news

« BACK

Life Sciences



Results 81 - 100 of 5100.


Life Sciences - Health - 12.08.2024
Hop to it: New research explores the muscle anatomy of frogs in relation to their movement
Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and UCL have uncovered anatomical differences between species of frogs specialising in different locomotor styles. Jumping, swimming, burrowing, walking and climbing frogs were all found to differ significantly in the size of their small hip and shank muscles.

Health - Life Sciences - 09.08.2024
New evidence that brain and body health influence mental wellbeing
Multiple biological pathways involving organs and the brain play a key part in physical and mental health, according to a new study from UCL, the University of Melbourne and the University of Cambridge. The study, published in Nature Mental Health , analysed UK Biobank data from more than 18,000 individuals.

Health - Life Sciences - 08.08.2024
Proteins carried in the blood offer new insights into ageing and age-related disease risk
Researchers at Oxford Population Health have found that proteins carried in the blood offer new insights into ageing and how it influences our risk of developing age-related diseases such as dementia, heart disease, and liver disease later in life. The study is published in Nature Medicine . Chronological age is the most important factor determining risk of disease and death in adults.

Life Sciences - Health - 08.08.2024
Previously unknown genetic causes of colorectal cancer
Previously unknown genetic causes of colorectal cancer
A pioneering study, led by UK universities*, including the University of Oxford, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, the University of Manchester and the University of Leeds, has provided the most comprehensive analysis to date of the genetic makeup of colorectal cancer (CRC). Cancers develop partly through genetic abnormalities within cells of the body.

Life Sciences - 08.08.2024
How ribosomes in our cells enable protein folding
Scientists at UCL have discovered a novel role played by ribosomes during the folding of new proteins in cells, described in their paper in Nature. Ribosomes, the cell's dedicated molecular machines for protein synthesis, make all proteins in life and do so by piecing together one amino acid building block at a time.

Life Sciences - Health - 06.08.2024
Link between chromosomal errors and pregnancy loss in mares
Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), as part of a team from Cornell University, have identified chromosomal errors as a common cause of pregnancy loss in mares. Whilst chromosomal abnormalities are widely acknowledged as a common cause of human miscarriage, responsible for up to 82 per cent of pregnancy loss, there have been limited reports in other species until now.

Health - Life Sciences - 05.08.2024
Ketogenic Diet reduces friendly gut bacteria and raises cholesterol levels
A University of Bath study reveals that ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets can increase cholesterol levels and reduce beneficial gut bacteria. A study from the University of Bath reveals that ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets can increase cholesterol levels and reduce beneficial gut bacteria, specifically Bifidobacterium.

Life Sciences - History / Archeology - 02.08.2024
The rise, fall and revival of research on human development
The rise, fall and revival of research on human development
A new study takes a tour of the history of research into human embryology and development to show the "cycles of attention" that led to major scientific breakthroughs. Analysing the past sheds light on the present resurgence of research on human development. That's the lesson of a new study by Professor Nick Hopwood , from the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, that is published in the Journal of the History of Biology .

Life Sciences - Environment - 30.07.2024
Scientists using new sound tech to save animals from extinction
Scientists are using new technology to help endangered animals by listening to their sounds. The research, conducted by The University of Warwick and the University of New South Wales in Australia, analyses animal sounds from endangered species including types of elephants, whales and birds. It uses a new method adapted from tech used to analyse brain waves in neuroscience.

Life Sciences - Health - 29.07.2024
Could brain parasites be used to treat cognitive disorders?
Scientists have invented a new way to deliver treatment into the brain using a parasite. The study - led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with Tel Aviv University and an international team of researchers, and published in Nature Microbiology - has also made the first successful step in finding out whether the parasites could be engineered for this purpose.

Life Sciences - Health - 25.07.2024
Scientists control bacterial mutations to preserve antibiotic effectiveness
Scientists control bacterial mutations to preserve antibiotic effectiveness
Scientists have discovered a way to control mutation rates in bacteria, paving the way for new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics are given to kill bad bacteria, however with just one mutation a bacteria can evolve to become resistant to that antibiotic, making common infections potentially fatal.

Health - Life Sciences - 25.07.2024
Blood proteins predict the risk of developing more than 60 diseases
Blood proteins predict the risk of developing more than 60 diseases
Proteins in the blood could predict the onset of many diverse diseases, according to a new study involving UCL researchers. The research team, who measured thousands of proteins in a drop of blood, report the ability of protein 'signatures' to predict the onset of 67 diseases including multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, motor neurone disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Life Sciences - 25.07.2024
Size doesn't matter for mammals with more complex brains, according to new study
Size doesn’t matter for mammals with more complex brains, according to new study
New research in Nature Communications investigates the effect of sexual size dimorphism on genome evolution. Mammals that have evolved more developed brains tend to have a smaller size difference between males and females of that species, according to new research in Nature Communications led by the University of Bath.

Health - Life Sciences - 19.07.2024
Turning off inflammatory protein extends healthy lifespan in mice
Turning off inflammatory protein extends healthy lifespan in mice
Scientists have discovered that 'turning off' a protein called IL-11 can significantly increase the healthy lifespan of mice by almost 25%. Researchers in the UK and Singapore have found that targeting the production of a key inflammatory protein in mice can extend their lifespan, reduce age-related disease and make older animals less frail.

Environment - Life Sciences - 17.07.2024
Logged forests can still have ecological value - if not pushed too far
Logged forests can still have ecological value - if not pushed too far
Researchers have analysed data from 127 studies to reveal 'thresholds' for when logged rainforests lose the ability to sustain themselves. The results could widen the scope of which forests are considered 'worth' conserving, but also show how much logging degrades forests beyond the point of no return.

Health - Life Sciences - 17.07.2024
Multiple concussions in rugby players change proteins in their blood
A new study shows that retired rugby players who have suffered multiple concussions have abnormal levels of certain proteins in their blood. This may make them more prone to developing diseases such as motor neurone disease (MND). This is what new research led by our bioscientists has found as part of the UK Rugby Health project.

Health - Life Sciences - 17.07.2024
Scientists make breakthrough in fridge-free storage for vital medicines
Scientists have developed a new approach to store and distribute crucial protein therapeutics without the need for fridges or freezers. The breakthrough, published in the journal Nature , could significantly improve accessibility of essential protein-based drugs in developing countries where cold storage infrastructure may be lacking, helping efforts to diagnose and treat more people with serious health conditions.

Life Sciences - Health - 16.07.2024
First bone marrow model which supports human stem cells
Scientists develop first bone marrow model which supports human stem cells Scientists have created the first bioengineered bone marrow model which can support the type of human stem cells that are crucial for bone marrow transplants and in vitro study work. The research - published in Nature Communications and led by the University of Glasgow - replicates key aspects of the human bone marrow microenvironment, to enable the support of rare long-term hematopoietic stem cells, or LT-HSCs.

Life Sciences - Environment - 16.07.2024
Insight into one of life's earliest ancestors revealed in new study
Insight into one of life’s earliest ancestors revealed in new study
The Last Common Universal Ancestor (LUCA), from which life evolved into bacteria, plants and animals, was older and more complex than previously thought. An international team of researchers, including Dr James Clark from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, has shed light on Earth's earliest ecosystem, showing that within a few hundred million years of planetary formation, life on Earth was already flourishing.

Life Sciences - Health - 12.07.2024
New ways to study spinal cord malformations in embryos
New ways to study spinal cord malformations in embryos
A group of scientists at UCL have successfully created mechanical force sensors directly in the developing brains and spinal cords of chicken embryos, which they hope will improve understanding and prevention of birth malformations such as spina bifida. The study, published in Nature Materials and in collaboration with the University of Padua and the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), uses innovative biotechnologies to measure the mechanical forces exerted by the embryo during its development.