Embed Germ Defence behaviours at home to reduce virus spread now and in the future 26 February 2021As COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out, a roadmap for unlocking Britain is announced, new research which looked at data from over 28,000 users of the website 'Germ Defence' since May 2020 highlights the continued, critical importance of breaking chains of virus transmission within our homes.
Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on domestic abuse referrals in primary care to be explored25 February 2021A new study, led by researchers at the University of Bristol's Centre for Academic Primary Care in collaboration with colleagues in Queen Mary University of London, UCL, University of Oxford and IRISi will explore whether and how GP referrals to domestic abuse services have changed during the coronavirus pandemic.
High fructose diets could cause immune system damage22 February 2021New research led by Swansea University in collaboration with researchers at the University of Bristol and the Francis Crick Institute in London has indicated that consuming a diet high in the sugar fructose might prevent the proper functioning of peoples' immune systems in ways that has, until now, largely been unknown.
Bristol Science Film Festival 2021 - calling all creatives to submit short films!18 February 2021Bristol’s Science Film Festival is set to take place this summer and the organisers of the annual event are calling for submissions from amateur and professional movie makers ahead of the festival’s July showcase. Film-makers behind shortlisted films will have their films screened and a chance to win cash prizes.
New funding for national consortium to model COVID-19 pandemic predictions18 February 2021A national consortium bringing together modellers to produce rigorous predictions for the COVID-19 pandemic and advise UK government bodies will receive £3 million funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Bristol researchers to collaborate on national study to understand long COVID18 February 2021What is long COVID and how can diagnosis be improved? Using data from electronic health records at a national scale alongside information from thousands of participants in the UK's population-based cohort studies, these and other questions will be tackled following today's [18 February] announcement of a nationwide long COVID study led by University College London (UCL). The study will include Bristol’s Children of the 90s health study, based at the University of Bristol.
Credit card-sized soft pumps power wearable artificial muscles17 February 2021Robotic clothing that is entirely soft and could help people to move more easily is a step closer to reality thanks to the development of a new flexible and lightweight power system for soft robotics.
Good Grief Festival marks one year since first COVID-19 lockdown 16 February 2021Good Grief Festival - a virtual festival exploring the many faces of grief - will return to our screens next month [Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 March]. The festival has a programme of over 70 speakers and 50 free online events to help the many thousands of people in the UK and across the world who are grieving.
Tropical paper wasps babysit for neighbours15 February 2021Wasps provide crucial support to their extended families by babysitting at neighbouring nests, according to new research by a team of biologists from the universities of Bristol, Exeter and UCL published today [15 February] in Nature Ecology and Evolution.
How former students are remodelling the gaming market12 February 2021An Artificial Intelligence start-up developing software which will slash the cost of creating new games has hit its substantial seed-funding target.
UK's COVID-19 vaccination programme already reducing daily deaths11 February 2021A new modelling study shows that the UK’s COVID-19 vaccination programme is already reducing daily deaths. However, reductions of hospital and intensive care (ICU) admissions will likely take several weeks longer, with large reductions seen by the end of March and continuing into April.
A new vision for adeno-associated virus delivered gene therapies11 February 2021An international collaboration of leading groups in gene therapy and vision science have developed an adeno-associated virus (AAV) genome-coupled immunomodulation strategy that helps cloak the AAV virus from unwanted immune responses and offers important insights into ocular inflammation. The research led by Harvard University, Harvard Medical School and including the University of Bristol is published in Science Translational Medicine.
The students making period poverty history11 February 2021Two students have launched a non-profit organization which has ended period poverty for hundreds of women in refugee camps – and they are only just getting started.
New research will disrupt solar and expedite efforts toward Net-Zero target10 February 2021A team of researchers, led by chemists from the University of Bristol, has received significant funding from the UKRI to revolutionise the fabrication and application of photovoltaic devices, used to produce solar energy.
Contact patterns changed in response to national COVID-19 guidance9 February 2021The number of daily contacts changed over the course of 2020, following the first lockdown, corresponding to alterations in the COVID-19 guidance, suggests a study among staff and students at the University of Bristol. The research led by scientists at the University of Bristol is published on the pre-print server medRxiv.org.
How GPs coped with the rapid shift to remote consultations to reduce the risk of COVID-199 February 2021One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rapid move to telephone, video and online GP consultations. In a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded study, researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West found that while the rapid shift to remote GP consulting was successful and maintained a focus on vulnerable patients, it was driven by necessity and may have risks.
All in the head? Brains adapt to support new species9 February 2021Scientists studying forest dwelling butterflies in Central and South America have discovered that changes in the way animals perceive and process information from their environment can support the emergence of new species. The study led by the University of Bristol, and published today [9 February] in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), has implications for how new species might evolve and the underappreciated role of changes in the brain.
Healthy oceans need healthy soundscapes4 February 2021Oceans were once filled with the sounds of nature, but overfishing, climate change and human noise have fundamentally changed the natural underwater "soundtrack", researchers say.