Research
Genes could ensure right sepsis treatment, faster
Sepsis patients could be treated based on their immune system’s response to infection, not their symptoms.
New research uncovers how different people respond to sepsis based on their genetic makeup, which could help identify who would benefit from certain treatments...
First UK trial of Deep Brain Stimulation for children with epilepsy
A 13-year-old boy has made history as the first patient in the UK to take part in a clinical trial using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat epilepsy.
Since the procedure, Oran’s daytime seizures have decreased by 80%, significantly improving...
Robotic ‘nerve cuffs’ could treat neurological conditions
Researchers have developed tiny, flexible devices that can wrap around individual nerve fibres without damaging them.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have combined flexible electronics and soft robotics techniques to develop the devices, which could be used for the...
Partnership to advance ALS research
A new collaboration is working to expand applications of DNA break-mapping technology and advance understanding of genomic instability in the development of neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The research is being undertaken by Broken String Biosciences (“Broken String”), a genomics...
Funding boost for UK pharma – how the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund can help you
Karim Budabuss, Director of Grant Advisory, ForrestBrown, explains what firms need to know about funding eligibility and the application process.
As is the case for many sectors, inflation and high interest rates are increasing the cost of doing business in...
High-performance temperature control for Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical engineering
We are LAUDA – the world leader in precise temperatures. Our constant temperature equipment and systems are at the heart of important applications, contributing to a better future.
As a full-service provider, we guarantee the optimum temperature in research, production...
Sensors made from ‘electronic spider silk’ can be printed directly on human skin
Researchers have developed a method to make adaptive and eco-friendly sensors that can be directly and imperceptibly printed onto a wide range of biological surfaces, from a finger to a flower petal.
The method, developed by researchers from the University...
New research into microplastics and nanoplastics urgently needed due to ‘significant’ health threat
A new metastudy published in Cambridge Prisms: Plastics by Cambridge University Press, has identified a body of evidence demonstrating the negative impact of microplastics and nanoplastics (MPs and NPs) on human health and identifying the limitations of current research.
‘Mitochondria...
Limiting damage from an asthma attack could stop disease
Scientists at King’s College London have discovered a new cause for asthma that sparks hope for treatment that could prevent the life-threatening disease.
Most current asthma treatments stem from the idea that it is an inflammatory disease. Yet, the life-threatening...
The cell that remembers allergies
Researchers have made a ground-breaking discovery: a new cell that remembers allergies.
The discovery gives scientists and researchers a new target in treating allergies and could lead to new therapeutics, according to research published in Science Translational Medicine, which coins...
Calculating risk scores for Alzheimer’s
A new epigenetics collaboration has been announced between Sheffield Hallam University and PharmaKure, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing precision medicines for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The partnership will focus on ‘gene-based environmental biomarkers’, known as epigenetic...
Concussion: 7-year study funded by US Defense Department
University of Birmingham experts will lead a major research programme involving hundreds of people across the UK which aims to transform the way concussion is identified and managed.
The seven-year contract by the U.S. Department of Defense has a potential...
Technology unscrambles microbe chatter
Using a database of over 60,000 microorganisms curated by researchers from across the globe, a new search tool instantly matches microbes to the metabolites they produce.
This is the claim of researchers from University of California San Diego, who collaborated...
Unravelling the DNA dilemma: A new chapter in rare disease research
‘Hope is not lost’ for the 50 per cent of people with undiagnosed rare diseases, says UK genomics expert Neil Ward, of PacBio. New technologies can provide more accurate, in-depth data on the genome, and help reveal the underlying...
Brain scan tech takes major step forward
Advanced MRI scanners being developed by University of California Berkeley will allow doctors and scientists to see the brain in greater detail than ever before, which could lead to ground-breaking treatments for brain disorders such as degenerative diseases, schizophrenia...
Major study describes brain pathology of domestic violence
A major international brain autopsy study of women who had experienced intimate partner violence reveals substantial damage in the brain, but no evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the neurodegenerative disease recognised among contact sports athletes who sustain repeated...
Growing microtumours in a dish hailed as ‘rapid way to identify tumour genes’
Researchers have identified a new way to screen genes that cause several different types of cancers to grow, identifying particularly promising targets for precision oncology in oral and esophageal squamous cancers.
The study, published in Cell Reports, used 3-dimensional models...
Genomics leads fight against antimicrobial resistant typhoid
A genomic survey of typhoid fever in Zimbabwe has shown how the bacteria behind recent outbreaks evolved extra levels of antimicrobial resistance.
Researchers from the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Quadram Institute and University of East Anglia were part of the...
Forget sweet dreams – sweet genes could explain why a bad night’s sleep makes you older
Parents of newborns might feel like they have aged a few years in those early months of sleepless nights. Now, scientists at the University of Leicester are investigating whether the secret to both a long and healthy life is...
Velvet Worm slime could inspire sustainable synthetic materials
Fibers produced from the slime exhibit a strength akin to nylon, yet they can dissolve in water and be reconstituted into new fibers.
n the tropical, temperate forests it calls home, the velvet worm uses a projectile “slime” to capture...
Unlocking the secret strength of marine mussels
Discovery may lead to medical advances in bio-implants, wearable sensors, & more.
How do you create strong, yet quick-release connections between living and non-living tissues? This is a question that continues to puzzle bioengineers who aim to create materials that...
Organ functions of the human yolk sac revealed
The role of the human yolk sac in supporting early embryonic development and the first wave of the prenatal immune system has been mapped in a study published in Science.
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Newcastle University, Cambridge Stem...
Tackling critical health challenges in space
New research by The University of Manchester will enhance the power of bioprinting technology, opening doors to transform advances in medicine and address critical health challenges faced by astronauts during space missions.
Bioprinting involves using specialised 3D printers to print...
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 components), it has the potential...
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 Security Accelerator (DASA).
It is being...
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 dissolvable coatings which could help...
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 years since it opened NETPark...
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 principles by which signals travel...
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 therapies for currently incurable diseases,...
Oxford biotech firm secures £13.2m to develop world’s first treatment for rare, incurable and deadly disease
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 two years. Both rounds have...