The ICAM is a successful partnership between bp, The University of 99久久精品, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Since its launch in 2012, the ICAM has supported research ranging from PhD-led exploratory projects to large-scale strategic initiatives involving multiple teams. The Centre has strengthened research capabilities, fostered interdisciplinary collaboration and provided students and early career researchers with valuable experience working alongside bp experts. Its model embeds bp Mentors within project teams, ensuring research remains industrially relevant and accelerates translation from laboratory to application.

The ICAM鈥檚 Next Chapter

Building on more than a decade of interdisciplinary research in materials science, the ICAM will continue to make a difference in today鈥檚 energy systems and help build tomorrow鈥檚, while aligning with bp鈥檚 strategic interests and technology roadmaps.

The ICAM鈥檚 research supports bp鈥檚 ambition to be a net zero company and to help get the world to net zero by 2050 or sooner by improving understanding of materials, processes and energy systems that can lower emissions and enhance performance. Recent examples include research on sustainable catalysts for CO鈧� conversion through the ICAM's EPSRC Prosperity Partnership on Sustainable Catalysis for Clean Growth, and work to develop better modelling tools for sustainable aviation fuel.

In recent years, the ICAM has welcomed additional expertise from associate members including Cardiff University and Johnson Matthey, both central to its previously mentioned Prosperity Partnership as well as University College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds, University of Sheffield and University of Texas at Austin.

In its next chapter, the ICAM will continue to exemplify what can be achieved when industry and academia work together to address energy challenges.

Routine monitoring of fibre release is considered essential for designing more sustainable textiles and informing policies aimed at reducing pollution at source. However, existing methods are time consuming, prone to bias and vulnerable to contamination. 

By adapting industrial dyeing techniques used in textile manufacturing and combining them with established microplastic analysis methods, the research bridges fashion technology and environmental science to overcome these barriers. The result is a faster, more reliable way to measure microfibre emissions under real world conditions such as washing and mechanical stress. 

The researchers say the method could support better eco-design of textiles, improve testing standards and inform future regulation 鈥� including policies such as extended producer responsibility. It may also help guide the development of technologies designed to capture fibres, such as washing machine filters. 

鈥淚f we want to reduce microfibre pollution, we need reliable ways to measure it,鈥� Dr Allen added. 鈥淭his approach opens the door to routine testing that reflects what鈥檚 really being released into the environment 鈥� not just what鈥檚 easiest to see.鈥�

The study, published today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), describes how the research team, led by Professors and , used directed evolution to develop a bespoke aminotransferase, a type of enzyme, to significantly accelerate the manufacturing process and reduce production costs. This new biocatalytic route has the potential to improve global access to this important medicine.

Lenacapavir, recently approved by the FDA and MHRA, is a twice鈥憏early injectable drug that has shown extremely high levels of protection in pre鈥慹xposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trials. Royalty鈥慺ree licence agreements are already in place to enable generic manufacturers to supply Lenacapavir to 120 lower鈥慽ncome countries, yet the high cost of producing its active pharmaceutical ingredient remains a major barrier to widespread availability.

A sustainable route to a complex molecule

Made up of four distinct building blocks, Lenacapavir鈥檚 highly functionalised central core is a very challenging building block to synthesise. This core is constructed from a chiral amine that can exist in two mirror-image forms (like a left and a right hand). The handedness 鈥� or chirality 鈥� is important in pharmaceuticals as only one form of the molecule will work as intended.

Currently, Lenacapavir is made via traditional multi-step chemical synthesis, but due to the central core鈥檚 chirality and challenging molecular structure it is a costly and time-consuming process. Biocatalysis offers significant potential for faster and cheaper production.

To achieve this, the MIB team focused on using directed evolution 鈥� a method that speeds up nature鈥檚 trial-and-error evolution process 鈥� to develop an enzyme that could catalyse the target reaction to produce the chiral amine core. Using an approach known as substrate walking, the researchers began with an aminotransferase that showed no detectable activity on the desired substrate. Over eight rounds of directed evolution, involving screening more than 12,000 enzyme variants, they installed ten mutations that progressively unlocked activity, improved stability and reshaped the active site of the enzyme so that it could accept the central amine core鈥檚 bulky ketone precursor.

The final enzyme performed exceptionally well, converting 98% of the starting substrate, producing a yield of more than 90% with a purity of over 99% enantiomeric excess (e.e.) meaning that the correct chiral form was produced. The researchers also tested the enzyme under industrially relevant conditions showing its potential to work at scale.

The team also used X-ray crystallography to create a detailed 3D picture of the improved enzyme showing how the molecular changes arising from evolution allowed the enzyme to accept the substrate and transform it into the target product. Understanding the enzyme鈥檚 structure helps scientists unpick its mechanism of action which allows them to improve future enzyme design campaigns.

Towards large鈥憇cale implementation

The team is now collaborating with industrial partners to translate the methodology from laboratory scale to industrial biomanufacturing. The details of this new manufacturing route are also freely available for companies to use. Any company interested in producing Lenacapavir via this new process can contact to request free samples of the enzyme. If implemented at scale, the process could enable a shorter, cleaner and more economical production route for Lenacapavir, supporting ambitions to make long鈥慳cting HIV prevention accessible worldwide.

Computational simulations of mathematical models of fluid flow are essential for everyday applications ranging from predicting the weather to the assessment of nuclear reactor safety. The advent of this simulation capability over the past 50 year has revolutionised the development of fuel-e铿僣ient aeroplanes and sail configurations on racing yachts can now be optimised in real time, providing the marginal gains needed to win races in the Americas Cup.

Optimised aerodynamics means that modern day cyclists can ride faster, golf balls fly further and Olympic swimmers consistently set world records. Computational fluid dynamics also enables the modelling of the flow of blood in the human heart, making the provision of patient-specific surgery possible.

Scientists and engineers rely on computer-based simulations to understand, predict, and design these systems that they can鈥檛 easily test in real life. But traditional fluid鈥憇imulation methods often require hours or even days of computation, and struggle when the flow becomes fast or highly complex. 

Machine鈥憀earning鈥慴ased simulations, once trained, can make these assessments almost instantly. Instant feedback would allow rapid design testing, real鈥憈ime adjustments, and rapid testing variation without the usual computational burden.

The findings were published in the

The study uses the stability of fluid motion as the foundation for a new method that predicts how complex systems behave. Instead of relying on costly laboratory experiments, solutions to the fundamental equations of fluid motion are generated numerically. This allows the machine-learning model to be trained on accurate, high-quality data drawn directly from physics, demonstrating that the model can accurately handle challenging simulations.

A key focus of the work is identifying bifurcation points 鈥搕he moments when a smooth, steady flow (laminar flow) suddenly begins to change 鈥� similar to calm, evenly flowing river as it hits an obstruction, or splits and fluids start to mix and form eddies. Laminar flow is when a liquid behaves in a smooth and orderly way, like pouring honey, the flow is consistent and steady.

By successfully using a machine鈥憀earning model to identify the points at which a system changes behaviour or in this case bifurcates, the study suggests that, with further refinement, machine鈥憀earning鈥慴ased models could become a practical alternative to traditional fluid鈥憁odelling techniques in the future.

Professor Silvester added: "This marriage of old and new approaches holds the promise of efficient computation of physically realistic fluid flows in a myriad of practical situations. The development of refined mathematical models of complex fluids is likely to be critically important if the promise of AI is to be effectively realised in the future.鈥�

Published in Science, the team demonstrated the first atomic鈥憆esolution imaging of atomic behaviour at solid鈥搇iquid interfaces in a broad range of non鈥慳queous (organic) solvents. Previous high鈥憆esolution liquid imaging techniques were largely limited to water, but the new technique works with a wide range of liquids beyond water, dramatically expanding the range of chemical processes that can be studied at the atomic scale, including key enabling technologies for the green energy transition.

Transmission Electron Microscopy is one of the only techniques that can image individual atoms, using a highly focused electron beam to probe inside structures, but it requires a high vacuum 鈥� making it impossible to study liquid processes. The 99久久精品 team overcame this long鈥憇tanding challenge by building 鈥渘ano鈥慳quariums鈥�: nanoscale liquid cells made by sealing tiny pockets of test liquids, each just 100 attolitres, a billion times smaller than a raindrop, between ultra鈥憈hin graphene windows just a few atoms thick. The graphene is strong enough to protect the liquid from the vacuum, yet almost completely transparent, allowing the electron beam to pass through.

Using an advanced electron microscope at the electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC) national facility, the team captured videos of gold atoms at the graphene鈥搇iquid interface to compare five industrial solvents. The resulting videos show individual atoms hopping between sites, pairing up into groups of two and three, and clustering into larger nanoparticles with the measured behaviour sensitive to the choice of liquid. An AI鈥慹nabled automated analysis workflow allowed the researchers to individually 鈥渢rack鈥� more than a million gold atoms across the five solvents, enabling extraction of truly statistically significant information 鈥� a far cry from most atomic鈥憆esolution imaging papers, which typically draw conclusions by observing only tens or hundreds of atoms.

鈥淲atching individual atoms move in liquids is incredibly exciting, like having a front鈥憆ow seat to chemistry in action,鈥� said Sam Sullivan鈥慉llsop, postdoctoral researcher at 99久久精品 and first author. 鈥淏y tracking more than a million atoms, we can move beyond isolated snapshots and finally see how liquids shape atomic behaviour.鈥�

Our images are clear enough to resolve both the gold atoms and the graphene lattice beneath them,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hat lets us understand not just where the atoms move, but why: how they interact with the surface and why they tend to 鈥減air up鈥� into small clusters during their random motion.鈥�

A key innovation was sealing the cells while fully submerged in liquid using a thin ceramic cantilever to manipulate the graphene crystals. Previous approaches suffered from significant evaporation during the sealing step, causing huge fluctuations in the concentrations of test liquids. The new technique enables precise control of what goes inside 鈥� essential for making fair comparisons between liquids.

, who developed the fabrication process, explained, 鈥淭he trick is sealing the cells while they are submerged within the liquid itself. Doing it this way means you know exactly what sample you are looking at 鈥� and it works for nearly every solvent, not just water.鈥�

Individual gold atoms are a promising catalyst for green chemistry but preventing them 鈥渃lustering鈥� into bigger particles has always been challenging. Using their new platform, the team investigated how both the choice of solvent (which controls dispersion in the liquid) and the drying kinetics (which lock in the final structure) together determine whether the final catalyst contains the individually separated gold atoms required for high performance. In particular, acetone 鈥� a common solvent 鈥� combined low polarity with a low boiling point and surface tension, helping gold atoms remain separated during both the liquid phase and drying, whereas higher鈥慴oiling solvents (e.g., cyclohexanone) and water tended to yield larger particles. The structural findings were confirmed by catalyst testing by collaborators at the University of Cardiff鈥檚 Catalysis Institute.

However, the new technique has potential for significant impact in fields outside catalysis. Many crucial processes, from fuel cells and batteries to filtration and precious鈥憁etal recovery from e鈥憌aste, happen at solid鈥搇iquid interfaces. Until now, scientists mostly relied on ensemble measurements that can obscure atomic鈥憇cale complexity; watching individual atoms in liquids changes that.

, who led the research, commented, "It's remarkable how much we still don't understand about how atoms behave at solid鈥憀iquid interfaces, given how fundamental these processes are to modern technology. Now we can watch what's actually happening, understand why, and use that insight to design better materials and processes."

The research involved collaboration between The University of 99久久精品, Cardiff University, Sheffield University, and the ePSIC national microscopy facility at Diamond, combining expertise in electron microscopy, 2D materials fabrication, catalysis, and computational modelling. With the platform now established, the team is already applying it to questions in clean energy technologies and recovery of metals from e鈥憌aste.

This research was published in the journal Science.

Full title: Atomic-resolution imaging of gold species at organic liquid-solid interfaces.

DOI:

Professor Zara Hodgson FREng is an internationally recognised expert in nuclear energy policy and research, and Director of the University鈥檚 Dalton Nuclear Institute. She has been appointed to support the NDA 2026 Review, which has been commissioned by the Government to provide assurance on the NDA鈥檚 performance and governance, and to make recommendations on improvements.

The Review is led by Dr Tim Stone CBE, a senior expert adviser to five previous Secretaries of State in two successive UK governments and the Chair of Nuclear Risk Insurers. Professor Hodgson will join a team of three other independent experts to support Dr Stone.

The review will focus on the NDA鈥檚 strategic planning and management, project and programme delivery, and financial management. It will assess how effectively the NDA delivers value for money for the taxpayer while maintaining the highest standards of safety, transparency and governance across the UK鈥檚 civil nuclear legacy. Reviewers will challenge current practices, propose bold value-for-money recommendations, and highlight good practice while identifying areas for improvement.

Professor Hodgson is a Professor of Nuclear Engineering at The University of 99久久精品 and has played a pivotal role in recent UK Government interventions to grow the UK鈥檚 nuclear fuel production capability. Her work has supported the UK鈥檚 Net Zero ambitions, strengthened energy security and helped build more resilient nuclear supply chains. At 99久久精品, she leads contributions to national nuclear programmes through high impact research, education and training, and independent advice.

Professor Hodgson鈥檚 appointment reflects The University of 99久久精品鈥檚 leadership in nuclear research and policy, and its long-standing role in providing independent expertise to inform national decision-making.

One object that caught the eye of researchers at The University of 99久久精品 was a simple drinks can. When crushed while filled with liquid, it behaves completely differently from an empty one. Instead of collapsing suddenly, it produces an ordered sequence of circular rings that appear one by one.

But it turns out there鈥檚 more going on than just a satisfying visual. Published in the journal , the 99久久精品 team has discovered that the formation of corrugations follows a rare mathematical process - and the discovery could have implications for safety across multiple industries.

Lead researcher, , PhD researcher at The University of 99久久精品, said: 鈥淢ost of us have stamped on an empty can and watched it collapse instantly. But a full can behaves completely differently. It forms one buckle after another in an orderly fashion, until the whole can is wrapped in evenly spaced corrugations. We were fascinated and wanted to understand what was driving that behaviour 鈥� particularly as liquid-filled containers are found everywhere in our day-to-day lives.鈥�

To find out, the researchers combined laboratory experiments with a type of mathematical modelling typically used to study natural pattern formation, such as water ripples or wave formations.

They discovered that the sequence of buckles is anything but random. Because the liquid inside the can is almost incompressible, it changes the way the aluminium can carries force.

鈥淎 standard can usually starts to buckle near the middle,鈥� explained , Reader in Nonlinear Dynamics at The University of 99久久精品. 鈥淏ut tiny variations in shape or size of the can, can shift where the first ring appears. After that, however, the physics takes over, and the sequence becomes extremely predictable. As the can compresses, the metal softens and then stiffens again 鈥� this cycle naturally forms the rings. Even changes in the can鈥檚 internal pressure don鈥檛 alter the overall pattern much. That tells us that the buckling sequence is a fundamental property of any liquid-filled cylinder made from metal, not just a quirky effect of a drinks can.鈥�

The team discovered that this step-by-step pattern matches a mathematical process known as homoclinic snaking - a phenomenon where bumps or ripples appear one by one in a precise, controlled order. Although mathematicians have suggested that this 鈥榮naking鈥� could underpin the buckling of cylinders, uncovering its trace in a real physical system is exceptionally rare.

The findings could also have far broader implications. Liquid-filled metal cylindrical shells are used throughout modern engineering 鈥� in industrial storage, transportation, construction, energy systems, and even in parts of rockets.

Yet, despite their ubiquity, engineers have lacked a clear understanding of how these structures might buckle when compressed.

, Royal Society University Research Fellow at The University of 99久久精品. said: 鈥淯nderstanding the exact sequence of buckles could help engineers spot the early warning signs of failure long before a system collapses. That could lead to safer designs, better monitoring techniques, and more reliable structures in a whole range of industries. It might even open up possibilities for manufacturing. For example, it could be possible to create corrugated cans after filling without needing a mould.鈥�

Building more reliable AI molecular models

Machine鈥憀earned potentials (MLPs) are widely used to approximate quantum mechanical behaviour in molecules, but most existing models become unstable when molecules experience heat, movement or structural distortion. This makes long, reliable simulations extremely difficult to achieve.

The 99久久精品 team 鈥� Bienfait Kabuyaya Isamura, Olivia Aten, Mohamadhosein Nosratjoo and 鈥� has solved this long鈥憇tanding challenge by integrating deep physical knowledge directly into their model. 

The researchers built a new AI model using Gaussian process regression, to understand how atoms in a molecule naturally behave. To do this, they fed the model detailed information about how atoms interact in real life, based on the rules of quantum physics, to help the AI make more realistic predictions about how each part of a molecule should move.

They also discovered that a small mathematical choice, called the 鈥減rior mean function鈥�, affected the stability of the model; with this function in place, the AI had the correct 鈥渟tarting point鈥� to create and sustain a stable model even when a molecule is stretched, heated or shaken.

A smarter way to keep molecules from breaking down

Unlike conventional approaches, the new model uses real-world physical principles to prevent atoms from collapsing together or flying apart when the molecule enters high鈥慹nergy states. This enables reliable simulations even far beyond room temperature.

The team demonstrated the model鈥檚 robustness with 50 independent simulations, each lasting 10 nanoseconds, totalling 0.5 microseconds of stable dynamics, a milestone rarely achieved by machine鈥憀earning force fields. Even highly flexible molecules such as aspirin, serine and glycine remained stable throughout.

The model was also able to repair distorted structures and accurately reproduce known conformations, such as those of alanine dipeptide, a key benchmark molecule in computational chemistry.

Beyond stability, the model is computationally efficient, running on standard CPU hardware at speeds comparable to or faster than leading neural鈥憂etwork-based potentials that require high鈥慹nd GPUs.

The research opens up new opportunities for simulations in extreme environments, condensed matter and biomolecular systems where long鈥憈imescale accuracy is essential. The team is now extending the approach to include electron correlation effects and develop more transferable descriptors.

Building on existing collaboration, the partnership aims to address both immediate and longer-term challenges across the water industry, including climate resilience, water quality, wastewater management and resource optimisation.  

The partnership comes at an important time for the sector, as it undergoes rapid transformation in response to climate change, population growth, and an evolving policy and regulatory environment. The University will support this challenge by providing research-driven solutions that support water quantity and quality for communities and the environment.

Under the MoU, the University and United Utilities will expand engagement across strategic innovation priorities, aligning academic expertise with company needs and opportunities, to deliver tangible, real-world impact.

On a visit to the University, the group toured the robotics lab based in the University鈥檚 flagship engineering building, observing some of the cutting-edge robotics equipment that is being developed for real-world applications.

Recent collaborative projects between the two organisations include the use of robotics for water network inspection, and a digital twin for the GMCA Integrated Water Management Plan.

Sarah Sharples, Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, said: "This partnership marks an important step in uniting academic excellence with industry expertise to address the evolving challenges of the water sector. Together, we aim to drive innovation opportunities that benefit students, research, and society."

Dr Louise Bates, Director of Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange at The University of 99久久精品, said: 鈥淐ollaboration between The University of 99久久精品 and United Utilities dates back to 2006, and in recent years it has really grown through joint research and student-focused activities. This has created a strong foundation for us to build on through this new Memorandum of Understanding.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Jo Harrison, Director of Asset Management at United Utilities, said: 鈥淲e are passionate about securing resilient services for the North West, both now and for the future.

"This partnership builds on a strong foundation of collaboration and gives us an exciting opportunity to bring together world-class academic insight with practical, real-world experience. By combining our strengths, we can make a meaningful and lasting difference on the ground, helping to deliver a stronger, greener and healthier North West for generations to come.鈥�

Solving mechanistic models of natural environments is notoriously time鈥慶onsuming and often unstable under diverse real鈥憌orld conditions. To overcome this, the team trained AI 鈥渆mulators鈥� to reproduce the behaviour of an existing mechanistic model that describes carbon cycling in ocean sediments. Once trained, these emulators could then be applied globally to predict dissolved organic carbon behaviour at a resolution and scale that were not feasible using the original numerical model alone.

The study reveals that 11% of the particulate organic carbon arriving at the seafloor is returned to seawater as dissolved organic carbon, while 24% is sorbed onto minerals. Strikingly, about half of all solid鈥憄hase organic carbon in the upper metre of marine sediments appears to originate from dissolved carbon that has been sorbed onto minerals. These findings provide the first global quantification of dissolved organic carbon cycling within sediments and highlight its significance within Earth鈥檚 long鈥憈erm carbon budget.

In developing the modelling framework, the researchers compared deep learning architectures, random forest models and simpler feedforward artificial neural networks. Unexpectedly, the simplest algorithms produced the most accurate predictions. The team confirmed these results by validating emulator outputs against low鈥憆esolution global maps, where the mechanistic model remained numerically solvable, as well as against algebraic solutions for variables with known analytic expressions. They also found that increasing the complexity of the neural network structures consistently reduced prediction accuracy, offering rare empirical support for the Principle of Parsimony, also known as Occam鈥檚 Razor, within AI model development.

These insights have important implications for climate science. Quantifying carbon budgets across the sediment鈥搘ater interface is essential for understanding global climate dynamics but has historically been hindered by computational limitations. By providing a fast, scalable and accurate way to represent sediment carbon processes, the new AI鈥慴ased framework can be integrated into global circulation models and used to explore potential ocean鈥慴ased climate change mitigation strategies. The research opens new avenues for simulating and testing how marine carbon reservoirs may respond to environmental change in the coming decades.

Read further papers related to this research:

• Preservation of organic carbon in marine sediments sustained by sorption and transformation processes
  DOI:
• Potential use of engineered nanoparticles in ocean fertilization for large-scale atmospheric carbon dioxide removal
  DOI:
• Long-term organic carbon preservation enhanced by iron and manganese
  DOI:

Current drug delivery methods often struggle to target anti cancer treatments precisely at tumour sites, leading to unwanted effects elsewhere in the body. 99久久精品鈥檚 snail inspired robots aim to change this by delivering therapies only where they are needed, with highly targeted, region-specific precision.

By reliably anchoring themselves within malignant tissues and releasing their therapeutic cargo in a controlled manner, the robots are expected to increase drug bioavailability at tumour sites, significantly reduce off target toxicity and improve patient outcomes.

The project 鈥� funded through UKRI鈥檚 Cross Research Council Responsive Mode (CRCRM) scheme, which supports emerging research that transcends disciplines 鈥� aims to transform colorectal cancer treatment by enabling highly targeted drug release directly at tumour sites.

Drawing inspiration from the slow, controlled and highly adaptable movements of snails and slugs, the research team will mimic the animals鈥� unique slime based locomotion, powered by rhythmic muscular waves and adhesive mucus, to engineer mini robots capable of navigating the gastrointestinal tract with exceptional accuracy.

Snail locomotion has long intrigued evolutionary biologists and roboticists, but its biomechanics remain under explored. This project will generate the first high resolution experimental datasets on snail movement, mucus interactions and foot actuation, enabling the team to build advanced digital simulations and machine learning driven control systems.

These biological insights will underpin the design of a new class of biocompatible soft robots, constructed from peptide based bionanomaterials that can be finely tuned at the molecular level. Engineered to respond to benign external triggers such as magnetic fields, the materials will enable non invasive, remote control of the robotic devices once inside the body.

The project will also create a multiscale digital twin simulation framework, integrating biomechanics, robotics, bionanomaterials and cancer biology. This virtual testing environment will accelerate design optimisation, reduce laboratory costs, and allow researchers to model robot鈥搕issue interactions before clinical translation.

While the primary goal is to deliver advances in colorectal cancer treatment, the technology has potential applications far beyond oncology. The soft robots could serve as alternatives to capsule endoscopy, offer new solutions for environmental and industrial microrobotics, and enable safer operation in complex environments - from pipe inspection to sustainable agri food systems.

The project reflects The University of 99久久精品鈥檚 leadership in engineering biology and its commitment to pioneering research with real world health impact.

Read further papers related to this research:

• Charge Directed Selective Co鈥怉ssembly of Ionic Complementary Peptide Binary Mixtures
  DOI:
• Harnessing 3D microarchitecture of pterosaur bone using multi-scale X-ray CT for aerospace material design
  DOI:
• Scalability of resonant motor-driven flapping wing propulsion systems
  DOI:
• The extracellular-regulated protein kinase 5 (ERK5) enhances metastatic burden in triple-negative breast cancer through focal adhesion protein kinase (FAK)-mediated regulation of cell adhesion
  DOI:
• Energy and time optimal trajectories in exploratory jumps of the spider Phidippus regius
  DOI:

Announced on Tuesday (24 March), the Russell Group鈥檚 24 leading universities, including The University of 99久久精品, set out plans to train more than 181,000 students in subjects critical to health and care by 2030 鈥� an increase of more than 15%. This includes doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives delivering frontline care, alongside engineers, social scientists and technology specialists whose expertise is increasingly essential to improving today鈥檚 healthcare services.

The University of 99久久精品 already educates around 3,000 medical and dentistry students, and Russell Group universities in the North West collectively train over 17,000 people in the skills we need for a healthier future.  

The commitment will also support the growth of life sciences companies, helping to bring new treatments, technologies and high-skilled jobs to communities across the country.

While expanding training, universities will also work to remove barriers so that more students from disadvantaged backgrounds can access medical and health careers. This includes expanding initiatives, such as targeted gateway courses, summer schools and mentoring that make health and care careers more open to students from all backgrounds.

At The University of 99久久精品, the commitment builds on a long-standing focus on widening participation and supporting regional skills needs, particularly across Greater 99久久精品 and the North West.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of 99久久精品, who is chairing the Russell Group working group behind the commitment, said: 鈥淥ne thing that distinguishes Russell Group universities 鈥� like The University of 99久久精品 鈥� is our unique combination of groundbreaking discovery research and our role in training the health workforce of the future.

鈥淥ur commitment is to training 181,000 graduates in health and care-related subjects by 2030, a 15% increase; increasing access for students from all backgrounds to join these vital professions; and supporting the growth of life sciences and innovation to help create high-skilled jobs and attract investment into communities.

鈥淎nd we鈥檙e going to do it in partnership with the NHS and the patients, families, workers, industries and communities we serve. It鈥檚 about ensuring that the work of our universities translates into meaningful, real-world impact.

鈥淭here is more to do, but this represents an important step forward.鈥�

The University of 99久久精品 recently formed a new partnership with Wigan & Leigh College and the Greater 99久久精品 Colleges network to place PhD researchers into Further Education classrooms, helping to strengthen teaching in priority subjects such as engineering, digital skills and STEM. The programme helps colleges with specialist expertise, while giving postgraduate researchers valuable teaching experience and building stronger links between further and higher education.

Other recent initiatives include hands-on pharmacy workshops and Healthcare Careers Pathway Days, offering students opportunities to meet professionals, visit campus and gain practical advice on applications.

The University also runs , such as Lancashire Access Medics and the , designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds into medicine.

While delivering on these commitments, Russell Group universities will for the first time convene a nationwide series of community engagement events.

The University of 99久久精品 will host an in-person roundtable event bringing together partners from across the region to explore the future of the healthcare workforce. It will focus on how The University of 99久久精品 can work with the health ecosystem in Greater 99久久精品 to expand inclusive pathways into health careers and secure a strong and sustainable pipeline of talent for the NHS.

Led by the University鈥檚 Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub (SEERIH), the Great Science Share for Schools encourages pupils aged 5鈥�14 to ask, investigate and share scientific questions that matter to them. By placing curiosity at the centre of learning, it supports the development of scientific literacy, creativity and confidence from an early age empowering children to see themselves as active participants in science.

Its reach and inclusivity are among its greatest strengths and Great Science Share for Schools continues to build global momentum. In 2025 alone, more than 845,000 young people from over 4300 schools in 52 countries took part, with around 50% of participants located in areas of high socio-economic deprivation. This reflects the initiative鈥檚 position as a worldwide leader in child-centred science engagement and its strong commitment to widening access and ensuring science is accessible to all, regardless of background.

The University continues to play a central role in this growth. In 2025, during the programme鈥檚 10^thanniversary year, we welcomed over 35 schools from across Greater 99久久精品 onto campus for hands鈥憃n science activities that connected children directly with our colleagues, facilities and scientific community.

With the campaign having received patronage of the UK National Commission for UNESCO in 2024, 2025 and 2026, focus is now on the global growth of GSSfS. With its inclusive, non-competitive and collaborative approach, the format is easily translatable to 5鈥�14-year-olds across the globe to ask a scientific question, investigating it and sharing it in various means of communication.

Great Science Share for Schools provides opportunities for university academics and research to feature in the campaign through the resources produced each year. The campaign has also worked closely with 99久久精品 Museum staff and the University鈥檚 Creative 99久久精品.

The impact of Great Science Share for Schools over the past decade was recently recognised in a feature in the , which highlighted the programme鈥檚 99久久精品 roots, its global influence and its success in empowering hundreds of thousands of children to explore the world around them. By nurturing curiosity, confidence and a lifelong love of science, the initiative continues to demonstrate the power of meaningful engagement with young learners.

• Further information can be found here on the .
• Please contact us if you are interested in collaborating on the campaign.
• See the full article in the 

The result is the first particle discovery made using the upgraded LHCb detector, a major international project involving more than 1,000 scientists across 20 countries. The UK made the largest national contribution to the upgrade, with significant leadership from 99久久精品.

The newly observed 螢_cc鈦� is a heavier relative of the proton, which was famously discovered in 99久久精品 by Ernest Rutherford and colleagues in 1917-1919. The proton contains two up quarks and a down quark. The new discovery replaces the up quarks with their heavier relatives the charm quarks. It also extends a legacy begun in the 1950s, when 99久久精品 physicists were the first to identify a member of the 螢 (Xi) particle family.

Professor Chris Parkes, head of the University鈥檚 Department of Physics and Astronomy, led the international collaboration during the installation and first operation of the LHCb Upgrade detector. He also led the UK contribution to the project for over a decade, from approval through to delivery.

The 99久久精品 LHCb group designed and built key components of the upgraded tracking system, the silicon pixel detector modules assembled in the University鈥檚 Schuster Building. These detectors are central to precisely reconstructing the particle decays in which the 螢_cc鈦� signal was observed.

said: 鈥淩utherford鈥檚 gold鈥慺oil experiment in a 99久久精品 basement transformed our understanding of matter, and today鈥檚 discovery builds on that legacy using state鈥憃f鈥憈he鈥慳rt technology at CERN. Both milestones demonstrate just how far curiosity driven research can take us. This discovery showcases the extraordinary capability of the upgraded LHCb detector and the strength of UK and 99久久精品 contributions to the experiment.鈥�

, from The University of 99久久精品, who led the silicon detector module production, added: 鈥淭he detector is a form of 鈥榗amera鈥� that images the particles produced at the LHC and takes photographs 40 million times per second. It utilises a custom designed silicon chip that also has a variant for use in medical imaging applications.鈥�

The 螢_cc鈦� particle was identified through its decay into three lighter particles (螞_c鈦� K鈦� 蟺鈦�), recorded in proton鈥憄roton collisions at the LHC in 2024, the first year of full operation of the LHCb Upgrade experiment. A clear peak of around 915 events was observed at a mass of 3619.97 MeV/c虏, consistent with expectations based on a previously discovered partner particle, the 螢_cc鈦衡伜.

This observation resolves a question that had remained open for more than two decades since an unconfirmed claim of the observation of this particle was made. The particle has now been discovered by LHCb at a mass incompatible with this earlier claim and a mass that is compatible with the theoretical expectations based on the partner particle.

In the next phase of the LHC programme, The University of 99久久精品 is playing a leading role in LHCb Upgrade 2, which is planned to take advantage of the High-Luminosity LHC accelerator. 

Professor Parkes added: "This discovery highlights the exciting scientific opportunities ahead as we prepare for the next generation of upgrades. Continued UK involvement in LHCb Upgrade 2 will be key to ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of particle physics."

Details of the 螢_cc鈦� discovery are presented at the Rencontres de Moriond Electroweak conference.

SATURN-2 (Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear) builds on the success of the original , doubling its size and introducing expanded training pathways across the entire nuclear fuel cycle. The programme will recruit around 50 PhD/EngD students per year for the next four years, delivering just under half of the 500 high skill nuclear doctoral graduates the UK is estimated to need by 2030.

The programme brings together seven universities: The University of 99久久精品 (lead), The University of Liverpool, Lancaster University, The University of Strathclyde, The University of Sheffield, The University of Leeds, and Bangor University. These universities represent more than 70% of the UK鈥檚 nuclear academic community and deliver expertise across the entire nuclear fuel cycle.

Backed by 拢8 million of industrial co鈥慽nvestment and 拢4 million from university partners, SATURN-2 represents one of the most significant UK investments in advanced nuclear skills in over a decade.

The programme also maintains a strong regional base across the North West, North Wales and Scotland, home to the UK鈥檚 most concentrated cluster of nuclear industry, research facilities and workforce.

, SATURN CDT Director from The University of 99久久精品 said: 鈥淭his Doctoral Focal Award reflects the success of the original SATURN Centre for Doctoral Training and its important role in supporting the government鈥檚 ambitions for Nuclear. Building on that foundation, SATURN-2 will expand the programme significantly, while continuing to deliver world-leading training for the next generation of specialists the UK needs in this sector. We are proud to lead this collaboration with outstanding partners across the UK.鈥�

Meeting critical UK skills needs

The UK Government鈥檚 Strategic Defence Review and National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills highlight an urgent shortage of high skill nuclear scientists and engineers, with an estimated 120,000 workers needed by the 2030s, including a rapidly depleting cohort of subject matter experts.

SATURN-2 directly addresses this challenge by training specialists across:

• Nuclear fuel manufacture and performance
• Reactor science, engineering and operations
• Decommissioning and waste management
• Fusion鈥慺ission interfaces
• Digital engineering, robotics and AI in nuclear contexts

Students will benefit from an enriched training programme including a three鈥憁onth residential bootcamp, specialist modules across the partner institutions, international experiences at leading laboratories, and secondments into industry, national labs and government agencies.

Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair at UKRI鈥檚 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council said: 鈥淭he UK's nuclear sector is central to our national security, clean energy ambitions and economic future. Meeting those challenges demands a new generation of researchers and innovators with the technical expertise to make a real difference. 

鈥淯KRI doctoral focal awards are a proven way to develop that talent. They bring together academic excellence, industry partnerships and cohort-based learning to give doctoral students the skills and experience to make an immediate impact in the nuclear workforce.  

鈥淭hese new nuclear focal awards, developed in partnership with government, will continue building the research base that the UK's national security and clean energy future depends on.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

A proven pipeline into the nuclear workforce

Over 15 years of predecessor CDTs, Nuclear First, Next Generation Nuclear, GREEN and SATURN, the consortium has trained more than 300 doctoral researchers, with exceptionally strong career outcomes.

High鈥憀evel destination data shows that:

• 75% of graduates now work directly in the nuclear industry
• 18% progressed into education or academia
• 5% are employed in nuclear鈥憆elevant government roles

These figures demonstrate the CDT鈥檚 sustained role as the UK鈥檚 most effective route for producing nuclear subject matter experts.

Exceptional industrial engagement

SATURN-2 is supported by 22 industry partners spanning the civil, defence and advanced nuclear sectors, including Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, AWE, EDF, UK NNL, Urenco, Framatome, AtkinsR茅alis and Rapiscan.

Industrial partners have committed:

• 48 co鈥慺unded studentships
• ~拢4 million of in鈥慿ind support (supervision, placements, facilities, equipment, training)

Industry demand for SATURN trained researchers continues to rise, demonstrating trust in the consortium鈥檚 ability to deliver highly employable graduates ready for the most complex national nuclear challenges.

Supporting additional national doctoral centres

In addition to leading SATURN鈥�2, The University of 99久久精品 is also a supporting partner in several of the newly funded Centres for Doctoral Training announced alongside SATURN鈥�2, including:

• RAPTOR (Radiation Protection, Nuclear Safety and Environmental Sustainability), led by the University of Liverpool
• DRIVERS (Developing Researchers with an Interdisciplinary Vision for Engineering Reactor Systems), led by Imperial College London
• PANDA (Programme for Accelerating Nuclear Development and Applications), led by Bangor University

The work reflects the University鈥檚 wider role in strengthening the UK鈥檚 national nuclear skills pipeline.

The research, published in is part of the Stroke IMPaCT study (Stroke 鈥� Immune Mediated Pathways and Cognitive Trajectory), a network of European and North American researchers who are working to discover how inflammation and immune responses contribute to post-stroke cognitive decline.

The team followed patients treated for an ischaemic stroke at Salford Royal Hospital, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. They measured levels of a protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the days after stroke and again at both 6-9 and 18-21months. Participants also completed detailed tests of memory and thinking.

Interleukin-6 levels increased soon after stroke and, in most people, fell back to typical levels within 6-9 months. But in some patients, levels stayed high or rose again. These individuals were about eight times more likely to develop difficulties with thinking ability.

The researchers also saw differences between smokers and non-smokers. Smokers showed a different pattern of IL-6 change after stroke, with signs of longer-lasting inflammation. This ongoing inflammation was more strongly linked to problems with thinking and memory.

Lead author an MBPhD researcher at The University of 99久久精品, said: 鈥淚nflammation after stroke doesn't just happen once and disappear. By tracking this protein over time, we may be able to identify patients at greater risk of cognitive problems and eventually tailor support or treatments to them.鈥�

Professor Craig Smith, Professor of Stroke Medicine at The University of 99久久精品 and Consultant at Salford Royal, said: 鈥淥ur findings suggest it's not just the initial spike in inflammation that matters- it's whether it properly settles down after the stroke. Smoking appears to interfere with this recovery, leaving people more vulnerable to memory and thinking problems.

Professor Stuart Allan added: 鈥�When the immune system's recovery after stroke doesn't occur as expected, patients appear more likely to experience cognitive difficulties. If future studies confirm interleukin-6 is the cause, we might one day use medications that block it to protect brain health.鈥�

Co-lead author Harry Deijnen from the University of 99久久精品 added: 鈥淭hough it is clear that more research is needed, these results point towards new opportunities to improve long-term brain health by focusing on the body鈥檚 inflammatory recovery after stroke.鈥�

• The work  was funded by the Leducq Foundation, Kennedy Trust, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the British Heart Foundation. Philanthropic support has also been central to enabling this research. The University is proud to partner with donors in support of this work, including Louis and Amy Wong. Find out more about how supporting 99久久精品 drives impact across our research here: Challenge Accepted. It was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 99久久精品 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)鈥�
• The paper Longitudinal Plasma IL-6 and Post-Stroke Cognitive Outcomes: The Stroke-IMPaCT Study is available DOI:

The study, led by Keele University, in collaboration with The University of 99久久精品 and University of Ottawa, looked at geological evidence from Oman to better understand processes that occur in subduction zones - where one of the Earth鈥檚 tectonic plates sinks beneath another due to the plates colliding together. Such zones are active around much of the Pacific 鈥淩ing of Fire鈥� today.

Subduction zones are key to the global carbon cycle because ocean sediments carried by the sinking plate contain large amounts of CO鈧�. Scientists have long debated what happens to this carbon after it sinks - some is transported deep into the Earth, while some returns to the atmosphere via volcanic eruptions.

Another possibility is that CO鈧� becomes trapped in rocks when carbon-rich fluids react with them, forming minerals known as carbonates, which lock the carbon away for millions of years. These reactions happen tens of kilometres underground, so are difficult to observe and study.

To resolve this, the team analysed halogens - chlorine, bromine and iodine - which were present within individual mineral grains. These elements can leave a fingerprint of the fluid reactions and sources of carbon which formed the carbonate minerals.

Their results, published in , indicated that there were at least two separate events where CO鈧� reacted with the rocks. It found that most of the carbonate minerals formed from fluids that match those usually found in subduction zones.

They also calculated that over 90% of the CO鈧� in the sinking plate could have been channelled along the plate boundary fault into the shallow mantle and locked away, indicating that carbon sinks in subduction zones are not only real, but could play a significant role in the Earth鈥檚 carbon cycle, by offering a way to store huge amounts of CO鈧� for millions of years.

Lead author, Dr Elliot Carter, from the School of Life Sciences at Keel University said: 鈥淎s our climate warms there鈥檚 been increasing attention on these strange and enigmatic rocks and what they can tell us about how the Earth moves carbon around and how humans could store it in the future鈥�

鈥淶ooming into chemical differences between different microscopic crystals really gave us the key to unlock the story of these rocks鈥�

鈥淲e can now tell that rocks such as those in Oman likely form an important part of Earth鈥檚 long-term carbon cycle.鈥�

This research was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Full title: Carbonated mantle peridotites represent a hidden sink for subducted CO₂

 DOI:  

The findings partly explain why around 70% of rare diseases go undiagnosed, even in the UK, which arguably has the worlds most advanced genomic medicine service.

Led by a geneticist from The University of 99久久精品, the findings are published by the Editorial team at the Genetics in Medicine Journal (GIM)-  considered a world-leading clinical genetics journal -  in

It is frustrating news for the parents of the a year with rare genetic diseases, most of whom never receive a diagnosis, and many dying without the underlying cause being determined.

Correct nomenclature - as it is known- could also reduce the to the NHS of pursuing avoidable lengthy diagnostic journeys into rare genetic diseases -  thought to be over  拢3 billion per decade.

Miscommunication caused by inconsistent genetic naming has, over time, led to documented cases of incorrect clinical management.

The researchers found that every manuscript submitted to the Genetic in Medicine Journal (the journal of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), who develop global professional standards in Clinical Genomics),  contained one or more errors.

That, they say, substantially reduced the probability of finding variants during routine searches. Such searches are required to gather diagnostic evidence, but if the evidence cannot be found due to findability issues, then a diagnosis may be missed.

The research is being incorporated into a new ACMG-led professional standard, which is being collaboratively developed with all the major professional societies and quality assurance bodies across the US, EU, UK and Canada, to be announced later this year.

The standard will govern the minimal acceptable standards for variant data in clinical reporting, databases and literature.  

Such standards have been legally binding in the United States but there is no indication yet that the UK will follow suit; however, the quality bodies that control UK genomic medicine standards are part of the ACMG-led coalition.

Dr Freeman, formerly of the University of Leicester, and now based at The University of 99久久精品 devised a tool called to give each variant a standardised name, allowing diagnostic evidence to be shared and found.

Working with the , the Genetics in Medicine (GIM) editors assembled a technical editing team led by Dr Freeman to develop instructions for authors on proper variant reporting.

Hospital geneticists rely on published evidence to make diagnoses, but because of inconsistent variant naming, say the authors, they are often unable to locate relevant information, even if it exists.

Many geneticists, they say, are using simpler but less accurate nomenclature, preventing databases like ClinVar and the Leiden Open Variation Database (LOVD), and widely used AI discovery tools from identifying critical evidence and adding literature to ClinVar and LOVD records.

Dr Freeman, whose son has an undiagnosed genetic disorder, said: 鈥淭he language of genomics, which guides everything from discoveries of gene-disease associations to rare disease diagnosis, relies on an established standardized system of naming genomic variants.

鈥淭his study has revealed a shocking level of inaccuracy in the naming of genetic variants-  which has real-world consequences. Me and my team have yet to find a journal article which uses the correct nomenclature and did not require intervention.鈥�

He added: 鈥淒octors almost always describe DNA variants using various outdated or non-standard naming systems, or fail to accurately apply the current standard. This means they are publishing data which is less findable, so may be missed by others in the field attempting to reach a diagnostic decision, denying the possibility of treatment.

鈥淏ut even more importantly, for children like my son, not having a diagnosis means they cannot access the support services they desperately need to support their wellbeing and development.

鈥淣omenclature should accurately describe the changes in DNA sequencing observed when there is a genetic variant. But in many cases, this is simply not happening and is part of a complex set of problems that is causing miss or missed diagnoses.鈥�

The team recommend:

• Universally adopting gene/variant nomenclature guidelines within published works.
• Implementing robust peer review processes to enforce gene/variant nomenclature standards.
• Supporting automated submission of structured variant and classification data into publicly available repositories
• Work with publishers to educate production and copyediting teams.

What misnaming means for patients

In an infamous example over decades, laboratories and clinicians used conflicting naming systems for Factor V Leiden, a common inherited genetic mutation that causes ,

That resulted in misinterpretation of patients鈥� thrombosis risk and inappropriate treatment decisions.

In another example, inconsistent reporting of variants of the gene CFTR in cystic fibrosis  has contributed to misunderstandings of carrier status and disease risk, leading to errors in family鈥憄lanning counselling for affected couples.

• The paper Universal Presence of Gene/Variant Nomenclature Errors in Journal Manuscript Submissions is available   

The team found that growing a widely used magnetic alloy, permalloy, on ultra鈥憈hin MoS鈧� alters the film鈥檚 internal crystal structure, changing how and where energy is lost as magnetic spins move. By separating energy losses that occur at the surface of the film from those arising within its internal structure, the researchers provide new design insights for devices that use two鈥慸imensional (2D) materials to control magnetism more efficiently.

Crucially, the work uses large鈥慳rea, manufacturing鈥慶ompatible MoS鈧�, showing that these effects are not confined to laboratory鈥憇cale samples but are relevant for real, scalable spintronic technologies.

The study, published in , demonstrates that transition鈥憁etal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can alter the fundamental properties of magnetic films. The results highlight the importance of careful comparison with control materials when assessing the impact of 2D layers on magnetic behaviour.

Spintronics is an alternative to conventional electronics that uses not only the charge of electrons, but also their spin, to store and process information. This approach underpins emerging technologies for magnetic memory and has potential applications in energy鈥慹fficient, high鈥憇peed computing. A major challenge in spintronics, however, is energy loss: as magnetic spins move, some energy is inevitably dissipated as heat, limiting device speed and efficiency.

In this work, the researchers studied thin films of permalloy grown on top of large鈥慳rea MoS鈧� produced using industry鈥慶ompatible chemical vapour deposition. They found that the ultra鈥慶lean interface between permalloy and MoS鈧� reduces energy loss at the surface of the magnetic film. At the same time, subtle changes within the film鈥檚 crystal structure slightly increase internal energy loss.

By clearly separating these two effects, the team was able to explain why previous studies of 2D materials and magnetism have sometimes produced conflicting results.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers used ferromagnetic resonance, a technique in which a high鈥慺requency magnetic field causes spins inside a magnetic material to wobble, similar to a spinning top slowing down due to friction. By measuring how quickly this wobble fades, the team could determine how and where energy is dissipated. Varying the thickness of the magnetic layer allowed them to distinguish losses occurring at the surface from those within the bulk of the film.

The results point to new routes for designing lower鈥憄ower, faster spintronic memory, where material interfaces are engineered to minimise unwanted energy loss without sacrificing performance.

鈥淭his work is exciting because the fundamental effects a two鈥慸imensional material can have on magnetic thin films are still largely unexplored,鈥� said , lead author of the study and Research Associate in THz Spintronics at the University of 99久久精品. 鈥淲e鈥檝e shown how these changes affect energy loss, which is a crucial property for next鈥慻eneration memory technologies.鈥�

The study shows that 2D materials do not always increase energy loss and that, with the right interface, they can reduce it.

This research was published in the journal .

Full title: Separation of bulk and surface contributions to the damping of permalloy on large-area chemical-vapor-deposited 惭辞鈦鈧�.

DOI:

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of 99久久精品, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field 鈥� a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by 拢13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Published today in , it is the first experimental observation of a half-M枚bius electronic topology in a single molecule. To the scientists鈥� knowledge, a molecule with such topology has never before been synthesized, observed, or even formally predicted. 

Understanding this molecule鈥檚 behavior at the electronic structure level required something equally fundamental: a high fidelity quantum computing simulation. The discovery advances science on two fronts. For chemistry, it demonstrates that electronic topology - the property governing how electrons move through a molecule - can be deliberately engineered, not merely found in nature. 

For quantum computing, it is a concrete demonstration of a quantum simulation doing what it was designed to do: representing quantum mechanical behavior directly, at the molecular scale, to produce scientific insight that would otherwise have remained out of reach. 

鈥淔irst, we designed a molecule we thought could be created, then we built it, and then we validated it and its exotic properties with a quantum computer,鈥� said Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow, Vice President, Europe and Africa, and Director of IBM Research Zurich. 鈥淭his is a leap towards the dream laid out by renowned physicist Richard Feynman decades ago to build a computer that can best simulate quantum physics and a demonstration where, as he said, 鈥楾here鈥檚 plenty of room at the bottom.鈥� The success of this research signals a step towards this vision, opening the door for new ways to explore our world and the matter within it.

, paper co-author, Lecturer in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry at The University of 99久久精品, added: 鈥淐hemistry and solid-state physics advance by finding new ways to control matter. In the second half of the 20th century, substituent effects were very popular. For example, researchers explored how the potency of a drug or the elasticity of a material changes if, for example, a methyl is replaced with chlorine. The turn of the century brought us spintronics, introducing electron spin as a new degree of freedom to play with, and transforming data storage. Today, our work shows that topology can also serve as a switchable degree of freedom, opening a new powerful route for controlling material properties. 

鈥淭he non-trivial topology of this molecule, and the exotic behavior of many other systems, arises from interactions between their electrons. Simulating electrons with classical computers is very hard 鈥� a decade ago we could exactly model 16 electrons, and today we can go up to 18. Quantum computers are naturally well-suited for this problem because their building blocks 鈥� qubits 鈥� are quantum objects, which mirror electrons. Using IBM鈥檚 quantum computer, we were able to explore 32 electrons. However, the most exciting part is this is just the start. Quantum hardware is advancing rapidly, and the future is quantum.鈥�

A Never-Before-Seen Molecule 

The molecule, with the formula C鈧佲們Cl鈧�, was assembled atom-by-atom at IBM from a custom precursor synthesized at Oxford University, with individual atoms removed one at a time using precisely calibrated voltage pulses under ultra-high vacuum at nearabsolute-zero temperatures. 

Experiments with scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy, both techniques pioneered at IBM, combined with quantum computing to reveal an electronic configuration with no counterpart in chemistry's existing record: an electronic structure that undergoes a 90-degree twist with each circuit, requiring four complete loops to return to the starting phase. 

This half-M枚bius topology is qualitatively distinct from any previously known molecule and can be reversibly switched between clockwise-twisted, counterclockwise-twisted and untwisted states 鈥� demonstrating that electronic topology is not a property to be discovered, but one that can now be deliberately engineered under specific conditions.

A Disruptive Scientific Tool: Quantum-Centric Supercomputing 

The scientists in this experiment created a molecule that had never existed. Now they had to figure out why it worked, a task which challenged conventional computers. The electrons within C鈧佲們Cl鈧� interact in deeply entangled ways 鈥� each influencing all the others simultaneously. Modeling that behavior requires tracking every possible configuration of those interactions at once, requiring computational demands that grow exponentially and can quickly overwhelm classical machines.

Quantum computers are different by nature because they operate according to the same quantum mechanical laws that govern electrons in molecules, and they can represent these systems directly rather than approximate them. They 鈥渟peak鈥� the same fundamental language as the matter they are built to study and that distinction, once largely theoretical, can now contribute to concrete scientific results.

This capability offers tremendous potential for quantum computers to support realworld experimentation with quantum-centric supercomputing workflows. By integrating quantum processing units (QPUs), CPUs, and GPUs, quantum-centric supercomputing allows complex problems to be broken into parts that are orchestrated and solved according to each system鈥檚 strengths 鈥� achieving what no single compute paradigm can deliver alone.

Utilizing an IBM quantum computer within such a workflow, the team found helical molecular orbitals for electron attachment, a fingerprint of the half-M枚bius topology. Moreover, simulation via quantum computing helped reveal the mechanism behind the formation of the unusual topology: a helical pseudo-Jahn-Teller effect.

This achievement builds on IBM鈥檚 long legacy in nanoscale science. The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was invented at IBM in 1981, for which IBM scientists Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1986. Its creation enabled researchers to image surfaces atom by atom. In 1989, IBM scientists developed the first reliable method for manipulating individual atoms. Over the past decades, the IBM team has extended these techniques to build and control increasingly exotic molecular structures.

This research was published in the journal Science 

Full title: A molecule with half-M枚bius topology

DOI:  

Researchers from The University of 99久久精品 suggest that during the Early Pleistocene, the arrival and presence of these early hominins drove the mosquitoes to adapt to feeding on humans.

The study, published in , uncovers how and why certain mosquitoes developed this preference, and the environmental triggers which brought about its development.

The findings could provide critical insight into mitigating the impacts of novel diseases caused by mosquito-borne pathogens, which place a significant burden on global human health, and shed light on the colonisation of Southeast Asia by early humans.

, Senior Lecturer in Earth and Environmental Sciences at The University of 99久久精品, said 鈥淥ur findings suggest that early humans must not only have been present in Sundaland at this time, but there in substantial numbers, which is an important piece of evidence, beyond fossil records, to the broader puzzle of the colonization of hominins in insular Southeast Asia.

The team focused on the Anopheles leucosphyrus group, made up of 20 different species of mosquitoes native to Southeast Asia. Some species are extremely anthropophilic (human targeting) and very efficient spreaders of human malaria parasites. Others feed mainly on monkeys, gibbons, and orangutans in forest canopies, spreading a form of malaria that would be harmless to humans, but can be deadly for these other primates.

In the study, the researchers sequenced 38 mosquitoes - supplemented with publicly available genome data of two others - from 11 species within the leucosphyrus group.  The specimens were collected between 1992-2020 and involved sampling larvae from animal wallows hidden deep in the forest or in remote areas of Southeast Asia.

The study included species of all three subgroups (Leucosphyrus, Riparis and Hackeri), and represent all three blood-feeding behaviours - human, non-human primate, and mixed - providing a solid evolutionary framework mapping host preference within the Leucosphyrus group.

They found that the ancestors of the Leucosphyrus Group likely originated in the permanently humid conditions of Sundaland (Borneo, peninsular Malaysia, Sunda Shelf), during the early Pliocene, between 5.3 and 3.6 million years ago. These conditions favoured feeding in the canopy, so the mosquitoes most likely fed primarily on non-human primates.

However, the late Pliocene and into the Pleistocene, saw extensive environmental change, where the global climate became cooler and drier. The shift from permanent humidity to seasonal, open forest and expanding savannah, saw the arrival of a host of new mammals. This led to an adapted species of mosquitoes that could feed readily both in the canopy and on the ground.

The researchers suggest that this shift toward more flexible feeding behaviour may have been the bridge to human-feeding behaviour.

This paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports

Full title: Early hominin arrival in Southeast Asia triggered the evolution of major human malaria vectors

DOI:

The annual ceremony, which took  place on Wednesday  March 4 at 1:15pm, will remember the donors whose selfless gift has helped hundreds of medical, dental and science students gain a deeper understanding of human anatomy.

The donors also give surgeons a crucial opportunity to further their knowledge of anatomy in their quest to constantly improve clinical techniques and procedures.

The service, which is distinct from the final committal or funeral service of the donors, was multi-denominational so any religious belief - or those without - were warmly welcomed.

Relatives and friends of the donors attended the ceremony alongside students, academics, technical and bequethals staff along with senior leaders at the University.

There was  a candle lighting ceremony during the service where a candle will be lit for each donor and their names read out.

Professor Margaret Kingston, Director of Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education spoke alongside Dr Bipasha Choudhury, School Lead for  Anatomy.

There was bereadings from Humanist minister Paul Costello, Methodist minister Richard Mottershead and Father Dushan, a Roman Catholic priest.

The Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Greater 99久久精品, His Majesty the King鈥檚 representative for Greater 99久久精品, was present.

Professor Nalin Thakkar,  Vice-President for Social Responsibility at the University of 99久久精品 said: 鈥淎s a University, we would like to express our deepest thanks to those who gave their bodies to science: your final act became a beginning for countless others.

鈥淭heir generosity helps knowledge to grow, medicine and science to advance, and humanity to move forward. Their wonderful gift will not be forgotten.鈥�

Dr Choudhury said: 鈥淲e are sincerely grateful to the donors for the gift they have bestowed upon our students and staff, helping us learn human anatomy in a profoundly moving way.

鈥淭hrough their generosity, and the generosity of their families, future health care professionals gain a deep understanding of the form and workings of the human body.鈥�

The wife of one of our donors said: 鈥淲e were moved by the serious gratitude expressed in the words of the service. The candle and name card represent the fact that the last resting place of John鈥檚 body is not under a gravestone or in a casket but it the brain and memory of each student for whom this was his final teaching role.鈥�

• For more details about donating your body to education and science, visit the University鈥檚 bequethals webpage .

As the UK prepares for a rapid expansion of tidal energy, (not)NOISY (Propagation of NOISe generated by tidal arraYs and its environmental impacts) will develop the first advanced tools capable of predicting the cumulative underwater noise produced by tidal turbine arrays before they are built.

The research will support industry, regulators and policymakers to strengthen the evidence base used in environmental assessments and enable informed, proportionate decision-making as the sector grows.

Tidal energy is emerging as a key part of the UK鈥檚 renewable energy mix. Unlike wind and solar power, which depend on weather conditions, tidal power is highly predictable and can deliver a steady, reliable source of energy day in, day out, making it the perfect complement to other renewable energy.

As the sector scales-up and larger turbine arrays, with 10 devices or more, are planned for deployment, understanding their environmental impacts is becoming increasingly important, particularly potential collision risks with marine macro-fauna and underwater noise. Modelling suggests turbine noise could travel up to 8 km through the ocean.

Lead researcher , Research Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering and Management at The University of 99久久精品, said: 鈥淭idal stream energy has enormous potential to support the UK鈥檚 Net Zero ambitions, but its long-term success depends on our ability to accurately assess and manage environmental impacts, hence accelerating project permitting and licensing.

鈥淣oise generation is one of the biggest uncertainties facing tidal projects today but tools to estimate cumulative acoustic outputs with high confidence do not yet exist. With tidal arrays expected to grow in number and size, we need tools that can predict their cumulative acoustic footprint prior to deployment. (not)NOISY will provide exactly that.鈥�

The research team will develop advanced high-fidelity computer models and AI-assisted rapid tools that closely replicate real world tidal stream site conditions, allowing researchers to quantify how noise from tidal turbines travels through real marine environments. The model will be applied in both near- and far-wake regions, across different turbine types (floating and bottom-fixed) and environmental conditions at four major European sites 鈥� EMEC and in Scotland, Raz Blanchard between France and the Channel Islands and Morlais in Wales.

The findings will lead to the development of PyTAI (Python Tidal-Array Induced acoustics), an open-source, AI-driven tool that will enable rapid prediction of tidal turbine noise under a wide range of operating conditions. The tool will support future environmental impact assessments and contribute to the development of evidence-based policy and regulatory guidance.

Dr Ouro added: 鈥淏y improving confidence in marine noise prediction, we hope this project will help accelerate the next generation of tidal-stream developments, supporting clean energy growth while protecting marine ecosystems, in order to  foster an industry of national importance.鈥�

(not)NOISY is funded by UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Impact hub and brings together a strong international consortium, including three European turbine manufacturers, UK and French tidal project developers, policymakers and academic partners, ensuring close collaboration between research, industry and regulation.

The , authored by the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at The University of 99久久精品, explores the consequences of terminology choices on end-of-life solutions for plastic waste. While recycling has long been touted as a solution for plastic sustainability - it comes in many forms, and can sometimes serve as a smokescreen for genuine discussions around sustainability.

The researchers, Seiztinger, Lahive, and Shaver, find directional terms - such as 鈥榰pcycling鈥� and 鈥榙owncycling鈥� - to be poorly defined as value propositions, and that their use can skew perceptions of the benefits, potentially posing barrier to circularity.

鈥楧owncycling鈥�, for instance, implies the production of a less favourable or 鈥榣ess good鈥� material as the end product of the recycling process, while 鈥榰pcycling鈥� has positive connotations. However, despite what these terms suggest, a 鈥榙owncycled鈥� stream may produce a high value product, while an 鈥榰pcycled鈥� path may have a greater negative environmental impact than alternative routes.

Using these terms assigns disproportionate value to certain end-of-life plastic solution strategies, and can be used by supporters or detractors of different recycling technologies to obscure genuine evaluation of their environmental impact.

The study, published in the journal , suggests that plastic waste solutions consistently fail to live up to their marketed messaging, and that clearer communication of the true value of the product from a recycling process is essential to drive investment in proper plastic waste management. Corresponding author, Professor of Polymer Science at The University of 99久久精品, said: 鈥淭he confused terminology surrounding the fate of waste plastic often lacks a consideration of value and unintended consequences. As these terms are now being used to promote technologies outside of a sustainable system, we felt it important to argue for clarity and caution when presuming quality from this directional terminology.鈥�

The researchers argue that no single solution offers a quick fix, and that it is wrong for the terminology to suggest otherwise. They call for greater clarity over how we value end-products. They suggest a 鈥榮piral system鈥� of reuse, in which plastic materials are treated as complex mixtures that, like crude oil, can be chemically deconstructed at the end of their life and transformed to become a huge range of longer-lasting products over their lifetime.

For example, a yoghurt pot could be reconstituted into car parts, and then after that into a park bench. Ultimately, after many years of service, it could be chemically deconstructed, and turned back into a yoghurt pot. As the polypropylene in such simple packaging is already used in cars, hard shell suitcases, garden furniture, appliances, and plumbing, a cross-sector approach to reuse of plastic waste could generate more value than an approach focused solely on single-use packaging.

By moving away from direction-loaded terminology, researchers suggest that plastic waste solutions can be judged on the measurable environmental and economic value of the end-products, rather than an assumed or subjective value based on language, that is not always supported by full life-cycle assessment or economic analysis.

Dr Claire Seitzinger added: 鈥淏uilding a circular plastics economy means looking at the whole system, not isolated solutions pitched against each other. Policy, industry, innovation and collaboration across sectors are essential for a sustainable future. The next time you eat a yoghurt, where do you want the pot to end up? Should it become another yoghurt pot? A park bench? A car? What is best? And what should you, the packaging producer, or the government do to make that to happen?鈥�

Paper details:

Journal: Cambridge Prisms: Plastics 

Full title: Up, down and back again: Value judgements in polymer recycling

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2026.10041.pr1

Sulfonamides are a cornerstone of modern medicinal chemistry, forming part of many antibacterial, anticancer and antiviral medicines. Yet despite their widespread use, producing sulfonamides synthetically can be difficult, often requiring harsh reagents and generating environmentally damaging by鈥憄roducts. Natural examples of sulfonamide鈥慶ontaining molecules are extremely rare, and until now very little was known about how biological systems make them.

International collaboration cracks the code

The international research team 鈥� including computational chemist Dr and PhD student from the MIB 鈥� has uncovered how the enzyme SbzM enables bacteria to form sulfonamides as part of the biosynthesis of the natural product altemicidin. Their work shows that SbzM uses nickel, rather than the more common iron cofactor found in related enzymes, to convert the amino acid L鈥�cysteine into a reactive sulfonamide intermediate.

Using a combination of structural biology, biochemical assays and advanced quantum鈥�mechanical computational modelling, the researchers showed that SbzM performs chemistry never before observed in nature. The study reveals:

• SbzM is strictly nickel鈥�dependent, requiring Ni虏鈦� to function and cycling between Ni虏鈦� and Ni鲁鈦� during the reaction.
• Two separate oxygen molecules are incorporated into the final sulfonamide product, a striking contrast to iron鈥�based cysteine dioxygenases, which use a single oxygen molecule.
• A previously unknown reaction pathway is at work: the enzyme first triggers an oxidative decarboxylation step to form a mercaptoimine intermediate, followed by sequential oxygenation and rearrangement steps that ultimately build the sulfonamide group.
• The enzyme family is far more widespread in bacteria than previously recognised, suggesting nature may harbour many more yet鈥�undiscovered sulfonamide biosynthetic pathways.

Understanding how nature constructs sulfonamide motifs opens a realistic route to engineering enzymes capable of producing drug-like building blocks more sustainably. The 99久久精品 team鈥檚 computational modelling was essential in mapping the step鈥慴y鈥憇tep reaction mechanism and identifying why nickel, uniquely, drives this transformation, and by revealing the fundamental 鈥渋nstruction manual鈥� behind sulfonamide formation, the study lays essential groundwork for creating scalable, low waste biocatalytic processes for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The next steps will focus on expanding the range of molecules SbzM can process, enhancing its robustness, and demonstrating industrially relevant biocatalysis.

Meet the researchers

Sam de Visser Reader in Computational Chemistry at the 99久久精品 Institute of Biotechnology, investigates inorganic mechanisms in first鈥憆ow transition鈥憁etal enzymes using quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics, focusing on heme and nonheme iron enzyme reactivity.

• Email Dr de Visser >>

Henrik Wong is a University of 99久久精品 PhD student using molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry to study metal鈥慸ependent enzymes and guide their redesign for sustainable biocatalysis, reaction discovery and improved biosynthetic applications.

• Email Mr Wong >>

In a new study by University of 99久久精品 scientists published in , researchers aimed to uncover why these treatments fail for some individuals. To do this, the team analysed blood samples from people living with MG and compared them to those of healthy volunteers to understand the underlying cellular differences that drive standard therapy resistance.

A Pattern of Immune Imbalance
The study revealed distinct immune system abnormalities in patients with refractory MG. These patients showed an overactive adaptive immune response, specifically involving increased numbers of memory B cells.

At the same time, the researchers found that regulatory T cells鈥攚hich normally act as a 鈥榖raking system鈥� to suppress excessive inflammation鈥攚ere markedly reduced. This combination of an overactive attack and a weakened braking system contributes to significant immune dysregulation.

The research also identified changes in the innate immune system, including reduced dendritic cells and increased monocytes, along with heightened activity of the complement system, all pointing to ongoing immune-mediated damage at the neuromuscular junction.

Predicting Treatment Response
The team also examined a small group of refractory patients treated with rituximab, a drug designed to remove B cells. Although B cells were successfully reduced in all patients, only some showed meaningful clinical improvement.

The study found that those who did not respond appeared to have a version of the disease driven by long-lived plasma cells and particularly high complement activity. This discovery suggests that these specific patients may benefit more from therapies that target the complement pathway rather than just B cells.

鈥淔or patients whose symptoms do not improve with existing treatments, the lack of clear answers can be incredibly frustrating,鈥� said , Neurology Consultant at 99久久精品 Centre for Clinical Neuroscience. 鈥淥ur findings help explain why some therapies work for certain patients but not others, and point toward more personalised approaches that could improve outcomes in the future.鈥�

鈥淥ur study identifies a distinct immune signature associated with treatment-resistant myasthenia gravis,鈥� said , UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the  and lead author of the paper. 鈥淯nderstanding these immune differences brings us closer to predicting how patients will respond to therapy and to developing more targeted, personalised treatment approaches.鈥�

• Lymphocyte alterations and elevated complement signaling are key features of refractory myasthenia gravis published in . DOI: 

The second half goes here

Earth-observation satellites are increasingly relied upon to support efforts to meet the United Nations鈥� 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing critical data on issues like land use, urban development, ecosystems and disaster response. However, the rapid growth of satellite missions is also making Earth鈥檚 orbits more crowded and hazardous, increasing the risk of collisions and the creation of long-lasting space debris.

There are currently around 11,800 active satellites in orbit, but some predictions suggest that number could rise to more than 100,000 by the end of the decade. Collisions in space can generate large amounts of debris, threatening satellites, astronauts and the long-term usability of key orbital regions.

The new model, which links satellite mission objectives with collision risk as a key first step in mission design, is presented in the journal .

Lead author , PhD researcher at The University of 99久久精品, said: 鈥淥ur research addresses what is described as a 鈥渟pace sustainability paradox鈥�, the risk that using satellites to solve environmental and social challenges on Earth could ultimately undermine the long-term sustainability of space itself.

鈥淏y integrating collision risk into early mission design, we ensure Earth-observation missions can be planned more responsibly, balancing data quality with the need to protect the orbital environment.鈥�

Many applications that support the SDGs rely on very high-resolution satellite imagery. To achieve this level of detail, satellites often operate at lower altitudes, which reduces their field of view. Alternatively, they can operate at higher altitudes but must be larger and heavier to carry bigger optical systems. This increases their exposure to space debris and makes collisions more likely and potentially more damaging.

The new modelling framework allows satellite performance requirements and collision risk to be considered together during mission design, rather than being assessed separately or late in development.

The approach links mission requirements, such as image resolution and coverage, with estimates of satellite size, mass, the numbers of satellites in a constellation, and the level of debris present in different regions of low Earth orbit. This allows designers to explore how different mission choices affect both data quality and collision risk.

Using the model, the researchers found that collision risk does not simply peak where debris is most concentrated - satellite size also plays a major role. For example, for a satellite designed to deliver 0.5 metre resolution imagery, collision probability was highest between 850 and 950 kilometres above Earth - about 50 kilometres higher than the peak in debris density.

The study also found that although higher orbits require fewer satellites to achieve coverage, those satellites carry a greater individual collision risk because they are much larger. Lower orbits need more satellites, but each one can be smaller and therefore less hazardous.

Dr , Lecturer in Aerospace Systems at The University of 99久久精品, said: 鈥淎s satellite use continues to grow, our method offers a practical way to ensure that space remains safe, sustainable and usable for generations to come, while still delivering the data needed to address the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges.鈥�

, Professor of Space Technology at The University of 99久久精品, added: 鈥淭he method could also be adapted for different Earth-observation systems and expanded to include more detailed space-environment impacts. In future work, we could account for how long debris fragments stay in orbit, how likely they are to hit other satellites, and the wider environmental effects of satellite re-entry. This would allow mission designers to evaluate trade-offs across the full sustainability picture.鈥�

This research was published in the journal Advances in Space Research

Full title: Collision risk from performance requirements in Earth observation mission design

DOI:

The discovery, published in the journal eLife today (insert date), sheds light on how animals integrate sensory information to guide reproduction and has, say the researchers, general implications on understanding the brains鈥� role in reproduction. 

When male fruit flies mate, they transfer a molecule called sex peptide (SP) to the female. 

This molecule triggers two key changes: females reject courting males who want to mate again, and they lay more eggs. 

Although scientists have known about SP for years, until now the precise neurons in the female nervous system that respond have remained a mystery. 

The  findings suggest that the brain allows females to fine鈥憈une their responses to mating depending on their internal state and environmental conditions 鈥� helping them maximise the chances of reproductive success. 

Lead author, Dr Mohanakarthik Nallasivan, from the University of Birmingham said: 鈥淩eproductive behaviours are hardwired in the brain, rather than learned. So if we can understand this behavioural pathway, we may be able to influence it. 

鈥淜nowing the exact nerve cells that drive key behavioural changes in female fruit flies after they mate is a very important step along that path. 

鈥淭his knowledge could, for example,  help develop methods to restrict the ability of malaria carrying female Anopheles mosquitoes to mate, which precedes the blood-meal.鈥�

Study-lead from The University of 99久久精品 added: 鈥淭he fruit fly was the first organism with a fully sequenced genome. Now, in 2022, it is the first brain to have all its neurons catalogued and synaptic connections mapped鈥�.

鈥淲e now have the resources available to learn how behaviour is encoded in the brain and influenced by decision making processes鈥�.

鈥淭his pioneering work has implications for increasing our understanding of how our own brains work, particularly those behaviours that are 鈥榟ard wired鈥�, or built into our neural circuitry.鈥�

To identify the neurons, the research team attached the sex peptide pheromone, that normally circulates in the insects鈥� blood after mating, to the cell-membrane on the outside of neurons.

When such membrane-tethered sex-peptide is expressed in the same nerve cell as its receptor, post-mating behaviours will be triggered.

To understand how the brain responds to the sex peptide, the scientists explored the complex genetic framework of key reproductive genes involved in sex determination, resulting in male or female offspring.

By combining genetic tools that mark a handful of neurons controlled by reproductive genes, the scientists identified two distinct sets of interneurons 鈥� one in the brain and one in the abdominal nerve centre 鈥� that regulate the behaviours.

The approach allowed them to pinpoint the neurons that detect the sex peptide, which they named Sex Peptide Response鈥慖nducing Neurons (SPRINz).

Further mapping of the neural circuits showed that SPRINz receive signals from sensory鈥憄rocessing neurons and send outputs along two separate pathways.

Artificially activating SPRINz in the brain induced post鈥憁ating behaviours, effectively mimicking a command. This demonstrates that sex鈥憄eptide鈥憆esponsive neurons act as central hubs, integrating sensory cues and coordinating the female鈥檚 behavioural decisions after mating.

• A draft of the paper, Sex-peptide targets distinct higher order processing neurons in the brain to induce the female post-mating response  is available

As large language models such as ChatGPT and Gemini have rapidly improved in recent years, many widely used benchmarks have become less informative. In 2023, leading models were found to pass the and, separately, in 2025, achieved gold medal-level performance on , achieving over 80% accuracy.

Now, two 99久久精品 mathematicians, Dr Cesare Giulio Ardito and Dr Igor Chernyavsky, have joined nearly 1,000 expert contributors worldwide to create a multidisciplinary academic test called 鈥溾�� (HLE), which sets AI systems a fresh challenge.

The test consists of 2,500 rigorously reviewed questions spanning dozens of disciplines, from mathematics and the natural sciences to humanities. Questions are deliberately precise, closed-ended and resistant to simple internet search or memorisation, with some using both textual and image data.

Every question in HLE was tested against leading AI models before inclusion. If an AI system could answer a question correctly at the time the benchmark was designed, it was rejected.

The study, now published in , found they passed fewer than 10% of the HLE questions when the dataset was first released in early 2025, despite scoring above 80% on more conventional benchmarks.

Although the rapid pace of AI development has enabled some systems to significantly improve their scores in less than a year, the top-ranked models still reach just below 40%. The results also show that many AI systems still frequently express high confidence in incorrect answers to the HLE questions. However, their capability in self-assessing knowledge gaps has gradually improved.

said: 鈥淚'm happy that the University of 99久久精品 is represented among contributors from all over the world. This was a human team effort and, so far, we appear to still have an edge.鈥�

Although this new AI benchmark only measures performance on closed-ended, expert-level questions at the frontier of current knowledge, the authors hope it will help identify remaining limitations and potentially capture emerging generalist research capabilities.

This research was published in the journal Nature

Full title: A benchmark of expert-level academic questions to assess AI capabilities

DOI:  

Researchers at The University of 99久久精品's have now achieved the first atomic鈥憆esolution imaging of monolayer transition metal diiodides, made possible by creating graphene鈥憇ealed TEM samples that prevent these highly reactive materials from degrading on contact with air. The study, published in , demonstrates that fully encapsulating the crystals in graphene preserves atomically clean interfaces and extends their usable lifetime from seconds to months. This capability arises from refinements to an inorganic stamp transfer approach the team previously developed and reported in , which provided the basis for producing stable, hermetically sealed samples.

鈥淲orking with these materials felt impossible at first as they are completely destroyed after a few seconds air exposure, preventing traditional fabrication approaches.鈥� explained Dr Wendong Wang who has worked on developing the transfer technique and fabricated the samples in question. 鈥淥ur approach protects samples r without any unnecessary transfer stages. Being able to make samples that can survive not just hours but months, and for international transfer between facilities, solves a major bottleneck in 2D materials research.鈥�

鈥淥nce we were able to make stable samples, we were able to make several interesting observations about these materials, including identifying extensive local structural variations for the thinnest samples, atomic defect dynamics and edge structure evolution鈥�, states Dr Gareth Tainton who conducted the TEM imaging and analysis as part of this work. 鈥淭he structures of 2D materials are closely linked to their properties, and so being able to directly observe not only the structures of the different crystals, from monolayers up to bulk thicknesses, but also defect behaviour will hopefully inform further work on these materials to unlock their potential in technology鈥�

鈥淲hat excites me most is how this opens up previously inaccessible scientific territory. We've known theoretically that many reactive 2D materials have exceptional properties for electronics, optoelectronics, and quantum applications, but we couldn't get stable samples into the lab to test those predictions", commented Prof Roman Gorbachev of the National Graphene Institute, who led the investigation. 

This research was published in the journal ACS Nano.

Full title: Atomic Imaging of 2D Transition Metal Diiodides

DOI:

Professor Roman Gorbachev is available for interview on request.

The study, led by The University of 99久久精品, suggests that while removing livestock from upland grasslands can increase fast-cycling carbon stored in plants and dead vegetation, it can also lead to losses of a more stable form of soil carbon. This long-lived carbon, known as mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), is bound to soil minerals and can persist for decades to centuries, making it critical for long-term climate mitigation.

Grasslands store around one-third of the world鈥檚 terrestrial carbon, with the vast majority being found in soils. As governments pursue net-zero targets, removing livestock from historically grazed grasslands has increasingly been proposed as a scalable climate solution.

Traditionally, scientists and land managers have relied on 鈥渢otal carbon stocks鈥� to assess carbon removal projects. However, the new findings, published in the today, show that focusing solely on the total amount of carbon stored, rather than how securely it is stored, may be misleading.

鈥淲hile ungrazed grasslands tend to accumulate more unprotected carbon in plants and litter, they are associated with lower levels of soil carbon protected by minerals, which is the form most resistant to warming-induced decomposition,鈥� explained Dr Luhong Zhou, lead author of the study and visiting scholar at The University of 99久久精品. 鈥淎lthough high grazing intensity can negatively affect soil carbon, our results show that total grazer exclusion does not necessarily lead to greater long-term soil carbon storage.鈥�

The team of researchers from The University of 99久久精品 (UK), Lancaster University (UK), Yale University (USA), Fujian Normal University (China), and Leiden University (the Netherlands), analysed 12 upland grassland sites across an 800-kilometre south鈥搉orth gradient in the United Kingdom, from Dartmoor to Glensaugh in Scotland. At each site, they compared grasslands that had been ungrazed for more than ten years with neighbouring areas that had been grazed over that time.

They found that ungrazed grasslands tended to accumulate more short-lived carbon in plant biomass and surface litter but generally contained lower levels of MAOC.

The decline in long-lived soil carbon is linked to changes in vegetation following the removal of grazing sheep. As a result, grass-dominated landscapes are increasingly replaced by dwarf shrubs such as heather. The roots of the shrubs form associations with a specialised fungi called ericoid mycorrhiza. These fungi slow the decay of plant litter, causing an increase in production of short-lived carbon but also stimulating the breakdown of older, more stable soil carbon, in order to gain nutrients to sustain plant growth. Wetter soils can also further weaken the minerals that normally help protect MAOC.

鈥淰iewing grazer removal as a universally beneficial strategy for carbon mitigation often overlooks the continuum of carbon durability within ecosystems, and the fact that not all carbon gains contribute equally to long-term climate mitigation,鈥� said Dr Shangshi Liu from the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture who co-led this study. 鈥� When slow-cycling carbon declines, grassland carbon stocks may become more vulnerable to future climate change. Effective climate mitigation strategies must therefore consider  both how much carbon is stored and how durable it is鈥�

The findings come at a critical time for environmental management policy in the UK and globally, as governments develop land-use frameworks to meet net-zero targets.  

Professor Richard Bardgett, Chair of Ecology at Lancaster University, who initiated the study while at The University of 99久久精品, said: 鈥淥ur results suggest that maintaining low-intensity grazing in upland grasslands, which cover large areas in the United Kingdom, is important for protecting the most stable forms of soil carbon.鈥�

The authors emphasise that their findings do not argue against reducing overgrazing. Rather, they call for more balanced grassland management approaches that account for both total carbon stocks and carbon persistence.

The study was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the European Research Council (ERC), and Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture fellowship.

The findings are Published in PNAS

Full title: Grazer exclusion is associated with higher fast-cycling carbon pools but lower slow-cycling mineral-associated carbon across grasslands

DOI:

Her achievement have also recently been marked by the award of the 2026 Hannes Alfven Medal by the European Physical Society, a prestigious international distinction recognising her 鈥渙utstanding and innovative work bridging astrophysical and laboratory plasmas using analytical insights and modelling.鈥�

Professor Browning joined what was then the University of 99久久精品 Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1985 as a lecturer at the age of 25, following a mathematics degree at the University of Cambridge and a PhD at the University of St Andrews.

Her career has been marked by a series of significant firsts, starting by entering Selwyn College at the University of Cambridge aged just 16 - two or three years younger than most undergraduates 鈥� and in the first year that the college admitted women.

Following her PhD and post-doc in Scotland, she moved to UMIST for her first lecturing role, where she was the only female lecturer and one of just three female academics across the science and technology disciplines. She was promoted to professor in 2009.

Reflecting on those early days, Professor Browning said that a lack of role models made it difficult for women to imagine reaching senior academic positions.

鈥淎s a woman, you didn鈥檛 really think you were going to become a professor because there were so few role models,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was lucky to have very supportive male colleagues, but it was still difficult. Often, particularly in fusion research, I could be the only woman in the room.鈥�

Her interest in astrophysics began in childhood, sparked by an early fascination with the moon and by watching the Apollo moon landings. While she initially pursued mathematics, that curiosity about space ultimately drew her back into astrophysics.

Over the course of her career, Professor Browning has built an international reputation in plasma physics. Her work has focused on understanding how hot, ionised gases behave and interact with magnetic fields - processes that underpin solar flares, space weather and the development of future fusion energy.

Her early research at 99久久精品 helped pioneer the spherical tokamak, an innovative approach to magnetic confinement fusion. Philippa鈥檚 team at 99久久精品 was among the first to develop this compact alternative to traditional ring鈥憇haped fusion devices, an approach that has since become central to international fusion research and now underpins the UK鈥檚 government鈥慴acked STEP fusion energy programme.

Alongside her research, Professor Browning has been a committed teacher, supervising around 19 PhD students and teaching generations of undergraduates.

鈥淚鈥檝e always really enjoyed teaching,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he interaction with students, particularly in small groups, is something I鈥檒l really miss.鈥�

During her time at the University, Professor Browning witnessed significant institutional change, most notably the merger of UMIST and the Victoria University of 99久久精品. While the department grew from a small, close鈥慿nit unit into a much larger one, she reflects that students themselves have remained much the same where their curiosity, ability and enthusiasm have always varied across a spectrum.

She has also played a significant role in University leadership and service, serving on Senate and the Board of Governors, and holding a range of departmental roles including postgraduate director and admissions tutor.

A long鈥憇tanding advocate for equality in science, Professor Browning has been heavily involved in national efforts to support women in physics. She served on the Institute of Physics鈥� Women in Physics and diversity committees, helping to deliver training, networking events and outreach activities in schools to improve visibility and role models for girls.

She balanced her academic career with raising her son and two step鈥慶hildren at a time when childcare support was far more limited. She was involved in campaigning for and establishing the first UMIST nursery, with her son among the first children to attend.

Her achievements have been widely recognised. She is a  recipient of the Royal Astronomical  Society鈥檚 Chapman Medal for outstanding research in solar and space physics, and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics. As mentioned above, she is now due to receive the European Physical Society鈥檚 Hannes Alfv茅n Prize for plasma physics, a senior international award recognising her lifetime achievements in the field.

As she retires, Professor Browning will continue her research as Professor Emerita and remain active in public engagement, including talks and events at Jodrell Bank Observatory.

鈥淩etirement feels emotional,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y identity has been so tied up with the University for so long. But I鈥檓 looking forward to having more time for music and walking and just seeing what comes next.鈥�

Professor Browning鈥檚 department will mark her retirement with a special event, 鈥楶ipfest鈥�, bringing together former colleagues and PhD students from across her career.

The appointments place 99久久精品 researchers among a cohort of around 100 Fellows drawn from academia, business, industry and government. 

The Academy鈥檚 Fellowship will work collectively to address major national challenges including pandemic preparedness, economic transformation, national security, climate change and the safe development of artificial intelligence. 

The Fellows will continue to perform their roles at 99久久精品 and at the other institutions they support, but will come together through the convening power of the Academy to help benefit the whole UK. Areas of focus will likely include:  

• Working with experts across government, industry and the third sector to model the impact of climate change and advise on mitigations
• Supporting cross-disciplinary modelling to prepare for future diseases and pandemics
• Developing and championing investment in the new mathematics required for ensuring AI and the quantum technologies of tomorrow work safely and to the benefit of all
• Bringing together industry, academia and educators to design maths curricula fit for tomorrow's economy and society
• Keeping the UK safe through advances in cryptography and the mathematical foundations of national security
• Guiding the UK's green energy transition, advising on everything from grid capacity and system resilience to safe, large-scale energy storage
• Helping businesses and entrepreneurs harness mathematics to drive innovation, new products and sustainable growth
• Strengthening national resilience by using mathematics to optimise infrastructure, improve public services and forecast risks 

The four 99久久精品 appointees are: 

 FRSE, FIMA and Beyer Professor of Applied Mathematics, whose research focuses on applied dynamical systems, particularly piecewise smooth systems. A former President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), Professor Glendinning has played a leading role in shaping the UK mathematical community and was closely involved in the design of 99久久精品鈥檚 Alan Turing Building. 

, Professor of Mathematical Epidemiology and Statistics and Director of the Christabel Pankhurst Institute for health technology research and innovation. Professor Hall previously led modelling work at Public Health England and played key advisory roles as part of Department of Health and Social Care's scientific pandemic influenza modelling subgroup (SPI-M), as the academic chair of the Social Care Working Group for SAGE and by supporting UKHSA Joint Modelling team and advising the Ministry of Justice. He was awarded an OBE in 2024 for services to public health, specifically epidemiology and adult social care during Covid-19. 

, Professor of Pure Mathematics, whose research focuses on semigroup theory and its connections to areas such as theoretical computer science, tropical geometry and geometric group theory. He is currently 99久久精品 Associate Chair of the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research and also serves as Chair of EPSRC鈥檚 Strategic Advisory Team in Mathematical Sciences. 

, Professor of Pure Mathematics, whose research focuses on complex dynamics and analysis. He is a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society and has been awarded a Whitehead Prize and a Philip Leverhulme Prize. He is a former member of EPSRC鈥檚 Strategic Advisory Team in Mathematical Sciences and will serve as Pure Mathematics Research Lead at 99久久精品 from February 2026. 

Professor Dame Alison Etheridge DBE FRS, the President of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, said: 鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to welcome our inaugural Fellows 鈥� individuals of exceptional distinction who collectively advance the mathematical sciences through discovery, leadership, education and real-world application.  

鈥淎s Fellows of the Academy, they will come together in service of the wider public good: bringing independent expertise to bear on national priorities, championing excellence in mathematics education, strengthening the UK鈥檚 research and innovation base, and helping to ensure that mathematics continues to deliver opportunity, resilience and prosperity across our four nations.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Mathematics has a long and distinguished history at The University of 99久久精品, from foundational contributions to modern computing to world-leading research across pure mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics and mathematical modelling. Applied and foundational mathematical research at 99久久精品 go hand in hand: one addresses the real-life challenges of today, in collaboration with researchers in engineering, health, social sciences and the humanities, while the other equips us to meet the challenges of tomorrow. The appointment of four 99久久精品 researchers as inaugural Fellows reflects the University鈥檚 continued leadership in the mathematical sciences and its commitment to research with global impact.  

Alongside the four FSE-based appointees, the Academy鈥檚 inaugural Fellowship also includes several Fellows with strong connections to The University of 99久久精品. These include Professor David Abrahams, former Beyer Professor of Applied Mathematics at 99久久精品 and an Honorary Professor at the University, Professor Philip Bond, whose roles have included Professor of Creativity and Innovation at the University of 99久久精品 鈥� in addition to Dame Celia Hoyles, who graduated from The University of 99久久精品 

This new discovery captures the cosmic moment when a galaxy cluster 鈥� among the largest structures in the universe 鈥� started to assemble only about a billion years after the big bang, one or two billion years earlier than previously thought possible. This result, made using NASA鈥檚 Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope,  is described in a paper published today (28 January) in the journal 

The findings will require astronomers to rethink when and how the largest structures in the universe formed. 

 鈥淭his may be the most distant confirmed protocluster ever seen,鈥� said Akos Bogdan of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) who led the new Nature study. 鈥淛ADES-ID1 is giving us new evidence that the universe was in a huge hurry to grow up.鈥�

The object is known as JADES-ID1 for its location in the 鈥淛WST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey鈥�, or JADES. It has a mass about 20 trillion times that of the Sun. Astronomers classify JADES-ID1 as a 鈥減rotocluster鈥� because it is currently undergoing an early, violent phase of formation and will one day turn into a galaxy cluster.  

This object was first discovered and reported in an  led by The University of 99久久精品鈥檚 Qiong Li using deep JWST data, which was published last year  in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 

JADES-ID1 is found at a much larger distance 鈥� corresponding to a much earlier time in the universe 鈥� than astronomers expected for such systems, providing a new mystery of how something so massive could form so quickly.

Galaxy clusters contain hundreds or even thousands of individual galaxies immersed in enormous pools of superheated gas, along with large amounts of unseen dark matter. Astronomers use galaxy clusters to measure the expansion of the universe and the roles of dark energy and dark matter, among other important cosmic studies.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to actually see when and how galaxy clusters grow,鈥� said co-author Gerrit Schellenberger, also of CfA. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like watching an assembly line make a car, rather than just trying to figure out how a car works by looking at the finished product.鈥�

The Chandra and Webb data reveal that JADES-ID1 contains the two properties that confirm the presence of a protocluster: a large number of galaxies held together by gravity. Webb sees at least 66 potential members that are also sitting in a huge cloud of hot gas detected by Chandra. As a galaxy cluster forms, gas falls inward and is heated by shock waves, reaching temperatures of millions of degrees and glowing in X-rays.

What makes JADES-ID1 exceptional is the remarkably early time when it appears in cosmic history. Most models of the universe predict that there likely would not be enough time and a large enough density of galaxies for a protocluster of this size to form only a billion years after the big bang. The previous record holder for a protocluster with X-ray emission is seen much later, about three billion years after the big bang.

This is yet another sign that structure in the universe is forming much quicker than astronomers had anticipated. 

After billions of years JADES-ID1 should evolve from a protocluster into a massive galaxy cluster like those we see much closer to Earth.

To find JADES-ID1, astronomers combined deep observations from both Chandra and Webb. By design, the JADES field overlaps with the Chandra Deep Field South, the site of the deepest X-ray observation ever conducted. This field is thus one of the few in the entire sky where a discovery such as this could be made. 

In an earlier study, a team of researchers led by Li and Professor Conselice at The University of 99久久精品 found five other proto-cluster candidates in the JADES field, but only in JADES-ID1 are the galaxies embedded in hot gas. Thus, only JADES-ID1 possesses enough mass for an X-ray signal from hot gas to be expected. 

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.  The JWST work was sponsored by the European Research Council in an Advanced Grant (EPOCHS) to The University of 99久久精品. 

This research was published in the journal Nature

Full title: An X-ray-emitting protocluster at z 鈮� 5.7 reveals rapid structure growth

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09973-1

URL: . 

The study, led by The University of 99久久精品, offers a rare glimpse into a period of evolution that is usually extremely difficult to study because early vertebrates had soft bodies, so any remains are usually squashed, incomplete, or difficult to interpret.

Using a synchrotron particle accelerator, the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) at SLAC  National Accelerator Laboratory in California, USA, the researchers were able to map the chemistry within two tiny jawless fish called Jamoytius and Lasanius, found near Lesmahagow, south of Glasgow.

The findings, published today in , represent a huge advance in our understanding of the early stages in the development of the vertebrate lineage.

 鈥淲e decided that transitional fossils, from one of the earliest stages of vertebrate evolution, would be perfect to look at with our new methods,鈥� explained researcher , Professor of Geochemistry at The University of 99久久精品. 鈥淲hat we were able to discover was far beyond our expectations. Not only did we identify early bone structures deep in the geological record, but we also captured the first-ever images of some of the oldest camera-type eyes. These eyes preserve even the small notch where the optic nerve connected - features that form the basis of modern vertebrate eyes today.鈥�

University of 99久久精品 researcher , added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing to see just how much new information we can recover from fossils which are usually too poorly preserved to be useful using these new technologies. Our findings help resolve scientific debates that have been running since the Victorian era. They point to a very early origin of bones and eyes in vertebrate history, probably even predating the group appearing altogether.

鈥淚鈥檓 also excited because these fossils are most likely the ancestors of modern lamprey and hagfish, which now lack many of these features, so we鈥檙e adding to a growing body of work that shows those organisms have a far more complex evolutionary history than previously thought.鈥�

Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence imaging works by scanning a sample in front of the intense X-ray beam generated by the synchrotron particle accelerator. The X-rays cause atoms in the sample to emit their own X-rays (X-ray fluorescence), which the scanning system detects. The properties of the fluoresced X-rays are specific to the chemical element they originated from. As such, this technique can be used to identify and map tiny differences in chemical elements locked inside fossils and in some cases, the chemical remnants of tissues no longer visible with visible light.

Dr Nick Edwards, a Staff Engineer for the X-ray Fluorescence Imaging beam lines at SSRL, performed the X-ray imaging experiments as part of a long-standing collaboration with The University of 99久久精品 research team, with whom he worked with for his PhD studies.

He said: 鈥淪ynchrotron X-ray Fluorescence imaging is a versatile technique with advantages over other types of scientific analysis that make it amenable to studying fossils. The experiments do not need special environmental conditions, and we can place relatively large objects in the instrument without the need to remove material from them. We can detect the extremely low levels of elements present in biological systems and correlate them to specific fossil tissues in a matter of hours. The results from these fossils are fascinating and further corroborate that the chemistry of extinct organisms can be preserved over huge geological time scales and be useful in interpreting the evolution of life.鈥�

In this study, the team found traces of zinc and copper that revealed the structure of the retina and pigment layer in the ancient eyes. They also found calcium and phosphorus showing where early bone-like tissue was present.

The research has been praised internationally. Dr Pierre Gueriau of the University of Lausanne, who was not involved in the research, said: 鈥�This study not only rewrites some chapters of the evolutionary history of our early vertebrate ancestors, but also illustrates how advanced fossil imaging is not limited to CT scanning and encompasses a suite of analytical chemistry methods capable of revealing a new range of information, in some cases even considered lost to fossilisation. This is truly an exciting time to be a palaeontologist鈥�.

Corresponding author , a palaeobiologist at The University of 99久久精品, added: 鈥淚 love these fossil fish. They may have been dead for over 400 million years but they keep on surprising us with new hidden data about our deep origins.鈥�

The team will now continue using this high-energy physics technology to tease out the chemical remnants of early life in other vertebrates, providing key insights into the evolution of animals such as birds, dinosaurs, mammals, and even microbial life.

This paper was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Full title: Early vertebrate biomineralisation and eye structure determined by synchrotron X-ray analyses of Silurian jawless fish.

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.2248

URL: 

Today, the red kangaroo is the largest living hopping animal and weighs around 90kg. But during the Ice Age, some kangaroos grew more than twice the size of that - some reaching up to 250kg.

For years, researchers believed these giants must have abandoned hopping, as earlier studies suggested that hopping would become mechanically impossible above about 150kg. Those conclusions were largely based on simply scaling up modern kangaroos, which scientists from The University of 99久久精品, in collaboration with the University of Bristol and the University of Melbourne suspected might be misleading.

Now, by combining measurements from living kangaroos with direct evidence from fossil bones, the new study, published today in the journal finds that giant kangaroos may have been capable of hopping.

Lead researcher Megan Jones, Postgraduate Researcher at The University of 99久久精品, said: 鈥淧revious estimates were based on simply scaling up modern kangaroos, which may mean we miss crucial anatomical differences. Our findings show that these animals weren鈥檛 just larger versions of today鈥檚 kangaroos, they were built differently, in ways that helped them manage their enormous size.鈥�

The team examined two potential limiting factors for hopping - the strength of the foot bones and the ability of the ankle to anchor the powerful tendons that drive a hop.

Their analysis show that the giant kangaroos had shorter, thicker foot bones capable of withstanding landing forces and their heel bones were broad enough to support much thicker ankle tendons than those of modern kangaroos.

However, these giants probably did not bounce across the landscape like today鈥檚 red kangaroos.

鈥淭hicker tendons are safer, but they store less elastic energy,鈥� explained s, Royal Society Research Fellow at The University of Bristol. 鈥淭his likely made giant kangaroos slower and less efficient hoppers, better suited to short bursts of movement rather than long-distance travel. But hopping does not have to be extremely energy efficient to be useful, these animals probably used their hopping ability to cross rough ground quickly or to escape danger.鈥�

The fossil analysis also revealed a range of locomotion strategies among the extinct species. Some giant kangaroos may have mixed hopping with other forms of movement, including walking upright on two legs, or moving on all fours, suggesting that hopping was just one part of a broader 鈥渕ovement repertoire鈥�.

But the diversity of prehistoric Australia extends beyond just movement.

, Senior Lecturer in Evolution, Infection and Genomics at The University of 99久久精品, said 鈥淥ur findings contribute to the notion that kangaroos had a broader ecological diversity in prehistoric Australia than we find today, with some large species grazers like modern kangaroos while others were browsers 鈥� an ecological niche not seen in today鈥檚 large kangaroos.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

The findings provide the most comprehensive assessment to date of the mechanical feasibility of hopping in giant extinct kangaroos.

This paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports

Full title: Biomechanical limits of hopping in the hindlimbs of giant extinct kangaroos

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-29939-7

URL:

Scientists have long known that inherited neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer鈥檚, Parkinson鈥檚 or motor neurone disease, can be traced back to genetic mutations. However, how they cause the diseases remains unanswered.

In today鈥檚 issue of the journal Current Biology Professor Andreas Prokop revealed that so-called 鈥榤otor proteins鈥� can provide key answers in this quest.

The research by the Prokop group focusses on nerve fibres, also called axons. Axons are the delicate biological cables that send messages between the brain and body to control our movements and behaviour. Intriguingly, axons need to survive and stay functional for our entire lifetime!

To survive long-term, axons harbour complex cellular machinery. This machinery crucially depends on the transport of materials from the distant nerve cell bodies which is performed by motor proteins running along thin fibres called microtubules.

If mutations in motor protein genes abolish their ability to transport cargo, this causes axonal decay, and many inherited neurodegenerative diseases can be traced back to such mutations. However, another class of mutations also linking to neurodegeneration, causes motor protein hyperactivation, meaning that motor proteins are constantly active, unable to pause.

鈥淪o far, it has been difficult to explain why both disabling and hyperactivating mutations can cause very similar forms of neurodegeneration.鈥� said Professor Prokop.

鈥淭o find answers, we use fruit flies, where research is fast and cost-effective and where many of the relevant human genes have close equivalents and perform similar functions in nerve cells. Capitalising on these advantages, we could show that disabling as well as hyperactivating mutations cause a very similar pathology in axons: straight microtubule bundles decay into areas of disorganised microtubule curling, similar to dry versus boiled spaghetti.鈥�

Further investigations revealed that hyperactivating and disabling mutations work through two different mechanisms that eventually converge to induce this curling:

Even under normal conditions, cargo transport along microtubules generates damage, like cars cause potholes 鈥� and this requires maintenance mechanisms to repair and replace microtubules. The balance between damage and repair is disturbed if motor proteins are hyperactivated or if maintenance machinery fails - both leading to microtubule curling as a sign of axon decay.

Prokop said: 鈥淚n this scenario, disabling mutations could be assumed to cause less curling because there is less damaging traffic. However, less traffic depletes supply to the axonal machinery, and this triggers a condition referred to as oxidative stress. We could show that oxidative stress affects microtubule maintenance and leads therefore to the same kind of microtubule curling as observed upon motor hyperactivation.鈥�

鈥淭hese findings suggest a circular relationship which we called the 鈥渄ependency cycle of axon homeostasis鈥�, proposing that axon maintenance requires a microtubule- and motor protein-based machinery of transport which, itself, is dependent on this transport.鈥�

Any gene mutations affecting axonal machinery in ways that cause oxidative stress, or that disturb the balance between microtubule damage or repair, can break this cycle. This can explain a long-standing conundrum in the field: why almost any class of neurodegenerative disease can be caused by mutations in a wide range of genes linking to very different cellular functions.

He added: 鈥淧arallel work by my group strongly supports the dependency cycle model. Importantly, since the fundamental genetic makeup of fruit flies and humans is surprisingly similar, it is very likely that our findings are replicated in humans 鈥� and there are good indications already.鈥�

New Windows on Fundamental Physics: from tabletop devices to large-scale detectors (19鈥�23 January 2026) unites experts from particle theory, particle physics, nuclear physics, atomic and molecular physics and selected areas of astrophysics. The five-day meeting is designed to accelerate collaboration, stimulate new research ideas and create new partnerships within the global quantum science and engineering research community. 

, Research Associate in Particle Theory, the Quantum Technologies for Fundamental Physics (QTFP) lead, and the workshop chair explains: 鈥淏y bringing together world experts across theory and experiment, we are creating space for the next generation of joint projects. In keeping the workshop intentionally small and focused, we aim to foster the kind of deep discussions that aren't always possible at larger, more formal conferences.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

The programme comprises: 

• a one-day UK Astroparticle Phenomenology (UK-APP) workshop featuring contributed talks, and
• a four-day specialist workshop with invited and contributed talks.   

The workshop will have a particular emphasis on tabletop detectors and quantum technologies for fundamental physics (QTFP), covering topics including precision metrology and quantum sensing, cold atoms and molecules, quantum analogues, atom interferometry, fifth-force tests, axion/WIMP dark matter and dark energy, neutrinos, gravitational-wave detectors, high-frequency gravitational waves and emerging tabletop detection techniques. 

, a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and The University 99久久精品 representative to the Terrestrial Very-Long-Baseline Atom Interferometry collaboration, and workshop co-organiser, adds: 鈥淭here is a near-term opportunity to build partnerships that will shape the future of this exciting multi-disciplinary area of research and capture support through the next wave of funding programmes.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;, Head of the Photon Science Institute and Nuclear Physics Group continues: 鈥淥ur aim is to enable researchers to share emerging work, explore new directions and identify opportunities for joint initiatives.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Professor Sarah Sharples, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering underscores: 鈥淭his workshop is a reminder of what can be achieved when we bring people together with a shared curiosity. By creating space for open exchange and collaboration, 99久久精品 is helping to connect expertise from across the world in ways that move this field forward. It鈥檚 a collective endeavour; one that grows stronger when we work across boundaries and advance knowledge together.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

The event reflects wider momentum in quantum science at 99久久精品, supported by a series of strategic hires, including multiple new Chairs in Quantum Science. These appointments bring new researchers into an environment defined by growing interdisciplinary activity, strong international partnerships 鈥� from the University of Washington to Nanoco 鈥� and access to world-leading capabilities such as the P-NAME instrument and the facilities at the Henry Royce Institute. 

Event details 

Workshop: New Windows on Fundamental Physics: from tabletop devices to large-scale detectors Dates: 19-23 January 2026 Location: The University of 99久久精品 

Full list of speakers and more information:  

The cloud of iron atoms, described for the first time in , just fits inside the inner layer of the elliptically shaped nebula - a colourful shell of gas thrown off by a star as it ends the nuclear fuel-burning phase of its life. It is familiar from many images including those obtained by the James Webb Space Telescope at infrared wavelength.

The bar鈥檚 length is roughly 500 times that of Pluto鈥檚 orbit around the Sun and, according to the team, which includes researchers from The University of 99久久精品, its mass of iron atoms is comparable to the mass of Mars.

The iron cloud was discovered in observations obtained using the Large Integral Field Unit (LIFU) mode of the - a new instrument installed on the Isaac Newton Group鈥檚 4.2-metre William Herschel Telescope. 

The LIFU is a bundle of hundreds of optical fibres.  It has enabled the team of astronomers to obtain spectra (where light is separated into its constituent wavelengths) at every point across the entire face of the Ring Nebula, and at all optical wavelengths, for the first time. 

Lead author Dr Roger Wesson, based jointly at University College London and Cardiff University, said: 鈥淓ven though the Ring Nebula has been studied using many different telescopes and instruments, WEAVE has allowed us to observe it in a new way, providing so much more detail than before. By obtaining a spectrum continuously across the whole nebula, we can create images of the nebula at any wavelength and determine its chemical composition at any position.

鈥淲hen we processed the data and scrolled through the images, one thing popped out as clear as anything 鈥� this previously unknown 鈥榖ar鈥� of ionized iron atoms, in the middle of the familiar and iconic ring.鈥�

Co-author , Professor of Astrophysics at The University of 99久久精品, added: 鈥淲e selected the Ring Nebula as an early target because it is bright, well studied and ideal for testing the instrument鈥檚 capabilities. However, when the data were analysed, we noticed something entirely unexpected - a bar of highly ionised iron that had gone unnoticed in decades of previous observations. Discoveries like this show how many surprises there still are to be found in even the most familiar objects in the night sky.鈥�

How the iron bar formed is currently a mystery, the authors say.  They will need further, more detailed observations to unravel what is going on. There are two potential scenarios: the iron bar may reveal something new about how the ejection of the nebula by the parent star progressed, or the iron might be an arc of plasma resulting from the vaporisation of particles of iron dust embedded in the Ring Nebula. 

Co-author Professor Janet Drew, also based at UCL, advises caution: 鈥淲e definitely need to know more 鈥� particularly whether any other chemical elements co-exist with the newly-detected iron, as this would probably tell us the right class of model to pursue.  Right now, we are missing this important information.鈥�

The team are working on a follow-up study, and plan to obtain data using WEAVE鈥檚 LIFU at higher spectral resolution to better understand how the bar might have formed.

WEAVE is carrying out eight surveys over the next five years, targeting everything from nearby white dwarfs to very distant galaxies. The Stellar, Circumstellar and Interstellar Physics strand of the WEAVE survey, led by Professor Drew, is observing many more ionized nebulae across the northern Milky Way.

鈥淚t would be very surprising if the iron bar in the Ring is unique,鈥� explains Dr. Wesson. 鈥淪o hopefully, as we observe and analyse more nebulae created in the same way, we will discover more examples of this phenomenon, which will help us to understand where the iron comes from.鈥�

Professor Scott Trager, WEAVE Project Scientist based at the University of Groningen, added: 鈥淭he discovery of this fascinating, previously unknown structure in a night-sky jewel, beloved by sky watchers across the Northern Hemisphere, demonstrates the amazing capabilities of WEAVE.  We look forward to many more discoveries from this new instrument.鈥�

This research paper was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Full title: WEAVE imaging spectroscopy of NGC 6720: an iron bar in the Ring

DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staf2139

URL:

Researchers at The University of 99久久精品, working with the UK鈥檚 National Physical Laboratory and 15 international partners, have developed a robust protocol using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results, published in , will underpin a new ISO technical specification for graphene.

鈥淭o incorporate graphene and other 2D materials into industrial applications, from light-weight vehicles to sports equipment, touch screens, sensors and electronics, you need to know you鈥檙e working with the right material. This study sets a global benchmark that industry can trust,鈥� said , who worked on the research during his PhD.

鈥淓lectron diffraction has long been used to distinguish monolayer from few鈥�layer graphene, but it鈥�s often applied without a full treatment of uncertainties. By collaborating across 15 leading labs. including the original pioneers, we鈥�ve mapped the pitfalls and shown how to get reliable results鈥� added Dr Evan Tillotson.

鈥淲e鈥檝e designed this protocol so it works in real labs, not just in specialist centres. And for organisations without TEM capability, we can provide measurements commercially through our partnership with the ,鈥� said , Professor of Materials.

The findings are used directly within the  international standard, currently in press and expected to be published in 2026. 鈥淭his work builds on the NPL Good Practice Guide 145 'Characterisation of the Structure of Graphene鈥� developed in partnership with the University of 99久久精品, and one of NPL's most downloaded guides.", notes , Principal Scientist of the Surface Technology Group and Advanced Materials Strategy Lead at NPL.

This research was published in the journal 2D Materials.

Full title:

DOI: 10.1088/2053-1583/ae2ca1

Professor Sarah Haigh is available for interview on request.

The appointment, which began on 1 January 2026, follows a year-long sabbatical spent at Monash University and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, and reflects a shared ambition to deepen collaboration between the UK and Australia in advanced materials research and manufacturing.

In line with this, Professor Withers will also take up responsibility for identification and establishment of Strategic Research Partnerships at the .

Reflecting on the new role, said: 鈥淒uring my time in Melbourne, I saw enormous potential for deeper collaboration between UK and Australian universities, particularly in Advanced Materials Manufacturing. Working across these two world-class institutions, and more broadly between our two countries, offers significant opportunities for innovation and impact. Furthermore, this three-way appointment also allows me to build on the strong national platform that the Royce has established over its first decade, by helping to develop and sustain robust international academic and industrial partnerships.鈥�

The University of 99久久精品 is home to more than 700 materials experts whose research is revolutionising industries through the development of advanced materials that unlock new levels of performance, efficiency and sustainability. Supported by the University鈥檚 拢885 million investment in its campus over the past decade, researchers are at the forefront of materials innovation, delivering game-changing solutions across sectors from healthcare to manufacturing, tackling global challenges and reinforcing the UK鈥檚 reputation as a technology 鈥榮uperpower鈥�.

Over the next five years, Professor Withers鈥� joint appointment will support collaborative research programmes between 99久久精品 and Monash, enable greater researcher and student exchange, and strengthen engagement with industry partners across both countries, particularly in the area of advanced materials manufacturing.

, Vice Dean and Head of School of Natural Sciences at The University of 99久久精品 said: 鈥淭his is an excellent opportunity to build on our existing links with Monash and the exciting future that this collaboration will deliver.  Phil鈥檚 joint appointment will enable us to create multiple strands of activity across a wide range of materials science and engineering and beyond.鈥�

Professor Mahmoud Mostafavi, Head of Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Monash University, added: 鈥淩egius Professor Withers, FRS is a world-renowned materials scientist and engineer and a leading international figure in key subjects. We are extremely delighted that he will be joining Monash at this critical time for Australia. In addition to his extraordinary research leadership, Professor Withers will be acting as a bridge between materials research in Australia and UK, Europe, and the rest of world, particularly through his affiliation with the Henry .鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Professor Withers is the inaugural Regius Professor of Materials and his research focuses on understanding how engineering materials perform, particularly in demanding environments, and on developing new materials with improved durability and performance. He is internationally recognised for his pioneering use of X-ray imaging techniques to create three-dimensional images of materials, revealing their microstructure and identifying defects or damage in engineering components.

In recognition of this work, the Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility (HMXIF), established by Professor Withers, was awarded the Queen鈥檚 Anniversary Prize in 2014. The HIMXIF, has since grown into one of the most extensive suites of 3D X-ray imaging facilities in the world and now host the.

Professor Withers is a Fellow of both the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and Academia Europea as well as a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Indian National Science Academy. In 2012, he became the inaugural Director of the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials, which focuses on understanding and developing materials for the energy sector. As Chief Scientist at the Henry Royce Institute, he leads the development of the Institute鈥檚 research strategy - all expertise he will bring to his joint appointment with Monash University.

The project, led by Professor Yasser Mahmoudi Larimi from The University of 99久久精品, has been awarded a 拢3 million EPSRC Critical Mass Programme Grant. It brings together expertise from industry and academia across the UK, including The University of 99久久精品, the University of Birmingham, the University of Liverpool, Cranfield University and Imperial College London.

As the UK increases its use of renewable energy, one of the biggest challenges is how to store excess electricity generated on windy or sunny days and make it available when demand rises, or when the weather changes and turns dark, for example. GPStore aims to deliver a first-of-its-kind approach to storing clean energy for hours, weeks or months - something existing storage options cannot achieve at scale.

By 2050, the UK is expected to need up to 100 terawatt-hours of long-duration energy storage to ensure a stable, affordable and low-carbon energy system. While today鈥檚 technologies, such as pumped hydro, compressed air and flow batteries, offer useful short- to medium-duration storage, they often face geographical and environmental constraints, high costs, or complex engineering, making them difficult to scale.

The novel GPStore technology takes a completely different approach. It converts surplus renewable electricity into high-temperature heat storing in solid particles, in aboveground insulated tanks. When energy is needed, the stored thermal energy is converted back to electricity. GPStore could help manage energy demand not only day-to-day, but also between summer and winter, which is essential for achieving a fully renewable, climate-resilient energy grid.

The project brings together 13 academics across five UK universities and 16 industry and policy partners, including Baker Hughes, EDF Energy, UK Power Networks, Fraser-Nash Consultancy and 99久久精品 City Council.