News in 2019
- Emerald botanical jewels emerge in Bristol 11 March 2020 Turquoise jade vine flowers have appeared for the first time in the tropical glasshouse at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden.
- Celebrating sustainability: growing our campus tree cover 9 December 2019 The University of Bristol has pledged to plant 1,600 trees in 2020 as part of its continued effort to take action on climate change.
- Sounds of the past give new hope for coral reef restoration 29 November 2019 Young fish can be drawn to degraded coral reefs by loudspeakers playing the sounds of healthy reefs, according to new research published today [29 November] in Nature Communications.
- Animal embryos evolved before animals 28 November 2019 A new study by an international team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of Bristol and Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, has discovered that animal-like embryos evolved long before the first animals appear in the fossil record.
- Changes in oxygen concentrations in our ocean can disrupt fundamental biological cycles 26 November 2019 New research led by scientists at the University of Bristol has shown that the feedback mechanisms that were thought to keep the marine nitrogen cycle relatively stable over geological time can break down when oxygen levels in the ocean decline significantly.
- University commits significant funding to research global challenges 15 November 2019 The University of Bristol has committed £800,000 from its Quality Related (QR) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) allocation to support research activities with partners in low and middle income countries.
- Discriminating diets of meat-eating dinosaurs 4 November 2019 A big problem with dinosaurs is that there seem to be too many meat-eaters. From studies of modern animals, there is a feeding pyramid, with plants at the bottom, then plant-eaters, and then meat-eaters at the top.
- University of Bristol to become hedgehog haven 1 November 2019 Spiky visitors to the University of Bristol will receive a warm welcome thanks to a new Hedgehog Friendly Campus campaign.
- How ocean ecosystems recovered after mass extinction event 66 million years ago 21 October 2019 An international team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, have produced an unprecedented record of the biotic recovery of ocean ecosystems that followed after the last mass extinction, 66 million years ago.
- Global research projects co-designed with experts in East Africa awarded UKRI funding 21 October 2019 From helping schools improve earthquake mitigation plans, to enabling farmers to detect fish stocks and seasonal droughts, researchers are collaborating with regional partners in a bid to deliver strategic responses to prescient challenges.
- Scientists 'must be allowed to cry' about destruction of nature 11 October 2019 Scientists witnessing the destruction of the natural world must be supported and "allowed to cry", researchers say.
- Botanic gardens could help mitigate against climate change and biodiversity loss 3 October 2019 The Secretary General of the world's largest plant conservation network, with over 600 members, that links botanic gardens around the world in a shared commitment to save threatened plant species and raise awareness about the importance of plants will give a talk organised by the University of Bristol Botanic Garden next week [Monday 7 October].
- Hidden danger from pet dogs in Africa 9 September 2019 Researchers at the Universities of Abuja and Nigeria, in collaboration with the University of Bristol, have detected a potentially human-infective microbe in pet dogs in Nigeria.
- A new reptile species from Wales named by Bristol student 3 September 2019 After resting for decades in the storerooms of the Natural History Museum in London, a fragmentary fossil from the Late Triassic (200 million years ago) has been named as a new species by a Masters’ student at the University of Bristol.
- Buzz along to the Botanic Garden 22 August 2019 What are the medicinal properties of honey and how can a garden make a difference to pollinators? These and many other questions will be answered at a bee festival later this month.
- Separate polarisation and brightness channels give crabs the edge over predators 22 August 2019 Fiddler crabs see the polarisation of light and this gives them the edge when it comes to spotting potentials threats, such as a rival crab or a predator. Now researchers at the University of Bristol have begun to unravel how this information is processed within the crab's brain. The study, published in Science Advances today [Wednesday 21 August], has discovered that when detecting approaching objects, fiddler crabs separate polarisation and brightness information.
- Interview with the authors: High indirect fitness benefits for helpers across the nesting cycle in the tropical paper wasp Polistes canadensis 21 August 2019 Understanding how complex social systems evolve is a long-standing and challenging goal of evolutionary biology.
- Could biological clocks in plants set the time for crop spraying? 16 August 2019 Plants can tell the time, and this affects their responses to certain herbicides used in agriculture according to new research led by the University of Bristol. The study, in collaboration with Syngenta, found that plant circadian rhythms regulate the sensitivity of plants to a widely used herbicide according to the time of day. The findings could benefit agriculture by reducing crop loss and improving harvests.
- Dinosaur brains from baby to adult 15 August 2019 New research by a University of Bristol palaeontology post-graduate student has revealed fresh insights into how the braincase of the dinosaur Psittacosaurus developed and how this tells us about its posture.
- New insight into glaciers regulating global silicon cycling 15 August 2019 A new review of silicon cycling in glacial environments, led by scientists from the University of Bristol, highlights the potential importance of glaciers in exporting silicon to downstream ecosystems.
- University of Bristol garden recognised as one of the world’s best green spaces 13 August 2019 For the fourth year running, a public University garden has been recognised as one of the very best in the world, by the Green Flag Award Scheme.
- Introducing the Allotment + Community Garden 13 August 2019 In May, a team of staff and students from the School of Biological Sciences, External Estates and Sustainability came together to create the Allotment+ Community Garden project. Students from the Bristol SU Roots Community Gardening Society also helped to secure an Education Innovation Grant to develop an area of unused land, next to the David Smith Building on St Michael’s Hill. Nineteen volunteers signed up for our ‘big clean’ and made a tremendous effort to clear and start to create this fantastic usable space.
- Thriving animal collectives like ants should move through their environment like ‘savvy gamblers’ 8 August 2019 Many animals have to move around in their environment to find resources to live and reproduce.
- Awe-inspiring giant Earth installation on display in Bristol 8 August 2019 Following the success of Museum of the Moon in 2017 and The Impossible Garden last summer, the University of Bristol is delighted to host another spectacular installation by Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram.
- Sustainable student spin-out wins ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ 8 August 2019 University of Bristol alumnus, Charlie Guy, has been crowned national ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ and awarded £30,000 at the Shell Enterprise Development Awards 2019, to grow and develop his sustainable farming company LettUs Grow.
- Genes that first enabled plants to grow leaves identified by scientists 5 August 2019 The genes that first enabled plants to grow shoots and conquer the land have been identified by University of Bristol researchers. The findings, published in Current Biology [1 August], explain how a 450-million years ago a switch enabled plants to delay reproduction and grow shoots, leaves and buds.
- Increasing value of ivory poses major threat to elephant populations 30 July 2019 The global price of ivory increased tenfold since its 1989 trade ban by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), new research has found. The University of Bristol Veterinary School study, published in Biological Conservation [25 July], is the first to analyse trends in global ivory market values since the ban came into effect.
- Student Lydia overcomes devastating family tragedy to graduate with flying colours 26 July 2019 When Lydia Wilkinson crossed the stage to collect her degree and graduate today [25 July], she received the loudest cheer of the day.
- Plant and Agricultural Sciences Fellowships at Bristol 17 July 2019 The School of Biological Sciences is seeking highly motivated individuals to join us as Independent Research Fellows to lead research in the field of plant and agricultural sciences. Prospective fellows are invited to visit the department, meet with academic and support staff and will be given the opportunity to present their proposed research area.
- Scientists get on their soapboxes to tackle gender bias 8 July 2019 Next month Broadmead Shopping Centre will be transformed into a celebration of women in science, as a troupe of 12 leading female scientists from across the South West will leave their labs and lecture halls in favour of Bristol city centre for the annual Soap Box Science Festival [12-3pm on Saturday 13 July].
- New research shows how melting ice is affecting supplies of nutrients to the sea 26 June 2019 The findings of a research expedition to coastal Greenland which examined, for the first time, how melting ice is affecting supplies of nutrients to the oceans has been published in the journal Progress in Oceanography.
- Blue colour tones in fossilised prehistoric feathers 26 June 2019 Examining fossilised pigments, scientists from the University of Bristol have uncovered new insights into blue colour tones in prehistoric birds.
- Clouds dominate uncertainties in predicting future Greenland melt 25 June 2019 New research led by climate scientists from the University of Bristol suggests that the representation of clouds in climate models is as, or more, important than the amount of greenhouse gas emissions when it comes to projecting future Greenland ice sheet melt.
- How in times of trouble animals also stand together 20 June 2019 Faced with potential violence from rival factions, dwarf mongoose groupmates pull together and behave more co-operatively, according to a new study by University of Bristol researchers published today [Thursday 20 June].
- 2019 Bristol Teaching Awards winners announced 13 June 2019 Nominees, winners and supporters of the 2019 Bristol Teaching Awards gathered in the Great Hall of the Wills Memorial Building yesterday (Wednesday 12 June) to celebrate colleagues' outstanding contributions to teaching, student support and enhancement of the student learning experience.
- Dolphins form friendships through shared interests just like us, study finds 12 June 2019 When it comes to making friends, it appears dolphins are just like us and form close friendships with other dolphins that have a common interest. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B by an international team of researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Zurich and Western Australia, provides further insight into the social habits of these remarkable animals.
- The moth making waves in sound technology — £1.6M project will mimic moth’s acoustic camouflage in new sound-proof material 5 June 2019 A new ultra-thin sound proofing material inspired by the tiny sound absorbent scales found on the wings of a giant species of moth is being developed thanks to a £1.6M EPSRC grant. The University of Bristol-led project will see the development of a new prototype material with exciting functional properties –broadband multidirectional absorption at a thickness only fractions of the sound wavelength- to help control noise pollution in cities, offices and homes.
- Feathers came first, then birds 4 June 2019 New research, led by the University of Bristol, suggests that feathers arose 100 million years before birds - changing how we look at dinosaurs, birds, and pterosaurs, the flying reptiles.
- Researchers identify how to find best and worse colours for camouflage 31 May 2019 Avoiding detection can provide significant survival advantages for prey, predators, or the military. For the first time, scientists from Bristol’s Camo Lab have identified a new method to find the optimal colour to minimize or maximize detectability of a target. The study is published in a Royal Society Interface study.
- New research shows that mites and ticks are close relatives 24 May 2019 Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Natural History Museum in London have reconstructed the evolutionary history of the chelicerates, the mega-diverse group of 110,000 arthropods that includes spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks.
