research Archives

Activating a liquid with plasma gives it anti-cancer properties

July 26, 2018 by Julianna Photopoulos

Liquids activated by plasma have similar anti-cancer properties as cold plasma, researchers have found.

Lab-based results showing that cold plasma can stop the growth of cancer cells have sparked hope that it could one day be used to treat the disease in humans – but scientists first need to understand why it has the effect it does. Plasma is an ionised gas – a gas that carries an electric … Read more

Chicken plastic and wine leather – giving waste new life

July 25, 2018 by Sandrine Ceurstemont

The production of this leather-like textile is considered to be zero impact as it is created from grape marc - a waste material from wine production.

A fashion collection made from the remains of grapes from the wine industry and plastic made from chicken feathers are two new twists on the practice of making new products from waste, and a growing demand for sustainability from consumers mean there could be a ready market for this type of innovation. Food waste isn’t just … Read more

Finding drugs that are safe to take while pregnant

July 23, 2018 by Horizon Magazine

Uncertainty about the effects that many medications can have on the unborn child leave a large number of pregnant women with untreated conditions.

by Frieda Klotz Expectant mothers often face a dilemma about whether to take medication when they fall ill due to fears it might harm their unborn baby, but new research is unravelling which drugs are safe to take during pregnancy. Pregnant women are excluded from trials of new medications for ethical reasons, which has led … Read more

Non-invasive tests to provide quicker diagnosis of endometriosis

July 19, 2018 by Helen Massy-Beresford

Endometriosis, where the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the pelvis, affects around one in 10 women.

Non-surgical ways of detecting endometriosis, such as blood tests, could reduce the time taken for a diagnosis, and researchers hope it will have a significant impact on the quality of life of women who live with the complex and painful condition. Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting an estimated 10% of women of reproductive age in … Read more

We need a drone register to ensure privacy and safety – air traffic expert

July 18, 2018 by Catherine Collins

There is a fine line between the benefits of using drones and possible misuse.

Requiring drones to identify and authorise themselves before they can fly, which could be achieved by fitting them with SIM cards, could help to protect people’s privacy by providing an effective way to register both users and machines, according to air traffic management expert Robin Garrity. He has been working on the U-space plan, which … Read more

Lessons from a real Atlantis

July 17, 2018 by Jude Gonzalez

Before it was lost to the bottom of sea, Doggerland was made up of woodland, meadows, marshes and rivers, as shown by simulations.

Traces of long-forgotten human settlements claimed by the sea thousands of years ago are being uncovered by researchers along the coastlines of Europe. The discoveries, both on land and underwater, are helping to fill in some of the blanks about Europe’s prehistory and are offering insights into how our species responded to global climate change … Read more