News in July
- Dr Vincent Smith receives Institute of Physics Phillips Award 29 October 2020 Dr Vincent Smith has received the Institute of Physics Phillips Award 2020 for his outstanding contributions to the Institute, and for other work promoting physics, including outreach to schools.
- Research into how human sperm swim in 3D 12 August 2020 Using state-of-the-art 3D microscopy and mathematics, Dr Hermes Gadêlha from the University of Bristol, Dr Gabriel Corkidi and Dr Alberto Darszon from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, worked to reconstruct the movement of the sperm tail in 3D with high-precision.
- University of Bristol students launch international charity scheme 5 August 2020 A scheme set up by five University of Bristol undergraduates has begun to support charities across the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Bristol working with the Office for National Statistics to aid local UN Sustainable Development Goal data reporting across the UK 30 July 2020 Organisations are working together to help UK local authorities monitor progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- SETsquared Bristol re-launches Breakthrough Bursary to make tech more inclusive 30 July 2020 SETsquared Bristol, the University of Bristol-led technology incubator, is re-launching its Breakthrough Bursary for BAME entrepreneurs in a bid to further promote inclusion and equal opportunities in tech.
- CERN reports first evidence for ultra-rare process that could lead to new physics 30 July 2020 Scientists at CERN have reported on their first significant evidence for a process predicted by theory, paving the way for searches for evidence of new physics in particle processes that could explain dark matter and other mysteries of the universe.
- Devon playwright wins 2020 Kevin Elyot Award 30 July 2020 Devon-based playwright and director Lucy Bell has been selected as the fifth recipient of the annual Kevin Elyot Award by the University of Bristol's Theatre Collection.
- The genetic basis of bats’ superpowers revealed 29 July 2020 For the first time, the raw genetic material that codes for bats’ unique adaptations and superpowers such as the ability to fly, to use sound to move effortlessly in complete darkness, to survive and tolerate deadly diseases, to resist ageing and cancer - has been fully revealed by an international research team including scientists at Bristol. The findings are published in Nature.
- Practitioners who support young adults needed to take part in digital technology study 28 July 2020 Digital technology can present both opportunities and harms to young people and their mental health. A new research project is asking for practitioners who support young adults with their mental health to take part in a UK-wide online survey to identify the importance of adolescents' digital technology use to consultations about mental health.
- COVID-19 lockdown caused 50 percent global reduction in human-linked Earth vibrations 24 July 2020 The lack of human activity during lockdown caused human-linked vibrations in the Earth to drop by an average of 50 percent between March and May 2020.
- Opening schools should be prioritised 24 July 2020 A general return to school in September and keeping schools open after that should be prioritised by the government as it manages the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report by the Royal Society’s Data Evaluation and Learning for Viral Epidemics (DELVE) group, led by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge.
- Scientists outline potential of soil-free farming which could see crops grown in the desert 23 July 2020 A new study has outlined the potential of soil-free, computer-controlled farms as climate change and soil erosion limit our ability to grow crops. The research, published in New Phytologist and led by scientists at the University of Bristol, John Innes Centre and LettUs Grow, describe the growing environmental and economic case for vertical farming methods which could see crops grown in previously unfarmable environments such as the deserts of Dubai to countries with short daylight hours like Iceland.
- New Head of Bristol Vet School appointed 22 July 2020 Professor Tim Parkin, a Bristol alum and specialist in population medicine within the European College of Veterinary Public Health, has been appointed as the new Head of the Bristol Veterinary School at the University of Bristol. Professor Parkin will take up the role on 9 November 2020.
- Professor Daniel Karlin elected Fellow of the British Academy 21 July 2020 Winterstroke English Professor Daniel Karlin was elected a Fellow of the British Academy on 23 July.
- Virtual stage set as University of Bristol celebrates its class of 2020 16 July 2020 High-profile speakers will help the University of Bristol’s class of 2020 celebrate their time at the University in a series of live virtual celebration events starting this week.
- People with learning disabilities continue to die prematurely, new report shows 16 July 2020 People with learning disabilities in England continue to die prematurely and from treatable causes of death, the latest annual report from the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) programme shows.
- Support frontline workers to engage parents struggling with safer sleeping advice 16 July 2020 The Government needs to develop new tools to help prevent the sudden unexpected death of infants (SUDI), says a new review by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel which included University of Bristol researchers.
- Overall COVID-19 intensive care mortality has fallen by a third 15 July 2020 A systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies from three continents shows overall mortality of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs) has fallen from almost 60 per cent at the end of March to 42 per cent at the end of May — a relative decrease of one third since the start of the pandemic.
- Robot jaws shows medicated chewing gum could be the future 14 July 2020 Medicated chewing gum has been recognised as a new advanced drug delivery method but currently there is no gold standard for testing drug release from chewing gum in vitro. New research has shown a chewing robot with built-in humanoid jaws could provide opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to develop medicated chewing gum.
- Childhood abuse can lead to a 50 per cent increased risk of heart attack in women 14 July 2020 Individuals who have suffered maltreatment in childhood have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to new University of Bristol research in Heart.
- Genetic differences between global American crocodile populations identified in DNA analysis 13 July 2020 A genetic analysis of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) has re-established our understanding of its population structure, aiding its conservation. The collaborative study spanning seven countries and led by the Wildlife Conservation Society and University of Bristol researchers is published in PLOS ONE.
- New COVID-19 study could help performers back on the stage 10 July 2020 The performing arts have been hit hard by the restrictions enforced during the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, singing has been identified as a potentially 'dangerous' activity following the occurrence of clusters of COVID-19 cases, in several choirs around the world. Despite there being no clear evidence that these cases are linked to the activities themselves, singing and playing of woodwind and brass instruments has effectively been banned in many countries.
- Professor Kathleen Kennedy awarded British Academy Global Professorship 10 July 2020 Professor Kathleen Kennedy will be joining the University to work with Bristol's Centre for Medieval Studies.
- Researchers make first steps toward a cure for HIV 9 July 2020 Researchers have developed a way to pull HIV out of the latent reservoir making the virus visible to the immune system and providing the potential to be killed by treatment.
- Student teams up with friends to launch lockdown travel guide for UK tourists 9 July 2020 A University of Bristol student has created a website which tracks the latest travel restrictions and guidelines as the UK begins to ease lockdown restrictions.
- Key dementia research facility protected thanks to BRACE 8 July 2020 One of the most important facilities supporting dementia research in the country will continue its help in the fight against the disease thanks to an award of £140,000 by Bristol dementia research charity BRACE.
- Bristol engineers pioneer project to protect Nepal’s future generations from earthquakes 8 July 2020 In 2015, a devastating earthquake in Nepal resulted in the loss of 9,000 lives, 3.5 million people left homeless and entire neighbourhoods flattened.
- How long to play dead in order to stay alive? 8 July 2020 Many animals remain motionless or play dead after being attacked by a predator in the hope that it will give up and move onto some other unfortunate prey.
- Charities join forces to understand how COVID-19 affects people with type 1 diabetes 7 July 2020 JDRF, the world's leading type 1 diabetes charity, is partnering with Diabetes UK to find out how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting people with type 1 diabetes.
- Report reveals the technology behind bank card gambling blockers works, but millions do not have access 7 July 2020 A new review of the availability, uptake, and effectiveness of bank card gambling blockers in the UK has found an estimated 28 million personal current accounts do not have the option to block gambling expenditure.
- Why it’s no last orders for the Tequila bat: DNA helps conservation of elusive bat 6 July 2020 Scientists studying the ‘near threatened’ tequila bat, best known for its vital role in pollinating the Blue Agave plant from which the drink of the same name is made from, have analysed its DNA to help inform conservationists on managing their populations.
- Pioneering brain haemorrhage treatment reduces long-term disability in premature babies 5 July 2020 Premature babies with serious brain haemorrhage treated with a ‘brain washing’ technique pioneered by Bristol researchers have shown in a 10-year follow-up study, were twice as likely to survive without severe learning disability when compared with infants given standard treatment. The findings are published today [5 July] in the journal Archives of Diseases in Childhood.
- Trailblazing study discovers novel genetic causes of rare diseases, leading to improved diagnosis and better patient care 2 July 2020 A research programme pioneering the use of whole genome sequencing in the NHS has diagnosed hundreds of patients and discovered new genetic causes of disease.
- Quantum security company wins Bristol’s Tech-Xpo 2020 1 July 2020 KETS Quantum Security, world leaders in integrated quantum cryptography hardware solutions, pitched against ten other start-ups from Bristol’s world-leading tech scene to win the ‘Best Elevator Pitch’ audience vote at Tuesday’s inaugural online version of SETsquared Bristol’s Tech-Xpo.
- Researchers to investigate social contact and physical distancing behaviours during COVID-19 1 July 2020 It is known that coronavirus spreads between close contacts. Researchers at the University of Bristol are investigating social contact patterns and physical distancing behaviours to help understand how the virus spreads.
- 'Gatekeepers' of biodiversity hotspots facing COVID crisis 1 July 2020 Impoverished communities and diverse ecosystems in Colombia are under threat due to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say.
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