news 2016

Using ultrafast imaging of moving energy in photosynthesis, scientists have determined the speed of crucial processes for the first time. This should help scientists understand how nature has perfected the process of photosynthesis, and how this might be copied to produce fuels by artificial photosynthesis.

Molecules 10,000 times narrower than the width of a human hair could hold the key to making possible wooden skyscrapers and more energy-efficient paper production, according to research published today . The study, led by a father and son team at the Universities of Warwick and Cambridge, solves a long-standing mystery of how key sugars in cells bind to form strong, indigestible materials.

Scientists from the University of Liverpool as part of CERN's ALPHA collaboration have made the first spectroscopic measurement of an atom of antimatter - a longstanding goal in antimatter physics. Published , this finding represents a significant step towards the development of highly precise tests of whether matter behaves differently from antimatter.

A team of international scientists, led by the University of Bristol, has uncovered the earliest direct evidence of humans processing plants for food found anywhere in the world. Researchers at the Organic Geochemistry Unit in the University of Bristol's School of Chemistry , working with colleagues at Sapienza, University of Rome and the Universities of Modena and Milan, studied unglazed pottery dating from more than 10,000 years ago, from two sites in the Libyan Sahara.

UK scientists have created a synthetic molecule that, when applied to crops, has been shown to increase the size and starch content of wheat grains in the lab by up to 20%. The new plant application, developed by Rothamsted Research and Oxford University, could help solve the issue of increasing food insecurity across the globe.

Wearable technologies could be transformed with a new type of artificial material that can mimic the properties of skin from sensing touch to even being self-healing. Thursday 17 November 2016 It is thought that the device could be used in prosthetics, which would improve on current designs that are heavy, easily damaged and cause difficulty in sensing touch in the wearer.

New research from the University of Bristol has found that embracing organic farming methods can bring gains in social sustainability, and benefits for farmers and workers. The study, by PhD candidate Lydia Medland, found workers in organic farming enjoy increased social sustainability of working conditions and relations.

Hydrogen is often described as the fuel of the future, particularly when applied to hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles. One of the main obstacles facing this technology - a potential solution to future sustainable transport - has been the lack of a lightweight, safe on-board hydrogen storage material.

Medicine, mobile phones, computers and clothes could all be enhanced using the process for making paint, according to research by the University of Warwick. A breakthrough in the understanding of polymers - the molecules from which almost everything we use is made - is set to make commercial products, from water bottles to electrical goods, stronger and more effective for their uses.

The most detailed exploration to date of how energy flows from a hot molecule into a surrounding liquid has been undertaken by a team of scientists at the University of Bristol. Led by Professors Mike Ashfold and Andrew Orr-Ewing from the School of Chemistry , the research, published recently , has significant implications for a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of cooling and provides fresh insights into the extraordinarily complex behaviour of liquids.

Scientists at the Cardiff Catalysis Institute reveal reason behind gold's unparalleled catalytic ability A team led by experts at Cardiff University have peered deep inside the structure of a gold catalyst to find the reason for the material's remarkable activity. The team, from the Cardiff Catalysis Institute, have discovered a cocktail of different sized gold particles within the catalyst that each contribute, to different degrees, to gold's catalytic ability.

A team of researchers at the University of Bristol have used ultrasonic forces to accurately pattern thousands of microscopic water-based droplets. Each droplet can be designed to perform a biochemical experiment, which could pave the way for highly efficient lab-on-a-chip devices with future applications in drug discovery and clinical diagnostics.

Experts from Cardiff University have proposed a much cheaper and more efficient way of producing a promising new catalyst that is used in reactions to produce a whole host of everyday materials, from electronics and cosmetics to sanitisation and pharmaceuticals. The team, from the Cardiff Catalysis Institute, have devised a new way of creating the catalyst graphitic oxide - a compound that is a pre-cursor to the 'wonder material' graphene - and shown how this can be effectively used in reactions to produce a widely used material called epoxide.

Sussex physicists develop new touchscreen technology Physicists at the University of Sussex are at an advanced stage of developing alternative touchscreen technology to overcome the shortfall in the traditional display, phone and tablet material that relies on electrodes made from indium tin oxide (ITO).

A new technique developed by biomedical engineers could help to unlock the full potential of a promising treatment for bone regeneration, creating better therapies for spinal injuries, bone grafts and other orthopaedic surgeries. In a new paper published today (Saturday 27 August) in the journal Science Advances , scientists from the University of Glasgow discuss how they have used a cheap, commercially-produced polymer to help stimulate 'growth factors' - molecules which help the body to regenerate.

Study of bee-manipulating plant virus reveals a 'short-circuiting? of natural selection. Researchers suggest that replicating the scent caused by infection could encourage declining bee populations to pollinate crops - helping both bee and human food supplies.

Scientists suggest signs of life from under Mars' surface may not survive in rocks excavated by some meteorite impacts. Scientists analysing samples from Mars' surface have so far not conclusively detected organic compounds that are indigenous to Mars, which would be indicators of past or present life.

A new study provides more evidence that identical sections of DNA can match up with each other without the help of other molecules. DNA molecules in our bodies carry genetic information encoded in segments called genes. Each gene encodes a certain attribute, feature or function in living organisms. However, genes are regularly damaged and need to be repaired.

Researchers from the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King's College London have shed light on how we perceive and recognise specific visual stimuli. The first steps in visual processing take place in the retina, which is a thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye containing more than 70 distinct types of nerve cells.

Scientists have created an iron-based ring structure that could be used for new applications in electronics and sensing. Ferrocene is a molecule that was discovered in the 1950s. It is made up of two rings of hydrogen and carbon bound either side of an iron atom. This and other 'sandwich compounds' have unique properties that have led to their widespread use as industrial catalysts, pharmaceuticals, and fuel additives.