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Analysing the diversity of organic compounds dissolved in freshwater provides a reliable measure of ecosystem health, say scientists. Our technique is a very simple way to get a comprehensive overview of what's going on in a particular river or lake. Jérémy Fonvielle The source of pollutants in rivers and freshwater lakes can now be identified using a comprehensive new water quality analysis, according to scientists at the University of Cambridge and Trent University, Canada.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created the world's largest catalogue of human breast cells, which has revealed early cell changes in healthy carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. We're very excited about this discovery, because it opens up potential for a preventative treatment other than surgery for carriers of BRCA breast cancer gene mutations.

New research finds around a quarter of Labrador retriever dogs face a double-whammy of feeling hungry all the time and burning fewer calories due to a genetic mutation. Labradors with this genetic mutation are looking for food all the time, trying to increase their energy intake. It's very difficult to keep these dogs slim, but it can be done.

A galaxy that suddenly stopped forming new stars more than 13 billion years ago has been observed by astronomers. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers led by the University of Cambridge have spotted a 'dead' galaxy when the universe was just 700 million years old, the oldest such galaxy ever observed.

The winds that help to form planets in the gaseous discs of early solar systems have been imaged for the first time by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) using the noble gases neon and argon. Planetary systems like our Solar System seem to contain more rocky objects than gas-rich ones. Around our sun, these include the inner planets, the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt.

Problems with iron levels in the blood and the body's ability to regulate this important nutrient as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection could be a key trigger for long COVID, new research has discovered.

The tone and tuning of musical instruments has the power to manipulate our appreciation of harmony, new research shows. The findings challenge centuries of Western music theory and encourage greater experimentation with instruments from different cultures. There are many more kinds of harmony out there Peter Harrison According to the Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, 'consonance' - a pleasant-sounding combination of notes - is produced by special relationships between simple numbers such as 3 and 4.

Professor Ross King from Cambridge's Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, who originated the idea of a 'Robot Scientist', discusses why he believes that AI-powered scientists could surpass the best human scientists by the middle of the century, but only if AI for science is developed responsibly and ethically.

If all GP practices moved to a model where patients saw the same doctor at each visit, it could significantly reduce doctor workload while improving patient health, a study suggests. In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers from the University of Cambridge and INSEAD analysed data from more than 10 million consultations in 381 English primary care practices over a period of 11 years.

SARS-CoV-2 triggers the production of the antiviral protein IFN- ? , which is associated with fatigue, muscle ache and depression. New research shows that in Long COVID patients, IFN- y production persists until symptoms improve, highlighting a potential biomarker and a target for therapies. We hope that this could help to pave the way to develop therapies and give some patients a firm diagnosis Benjamin Krishna A University of Cambridge-led study identifies the protein interferon gamma (IFN- ?

Cambridge scientists have identified more than one hundred key genes linked to DNA damage through systematic screening of nearly 1,000 genetically modified mouse lines. Continued exploration on genomic instability is vital to develop tailored treatments that tackle the root genetic causes Gabriel Balmus The work, published in Nature, provides insights into cancer progression and neurodegenerative diseases as well as a potential therapeutic avenue in the form of a protein inhibitor.

School uniform policies could be restricting young people from being active, particularly primary school-aged girls, new research suggests. Social norms and expectations tend to influence what they feel they can do in these clothes. Unfortunately, when it comes to promoting physical health, that's a problem Esther van Sluijs The University of Cambridge study used data about the physical activity participation of more than a million five-to-17-year-olds internationally.

Researchers have developed a sensor made from 'frozen smoke' that uses artificial intelligence techniques to detect formaldehyde in real time at concentrations as low as eight parts per billion, far beyond the sensitivity of most indoor air quality sensors. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, developed sensors made from highly porous materials known as aerogels.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey have uncovered the first direct evidence that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet shrunk suddenly and dramatically at the end of the Last Ice Age, around 8,000 years ago. The evidence, contained within an ice core, shows that in one location the ice sheet thinned by 450 metres - that's more than the height of the Empire State Building - in just under 200 years.

Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet that our brains can compensate for age-related deterioration by recruiting other areas to help with brain function and maintain cognitive performance. Now that we've seen this compensation happening, we can start to ask questions about why it happens for some older people, but not others - is there something special about these people? Ethan Knights As we age, our brain gradually atrophies, losing nerve cells and connections and this can lead to a decline in brain function.

The Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT), co-led by Professor Emily So, today publishes its findings and recommendations. Our field work and remote analysis revealed many issues, including the issue of non-compliant buildings with little seismic resilience.

Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Western Australia have uncovered the importance of hydrothermal vents, similar to underwater geysers, in supplying minerals that may have been a key ingredient in the emergence of early life. Their study , published in Science Advances , examined 3.5-billion-year-old rocks from western Australia in previously unseen detail and identified large quantities of a mineral called greenalite, which is thought to have played a role in early biological processes.

The springtime emergence of vast swarms of cicadas can be explained by a mathematical model of collective decision-making with similarities to models describing stock market crashes. Pick almost any location in the eastern United States - say, Columbus Ohio. Every 13 or 17 years, as the soil warms in springtime, vast swarms of cicadas emerge from their underground burrows singing their deafening song, take flight and mate, producing offspring for the next cycle.

Cambridge scientists may have discovered a new way in which fasting helps reduce inflammation - a potentially damaging side-effect of the body's immune system that underlies a number of chronic diseases. Our work adds to a growing amount of scientific literature that points to the health benefits of calorie restriction Clare Bryant In research published in Cell Reports , the team describes how fasting raises levels of a chemical in the blood known as arachidonic acid, which inhibits inflammation.

Two Cambridge-led studies suggest that the psychological distress caused by lockdowns (UK) and experience of infection (US) was reduced among those of faith compared to non-religious people. People of religious faith may have experienced lower levels of unhappiness and stress than secular people during the UK's Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, according to a new University of Cambridge study released as a working paper.