news 2018

A close study of auroras has revealed new ways of understanding the physics of explosive energy releases in space, according to new UCL-led research. Auroras are an incredible light show caused by electrically charged particles in near-Earth space spiralling down Earth's magnetic field and colliding with gases in the atmosphere, causing them to glow.

Antibiotic prescribing by doctors is influenced by team dynamics and cultures within hospitals. This is the finding of a new study, led by Imperial College London, which highlights the need for understanding contextual differences in antibiotic decision making amongst medical and surgical teams.

Research led by the University of Bristol has begun to unpick an important mechanism of antibiotic resistance and suggest approaches to block this resistance. Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to defend against antibiotic attack, and the spread of these resistance mechanisms amongst bacteria is a global public health concern.

A 15-minute scan could help diagnose brain damage in babies up to two years earlier than current methods. In a study of over 200 babies at seven hospitals across the UK and the USA, researchers found the brain scan, called magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy, predicted damage with 98 per cent accuracy.

A giant crater left over from the catastrophic impact of a meteorite crashing into Earth has been uncovered deep below the ice sheets in Greenland. The 31 km-wide crater, which is bigger than Paris, has been discovered by an international team of scientists who believe it to have been caused by a meteorite impact on Earth between 3 million and 12,000 years ago.

Evolution of the major groups of fish that we recognise today took place in shallow waters, close to the seashore, according to new research at the University of Birmingham. The findings, published in Science suggest that, while coral reefs may be vital for diversification at the present day, fragile near shore environments were crucial for evolution some 480-360 million years ago.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow are collaborating with Malawian scientists to try to find out why some people in Malawi develop type 2 diabetes - even though many are slim and highly active. Worldwide, diabetes is on the rise with almost 400 million people living with the disease - a figure that is predicted to rise to about 600 million in 2035.

A five-minute scan of blood vessels in the neck during mid-life could predict cognitive decline ten years before symptoms appear, claims new UCL research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The findings were presented at the AHA Scientific Sessions conference in Chicago. If confirmed in larger studies, the scan could become part of routine screening programme for people at risk of developing dementia.

A team of scientists from the University of Bristol and Bristol Zoological Society have collaborated to develop a 'ground-breaking' new animal enrichment activity for the gorillas at Bristol Zoo Gardens. The project integrates hidden computer technology with cognitive animal enrichment for the first time, to measure how gorillas solve complicated problems.

New research led by academics at the University of Bristol has discovered that the scales on moth wings vibrate and can absorb the sound frequencies used by bats for echolocation (biological sonar). The finding could help researchers develop bioinspired thin and lightweight resonant sound absorbers.

The Gaia satellite has spotted an enormous 'ghost' galaxy lurking on the outskirts of the Milky Way. When we looked closer, it turned out we found something new Vasily Belokurov An international team of astronomers, including from the University of Cambridge, discovered the massive object when trawling through data from the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite.

A galaxy a third the size of our own, but extremely faint, has been observed orbiting around the Milky Way. An international team, including an astronomer from Imperial College London, discovered the massive galaxy when trawling through data from the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite. Despite its size, the galaxy has very few stars, challenging conventional theories of galaxy formation.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have completed the world's largest ever study of typical sex differences and autistic traits. They tested and confirmed two long-standing psychological theories: the Empathising-Systemising theory of sex differences and the Extreme Male Brain theory of autism.

Prospective students Current students Vaccinia virus, a poxvirus closely related to smallpox and monkeypox, tricks cells it has infected into activating their own cell movement mechanism to rapidly spread the virus in cells and mice, according to a new UCL-led study. The findings explain how the virus mimics infected cells' own proteins to kick-start the signalling pathway enabling the cell to move around.

Researchers at the University of Bristol, supported by the British Veterinary Association, the British Cattle Veterinary Association and the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance, are calling for veterinary surgeons in the UK to work together with their farmer clients to remove expired and inappropriate veterinary medicines from farms and dispose of them appropriately.

A large fruit-eating bat native to Mauritius is the subject of controversy over the announcement of a major cull to protect the Indian island's fruit crops, despite a lack of evidence as to the extent of damage directly attributed to the endangered species. An international team of researchers, including the University of Bristol, that monitored the damage directly caused by the Mauritian flying fox to commercial fruit has found the bat is responsible for only some, and could be managed effectively without the need to cull.

New research by the University of Birmingham and funded by the British Heart Foundation will study the damage caused to the smallest vessels of the heart following a heart attack. Researchers at the University have developed a state-of-the-art imaging technique, which was funded by a previous BHF grant.

Researchers are looking for people to take part in a new study to better understand why autistic people may be more likely to take their own life, to help shape new ways to prevent future deaths by suicide. The three-year project is being led by the University of Nottingham in partnership with Coventry University , and the University of Cambridge and is the first study of its kind.

Scientists from the University of Glasgow will be giving the public a chance to get more than flat-packed furniture and meatballs at Glasgow's IKEA this month, as they join Saturday shoppers to showcase the university's world-changing research. On November 24, around 100 world-renowned researchers and students from the University's College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (MVLS) will be across 10 activity stands in and around IKEA Braehead's showroom and café for the "at home with Life Sciences" event.

Scientists have sequenced 15 ancient genomes spanning from Alaska to Patagonia and were able to track the movements of the first humans as they spread across the Americas at "astonishing" speed during the last Ice Age, and also how they interacted with each other in the following millennia.