news 2009

Analysis of human remains buried in the 1st century 'Tomb of the Shroud? in Jerusalem has revealed evidence of ancient leprosy and tuberculosis. The new research, involving UCL researchers, is published in the journal PLoS One today. This is the first time that a 1st century tomb from Jerusalem has been investigated by molecular methods.

The geologic conditions that very nearly annihilated life 250 million years ago are still killing people today. Parts of Xuan Wei County in Yunnan Province in China have the world"€ s highest known death rates from lung cancer in non-smoking women. For thirty years the region, which uses locally mined coal for domestic cooking and heating, has been the focus of intense scientific research to establish a cause.

Scientists at the University of Sheffield have made an exciting breakthrough in the control of the movement of single molecules. The findings represent a significant step forward in the field of molecular nanotechnology, which requires such control to achieve self-assembling nano-machines. This could potentially lead to the development of a method to send artificial drugs to their targets, or the creation of self-healing structures which could naturally repair tears in a surface.

PA 253/09 Scientists at The University of Nottingham have overcome one of the significant research challenges facing electrochemists. For the first time they have found a way of probing right into the heart of an electrochemical reaction. Their breakthrough will help scientists understand how catalysts work.

A University of Plymouth lecturer is the lead author of a prestigious new Royal Society publication examining the effects of plastics on the environment and human health. Richard Thompson, who is one of the foremost researchers on this topical subject, was chosen to edit the 180 page special issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B which is published online today pending hard copy publication towards the end of the summer.

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have identified an elusive male gene in the field poppy that stops self-fertilization, a mechanism that prevents inbreeding, and promotes greater genetic diversity. Plant biologists had already uncovered that poppies prevent self-fertilization when a female gene on the stigma tells it which pollen to accept or reject, triggering several chemical signals to stop pollen tube growth.

PA84/09 Medical experts at The University of Nottingham have shown that an innovative anti-microbial catheter could vastly improve treatment and the quality of life for many community-based dialysis patients. Results of a study published in the leading journal Biomaterials, have shown that the catheter has the potential to ward off attack from a wider variety of pathogens and protect Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) patients from infections for up to 100 days — around 20 times longer than current catheters.

Engineers at the University of Birmingham, with local company, Ntec, have invented a new casting process that could reduce the energy costs of light-metal foundries. The technology, called CRIMSON, means that foundries need only heat the quantity of metal required to fill a single mould rather than whole batches that use unnecessary energy and create waste.

'Sophia' has just published its second issue, featuring articles on subjects as diverse as deep-space chemistry, fibromyalgia in 'The Princess and the Pea' and the measurement of global happiness, as well as images produced in the course of research. The new issue also includes an article by Professor Donald Gillies (UCL Science & Technology Studies) on how peer-review based assessment exercises such as the RAE 'risk ending the careers of truly talented researchers yet to be recognised by the academic community at large'.

A chemical, commonly used in the manufacture of rubber products, may cause cancer in workers regularly exposed to it, according to research published today ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The researchers from the University of Birmingham's Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found higher than expected rates of diagnosis and death from a number of cancers, amongst men working at a rubber plant in North Wales.