‘Manifest’ is Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year

“Manifest” was looked up almost 130,000 times on the Cambridge Dictionary website, making it one of the most-viewed words of 2024.  The word jumped from use in the self-help community and on social media to being widely used across mainstream media and beyond, as celebrities such as singer Dua Lipa, Olympic sprinter Gabby…

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Planting trees in the Arctic could make global warming worse, not better, say scientists

But, writing in the journal Nature Geoscience, an international group of scientists, including from the University of Cambridge, argue that tree planting at high latitudes will accelerate, rather than decelerate, global warming.As the climate continues to warm, trees can be planted further and further north, and large-scale tree-planting projects in the…

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AI algorithm accurately detects heart disease in dogs

The research team, led by the University of Cambridge, adapted an algorithm originally designed for humans and found it could automatically detect and grade heart murmurs in dogs, based on audio recordings from digital stethoscopes. In tests, the algorithm detected heart murmurs with a sensitivity of 90%, a similar accuracy…

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Magnetic field applied to both sides of brain shows rapid improvement for depression

The treatment – known as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) – involves placing an electromagnetic coil against the scalp to relay a high-frequency magnetic field to the brain.Around one in 20 adults is estimated to suffer from depression. Although treatments exist, such as anti-depressant medication and cognitive behavioural therapy (‘talking…

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‘Palaeo-robots’ to help scientists understand how fish started to walk on land

Writing in the journal Science Robotics, the research team, led by the University of Cambridge, outline how ‘palaeo-inspired robotics’ could provide a valuable experimental approach to studying how the pectoral and pelvic fins of ancient fish evolved to support weight on land.“Since fossil evidence is limited, we have an incomplete…

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Cambridge and GSK announce new five-year collaboration aiming for improved outcomes for patients with hard-to-treat kidney and respiratory diseases

The Cambridge-GSK Translational Immunology Collaboration (CG-TIC) combines University and GSK expertise in the science of the immune system, AI and clinical development with access to patients and their data provided by Cambridge University Hospitals. GSK is investing more than £50 million in CG-TIC, further strengthening Cambridge’s position as Europe’s leading…

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Cancer Research UK makes unprecedented £173m investment in University of Cambridge

The significant funding commitment will enable world-class discovery science, unlocking new insights into how cancers develop, grow and spread, as well as examining how the immune system can be harnessed to combat the disease.  Research at the CRUK Cambridge Institute focuses on understanding every stage of the cancer life cycle –…

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How did the building blocks of life arrive on Earth?

Volatiles are elements or compounds that change into vapour at relatively low temperatures. They include the six most common elements found in living organisms, as well as water. The zinc found in meteorites has a unique composition, which can be used to identify the sources of Earth’s volatiles.The researchers, from…

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‘Inside-out’ galaxy growth observed in the early universe

This galaxy is one hundred times smaller than the Milky Way, but is surprisingly mature for so early in the universe. Like a large city, this galaxy has a dense collection of stars at its core but becomes less dense in the galactic ‘suburbs’. And like a large city, this…

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Cambridge joins forces with ARIA to build new micro-machines that could revolutionise brain health

The collaboration, which includes researchers from the University of Cambridge, aims to accelerate progress on new neuro-technologies, including miniaturised brain implants designed to treat depression, dementia, chronic pain, epilepsy and injuries to the nervous system.Neurological and mental health disorders will affect four in every five people in their lifetimes, and…

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Cambridge joins forces with ARIA to fast-track radical new technologies to revolutionise brain health

The collaboration, which includes researchers from the University of Cambridge, aims to accelerate progress on new neuro-technologies, including miniaturised brain implants designed to treat depression, dementia, chronic pain, epilepsy and injuries to the nervous system.Neurological and mental health disorders will affect four in every five people in their lifetimes, and…

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University of Cambridge alumni awarded 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

In 2020, Hassabis and Jumper of Google DeepMind presented an AI model called AlphaFold2. With its help, they have been able to predict the structure of virtually all the 200 million proteins that researchers have identified.Since their breakthrough, AlphaFold2 has been used by more than two million people from 190…

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University of Cambridge alumnus awarded 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics

Hinton (King’s 1967) and Hopfield were awarded the prize “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.” Hinton, who is known as the ‘Godfather of AI’ is Emeritus Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. He is the 122nd member of the University…

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Ultra-powered MRI scans show damage to brain’s ‘control centre’ is behind long-lasting Covid-19 symptoms

Using ultra-high-resolution scanners that can see the living brain in fine detail, researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford were able to observe the damaging effects Covid-19 can have on the brain.The study team scanned the brains of 30 people who had been admitted to hospital with severe Covid-19…

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First map of every neuron in an adult fly brain complete

This landmark achievement has been conducted by the FlyWire Consortium, a large international collaboration including researchers from the University of Cambridge, the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, Princeton University, and the University of Vermont. It is published today in two papers in the journal Nature.The diagram of all…

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G7 representatives meet in Cambridge to discuss semiconductors

Representatives of the Semiconductors Point of Contact Group from the G7 group of nations met in Cambridge today. The meeting was held at ARM, which designs over 95% of the processors in the world. Representatives from the University of Cambridge, as well as representatives from local semiconductor companies, participated in…

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Previously unknown Neolithic society in Morocco discovered

Archaeological fieldwork in Morocco has discovered the earliest, previously unknown 3400–2900 BC farming society from a poorly understood period of north-west African prehistory. This is the earliest and largest agricultural complex yet found in Africa beyond the Nile.This study, published in the journal Antiquity, reveals for the first time the…

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‘Extinct’ snails found breeding in French Polynesia

A global conservation effort to reintroduce a tiny snail to the wild is celebrating a momentous milestone: for the first time in 40 years, conservationists have found born-in-the-wild adult Partula tohiveana – meaning the precious molluscs have successfully established themselves in French Polynesia.This year Cambridge’s Dr Justin Gerlach helped restore…

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Palestinian education ‘under attack’, leaving a generation close to losing hope, study warns

The ongoing war in Gaza will set children and young people’s education back by up to five years and risks creating a lost generation of permanently traumatised Palestinian youth, a new study warns.The report, by a team of academics working in partnership with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency…

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Energy inefficiency and inability to downsize pose even bigger threat to low-income pensioners than loss of Winter Fuel Payments, study suggests

The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, was completed shortly before the Winter Fuel Payment vote was taken, by researchers from the University of Cambridge and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft).The researchers raise particular concerns about the impact of the policy on pensioners with annual incomes of…

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Monoclonal antibodies offer hope for tackling antimicrobial resistance

A team lead by researchers at the University of Cambridge has developed a monoclonal antibody drug, using a technique involving genetically engineered mice, that may help prevent infection from Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacteria associated with hospital-acquired infections, which is particularly common in Asia.A. baumannii bacteria can cause life-threatening respiratory illness…

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Flowers compete for pollinators with adjustable ‘paint by numbers’ petal design

The study, by researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Sainsbury Laboratory, also found that bees prefer larger bullseyes over small ones, and fly 25% faster between artificial flower discs with larger bullseyes – potentially boosting efficiency for both bees and blossoms.Using the hibiscus plant as a model, the researchers selected…

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Flowers use adjustable ‘paint by numbers’ petal designs to attract pollinators

The study, by researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Sainsbury Laboratory also found that bees prefer larger bullseyes over smaller ones and fly 25% faster between artificial flower discs with larger bullseyes – potentially boosting efficiency for both bees and blossoms. Patterns on the flowers of plants guide insects, like bees,…

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Scientists and astronomers join forces in fight against cancer

The technology from Cancer Grand Challenges team IMAXT uses advanced spatial biology techniques to analyse tumours, some of which are based on technology originally developed to map the Milky Way and discover new planets. Now, other scientists will be able to access these technologies to create detailed tumour maps that…

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Cancer researchers and astronomers join forces in fight against disease

The technology from Cancer Grand Challenges team IMAXT uses advanced spatial biology techniques to analyse tumours, some of which are based on technology originally developed to map the Milky Way and discover new planets. Now, other scientists will be able to access these technologies to create detailed tumour maps that…

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Personal carbon footprint of the rich is vastly underestimated by rich and poor alike, study finds

An international group of researchers, led by the Copenhagen Business School, the University of Basel and the University of Cambridge, surveyed 4,000 people from Denmark, India, Nigeria and the United States about inequality in personal carbon footprints – the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person’s activities –…

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New study aims to catch cancer earlier than ever before

Currently cancer is usually diagnosed when tumours are already developed requiring, often significant, treatment to remove them and prevent further growth. However, a research team at the University of Cambridge will receive over £1.5m from Cancer Research UK over the next six years to investigate how the immune system evolves, targets and…

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UK organisations release statistics for use of animals in research in 2023

The statistics for the University of Cambridge are available on the website as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and openness around the use of animals in research.This coincides with the publication of the Home Office’s report on the statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain in 2023. The…

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Early career researchers win major European funding

Of 3,500 proposals reviewed by the ERC, only 14% were selected for funding – Cambridge has the highest number of grants of any UK institution.ERC Starting Grants – totalling nearly €780 million – support cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from life sciences and physics to social sciences and…

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Children switch to walking and cycling to school after introduction of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone

Car travel contributes to air pollution, a major cause of heart and lung diseases including asthma attacks. Beyond this, it limits children's opportunities for physical activity, hindering their development and mental health, and increasing their risk of obesity and chronic illnesses.Despite UK guidelines recommending a daily average of 60 minutes…

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High cholesterol levels at a young age significant risk factor for atherosclerosis

The research also suggests that people who are taking lipid-lowering drugs such as statins to lower their cholesterol levels should remain on them, even if their cholesterol levels have fallen, as stopping treatment could increase their risk of atherosclerosis.Atherosclerosis is one of the major causes of heart and circulatory disease.…

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Study reveals ‘patchy and inconsistent’ end-of-life care

These are among the conclusions of Time to Care: findings from a nationally representative survey of experiences at the end of life in England and Wales, a new report funded by end-of-life charity Marie Curie and produced by King’s College London’s Cicely Saunders Institute, Hull York Medical School at University…

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Anti-inflammatory drug could reduce future heart attack risk

A cancer drug that unlocks the anti-inflammatory power of the immune system could help to reduce the risk of future heart attacks, according to research part-funded by the British Heart Foundation. By repurposing an existing drug, researchers hope it could soon become part of routine treatment for patients after a…

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Global timber supply threatened as climate change pushes cropland northwards

The sight of vineyards in Britain is becoming more common as hotter summers create increasingly suitable conditions for growing grapes. But behind this success story is a sobering one: climate change is shifting the regions of the world suitable for growing crops.Researchers at the University of Cambridge have uncovered a…

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