Department of Genetics and Genome Biology

We are an internationally-recognised centre for pioneering research into genetics with specific expertise in patterns of human inheritance, identification of genetic determinants of human diseases, cancer genetics, circadian rhythms and microbial pathogenesis. Our renowned research includes the discovery by Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys of the technique of DNA fingerprinting and, more recently, for the identification of the bones of Richard III. We are proud of our cross-organism approach, which emphasises the fundamental importance of genetics as a common language for understanding the biology of organisms as diverse as bacteriophages, bacteria, yeast, fruit flies, insects, plants and humans.

We provide undergraduate and postgraduate courses in genetics, genomics and bioinformatics within the School of Biological Sciences and have a strong international cadre of PhD students.

The University’s research is ranked 30 in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework 2021, according to analysis by Times Higher Education.