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Wealth of orchid varieties is down to busy bees and helpful fungi, says study Orchids form intimate relationships with insect pollinators and underground fungi, which help them thrive and broaden their varieties Monday 31 January 2011 For immediate release Scientists have discovered why orchids are one of the most successful groups of flowering plants - it is all down to their relationships with the bees that pollinate them and the fungi that nourish them.

Scientists find key protein that suppresses prostate cancer growth in the laboratory Research on proteins leads towards potential new prostate cancer treatments Cancer researchers have discovered an important protein, produced naturally inside cells, that appears to suppress the growth of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory.

Hunt for dark matter closes in at Large Hadron Collider Imperial physicists celebrate the latest results from the CMS particle detector at CERN, which are better and faster than expected - News Wednesday 26 January 2011 Physicists are closer than ever to finding the source of the Universe's mysterious dark matter, following a better than expected year of research at the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) particle detector , part of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC ) at CERN in Geneva.

A curious contagious cancer, found in dogs, wolves and coyotes, can repair its own genetic mutations by adopting genes from its host animal, according to a new study in the journal Science . Scientists at Imperial College London have uncovered an unusual process that helps the cancer survive by stealing tiny DNA-containing 'powerhouses' (known as mitochondria) from the cells of the infected animal, to incorporate as its own.

Contagious cancer thrives in dogs by adopting host's genes Imperial scientists have found that an unusual contagious cancer adopts genes from its dog host to help it survive Thursday 20 January 2011 A curious contagious cancer, found in dogs, wolves and coyotes, can repair its own genetic mutations by adopting genes from its host animal, according to a new study in the journal Science .

Planck unveils wonders of the Universe Astronomers reveal galaxy clusters and distant cold objects from space. Adapted from a news release issued by the UK Space Agency Monday 17 December 2010 Scientists working on Europe's Planck spacecraft have released the mission's first new findings this week in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics , revealing the coldest objects in the Universe in greater detail than ever before.

Scientists find the 'master switch' for key immune cells in inflammatory diseases Study suggests new way of treating people with autoimmune diseases Scientists have identified a protein that acts as a "master switch" in certain white blood cells, determining whether they promote or inhibit inflammation.

You only live once: our flawed understanding of risk helps drive financial market instability Our flawed understanding of how decisions in the present restrict options in the future means that we may underestimate the risk associated with investment decisions, according to new research - News release Our flawed understanding of how decisions in the present restrict our options in the future means that we may underestimate the risk associated with investment decisions, according to new research by Dr Ole Peters from Imperial College London.

FReD helps explain how a bee sees Researchers have developed a database that shows how colours appear to bees - News Adapted from a news release issued by Queen Mary, University of London Thursday 16 December 2010 Bees can see colours but they perceive the world differently to us, including variations in hue that we cannot distinguish with the naked eye.

Catch a falling star and find out where it came from Second meteorite in Australian desert revealed by 'star gazing' cameras ? News Tuesday 13 December 2010 by Colin Smith Scientists are celebrating the discovery of a second meteorite in the Western Australian desert using 'star gazing' cameras. The images from the cameras will reveal the space rock's original orbit in the Solar System.

New research centre will bridge the gap between academia and health policy The Centre for Health Policy, which aims to turn high quality research into evidence-based policy innovations, has been launched at Imperial College London. Monday 13 December 2010 A new centre that aims to turn high quality research into evidence-based policy innovations has been launched at Imperial College London today.

Genome of barley disease reveals surprises Scientists have sequenced the genome of a major fungal disease that affects barley and other cereal crops Scientists have sequenced the genome of a major fungal disease that affects barley and other cereal crops, a breakthrough that could lead to significant advances in our understanding of how plant diseases evolve.

Secondhand smoke increases risk of invasive meningococcal disease in children Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to get invasive meningococcal disease than children who are not exposed, according to a metaanalysis published in PLoS Medicine - News Tuesday 7 December 2010 Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to get invasive meningococcal disease than children who are not exposed, according to a metaanalysis published today in the journal PLoS Medicine.

'Space-time cloak' to conceal events revealed in new study Cloak allows objects to move undetected, according to a paper in the Journal of Optics - News release Scientists have developed a recipe for manipulating the speed of light as it passes over an object, making it theoretically possible to 'cloak' the object's movement so that an observer doesn't notice, according to a paper in the Journal of Optics .

X-rays illuminate the mechanism used by HIV to attack human DNA Imperial scientists have made an important advance in understanding how retroviruses infect human cells. Thursday 12 November 2010 Adapted from a news release issued by Diamond Light Source. Scientists from Imperial College London have used data collected at Diamond Light Source , the UK's national synchrotron facility, to advance the understanding of how HIV and other retroviruses infect human or animal cells.

Quantum computers a step closer to reality thanks to new finding Quantum computers may be much easier to build than previously thought, suggests a new study in Physical Review Letters Quantum computers should be much easier to build than previously thought, because they can still work with a large number of faulty or even missing components, according to a study published today in Physical Review Letters .

Researchers peer into distant galaxies using cosmic zoom lenses Astronomers discover new way of finding cosmic lenses using European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory Adapted from a news release issued by the STFC Friday 5 November 2010 Astronomers have discovered a new way of finding cosmic zoom lenses, which allow astronomers to peer at galaxies in the distant Universe, using the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory.

Full-term babies are born with a key collection of networks already formed in their brains, according to new research that challenges some previous theories about the brain's activity and how the brain develops. Researchers led by a team from the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College London used functional MRI scanning to look at 'resting state' networks in the brains of 70 babies, born at between 29 and 43 weeks of development, who were receiving treatment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Arthritis drugs could help prevent memory loss after surgery, study suggests Anti-inflammatory drugs currently used to treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis may also help prevent cognitive problems after surgery, according to a new study. Imperial College London Press Release Monday 1 November 2010 Anti-inflammatory drugs currently used to treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis may also help prevent cognitive problems after surgery, according to a new study by researchers at Imperial College London and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Study of babies' brain scans sheds new light on the brain's unconscious activity and how it develops Researchers find that full-term babies are born with a key collection of networks already formed in their brains Full-term babies are born with a key collection of networks already formed in their brains, according to new research that challenges some previous theories about the brain's activity and how the brain develops.