news 2022

Researchers from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) have developed a new enzyme engineering platform to improve plastic degrading enzymes through directed evolution. To illustrate the utility of their platform, they have engineered an enzyme that can successfully degrade poly(ethylene) terephthalate (PET), the plastic commonly used in plastic bottles.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow have developed a new type of heat pump, a flexible heat pump technology, which could help households save on their energy bills and contribute towards net-zero emissions goals. Heat pumps are a low-carbon alternative to gas boilers. They draw energy from external low temperature sources, most commonly outdoor air, in order to heat indoor spaces.

Researchers contribute to a report highlighting how air pollution contributes to dementia and a decline in mental ability. The independent review , published this week by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and involving input from experts across the College, analysed the latest available evidence into negative impacts on the brain linked to air pollution.

A new review from Dr Chris Bryant focuses on the health and environmental benefits of plant-based products, as well as consumer attitudes. Plant-based dietary alternatives to animal products are better for the environment and for human health when compared with the animal products they are designed to replace, say the authors of a new study.

A team of researchers, including Katie Beckmann, a PhD candidate at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), have conducted a study into the health outcomes in wildlife reintroduction projects. Conservation translocations as they are formally termed are defined as population reinforcement, reintroduction, assisted colonisation or ecological replacement.

The hidden archaeological potential of nationally important heritage site Seaford Head has been uncovered through a project involving the UCL Institute of Archaeology. The pilot study involving researchers from Archaeology South-East (ASE), part of UCL Institute of Archaeology, aimed to investigate how an archaeological site at risk from climate change accelerated coastal erosion can be rapidly recorded and communicated to the public before it is lost.

A study of 29 European lakes has found that some naturally-occurring lake bacteria grow faster and more efficiently on the remains of plastic bags than on natural matter like leaves and twigs. It's almost like the plastic pollution is getting the bacteria's appetite going. The bacteria use the plastic as food first, because it-s easy to break down.

Scientists have poured cold water on recent claims that water quality in rivers in England and Wales is "better than at any time since the end of the Industrial Revolution". Although progress has been made in reducing some pollutants over the past three decades, a new study shows a mixed picture, and does not comprehensively support these claims.

Lithium extraction from the deep sea, overfishing of deeper-water species, and the unexpected ocean impacts of wildfires on land are among fifteen issues experts warn we ought to be addressing now By highlighting future issues, we-re pointing to where changes must be made today - both in monitoring and policy - to protect our marine and coastal environments James Herbert-Read An international team of experts has produced a list of 15 issues they believe are likely to have a significant impact on marine and coastal biodiversity over the next five to ten years.

Volunteers surveying dormice and bats in trees have made the unexpected discovery of over fifty common toads in nest boxes and tree cavities at least 1.5 metres high This is significant for our understanding of the ecology and conservation of common toads Silviu Petrovan Until now, common toads were thought to be terrestrial.

A new report has taken an in-depth look at the UK public's attitudes to climate change - and how this might translate into action. The Net Zero Living report , led by the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), based at Cardiff University, and Ipsos, is launched today at a public webinar.

A new animation has highlighted how The University of Manchester's research on microplastic pollution in rivers has helped to drive investigations into the behaviour of water companies, and the roles of regulators in tacking illegal activity.

Even if global temperatures begin to decline after peaking this century because of climate change, the risks to biodiversity could persist for decades after, finds a new study by UCL and University of Cape Town researchers. The paper, published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences , models the potential impacts on global biodiversity if temperatures increase by more than 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, before beginning to decline again.

An international research collaboration is setting out to find new ways of monitoring grop growth with biodegradable sensors which can be composted at the end of their lifespan. The £1.8m CHIST-ERA project, called Transient Electronics for Sustainable ICT in Digital Agriculture, is led by researchers from the University of Glasgow and supported by colleagues in Canada, Finland, Poland and Switzerland.

A new study shows how the ancient world adapted to climate change A new study of the ancient world of Anatolia - now Turkey - shows how they adapted to climate change but offers a warning for today's climate emergency. The efforts of ancient populations to minimise the impacts of climate change were undermined during longer climate shifts when it is combined with other events such as pandemics, earthquakes and wars - findings the lead author says offer scary parallels to the modern day.

A formidable space tourism industry may have a greater climate effect than the aviation industry and undo repair to the protective ozone layer if left unregulated, according to a new study led by UCL. Published today in the journal  Earth's Future , researchers from UCL, the University of Cambridge and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used a 3D model to explore the impact of rocket launches and re-entry in 2019, and the impact of projected space tourism scenarios based on the recent billionaire space race.

As the climate crisis leads to more intense and more frequent extreme weather and climate-related events, this in turn risks increasing the amount of gender-based violence experienced by women, girls, and sexual and gender minorities, say researchers.

Scientists say they have identified the exact mechanism responsible for the exceptional tsunami that spread quickly across the world after the colossal eruption of the Tonga volcano earlier this year. In a new paper , an international team including researchers from Cardiff University say the exceptional event was caused by acoustic-gravity waves (AGWs) triggered by the powerful volcanic blast, which travelled into the atmosphere and across the ocean as the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted.

A new study shows how small seabirds have mastered the art of working smarter not harder when soaring at sea. The new study published today in Science Advances proves it isn't just albatrosses that perform the aerial acrobatics needed for dynamic soaring on the windy open ocean. The research shows that sleek seabirds called Manx shearwater perform the same feat of flight in the seas around the UK.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can track the health of coral reefs by learning the "song of the reef", finds new research involving a UCL scientist. Coral reefs have a complex soundscape - and even experts have to conduct painstaking analysis to measure reef health based on sound recordings. In the new study, published in Ecological Indicators, scientists trained a computer algorithm using multiple recordings of healthy and degraded reefs, allowing the machine to learn the difference.