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Martin Smith

@martinalexsmith.bsky.social

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Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Dec 10

🌿 Advancing Genomics Together!

In 2022-23, the Ramaciotti Centre for Genomics @UNSW:

📊 Processed 220K+ samples
🔬 Supported 1,000+ research projects
🧬 Featured in 282 publications

Explore how we drive discovery and innovation: www.ramaciotti.unsw.edu.au/about/annual...

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 3h

I reckon there could easily be 3 versions of this, there's already two...

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 15h

Zheng Su presents kiloBrains.com, an AI-powered biodata analysis platform.
A virtual bioinformatics assistant
#AGTA2025

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 15h

Cornetto from @hasindu2008.bsky.social presented by Ira Deveson: T2T assembly of human genomes with @nanoporetech.com adaptive sampling by rejecting the "boring bits". 27/46 chromosomes fully assembled from one flowcell. Can also be used on saliva!
#AGTA2025
github.com/hasindu2008/...

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Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 1d

Check out his team's online ressources for long read songle-cell sequencing
kinnex-documentation-external.readthedocs.io/en/latest/in...

And keep an eye out for LRAA...

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 1d

"Isoforms are important; how come we're not studying them?"
#AGTA2025 keynote @azizalkhafaji.bsky.social mentions that we are now at am I flection point, where 100s of millions of reads are produced per run.

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Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 1d

The great Prof Vanessa Hayes, who sequenced the first African Genome, states "the closer we get to ancestral populations, the more diversity we see in genomes".
Presents genomic data from WGS of Khoe-San populations, interesting phylogenetic split between Khoe (hunters) and San (gatherers) #agta2025

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 1d

#Roche #Axelios #SBX
#AccidentalRenaissance
#AGTA2025

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 1d

Prof Sean Grimmong from PeterMac Genomic Cancer Medicine on the entire workflow for #cancer #diagnosis, and how to deal with dilemmas, like the 5% of Australians without a clear diagnosis #agta2025

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 1d

The 🧬🧬🧬 party has started!!
First sponsored session by #Roche on #Axelios #SBX
#AGTA2025

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 4d

Bravo Yuxin et al. 🎉

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Reposted by Martin Smith

Albert Vilella, PhD. @albertvilella.bsky.social · 5d

@estamatakis.bsky.social , not recently active on #Bluesky, on the health value of each minute of different physical activity intensities against 6 health outcomes.

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Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 7d

Adaptive sampling #WGS is moving from bench to bedside. Our work delivers SNV, structural & methylation insights on @nanoporetech.com with molecular signals emerging in minutes, not days. Watch this space 👀 #cancer #genomicAI #MultiOmics #bioinformatics @cra-chusj.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/4d337djb

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Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 16d

C.f.
asmr.org.au/wp-content/u...

asmr.org.au

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 16d

If we doubled the allocation of MRFF grants, the fund would break even after 10 years BUT there would be twice as many economic returns from biomedical research innovations, boosting GDP and Australia's highly skilled workforce.
As a reminder, the estimated long term ROI for MRFF grants is $4:$1

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Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 16d

Given how stingy public research funding is overall, it's shocking that the #MRFF only spends 50% of what is allocated in the budget.
This funds highly impactful, translational research focused fund that can DIRECTLY address the economic burdens of the healthcare system + improved patient outcomes

Prof Gina Ravenscroft🇿🇦🇦🇺 @ginaravenscroft.bsky.social · 16d

The National Association of Research Fellows join the call for full disbursement of the #MRFF #DiscoveriesNeedDollars
www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...

Billions going unspent from Australia’s $24b medical research fund

Costings commissioned by independent MP Monique Ryan reveal the government could double how much funding it gives to innovative health research each year.

www.theage.com.au

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Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 22d

28km, 7 bridges, 2 family members raising funds for #CancerCouncil
In honour of their grandparents.

If you can spare a gold coin, please help support my wife and son for a second year in a row 🎗️

www.7bridgeswalk.com.au/fundraisers/...

#fuckCancer #cancer #research

nicole: walking for a cancer free future

I’m taking on 7 Bridges Walk to help those affected by cancer. Please donate to my page. Every step counts because all funds raised will help Cancer Council work towards the vision of a cancer free fu...

www.7bridgeswalk.com.au

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · 25d

Genomics is the future of cancer treatment.
The PAGES project is making sure Aboriginal Australians are part of that future.

🎬 Watch now 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRfX...

#precisionMedicine #healthEquity #genomics #firstNations

The PAGES Study

YouTube video by Co-Design Health Research & Innovation

www.youtube.com

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Sep 13

Asking someone how they define a gene leads to really insightful answers (at least when they respond with something beyond a protein coding sequence), but there clearly is room for refinement.

A "unit of hereditary function" is my broad definition, with 'unit' and 'function' open to interpretation

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Sep 13

So you would define a gene by its promoter and coding sequence?
What about overlapping isoforms with partial protein sequence and different promoter/TSS?
Conversely, what about a segmental duplication/paralog with identical RNA coding sequence but different promoters?

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Sep 12

Another case for distinct genes: polycistrons in bacteria, kinetoplastidae, and mitochondria

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Sep 12

Analogously, is a microRNA considered a different gene to it's pre-miRNA?
A case for the affirmative: snoRNAs are clearly annotated as distinct genes form their host transcripts, which are (often) intronic regions of mRNAs

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Sep 12

For example: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Expression of distinct RNAs from 3′ untranslated regions

The 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of eukaryotic genes regulate mRNA stability, localization and translation. Here, we present evidence that large numbers of 3′UTRs in human, mouse and fly are also ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Sep 12

Existential #RNAsky question for the weekend:
If two RNA products share the same promoter/TSS, but have different 5' ends (one is processed out of longer transcript) and are differentially expressed, are they different isoforms or distinct genes?

a man with a white wig and beard is standing in front of trees

ALT: a man with a white wig and beard is standing in front of trees

media.tenor.com

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Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Sep 10

LLM chat bot generated requests for HDR supervision are so generic and obvious, it makes sifting through applications that much easier.
I'm concerned for new tenure track academics -- I hope they can sniff out these copy paste requests, maybe by using honeypots on university research profiles?

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Sep 5

Don't miss @osvaldoics.bsky.social in the flesh next Tuesday in Sydney

Martin Smith @martinalexsmith.bsky.social · Sep 5

Some exciting #SingleCell events with #ParseBio coming up this month at @ramacgenomics.bsky.social 🧬

9 Sept: SPLiT-Seq Tech Showcase Seminar 🔗 tinyurl.com/bddc5zc3

15 Sept: Application deadline for discounted Parse Evercode WT Mini v3 Kit promotion 🔗 tinyurl.com/yc84zmfm
📩 [email protected]

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