OVERVIEW

Biology at Scale: From Variants to Cellular Programs and Functions is organized by Wellcome Connecting Science Courses and Conferences and will be held from Jun 29 - Jul 01, 2026 at Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom.

Description:
Human genetics has entered a transformative era, driven by vast genomic resources, perturbation experiments and multimodal cellular technologies reshaping how we decode complex biology. This new conference will bring together world leaders to discus the integration of cutting-edge technologies and the development of analytical methods that can bridge the gap between genetics, cell biology, and human health to tackle a key challenge: linking polygenic signals to mechanistic insights. The scope of the meeting is to go beyond variant curation or single-gene models, to showcase frameworks that are context-aware, scalable and multimodal.

Sessions will feature advances in high-resolution trait mapping, functional genomics, and causal inference, spanning CRISPR-based perturbation screens, single-cell phenotyping, spatial transcriptomics, and high-content imaging. The programme will emphasise how these diverse technologies can be integrated into scalable frameworks that move beyond transcriptomic readouts to capture the true complexity of genetic effects.

By fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, the meeting will enable the development and application of methods and approaches that connect polygenic signals to gene programs, cellular mechanisms, and functional insight. Attendees will gain fresh perspectives on bridging genotype to function, with opportunities to engage through keynote talks from global leaders, selected short talks, and poster presentations.