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A new study analysing interactions between players in a virtual universe game has for the first time provided large-scale evidence to prove an 80 year old psychological theory called Structural Balance Theory. The research, published today in PNAS , shows that individuals tend to avoid stress-causing relationships when they develop a society, resulting in more stable social networks.

'The friend of my enemy is my enemy': Virtual universe study proves 80 year old theory on how humans interact New research proves paychological theory about society for the first time - News Release A new study analysing interactions between players in a virtual universe game has for the first time provided large-scale evidence to prove an 80 year old psychological theory called Structural Balance Theory.

Oil spills raise arsenic levels in the ocean, says new research Oil spills can increase levels of toxic arsenic in the ocean, creating an additional long-term threat to the marine ecosystem Oil spills can increase levels of toxic arsenic in the ocean, creating an additional long-term threat to the marine ecosystem, according to research published today in the journal Water Research.

Switching off your lights has a bigger impact than you might think, says new study Carbon emission figure used for policy analysis is 60 percent too low - News Release Switching off lights, turning the television off at the mains and using cooler washing cycles could have a much bigger impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power stations than previously thought, according to a new study published this month in the journal Energy Policy .

Researchers overcome major obstacle in transplant treatment to relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease - News Release Issued by the Medical Research Council Embargoed until 1900 UK Time 30 June 2010 Researchers funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Imperial College London have overcome a major obstacle in the development of a transplant treatment which could relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, according to new research published today.

Reversal of fortune for Parkinson's disease transplant treatment Researchers overcome major obstacle in transplant treatment to relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease Issued by the Medical Research Council Embargoed until 1900 UK Time 30 June 2010 Researchers funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Imperial College London have overcome a major obstacle in the development of a transplant treatment which could relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, according to new research published today.

Polio research gives new insight into tackling vaccine-derived poliovirus Research shows virus can be tackled with an existing vaccine A vaccine-derived strain of poliovirus that has spread in recent years is serious but it can be tackled with an existing vaccine, according to a new study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

No link between early childhood cancers and living near mobile phone base station during pregnancy, says study A new study finds no association between a mother living near to a mobile phone base station during her pregnancy and the risk of that child developing cancer before reaching the age of five - News A new study looking at the patterns of early childhood cancers across Great Britain has found no association between a mother living near to a mobile phone base station during her pregnancy and the risk of that child developing cancer before reaching the age of five.

New insights into volcanic activity on the ocean floor New research explains why some parts of the world saw massive volcanic activity while others did not New research reveals that when two parts of the Earth's crust break apart, this does not always cause massive volcanic eruptions. The study, published today , explains why some parts of the world saw massive volcanic eruptions millions of years ago and others did not.

New research shows malaria threat is as old as humanity New research shows that malaria is tens of thousands of years older than previously thought Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council News Release Embargoed until: Thursday 17 June 2010 1700 BST/1200 US eastern New research published today (17 June) by scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) shows that malaria is tens of thousands of years older than previously thought.

Researchers say higher than expected mortality rates may be linked to a decrease in the availability of senior hospital staff at the weekend - News Release For Immediate Release Friday 11 June 2010 People admitted to English hospitals in an emergency at the weekend have, on average, a seven percent higher mortality rate than people admitted between Monday and Friday, according to research published in the journal Quality & Safety in Health Care this week.

Study suggests that children with autism have a different chemical fingerprint in their urine - News Release For immediate release Thursday 3 June 2010 Children with autism have a different chemical fingerprint in their urine than non-autistic children, according to new research published tomorrow in the print edition of the Journal of Proteome Research .

People could help to prevent species of birds from becoming extinct by recording sightings of all kinds of birds online, including common species, according to a new study published today in PLoS Biology . The researchers behind the study, from Imperial College London, are urging the public to become 'citizen scientists' to help prevent today's common bird species from becoming threatened tomorrow.

Study shows that some of the human immune system's defences against the virus that causes dengue fever actually help the virus to infect more cells - News Release Under STRICT EMBARGO for 14. U.S. Eastern Time / 19. UK Time Thursday 6 May 2010 Some of the human immune system's defences against the virus that causes dengue fever actually help the virus to infect more cells, according to new research published today in the journal Science .

Adapted from a press release issued by the University of Leeds Friday 23 April 2010 A team of researchers from Imperial College London and the Universities of Leeds and Oxford has captured the 3D atomic models of a single transporter protein in each of its three main structural states, an achievement that has been a goal of researchers from around the world for over 25 years.

A new decades-long study launches today to investigate whether there is a link between the use of mobile phones and long-term health problems such as cancer. The cohort study on mobile communications (COSMOS) forms part of the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) Programme. The international study will run for 20-30 years and will follow the health of at least 250,000 participants aged 18-69 in five European countries.

Adapted from a news release issued by the Woodland Trust Tuesday 20 April 2010 By Lucy Goodchild Mass observations of frogs spawning have sounded a warning bell not only for the future of the common frog but also for Britain's wildlife more generally. Frogs are so locally adapted that they may not be able to cope with even modest climate change, new research led by Imperial College London has found.

Yeast cells decide whether to have sex with each other within two minutes of meeting, according to new research published today in Nature. One of the authors of the study, from Imperial College London, says the new insights into how yeast cells decide to mate could be helpful for researchers looking at how cancer cells and stem cells develop.

New finding could ultimately lead to drugs that interfere with the switch in order to combat Salmonella and possibly other bacterial infections - News Release Under strict embargo for 14. Eastern Time / 19. London Time Thursday 15 April 2010 A new switch that enables Salmonella bacteria to sabotage host cells is revealed in a study published today in the journal Science .

Creepy crawly cockroach ancestor revealed in new 3D model An early ancestor of the cockroach that lived around 300 million years ago is unveiled in unprecedented detail in a new three-dimensional 'virtual fossil' model - News release An early ancestor of the cockroach that lived around 300 million years ago is unveiled in unprecedented detail in a new three-dimensional 'virtual fossil' model, in research published today in the journal Biology Letters.