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Evidence from Earth's past warming events should be built into forecasts showing how today's climate change could affect different species and ecosystems. Durham's bioscientists were part of an international team of researchers that identified and examined past increases in temperature similar to those anticipated in the coming decades.

With about 60 per cent of the world's primate species threatened with extinction, conservation efforts are now more important than ever. However, research by a team of world-renowned experts in 21 countries including one of our anthropology experts at Durham, has found that conservation measures are hardly ever evaluated, meaning we rarely know which ones work and which ones don't.

Our researchers who are investigating whether specially trained dogs can sniff out Covid-19 in humans are asking people in the North West region of England for help with the trial. The trial will determine whether dogs could be used as a new rapid, non-invasive diagnostic tool for the virus. Before the dogs can be put through their paces, the research team need samples for these super sniffers to carry out their work, and that's where members of the public can help out.

Scientists find new way to kill tuberculosis Our scientists have found a new way to kill the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB). TB is the world's deadliest infectious disease and causes nearly 1.5 million deaths each year. Whilst most cases can be cured with proper treatment, the number of antibiotic-resistant infections are steadily increasing.

Study reveals long-term impact of rugby injuries Rugby players continue to suffer from their high 'injury load' after retirement from the sport. This is according to the first independent study looking at the health of retired rugby players. The researchers, led by our sport and exercise scientists, are calling for governing bodies, to step up their efforts to prevent, in particular, recurrent injuries in rugby and ensure players are supported post-retirement.

Baboons who are used to researcher presence are less tolerant than we thought, according to a new study by our anthropologists. It had been widely presumed that researchers can use habituation to remove the fear that study animals have towards them, leading to animals ignoring people at close range.

Our researchers have helped to find a way of measuring neutron lifetime from space for the first time. The discovery could teach us more about the early universe as knowing the lifetime of neutrons is key to understanding the formation of elements after the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. Scientists used data from NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft.

The mystery behind a painting by a renowned French post-impressionist may have been revealed by new research that has unearthed secrets from his past. Research by our School of Modern Languages and Cultures has given us a new understanding of Pierre Bonnard's relationship with his wife and model Marthe Bonnard, and explains some of the negative stories about her after her death.

The UK Government has awarded a specialist team of researchers more than £500,000 to find out if specially-trained bio-detection dogs could be used as a new rapid testing measure for Covid-19. The initial stage of the research aims to determine whether the dogs are able to detect coronavirus in humans from odour samples.

Professor Jon Gluyas from our Durham Energy Institute explains why this is bad news for the coronavirus effort. Oil prices have plummeted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While the world needs far less oil than it used to, the decline in oil production will have a severe knock-on effect that could hinder efforts to combat COVID-19.

Our researchers have helped record the highest level of microplastics ever found on the ocean floor - with up to 1.9 million pieces in an area of just one square metre. The discovery highlights the problem of plastic pollution in our seas, 99 per cent of which lies beneath the waves. Working as part of an international team the researchers have shown how deep-sea currents act as conveyor belts, transporting tiny plastic fragments and fibres across the seafloor.

Our researchers are the history detectives, unearthing exciting things from our past and helping us learn from our ancestors. We are also the home to important cultural archives available for study. Here's From finding long a lost medieval chapel fit for a king, to discovering documents from our royal past.

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Greenland is losing ice seven times faster than in the 1990s, shows a new study by an international research team including Durham University. The rate of ice loss is in line with the more pessimistic climate warming scenario by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which would see 40 million more people exposed to coastal flooding by 2100.

Durham researchers named among world's best At Durham we've long had a global reputation for the high standard and impact of our research. Now we're celebrating because five of our researchers have been named among the world's best for the quality and influence of their work. The researchers are investigating the origins of the universe, nature-based answers to climate change, and the make-up of the Earth's crust.

The Cosmic Web is believed to contain huge threads of gas that connect multiple galaxies across the universe. Now our astronomers have observed these threads extending over three million light years. This is the first time that the Cosmic Web has been imaged in such detail on large scales joining together several galaxies.

A law against possession of rape pornography, introduced in 2015, is very rarely used with few charges and prosecutions. This is what our researchers have found after analysing data obtained through a Freedom of Information request. Police focus The research shows that during 2015-2017 the vast majority (85 per cent) of extreme pornography charges were for possessing bestiality porn with only one per cent of charges for rape pornography.

Why do our children take so long to grow up, compared to other animals? We all know that humans have big brains. In common with apes, we grow relatively slowly and generally have long lives. What is not yet entirely clear is why we have this slow steady development and live longer than species with smaller brains.

From decarbonising heat to food security and water sustainability, we're working to bring about improvements that will benefit nature and the well-being of the planet. Durham's research is having an impact on the environment and potentially all of our lives. In fact, it's hard to imagine a more important research focus for us than the environment given that all life depends upon it.