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Consistent daily patterns of exercise and rest can synchronise the local body clocks associated with joints and spine with the brain clock, potentially helping individuals to maintain skeletal health, improve athletic performance and avoid injury, research by University of Manchester scientists has argued.

Left-handedness is not linked to better spatial skills, despite some previous evidence of a performance gap, according to a large international study led by UCL and University of York researchers. The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B , also sheds light on how left-handedness varies by country, with the highest rates in the Netherlands and lowest in China.

Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial. From bendy X-rays that could one day improve airport scans and cancer detection, to a psychedelic substance that could treat mental health disorders, here is some quick-read news from across Imperial. Bendy X-ray detectors New materials developed at the University of Surrey involving Imperial College London researchers could pave the way for a new generation of flexible X-ray detectors, with potential applications ranging from cancer treatment to better airport scanners.

A UK-based team from Imperial College London and the University of Nottingham have produced a synthetic chromosome for a yeast cell. A team of scientists, led by Professor Tom Ellis of Imperial College London and Dr Ben Blount from the University of Nottingham , have built a synthetic version of yeast's Chromosome XI.

Scientists have engineered a chromosome entirely from scratch that will contribute to the production of the world's first synthetic yeast. Researchers in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) at The University of Manchester have created the tRNA Neochromosome - a chromosome that is new to nature.

Academics and zookeepers in Scotland have teamed up to tackle a tall order: designing the world's first interactive enrichment system for giraffes. Academics and zookeepers in Scotland have teamed up to tackle a tall order: designing the world's first interactive enrichment system for giraffes. Researchers from the University of Glasgow collaborated with animal keepers at Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park to develop prototype devices which would allow the park's five giraffes to trigger sounds on demand.

Research on neighbouring chimpanzee communities in the forests of West Africa suggests a warfare tactic not previously seen beyond humans is regularly used by our closest evolutionary relatives. Tactical warfare is considered a driver of human evolution Sylvain Lemoine Chimpanzees use high ground to conduct reconnaissance on rival groups, often before making forays into enemy territory at times when there is reduced risk of confrontation, a new study suggests.

A new analysis of the bones and muscles in ancient fish gives new clues about how the shoulder evolved in animals - including us. The shoulder girdle - the configuration of bones and muscles that in humans support the movement of the arms - is a classic example of an evolutionary 'novelty'. This is where a new anatomical feature appears without any obvious precursors; where there is no smoking gun of which feature clearly led to another.

The bodies of starfish and other echinoderms are more like heads, according to new research involving the University of Southampton. The research, published today [1 November] in Nature , helps to answer the mystery of how these creatures evolved their distinctive star-shaped body, which has long puzzled scientists.

One of the most common byproducts of the burning of fossil fuels, phenanthrene, causes heart arrythmias in mice, proving for the first time it is toxic to mammals. The study, led by Professor Holly Shiels from The University of Manchester and funded by the British Heart Foundation, is published in the influential National Institute of Health journal Environmental Health Perspectives today (inert date).

Major international study describes brain pathology of domestic violence Published: 31 October 2023 A major international brain autopsy study of women who had experienced intimate partner violence reveals substantial damage in the brain, but no evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the neurodegenerative disease recognized among contact sports athletes who sustain repeated head trauma A major international brain autopsy study of wom

Researchers have discovered a hidden mechanism within hair follicles that allow us to feel touch. Previously, touch was thought to be detected only by nerve endings present within the skin and surrounding hair follicles. This new research on cell cultures from Imperial College London has found that that cells within hair follicles - the structures that surround the hair fibre - are also able to detect the sensation.

A new study by professors at the University of Birmingham has revealed for the first time how our bodies go into stress-mode when hearing misused grammar.

The first digital atlas showing how the human brain develops in the womb has been published by a global research team led by the University of Oxford. A team of over 200 researchers around the world, involving multiple health and scientific institutions, led by the University of Oxford, has today published, in the journal Nature , the first digital atlas showing the dynamics of normative maturation of each hemisphere of the fetal brain between 14 and 31 weeks' gestation - a critical period of human development.

Cardiff University study identifies Magel2, a novel imprinted gene that affects nesting behaviour. Whether a mouse is a good or bad parent can be traced back to imprinted genes in key neurons in the "parenting hub" in the brain, according to a new study by Anthony Isles of Cardiff University Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics Centre and colleagues, published in the journal PLOS Genetics.

Research has found that bumblebees make foraging choices to collect the most sugar from flowers in the shortest time - even if that means using more energy in the process - to provide an immediate energy boost for the colony. It's amazing that even with a brain smaller than a sesame seed, bumblebees can make such complex decisions.

A landmark international study has identified a link between Rugby Union career length and the risk of the degenerative brain condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) A landmark international study has identified a link between Rugby Union career length and the risk of the degenerative brain condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Scientists from the University of Southampton and La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), in California, have uncovered a group of immune cells that may drive severe asthma. These cells gather in the lungs and appear to cause the most harm in men who develop asthma in later life. "If you are male and you develop asthma after age 40, there's a high chance this T cell population is in your lungs," says LJI Research Assistant Professor Gregory Seumois , who co-led the study with LJI Professor P andurangan Vijayanand.

Consistently sleeping less than five hours a night might raise the risk of developing depressive symptoms, according to a new genetic study led by UCL researchers. Historically, poor sleep has been seen as a side effect of mental ill health, but this study found that the link between sleep and mental illness is more complex.

Scientists from The Universities of Manchester and Auckland have discovered widespread differences in metal levels in the brains of patients with Huntington's Disease, a type of dementia, compared to a control group with healthy tissue. In a study published in eBioMedicine, the elements, including selenium (a metalloid), sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese, were studied in 11 parts of the brain.