This is London Magazine July Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 56
UK’S FIRST ANCIENT DNA
EXHIBITION OPENS AT THE CRICK
We Go Way Back, an exhibition
exploring how ancient DNA is revealing
new insights into human evolution,
migration, culture and disease, opens at
the Francis Crick Institute this summer.
Ancient DNA is the genetic material
from our ancestors long gone. These
fragments of DNA are extracted from
bones and teeth, before being processed
in an ultra-clean laboratory and
sequenced to reveal the underlying
genetic code.
Guided by the expertise of
researchers in the Crick’s Ancient
Genomics Laboratory, visitors to the
exhibition will journey into the past,
travelling back to the earliest encounters
with our Neanderthal and Denisovan
cousins and embarking on a whistlestop tour of changing British
populations through the metal ages and
the Roman period. History enthusiasts
will marvel at how cutting-edge science
can add context to known historical
events, or surprise us with new ones.
Since early extractions of ancient
DNA in the 1980s, the field has
expanded and matured, even more so
after the boom in genetic sequencing in
the 2010s. Still, it’s a relatively new
discipline on the cusp of making big
discoveries. Sitting within Europe’s
largest biomedical research facility
under one roof, the Ancient Genomics
Laboratory is well-placed to support our
understanding of ancient and modern
disease. Senior Group Leader Pontus
Skoglund and his team work at the
forefront of the field, deploying robotics
to process hundreds of samples a month
and developing new computer models to
make sense of the growing number of
human and pathogen genomes the lab
has identified.
From the identification of a key gene
behind inflammatory bowel disease that
was present in our ancient ancestors, to
understanding how bacteria and viruses
have evolved alongside us, visitors to
We Go Way Back can experience firsthand how ancient DNA gives insight into
medicine today. They’ll be able to search
for pathogen DNA from model teeth, to
learn more about how a given disease
has evolved, and watch discoveries
played out with shadow puppetry.
Working with over 100 museums and
heritage sites in the UK, Pontus and his
team have built a bank of 1,000 ancient
genomes from people who lived in
Britain during the past 4,500 years. The
exhibition will dive deeper into some of
these stories from people who lived
thousands of years ago. Visitors can
untangle clues from two studies to piece
together personal stories, such as a
person who had travelled from
thousands of miles away to Cambridge
in the Roman period.
CELEBRASIA
CelebrASIA returns to London from
13-15 September for its biggest
celebration yet – a free-to-attend festival
showcasing the very best of South East
Asian culture, food and creativity. Set
against the riverside backdrop,
celebrASIA brings together the cultures
of the 11 ASEAN (Association of
Southeast Asian Nations) member
countries through a packed programme
of live entertainment, street food,
workshops and family-friendly activities.
The programme includes: More than
35 South East Asian food and drink
vendors serving dishes from across the
region; Live music, dance performances,
DJ sets and comedy from performers
representing Malaysia, Singapore, the
Philippines and beyond; National dress
parades taking place throughout the
riverside neighbourhood; Hands-on craft
workshops, cooking classes and cultural
experiences for all ages; A bustling
Artisan Market featuring 50 independent
traders; plus, the popular Grand Tour
trail, taking visitors on an interactive
journey through South East Asia.
Visitors can also enjoy an expanded
programme of film screenings, expert
panel discussions and family activities.
The festival is the perfect way to
experience South East Asia in the heart
of London – whether you're a foodie,
culture lover or simply looking for a
great day out.
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
celebrASIA at Battersea Power Station. Photo: Brendan Bell.
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