World’s first citizen science project to speed up cancer research

University of Leeds and University of Cambridge researchers have launched an interactive website with Cancer Research UK, allowing the public to help speed up lifesaving research by accessing data. At the moment, cancer samples are given special stains that highlight certain molecules as part of research. These molecules could reveal how a patient will respond to treatment. But this process is slow and analysis is mostly done by trained pathologists, who are often also cancer researchers. The new website – Cell Slider – is the first time real cancer data has been turned into a format that can be analysed by the public. By getting as many people as possible to take part, more samples will be analysed faster and more effectively, freeing up scientists to carry out other cancer research. Andrew Hanby, a Cancer Research UK scientist from the University of Leeds who helped develop the concept said: “We’re being held back by how quickly we can process information on tumour samples.