Even moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect a child’s IQ14 November 2012Relatively small levels of exposure to alcohol while in the womb can influence a child’s IQ, according to a new study published today in PLOS ONE by researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Oxford using Children of the 90s study (ALSPAC) data from over 4,000 mothers and their offspring.
The hidden consequences of helping rural communities in Africa14 November 2012Improving water supplies in rural African villages may have negative knock-on effects and contribute to increased poverty, new research published today [14 November] has found. Rural development initiatives across the developing world are designed to improve community wellbeing and livelihoods but a study of Ethiopian villages by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Addis Ababa in Africa has shown that this can lead to unforeseen consequences caused by an increase in the birth rate in the absence of family planning.
New study to investigate headshaking in horses14 November 2012Following a study that has found a pioneering new surgical procedure could be a viable option for headshaking in horses. An academic from the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences has received a grant to investigate possible focal demyelination of the nerve as a cause of headshaking in horses.
Professor Hollander speaks at House of Lords enquiry14 November 2012Professor Anthony Hollander, Head of the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, appeared as a witness for the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee enquiry into Regenerative Medicine on Tuesday (13 November).
Professor Paul Grout joins Ofgem Board14 November 2012Professor Paul A Grout, Professor of Political Economy in the School of Economics, Finance and Management, has become a Non-Executive Director of Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets).
Planting the Olympic Park14 November 2012Professor Nigel Dunnett, one of the team behind the UK's largest ever man-made wildflower meadows at the Olympic Park, will be in Bristol tomorrow [Thursday 15 November] to talk about the processes leading up to those magical few weeks this summer.
Balazs Gyorffy, 1938-201214 November 2012Balazs Gyorffy, Emeritus Professor of Physics and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, died on 25 October after a short illness. Professor Robert Evans pays tribute to an outstanding scientist and a valued colleague, best described as a force of nature.
Robotics set to ‘revolutionise the UK economy in the next 20 years’13 November 2012Britain’s desire to be at the forefront of robotics research has been reinforced by universities minister David Willetts, who saw world-leading technology when he visited the Bristol Robotics Lab yesterday [Monday, 12 November].
Student stars in Richard Hammond’s ‘Miracles of Nature’13 November 2012Navigating his way around a mountain bike course is the latest challenge to be tackled by blind University of Bristol student Dan Smith, as he puts ‘bat echolocation’ technology to the test for Richard Hammond’s new BBC television series.
PhD student wins Airbus award12 November 2012A postgraduate student from the University of Bristol’s Department of Engineering Mathematics has been awarded ‘best presentation’ at the annual Airbus PhD Day.
£1.1 million boost for synthetic biology research in Bristol12 November 2012Scientists from the University of Bristol have been awarded a £1.1 million share of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)'s strategic Longer and Larger Awards in Synthetic Biology, announced today.
Study will help our genetic understanding of dangerous new viruses12 November 2012Scientists studying the genes and proteins of human cells infected with a common cold virus have identified a new gene identification technique that could increase the genetic information we hold on animals by around 70 to 80 per cent. The findings, published in Nature Methods, could revolutionise our understanding of animal genetics and disease, and improve our knowledge of dangerous viruses such as SARS that jump the species barrier from animals to humans.
Student to star in Richard Hammond’s ‘Miracles of Nature’9 November 2012University of Bristol student Dan Smith will be putting the latest 'bat ecolocation' technology to the test on Monday [12 November] when he stars in Richard Hammond's latest series.
Historian on BBC Radio 4's The Invention of Spain9 November 2012Dr Matthew Brown of the Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies will be interviewed on BBC Radio 4's The Invention of Spain this Sunday.
Understanding antibiotic resistance using crystallography and computation9 November 2012Scientists at the University of Bristol, together with collaborators at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, have solved the structure of an enzyme that breaks down carbapenems , antibiotics 'of last resort' which, until recently, were kept in reserve for serious infections that failed to respond to other treatments.
New York Times: Getting into a benefactor’s head9 November 2012Dr Jen Shang, a Reader in the University’s School of Economics, Finance and Management and an Assistant Professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University in the US, is interviewed by the New York Times on her work researching donor behaviour to help nonprofit organisations increase donations.
New Research Chair to develop future aircraft design9 November 2012Professor Jonathan Cooper, who holds the Sir George White Chair of Aerospace Engineering, has been appointed to a prestigious, five-year Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair, jointly sponsored by Airbus.
A new way of making glass9 November 2012A new way to make glass has been discovered by a collaboration of researchers at the Universities of Düsseldorf and Bristol using a method that controls how the atoms within a substance are arranged around each other. The research is published today in Physical Review Letters.
Bristol academics discuss university and society at China conference9 November 2012Academics from Bristol were in Hangzhou, Eastern China, last week to attend the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) Ideas and Universities Conference 2012, jointly organized by the WUN and Zhejiang University in Hangzhou.
Young geographers team up with scientists to lobby Prime Minister9 November 2012Aspiring geographers from across Bristol will be joined by some of the country’s leading scientists to learn about one of the most important and pressing challenges of our time — climate change
When colour came to Britain8 November 2012Professor Sarah Street of the Department of Drama: Theatre, Film, Television will give a talk on her new book Colour Films in Britain: The Negotiation of Innovation, 1900-55 at the BFI Southbank on Monday [12 November] .
International intern scholarships awarded8 November 2012Nine international students who have undertaken internships of outstanding significance to their academic study and career development have been awarded scholarships by Professor Nishan Canagarajah, Dean of Engineering.
South West Crucible offers researchers a career boost8 November 2012South West Crucible, a new workshop programme to help highly promising future research leaders develop their careers, has been launched by the Universities of Bristol, Bath and the West of England.
Multiculturalism alive and well even among politicians criticising it8 November 2012New research to be presented today [8 Nov] in the House of Lords claims that a key multiculturalist goal in relation to Britishness is also a goal for many senior Labour and Conservative politicians despite their criticisms of multiculturalism. Interestingly, the research shows a major change in political attitudes towards multi-ethnic Britain among Conservative politicians.
Drifting word clouds may change perceptions of climate science7 November 2012The impact of climate science research on society is likely to depend on regular fashion cycles in the public's use of specific keywords relating to climate change, according to new research from the University of Bristol, published today in PLoS ONE.
What can 40,000 households tell us about love, living and learning?7 November 2012The attitudes of 100,000 individuals in 40,000 British households on life in 21st-century Britain will be explored by leading social scientists at an event hosted by the University of Bristol tonight [7 Nov].
SETsquared’s OpenDOOR to put academics’ code into public domain7 November 2012The SETsquared Partnership has launched OpenDOOR, an online portal that provides free access to software developed at the five SETsquared partner universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey.
Bristol academic and postgraduate student comment on US Presidential election7 November 2012Dr Alvaro Mendez from the University of Bristol's School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies and postgraduate student, Joe Krulder, were interviewed by BBC Radio Bristol's Breakfast programme about the US Presidential election.
Top six postgraduate students honoured for research excellence7 November 2012The best research dissertations produced by postgraduate students in each of Bristol University’s six faculties have been announced. The recipients, selected for the exceptional quality of their research work, have each been awarded a cash prize and a certificate of commendation in recognition of the honour.
Tours of iconic Bristol tower hit £10,000 fundraising milestone7 November 2012Tours of one of Bristol’s tallest and most iconic buildings have now raised an impressive £10,000 towards caring for sick babies and children in the city. Organisers of the Tower Tours, which show visitors around the Wills Memorial Building at the top of Park Street, presented the lucky donor of the 10,000th pound with a bottle of champagne to celebrate the milestone.
Debating the science and ethics of synthetic biology6 November 2012The science and ethics of synthetic biology and what it means for the UK will be the subject of a Royal Society of Chemistry debate to be streamed live to the Great Hall of the Wills Memorial Building at the University of Bristol on Wednesday 14 November.
Student's 'Life on Mars' experience hits the headlines6 November 2012Engineering PhD student Ashley Dale's unique experience of what living on the red planet might be like, has been published by the world's most popular physics magazine.
Leading researcher in optical networking joins Bristol5 November 2012An internationally leading researcher in the field of optical networking has moved her High Performance Networks research group to the University of Bristol.
It’s 3D - but not as we know it5 November 2012Turning virtual designs into 3D physical objects will soon become a reality for staff and students at the University of Bristol’s Merchant Venturers School of Engineering (MVSE) thanks to the donation of the latest in 3D technology by Bits from Bytes, a subsidiary of 3D Systems Ltd.
Shortage of plant disease experts threatens tree and crop health5 November 2012Plant pathology has been lost completely or greatly reduced at 11 universities and colleges while fewer than half the institutions which teach biology, agriculture or forestry offer courses in plant pathology according to a recently published report led by University of Bristol academics. Researchers say that findings from the 'Audit of Plant Pathology Education and Training in the UK' threaten Britain's ability to combat new diseases of trees and crop.
From grasses to shrubs: how plants reinforce desertification2 November 2012Research into how fragile dryland ecosystems degrade into deserts has revealed that the transition from grasslands to desert shrubs may be reinforced by the plants themselves. The study demonstrates for the first time that grass and shrub areas lose very different amounts of nutrients during rainfall events, which may be significant in how desert shrubs persist in these landscapes.
