Software untangles genetics linked to common ancestry

Aston University has worked with international partners to develop a software package which helps scientists answer key questions about genetic factors associated with shared characteristics among different species. Called CALANGO (comparative analysis with annotation-based genomic...

AI disease testing platform developed for military use

Drive to improve the UK’s capability to manage and treat personnel affected by virulent infectious agents. A portable prototype of an AI-powered disease testing platform for the military is being funded by the Defence and...

New materials could lead to implantable treatments for epilepsy

A prospective cure for one type of epilepsy could be one step closer,                  using flexible brain implants. Bioengineering researchers from the University of Glasgow have investigated new...

NETPark – A Jewel in the region’s business crown

NETPark is a globally significant science park where innovation is the order of every day. It is where thinkers go to think, inventors go to invent, and doers go to do. In the almost 20...

Revealed: the first wiring map of neurons in insect brain

Researchers have built the first ever map showing every single neuron and their wiring in the brain of the fruit fly larva. This huge step forwards in science will ultimately help us understand the basic...

New ‘gene therapy factory’ opens

A new Clinical Biotechnology Centre (CBC) has opened in Bristol to expand the UK’s ability to develop and manufacture new gene and cell therapies. The Centre will make products for the development of potentially curative...

Oxford biotech firm secures £13.2m to develop world’s first treatment for rare, incurable and...

SynaptixBio, whose aim is to treat the genetic central nervous system disease TUBB4A-related leukodystrophy, has successfully raised £11.05m in its latest funding round to add to the £2.125m of seed funding from the last...

Games and stimulation mitigate cognitive decline in older adults

Older people may be able to boost their working memory with a new approach that couples online therapeutic games with a non-invasive brain stimulation technique. Working memory is critical for people to function well in...

‘Avatar’ motion tech aids advances in disease research

AI and motion capture technology are helping track the progression of rare genetic diseases affecting movement - and could ultimately be used to monitor common medical conditions like strokes. In two ground-breaking studies, published in...

AI-powered simulations pair drugs with cancer patients

Finding solutions to complex diseases is top of the agenda for a collaboration between a leading UK innovation engine and a Budapest-based biotech firm. Cancer Research Horizons is part of Cancer Research UK, the world’s...

Synthetic routes to pharmaceuticals greatly expanded’

Crystallographers provide medicinal chemists with 1,800 additional pharmaceutical building blocks, leading to new and more effective treatments. A search of the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) has found nearly 1800 conglomerate crystal structures — molecules that...

Do AI models and the human brain process things in the same way?

Deep Neural Networks – part of the broader family of machine learning – have become increasingly powerful in everyday real-world applications such as automated face recognition systems and self-driving cars. Researchers use Deep Neural Networks,...

Look into my eyes – and learn!

The average octopus may be shy and retiring - but they do know how to pull a party trick! Whether swimming by jet propulsion, blasting inky chemicals at enemies, or changing skin to blend...

Plastic film can kill viruses using room lights

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have developed a ground-breaking plastic film that can kill viruses on its surface with room light. The self-sterilising film is the first of its kind; it is low-cost to produce,...

Health WildCard winner builds library of biological profiles

Digital digital health company iLoF has received $5m in funding to accelerate its mission of improving access to personalised medicine for millions of people living with complex diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. Initially backed by EIT...

First genetic links revealed in ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome study

Techbio company PrecisionLife has unveiled the first detailed genetic insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). This is the first time that replicable genetic findings have been reported in over 30...