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New genetic research has revealed how British otters were able to recover from species loss in the 1950s with the help of their counterparts from Asia. Using genome sequencing data, a team from Cardiff University's Otter Project showed that much of the genetic diversity of British otters was lost when chemical pollution led to severe population declines in the 1950-1970s.

Researchers find that babies don't begin to process phonetic information reliably until seven months old which they say is too late to form the foundation of language. We believe that speech rhythm information is the hidden glue underpinning the development of a well-functioning language system. Professor Usha Goswami Parents should speak to their babies using sing-song speech, like nursery rhymes, as soon as possible, say researchers.

Slow waves that usually only occur in the brain during sleep are also present during wakefulness in people with epilepsy and may protect against increased brain excitability associated with the condition, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL.

Levels of banned chemicals in UK-stranded orcas are 30 times over the toxic threshold, uncovers new research. Levels of banned chemicals in UK-stranded orcas are 30 times over the toxic threshold, uncovers new research. The finding is just one alarming discovery from the investigation into the scale at which chemical pollution threatens the future of marine mammals.

One in 200 newborns is admitted to a neonatal unit with sepsis caused by a bacteria commonly carried by their mothers - much greater than the previous estimate, say Cambridge researchers. The team has developed an ultra-sensitive test capable of better detecting the bacteria, as it is missed in the vast majority of cases.

Researchers at Bath have developed a way of joining up the head and tail of a protein, making it more stable and easier to get into cells. Published on Tuesday 28 November 2023 Last updated on Tuesday 28 November 2023 Scientists at the University of Bath have used nature as inspiration in developing a new tool that will help researchers develop new pharmaceutical treatments in a cleaner, greener, and less expensive way.

Contrary to the commonly-held view, the brain does not have the ability to rewire itself to compensate for the loss of sight, an amputation or stroke, for example, say scientists from the University of Cambridge and Johns Hopkins University.

Cambridge scientists have shown that placing physical constraints on an artificially-intelligent system - in much the same way that the human brain has to develop and operate within physical and biological constraints - allows it to develop features of the brains of complex organisms in order to solve tasks.

A new study has identified the molecular defects underlying a complex developmental brain condition in children. The team, led by UCL and including Imperial College London researchers, investigated the role of a specific regulatory protein in the brain known as acyl-CoA-binding domain-containing protein 6, or ACBD6.

A hunger hormone produced in the gut can directly impact a decision-making part of the brain in order to drive an animal's behaviour, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The study in mice, published in Neuron , is the first to show how hunger hormones can directly impact activity of the brain's hippocampus when an animal is considering food.

A new machine learning tool from Imperial could help researchers track animal behaviour and pave the way for more AI use in the biological sciences. Biologists often study large numbers of animals to collect data on collective and individual behaviour. New machine learning tools promise to help scientists process the huge amount of data this work generates more quickly while lessening workload.

Consistent daily patterns of exercise and rest can synchronise the local body clocks associated with joints and spine with the brain clock, potentially helping individuals to maintain skeletal health, improve athletic performance and avoid injury, research by University of Manchester scientists has argued.

Left-handedness is not linked to better spatial skills, despite some previous evidence of a performance gap, according to a large international study led by UCL and University of York researchers. The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B , also sheds light on how left-handedness varies by country, with the highest rates in the Netherlands and lowest in China.

Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial. From bendy X-rays that could one day improve airport scans and cancer detection, to a psychedelic substance that could treat mental health disorders, here is some quick-read news from across Imperial. Bendy X-ray detectors New materials developed at the University of Surrey involving Imperial College London researchers could pave the way for a new generation of flexible X-ray detectors, with potential applications ranging from cancer treatment to better airport scanners.

A UK-based team from Imperial College London and the University of Nottingham have produced a synthetic chromosome for a yeast cell. A team of scientists, led by Professor Tom Ellis of Imperial College London and Dr Ben Blount from the University of Nottingham , have built a synthetic version of yeast's Chromosome XI.

Scientists have engineered a chromosome entirely from scratch that will contribute to the production of the world's first synthetic yeast. Researchers in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) at The University of Manchester have created the tRNA Neochromosome - a chromosome that is new to nature.

Academics and zookeepers in Scotland have teamed up to tackle a tall order: designing the world's first interactive enrichment system for giraffes. Academics and zookeepers in Scotland have teamed up to tackle a tall order: designing the world's first interactive enrichment system for giraffes. Researchers from the University of Glasgow collaborated with animal keepers at Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park to develop prototype devices which would allow the park's five giraffes to trigger sounds on demand.

Research on neighbouring chimpanzee communities in the forests of West Africa suggests a warfare tactic not previously seen beyond humans is regularly used by our closest evolutionary relatives. Tactical warfare is considered a driver of human evolution Sylvain Lemoine Chimpanzees use high ground to conduct reconnaissance on rival groups, often before making forays into enemy territory at times when there is reduced risk of confrontation, a new study suggests.

A new analysis of the bones and muscles in ancient fish gives new clues about how the shoulder evolved in animals - including us. The shoulder girdle - the configuration of bones and muscles that in humans support the movement of the arms - is a classic example of an evolutionary 'novelty'. This is where a new anatomical feature appears without any obvious precursors; where there is no smoking gun of which feature clearly led to another.

The bodies of starfish and other echinoderms are more like heads, according to new research involving the University of Southampton. The research, published today [1 November] in Nature , helps to answer the mystery of how these creatures evolved their distinctive star-shaped body, which has long puzzled scientists.