news 2018

Computer simulations of microscopic, protein-coated beads that block bacteria from binding to host cells suggest that the microbeads could help reduce or eliminate bacterial infections in burn wounds. Dr Paul Roberts from the University of Birmingham's School of Mathematics , UK., and colleagues present these new findings, funded by the BBSRC, in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.

PA 253/18 Scientists have turned to nature's own 'laboratory' for clues about how plants adapt in the environment to ensure their own survival. A study led by researchers at The University of Nottingham has suggested that while plants evolve to adapt to their conditions, they also maintain a small degree of diversity to stay one step ahead of changing conditions.

Using electrical impulses, the 'tweezers' can extract single DNA, proteins and organelles from living cells without destroying them. We are continuously expanding our knowledge on how cells function, but many unanswered questions remain. This is especially true for individual cells that are of the same type, such as brain, muscle or fat cells, but have very different compositions at the single-molecule level.

University of Glasgow physicists are closing out 2018 with the publication of a wealth of new gravitational wave data collected during the first two observing runs of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. video In a new paper just published online, scientists from the LIGO and Virgo research collaborations present data from a total of 10 stellar-mass binary black hole mergers and one merger of neutron stars.

A transformative educational app developed by onebillion that was researched by the University of Nottingham has moved from trials in Africa to schools across England. Professor Nicola Pitchford from the University of Nottingham has led the research for this project and joined International Development Minister Harriett Baldwin at a school to see the onebillion app in action, helping children improve their numeracy skills.

A study to be published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases on World AIDS Day shows the extraordinary global genetic diversity of HIV and highlights just how big the challenge is to develop a vaccine to combat the global spread of HIV. One of the most comprehensive studies of HIV around the world has revealed a map of the spread of subtypes of the virus across the world, revealing which strains are dominant in which country and region, and where new strains are emerging.

A drug originally developed for prostate cancer may have exciting potential for treating Parkinson's. The study, funded by Parkinson's UK, suggests that the drug, tasquinimod, which is not yet on the market, works by controlling genes that may cause Parkinson's. This happens when the drug interacts with a protein inside brain cells.

Up to 17 per cent of children could have symptoms consistent with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) according to new research published today (Friday 30 November) in Preventative Medicine. The UK has the fourth highest level of prenatal alcohol use in the world, but no estimates existed from a population-based study on how many people may have FASD.

A radical new method of producing drug molecules, which uses downloadable blueprints to easily and reliably synthesise organic chemicals via a programmable 'chemputer', could be set to democratise the pharmaceutical industry, scientists say. Chemputer In a new paper published online in the journal Science today (November 29) , researchers from the University of Glasgow present for the first time how synthesis of important drug molecules can be achieved in an affordable and modular chemical-robot system they call a chemputer.

A radical culture change in the NHS and across the health data and medical technology community is needed to ensure the NHS can deliver the benefits of new health technologies, says a new report co-authored by a University of Oxford scientist. The report, published by the Academy of Medical Sciences , outlines principles that must be adopted by the NHS and medical industry so that digital information about patients can be used in smarter, more joined-up ways to revolutionise healthcare and support life-saving research.

In a study published today, a team of ten drought scientists, including the University of Birmingham, argue that while many dams and reservoirs are built, or expanded to alleviate droughts and water shortages, they can paradoxically contribute to make them worse. This perspective paper is published today (13 November 2018) in the journal Nature Sustainability .

Clinical trials for preventing Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome may soon be possible thanks to new research from King's College London. The researchers found changes in memory and attention are the earliest signs of Alzheimer's in Down syndrome, and these changes start in the early 40s.

Researchers say that new 'mini-placentas' - a cellular model of the early stages of the placenta - could provide a window into early pregnancy and help transform our understanding of reproductive disorders. Details of this new research are published today . The placenta is absolutely essential for supporting the baby as it grows inside the mother.

The 300-million-mile journey that culminated in NASA's InSight landing on Mars this week represents a major scientific coup for all involved, including mission participants from the University of Bristol. The £635m lander, which came to rest on Mars on Monday, will study the makeup and dimensions of the Red Planet's core.

While this week marks World Antibiotic Awareness Week, experts at the University of Birmingham are carrying out pioneering research to find real world solutions to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. Each November, the World Health Organization (WHO) holds World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW) , running this year from November 12th to 18th, to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.

The majority of content and commentary being shared on social media supports the scientific consensus on climate change, according to new research from the Oxford Internet Institute. The findings are welcome relief from growing concern around the polarisation of the climate change debate. Despite broad consensus among scientists that climate change is both occurring and caused by human activity, the populist campaign expressing scepticism on the validity of the scientific consensus shows no signs of movement in their beliefs.

The project by the Universities' Police Science Institute evaluated South Wales Police's deployment of Automated Facial Recognition across several major sporting and entertainment events in Cardiff city over more than a year, including the UEFA Champion's League Final and the Autumn Rugby Internationals.

Training domestic violence and abuse (DVA) advocates to deliver psychological support to women experiencing DVA could significantly improve the health of those affected. In a randomised controlled trial led by researchers from the University of Bristol, women who received the intervention showed reduced symptoms of psychological distress, depression and post-traumatic stress compared to those who received just advocacy.

Microbes could have performed oxygen-producing photosynthesis at least one billion years earlier in the history of the Earth than previously thought. The finding could change ideas of how and when complex life evolved on Earth, and how likely it is that it could evolve on other planets. Oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere is necessary for complex forms of life, which use it during aerobic respiration to make energy.

A global team of researchers has found the first common genetic risk factors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a complex condition affecting around 1 in 20 children. Professor Anita Thapar, from Cardiff University, who leads an ADHD research group as part of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, said: "This study marks a very important step in beginning to understand the genetic and biological underpinnings of ADHD.