The University of ԰������ has launched a new responsible AI competition in partnership with the Jeremy Coller Foundation, offering a £100,000 equity investment to support one promising early-stage venture from its global community of students, staff and alumni. 

Applications are now open for the Coller AI Competition, which is designed to help innovators develop ventures with real-world potential – ensuring technology empowers rather than excludes. The competition will support solutions that use AI in ways that are fair, transparent, sustainable and focused on social benefit. The winner will benefit from the opportunity to work closely with the Jeremy Coller Foundation team to develop their venture. 

The initiative forms part of the University’s Challenge Accepted campaign, which champions ideas with the potential to tackle major global challenges.  

Backed by ԰������ alumnus and philanthropist Jeremy Coller, the competition brings together the University’s research strength, entrepreneurial talent and commitment to responsible innovation. It aims to identify and support founders developing AI solutions that are not only commercially promising but designed to benefit people and society. 

Finalists will pitch their ventures at the University’s Innovation Festival in October, where the winner will be selected to receive the £100,000 investment. 

Professor Aline Miller, Associate Vice President (Enterprise) at The University of ԰������, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to back one early-stage venture with the support and investment needed to develop responsible AI with real-world potential. We’re looking for founders who want to build something purposeful, practical and capable of making a positive difference.” 

Jeremy Coller said, “The AI revolution is already changing and shaping our world at a dizzying speed. Used smartly and responsibly AI can be the key that unlocks solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing this planet, and the Coller AI Competition will help ԰������ students, staff and alumni turn that potential into reality.” 

 is the philanthropic vehicle of private equity entrepreneur Jeremy Coller. The Foundation works to create positive impact on globally significant issues with a focus on education, entrepreneurship, pensions innovation and the transition to a more sustainable food system. By supporting ambitious ideas, the Foundation helps drive lasting change and empower the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers. 

Application timeline – 2026 

The competition is open for applications from any students, staff or alumni from across the University who are working on an AI-driven business. At least one founder in each team must be within one of these categories.  

• 14^th July – applications open
• 1^st September – applications close
• 21^st September – finalists notified
• 9^th October – final pitches and award  

Find out more and apply now –   

Egg donation is a lifeline for families, offering hope to women with conditions like early menopause, older mothers, and men without a female partner pursuing surrogacy.

Across Europe, around 8 per cent of fertility treatment cycles rely on donated eggs, underlining just how crucial donors are to modern family-building.

Yet behind the scenes, the research team – which is also from Cryos International and The University of Ghent - show the path to becoming an egg donor is far tougher than many realise.

In their study of 2,443 women applying to be egg donors at Cryos, a commercial US egg bank, just 2.5 per cent were accepted and went on to have their eggs frozen and banked ready for donation.

This shows that recruiting egg donors is far more challenging than it might seem, with roughly only one in 40 women making it through what the authors describe as an exceptionally thorough recruitment process.

More than half of all applicants (51 %) were rejected almost instantly for failing to meet strict enrolment criteria such as age or body mass index.

A further 26.36 % dropped out during the process, missing appointments or simply failing to respond to the clinic.

Nearly one in five (19.69 %) were later ruled out after health problems were uncovered in their family history or they failed medical screening tests.

“While there is clearly strong interest in donating eggs, only a very small proportion of applicants ultimately meet the requirements, which has important implications for the availability of donor eggs in fertility treatment,” said lead author from The University of ԰������.

“Advances in egg freezing have enabled global egg banks to emerge, allowing frozen donor eggs to be shipped worldwide.

“However, from initial eligibility checks through to detailed medical screening, the process is designed to ensure that only donors who meet very specific safety and quality standards are accepted.

“It is striking that more than half of applicants are excluded at the very first step, and that a significant number also withdraw or disengage before completing the process, presumably as they find out more about it and realise it’s not for them”.

In a previous study investigating the recruitment of sperm donors at the same sperm and egg bank during the same time-period, the team found that only 1.03% of men who initially applied to be sperm donors were finally accepted.

Interestingly whether men applying to be a sperm donor chose to be ID-release or not had an impact on his likelihood of being recruited, this was not seen in the study of egg donor applicants.

The researchers say this contrast cannot be explained by motivation, as a previous surveys at the same clinic show sperm and egg donors report remarkably similar reasons for volunteering.

Co-author Anne-Bine Skytte, Medical Director at Cryos International who ran the egg bank where the study took place commented: “Despite similar motivations between sperm and egg donors, the recruitment pathways function quite differently. Egg donation involves a surgical procedure, whereas sperm donation typically requires repeated visits over an extended period. Therefore, whilst egg donation is more medically invasive, our findings show more success in recruiting egg donors suggesting that the surgical procedures do not necessarily put women off from donating.”

“We also saw that many women became more open to becoming ID-release as they progressed through the screening, with more than half switching from anonymous to ID-release.”

The authors suggest that counselling during the recruitment process may help donors feel more comfortable with the idea of future openness and contact

• The paper An analysis of the outcome of 2,443 women applying to be donors at a commercial egg bank in the US, is published in DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-026-01578-1

On Sunday 19 July, Ben Moorhouse (43) will spend hours walking the fully exposed central track of the ancient stadium at Monte Smith, where temperatures are expected to reach 35–40°C. With no shade, relentless sunshine and intense heat radiating from the ancient stone beneath his feet, the challenge will push him to his absolute physical and emotional limits.

The stadium, once used by athletes in ancient Greece, will become the setting for a deeply personal journey of remembrance, endurance and hope.

Every one of the 260 lengths has a meaning.

The number honours the birthday of Ben and Gaynor's daughter, Kallipateira Rodothea Moorhouse, who was stillborn on 26 October 2018 at 37 weeks of pregnancy, just two weeks before her due date. Like many stillbirths, her death was preventable. The couple also suffered a miscarriage at nine weeks in May 2019.

Holding his daughter in his arms, Ben made her a promise.

"As I held Kallipateira, I promised her that I would make sure she did not die for nothing."

Eight years later, that promise continues to drive everything he does.

Since Kallipateira's death, Ben has dedicated himself to raising awareness of stillbirth, supporting bereaved families and funding research that is helping save babies' lives.

The challenge also represents hope.

In May 2020, Ben and Gaynor welcomed their rainbow baby, Apollon Alexandros Moorhouse, after receiving specialist care from Alex Heazell, Professor of Obstetrics at The University of ԰������, based at the  Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre. professor Heazell is also  Honorary Consultant Obstetrician at Tommy's Rainbow Clinic at St Mary’s Hospital in ԰������.

"Like Kallipateira, most stillbirths are preventable. These are beautiful, healthy babies who should be alive. Our son Apollon is here today because of Professor Alexander Heazell and his team's pioneering research. Without that research, he would not be here today."

The challenge itself has been carefully designed.

The relentless repetition of 260 lengths, the brutal summer heat, physical exhaustion and mental endurance symbolize both the ancient Olympic spirit of the stadium and the lifelong endurance required to live with the loss of a baby.

Overlooking the stadium stands the Temple of Apollon - a remarkable personal connection, as Ben's six-year-old son was named after the Greek god.

Ben is no stranger to extraordinary endurance challenges. In 2021, he became the only person ever to walk around the entire island of Rhodes nonstop, covering 150 miles continuously to raise awareness and funds for stillbirth research. He has since completed further history-making challenges on the island.

During this year's challenge, the 53rd length will be dedicated to Ben's close friend, Lawrence Mann, who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Ben said: "I am incredibly proud to take on this extreme challenge at the beautiful and historic Ancient Stadium of Rhodes. I hope it creates another small piece of history on the island while ensuring Kallipateira's legacy continues to save babies' lives.

The heat will be relentless. The conditions will be unforgiving. Every step will test me physically and mentally. But nothing compares to the pain of holding your dead baby in your arms. Every single one of those 260 lengths will be walked out of pure love.

"As I held Kallipateira, I promised her she would not die for nothing. On 19 July I will keep that promise once again. This challenge is for Kallipateira, for Apollon, for Lawrence, and for every family whose baby should have come home. I look forward to returning to my second home, the island of Rhodes, where I will honour my beautiful daughter."

Professor Alexander Heazell said: "Ben's determination to face the extreme heat and relentless monotony of 260 lengths in the Ancient Stadium of Rhodes is a profound testament to his endurance and his love for Kallipateira. The grueling training he has put his body through all year shows the lengths he will go to break the silence surrounding stillbirth.

“The funds raised will make a huge difference to our team's medical research. Ben's extraordinary resolve is actively helping us pioneer the science that saves babies' lives and prevents other families from the devastation of stillbirth. He carries the thoughts and gratitude of our entire team with him to Rhodes."

All funds raised will support Professor Alexander Heazell and his team in ԰������, helping to reduce the number of preventable stillbirths and save babies' lives.

• All funds raised will support Professor Alexander Heazell and his team in ԰������, helping to reduce the number of preventable stillbirths and save babies' lives.

Donations:

The University of ԰������ hosted the launch of the new Defence Universities Alliance (DUA), a major UK-wide partnership designed to strengthen collaboration between universities, government and industry on research, innovation and skills.

The announcement was made at the University by Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP. The Alliance brings together 35 universities from across the UK as founding members and will create a long-term framework for collaboration between higher education institutions, the Ministry of Defence, the UK Armed Forces and the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser.

The launch event, held at the University, featured representatives from universities, industry and government. Also in attendance were researchers and students from different aspects of the defence field, and businesses which the University partners with.

The DUA aims to help universities and defence organisations work more closely together across research, innovation and workforce development, creating new opportunities for students and researchers while addressing future national security challenges. The alliance will support collaboration in areas including artificial intelligence, cyber security, robotics, aerospace engineering, behavioural science and health.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of ԰������, said: "The UK’s top universities have always played an important role in helping society respond to the challenges it faces. Today, that means working closely with government and industry to strengthen national security, develop new ideas and technologies, and deliver the skills needed in related industries.

"The Defence Universities Alliance will deliver a more strategic approach to the contribution higher education makes. By working more closely together, we will better align with government and industry and create more opportunities for researchers and students, for the benefit of our region and the UK as a whole."

As one of the UK's leading research-intensive universities, The University of ԰������ works with organisations across a wide range of sectors, including defence and security, while maintaining its commitment to academic freedom, transparency and compliance with UK law and international obligations.

Professor Tim Dafforn, Chief Scientific Advisor, Ministry of Defence, said: “The Defence Universities Alliance represents a genuinely transformative step forward in how Defence partners with the UK’s world-leading academic sector. By bringing together our shared expertise, ambition and innovation, the Alliance will help us tackle some of the most complex challenges facing Defence at a strategic level. I am incredibly excited about the opportunities this creates. The DUA will fundamentally change the way Defence, universities and industry work together - strengthening our national security, creating strategic advantage and supporting growth to deliver better outcomes for the UK.”

Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said: “As we prepare for warfighting readiness, working with universities, students and innovators boosts skills and helps keep our country safe. The Defence Universities Alliance will create meaningful connections between students, academia and defence, boosting research, skills and defence expertise across the UK to strengthen industry. Universities play a key role in innovating and supporting defence, and the DUA helps marshal those efforts.

“In this new era of threat our £182 million defence skills package is helping to create opportunities for students, apprentices and young people, making sure our historic £298 billion defence investment is an engine for growth across the UK, and building on the more than 272,000 industry jobs supported by MOD spending.”

Research and innovation have an important role to play in addressing complex global challenges, reflecting the ambitions of the University’s ԰������ 2035 strategy, helping to turn research and innovation into practical impact by strengthening partnerships with government and industry.

As well as supporting economic growth, developing new technologies and creating opportunities for students and graduates, the DUA will help strengthen links between academia, government and industry, supporting the development of the highly skilled workforce needed for the future.

Our work with defence and security organisations

• Weekly sales increased by more than 76,000 copies following the release of the first Netflix season.

• Strong sales growth occurred across both English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries.

• In Brazil and Mexico, around 99% of sales came from translated local-language editions.

• UK buyers most commonly discovered Heartstopper through its television adaptation.

• Nearly two-thirds of UK buyers were aged between 13 and 24.

• Around a quarter of purchases were gifts or purchases made for other people.

"The Netflix series did not simply amplify an existing audience,” said Dr Francesco Rampazzo, Lecturer in Social Statistics and Demography at The University of ԰������. “It brought in new readers and changed how the books travelled, from a specialist graphic-novel readership into mainstream young-adult, retail and family purchase contexts.”

A global success built through local book markets

The study found that the Heartstopper effect extended well beyond English-speaking audiences. Countries including Poland, Spain, Brazil and Mexico all experienced substantial increases in book sales following the Netflix release.

Researchers say this demonstrates the importance of local publishing, translation and retail networks in turning global streaming successes into sustained book-market demand.

"What is striking is that the same story travels across very different countries, but it does so through local infrastructures,” said Kristopher Velasco, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Princeton University. “Translation, retail channels and media visibility all matter for whether a screen adaptation turns into sustained book demand.”

More than a bestseller

The researchers also examined thousands of reader and viewer reviews to understand how audiences engaged with Heartstopper across different media.

They found that viewers discussing the Netflix series were far more likely to emphasise themes of LGBTQ+ visibility and personal recognition, while book readers more often discussed recommending, gifting and sharing the series with others.

According to the researchers, this suggests that adaptations can change not only who consumes a story, but how it is understood and discussed.

"The same story means different things in different media settings,” said Dr Rampazzo. “On screen, Heartstopper was often discussed as a moment of visibility and recognition. In book reviews and buyer data, it also appears as something to buy, recommend, gift and pass on.”

Shared across generations

The study found evidence that Heartstopper's success extended beyond its core young-adult readership.

Reader reviews frequently described parents, grandparents and other relatives buying the books for younger family members. UK consumer data also showed that gifting accounted for a significant share of purchases.

The researchers argue that this wider circulation helped establish Heartstopper as a mainstream cultural phenomenon rather than a niche publishing success.

Final chapter approaches

The findings are published shortly before two major milestones for the franchise: the release of the final Heartstopper book on 2 July, and the Netflix film adaptation on 17 July.

Researchers say the ending of the series offers a rare opportunity to examine whether audiences built through streaming platforms continue to drive demand for books.

Publication details

Turning Pages into Screens: Media Adaptation and the Reclassification of Cultural Objects can be viewed .

The workshop introduced the principles and applications of atomic force microscopy before giving students hands-on experience of the Park Systems FX40 system. Through demonstrations and sample analysis, participants explored how advanced AFM techniques can be used to investigate the physical, electronic and magnetic properties of two-dimensional materials.

AFM is a versatile characterization technique that is widely used in the study of 2D materials. With nanometre-scale precision, it is generally used to measure the topography of materials; however, advanced AFM techniques can also be employed in other interesting experiments, to study magnetic and electronic properties, for example.

The workshop began with an introduction to the fundamental working principles of AFM, explaining how it probes properties in 2D systems, followed by a hands-on demonstration of Park Systems’ new FX40 AFM system and its capabilities. The final part of the workshop involved using this instrument to characterise our samples, demonstrating the system flexibility, allowing to create specific “recipes” that can be tailored according to our experiment requirements.

With the demonstration of the FX40, we were able to understand the capabilities and unique features of this equipment. The most notable feature was the automated nature of this system, allowing for a fully automated loading and switching of AFM tips, something that many of us have spent hours performing the same task manually on the systems that are currently deployed in the labs. Eliminating the risk of dropping or breaking a tip, along with the time saved through automation, is a welcome feature, allowing us to spend more time taking the measurements we need and obtaining reliable results. 

The FX40 was also capable of seamlessly switching between magnetic, conductive or piezoelectric and several other measurement modes by simply changing the tip and swapping a few numbers of accessories on the system. This process would normally require us to take our samples to another AFM system, probably located in another lab, making the added convenience and the time savings particularly valuable besides making life easier. 

The workshop was very useful for us in our first year of our PhDs. Although we had previously been introduced to AFM, we were not fully aware of the wide range of measurement modes available. It was both interesting and exciting to consider how these AFM measurement techniques could be applied to the study of 2D materials which many of us aim to investigate in our respective experimental projects. Whether the 2D system under study is an insulator (dielectric), conductor, semiconductor, or a magnetic material, the FX40 system offers specialised modes that can probe interesting material properties. 

Most of us, came away with new ideas and directions for incorporating the AFM technique into our projects. It was also nice and valuable to have the opportunity, during the lunch break, to discuss the system and our research work with experts in the field in a friendly and informal setting. These discussions provided valuable insights and fresh perspectives on both the system and our own research. 

Thank you to Park Systems UK for the engaging demonstration and discussions and thank you to the NGI for hosting the workshop.

InformiX Pharma, C3 Biotechnologies, Precica and FLAG-Me SAFE have each reached important milestones in their commercialisation pathway, joining Grid Stability, Luteo Medical and SpinOr as University of ԰������ spinouts created during the current financial year.

Working alongside academic founders throughout the commercialisation process, the Innovation Factory provides expertise in intellectual property and business strategy, business development, licensing, company formation and investment readiness, helping researchers navigate the journey from discovery to market.

The latest companies reflect the breadth of innovation emerging from The University of ԰������.

InformiX Pharma has developed specialist three-dimensional advanced imaging technology to give pharmaceutical companies un-precedented understanding into the internal structure of medicines, resulting in faster product development, improved product quality and more informed decision making.

C3 Biotechnologies is developing innovative microbial technologies that convert industrial waste streams, including carbon dioxide, into sustainable chemicals and high-value products, helping accelerate the transition to more sustainable industrial manufacturing.

Precica is helping organisations manage growing volumes of data through innovative technology that dramatically reduces storage requirements, allowing information to be searched and analysed without first unpacking it.

FLAG-Me SAFE has developed an innovative digital safeguarding platform that helps pharmacists and medical professionals identify individuals with a visual and other communication impairments earlier, supporting them with medication needs in a safe way.

, Chief Executive Officer of The University of ԰������ Innovation Factory, said: “These four companies demonstrate the remarkable breadth of innovation emerging from The University of ԰������. From helping people manage their medication more safely, to enabling more sustainable manufacturing, and transforming the way organisations manage data, each has the potential to make a meaningful difference.

“Supporting researchers as they translate ideas into successful businesses, is what the Innovation Factory exists to do. We are proud to have worked alongside these talented founding teams throughout their commercialisation pathway, and we are excited to see how their innovations will benefit people, industry and communities around the world.”

Alongside company formation, the Innovation Factory continues to work with researchers across the University to identify commercial opportunities and help innovations reach the people and industries that can benefit from them.

The research throws new light on sleep  -  one of the body’s most basic needs, which can trigger problems with mood, memory, metabolism, and long‑term health when disturbed.

There is already strong laboratory evidence showing that light can shift sleep timing and alter the balance of sleep stages.

We also know that sleep resets our internal body clock each morning and helps control when we feel alert, when we feel tired, and how deeply we sleep.

But scientists have long suspected that these effects also play out in everyday life. To test this, the team collected real‑world data using a simple wearable setup.

Eighty‑nine adults wore a light sensor capable of capturing melanopic light — the type of light that most strongly affects the body clock — alongside a consumer sleep tracker. They also filled in daily sleep diaries.

The devices produced more than 500 days of data, showing:

• People who spent longer in brighter daytime light tended to fall asleep earlier and wake earlier.
• Those with steadier, less chaotic light patterns across the week also showed healthier sleep timing.
• Participants with more regular light exposure — and fewer sharp swings between dim and bright light — experienced stronger deep sleep -  vital for memory, recovery, and overall health -  during the first part of the night.

The findings echo a growing concern about modern indoor life when most people spend their days in lighting far dimmer than natural daylight and their evenings in lighting far brighter than their bodies expect.

This mismatch has been linked to chronic health problems and higher mortality risk.

The new study shows these harmful patterns can be detected in everyday life and that good light habits — bright days — are linked to better sleep even outside the lab.

The researchers also found that people’s own reports of their sleep generally matched their wearable data.

But when sleep was more disrupted — with less deep sleep or less REM sleep — the gap between how people thought they slept and what their devices recorded grew wider.

The team also found that the most stable light patterns were linked to deeper sleep concentrated in the early part of the night.

Lead author from The University of ԰������ and the Izmir Institute of Technology in Turkey said: “Our findings show that brighter days and steadier light routines aren’t just nice to have — they may be fundamental for healthier sleep.

“By simply getting more consistent daylight exposure, people could meaningfully improve how they sleep at night.”

“This study highlights the power of naturalistic research, showing that everyday environments can be measured using affordable consumer devices.

“It also points to a simple public health message: brighter days may lead to better nights.

“And keeping light exposure stable — avoiding chaotic patterns of dim and bright light — could help strengthen the body’s internal rhythms.”

• The study was published in on  10/07/26 bst. It was funded by the Wellcome Trust. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Izmir Institute of Technology Research University Support Fund. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s44323-026-00087-z

Published by Child of the North and partners, the new ‘Connecting data: Intelligent and informed delivery to support every child to succeed’ report provides a clear case for a national devolved approach to connected data. 

The report reflects consensus across researchers, policymakers, public service leaders and practitioners and warns that children are being left unsupported, unseen and exposed to avoidable harm because services do not safely and lawfully share and link the information they already hold. It argues that effective data sharing, enabled by connected data infrastructure, is “literally a matter of life and death”. The report identifies a major national opportunity to strengthen public services, accelerate research and drive economic growth whilst retaining data sovereignty.

The report builds on a ԰������ held earlier this year, which brought researchers from across the North of England together with policy teams and scientists from across Whitehall to discuss connected data practices and opportunities, with a particular focus on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Challenges in children’s lives span health, education, social care and wider family circumstances, but services and systems continue to operate in silos. The report highlights how the disconnect makes it harder to identify vulnerability early, coordinate support, and prevent escalation.

The report highlights the urgent need for a new approach to connecting data, drawing on previous analyses conducted by Child of the North and the Children’s Commissioner: 

●      More than 2 million children in England live in families facing complex needs

●      760,000 vulnerable children were seen by children’s services but received no formal support, while another 830,000 were not even on the radar of services.

●      In 81% of serious incidents where a child died or suffered serious harm, lack of coordination between services was driven by poor information sharing, delayed responses and fragmentation.

The report highlights that poor connection between public services remains a persistent challenge. It argues that the challenge is not a lack of data, but a lack of a firm political commitment until now to use the infrastructure, mandates, governance, and delivery models that would allow data to be used safely and meaningfully across organisational boundaries.

The report sets out a clear solution and calls on the government to adopt a national “Connected ICB (Integrated Care Board)” model, using NHS infrastructure to link data across health, education, social care and other services. Crucially, this is not a single central database, but a devolved model where local systems (and communities) retain control of their data while contributing to a connected national ecosystem that enables shared learning, improved services, and stronger evidence for improving the health of children.

The report concludes that:

“The goal is not a single central database, but an interconnected ecosystem in which trusted local systems generate insight, improve services, and support research and innovation at national scale.”

The report draws on real-world examples, including Connected Bradford, which has demonstrated how linked data across health, education, social care and policing can reveal patterns of need across populations, support earlier intervention, improve coordination between services, and enable research and evaluation at scale. These examples show that connected data can be delivered safely, lawfully and with public trust when a devolved model is adopted.

The report highlights a significant opportunity for the UK. Connected data infrastructure is described as “an asset for science, innovation, and economic growth.” A national model could strengthen the UK’s position as a leader in data-driven research and public service innovation, while improving outcomes for children and families.

The report stresses the current costs of treating symptoms late rather than addressing causes early and argues that connected data for connected services safeguards the sustainability of the state, the cohesion of communities, and the path to enduring national prosperity while retaining data sovereignty.

Its ten recommendations include a national mandate for lawful data linkage, a Connected ICB programme, long-term investment, trusted governance, practical frontline information sharing, education as a full partner, and stronger accountability for shared outcomes.

The authors urge the government to move from isolated local innovation to a nationally backed, regionally delivered model for connected data. This should begin with children and families, given the cross-cutting nature of their needs. The evidence, expertise and practical examples already exist; what is now needed is the leadership, investment and mandate to scale what works. 

The report makes clear that connected data is not a technical upgrade but a foundational shift in how public services operate.

The report states:

“Connected data must be seen as core public-service infrastructure: essential if we are serious about prevention, earlier intervention, public trust and better outcomes.”

Without it, the report warns, the government will continue to respond to problems too late and with only partial visibility.

Haroon Chowdry, Chief Executive of the Centre for Young Lives, said:

“Children’s lives don’t fit neatly into the silos that services are built around. Whether it's education, healthcare or child protection, if services can’t see the full picture then children fall through the gaps, and opportunities to help them are missed. This means worse outcomes, wasted potential and sometimes devastating harm.

This report shows that the solutions already exist. Connected data can transform how we identify the needs of children and families, enabling better and earlier support - not just keeping children safe, but also delivering a better deal for children, public services and the economy.

If the next Prime Minister wants to ensure all young people can do well, they must seize this moment to break up the silos holding back public services. Now is the time to be much more ambitious about using connected data to boost life chances for all children, wherever they are growing up.”

Professor Steve Turner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said:

“The shift from analogue to digital is key to helping the Westminster government achieve their ambition to raise the healthiest generation ever. By connecting data safely across health, education and other children's services, we can identify need earlier, intervene sooner and help ensure every child, regardless of where they grow up, has the opportunity to thrive.”

Dr Mike McKean, Vice President for Policy, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said:

“Far too many children growing up in our most deprived communities experience worse health and poorer life chances simply because of where they live. Whether through an increased risk of obesity, tooth decay, respiratory conditions caused by poor housing and air pollution, or delayed access to the care and support they need, these stark health inequalities are unacceptable.”

Dr Camilla Kingdon, Paediatrician and former President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said:

“As an NHS paediatrician I have learnt that so much of children’s health and wellbeing lies beyond our health services. If we genuinely want to improve the life chances of all children in this country and put their futures onto a secure footing, it is imperative that we are able to see the whole picture – not just through one narrow lens. All the services involved in supporting our children need to be linked and we know from groups like Born in Bradford how this can be done safely and put to critically important use to help children flourish. Now is the time for action.”

Professor Mark Mon Williams, Director of the Born in Bradford Centre for Applied Education Research said:

“The UK has a remarkable opportunity to harness its data assets in an ethical way that directly benefits all children and young people and places the UK at the vanguard of the data and AI revolution sweeping the world. The Child of the North model shows how the UK can control its destiny and grow its economy by leveraging our existing assets, including the NHS, by adopting a regionally devolved approach to connecting data.”

• Connecting data: Intelligent and informed delivery to support every child to succeed, is available

Khidmat: Our Stories has been co-produced by researchers from the  at the University of ԰������ and members of the Khidmat Group, a community organisation for older south Asian men. It features the first-person life stories of eight group members, alongside striking photographs of the men in their neighbourhoods in Crumpsall and Cheetham Hill taken by documentary photographer .  

Members of the Khidmat Group were joined by 70 family, friends, community organisations and academics to mark the booklet’s launch on Friday 3 July. Councillor Shaukat Ali, Lord Mayor opened the event and commended the project: 

“The booklet brings people together and creates opportunities for learning and understanding across generations and communities. Thank you to the members of the Khidmat Group. Your openness and honesty created something truly meaningful which can inspire and educate others. On behalf of the City of ԰������, I congratulate everyone who made this project a real success. It is a wonderful example of when the university and communities work together.” 

Dr Camilla Lewis is a researcher in the ԰������ Urban Ageing Research Group who helped to co-produce the booklet. She explains: 

The Khidmat Group was formed in recognition of a dearth of social opportunities for older south Asian men. The group meets regularly at the Guidance Hub in Cheetham Hill and also acts as a gateway to public services, with representatives from the health, housing, education and employment sectors regularly attending sessions to provide information, guidance and support. 

Dr Mohammad Younas Perwaz, founder and chairman of Khidmat, said: “As I entered my later years, I recognised that many elderly individuals suffer from loneliness, isolation, and a lack of social engagement. Khidmat was established to address these issues and provide meaningful support and companionship. Today, the organisation continues to serve the community successfully.” 

Khidmat: Our Stories was produced with support from Healthier Futures at the University of ԰������ and the Guidance Hub community organisation. It is available to . 

Researchers at The University of ԰������ have developed a new computational approach to help identify two-dimensional materials that may host unusual quantum behaviour. The work, published in focuses on materials with “flat bands”, electronic states where electrons have very little kinetic energy. In these materials, interactions between electrons can become much more important, creating conditions linked to phenomena such as magnetism, unconventional superconductivity and topological electronic behaviour.  

Finding real materials with flat bands from large dataset is difficult. Conventional searches often rely on density functional theory calculations, which can reveal a material’s electronic structure but are time-consuming when applied across thousands of possible candidates. The ԰������ team took a different route. They developed a physics-informed scoring system that captures two signatures of flat-band behaviour, low band dispersion and a strong peak in the density of states, then trained a model to estimate that score directly from atomic structure. 

“Flat bands are not only a feature we see in electronic calculations. They are often connected to the geometry of atoms in a material.” said Dr Xiangwen Wang, leading author of the study. “Our approach learns from that structure, which means we can search much larger materials spaces in a more targeted and interpretable way.” 

The framework was trained using known two-dimensional materials and then applied to more than 10,000 unlabelled 2D materials. Among high-scoring candidates with kagome-like structural motifs, follow-up quantum calculations confirmed flat-band behaviour with 98.2% accuracy. The study also identified several materials predicted to host fragile topological flat bands, a form of electronic topology associated with strongly correlated quantum phases. These results suggest that the method can do more than sort large datasets, it can help reveal which structural features make certain materials promising for further study. 

, Senior Research Fellow in the  at The University of ԰������, said: “The exciting part is not only that we found new candidate materials, but that the method changes how we search. Rather than calculating everything first and looking afterwards, we can now use physical intuition and structural learning to guide the search from the beginning. That makes discovery more scalable and more interpretable.” 

The approach remains computational, so experimental work will be needed to test the most promising candidates in the laboratory. However, the researchers say the same strategy could be adapted to search for other classes of quantum materials, provided the target property can be expressed as a meaningful physics-based score. By connecting physical insight with structure-based learning, the study offers a more efficient way to move from large materials databases to shortlists of candidates for detailed quantum calculations and experimental validation. 

Understanding Animal Research (UAR) has published a of the ten organisations, which includes the University of ԰������,  that carried out the highest number of animal procedures – those used in medical, veterinary, and scientific research – in Great Britain in 2025. These statistics are freely available on the organisations’ websites as part of their ongoing commitment to transparency and openness around the use of animals in research. 

This list coincides with the publication of the Home Office’s on the statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain in 2025. 

The ten listed organisations were responsible for 1,347,667 procedures, 53% (more than half) of the 2,537,507 procedures carried out on animals for scientific research in Great Britain in 2025*. Of these 1,347,667 procedures, more than 99% were carried out on mice, fish, rats, and birds and 82% were classified as causing pain equivalent to, or less than, an injection. 

The ten organisations are listed below alongside the total number of procedures they carried out in 2025. Each organisation’s name links to its animal research webpage, which includes more detailed statistics. Case studies explaining how animal research has been used in recent medical research are also provided in the Notes to Editors section. This is the eleventh consecutive year that organisations have come together to publicise their collective statistics and examples of their research.

Sixty-nine organisations have proactively published their 2025 animal research statistics

69 organisations in the UK that have publicly shared their 2025 animal research statistics. This includes organisations that carry out or fund animal research.

All organisations are committed to the ethical framework called the ‘3Rs’ of replacement, reduction and refinement. This means avoiding or replacing the use of animals where possible, minimising the number of animals used per experiment and optimising the experience of the animals to improve animal welfare. However, as institutions expand and conduct more research, the total number of animals used can rise even if fewer animals are used per study. 

All organisations listed are signatories to the , which commits them to being more open about the use of animals in scientific, medical and veterinary research in the UK. More than 130 organisations have signed the Concordat, including UK universities, medical research charities, research funders, learned societies and commercial research organisations.

Hannah Hobson, Head of Communications and Engagement at Understanding Animal Research, said: “Animal research remains a small but vital part of the quest for new medicines, vaccines and treatments for humans and animals. Alternative methods are increasingly being phased in but, until we have sufficient reliable alternatives available, it is important that organisations that use animals in research maintain the public’s trust in them. By providing this level of information about the numbers of animals used, and the experience of those animals, as well as details of the medical breakthroughs that derive from this research, these Concordat on Openness signatories are helping the public to make up their own minds about how they feel about the use of animals in scientific research in Great Britain.”

Dr Maria Kamper, Strategic Director of the Biological Services Facility at The University of ԰������, said: “Scientific research involving animals remains a cornerstone of our ability to understand complex diseases and develop life-saving medical breakthroughs. At The University of ԰������, we recognize that the privilege of conducting this research carries a profound responsibility – not only to the animals in our care but to the public we serve. Our commitment to the Concordat on Openness is reflected in our award-winning digital platforms, where we share the reality of our work through virtual tours, detailed case studies, and transparent data. However, transparency is only possible because of our foundational 'culture of care’. By prioritizing exceptional animal husbandry, staff wellbeing, and ethical accountability, we ensure that our scientific excellence is always matched by our integrity. As we share our latest statistics, we remain dedicated to a sustainable research environment where open communication and world-class welfare standards go hand-in-hand to benefit society as a whole.”

Case study: University of ԰������ Why older mice have smaller offspring – and how sex may play a role

A study by University of ԰������ scientists has revealed some of the mechanisms which may explain why older mice are more likely to give birth to offspring that have not grown to their full potential in the womb.

The study in older animals showed that the placentas of male but not female offspring had increased cell damage from a biological state called oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress occurs when harmful molecules called free radicals build up faster than the body can clear them.

It is associated with a range of pregnancy complications including fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia, both of which increase the risk of stillbirth.

The study demonstrated reduced weight in both female and male fetuses in older mice, but the placental alterations were sex-specific.

The scientists are conducting further studies in mice to confirm these findings and also carrying out a parallel study to see if similar sex differentiated mechanisms exist in human placentas from mothers of advanced maternal age (AMA), defined as age 35 and over.

The study, published in the journal Reproduction also discovered placental mitochondria – the biological batteries that power cells – were working at a reduced rate in the placentas of both male and female pups but that there were more of them.

Mitochondria are a major source of free radicals. Reducing their rate of activity at the same time as increasing their numbers is a way they adapt to prevent further oxidative stress while maintaining the supply of energy needed for cells to work properly.

This could mean that the adaptation in placentas from females was more successful than in placentas from males because oxidative stress was not increased in placentas from females of older mice.

The ԰������ Mark I – the brainchild of Professor F C Williams and his team – introduced several new technologies over the Baby, one of which was a magnetic drum that was used to store information, an early precursor to a hard drive. This drum was a rotating cylinder coated in a magnetisable material onto which data was written as magnetic patterns and read back by fixed recording heads as the surface of the drum rotated beneath. However, at a time when digital computing was still experimental, making this process reliable was a significant engineering challenge.

Decoding digital

The challenge lay in how digital information was recorded. Computers store data as 1s and 0s – binary code – but when long runs of the same value are written to a magnetic surface, the signal becomes constant. This creates a direct current, or DC, component, which magnetic recording systems struggle to read reliably. For the ԰������ Mark I, avoiding that problem was essential: the drum depended on a signal that changed continually as data was written and read.

Williams and Thomas realised that the answer to this problem might not lie in building better hardware. Instead, they asked a different question: what if the data could be transformed into a form that the machine found easier to handle?

Instead of storing information as a simple sequence of ones and zeros, the pair developed a new way of representing the data before it was written to the drum. Every bit (a 1 or a 0) was encoded as a transition in the signal. A 1 became a change from high to low, and a 0 was a change from low to high.

The result was a signal that was designed to constantly change. That may sound like a minor technical detail, but it was an important feature for magnetic recording systems. By ensuring that the signal continually changed as data was written and read, the encoding made information easier to record and recover reliably on the Mark I's magnetic drum.

The technique became known as ԰������ code.

A stellar solution

While the researchers were looking for a solution to their problem, they inadvertently gave the ԰������ code another valuable property: the signal itself also carried timing information that could help electronic systems stay synchronised. Today this is known as a self-clocking signal.

That combination of reliability and simplicity helped the encoding escape its original purpose and become widely used in modern consumer electronics. Some recognisable examples included computer tapes and floppy disks, early versions of Ethernet networking, radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems, remote controls and many other communications technologies.

The same basic principles have even been used in space communications; Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, humanity's most distant spacecraft, rely on encoding techniques derived from the same fundamental idea developed in ԰������ almost eight decades ago.

Why a 75-year-old invention still matters

In April 2026, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) awarded The University of ԰������ its third IEEE Milestone, recognising the invention of ԰������ code and its lasting impact on computing and communications.

A bronze plaque now stands on Coupland Street, joining ԰������'s previous Milestone awards for the Baby – the world's first stored-program computer – and Atlas, whose novel virtual memory remains central to modern computing.

The achievement is a reminder that some of the most influential advances begin as practical engineering solutions to immediate problems. Williams and Thomas were trying to improve the operation of an experimental computer in post-war ԰������. In doing so, they developed an encoding technique that continues to shape digital technologies around the world.

Words: Ben Harwood and Enna Bartlett

There were many teams individually working towards this goal: in the US a team at the University of Pennsylvania was working on the ENIAC and subsequent EDVAC systems, and here in the UK the University of Cambridge was working on EDSAC and the NPL on ACE. But one line of computers stands out in this story; the ԰������ computers.

A baby is born

To understand how this story begins, we must rewind to ԰������ in 1948. A team comprising Professor F C Williams, Tom Kilburn and later, Geoff Tootill, successfully proved the concept of a stored program computer with the Small-Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM) or “the Baby”. It was the first stored-program computer to use electronic random-access memory (RAM) with the Williams-Kilburn cathode ray tubes (based on earlier MIT research and eventually improved to store 64 40-bit words), and in June 1948 the Baby ran a program from information stored in electronic memory, the first time this had been achieved anywhere in the world.

But this machine only proved the hypothesis that a computer could store and execute instructions electronically from memory, it didn’t offer a meaningful or useful solution to the problem of computing large amounts of data automatically. To solve this problem, the team, expanded to include Alec Robinson, Dai Edwards and Tommy Thomas, set about redesigning the machine to provide researchers and industry with a realistic computing facility. Alan Turing, the Deputy Director of the (where he published his seminal paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence), took the lead on developing the programming systems.

In 1949 the ԰������ Mark I came into being and introduced two key innovations: a magnetic drum to store data (one of the first examples of mass storage) and index registers (a way for the computer to efficiently work through the data in its store).

This prototype paved the way for, arguably, one of the biggest steps forward in practical computing; 75 years ago this summer, the Ferranti Mark I quietly helped change the course of computing history.

԰������ born, ԰������ made

Recognising the potential of the technology, Sir Ben Lockspier, Scientific Advisor to the Ministry of Supply, arranged for government funding to commercialise the machine. The British engineering company Ferranti partnered with The University of ԰������ to turn the experimental ԰������ Mark I into a production model. The result was the Ferranti Mark I, delivered to the University in February 1951 and demonstrated publicly a few months later.

The machine was not just a new piece of technology, it represented a turning point for when computing stopped being a scientific experiment and started becoming something that could be manufactured, sold and used beyond the laboratory. It is widely recognised as the world’s first commercially available general-purpose electronic computer.

Today, that achievement can seem almost inevitable. Of course, computers would become products. Of course, industry would commercialise academic research. But in 1951 none of that was guaranteed.

The Ferranti Mark I arrived at a moment when the future of computing was still uncertain. There were competing approaches to machine design, competing visions of what computers might be used for, and very few people who had ever seen one in operation. The machine helped answer a crucial question: could electronic computers move from university experiments into wider use?

The answer was yes.

From ideas to innovation

Part of what made the Ferranti Mark I significant was that it incorporated the ideas that had been developed in the previous ԰������ computers and turned them into practical tools, helping shape the architecture of modern computers.

Perhaps most striking, however, was the range of problems the machine tackled. The Ferranti Mark I was used for scientific calculations, engineering projects and government work. Researchers explored everything from weather forecasting to mathematical modelling. It also helped create a new kind of expertise: programming. Mary Berners-Lee (mother to Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web) was among those who worked on the Ferranti Mark I, contributing to the practical, exacting work of turning an experimental machine into something people could use.

In many ways, the Ferranti Mark I was the first glimpse of the world that now surrounds us. It demonstrated that computers were not simply calculating machines but versatile tools capable of solving widely different problems. That idea underpins almost every digital technology we use today.

The machine itself has long since disappeared, but its legacy remains remarkably visible. ԰������’s reputation as one of the birthplaces of modern computing rests not just on pioneering research, but on a rare ability to transform radical ideas into technologies that change the world. That was true when the Ferranti Mark I emerged from a collaboration between university researchers and industry in 1951. It remains true in an age of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced robotics.

Seventy-five years on, the Ferranti Mark I deserves to be remembered not simply as an early computer, but as the moment computing became real. The future did not arrive in California first, nor in a gleaming corporate campus. It arrived in ԰������, in a lab “with the atmosphere of a nineteenth-century inventor’s workshop”, proving that a revolutionary idea could become a practical machine and, in doing so, help to create the digital age.

Meet the researchers

Professor Sir Frederic (Freddie) Williams (R) gained an engineering degree at The University of ԰������ in 1932 before undertaking his DPhil at the University of Oxford. During the war, he worked at the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) where he met and collaborated with Professor Tom Kilburn (L), a young member of his team. When Williams was appointed the Head of Electro-technics (now the ) at the University of ԰������, TRE also seconded Tom Kilburn to Williams's team. In 1964, Kilburn went on to found the at ԰������, the first computer science department in the UK.

If you would like to find out more about the Ferranti MK I, we would recommend the following books:

1. Alan Turing and his contemporaries: Building the world's first computers by Simon Lavington (Editor). 2012. Published by The British Computer Society.
2. A History of ԰������ Computers by Simon Lavington. 1998. Published by The British Computer Society.
3. Early Computing in Britain: Ferranti Ltd and Government Funding 1948-1958. Simon Lavington. Published by Springer.

The image of the Williams-Kilburn tube is republished under Creative Commons Licence: Sk2k52 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Williams-tube.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6651107

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships are among the most competitive and prestigious researcher development schemes in Europe, supporting outstanding early career researchers to pursue ambitious projects while developing their independence, mobility and long-term career prospects.

These latest awards, secured within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, span disciplines including chemistry, chemical engineering, physics and astronomy, and reflect both the exceptional calibre of the fellows and the strength of the research environments they will join at ԰������.

Supporting research excellence and researcher independence

MSCA fellowships are designed to support postdoctoral researchers in establishing their own research trajectories, providing funding, training and international mobility opportunities that help accelerate their career development.

Professor Chris Hardacre, Professor of Chemical Engineering at The University of ԰������ and supervisor on the PHOENIX fellowship, said:

Incoming fellows

Among the incoming fellows is Dr Silvia Escayola, who will join The University of ԰������ under the MAGPIE project:

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships awarded at ԰������

The following MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships have been selected for funding and are currently progressing through Grant Agreement Preparation:

• 
  AI-powered classification of bimolecular reaction mechanisms from kinetic data
  Dr Emilie Werner, Chemistry
   
• 
  Towards Josephson effect in fractional quantum Hall systems via light–matter interaction engineering
  Dr Hadrien Vignaud, Physics and Astronomy
   
• 
  Piezo-photonic High-entropy Oxides Enabling Integrated Extraction to Polyesters
  Dr Yue Jiang, Chemical Engineering
   
• 
  Engineering new enzymatic platforms for atroposelective C–N bond formation
  Dr Martin Power, Chemistry
   
• 
  Deep Reinforcement Learning for control of wave energy converters integrated on floating offshore wind turbines
  Dr Zechuan Lin, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
   
• 
  Magnetic-exchange and aromaticity guidance for pi-system spin interaction engineering
  Dr Silvia Escayola Gordils, Chemistry

   
• 
  Deciphering hydro-mechanical coupling and multiscale response of basaltic rocks under mineral carbonation with implications for carbon storage
  Dr Manab Mukherjee, Civil Engineering and Management
   
• 
  Ionic memristors with gate control for low-power artificial synapses
  Dr Biswabhusan Dhal, Physics

Considering an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship at ԰������?

Prospective applicants and supervisors are encouraged to explore guidance and upcoming opportunities via the link below:

Fentanyl, combination opioid treatments, oxycodone and morphine are associated with higher risks compared to codeine among patients treated for non-cancer pain.

The study was funded by a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Advanced Fellowship and supported by the NIHR ԰������ Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

Their findings, published today in BMC Medicine come amidst concerns in recent decades over the soaring use of prescribed opioids for non‑cancer pain across North America and Europe and NHS England Medicine Optimisation targets to reduce high dose opioid prescribing and harms.

The researchers analysed electronic health records from 32,909 adult inpatients at a large hospital in Northwest England.

They evaluated when patients developed respiratory depression using electronic vital signs or were given naloxone, a life‑saving medicine used to reverse breathing suppression due to an opioid overdose.

Prescribed fentanyl was associated with more than triple the risk of respiratory depression compared with codeine.

Combinations of opioids carried nearly three times the risk of respiratory depression.

Oxycodone and morphine were linked to significantly higher risks compared to codeine.

When compared directly with morphine, fentanyl still showed almost double the risk, while combination opioids also remained substantially riskier.

Patients receiving 120 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per day or more had double the risk of respiratory depression compared with those on less than 50 MME.

Even moderate doses — as low as 31 to 60 MME per day — were linked to a measurable increase in risk of respiratory depression.

Additionally, the combination of opioids and gabapentinoids, such as gabapentin and pregabalin, was associated with a further increased risk in respiratory depression.

Fentanyl’s high potency and rapid brain uptake help explain why it suppresses breathing more abruptly than other opioids.

Oxycodone’s role in opioid‑related deaths in North America adds further weight to concerns about its respiratory effects.

The study also found that patients with COPD faced even greater risks, with fentanyl linked to a fourfold increase in respiratory depression in this group.

These results suggest people with chronic respiratory disease may be especially vulnerable to the effects of potent opioids.

Fatal overdoses associated with opioids, up to 80 per cent of which are unintentional, are most often caused by opioid‑induced respiratory depression, where breathing slows to life‑threatening levels.

Although all potent opioids act on the same receptor system, they differ in how they affect respiratory control.

First author, Mr Carlos Raul Ramirez, a research associate at the University of ԰������, said: “As part of our study we were also able to assess for the additional risk associated with other co-administered medications, such as gabapentinoids and benzodiazepines, which may be prescribed for pain, anxiety and sleep problems.

“The use of gabapentinoids with opioids in particular was associated with an increased risk of respiratory depression.”

Senior author , NIHR Advanced Fellow and Senior Clinical Lecturer at The University of ԰������ said: “Opioids remain important medicines for managing severe acute pain. Our findings show that the risks are not the same across all opioid drugs or doses.

“A key strength of our study was our ability to use detailed hospital electronic health records to accurately capture when opioids were actually administered to patients, alongside routinely collected vital signs to identify changes in breathing.

Dr Jani, who is also a researcher within the Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases Theme at ԰������ BRC added: “Understanding how different medicines and combinations affect respiratory safety can help clinicians and patients make more informed prescribing decisions together, as well increasing awareness of what dose thresholds require closer monitoring.”

• The paper Opioid-specific Risk of Respiratory Depression in Non-Cancer Pain: A Retrospective Cohort ԰������ is available DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-026-04972-z

Ethanol is one of the world's most widely used chemicals. It is used in fuels, solvents, disinfectants and as a feedstock for manufacturing. Finding new ways to produce ethanol from carbon-containing waste streams could help support broader efforts to make chemical production less dependent on fossil resources. The study focused on a process in which methanol acts as a starting material and carbon dioxide provides an additional carbon source. 

The team also investigated how the catalyst works. Their experiments showed that carbon dioxide is first converted into carbon monoxide through a reverse water gas shift reaction. The carbon monoxide then acts as an intermediate in forming ethanol. The researchers found that ruthenium and cobalt perform complementary roles, with ruthenium helping drive hydrogenation steps and cobalt promoting the carbon-carbon bond formation needed to build the ethanol molecule. 

Beyond performance, the researchers assessed characteristics important for industrial use. The activated catalyst remained stable during storage tests and retained good activity after five recycling cycles. The catalyst system also uses precursor materials that are easier to obtain and store than many alternatives previously reported for similar reactions. 

The work has already progressed to preliminary scale-up studies. The authors report that the catalyst maintained high activity and ethanol selectivity in larger-scale reactor (3 L). Based on these findings, the team proposed a process flow for producing ethanol from methanol, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, with catalyst recycling and recovery of unreacted materials built into the design. 

i adds: “There is still further work to do before a process such as this could be implemented commercially. However, these results demonstrate a promising route that combines accessible catalyst materials with recyclability and strong performance, which are all important considerations when developing practical carbon utilisation technologies.” 

This international collaboration was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2024YFE0206500) from MOST International S&T Cooperation Centre.

‘Eat Chat Rise & Move’ was organised with grassroots community group , a non-profit organisation founded by Hanane El Hadioui, bringing together recent migrants and more established ԰������ residents through English lessons, cooking classes and movement workshops.  

Volunteers who have come to live in ԰������ from different parts of the world led short workshops, encouraging attendees to share ideas about identity, belonging and connection whilst sharing new recipes, crafting ideas, poetry and movement.  

Geography PhD student Clare Courtney who co-organised the event said: 

One of the event attendees commented: “Such a wonderful event, I loved meeting people of all ages, genders and ethnicities, moving and being creative together makes me feel less lonely.” 

‘Eat Chat Rise & Move’ took place at the University of ԰������ last month, hosted by Geography PhD student Clare Courtney and community group Rise & Flourish, with support from the SEED Social Responsibility Fund. If you are a University of ԰������ student, and you would like to be involved in volunteering with Rise & Flourish, please .