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Researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Bedfordshire, in collaboration with multinational company ABB, have designed and tested a series of plasmonic nanoantenna arrays that could lead to the development of a new generation of ultrasensitive and low-cost fluorescence sensors that could be used to monitor water quality.

Artificial intelligence researchers at the University of Bath have been awarded €250,000 to conduct a series of unique experiments on how people interact with humanoid robots. Dr Joanna Bryson and her research group in the Department of Computer Science have received the funding from the AXA Research Fund , which supports scientific discoveries that contribute to societal progress.

Imperial scientists have successfully taught robots to perform a challenging brain technique only previously mastered by a handful of humans. Whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, or whole-cell recording (WCR), is the gold-standard technique for studying the behaviour of brain cells called neurons under different brain states such as stress or learning.

Scientists have uncovered a method for improving short-term working memory, by stimulating the brain with electricity to synchronise brain waves. Researchers at Imperial College London found that applying a low voltage current can bring different areas of the brain in sync with one another, enabling people to perform better on tasks involving working memory.

Electronic devices set to become smaller, flexible and highly efficient - following University of Warwick research on 2D materials Researchers measured the electronic structure of stacks of 2D 'wonder' materials - atomically thin, highly conductive, and extremely strong materials - for first time Understanding the electronic structures will allow scientists to find optimal materials for efficient semiconductors in nano-circuitry Gadgets are set

University of Warwick researchers identify a white dwarf pulsar - a star type which has eluded astronomers for half a century Star lashes its neighbour with intense radiation beam every two minutes Research published in Nature Astronomy An exotic binary star system 380 light-years away has been identified as an elusive white dwarf pulsar - the first of its kind ever to be discovered in the universe - thanks to research by the University of Warwick.

Scientists from Imperial have discovered that, contrary to previous understanding, heart scar tissue can conduct electricity following a heart attack. These findings in mice, if confirmed in humans, would have major implications for heart attack survivors, and for patients with an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.

New research that suggests a pre-existing 4G network infrastructure could help drivers make safe decisions in or near accidents has won the 'Best Paper Award' at an international conference. The research carried out by the University of Bristol Communication Systems & Networks (CSN) Group , in collaboration with the Université Blaise Pascal in France, was presented at the international conference Signal Processing, Telecommunications & Computing (SigTelCom) 2017 , supported by IEEE, Newton Fund and British Council.

A team of researchers from the University of Bristol have shown it's possible to create a simplified tractor beam using readily available parts with a total cost of less than £70. Tractor beams are mysterious rays that can grab and attract objects. The concept has been shown in science-fiction movies such as Star Wars or Star Trek and scientists have developed the theory using lasers.

Professor Jim McElwaine of the Department of Earth Sciences talks about new research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface , which has given some of the first detailed measurements of what takes place inside an avalanche. Tell us a bit about the research? The aim of the project was to understand what processes are taking place inside an avalanche as it travels down a mountain.

Scientists have developed a type of HIV test on a USB stick. The device, created by scientists at Imperial College London and DNA Electronics , uses a drop of blood to detect HIV, and then creates an electrical signal that can be read by a computer, laptop or handheld device. The disposable test could be used for HIV patients to monitor their own treatment.

In a new study, researchers measure the spin properties of electronic states produced in singlet fission - a process which could have a central role in the future development of solar cells. Future research will focus on making devices and examining how these states can be harnessed for use in solar cells Leah Weiss Physicists have successfully employed a powerful technique for studying electrons generated through singlet fission, a process which it is believed will be key to more efficient solar energy production in years to come.

An updated Cochrane Review, led by a University of Oxford researcher, provides an independent, rigorous assessment of the best available evidence to date about electronic cigarettes for quitting smoking. The conclusions of this updated Review are unchanged since the last review was published two years ago: electronic cigarettes may help smokers stop their smoking, and the included studies did not find any serious side effects associated with their use for up to two years.

Making an assistive robot partner expressive and communicative is likely to make it more satisfying to work with and lead to users trusting it more, even if it makes mistakes, a new UCL-led study suggests. But the research also shows that giving robots human-like traits could have a flip side - users may even lie to the robot in order to avoid hurting its feelings.

Making an assistive robot partner expressive and communicative is likely to make it more satisfying to work with and lead to users trusting it more, even if it makes mistakes, a new study suggests. But the research also shows that giving robots human-like traits could have a flip side - users may even lie to the robot in order to avoid hurting its feelings.

New research suggests that it is possible to create a new form of light by binding light to a single electron, combining the properties of both. According to the scientists behind the study, from Imperial College London, the coupled light and electron would have properties that could lead to circuits that work with packages of light - photons - instead of electrons.

Engineers from the University of Bristol have developed a new shape-changing metamaterial using Kirigami, which is the ancient Japanese art of cutting and folding paper to obtain 3D shapes. Metamaterials are a class of material engineered to produce properties that don't occur naturally. Currently metamaterials are used to make artificial electromagnetic and vibration absorbers and high-performance sensors.

The inner ear processes low-frequency sounds, important for speech and music perception, differently to high-frequency sounds, new research has found Low frequency sounds, below four kilohertz, are used by human ears for perceiving speech. However, the exact mechanism for how the inner ear processes these important sounds is poorly understood, as the organ is difficult to access in experiments.

Snails reveal how two brain cells can hold the key to decision making Scientists at the University of Sussex have discovered how just two neurons in the brain hold the key to explaining how complex behavioural decisions are made. In the first-of-its-kind study scientists from the University studied the brain activity of freshwater snails and discovered how a circuit comprising of just two neurons can drive a sophisticated form of decision making.

New research shows how silver could solve issues of touch-screen technologies Physicists at the University of Sussex are developing a new material for touch-screen devices that has already proved to be more flexible and to have higher conductivity than current technologies.