RECENT NEWS

The Royal College of Pathologists has responded to the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) consultation on antenatal screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV), supporting its inclusion in the UK national antenatal screening programme.

Debra Padgett, Clinical Pathology Lead at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and immediate past-President of the IBMS (Institute of Biomedical Science) has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in His Majesty’s Birthday Honours for services to Biomedical Science in the NHS.

The Fleming Initiative has partnered with diagnostic firm Cepheid to launch TRACE-CPE, a two-and-a-half-year research study to improve testing for anti-microbial resistance.

The MHRA is publishing the results of an extensive public consultation which will inform the recommendations of the AI Commission and future regulations.

New research from the University of Liverpool shows that formaldehyde airborne concentrations in most NHS cell pathology departments are monitored infrequently and regularly exceed EU work exposure limits (WELs).

The National Pathology Imaging Co-Operative (NPIC), based at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, hosted over 100 guests at it 2026 Summit meeting earlier this month to celebrate the achievements of its partnership of the NHS, academia and industry.

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have reported encouraging results from the first human clinical trial of LASSARAB, an experimental vaccine designed to protect against Lassa fever and rabies in a single formulation.

Genomics England has announced that Baroness Nicola Blackwood will step down as Chair at the end of 2026 as she comes to the end of her tenure.

Scientists at King’s College London have discovered a new way of designing antibiotics which could support the discovery of new treatments for drug-resistant infections, as well as reviving antibiotics that have lost effectiveness due to antimicrobial resistance.

Precision medicine firm SOPHiA GENETICS has announced the formation of a joint venture combining Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s innovation in clinical diagnostics with its own AI platform to develop precision oncology treatments.

The first clinical trial of a ‘universal’ Sarbeco coronavirus vaccine at two National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) facilities has shown that the vaccine is safe and has no significant side effects.

Italian life sciences and diagnostics company Tethis has announced the commercial launch of SmartBioSurface slides, an innovative solution designed to transform the analysis of rare and suspension cells.

A new report calls for redesign of NHS diagnostic services as one in five patients are currently waiting longer than the NHS target of six weeks, against a backdrop of rising demand that could see the waiting list pass two million people next year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has expanded its suite of Orbitrap mass spectrometry platforms, AI-enabled software and integrated workflows, which all made their debut at the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Conference.

Roche has announced that it developed a Research Use Only (RUO) molecular PCR test, via its subsidiary TIB MOLBIOL, to detect the rare Ebola Bundibugyo virus. The test was developed within just six days.

The government has announced over £20 million of funding to improve prostate cancer research and treatment, alongside the introduction of a targeted prostate cancer screening programme.

Diagnostics firm QuidelOrtho has joined with the Allo Hope Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting families and clinicians managing maternal alloimmunisation, for a new collaboration focused on improving prenatal care through education, early testing and stronger connections between laboratory providers, clinicians and patients.

Spectral flow cytometry company Cytek Biosciences is launching its new seven-laser Cytek Borealis full spectrum flow cytometer at CYTO 2026, the industry’s premier flow cytometry conference,

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has announced the commercial release of the Echo 650 Plus Series acoustic liquid handlers - introducing next‑generation electronics, enhanced acoustic performance, and a 54% reduction in power consumption to increase reliability, lower operating costs, and support sustainability goals in high‑throughput laboratories.

A Mount Sinai-led research team has demonstrated that autoimmunity is responsible for the often-debilitating and confounding symptoms of long COVID in a subset of people.