News 2019

New methods of counting wildlife could provide conservationists with fast and accurate methods for estimating the abundance of natural populations. In a new paper published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution , mathematicians and conservationists from the UK, Africa and the United States discuss how they have used both machine-learning and citizen science techniques to accurately count wildebeest in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania more rapidly than is possible using traditional methods.

Using computer simulations and 3D models, palaeontologists from the University of Bristol have uncovered more detail on how Mesozoic sea dragons swam. The research, published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B , sheds new light on their energy demands while swimming, showing that even the first ichthyosaurs had body shapes well adapted to minimise resistance and maximise volume, in a similar way to modern dolphins.

Smaller beetles who consistently lose fights over resources can gain a competitive advantage over their larger rivals by teaming up with another species. When the costs of a mutualistic relationship start to outweigh the benefits, it will break down Syuan-Jyun Sun In a study featuring a miniature 'gym' for beetles (complete with beetle treadmills), researchers from the University of Cambridge found that beetles who consistently lose out to members of their own species have the most to gain by forming a mutually-beneficial cross-species partnership.

A large breakthrough has been made in the genetic understanding of mouth ulcers which could provide potential for a new drug to prevent or heal the painful lesions. Mouth ulcers affect up to 25 per cent of young adults and a higher proportion of children. Previous research has shown that mouth ulcers are partially heritable, but until now there has been little evidence linking specific genes or genomic regions to mouth ulcers.

Repurposing a strain of beneficial bacteria could offer a safe, sustainable and natural alternative to man-made chemical pesticides, according to research from Cardiff University, in collaboration with the Universities of Warwick and Liverpool, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Finding natural approaches to sustain agriculture and food production is a major global challenge.

Researchers at the University of Bristol, Eindhoven University of Technology and Microsoft Research have successfully assembled communities of artificial cells that can chemically communicate and perform molecular computations using entrapped DNA logic gates. The work provides a step towards chemical cognition in synthetic protocells and could be useful in biosensing and therapeutics.

Young adults at risk of developing problems with addiction show key differences in an important region of the brain, according to an international team led by researchers at the University of Cambridge. The study adds further evidence to support the idea that an individual's biological makeup plays a significant role in whether or not they develop an addictive disorder.

Scientists have revealed how certain wild plants with naturally doubled 'supergenomes' can stay ahead of the game when it comes to adapting to climate volatility and hostile environments. This world-first study could have significant implications for plant and crop sustainability in the face of climate change.

An international team of researchers has identified some striking new insights into the underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease, including five new genes that increase risk for the disease. The International Genomic Alzheimer's Project (IGAP), which is a collaboration of four consortia, including the Genetic and Environmental Risk for Alzheimer's Disease (GERAD) consortia led by Cardiff University, analysed data from more than 94,000 individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

Results from a pioneering clinical trials programme that delivered an experimental treatment directly to the brain offer hope that it may be possible to restore the cells damaged in Parkinson's.

A study led by researchers at Cardiff University means that more people of African descent who have treatment-resistant schizophrenia could be safely given the drug best proven to manage their symptoms. The team identified a genetic and benign cause in people of African descent for lower neutrophil levels: a condition that can also be a rare and potentially life-threatening side-effect of the only licensed medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

Researchers from the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, have discovered a new biochemical pathway in plants which they have named CHLORAD. By manipulating the CHLORAD pathway, scientists can modify how plants respond to their environment. For example, the plant's ability to tolerate stresses such as high salinity can be improved.

They're neither white and gold or black and blue. But in an optical puzzle akin to The Dress, colourful snails are causing scientists at the University of Nottingham to turn to technology to definitively decide whether some snails' shells are pink or brown. The beautifully-hued Cepaea nemoralis - commonly known as grove snails - are found all over Europe in a range of colours, from yellow to pink to brown, with some also having 'humbug' style banding patterns.

Distortions to DNA could lead to off-target changes to the genome when using CRISPR-Cas9, a new study suggests. The Imperial College London scientists behind the research, funded by the Medical Research Council, say that their findings may help to pave the way to improve on the accuracy of gene editing for clinical applications.

A group of researchers led by the Universities of Nottingham and Leicester has discovered genetic differences that put some people at higher risk than others of developing chronic lung disease. The new study, published , shows that genetic differences help explain why some people who have never smoked develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and why some smokers are at higher risk of getting the disease than other smokers.

Palaeobiologists from the University of Bristol have shed new light on a jaw-snapping species of prehistoric worm using half-a-billion-year-old fossils kept at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. Amiskwia was originally described by the famous palaeontologist Charles Doolittle Walcott (1850-1927) in 1911 who compared it to the modern arrow worms (chaetognaths) - a group of ocean-dwelling worms that are fierce predators, equipped with an array of spines on their head for grasping small prey.

Male flies kept awake do not die earlier than those allowed to sleep, leading researchers to question whether sleep is essential for staying alive. The team behind the research, from Imperial College London, suggest that for flies sleep may not perform a vital biological function in the way that food does.

Why do zebras have stripes' A study published in PLOS ONE today [Wednesday 20 February] takes us another step closer to answering this puzzling question and to understanding how stripes actually work. The evolution of the zebra's two-tone coat has intrigued scientists for over 150 years. Many theories have been proposed, including avoiding predators, better heat regulation and a social function, yet there is still no agreement between scientists.

Current faecal blood tests for colorectal cancer have a sixty percent false positive rate. New funding from Cancer Research UK is helping scientists at Cardiff University to find better, safer tests . Inaccuracy of initial tests for colorectal cancer are putting patients at unnecessary risk, highlighting vital need for the development of precise and non-invasive testing.

'Night owls' - those who go to bed and get up later - have fundamental differences in their brain function compared to 'morning larks' , which mean they could be disadvantaged by the constraints of a normal working day.