News archive: 2013

May
- Survey: The next big things in bioscience - News - 17 May
  As part of BBSRC’s long-term strategic planning, we are seeking your views on the research areas and technological developments…
- Malaria parasites manipulate mosquitoes - Press release - 16 May
  Scientists will attempt to find out how malaria parasites manipulate their mosquito hosts after discovering that smell could be a major factor…
- An international vision for wheat improvement - Press release - 16 May
  By 2050, a 60% increase in wheat production will be needed to meet the demand of a growing population…
- Synthetic biology dialogue – Impacts - News - 15 May
  BBSRC, with input from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), has published a document outlining the impacts…
- Reducing the environmental impacts of fertiliser use - News - 15 May
  Scientists have demonstrated how improvements in nitrogen fertiliser manufacture and their application could help reduce China’s agricultural…
- Wheat breeding science offers greater yields - Press release - 14 May
  UK wheat yields could be boosted by up to 30% with the introduction of a new wheat bred from a wild grass species…
- Plants use underground networks to warn of enemy attack - News - 13 May
  Plants use underground fungal networks to warn their neighbours of aphid attack, UK scientists have discovered…
- BBSRC is major partner in new €15M Europe-wide Synthetic Biology funding - News - 13 May
  The call is the first from the Synthetic Biology ERA-NET (ERASynBio) - a project designed to enhance european synthetic biology…
- Innovators 2013 part three – Peter Mertens - Feature - 9 May
  In this, the third, Social Innovator winner Peter Mertens recalls how his group helped prevent the bluetongue disease of sheep becoming endemic…
- H7N9: A novel influenza virus - News - 8 May
  By Dr Colin Butter, Dr Holly Shelton and Dr Munir Iqbal of The Pirbright Institute’s Avian Viral Diseases Programme.
- Stem cell renewal process discovery - Press release - 3 May
  Scientists have made a fundamental discovery about how the properties of embryonic stem cells are controlled…
- BBSRC researchers elected Fellows of the Royal Society - News - 3 May
  BBSRC would like to congratulate the members of the BBSRC community who have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society…
- Investing in sustainable bioenergy - News - 2 May
  Recent reports on biofuels have questioned their ability to provide sustainable solutions for future energy demand. One recently published report…
- Research reveals trade-offs’ between reproduction and lifespan - News - 2 May
  Research published today in the journal Evolution reveals how fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) that are subjected to continual competition…
- Join the bioenergy discussion – new toolkit launched - News - 2 May
  BBSRC has launched a new toolkit to encourage researchers and the general public to engage in a national conversation about bioenergy…
- Coming soon: Multi-disciplinary research centres in synthetic biology - News - 2 May
  Following the launch of the Synthetic Biology Roadmap in 2012, the RCUK Synthetic Biology Working Group is developing a call for multi-disciplinary…
- Entrepreneurial competition embraces young biomedics - Feature - 2 May
  A cure for baldness, an instant skin test to diagnose stroke and a patch to administer a course of antibiotics for cats were just a few of the business ideas…
April
- Activating Impact winners 2013 – Wendy Nicholson and team - Feature - 30 April
  In 2013 BBSRC launched the new Activating Impact competition to acknowledge and celebrate successful Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation (KEC)…
- New grass hybrid could help reduce the likelihood of flooding - Press release - 25 April
  A collaboration of plant and soil scientists from across the UK has shown a grass hybrid species could help reduce the impact of flooding…
- Breeding better beer - Feature - 24 April
  Brewing-enthusiast Dr Chris Ridout had little idea when he applied for a BBSRC public engagement grant in 2001 that it might lead him to resurrect…
- Bugs produce diesel on demand - Press release - 22 April
  It sounds like science fiction but a team from the University of Exeter, with support from Shell, has developed a method to make bacteria produce diesel…
- Scientists throw new light on DNA copying process - News - 18 April
  Research led by a scientist at the University of York has thrown new light on the way breakdowns in the DNA copying process inside cells can contribute to…
- Synthetic Biology: Nanoscopic cages for big applications - Press release - 17 April
  Scientists have developed a new type of nanoparticle with potential applications in chemistry, biology and medicine. The findings, published in Science…
- BBSRC comment on The Sunday Times article on Imperial College animal research - News - 15 April
  Professor Douglas Kell, Chief Executive of BBSRC, commented on the report in The Sunday Times, 14 April 2013, which claimed breaches of welfare standards…
- Innovators 2013 part two – Ryan Donnelly - Feature - 12 April
  Overall Innovator winner Dr Ryan Donnelly explains how hydrogel-based microneedles might be the future of safe drug delivery…
- Pig disease that costs millions targeted by genetic study - Press release - 11 April
  A fast mutating virus that affects pig herds and costs pork producers millions of pounds each year is being targeted by scientists…
- Higher levels of healthy compound in Beneforté broccoli - News - 10 April
  Field trials and genetic studies have shown that a new variety of broccoli developed by BBSRC-funded scientists reliably yields higher levels…
- Midges tracked by new Indian Bluetongue Vector Network - News - 9 April
  A new network has been set up by an international collaboration of researchers looking at midge monitoring and control as a low-cost way of tackling…
- Breeding better chickens website launched - News - 8 April
  A BBSRC-funded research group working to improve the health of the world’s huge population of broiler chickens has created a new website…
- What lives inside a chicken? - Feature - 4 April
  It might sound like a strange question to ask, but as the world’s most abundant food animal and an incubator of many bacteria…
- Crop Genomics and Technologies – update to call - News - 4 April
  BBSRC and India's DBT recently launched their new initiative, ‘Crop Genomics and Technologies’ (CGAT)…
- Scientists identify brain’s ‘molecular memory switch’ - Press release - 3 April
  Scientists have identified a key molecule responsible for triggering the chemical processes in our brain linked to our formation of memories…
- Innovators 2013 part one – Anna Hine - Feature - 2 April
  In a series of three articles, BBSRC Innovator of the Year 2013 winners reveal the secrets behind their innovations. In this, the first, Commercial Innovator…
March
- Appetite genes are key to better diets for poultry, study shows - Press release - 27 March
  The welfare of poultry could be improved by a discovery about how chickens regulate their appetites…
- Pesticide combination affects bees’ ability to learn - Press release - 27 March
  Two new studies have highlighted a negative impact on bees’ ability to learn following exposure to a combination of pesticides…
- New foot-and-mouth vaccine signals huge advance in global disease control - Press release - 27 March
  Scientists have developed a new methodology to produce a vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV)…
- Poultry probiotic cuts its coat to beat bad bacteria - Press release - 27 March
  A strain of probiotic bacteria that can fight harmful bacterial infections in poultry has the ability to change its coat…
- Researchers make breakthrough in race to create ‘bio-batteries’ - Press release - 26 March
  Scientists at the University of East Anglia have made an important breakthrough in the quest to generate clean electricity from bacteria…
- International call for crop improvement projects launched - News - 26 March
  BBSRC and India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) have announced a joint call for collaborative research proposals that underpin the use of genomics…
- Pig wasting syndrome costing farmers millions - Press release - 26 March
  Stark new figures show that a common pig virus, present on 99% of pig farms has major economic implications for individual farmers…
- Turf cutting ceremony marks start of building of landmark Centrum at Norwich Research Park - News - 25 March
  A turf-cutting ceremony and the burial of a time capsule marked the beginning of construction of the new Centrum…
- Rothamsted Research submits application for extension of GM wheat trial - News - 25 March
  Rothamsted Research has submitted an application to Defra to extend its current GM wheat field trial to include additional autumn-sown cadenza wheat…
- Research innovators recognised for excellence at Fostering Innovation awards - Press release - 21 March
  Dr Ryan Donnelly wins Innovator of the Year title and £15,000 for hydrogel-forming microneedle arrays at award ceremony in central London…
- Excellence with Impact competition launched at Fostering Innovation finals - News - 21 March
  BBSRC’s Excellence with Impact competition is now under way after being officially launched last night (20 March 2013)…
- Quality fish from lab to plate - Press release - 18 March
  A new company, which aims to exploit cutting-edge genetics technology to improve the quality of the fish we eat, has been launched in St Andrews…
- Plants let chloroplasts know the time - Press release - 15 March
  Plant cells communicate information about the time of day to their chloroplasts, the part of their cells that underpins all agricultural productivity on Earth…
- Old albatrosses give parenting last push - News - 14 March
  Wandering albatrosses, famed for their massive wingspans and long lives, now have another distinctive characteristic…
- An insect model for Schmallenberg virus replication - Press release - 14 March
  Researchers at The Pirbright Institute, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC have identified a suitable model midge species…
- New study hopes to reduce bone fractures in laying hens - Press release - 12 March
  Skeletal health in laying hens is a major welfare and economic problem with up to 80% of hens suffering bone breakages in some free range systems…
- New poultry research facilities - Press release - 11 March
  Poultry health and welfare, a key factor in a multi-billion pound food industry, will be boosted with the building of a new research centre…
- Researchers pair experiments with computer models to peer into cells - News - 11 March
  BBSRC-funded researchers have developed a new strategy that can give scientists a better insight into how complex molecular machineries…
- New ‘science opera’ tells the story of bee decline - News - 11 March
  A new ‘science opera’ based on the work of a bee expert at Royal Holloway University of London will debut later this month…
- Investing in innovation - News - 11 March
  RCUK has today published a booklet outlining the Research Councils’ commitment to promote innovation and deliver impact from its research…
- Bioscience to battle ash dieback - Press release - 8 March
  The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has launched a bioscience response to ash dieback…
- Livestock research initiative has greater sustainability goal - Press release - 7 March
  Efforts to improve the sustainability of livestock production will be boosted by a new research partnership…
- £5.3M in leading-edge bioscience - Press release - 7 March
  Cutting-edge synthetic biology companies received a £5.3 million boost today. The investment from the Technology Strategy Board and BBSRC…
- Bees get a buzz from caffeine - Press release - 7 March
  You may need a cup of coffee to kick start the day but it seems honeybees also get their buzz from drinking flower nectar containing caffeine…
- FTSE 100 company Chair appointed to Norwich Research Park - Press release - 6 March
  Anthony Habgood has been appointed as Chair of Norwich Research Partners LLP from 1 April 2013. The appointment will provide strong strategic guidance…
- Sci-fi facilities for UK plant science - Feature - 5 March
  Blink and the future has arrived. Many modern inventions, from huge and mighty stealth bombers to electric-hybrid vehicles…
- Study maps human metabolism in health and disease - News - 5 March
  Scientists have produced an instruction manual for the human genome that provides a framework to better understand the relationship…
February
- Health by stealth - Feature - 28 February
  Many people are aware of government guidelines for a well-balanced diet: to eat plenty of wholegrain foods, fruit and vegetables…
- New £7.8M research facility for healthy ageing - News - 28 February
  The Babraham Institute has opened a new £7.8M cutting-edge research building yesterday, uniting all of the Institute’s academic research groups…
- Commercial future for model gut - News - 28 February
  The Dynamic Gastric Model, developed from years of research at the Institute of Food Research, has taken significant steps towards…
- New tool in the fight against tropical diseases - News - 27 February
  A novel tool exploits baker’s yeast to expedite the development of new drugs to fight multiple tropical diseases, including malaria…
- Lack of sleep alters human gene activity - News - 27 February
  New research from the University of Surrey has found that as little as one week of inadequate sleep is enough to alter the activity…
- Scientists using trackers on cows to develop early warning system for illness - News - 26 February
  Wireless tracking sensors are being used on a herd of dairy cows to monitor their health in new research aimed at helping farmers spot that cows are unwell…
- BBSRC welcomes reappointment of Chair - News - 25 February
  Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts today announced the reappointment of Professor Sir Tom Blundell as the Chair of BBSRC…
- Schizophrenia genes increase chance of IQ loss, study shows - Press release - 21 February
  People who are at greater genetic risk of schizophrenia are more likely to see a fall in IQ as they age, even if they do not develop the condition…
- Resolution revolution for UK research - Press release - 20 February
  Research in the UK is to benefit from a £25.5M cash injection to boost the resolution revolution taking place in microscope technology…
- BBSRC attends UK Industrial Biotechnology showcase - News - 20 February
  Held in central London on January 22-23, and hosted by the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum, the Leading IB…
- Crowdsourcing killer outbreaks - Feature - 18 February
  In May 2011, a new strain of E.coli bacteria claimed 50 lives and struck 4000 more people as it spread around Europe from Germany…
- Planting wildflowers on farmland helps spiders - News - 14 February
  Farmers could help control crop pests by encouraging spider populations, according to new research…
- Research shows how ‘Mallard’ dye fills need for speed in surgery - News - 14 February
  Scientists at the University of York have developed a new medical tool which could help surgeons carrying out complex procedures in the operating…
- Crowd sourcing for biology - News - 13 February
  BBSRC is offering up to £2M to support crowd sourcing projects for biological sciences. The funding will develop and deploy crowd sourcing approaches…
- Research makes light work of fixing broken bones - Press release - 11 February
  Artificial bone, created using stem cells and a new lightweight plastic, could soon be used to heal shattered limbs…
- Pioneering drug discovery gets major funding to move to next stage - Press release - 7 February
  A pioneering drug development team at the University of Aberdeen has received a £1.5M funding boost to accelerate the progress of multiple novel drug…
- Under the bar: acrylamide and food safety - Feature - 6 February
  News that the chemical acrylamide was present in cooked and processed food products was extremely unpalatable when the discovery was first made in 2002…
- £6.5M in funding to help manufacture the drugs of the future - Press release - 5 February
  More than £6M of funding has been awarded to enhance the development of biopharmaceuticals. In total £6.5M will fund 12 projects to deliver…
- Research suggests meerkat predator-scanning behaviour is altruistic - Press release - 5 February
  In order to spot potential predators, adult meerkats often climb to a higher vantage point or stand on their hind legs. If a predator is detected…
- Andy Richards receives BIA Lifetime Achievement Award - News - 4 February
  BBSRC Council member and life sciences entrepreneur Dr Andy Richards has received the BioIndustry Association (BIA) Lifetime Achievement Award…
- Would you like to supersize that? - Feature - 4 February
  Decisions about portion size have a major influence on the number of calories we consume. And it appears that our expectations of satiety can have a major…
- Impact award finalists announced - Press release - 1 February
  BBSRC has announced the finalists in its 2013 Activating Impact and Innovator of the Year competitions…
- Declines in UK moth species ‘potentially catastrophic’ - Press release - 1 February
  Rothamsted Research scientists, working with colleagues at Butterfly Conservation, have revealed that two-thirds of common larger moth…
January
- The need to feed programmes Campylobacter’s ‘Sat Nav’ - Press release - 30 January
  A rumbling tummy is our body’s way of telling us "it's time for lunch". Likewise, bacteria need to know when it's time to eat…
- Scientists discover potential new target in fight against ‘superbug’ - Press release - 30 January
  University of Cambridge researchers have discovered how an antibiotic-resistant superbug exploits oxygen-limited conditions in the lungs…
- Public asked to test new Research Council Gateway - News - 29 January
  Research Councils UK (RCUK) is calling on the public to test out a new portal aimed at providing better access to information on research funded by…
- £8.8M investment to train bioindustrialists of the future - Press release - 28 January
  BBSRC has awarded £8.8M to fund 93 bioscience PhD studentships in collaboration with industry…
- Omega-3 can help laying hens avoid bone damage - Press release - 28 January
  Most of us are aware of the potential health benefits of omega-3 found in fish oil and flax seed. Now researchers have found that omega-3 could help…
- War report: fighting armyworms - Feature - 28 January
  In December 2012 a serious outbreak of armyworms began rampaging across Zambia, infecting almost 100,000 hectares of agricultural land…
- Quadruplex DNA found in human cells - News - 25 January
  60 years after Watson and Crick’s ground breaking paper described the double helix structure of DNA, researchers at the University of Cambridge…
- Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst to launch in 2014 - News - 25 January
  Following BBSRC’s announcement of two new schemes in Industrial Biotechnology and BioEnergy (IBBE), the Technology Strategy Board has committed an…
- BBSRC welcomes government science funding - News - 25 January
  BBSRC has welcomed news of government funding that will benefit world-leading bioscience. In a speech at the Policy Exchange…
- Refreshing BBSRC's strategic plan... have your say - News - 24 January
  Between now and May 2013, BBSRC will be conducting a ‘light touch’ refresh of its long-term Strategic Plan and welcomes input and views on how its strategic…
- Impact reports published - News - 24 January
  Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts has today (24 January 2013) announced the publication of the RCUK Impact Report 2012…
- Friendly bacteria show key role in “priming” plant defences - Press release - 24 January
  New research into plant disease resistance shows that bacteria attracted to maize roots induce a state of ‘early warning’ in the cereal, resulting in a faster…
- £35M to support research for vital industrial sector - Press release - 23 January
  In a speech later today, Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, will announce £35M funding to boost research in Industrial Biotechnology and…
- Research and Innovation Campus development moves forward - News - 23 January
  Norwich Research Park has awarded a £11.5M design and build contract for a new landmark building and associated infrastructure works to Morgan Sindall…
- European strategy to tackle great challenges of agriculture and food security under climate change - News - 22 January
  The Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE JPI) Strategic Research Agenda has been launched…
- Tree health and plant biosecurity collaborative research opportunity - News - 22 January
  Trees make a huge impact on our rural and urban landscapes and contribute to a vital part of our heritage, rural economy and well-being…
- UEA scientists mimic nature in £800,000 renewable energy project - News - 22 January
  University of East Anglia scientists are taking inspiration from the way that plants harness energy from the sun to develop more efficient renewable energy…
- Scientists identify new ‘social’ chromosome in the red fire ant - Press release - 21 January
  Researchers have discovered a social chromosome in the highly invasive fire ant that helps to explain why some colonies…
- ‘Jet-lagged’ fruit flies provide clues for body clock synchronisation - Press release - 21 January
  New research led by a team at Queen Mary, University of London, has found evidence of how daily changes in temperature affect the fruit fly’s internal clock…
- Weight loss helps to oust worms - Press release - 18 January
  Scientists from The University of Manchester have discovered that weight loss plays an important role in the body’s response to fighting off intestinal worms…
- BBSRC revises Responsive Mode application requirements - News - 17 January
  BBSRC has made a number of changes to the requirements for Responsive Mode grant applications to help simplify them…
- Former Innovator of the Year given £500,000 to develop antibiotic company - News - 15 January
  A former BBSRC Innovator of the Year has received £500,000 of investment from a venture capital firm to continue developing new antibiotics…
- Do hens have friends? – It seems not - News - 15 January
  A Royal Veterinary College study has found that hens reared in commercial conditions do not form friendships and are not particular about who…
- New drug for bipolar disorder may offer fewer side effects - News - 14 January
  A drug for bipolar disorder that works like lithium, the most common and effective treatment for the condition, but without lithium's toxicity and problem…
- Call for membership of BBSRC Strategy Advisory Panels - News - 14 January
  BBSRC is looking to appoint high calibre, committed individuals from the academic and industrial sectors to serve on two…
- Brain rhythms help sense of location - Press release - 11 January
  Scientists have shed light on how mechanisms in the brain work to give us a sense of location. Research at the University of Edinburgh tracked electrical…
- New awards enable researchers to FLIP from one environment to another - News - 9 January
  Funding has been announced for three Flexible Interchange Programme (FLIP) awards, which offer individuals the chance to move between different…
- New Year's Honours 2013 - News - 9 January
  The following were announced in the New Year’s Honours list 2013…
- Next responsive mode call to launch on 17 January - News - 9 January
  BBSRC will shortly be introducing some changes to its requirements for grant applications. These changes relate to the page length for the case for support…
- New steroid discovery could improve Parkinson’s treatment - News - 8 January
  Scientists have identified two steroid-type molecules that play an important role in the survival and production of nerve cells in the brain…
- Wind in the Willows - News - 7 January
  Scientists have discovered that differences in the ease with which sugars can be extracted from willow can be explained by differences in their wood composition…
- Profile feature – Margaret Craig - Feature - 7 January
  A new system to improve drug discovery has won its creator a major entrepreneurship award. After utilising a BBSRC-RSE Enterprise Fellowship…
- Using their genes against them: Fighting insect pests with genetic targeting - Feature - 7 January
  When you look out on a golden-yellow field of oilseed rape you might not think you’re seeing a battleground, but crops including oilseed rape, wheat, potato…
- Delayed flowering results in greater than 50 percent increase in biofuel crop yield - News - 4 January
  Researchers working on the biofuel crop Miscanthus sacchariflorus, commonly known as Asian Elephant Grass, have shown…
- Spotlight on Excellence with Impact - News - 4 January
  With the initial deadline for BBSRC's Excellence with Impact competition drawing closer, we hear how the University of Dundee's College of Life Sciences…
- The cannibalistic foreign slug which could threaten UK crops and biodiversity - Feature - 3 January
  When Ian Bedford noticed an unusually high number of slugs in his garden this spring he didn’t realise he had stumbled on a foreign invasion…
- BBSRC Deputy Chief Executive awarded CBE in New Year’s Honours List - News - 2 January
  BBSRC has warmly welcomed the announcement that its Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Visscher, has been made…
- BBSRC invests in future of livestock genomics - News - 2 January
  Over £1.1M of new investment has been awarded for ARK-Genomics, a high-throughput DNA sequencing facility based at The Roslin Institute…

News archive: 2013

May

April

March

February

January