news 2014

The official UK-wide assessment of all university research, the Research Excellence Framework, found that Oxford has the largest volume of world-leading research in the country.

Scientists have taken an important step towards the possibility of creating synthetic life with the development of a form of artificial evolution in a simple chemistry set without DNA. A team from the University of Glasgow's School of Chemistry report in a new paper today (Monday 8 December) on how they have managed to create an evolving chemical system for the first time.

UK scientists have discovered a ground-breaking technique with the potential to dramatically reduce the amount of energy used in the refinement of crude oil. Professor Martin Schröder and Dr Sihai Yang from The University of Nottingham have led a multi-disciplinary team of scientists from Nottingham, the Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) ISIS Neutron Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Diamond Light Source, to discover a porous material that works like a chemical sponge to separate a number of important gases from mixtures generated during crude oil refinement.

Enzymes made from artificial molecules which do not occur anywhere in nature have been shown to trigger chemical reactions in the lab, challenging existing views about the conditions that are needed to enable life to happen. Our assumptions about what is required for biological processes - the 'secret of life' - may need some further revision Alex Taylor A team of researchers have created the world's first enzymes made from artificial genetic material.

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 26 Nov 2014 Graphene, impermeable to all gases and liquids, can easily allow protons to pass through it, University of Manchester researchers have found. Published in the journal Nature , the discovery could revolutionise fuel cells and other hydrogen-based technologies as they require a barrier that only allow protons – hydrogen atoms stripped off their electrons – to pass through.

Scientists report a new method for establishing whether chemical compounds are safe for human use without "in vivo" testing, based on so-called "molecular initiating events" at the boundary between chemistry and biology.

Researchers at the University of Leeds have made a new synthetic anti-cancer molecule that targets two key mechanisms in the spread of malignant tumours through the body. A study published in the journal PLOS ONE reports that the synthetic molecule JK-31 blocks the signalling of a “growth factor” chemical that promotes the creation of networks of blood vessels to feed tumours.

A new method of observing exactly what happens to drug particles as they travel from an asthma inhaler to the lungs could lead to the development of more efficient asthma treatments. Knowing exactly what happens to these drugs as they enter the human body could lead to the development of new asthma treatments that can be taken up more quickly by the body Markus Kalberer A team of researchers, led by the Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham, have used a laser beam trap to examine how drug particles from asthma inhalers behave as they are projected through the air.

Scientists have identified chemicals that could protect vital organs from long-term damage following a heart attack or stroke. The researchers now hope the chemicals will provide a starting point for developing new injectable drugs that could be used to prevent some of the long-term damage caused by heart attack and stroke.

Scientists have identified chemicals found in some everyday fruit that could protect vital organs from long-term damage following a heart attack or stroke, according to new research carried out in mice. The researchers now hope the chemicals will provide a starting point for developing new injectable drugs that could be used to prevent some of the long-term damage caused by heart attack and stroke.

Research from the University of Leeds and an international team of scientists has shown a recent increase in atmospheric hydrogen chloride (HCl), a substance linked to destruction of the ozone layer. It was anticipated that there would be a decline in HCl under the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of ozone-depleting substances.

A new study has tracked the molecular events that happen during asthma attacks to help explain how a common cold can trigger these attacks. Published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine , the research used novel sampling techniques to observe what happens in people's noses and lungs during asthma attacks induced by a cold virus.

Scientists have created a new material that can remove double the amount of arsenic from water than the leading material for water treatment. Arsenic is a toxic element found naturally in groundwater.

Press release issued: 17 October 2014 Scientists have used computer simulations to show how bacteria are able to destroy antibiotics - a breakthrough which will help develop drugs which can effectively tackle infections in the future. Researchers at the University of Bristol focused on the role of enzymes in the bacteria, which split the structure of the antibiotic and stop it working, making the bacteria resistant.

How the fruit fly could help us sniff out drugs and bombs A fly's sense of smell could be used in new technology to detect drugs and bombs, new University of Sussex research has found. Brain scientist Professor Thomas Nowotny was surprised to find that the 'nose' of fruit flies can identify odours from illicit drugs and explosive substances almost as accurately as wine odour, which the insects are naturally attracted to because it smells like their favourite food, fermenting fruit.

A new crystallographic technique developed at the University of Leeds is set to transform scientists' ability to observe how molecules work. A research paper, published Methods, describes a new way of doing time-resolved crystallography, a method that researchers use to observe changes within the structure of molecules.

Press release issued: 6 October 2014 New research by scientists at the University of Bristol has challenged one of the key axioms in biology - that enzymes need water to function. The breakthrough could eventually lead to the development of new industrial catalysts for processing biodiesel. Enzymes are large biological molecules that catalyse thousands of different chemical reactions that are essential for all life, from converting food into energy, to controlling how our cells replicate DNA.

02 Oct 2014 A new test developed by researchers from the University of Manchester could revolutionise the discovery of new prescription drugs. A new test developed by researchers from the University of Manchester could revolutionise the discovery of new prescription drugs. The test will help determine which drugs are unlikely to work at an early stage, speeding up the time it takes to make safe and effective medicines available.

Researchers have identified a molecular mechanism that could explain why the common cold can bring on life-threatening asthma attacks. Published today in Science Translational Medicine , the findings indicate this may be a potential target for new drugs that could be more effective than existing treatments.

Neural stem cells - master cells that can develop into any type of nerve cell - are able to generate mini "first aid kits" and transfer them to immune cells, according to a study published today. It represents a significant advance in understanding the many levels of interaction between stem cells and the immune system, and a new molecular mechanism to explain how stem-cell therapy works.