science wire

Sussex bees and blooms on BBC Two this evening
Sussex bees and blooms on BBC Two this evening Sussex researchers will be featured on national TV this evening (Wednesday 22 February).

Head of World Bank to deliver prestigious Roskill Lecture at Churchill College

Life of Italian mafia to be revealed in city performance
The confessions of a Sicilian mobster are to be exposed in a one-off performance of Dacia Maraini's My Name is Antonino Calderone at the mac next week as part of a three-day ‘Italy and the Mafia' spectacle coming to the city of Birmingham.

Planning how to manage your mood can help you succeed this Lent
Planning how to manage your mood can help you succeed this Lent Scientists at the University of Sheffield have warned fasters from allowing a foul mood to lead them to fail to abstain this Lent. Evidence suggests that bad moods can lead us to abandon our dieting goals in favour of eating something nice to cheer ourselves up.

Family history -- a significant way to improve cardiovascular disease risk assessment
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Levers to cut the rate of home repossessions in the UK
Oxford University academics have produced an economic forecasting model which suggests that the rate of home repossessions in the UK in 2011 would have been at least 23 per cent higher had the government not intervened with a range of policies to protect mortgage payers in difficulties.

CUSU Shadowing Scheme 2012: audio slideshow

University of Warwick string quartet go batty for musical premiere of Ping!
Table tennis and classical music may seem a strange mix but the two will come together at the University of Warwick next month for a unique performance as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

Familiarity breeds contempt in cleaner fish
Familiarity with your partner is usually thought to promote teamwork, but new research has found that on coral reefs at least, female cleaner fish are more cooperative with unfamiliar males than their breeding partner.

‘Picture This #17′ – Ezra Pound by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Kettle’s Yard
Jim Ede, creator of Kettle's Yard, acquired the estate of Henri Gaudier-Brzeska after his death and Kettle's Yard now contains one of the largest collections of his work.

Dawkins and Archbishop to discuss origins of nature

Neuroscientists join major EU consortium dedicated to advancing new Alzheimer’s disease therapies
Two Bristol University neuroscientists have become the only UK-based academic members of a major European Union-funded consortium dedicated to accelerating the next generation of Alzheimer's disease research and drug discovery.

Flesh-eating bacteria inspire superglue
A bio-inspired superglue has been developed by Oxford University researchers that can't be matched for sticking molecules together and not letting go.

Under the Microscope #10 – Mouse tail skin
Through the work that I am completing, I hope that I can also gain a perspective as to what goes wrong in disease processes such as skin cancer." —Claire Cox Claire Cox: “

Conservation clusters: making the case
A new study reveals how the gathering together of conservation organisations in one location - a 'conservation cluster' - can work best to reap global rewards.

Recession increases work-related stress by 40 per cent, study finds
One in four workers experience work-related stress in times of recession — and work-related stress increases by 40 per cent overall, according to new research. A study, published in the journal Occupational Medicine , also found that the number of staff taking time off due to job stress increased by 25 per cent during an economic downturn.

King’s Health Partners proposes single organisation
King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is developing a business case for the creation of a new, single academic healthcare organisation which would provide both physical and mental healthcare.

£3.5million funding grant awarded to Creative Community projects
The University of Birmingham has been awarded more than £1,200,000 by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for a creative urban economy project as part of a larger £3.5m investment in three national projects set to support communities and their creative economy.

Sports Minister opens new £6.7m world-class sports facility at Durham University
Sports Minister opens new £6.7m world-class sports facility at Durham University The Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson MP, will today (February 21) open a new £6.7m world-class

Academic debates the place of faith in schools
Senior academic Professor James Conroy, Professor of Religious and Philisophical Education will be taking part in a major debate on the place of "Faith in Schools" at Wednesday 22 February 2012, 5.30-7pm at 61 Whitehall.

Lyrics without music, poetry without borders
A series of recitals organised by poet John Kinsella look at the relationship between song lyrics and poetry, inviting renowned musicians to perform their poetry and lyrics without instruments at Cambridge University.

Search begins for adoption expert to lead new centre
Search begins for adoption expert to lead new centre The University has this week begun its search for an expert to lead a new research centre focusing on the major challenges facing adopted children and their families.

Pluripotent stem cells: medical dream or ethical nightmare?
Paul Fairchild, University of Oxford, to give a public seminar tomorrow, 21 February, discussing this topical issue.

Anatomy in a new dimension
Anatomy studies at Warwick Medical School have been given a technological boost as the University launches a world-first 3D anatomy learning resource in collaboration with its NHS Trust partner, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW).

Dame Elish Angiolini elected next Principal of St Hugh’s

Decline in proboscis monkeys
University researchers and conservationists in Sabah have shown that proboscis monkey populations throughout Borneo may experience population decline if nothing is done to stop their habitat degradation.

Nano discs pose potential health risk
A revolutionary material that is used in computer technology could pose health risks to those involved in its manufacture.

How quickly things spread
Understanding the spread of infectious diseases in populations is the key to controlling them. If the UK was facing a flu pandemic, how could we measure where the greatest spreading risk comes from? This information could help inform decisions on whether to impose travel restrictions or close schools.

The decline of David and Mary: New inventiveness driving the diversification of popular culture
Inventiveness in the naming of babies in the United States suddenly increased in the late 1980s, having changed little during the previous hundred years. A new study from the Universities of Bristol and Durham considers what this tells us about the competing forces at work in popular culture: globalization and local innovation.

The balancing act between protection and inflammation in MS
Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism that could help explain how multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases can be exacerbated by the onset of an infection. MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system which affects approximately 100,000 people in the UK. The research, directed by Bruno Gran at The University of Nottingham , focused on a population of cells of the immune system known as regulatory'T cells, which control and regulate the behaviour of other immune cells.

Nano-enabled nasal spray for osteoporosis
The University of Nottingham spin-out company, Critical Pharmaceuticals, has announced a £545,000 collaboration with the University to develop a nano-enabled intranasal formulation of teriparatide for the treatment of osteoporosis.

The fate of a thin liquid filament
Scientists have solved one of the printing industries greatest challenges - whether a liquid thread will break up into drops.

Graphene enjoys a Royal visit

Building the future with BRICs
A major conference examining how the emergence of Brazil, Russia, India and China as leading world powers should be accommodated by the international community will take place at Cambridge University later this month.

New Director of the Smith School appointed

Many young people still underestimate how much they drink
Many young people still underestimate how much they drink A new University of Sussex-led study reveals that many young people still lack the knowledge and skills required to follow the government's guidelines for responsible alcohol consumption.

British scientist warns AAAS of the threat posed by ocean acidification
One of the country’s leading voices on ocean acidification has addressed a prestigious conference in Canada with a warning that marine biodiversity is at risk due to the corrosive effects of carbon dioxide.

UCL Energy Institute professors announced as government advisors
Professor Tadj Oreszczyn and Professor Paul Ekins (UCL Energy Institute) have been announced as advisors to the Department of Energy and Climate Change's new Energy Efficiency Deployment Office (EEDO).

Under the Microscope #9 – Skate head
Andrew Gillis shows us an embryonic skate head and explains how the red denticles dotted all over it have very similar properties to human teeth.

England takes gold as preparations continue for London 2012
Over the weekend of February 11-12, University of Birmingham Sport (UBSport) alumni headed to the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Sheffield to compete at the UK Indoor Trials and Championship.

Reducing salt in crisps without affecting the taste
Food scientists have found a way of measuring how we register the saltiness of crisps which could lead to new ways of producing healthier crisps — without losing any of the taste. The research by scientists at The University of Nottingham could lead to significant salt reduction in all snack foods.

‘Picture This #16′, Portrait of a pineapple, Fitzwilliam Museum
" What is it? This is an oil painting of a pineapple grown in Sir Matthew Decker's garden in Richmond, Surrey.

SPRU named top UK science and technology think tank
SPRU named top UK science and technology think tank Sussex is home to the UK's number one science and technology think tank, according to a major new report.

Life in conflict

Nursing course first to receive accreditation from national general practice body
A Plymouth University course designed for nurses new to working in general practices has become the first nursing programme to be accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

Finding the maths on your street
A series of walking tours launched next week show how you can discover the maths hidden in our urban surroundings. Anyone can join the free tours of London and Oxford (book your place here ) which explore how cities – their buildings, roads, railways, sewers, and power systems – are all built on mathematical foundations.

Making the leap from ’theory to theatre’
A Leeds professor is one of eight of the UK's most promising leaders in medical health research to be awarded a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) professorship.

Chemists reveal why sea urchins are no easy prey
Nature invented a hi-tech composite material millions of years ago Scientists from the Electron and Scanning Probe Microscopy Unit in the University of Bristol's School of Chemistry were part of an international network of institutes specialising in materials characterisation who have helped solve a decades-long debate on the nature of the sea urchin spine.

Libyans ’would prefer one-man-rule over democracy’
The first ever National Survey of Libya suggests that Libyans would still prefer one-man-rule over alternatives like democracy. The publication of the survey of over 2,000 Libyan people coincides with the anniversary of the first protests triggered by rebel forces against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Pioneering South Yorkshire launches new drug for heart attack victims
Pioneering South Yorkshire launches new drug for heart attack victims Ticagrelor, a new drug that could prevent one in five heart attack deaths, has this month been launched as a new treatment for heart attack victims across South Yorkshire, replacing the standard treatment clopidogrel for many patients admitted to hospital.

The sweet sound of science
Musicians and music-lovers alike are invited to this year's Cambridge Science Festival - the UK's biggest free science festival - which runs from March 12-25 at venues across the University and City.

£9.3 million project to improve oil refining in Russia gets the green light
For Immediate Release Wednesday 15 February 2012 Multi-million pound project to improve sustainability and efficiency of Russian oil industry is given green light A £9.3 million international consortium to make oil refining in Russia more efficient and environmentally sustainable has been given the green light this week.

Sussex builds up expertise in modern history of the Middle East
Sussex builds up expertise in modern history of the Middle East The University of Sussex is set to develop its research base in modern Middle Eastern history, with plans for two new lectureships sitting alongside an upcoming professorial appointment.

Genes may travel from plant to plant to fuel evolution
Genes may travel from plant to plant to fuel evolution Evolutionary biologists at the University of Sheffield and Brown University have documented for the first time that plants pass genes from plant to plant to fuel their evolutionary development. The evolution of plants and animals generally has been thought to occur through the passing of genes from parent to offspring and genetic modifications that happen along the way.

Schools Liaison Officer Diary: Selwyn in Scotland

Professor Muffy Calder appointed as Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland
Background Professor Calder will formal take up her post on March 1. Muffy Calder is Professor of Computing Science and Dean for Research in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow.

Start-up finds online meaning
Software developed at Oxford University that accurately assesses what people mean from what they say online will provide a valuable ‘sentiment analysis' tool for businesses, particularly finance companies.

The mathematics of a heart beat could save lives
What we perceive as the beating of our heart is actually the co-ordinated action of more than a billion muscle cells. Most of the time, only the muscle cells from the larger heart chambers contract and relax. But when the heart needs to work harder it relies on back-up from the atrial muscle cells deep within the smaller chambers (atria) of the heart.

People forage for memories in the same way birds forage for berries
Humans move between ‘patches' in their memory using the same strategy as bees flitting between flowers for pollen or birds searching among bushes for berries.

Finalists to learn debt-busting strategies

University Professor helps to put the depletion of soil carbon on the global radar
University Professor helps to put the depletion of soil carbon on the global radar A professor from the University of Sheffield is helping to highlight the dramatic opportunities and the improvements desperately needed in the way the world manages its precious soils.

New US Gates scholars selected

‘Invisibility’ cloak could protect buildings from earthquakes
University of Manchester mathematicians have developed the theory for a Harry Potter style 'cloaking' device which could protect buildings from earthquakes. William Parnell's team in the University's School of Mathematics have been working on the theory of invisibility cloaks which, until recently, have been merely the subject of science fiction.

Romantic lessons from the Middle Ages
Love is in the air at the Bodleian Library this Valentine's Day, as the stories of epic medieval romances from King Arthur and Guinevere to Tristan and Isolde are on display.

Getting the measure of MRI
A method for imaging the brain that has largely been confined to neuroscience labs may now find its place as a proper tool for medical diagnosis. Oxford University scientists have come up with a new approach that turns functional magnetic resonance imaging ( fMRI ) from something that produces pictures of changes in brain activity into a full numerical measure of how the brain is working.

Under the Microscope #8 – Beetle embryo
The beetle shown in this video has been genetically modified so that the nucleus of each cell is labelled with a fluorescent protein." —Matt Benton Under the Microscope is a collection of videos that show glimpses of the natural and man-made world in stunning close-up.

Boost for supercomputing facilities
A new phase of supercomputing has been launched at the University. David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities and Science, announced the next stage of development of two giant computers, HECToR (High-End Computing Terascale Resources) and BlueGene Q, at an event at the University.

From buskins to brothel-creepers: our love affair with shoes
Tomorrow Cambridge historian Ulinka Rublack will give a public talk that will set footwear at the centre of her argument that in neglecting to explore the history of things we miss a golden opportunity to further our understanding of the past.

Principal appointed to Commission of Future of HE

College composer triumphs at Grammy Awards

Sussex celebrates 50 years in India

University of Glasgow reaches for the stars with launch of Space Glasgow Research Cluster
The University of Glasgow unveiled an ambitious space technology research programme today (Monday 13 February) at an event attended by the Minister of State for Universities and Science, the Rt Hon David Willetts MP.

Elephants’ habitat fragments in Borneo
The home range and movement rate of the Bornean elephants are influenced by the degree of habitat fragmentation, according to a new study by researchers and conservationists. The study, carried out by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Cardiff University and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) -Malaysia was recently published in the scientific journal Public Library of Science One (PLoS 1).

Glasgow-led project delivers 266 new homes in Pakistan’s flood-hit Swat Valley
A University of Glasgow-led project which channelled Scottish Government and other donor funding into Pakistan's flood-hit Swat Valley district has resulted in the construction of 266 new homes.

Plymouth University's Professor Iain Stewart made president of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
He took over the role at the annual general meeting of the society on Thursday 9 February, from The Earl of Lindsay who had been in post since 2005.

Flumes and lasers test elite sportswear
Fabric used to make what is believed to be the fastest swimsuit to ever go on the market was tested Leeds researchers who simulated conditions close to those experienced by elite swimmers. A team led by Sedimentologist Jeff Peakall developed a methodology using lasers and flume tanks contained in a giant black box to accurately measure the speed of fabric through water.

Working to change the world

Imperial signs up to strategic partnership with BBSRC
By Simon Levey Friday 10 February 2012 Scientists hope to deliver advances in biosciences - including food security, bioenergy, ageing and synthetic biology - faster and more cost effectively

‘Smart’ microcapsules in a single step
A new, single-step method of fabricating microcapsules, which have potential commercial applications in industries including medicine, agriculture and diagnostics, has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge. The findings are published Friday (10 February) .

Massacre survivor has arm saved by doctors
A Congolese aid worker who survived a massacre in which seven of his colleagues were killed has had his arm rebuilt in the UK thanks to the plea of a University academic who worked with him.

A mineral way to catalysis?
Recent European legislation has proposed increasingly strict legislative limits on the concentration of NOx that can be emitted by vehicles; therefore the search for new and more efficient catalysts that can capture these molecules and transform them into innocuous gases such as nitrogen and water vapour, is urgently relevant." —Dr Marco Sacchi Catalytic materials, which lower the energy barriers for chemical reactions, are

Challenges to the NHS from ’health tourism’ going unrecognized
The rise of medical tourism presents significant challenges for the NHS according to new work from academics at the Universities of Birmingham and York.

Fund raising boost for The University of Manchester
The UK's leading technology investment manager MTI has confirmed it is actively fundraising for the world's largest unquoted investment fund dedicated to university spin-outs.

Jürgen Moltmann,’the most influential Christian theologian’
Professor Richard Bauckham, Senior Scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, discusses the theologian Jürgen Moltmann.

University community art project to help young adults express their dreams
Internationally renowned artist, Mohammed Ali will be working in partnership with the University of Birmingham's department of Theology and Religion and unemployed young men in Bromford, east Birming

Under the Microscope #7
In this video Ingrid Graz shows us a thin layer of gold on top of rubber. Cracks in the gold allow it to stretch and we can use this for stretchable electronics.

Russia looks to its future
A key advisor to the Russian President has analysed the country's prospects in a University lecture.

Infrastructure revolution
Technology has advanced to the point where the condition of bridges, tunnels and buildings can be monitored in unprecedented detail.

Access Fair highlights Oxford’s outreach work

Cutting ’unnecessary’ antibiotic prescriptions
A major University study which led to long-term reductions in the number of antibiotic prescriptions by Welsh GPs could see 'unnecessary' prescriptions cut by 1.6M per year, if replicated across the UK. The Stemming the Tide of Antimicrobial Resistance or STAR programme was designed by and implemented by experts from the University's School of Medicine's Institute of Primary Care and Public Health and South East Wales Trials Unit (SEWTU) to cut the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for common conditions such as acute cough and sinusitis.

The question of life in the ancient world
Just what was life like in the ancient world? Michael Scott, Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Classics and Research Associate at Darwin College, shares some of his thoughts as he prepares to talk this Friday on 'Life in the Ancient World' as part of the Darwin Lecture series 2012.

Midges 'actively spread' bluetongue epidemic
The midges that spread bluetongue, a devastating livestock disease, across Europe in 2006 weren't ‘passengers' on the wind but actively transported the disease, Oxford University scientists have found. Bluetongue is a non-contagious virus that causes symptoms such as drooling, and swelling of the neck, head and tongue in sheep, cattle, goats, deer and other ruminants.