apply genomics?”

They shouted back, “UC Santa Cruz!”

From mini brains to kelp forests

After the talks, guests explored 12 interactive demo stations showcasing the Genomics Institute’s extraordinary range of research. On one side of the patio, the Braingeneers, an interdisciplinary group of researchers led by Haussler, Sofie Salama, and Mircea Teodorescu, invited guests to learn about brain organoids—living models of human brain tissue engineered from stem cells.

On the other side of the rooftop, Malin Pinsky’s lab displayed live giant kelp in a tank, while illustrating how genomic sequencing can help identify heat-tolerant kelp strains that might one day restore California’s collapsing kelp forests. The projects look worlds apart, but both rely on genomics to identify which genes in a species’ DNA drive key traits and to use that insight to change outcomes in the real world, whether the goal is improving neurological function or restoring ecosystems.

A member of the Braingeneers lab shares the group’s complex system for keeping brain organoids alive.

The path to precision oncology

As multiple projects made clear, however, identifying genes in DNA is only part of the story of the genomic revolution. Multiple Genomics Institute members who are also members of UC Santa Cruz’s RNA Center were present, demonstrating how the RNA molecule, which translates DNA into the protein building blocks of the cell, can hold important secrets to understanding human health.

The Colligan Clinical Diagnostic Lab and the Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative that Vaske leads are prime examples of the direct impact of genomics on human health that were on display at the mixer. Treehouse is a clinical program that uses RNA analysis to identify pediatric cancer treatment options that standard DNA tests miss. It took years for Vaske’s team to develop, and their hard work paid off this year when the diagnostic lab received CLIA certification, which allows in-house diagnostic testing, and they are gathering preliminary data to support FDA submission of the analysis.

During Vaske’s lightning talk, the crowd cheered when she announced that their test had already saved one life and that they were now working to bring it to more clinics – and more patients in need.

Professor Olena Vaske mingles with the crowd at the Genomics Rooftop Mixer after sharing about her life-saving clinical test for pediatric cancer

There were multiple other projects exploring new methods for understanding cancer and finding new cancer treatments. Shaheen Sikandar and David Boyd revealed how viral infections, such as the flu, can alter the lung environment in ways that make cancer more likely to thrive there—a discovery that could lead to new methods for preventing the spread of metastasis. They are using single-cell RNA sequencing to further explore changes in individual cells that cause cancer to spread.

Angela Brooks introduced her computational tool FLAIR, which identifies hidden RNA variants that can explain why some cancers resist treatment, and Jeremy Sanford described how his lab is developing RNA-directed therapies for diseases from hemophilia to parasitic infections.

Condensing massive datasets into actionable insights

Several tables provided demos of computational tools that are helping people without coding backgrounds access important insights from genomics. Russ Corbett-Detig showcased UShER, the open-source engine that powered global COVID-19 variant tracking and now tracks dozens of other pathogens.

An undergraduate researcher discusses a project using genomics to save California’s kelp forests

“Every tool is open source and we do each analysis completely for free for the entire world,” Corbett-Detig shared in his lightning talk. “That means a researcher in Nairobi has the same capabilities as one in New York from the moment an outbreak begins.”

Nearby, Melissa Cline provided a demonstration of BRCA Exchange, the world’s most complete source of information on the tumor suppressor gene BRCA that is involved in breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. The new computational approaches that her team has developed are enabling women and men to understand their inherited risk of a variety of cancers, and to manage that risk clinically.

A number of researchers also shared excitement about how advances in AI are propelling disease research. Alexander Ioannidis shared how AI use in genomics is ushering in a new era of personalized medicine and leading us to a future when everyone’s genome will be a part of their medical record, and a powerful tool in both prediction of health risks, and directing treatment options.

Sequencing advances fueling innovation

All of these breakthroughs depend on DNA and RNA sequencing—reading our genetic code faster, cheaper, and more completely than ever before. Karen Miga, co-leader of the first complete human genome sequence in 2022, presented her new Sequencing Technology Center, dedicated to improving long-read sequencing. Members of Miga’s and Benedict Paten’s labs discussed how this more complete sequencing is having a game-changing effect on rare disease and cancer diagnosis.

At an adjoining table, Nobel laureate Carol Greider demonstrated how researchers use the handheld Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing device and described how long read sequencing techniques developed at UC Santa Cruz allowed her to make a recent startling discovery about the length of telomeres on our chromosome ends, which could have huge implications for understanding both human aging and cancer development.

Santa Cruz at the center of a new genomic era

As the sun set and the event drew to its scheduled close, no one seemed in a hurry to leave. Scientists continued to mingle with a curious crowd of students, investors, local politicians, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, including representatives from several prominent genomics companies like 10X Genomics, Myriad Genetics, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies.

“We’re tremendously grateful to have shared our vision with Santa Cruz’s innovation and investment community, thanks to Santa Cruz Works hosting and championing local science and entrepreneurship,” said Lauren Linton, executive director of the Genomics Institute. “Bringing the power of genomics and RNA biology to more people will take a strong, connected ecosystem where research, industry, finance, and community come together to turn discovery into real-world impact. That spirit of collaboration is what makes Santa Cruz such an impactful place to do this work.”

The mixer revealed the driving goal of Santa Cruz’s entrepreneurial community: people who innovate and invest because they want to make the world a better place.

“When our scientists and entrepreneurs come together, ideas don’t just get shared—they accelerate,” said Erickson. “This is how Santa Cruz turns research into real-world impact.”

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