Poor diet can lead to blindness3 September 2019An extreme case of "fussy" or "picky" eating caused a young patient’s blindness, according to a new case report published today [2 Sep 2019] in Annals of Internal Medicine. The University of Bristol researchers who examined the case recommend clinicians consider nutritional optic neuropathy in any patients with unexplained vision symptoms and poor diet, regardless of BMI, to avoid permanent vision loss.
A new reptile species from Wales named by Bristol student30 August 2019After 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 Garden30 August 2019What 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.
First human ancestors breastfed for longer than contemporary relatives 29 August 2019By analysing the fossilised teeth of some of our most ancient ancestors, a team of scientists led by the universities of Bristol (UK) and Lyon (France) have discovered that the first humans significantly breastfed their infants for longer periods than their contemporary relatives.
AI art: has science unravelled how we see and appreciate art?29 August 2019Art, it's in the eye of the beholder but has science found a way to identify what we really appreciate in paintings? The artistic tastes of individuals may have been finally unravelled thanks to University of Bristol researchers, artificial intelligence (AI) and eye-tracking technology.
Artificial red blood cells enable research into malaria invasion29 August 2019Researchers at the University of Bristol and Imperial College London have established a new model system that uses red blood cells grown in the laboratory to study how malaria parasites invade red blood cells.
New patient test could tell GPs if infections are antibiotic resistant in under two hours 28 August 2019A new rapid patient test which could identify whether bacteria isolated from clinical samples are antibiotic resistant in under two hours is being trialled on a range of antibiotics commonly used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). If successful, the test could transform decision-making around antibiotic choice by helping inform the five million antibiotic prescriptions written each year in the UK for UTIs.
Bristol immersive VR documentary to be shown at Venice Film Festival28 August 2019From Bristol to the big screens of Venice Film Festival, Virtual Reality film The Waiting Room, [commissioned by the Virtual Realities – Immersive Documentary Encounters research project] will be premiered at the annual event which starts today [28 August to 7 September] to a star-studded audience of cinema enthusiasts.
Inspired from nature – robots can now learn to swarm on the go23 August 2019A new generation of swarming robots which can independently learn and evolve new behaviours in the wild is one step closer, thanks to research from the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England (UWE).
Professor John Henderson, 1958-201922 August 2019Professor John Henderson, who contributed to the science and life of the Faculty of Health Sciences for over 25 years, has died at the age of 61. His friends and colleagues offer the following tribute to a well-liked and hugely respected clinical expert at Bristol.
‘Whole housing approach’ needed for victims of domestic abuse22 August 2019More needs to be done to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse who are homeowners or private renters, according to a new report from the University of Bristol.
Life-like robots soon to be reality21 August 2019Life-like robots that can make decisions, adapt to their environment and learn, are one step closer thanks to a University of Bristol team who has demonstrated a new way of embedding computation into soft robotic materials. This new advance, published in Science Robotics, could create new robotic possibilities to environmental monitoring, pollution clean-up, drug delivery, prosthetic devices, wearable biosensing and self-healing composites.
Separate polarisation and brightness channels give crabs the edge over predators21 August 2019Fiddler 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.
New light on contested identity of medieval skeleton found at Prague Castle 21 August 2019Used as a propaganda tool by the Nazis and Soviets during the Second World War and Cold War, the remains of a 10th century male, unearthed beneath Prague Castle in 1928, have been the subject of continued debate and archaeological manipulation.
International collaborative projects win funding to tackle major health challenges21 August 2019Developing drugs to treat cancer and how sleep can support a healthy memory are two international collaborative projects led by academics at the University of Bristol that have been awarded major funding by the UK Research and Innovation's (UKRI) Fund for International Collaboration.
Could biological clocks in plants set the time for crop spraying? 16 August 2019Plants 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.
New insight into bacterial infections found in the noses of healthy cattle16 August 2019New research led by academics at the University of Bristol Veterinary and Medical Schools used the 'One Health' approach to study three bacterial species in the noses of young cattle and found the carriage of the bacteria was surprisingly different. The findings which combined ideas and methods from both animal and human health research could help prevent and control respiratory diseases.
See the Earth up close in Bristol this weekend 16 August 2019Following 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.
Scientists reveal how a faulty gene leads to kidney disease15 August 2019New insights into why a faulty gene involved in a devastating form of a kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome leads to disease in some patients have been identified in new Kidney Research UK-funded research led by the University of Bristol. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), could pave the way for new ways to prevent or treat the condition, by revealing new targets to intervene in the process. Around 1 in 50,000 children are diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome each year.
Human flight made reality, the sky’s no limit for Bristol Engineering students15 August 2019Developing jet-powered human flight suits may sound like science fiction, but Bristol’s Aerospace Engineering students are helping to make it reality, thanks to a collaboration between world-leading human flight suit manufacturer, Gravity Industries and the University of Bristol.
Festival of discovery returns to Bristol15 August 2019Step back in time aboard Brunel’s SS Great Britain or glimpse the future with the latest in robotics, at FUTURES, a free festival of discovery which returns to Bristol this September [Friday 27 and Saturday 28].
Dinosaur brains from baby to adult15 August 2019New 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.
GW4 supercomputer Isambard proves competitive14 August 2019Researchers from GW4 universities Bristol and Cardiff assessed the performance of the GW4 Alliance Isambard supercomputer using an open-source Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) code.
New insight into glaciers regulating global silicon cycling 14 August 2019A 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.
Vet School student wins international scholarship13 August 2019A third-year veterinary science student from the University of Bristol is one of ten students from around the world to have been awarded a prestigious Boehringer Ingelheim Scholarship.
MRI assisted biopsies more effective at detecting prostate cancers13 August 2019Using MRI scans to target biopsies is more effective at detecting prostate cancers that are likely to need treatment than standard ultrasound guided biopsies alone, according to research published in JAMA Network Open. The research, led by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Universities of Bristol, Ottawa, Exeter and Oxford, combined the results from seven studies covering 2,582 patients.
Supercapacitors turbocharged by laxatives12 August 2019An international team of scientists, including a professor of chemistry from the University of Bristol, has worked out a way to improve energy storage devices called supercapacitors, by designing a new class of detergents chemically related to laxatives.
Animal welfare and research 3Rs symposium12 August 2019Scientists had the opportunity to find out about current research and share best practice of the '3Rs': Replace, Reduce and Refine at this year's University of Bristol Animal Welfare and Research 3Rs symposium, held earlier this summer.
Special birthday composition to get its world premiere at BBC Proms12 August 2019A new piece from the University of Bristol’s Professor John Pickard will feature in a world premiere performance at a special BBC Proms event in the Royal Albert Hall tomorrow night [13 August].
Sustainable student start-up wins ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ 8 August 2019University 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.
Are wearable pet devices putting our security at risk?7 August 2019The billion-dollar pet industry now has a growing market dedicated to wearable devices but new research from the University of Bristol has found these devices capture more data on the owners rather than their pets.