news 2023

Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial. From a simulation to understand why land-cover changes have occurred, to a study that found different antidepressants all target serotonin, here is some quick-read news from across Imperial. Changing landscapes When land-cover changes happen, such as during the expansion of agriculture, there are numerous possible interacting reason for such changes, from environmental to social.

Increasing the amount of folate through our diet or taking supplements could help to reduce bowel cancer risk. These are the findings of new research , co-led by Dr Konstantinos Tsilidis from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London. It suggests that increasing the intake of folate - which can be found in leafy greens, such as spinach, cabbage and broccoli - could help to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by up to 7%.

Researchers hoping to rebrand a marine pest as a nutritious food have developed the world's first system of farming shipworms, which they have renamed 'Naked Clams'. Naked Clams taste like oysters, they're highly nutritious and they can be produced with a really low impact on the environment. Dr David Willer These long, white saltwater clams are the world's fastest-growing bivalve and can reach 30cm long in just six months.

A fresh approach to urban agriculture could help Glasgow's 'food deserts' flourish into sources of healthy, affordable produce to help reduce inequality, new research suggests. A fresh approach to urban agriculture could help Glasgow's 'food deserts' flourish into sources of healthy, affordable produce to help reduce inequality, new research suggests.

Existing air pollution regulations will reduce thousands of premature adult deaths in the UK, but even the most effective technically feasible actions, which will save thousands more lives, will do little to protect the country's sensitive ecosystems, find UCL researchers. The new research, published in GeoHealth , found that existing air pollution regulations could avoid 6,751 early deaths amongst adults in the UK by 2030 compared to if no regulations existed.

Study reveals our European ancestors ate seaweed and freshwater plants Published: 17 October 2023 Researchers say they have found "definitive" archaeological evidence that seaweeds and other local freshwater plants were eaten in the Mesolithic, through the Neolithic transition to farming and into the Early Middle Ages.

Tropical crops such as coffee, cocoa, watermelon and mango may be at risk due to the loss of insect pollinators, finds a new study led by UCL and Natural History Museum researchers. Published in Science Advances , the study explores the intricate interplay between climate change, land use change, and their impact on pollinator biodiversity, ultimately revealing significant implications for global crop pollination.

Helping to promote the natural relationship between plants and bacteria could reduce reliance on environmentally damaging fertilisers, a study has found. As the population grows and crop yields are threatened by climate change, scientists are keen to help promote plant growth in a natural and sustainable way.

Rewilding, organic farming and the so-called -nature friendly farming- measures included in some government conservation policies may accelerate global biodiversity loss, say two leading researchers. These -Green- farming policies risk worsening the global biodiversity crisis by reducing how much food is produced in a region, driving up food imports and increasing environmental damage overseas.

Professor Richard Gregory (UCL Biosciences) explains that pesticides and fertilisers are the single biggest cause of birds shocking decline across Europe and suggests how best to respond, writing in The Conversation. A trickle of studies warning that the enormous variety of living things on Earth is diminishing has turned into a flood.

Poorly monitored badger farming and illegal poaching in South Korea is a cause for concern for wildlife and human health, with regulation of the trade urgently needed, according to a new study involving UCL researchers. Published today in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, the study by researchers from UCL, Zoological Society London (ZSL) and Seoul National University, South Korea, found that a growing range of badger-derived products have been introduced to the market in South Korea over the last two decades.

Study shows better adoption and implementation of company supply chain policies for Brazilian beef and leather could significantly reduce carbon emissions If we do eat imported beef, we should buy it from retailers that are trying to improve cattle production systems in Brazil and elsewhere. Rachael Garrett Cattle-rearing is the biggest cause of tropical deforestation in the Amazon - and the world.

Between 25% and 38% of air pollution that could harm human health in UK cities is the result of agriculture, more than produced by the city itself, while pollution drifting in from continental Europe is a sizable source as well, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The researchers studied three cities, Leicester, Birmingham and London, for the paper published in City and Environment Interactions .

Cambridge scientists have come up with a system of measuring animal welfare that enables reliable comparison across different types of pig farming. This means that animal welfare can now, for the first time, be properly considered alongside other impacts of farming to help identify which farming systems are best.

Researchers have calculated the carbon footprint for the full life cycle of fertilisers, which are responsible for approximately five percent of total greenhouse gas emissions - the first time this has been accurately quantified - and found that carbon emissions could be reduced to one-fifth of current levels by 2050.

Scientists have decoded the physical process that takes place in the mouth when chocolate is eaten, as it changes from a solid into a smooth emulsion that many people find totally irresistible. By analysing each of the steps, the interdisciplinary research team at the University of Leeds hope it will lead to the development of a new generation of luxury chocolate that will have the same feel and texture but will be healthier to consume.