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This week's headlines and highlights |
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Welcome to the UKRI bulletin, featuring the latest news, funding announcements and stories about research and innovation in action. |
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THIS WEEK's TOP STORY: Light exposure at night linked to psychiatric disorders |
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Exposure to light at night-time increases the risk of psychiatric disorders according to new research.
An MRC-funded study of 85,000 people found that habitual light makes people more susceptible to major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, PTSD, psychosis, bipolar disorder, and self-harm behavior.
Independent of night-time light exposure, greater daytime light exposure was associated with reduced risk for major depressive disorder, PTSD and psychosis.
Avoiding light at night and seeking light during the day may be a simple and effective, non-pharmacological means of broadly improving mental health. The University of Manchester was part of study.
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Living in a privately rented home is more likely to age you than being a smoker or unemployed, a new study shows. Researchers including from the University of Essex also showed that being in arrears on rent and exposure to pollution were other key factors associated with premature ageing. Support from MRC and ESRC.
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In a bird flu breakthrough, scientists have used gene editing techniques to change parts of a chicken DNA that could limit the spread of the virus. The University of Edinburgh, including the BBSRC-funded Roslin Institute, Imperial College London and the BBSRC-funded Pribright Institute were involved in the study. Image details here. |
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In the News: ‘Baby brain’ explained by hormone changes. The Independent reports on a study showing that hormones re-wire the brain during pregnancy to prepare the body for motherhood and that some changes could even be permanent. The work was carried out by the MRC-supported Francis Crick Institute. |
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ON THE BLOG: Reaching out through film – domestic violence and faith in Ethiopia |
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UKRI Future Leaders Fellow Romina Istratii, SOAS University of London, talks about the importance of communicating research findings and scientific evidence through the creative industries and how they leave a lasting impression on audiences, with the prospect of creating long-term effects.
Romina Istratii has worked with two film companies in Ethiopia and the UK to produce a docudrama on domestic violence and faith in Ethiopia. It’s part of a project dedicated to developing and strengthening domestic violence responses in East Africa and the UK.
Find out more.
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More UKRI research and innovation in action |
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A new £70 million green propulsion research centre will develop transformational research into cleaner, smarter engines, powertrains and driver technologies to help the transport industry transition to net zero. IAAPS at the University of Bath, funded by Research England, will build on decades of advanced propulsion system expertise. |
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Kickstarting future vaccine development - three projects designed to build on our understanding of viruses and immune system reactions will share £25 million in new UKRI funding. The ambitious research will inform the development of new, broader and longer-lasting vaccines to better manage future infectious disease threats. |
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‘Cheese from Peas’ - a new plant-based cheese product has been developed by researchers from the University of Nottingham and spin-out company The Good Pulse Company. The company is developing techniques to turn yellow peas grown in the UK into sustainable plant-based cheeses. Innovate UK funding has enabled researchers to develop commercial processes for new products. |
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A potential therapy to prevent brain deterioration caused by rare genetic conditions has been designed by researchers. MRC-funded research has shown that problems with calcium underlie conditions of blood vessels which, in children, cause severe, lifelong, and disabling symptoms like seizures. Stabilising calcium levels could now be a target for new treatments. |
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AND FINALLY: Why zebra stripes and sperm have more in common than you might think |
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Spots and stripes in nature are thought to be caused by patterns of chemical reactions. A University of Bristol study shows that the mathematical basis of these patterns also govern how the sperm tail moves.
The template for pattern formation was discovered by Alan Turing. Leopard spots and the spiral of seeds in a sunflower are thought to be generated in the same way. Find out more.
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