Physicists are getting closer to controlling single-molecule chemical reactions - could this shape the future of pharmaceutical research? Controlling matter at the atomic level has taken a major step forward, thanks to groundbreaking nanotechnology research by an international team of scientists led by physicists at the University of Bath.

Around 32% of people who have had prior damage from lung diseases will die after five years if they also get a common fungal infection, a major global review has found. The review also finds that 15% of people with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) die in the first year following other lung diseases.

Scientists are calling for changes to chemistry textbooks after discovering a fundamental aspect of structural organic chemistry has been incorrectly described for almost 100 years. The team from Cardiff University's School of Chemistry, dispute the long-held belief that alkyl groups - a chemical group consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms arranged in a chain - donate electrons to other parts of a molecule.

The first computer algorithm capable of identifying which tumour cells are driving aggressive cancer growth has been developed by Cancer Research scientists from UCL and The Francis Crick Institute. The innovative algorithm, called SPRINTER*, analyses individual cells within a tumour to identify those that are growing the most rapidly.

Labelling lone bananas as 'sad singles' tugs at shoppers' heartstrings and increases sales by 58 percent. Faced with a pile of loose, unsold single bananas, retailers can motivate customers to buy overlooked fruit by giving it emotional appeal, according to new research from the University of Bath's School of Management.

New research has revealed how tiny soil microbes are impacted by extreme weather events, offering new insights into the risks posed by climate change. As extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and freezes become more common due to global heating, understanding how soil microbes - critical for healthy ecosystems - respond is crucial.

Large language models, a type of AI that analyses text, can predict the results of proposed neuroscience studies more accurately than human experts, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The findings, published in Nature Human Behaviour , demonstrate that large language models (LLMs) trained on vast datasets of text can distil patterns from scientific literature, enabling them to forecast scientific outcomes with superhuman accuracy.

Modern humans, Neanderthals, and other recent relatives on our human family tree evolved bigger brains much more rapidly than earlier species, a new study of human brain evolution has found. The study, published in the journal PNAS , overturns long-standing ideas about human brain evolution. The researchers found that brain size increased gradually within each ancient human species rather than through sudden leaps between species.

New research has pinpointed key cells that could be targeted to prevent painful rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups, offering potential new hope to millions of people with the condition world-wide. The important new findings are published in the journal Immunity and highlight the potential to use dendritic cells as early markers to predict a rheumatoid arthritis flare-up, hopefully paving the way for more patients to achieve sustained remission.

Around 43% of NHS workers who took part in a recent study have considered leaving their role or taking early retirement. The national study, published today in Lancet Europe, also discovered a striking link between suffering from symptoms of depression, anxiety or PTSD, and wanting to leave healthcare.

The number of important routine health checks taking place since the pandemic has substantially reduced in England, with implications for missed diagnosis and increased health inequalities.

Scientists from the University of Manchester have uncovered the secrets behind one of nature's quirkiest plants - the squirting cucumber. While most plants rely on external forces such as animals, wind, or water to spread their seeds, this cucumber - scientifically known as Ecballium elaterium - launches them at high speed in a pressurised jet, sending seeds over 10 metres from the parent plant.

Infants whose mothers regularly use language to describe what their child is thinking or feeling, have higher levels of the hormone oxytocin, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. Oxytocin, a hormone that is involved in a range of psychological processes, plays an important role in social relationships, such as the development of the bond between a parent and child, and the formation of trust, and social understanding, across the lifespan.

A study led by the University of Glasgow has revealed differences in the brains of paediatric and adult patients' that might explain the sometimes catastrophic outcomes seen in children following a traumatic brain injury. In findings published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the researchers found first pathological evidence that the pattern of damage to blood vessels after a severe brain injury appears to be age-dependant.

New research reveals public discreditation is the most common tactic used across all three sectors to intimidate researchers New research from the University of Bath shows researchers in the tobacco, ultra-processed food (UPF) and alcohol sectors are frequently targeted with identical intimidation tactics.

An Imperial-led study has highlighted how rare variants of a gene regulating the gut lining may increase the risk of MIS-C by up to four times. Scientists have uncovered genetic variants which help to explain why some children with mild COVID-19 go on to develop a severe inflammatory condition weeks after their infection.

People with photosensitive epilepsy could benefit from a prototype pair of glasses with lenses that block out wavelengths that are known to cause seizures in some people. In a study published in Cell Reports Physical Science , researchers from the University of Glasgow and University of Birmingham have developed a prototype of a liquid crystal lens that they believe could help photosensitive epilepsy sufferers.

A new study by researchers in the UK and Denmark, published in Digital Health , provides the first publicly accessible analysis of global downloads for menstrual tracking apps. While the market for menstrual tracking apps is rapidly growing, there have been no large-scale analyses about why users download these apps, and particularly few studies on their use in the Global South.

A new study by researchers in the UK and Denmark, published in Digital Health , provides the first publicly accessible analysis of global downloads for menstrual tracking apps. While the market for menstrual tracking apps is rapidly growing, there have been no large-scale analyses about why users download these apps, and particularly few studies on their use in the Global South.

Researchers from our top-rated Psychology department have discovered that social bonding behaviours in chimpanzees, like grooming and play, can spread through groups much like contagious yawns or laughter in humans. Observing chimpanzees at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia, scientists found that individuals were more likely to start grooming or playing after seeing others engage in the same behaviour.