Media releases: 2009

December
- 23 December 2009 - New insights into mushroom-derived drug promising for cancer treatment
  A promising cancer drug, first discovered in a mushroom commonly used in Chinese medicine, could be made…
- 22 December 2009 - On the tip of your tongue: Researchers reveal our motor system is activated when we hear speech
  Researchers funded by BBSRC and the Medical Research Council have discovered that the motor system is…
- 21 December 2009 - Babraham scientists' 3D view of genes-at-work is paradigm shift in genetics
  Research from the Babraham Institute, an institute of BBSRC, has revealed for the first time that genes work…
- 17 December 2009 - Scientists show that plants have measure of the shortest day
  It is not only people who feel the effects of short winter days – new research funded by BBSRC has shed light on…
- 15 December 2009 - Early career scientists win prestigious prize for entrepreneurial skills
  A team of early career scientists from University of Cambridge and Imperial College London has beaten off…
- 11 December 2009 - New website explores food security challenge
  A new website…was launched last night…to explore the issues around the looming challenge of feeding a global population…
- 10 December 2009 - Flowering powers genetic understanding
  New BBSRC-funded research from the John Innes Centre on how plants adapt their flowering to climate is also helping to…
- 9 December 2009 - Bioscience for Life – new campaign launches to highlight role of bioscience in all our lives
  BBSRC, the main UK public funder of bioscience research, has today launched a new campaign…
- 4 December 2009 - New therapy targets for amyloid disease
  BBSRC-funded scientists have made a major discovery that is challenging accepted thinking about amyloids…
- 3 December 2009 - 2 heads better than 1 in new antibiotic method
  BBSRC-funded scientists have shown that an antibiotic that binds to a well-established target in a novel and unexpected way…
November
- 26 November 2009 - Consultation launched to shape new investment in agricultural research facility
  BBSRC has today launched a consultation on the details of a proposed investment of over £1M in a new farm-scale…
- 26 November 2009 - Unique transatlantic research partnership aims at longer healthier lives
  Research efforts to help the world's ageing population live longer healthier lives have been given a major boost with…
- 25 November 2009 - Private sector urged to seize opportunity and back Research Council commitment to bioprocessing R&D
  Private industry has today been urged to join a public sector commitment to fund advanced manufacturing research and…
- 24 November 2009 - A sticky solution for identifying effective probiotics
  BBSRC-funded scientists at the Institute of Food Research (IFR) have crystallised a protein that may help gut bacteria bind to…
- 23 November 2009 - Deadly African virus threatens British pig industry
  Deadly African swine fever virus poses a threat to Britain’s pig industry, following an outbreak in northern Russia. There is no cure…
- 19 November 2009 - BBSRC congratulates winners of Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Further and Higher Education
  Prof Douglas Kell, Chief Executive of the BBSRC, has congratulated the winners of the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Further and…
- 16 November 2009 - Skin colour gives clues to health
  BBSRC-funded researchers from the universities of Bristol and St Andrews have found that the colour of a person’s skin affects…
- 16 November 2009 - New funds to stimulate systematics and taxonomy research
  The BBSRC and the Natural Environment Research Council have made £750K available to kick-start research projectshellip;
- 12 November 2009 - BBSRC-funded arsenic expert 'highly cited'
  A BBSRC-funded scientist at University of Aberdeen who was the first to reveal the extent of arsenic contamination in rice…
- 11 November 2009 - £7.5M collaborations lead UK research community's response to H1N1 pandemic
  Leading UK research funders today announce £7.5M of funding for a series of projects aimed at understanding…
- 5 November 2009 - The earth really does move for insects
  Researchers at Rothamsted Research, an Institute of the BBSRC, and at the University of Greenwich have explained a…
- 5 November 2009 - Key seed size gene identified
  Scientists…have uncovered a gene in plants that is responsible for controlling the size of seeds, which could lead to…
- 2 November 2009 - Scientists produce first draft of pig genome
  A global collaboration, supported in the UK in part by BBSRC, has produced a first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig, an…
October
- 30 October 2009 - £3M funding to unlock secrets of immunity and infection
  Research into immunity and infection has been given a multi-million pound boost with a major award from the BBSRC…
- 26 October 2009 - Sixth formers present summer science projects at Babraham Institute
  20 sixth formers who spent part of their summer holidays working alongside scientists in leading labs have presented the results…
- 23 October 2009 - Fast-track arms race drives effective immune system
  Our immune systems are locked in an arms race with infections and rapidly develop defences against their invaders…
- 20 October 2009 - Scientists get the measure of how weather shapes our body clocks
  BBSRC-funded scientists have shed light on why our body clocks are so complicated, which could help researchers understand…
- 19 October 2009 - Brain responds to human voice in one fifth of a second
  BBSRC-funded researchers have found that the sound of human voice can be recognised by the brain in less than one fifth of a…
- 16 October 2009 - ‘Spaghetti’ scaffolding could help grow skin in labs
  Scientists are developing new scaffolding technology which could be used to grow tissues such as skin, nerves and cartilage…
- 15 October 2009 - Bug barcode readers hold out promise of universal vaccines
  Veterinary scientists have made a discovery that promises to deliver a new approach to fast development of cheap…
- 15 October 2009 - Report to bioscience funder recommends action on niche areas of expertise
  An independent panel has today (15 October) made a series of recommendations to the BBSRC on concerns over potential…
- 13 October 2009 - Sustainable agriculture and food initiative aims to increase productivity
  BBSRC is a partner in a new programme to bring the government, business and researchers together in a major initiative to&hellip:
- 9 October 2009 - Developing enzymes to clean up pollution by explosives
  BBSRC-funded scientists…have uncovered the structure of an unusual enzyme which can be used to reverse the contamination…
- 9 October 2009 - A high fat diet during pregnancy can lead to severe liver disease in offspring
  BBSRC-funded scientists have discovered a previously unknown link between a mother’s diet in pregnancy and a severe form…
- 8 October 2009 - Public sector and industry unite to attack obesity and heart disease
  The battle against obesity, heart disease and other diet related health problems received a £4 million boost today with…
- 8 October 2009 - BBSRC data in first release for plant genomics portal to support research into improved crops
  A new web resource for plant genomics research has been launched today with genome data funded by BBSRC…
- 5 October 2009 - Nominations open for £20,000 national bioscience innovation prize
  The BBSRC is opening nominations for the annual Innovator of the Year Award competition today…
- 1 October 2009 - £1M award to address honeybee decline
  Scientists at Rothamsted Research and Warwick University have been awarded £1M by BBSRC in partnership with Syngenta…
September
- 29 September - Senior appointment to steer sustainable bioenergy research
  Research to develop low-carbon bioenergy to replace petrol by using non-food crops and inedible parts of plants…
- 29 September 2009 - Award-winning BBSRC fellow follows in footsteps of doyen of UK structural biology
  The first ever BBSRC Diamond Professorial Fellow, Professor So Iwata, has been awarded the 2009 Aminoff Prize…
- 28 September 2009 - Scientists to explore how bioscience could support Britain’s elite athletes
  Bioscientists and sports scientists are meeting this week to discuss the application of bioscience research to help investigate…
- 24 September 2009 - Scientists discover how to send insects off the scent of crops
  BBSRC-funded research, published this week in Chemistry Communications, describes how scientists…
- 22 September 2009 - New discovery reveals fate of nanoparticles in human cells
  Scientists funded by the BBSRC have uncovered what happens to biomimetic nanoparticles…
- 22 September 2009 - Pruning: History rather than position gives the main shoot dominance
  Scientists have shown that the main shoot dominates a plant’s growth principally because it was there first…
- 21 September 2009 - Scientists discover key factor in regulating placenta and fetal growth
  A common biological molecule is central to placental growth and could hold the key to mitigating growth restriction…
- 9 September 2009 - Muscle - ‘hard to build, easy to lose’ as you age
  Have you ever noticed that people have thinner arms and legs as they get older?
- 9 September 2009 - Stealthy surreptitious scrub-jays are as quiet as a mouse to protect stored food from rival birds
  When it comes to protecting hidden food stores, scrub-jays – a member of the crow family…
- 8 September 2009 - BBSRC scientist awarded first Rooker prize
  Dr Simon Carpenter from the IAH, an institute of BBSRC, has been awarded the first Rooker Prize…
- 7 September 2009 - Institute for Animal Health to focus on virology of livestock and poultry
  The IAH, an institute of the BBSRC, has announced a new science strategy that will see the focusing…
- 1 September 2009 - Public sector and industry combine in funding boost for diet and health and green tech research
  A total of £7M funding has been announced today by 2 public-private collaborations led by the BBSRC…
August
- 28 August 2009 - Immune defect is key to skin ageing
  Scientists funded by the BBSRC have discovered why older people may be so vulnerable to cancer…
- 27 August 2009 - Fruit is even better for you than previously thought
  An international team of scientists has found that the polyphenol content of fruits has been underestimated…
- 25 August 2009 - UK leads European research programme with £10M investment in bioscience data handling capacity
  The UK has made its first substantial commitment to a major emerging pan-European science project…
- 25 August 2009 - Omega-3 research sheds light on inflammation trigger
  BBSRC-funded scientists at the University of Birmingham have discovered a previously unknown step in early
- 21 August 2009 - Professor Chris Lamb CBE FRS, 1950-2009
  The international scientific community has been greatly saddened by the sudden death of Professor Chris Lamb CBE FRS…
- 17 August 2009 - Nano-magnets guide stem cells to damaged tissue
  Microscopic magnetic particles have been used to bring stem cells to sites of cardiovascular injury…
- 17 August 2009 - IAH-industry collaboration launches bluetongue test kit
  IAH-industry collaboration launches bluetongue test kit…
- 13 August 2009 - Stress can speed the ageing process, sheep study shows
  A lifetime of stress can take its toll on the body and accelerate the ageing process…
- 12 August 2009 - BBSRC-funded technology enables rapid swine flu vaccine discovery
  A new technology developed with BBSRC funding at the John Innes Centre has been taken up…
- 12 August 2009 - Research highlights from BBSRC
  Business - the quarterly research highlights magazine from BBSRC has had a make-over…
- 10 August 2009 - Potato blight plight looks promising for food security
  Over 160 years since potato blight wreaked havoc in Ireland and other northern European countries, scientists funded by the BBSRC…
- 7 August 2009 - Scientists explain why birds get sex on the brain in the spring
  New technology designed to analyse large numbers of novel marine microbes could lead to more efficient and greener ways to manufacture new drugs…
- 7 August 2009 - Marine microbes creating green waves in industry
  New technology designed to analyse large numbers of novel marine microbes could lead to more efficient and greener ways to manufacture new drugs…
- 5 August 2009 - North Wyke Research completes merger with Rothamsted Research
  North Wyke Research, the home of UK grassland systems science, has completed its merger with Rothamsted Research…
- 4 August 2009 - BBSRC publishes review of 2008-09
  The Annual Report and Accounts of the BBSRC have been published today…
- 2 August 2009 - Unlocking the key to human fertility
  Scientists…have discovered a unique 'DNA signature' in human sperm, which may act as a key that unlocks an egg's fertility and triggers new life…
July
- 28 July 2009 - Natural born killers - how the body's frontline immune cells decide which cells to destroy
  The mechanism used by 'Natural Killer' immune cells in the human body to distinguish between diseased cells…
- 27 July 2009 - Researchers capture bacterial infection on film
  BBSRC-funded researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to make a movie of bacteria infecting their living host…
- 27 July 2009 - £100M boost for animal health research
  BBSRC and the Institute for Animal Health today welcomed the announcement by the Government of over £100M investment…
- 21 July 2009 - UK student in Japan top ten triumph
  The UK International Biology Olympiad team, sponsored by BBSRC, has performed extremely well in competition…
- 20 July 2009 - UK bioscience sparkles with new Diamond fellowship
  UK bioscience has received a major boost following the announcement of 16 new fellowships by…
- 13 July 2009 - Happier, healthier, more productive hens on omega-3?
  £1.7M of research funding will help laying hens avoid bone damage by investigating the benefits of omega-3…
- 13 July 2009 - Mystery E. coli genes essential for survival of many species
  Scientists have shown that E. coli - one of the best known and extensively studied organisms in the world…
- 9 July 2009 - UK students take off to compete in International Biology Olympiad
  Today four sixth form students are jetting off to Japan to fly the UK flag at the International Biology Olympiad in Tsukuba…
- 9 July 2009 - BBSRC scientist authors school food briefing for parliamentarians
  PhD student, Rachel Joynes, has today published a briefing for parliamentarians on school food as part of…
- 8 July 2009 - Shape the future of bioscience research 2009 - consultation launched on proposals for new BBSRC strategic plan
  BBSRC has identified three high-level strategic research priorities and is now asking interested stakeholders to…
- 7 July 2009 - BBSRC at Royal Show 2009
  BBSRC, the UK's largest funder of agriculture and food related research, will have a significant presence at the Royal Show 2009 for the iconic…
- 7 July 2009 - Researchers study how dietary carbohydrates influence the thickening of arteries
  New funding from BBSRC is allowing a research team from the University of Surrey to ask the question: How does dietary carbohydrate influence…
- 3 July 2009 - New national genome centre launched
  A new UK national genome centre is being officially opened today by Nobel Laureate and genome pioneer…
- 2 July 2009 - New incontinence research funding to benefit millions
  Research into Ageing, the medical research arm of Age Concern and Help the Aged, and the BBSRC are joining forces…
June
- 25 June 2009 - New nanoparticles could revolutionise therapeutic drug discovery
  A revolutionary new protein stabilisation technique has been developed by scientists which could lead…
- 19 June 2009 - Rothamsted scientist to receive top award from the Royal Agricultural Society of England
  Weed scientist, Dr Stephen Moss will be presented with the prestigious RASE Technology Award at…
- 19 June 2009 - Commercialisation of insecticide 'crystals' offers exciting prospect for farmers world-wide
  Time-delayed insecticide 'crystals' could revolutionise pest management in agriculture following a deal between researchers from…
- 18 June 2009 - New Chair for BBSRC appointed
  The formal appointment of Professor Sir Tom Blundell FRS FMedSci as the new Chair of the BBSRC has been announced today…
- 17 June 2009 - Common fish species has 'human' ability to learn
  Although worlds apart, the way fish learn could be closer to humans? way of thinking than previously believed…
- 15 June 2009 - Scientists turn deadly mosquitoes against their own offspring
  A new field demonstration from Peru suggests that we might be able to co-opt adult mosquitoes into applying…
- 12 June 2009 - Evolution of swine flu mapped by scientists
  Funding…has played an important role in enabling the rapid analysis of genetic data from the ongoing Influenza H1N1 outbreak attributed to Swine flu…
- 9 June 2009 - New model predicts impact of new agricultural techniques and climate change on farmland ecosystems
  A consortium of scientists have presented a new way of modelling ecosystems that can predict the impact…
- 2 June 2009 - New effort to counter ramularia
  A project to combat a newly emerging disease of barley is being launched. It will pull together…
- 2 June 2009 - Fat to make you feel fuller
  Scientists have designed a fatty formulation that can make you feel fuller for longer…
- 1 June 2009 - Scientists solve poppy puzzle with new gene discovery
  Scientists at the University of Birmingham have identified an elusive male gene in the field poppy that stops…
May
- 27 May 2009 - Shatter resistant brassicas
  An international team of scientists has cracked the problem of pod shatter in brassica crops…
- 27 May 2009 - Consultation launched on future research for food security
  The UK's biggest funder of agri-food research, the BBSRC has launched a consultation on…
- 25 May 2009 - Necessity is the mother of invention for clever birds 2009 - rooks show insightful and creative tool use
  BBSRC-funded researchers…have found that rooks, a member of the crow family, are capable…
- 25 May 2009 - Award for pioneering stem cell research to mend broken bones
  Funding from the BBSRC could lead to the development of new and better treatments for broken…
- 21 May 2009 - EMBRAPA and PBL forge technology development and commercialisation partnership
  The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa, and PBL, the UK technology management…
- 13 May 2009 - £1.65M investment establishes epigenomics sequencing facility at the Babraham Institute
  The Babraham Institute announces a new state-of-the-art genome sequencing facility, following a major…
- 12 May 2009 - New report details strategically important agricultural research facilities
  An independent report has been published today (12 May) which details the public sector facilities…
- 7 May 2009 - Call for UK biosicence organisation to identify specialist skills that could be lost from the research community
  BBSRC, in coordination with the Biosciences Federation, is launching a UK-wide consultation…
April
- 29 April 2009 - New insight into addictive behaviour offers treatment hope
  Addictive behaviour is determined by conscious, rapid thought processes, not necessarily by the content…
- 28 April 2009 - BBSRC Chief Executive calls for better coordination and increased funding to ensure food security
  In an interview this morning with the BBC, Professor Douglas Kell?called for better coordination and…
- 24 April 2009 - Closing a skills gap that threatens translation of research into new medicines
  University based projects attract private funding to mitigate skills gap in biomedical research…
- 24 April 2009 - Insight into fish disease to help protect farmed fish stocks
  Researchers…have gained a key insight into a disease that is devastating the UK's fish farming industry…
- 23 April 2009 - Scientists use retroviruses to unravel woolly history of sheep domestication
  Scientists…have unravelled the woolly history of sheep domestication by examining retroviruses…
- 23 April 2009 - Completed cattle genome could improve beef and dairy production
  Scientists are tomorrow…publishing the complete cattle genome in the journal Science…
- 21 April 2009 - £10M initiative launched to tackle bee and pollinator decline
  Up to £10M is to be invested to help to identify the main threats to bees and other insect pollinators…
- 20 April 2009 - Scientists discover 'dancing' algae
  Scientists…have discovered that freshwater algae can form stable groupings in which they dance around…
- 15 April 2009 - Changing climate will lead to devastating loss of phosphorus from soil
  Crop growth, drinking water and recreational water sports could all be adversely affected if predicted changes…
- 9 April 2009 - Biological FM signal maintains inflammation in cancer, asthma, and other diseases
  A study published tomorrow in Science examines a key player in conditions such as cancer, inflammatory bowel…
- 3 April 2009 - BBSRC announces new make-up of its Council
  Three new members have been appointed to the Council of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research…
- 2 April 2009 - Robot scientist becomes first machine to discover new scientific knowledge
  Scientists…have created a Robot Scientist which the researchers believe is the first machine to have…
- 2 April 2009 - New national Genome Centre to underpin food security and animal health
  A new national centre to analyse plant, animal and microbial genomes has been announced today…
March
- 25 March 2009 - Inaugural BBSRC Innovator of the Year named
  The inaugural BBSRC Innovator of the Year title has been awarded to Professor Stephen Jackson from…
- 23 March 2009 - Listening to pleasant music could help restore vision in stroke patients, suggests study
  Patients who have lost part of their visual awareness following a stroke may show an improved ability to see…
- 20 March 2009 - Plant biologists discover gene that switches on 'essence of male'
  Biologists at the University of Leicester have published results of a new study into plant sex … and discovered that…
- 11 March 2009 - New help to reduce the number of mice used in lab tests
  The RSPCA and leading funders of medical research, including BBSRC, are calling on scientists to share information…
- 9 March 2009 - Stem cells replace stroke damaged tissue in rats
  Scientists will today (09 March) begin work funded by a ?4.5M grant from BBSRC to research new cancer drugs…
- 9 March 2009 - Multi-million funded experiments could lead to revolution in cancer treatment
  Effective stem cell treatment for strokes has taken a significant step forward today as scientists reveal how they…
- 2 March 2009 - Unfolding "nature's origami"
  Sometimes known as 'nature's origami', the way that proteins fold is vital to ensuring they function correctly…
- 2 March 2009 - New publication highlights role of plant science in delivering food security
  With rapid global population growth, a changing climate and disruption to global trading patterns threatening our…
February
- 25 February 2009 - Scientists eavesdrop on the exciting conversations within cells
  Scientists have discovered the secrets of a sophisticated molecule that plays a role in many aspects of human…
- 22 February 2009 - Scientists mine drugs database for new diabetes treatment
  Scientists…have harnessed a new drug discovery tool to identify a new player in the body's insulin secretion…
- 19 February 2009 - Summit convened to map out route to sustainable food security
  A meeting today in Central London is bringing together leading scientists, policymakers and funders with…
- 13 February 2009 - Future plans for the Institute for Animal Health - update
  At its meeting on 11 February BBSRC Council discussed future plans for the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) in…
- 11 February 2009 - Wheat genome project to underpin food security
  An extensive genetic analysis of the wheat genome will be carried out by researchers at Bristol University…
- 9 February 2009 - Research Councils UK launch Darwin Today exhibition
  Research Councils UK has launched Darwin Today, a new touring exhibition, developed by BBSRC, that celebrates…
- 5 February 2009 - Researchers shake up scientific theory on motor protein
  An international team of scientists…at the University of Leeds, has shed new light on the little-understood…
- 3 February 2009 - Natural pest control on conventional and organic farms
  The Government has today published its response to the Anderson report on the 2007 Foot-and-Mouth…
- 3 February 2009 - Future plans for the Institute for Animal Health
  Scientists…have discovered a chemical that stops stem cells from turning into other cell types, allowing…
- 3 February 2009 - Don’t go changing: New chemical keeps stem cells young
  A study of natural pest control on conventional and organic farms in the southwest has found…
January
- 30 January 2009 - Research highlights from BBSRC
  The following stories feature in the latest issue of BBSRC Business, the quarterly research highlights…
- 30 January 2009 - Evolutionary biology provides clues to single-celled common ancestor
  One hundred and fifty years after Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was published BBSRC-funded…
- 29 January 2009 - How a brain chemical changes locusts from harmless grasshoppers to swarming pests
  Scientists have uncovered the underlying biological reason why locusts form migrating swarms…
- 28 January 2009 - BBSRC welcomes launch of Science [So What? So Everything]
  BBSRC has welcomed the launch today of the Government's [Science - So What? So Everything]…
- 27 January 2009 - Biggest ever public investment in bioenergy to help provide clean, green and sustainable fuels
  The biggest ever single UK public investment in bioenergy research has been announced today by…
- 26 January 2009 - Dinosaur fossils fit perfectly into the evolutionary tree of life
  A recent study by researchers…has found that scientists? knowledge of the evolution of dinosaurs…
- 16 January 2009 - Fish guts explain marine carbon cycle mystery
  Research published today reveals the major influence of fish on maintaining the delicate pH balance of…
- 12 January 2009 - Scientists unlock secret to overeating
  BBSRC-funded scientists have found new evidence that the tendency to overeat could be genetic according…
- 8 January 2009 - New man at helm of Institute of Food Research
  David Boxer…has been appointed as the next Director of the Institute of Food Research and Professor Microbial?

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Media releases: 2009

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