news 2020

Rhythms produced by the brain can reliably be used to predict how sensitive we are to pain, new research shows. The living brain is constantly producing regular rhythmic patterns of activity, which can be compared to musical notes. Scientists at the University of Birmingham in the UK, and the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in the US, have successfully demonstrated that one particularly prevalent pattern of brain activity, called alpha waves, strongly relates to the body's susceptibility or resilience to pain.

A novel connection between primordial organisms and complex life has been discovered by a team led by UCL and Lancaster University researchers. The new evidence, published in Science , sheds light on the evolutionary origins of the cell division process that is fundamental to complex life on Earth. The study focuses on the cell division of the microbe Sulfolobus   acidocaldarius , which thrives in acidic hot springs at temperatures of around 75 ° C. This microbe is classed among the unicellular organisms called archaea that evolved 3.5 billion years ago together with bacteria.

Researchers have demonstrated the use of tinted, semi-transparent solar panels to generate electricity and produce nutritionally-superior crops simultaneously, bringing the prospect of higher incomes for farmers and maximising use of agricultural land. Our calculations are a fairly conservative estimate of the overall financial value of this system.

Our brains have an upper limit on how much they can process at once due to a constant but limited energy supply, according to a new UCL study using a brain imaging method that measures cellular metabolism. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience , found that paying attention can change how the brain allocates its limited energy; as the brain uses more energy in processing what we attend to, less energy is supplied to processing outside our attention focus.

Four stranded DNA structures - known as G-quadruplexes - have been shown to play a role in certain types of breast cancer for the first time, providing a potential new target for personalised medicine, say scientists at the University of Cambridge. We're all familiar with the idea of DNA's two-stranded, double helix structure, but over the past decade it's become increasingly clear that DNA can also exist in four-stranded structures and that these play an important role in human biology Shankar Balasubramanian In 1953 'double helix' structure.

Greater Horseshoe bat Daniel Whitby For the first time, the raw genetic material that codes for bats' unique adaptations and superpowers such as the ability to fly, to use sound to move effortlessly in complete darkness, to survive and tolerate deadly diseases, to resist ageing and cancer - has been fully revealed by an international research team including scientists at Bristol.

Scientists find new way to kill tuberculosis Our scientists have found a new way to kill the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB). TB is the world's deadliest infectious disease and causes nearly 1.5 million deaths each year. Whilst most cases can be cured with proper treatment, the number of antibiotic-resistant infections are steadily increasing.

By reconstructing the evolutionary history of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, an international research team of Chinese, European and U.S. scientists has discovered that the lineage that gave rise to the virus has been circulating in bats for decades and likely includes other viruses with the ability to infect humans.

PhD student Ellen Coombs (UCL Biosciences and Natural History Museum) discusses a new study on 'wonky' whale skulls, explaining that whales have evolved increasingly asymmetrical skulls and discusses the likely reasons for this. Some whales are wonky. You might not know it to look at them, but their skulls are actually incredibly asymmetrical.

Scientists have discovered extinct strains of smallpox in the teeth of Viking skeletons - proving for the first time that the killer disease plagued humanity for at least 1400 years. Just as people travelling around the world today quickly spread COVID-19, it is likely Vikings spread smallpox. Only back then, they travelled by ship rather than plane.

Vertical farming is a type of indoor agriculture where crops are cultivated in stacked systems with water, lighting and nutrient sources carefully controlled and supported by artificial intelligence in which machines are taught to manage day-to-day horticultural tasks. Part of a rapidly growing sector, vertical farming is set to grow by 21 per cent by 2025 according to recent forecasts 1 .

For the first time, the raw genetic material that codes for bats' unique adaptations and superpowers such as the ability to fly, to use sound to move effortlessly in complete darkness, to survive and tolerate deadly diseases, to resist ageing and cancer - has been fully revealed and published in Nature .

Antibiotic treatment in early life seems to impede brain signalling pathways that function in social behaviour and pain regulation in mice, a new study by Dr Katerina Johnson and Dr Philip Burnet has found. It was published today in  BMC Neuroscience . Katerina Johnson, from the University's Departments of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology, was researching the effects of disrupting the microbiome on the brain in mice.

Women who do not need pain relief during childbirth may be carriers of a key genetic variant that acts a natural epidural, say scientists at the University of Cambridge. In a study published today in the journal Cell Reports, the researchers explain how the variant limits the ability of nerve cells to send pain signals to the brain.

Cambridge scientists have developed a new way to fortify shellfish to tackle human nutrient deficiencies which cause severe health problems across the world. The team is now working with major seafood manufacturers to further test their microencapsulation technology, or "Vitamin Bullets". Targeted use of this technology in regions worst affected by nutrient deficiencies..

UCL is releasing its animal research statistics today in collaboration with Understanding Animal Research - an organisation that explains why animals are used in medical and scientific research. UCL and nine other institutions together conducted nearly half of all UK animal research in 2019. The statistics pertain to animal procedures used in medical, veterinary and scientific research, and are freely available on UCL's animal research website as part of joint commitments to transparency and openness.

Understanding Animal Research (UAR), an organisation that promotes open communications about animal research, has today released a list of the ten organisations in Great Britain that carry out the highest number of animal procedures - those used in medical, veterinary and scientific research. These statistics are freely available on the organisations' websites, including the University of Glasgow, as part of their ongoing commitment to transparency and openness around the use of animals in research.

For the first time, a new study simultaneously tracks brain activity, eye movements and body movements of a pro race car driver in extreme conditions. The Imperial College London research team worked with Formula E World Champion Lucas di Grassi to compare how his brain and body reacted to steep curves and straight segments of the Top Gear race track under wet and rainy conditions.

The ten organisations in Great Britain that carry out the highest number of animal procedures - those used in medical, veterinary and scientific research - have today released their annual statistics to coincide with the publication of the official statistics by the Home Office. They show that these ten organisations carried out 1.66 million procedures, 48.7% or nearly half of the 3.40 million procedures carried out in Great Britain in 2019.

Cambridge researchers have shown how rapid genome sequencing of virus samples and enhanced testing of hospital staff can help to identify clusters of healthcare-associated COVID-19 infections.