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Life Sciences - 20.06.2023 
New embryonic cell type that self-destructs to protect the developing embryo
Scientists from the Milner Centre for Evolution have uncovered a new quality control system that removes damaged cells from early developing embryos. Scientists studying gene activity data of the early human embryo have discovered an overlooked type of cell which self-destructs within days of forming, as part of a quality control process to protect the developing foetus.
Life Sciences - Health - 19.06.2023 
Regular napping linked to larger brain volume
Daytime napping may help to preserve brain health by slowing the rate at which our brains shrink as we age, suggests a new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of the Republic in Uruguay. The study, published in the journal Sleep Health , analysed data from people aged 40 to 69 and found a causal link between habitual napping and larger total brain volume - a marker of good brain health linked to a lower risk of dementia and other diseases.
Health - Life Sciences - 15.06.2023 
Mapping the evolution of E. Coli virulence offers refined drug target
A multi-centre team led by UCL, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oslo and Imperial College London have shown how targeting the bacterium's protective capsule could help to prevent and treat bloodstream infections. The new study, published in Nature Communications , is the first to map the evolutionary timeline and population distribution of Escherichia coli's protective outer capsule, which is responsible for the bacterium's virulence.
Environment - Life Sciences - 14.06.2023
Life Sciences - Physics - 12.06.2023 
Cell ’skeletons’ built with strands of DNA
The tiny tubes and thread-like structures that give cells their shape and help determine their function have been artificially re-created using strands of DNA in a study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in Nature Communications , represents a key step towards synthetic "smart cells" that could be used to sense diseases, deliver drugs or repair damaged cells inside the body.
Health - Life Sciences - 12.06.2023
Health - Life Sciences - 09.06.2023
Health - Life Sciences - 09.06.2023 
3D ’bio-printing’ inside hydrogels could help understanding of how cancer spreads
Scientists from across UCL, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the University of Padova have shown how 3D printing can be achieved inside 'mini-organs' growing in hydrogels, which could help better understand how cancer spreads through different tissues. The new technique can help control the shape and activity of the mini-organs, and even force tissue to grow into 'moulds'.
Health - Life Sciences - 08.06.2023 
DNA discovery highlights how we maintain healthy blood sugar levels after meals
A study of the DNA of more than 55,000 people worldwide has shed light on how we maintain healthy blood sugar levels after we have eaten, with implications for our understanding of how the process goes wrong in type 2 diabetes. What's exciting about this is that it shows how we can go from large scale genetic studies to understanding fundamental mechanisms of how our bodies work Alice Williamson The findings, published today in Nature Genetics , could help inform future treatments of type 2 diabetes, which affects around 4 million people in the UK and over 460 million people worldwide.
Life Sciences - 08.06.2023
Health - Life Sciences - 07.06.2023 
Devastating heart condition can be reversed, study shows for the first time
Three men who had heart failure caused by the build-up of sticky, toxic proteins are now free of symptoms after their condition spontaneously reversed in an unprecedented case described by a team at UCL and the Royal Free Hospital. The condition, a form of amyloidosis affecting the heart, is progressive and has until now been seen as irreversible, with half of patients dying within four years of diagnosis.
Life Sciences - Health - 06.06.2023 
Movement symptoms in dystonia are caused by spinal cord dysfunction
Symptoms of the neurological movement disorder, dystonia, which include muscle spasms, twisting of the body and tremors, arise from an impairment in spinal cord function, finds a new study in mice by UCL researchers. Many neurological conditions that involve involuntary muscle contractions have long been considered as diseases of the brain.
Environment - Life Sciences - 31.05.2023
Life Sciences - 30.05.2023 
Scientists to set ’sugar traps’ for mosquitoes in sub-Saharan Africa
A new method for tackling insecticide resistance among mosquitoes that spread malaria in sub-Saharan Africa is being developed by a team of scientists at Cardiff University. 'Sugar traps' containing new attractant chemistry will lure mosquitoes away from people and dwellings in towns and villages in the region by mimicking the smell of nearby tree and other plant flowers from which mosquitoes feed before they seek out human blood for reproduction.
Life Sciences - 24.05.2023 
Cleft lip caused by combination of genes and environment
A cleft lip or palate arises from the combined effects of genes and inflammatory risk factors experienced during pregnancy, such as smoking or infections, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in Nature Communications , has revealed for the first time how genetic and environmental factors come together to form a cleft lip or palate in a developing foetus.
Life Sciences - Health - 24.05.2023 
Unique molecular machinery of woman who can’t feel pain
The biology underpinning a rare genetic mutation that allows its carrier to live virtually pain-free, heal more rapidly and experience reduced anxiety and fear, has been uncovered by new research from UCL. The study, published in Brain , follows up the teams' discovery in 2019 of the FAAH-OUT gene and the rare mutations that cause patient, Jo Cameron, to feel virtually no pain and never feel anxious or afraid.
Health - Life Sciences - 24.05.2023 
New chemical compound demonstrates potential in nerve regeneration
Research led by UCL, in partnership with the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB) and AstraZeneca, has identified a new compound that can stimulate nerve regeneration after injury, as well as protect cardiac tissue from the sort of damage seen in heart attack. The study, published in Nature , identified a chemical compound, named '1938', that activates the PI3K signalling pathway, and is involved in cell growth.
Life Sciences - Law - 22.05.2023
Environment - Life Sciences - 18.05.2023 
Climate change to push species over abrupt tipping points
Climate change is likely to abruptly push species over tipping points as their geographic ranges reach unforeseen temperatures, finds a new study led by a UCL researcher. The new Nature Ecology & Evolution study predicts when and where climate change is likely to expose species across the globe to potentially dangerous temperatures.
Paleontology - Life Sciences - 17.05.2023 
Fossil of mosasaur with bizarre ’screwdriver teeth’ found in Morocco
Scientists have discovered a new species of rare mosasaur in Morocco, adding to evidence of the vast diversity of these marine reptiles 66 million years ago. Scientists have discovered a new species of mosasaur, a sea-dwelling lizard from the age of the dinosaurs, with strange, ridged teeth unlike those of any known reptile.
Life Sciences
Results 61 - 80 of 4825.
Scientists from the Milner Centre for Evolution have uncovered a new quality control system that removes damaged cells from early developing embryos. Scientists studying gene activity data of the early human embryo have discovered an overlooked type of cell which self-destructs within days of forming, as part of a quality control process to protect the developing foetus.
Daytime napping may help to preserve brain health by slowing the rate at which our brains shrink as we age, suggests a new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of the Republic in Uruguay. The study, published in the journal Sleep Health , analysed data from people aged 40 to 69 and found a causal link between habitual napping and larger total brain volume - a marker of good brain health linked to a lower risk of dementia and other diseases.
A multi-centre team led by UCL, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oslo and Imperial College London have shown how targeting the bacterium's protective capsule could help to prevent and treat bloodstream infections. The new study, published in Nature Communications , is the first to map the evolutionary timeline and population distribution of Escherichia coli's protective outer capsule, which is responsible for the bacterium's virulence.
Tropical butterflies’ wings could help them withstand climate change
Tropical butterflies with bigger, longer and narrower wings are better able to stay cool when temperatures get too hot. We showed that changes in size and wing shape are important for coping with temperature change. Benita Laird-Hopkins In fact, tropical species- ability to keep cool at higher air temperatures mean they are more able to -thermoregulate- and keep a balanced body temperature compared to their evolutionary cousins in milder climates.
Tropical butterflies with bigger, longer and narrower wings are better able to stay cool when temperatures get too hot. We showed that changes in size and wing shape are important for coping with temperature change. Benita Laird-Hopkins In fact, tropical species- ability to keep cool at higher air temperatures mean they are more able to -thermoregulate- and keep a balanced body temperature compared to their evolutionary cousins in milder climates.
The tiny tubes and thread-like structures that give cells their shape and help determine their function have been artificially re-created using strands of DNA in a study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in Nature Communications , represents a key step towards synthetic "smart cells" that could be used to sense diseases, deliver drugs or repair damaged cells inside the body.
New materials could lead to implantable treatments for epilepsy
The prospect of a cure for a type of epilepsy could be one step closer following breakthrough research on materials which may help new types of probes be safely implanted in the brain. Bioengineering researchers from the University of Glasgow have investigated new dissolvable coatings which could help safely guide flexible implants into brains to help regulate temporal lobe epilepsy.
The prospect of a cure for a type of epilepsy could be one step closer following breakthrough research on materials which may help new types of probes be safely implanted in the brain. Bioengineering researchers from the University of Glasgow have investigated new dissolvable coatings which could help safely guide flexible implants into brains to help regulate temporal lobe epilepsy.
Alcohol consumption increases the risks of over 60 diseases
Alcohol consumption increases the risks of over 60 diseases in Chinese men, including many diseases not previously linked to alcohol, according to a new study by researchers from Oxford Population Health and Peking University, published in Nature Medicine . Alcohol consumption is estimated to be responsible for about 3 million deaths worldwide each year, and it is increasing in many lowand middle-income countries such as China.
Alcohol consumption increases the risks of over 60 diseases in Chinese men, including many diseases not previously linked to alcohol, according to a new study by researchers from Oxford Population Health and Peking University, published in Nature Medicine . Alcohol consumption is estimated to be responsible for about 3 million deaths worldwide each year, and it is increasing in many lowand middle-income countries such as China.
Scientists from across UCL, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the University of Padova have shown how 3D printing can be achieved inside 'mini-organs' growing in hydrogels, which could help better understand how cancer spreads through different tissues. The new technique can help control the shape and activity of the mini-organs, and even force tissue to grow into 'moulds'.
A study of the DNA of more than 55,000 people worldwide has shed light on how we maintain healthy blood sugar levels after we have eaten, with implications for our understanding of how the process goes wrong in type 2 diabetes. What's exciting about this is that it shows how we can go from large scale genetic studies to understanding fundamental mechanisms of how our bodies work Alice Williamson The findings, published today in Nature Genetics , could help inform future treatments of type 2 diabetes, which affects around 4 million people in the UK and over 460 million people worldwide.
Why we’re searching for the evolutionary origins of masturbation - and the results so far
Dr Matilda Brindle (UCL Anthropology) shares her new study in The Conversation on the evolutionary origins and advantages of auto sexual behaviour across the animal kingdom. "Spanking the monkey", "petting the poodle" and "pulling the python": all fitting euphemisms for masturbation, and closer to the truth than you might imagine.
Dr Matilda Brindle (UCL Anthropology) shares her new study in The Conversation on the evolutionary origins and advantages of auto sexual behaviour across the animal kingdom. "Spanking the monkey", "petting the poodle" and "pulling the python": all fitting euphemisms for masturbation, and closer to the truth than you might imagine.
Three men who had heart failure caused by the build-up of sticky, toxic proteins are now free of symptoms after their condition spontaneously reversed in an unprecedented case described by a team at UCL and the Royal Free Hospital. The condition, a form of amyloidosis affecting the heart, is progressive and has until now been seen as irreversible, with half of patients dying within four years of diagnosis.
Symptoms of the neurological movement disorder, dystonia, which include muscle spasms, twisting of the body and tremors, arise from an impairment in spinal cord function, finds a new study in mice by UCL researchers. Many neurological conditions that involve involuntary muscle contractions have long been considered as diseases of the brain.
Marine fish are responding to climate change by relocating towards the poles
The majority of fish populations in the sea are responding to global warming by relocating towards colder waters nearer the north and south poles, according to the latest research on the impact of climate change on our oceans. Analysing the breadth of current world-wide data on marine fish changes in recent years, researchers from the University of Glasgow have revealed how fish populations across the Earth's oceans are responding to rising sea temperatures.
The majority of fish populations in the sea are responding to global warming by relocating towards colder waters nearer the north and south poles, according to the latest research on the impact of climate change on our oceans. Analysing the breadth of current world-wide data on marine fish changes in recent years, researchers from the University of Glasgow have revealed how fish populations across the Earth's oceans are responding to rising sea temperatures.
A new method for tackling insecticide resistance among mosquitoes that spread malaria in sub-Saharan Africa is being developed by a team of scientists at Cardiff University. 'Sugar traps' containing new attractant chemistry will lure mosquitoes away from people and dwellings in towns and villages in the region by mimicking the smell of nearby tree and other plant flowers from which mosquitoes feed before they seek out human blood for reproduction.
A cleft lip or palate arises from the combined effects of genes and inflammatory risk factors experienced during pregnancy, such as smoking or infections, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in Nature Communications , has revealed for the first time how genetic and environmental factors come together to form a cleft lip or palate in a developing foetus.
The biology underpinning a rare genetic mutation that allows its carrier to live virtually pain-free, heal more rapidly and experience reduced anxiety and fear, has been uncovered by new research from UCL. The study, published in Brain , follows up the teams' discovery in 2019 of the FAAH-OUT gene and the rare mutations that cause patient, Jo Cameron, to feel virtually no pain and never feel anxious or afraid.
Research led by UCL, in partnership with the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB) and AstraZeneca, has identified a new compound that can stimulate nerve regeneration after injury, as well as protect cardiac tissue from the sort of damage seen in heart attack. The study, published in Nature , identified a chemical compound, named '1938', that activates the PI3K signalling pathway, and is involved in cell growth.
Importance of neuroscientific evidence for rape trials
The law should take into consideration neuroscientific evidence that suggests fear and threat can cause victims to become 'frozen' in cases of rape or sexual assault, argue UCL experts. In a comment article, published in Nature Human Behaviour, Professor Patrick Haggard and former UCL undergraduate, Ebani Dhawan, state that victims of sexual assault are often blamed for not fighting or fleeing their attackers.
The law should take into consideration neuroscientific evidence that suggests fear and threat can cause victims to become 'frozen' in cases of rape or sexual assault, argue UCL experts. In a comment article, published in Nature Human Behaviour, Professor Patrick Haggard and former UCL undergraduate, Ebani Dhawan, state that victims of sexual assault are often blamed for not fighting or fleeing their attackers.
Climate change is likely to abruptly push species over tipping points as their geographic ranges reach unforeseen temperatures, finds a new study led by a UCL researcher. The new Nature Ecology & Evolution study predicts when and where climate change is likely to expose species across the globe to potentially dangerous temperatures.
Scientists have discovered a new species of rare mosasaur in Morocco, adding to evidence of the vast diversity of these marine reptiles 66 million years ago. Scientists have discovered a new species of mosasaur, a sea-dwelling lizard from the age of the dinosaurs, with strange, ridged teeth unlike those of any known reptile.
