news 2018

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.

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.

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.

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.

A species of rhino considered a giant of the Ice Age survived much later than previously thought and likely lived alongside modern humans, according to new research. Scientists believed that the ancient rhino species Elasmotherium sibiricum, known as the 'Siberian unicorn', due to its extraordinary single horn, went extinct between 200,000 and 100,000 years ago.

Our bodies contain two types of fat: white fat and brown fat. While white fat stores calories, brown fat burns energy and could help us lose weight. Now, scientists at the University of Cambridge have found a way of making the white fat 'browner' and increasing the efficiency of brown fat.

Facial sense of touch is important to enable babies breastfeed; this new device could help researchers understand when things go wrong. Babies need a sense of touch in their faces to give contact feedback to the brain, which in turn helps the baby find the nipple to breastfeed. For example, if a newborn baby's right cheek is lying on their mother's breast, the baby feeds back the sensory information from its cheek to the brain, which then signals the baby to turn its head to the right and 'root' for the nipple.

Understanding Animal Research, an organisation promoting greater openness about animal research, has today released a list of the ten universities in the UK that conduct the highest number of animal procedures - those used in medical, veterinary and scientific research. These statistics are freely available on the universities' websites as part of their ongoing commitment to transparency and openness.

A bacterial toxin that allows an infectious strain of bacteria to defeat its competitors has been discovered by Imperial College London scientists. The finding provides a better understanding of the mechanisms behind bacterial warfare, which is the first step for the design of improved treatments for microbial diseases.

New research from King's College London has found that MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy, causes people to cooperate better - but only with trustworthy people. In the first study to look in detail at how MDMA impacts cooperative behaviour the researchers also identified changes to activity in brain regions linked to social processing.

Researchers have developed a new technique to analyse cell membrane proteins in situ which could revolutionise the way in which we study diseases, such as cancer, metabolic and heart diseases. The discovery was made as part of an international research collaboration, led by Oxford University, alongside peers including Imperial College London.

The time of day, determined by a cell's internal clock, has a stronger influence on cell division than previously thought, reveals a new study. Cells replicate by dividing, but scientists still don't know exactly how they decide when to split. Deciding the right time and the right size to divide is critical for cells - if something goes wrong it can have a big impact, such as with cancer, which is basically a disease of uncontrolled cell division.

A new technique to study intact parts of cell membranes could revolutionise studies of cancer, metabolic and heart diseases. Membranes protect all of our cells and the organelles inside them, including the mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cell. These membranes are studded with biological machinery made of proteins that enable molecular cargo to pass in and out.

New analysis of the structure and function of the naturally-occurring antimicrobial agent tunicamycin has revealed ways to produce new, safe antibiotics for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other disease-causing bacteria. Tunicamycin is an antibiotic produced by several types of bacteria, but it is unsuitable for use in humans because it is also toxic to animal cells.

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.

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.

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.