Further reactivity studies revealed that these chains can fragment into N₁ and N₃ species, and can also serve as a source of nitrene radical anions. 

Detailed analysis showed how the nitrogen chain can break into smaller fragments, specifically single‑atom (N₁) and three‑atom (N₃) units. The researchers also found that these chains can act as a source of highly reactive nitrene radical anions. 

These findings provide new insight into the fundamental chemistry of nitrogen and demonstrate ways to control its reactivity under realistic conditions. 

Nitrogen chains are considered high‑energy‑density materials because they can release significant energy when they decompose into nitrogen gas. This property has long made them attractive for applications such as propellants, explosives, and gas‑generating systems. 

The ability to isolate and stabilise such molecules under ambient conditions could allow scientists to explore their use as “storable” reagents for transferring nitrogen groups in chemical reactions 

Beyond applications, the research offers a rare glimpse into a type of chemistry that plays a role in extreme environments, including the upper atmosphere where nitrogen chain ions have been detected. 

By recreating and stabilising these species in the laboratory, scientists can now investigate their properties in far greater detail, providing insights relevant to fields ranging from atmospheric chemistry to planetary science. 

This research was co-led by with Professor Meera Mehra, the University of Oxford, in collaboration with The University of ԰������’s , George F. S. Whitehead, , and, and Oxford’s Bono van IJzendoorn. First author was Oxford’s Reece Lister-Roberts. 
 

Air pollution can influence the brain either directly, when harmful particles enter the brain, or indirectly, through inflammation in the lungs which then impacts the brain. Neurological diseases have been increasing for decades and there is now a greater appreciation that long term exposure to elevated levels of air pollution are associated in dementia risk. While we often categorise air quality by the total amount of particulate matter, this new study demonstrates that the source of the pollution matters as much as the quantity.

The findings in reveal that different pollutant sources produce varied health effects even at identical concentrations in the air. Recognising these differences is essential for shaping public policy, improving clinical diagnosis and developing protective strategies. With an ever‑growing ageing population and increasing urbanisation, the public‑health imperative to mitigate neurological disease becomes increasingly urgent.

Lead author Thomas Faherty of the University of Birmingham said: “This unique clinical study highlighted the importance of the lung–brain axis in brain responses to air pollution. Safely exposing the same individuals to multiple real‑world pollution mixtures allowed us to detect differences between pollutants, demonstrating the value of this approach for further pollution-dementia research.”

In a double‑blind study involving 15 healthy volunteers, participants were exposed to clean air, limonene SOA (a citrus fragrance commonly used in cleaning products), diesel exhaust, woodsmoke and cooking emissions. After 60 minutes of exposure, and a four-hour break, researchers assessed respiratory function alongside working memory, selective attention, socio‑emotional processing, psychomotor speed and motor control.

Respiratory responses showed limonene had the greatest impact on lung function, followed by woodsmoke, diesel exhaust and finally cooking emissions.

Cognitive function was also found to be significantly influenced by pollutant source. Diesel exhaust and woodsmoke improved processing speed; limonene‑derived secondary organic aerosol enhanced working memory compared to cooking emissions; and diesel exhaust showed signs of impairing executive function. The team suggests that the presence of nitrogen oxides (NO_X), known vasodilators, may alter blood flow to the brain and contribute to these mixed cognitive effects.

Given that measurable effects were detectable after a brief 60-minute exposure, the findings suggest that prolonged exposure could have significant long‑term consequences for brain health. As rates of neurological disease increase, the study informs an immediate need for pollutant source‑specific public health guidance, improved clinical awareness and more targeted strategies to protect vulnerable populations.

The findings, published in , come from an international study examining a significant episode of volcanic unrest on São Jorge Island in the Azores in March 2022. 

By combining detailed earthquake records from land and seabed instruments with satellite-based measurements of ground movement, scientists were able to reconstruct how magma travelled deep beneath the island with unprecedented precision. 

The team discovered that a vertical sheet of magma, known as a dike, surged upwards from depths exceeding 20 kilometres before stalling just 1.6 kilometres below the surface. 

Surprisingly, much of this upward movement occurred with minimal seismic warning. Instead, earthquake activity intensified only after the magma’s ascent had slowed, presenting a challenge for eruption forecasting. 

Satellite data also showed that the island’s surface rose by around six centimetres during the event, confirming that magma had entered the upper crust. However, because the intrusion failed to reach the surface, no eruption occurred, a phenomenon scientists describe as a “failed eruption”. Such intrusions help to grow islands and this study’s unprecedented sharp earthquake maps show how this happens. 

The magma rose through one of the island’s main fault systems, the Pico do Carvão Fault Zone. By studying geological traces left by ancient earthquakes, scientists had previously found that this fault system has produced large earthquakes in the past. Rather than producing a single large earthquake, as seen in past seismic activity, the magma intrusion generated numerous small earthquakes distributed along the fault. 

The team, led by Dr Stephen Hicks, based at UCL Earth Sciences, conclude that the fault acted as both a conduit and a release mechanism. It provided a pathway for magma to rise, but also allowed gas and fluids to escape sideways, reducing pressure within the magma and ultimately halting its progress. 

Co-lead author Pablo J. González, of the Spanish National Research Council (IPNA-CSIC), explained: 
“The fault acted like both a highway and a leak. It helped magma rise, but may also have prevented an eruption.” 

, Reader in Marine Geophysics at The University of ԰������, supported the project as co-proponent and in discussing the results. 

The study demonstrates that significant magma movements can occur rapidly and with limited early warning signs, emphasising the importance of integrating multiple monitoring techniques to better assess volcanic risk. 

By combining onshore and offshore geophysical data, the researchers were able to achieve highly accurate detection and mapping of seismic activity and ground deformation, providing valuable information for local hazard assessments. 

The research reflects a large-scale collaborative effort, involving institutions across the UK, Portugal and Spain, supported by funding from organisations including the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the European Research Council, and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. 
 
 

Publishing in one of the world’s leading scientific journals Cell, the researchers analysed 322 healthy people from Europe, East Asia and South Asia to build the most detailed picture yet of how genetic ancestry and environment shape our biology.

They used a sweeping “multiomics” approach, measuring everything from genes and proteins to gut bacteria, metabolic chemicals and metals to understand how ethnicity and geography shape our biology.

By recruiting people of the same genetic ancestry living on different continents, the scientists were able to separate the effects of DNA from the influence of environment with unprecedented clarity.

Genetic ancestry refers  to the estimation of where your ancestors came from based on patterns in your DNA, inherited across generations.

They found that your ethnic background leaves a deep mark on your immune system, metabolism and gut bacteria no matter where you move.

South Asian volunteers showed signs of higher exposure to pathogens across multiple biological layers.

European participants had richer gut microbial diversity and higher levels of chemicals tied to heart disease risk.

But geography also rewired key molecular networks involved in cholesterol, inflammation and energy processing.

Moving continents was enough to shift major metabolic pathways and alter the balance of gut microbes.

The most dramatic finding was that geography appears to change biological age — the molecular measure of how old your cells look.

East Asians living outside Asia were biologically older than those who stayed in Asia.

Europeans showed the opposite pattern, appearing biologically younger when living outside Europe.

The researchers say this suggests environment and genetic ancestry interact in surprising ways that could speed up or slow down ageing.

The study also uncovered a never-before-seen link between a telomerase gene involved in cellular ageing and a specific gut microbe, connected through a lipid molecule called sphingomyelin.

This unexpected three-way link hints at a molecular chain reaction through which gut bacteria may influence how quickly our cells age.

The findings create a powerful new resource for precision medicine, highlighting the need for healthcare tailored to genetic ancestry and environment rather than a one-size-fits-all model.

The researchers say their open-access dataset will help scientists and clinicians develop more accurate diagnostics, treatments and prevention strategies tailored to genetic ancestry, environment and individual biology.

“What this study shows, more clearly than ever before, is that our biology is shaped by a combination of both our genetic ancestry and the places we live,” said co‑author Professor from The University of ԰������.

԰������ carried out analysis of biological metals alongside the international groups looking at proteins, the immune system, metabolism and microbiomes to generate a massive integrated picture of human variability.

Professor Unwin added: “We were struck by how consistently ethnicity influenced immunity, metabolism and the microbiome, even when people moved thousands of miles away.

“However, it is equally clear that where we live can have substantial impacts on nudging key molecular pathways — even how our cells appear to age — in different directions depending on who you are. It proves that precision medicine must reflect real global diversity, not a single population.”

Michael Snyder, Professor of Genetics at the Stanford School of Medicine who led the study said: “Our study is special because for the first time we have deeply profiled people from around the world, including Asia, Europe and North America. This enables us to see what properties such as metabolites and microbes are associated with ethnicity and which ones with geography.

“One interesting finding is the association of age with geography. East Asians that live outside of Asia have a higher biological age than those residing in Asia. For Europeans, those residing outside of Europe are younger.”

• The paper A Comparison of Deep Multiomics Profiles Across Ethnicity, Geography, and Age is available DOI

Their new reveals harmless microbes living on our skin release powerful molecules that can shut down the inflammatory chaos triggered by Staphylococcus aureus, the bug long known to wreak havoc in eczema.

Based at The University of ԰������ and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, they found that when nutrients run low, many friendly staphylococcal species release tiny lipopeptides as they age that calm the skin’s immune response.

The lipopeptides stop keratinocytes — the skin’s frontline cells — from pumping out Interleukin-33 (IL‑33), a major driver of allergic inflammation.

The discovery, they say, potentially open the door to a new class of safe, stable, non‑infectious treatments that could help millions living with skin and other allergic diseases.

The findings are the latest breakthrough by the team, after previously showing that a protein released by Staphylococcus aureus, known as Sbi, triggers IL-33 and sparks eczema flare‑ups. Applying the lipopeptides to the skin of mice prevented IL‑33 release and stopped eczema from developing.

Certain types of lipopeptides -  diacylated were the most effective, while another type -   monoacylated versions had no effect. The molecules blocked IL‑33 from leaving the nucleus, trapping it in the perinuclear space- the gap between the inner and outer membranes of the nucleus and preventing it from fuelling inflammation.

The new findings- published in the journal Nature Communications today -   confirm their suspicion that good bacteria might naturally counteract this effect.

԰������ author from The University of ԰������ said: “We think this is a very exciting result as lipopeptides are small, stable, non-infectious chemical structures that have the potential to be used as a topical treatment for eczema. They might also be used in the future to treat other allergic diseases such as hay fever.”

԰������ author from The University of ԰������ commented: “For years we’ve known that children raised around farm animals or exposed to diverse microbes early in life are less likely to develop allergies, but we haven’t understood the precise mechanisms behind this protection.

԰������ author Professor Akane Tanaka from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology said: “We have previously already shown that blocking IL‑33 with a biologic drug stops eczema in the same mouse model. Now we’ve shown that bacteria can do it themselves- an exciting and potentially game-changing discovery.”

԰������ author Professor Hiroshi Matsuda from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology said: “Our findings overturn long‑held assumptions about how bacterial molecules behave. Instead of triggering immune alarms through TLR pathways, these lipopeptides bypass them entirely. The next step is testing these lipopeptides in people with eczema to see if they can be turned into real‑world treatments.”

The study was supported by the Leo Foundation and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

• The paper Soluble bacterial lipopeptides suppress gasdermin D-associated IL-33 release in keratinocytes and atopic dermatitis in mice is available DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72376-x

The findings, published in , suggest that this fast‑acting mechanism may have contributed to past climate events and could well contribute to future climate change as polar ice sheets continue to retreat.

The study draws on samples collected during the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 400, one of the final missions of the decades long‑running global marine research programme. By analysing sediment cores drilled offshore in northwest Greenland, researchers found unexpectedly low methane concentrations in layers where methane hydrates would normally be abundant.

High‑resolution 3D seismic imaging revealed widespread pockmarks and fluid‑escape structures on the seafloor, indicating that methane‑rich fluids had once migrated rapidly through the sediments. The evidence points to a striking conclusion, methane hydrates in this region were locally dissolved and flushed out by large volumes of meltwater during the last glacial cycle.

Scientists have long suspected that rapid methane release from destabilised hydrates may have played a role in major climate events in Earth’s history, including the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) around 56 million years ago. During this period, global temperatures rose by 5–8°C, triggering ocean acidification, species extinctions, and widespread environmental disruption. Although the Greenland findings relate to a much more recent period, they reveal a mechanism capable of producing similarly abrupt methane release under the right conditions.

Methane hydrates, ice‑like solids that trap methane within a crystalline structure, typically form under low‑temperature, high‑pressure conditions known as stability zones, typically found beneath permafrost or in deep‑sea sediments.

Approximately 1,800 Gigatons of methane is stored in gas hydrates beneath continental margins and permafrost, making them one of the largest methane reservoirs in the global carbon cycle and a massive potential greenhouse gas source.

Until now, destabilisation was thought to occur mainly through slow changes in temperature or pressure. The new findings reveal that meltwater‑driven dissolution can rapidly destabilise hydrates even within gas hydrate stability zones, previously thought of as safe stores of methane.

As ice sheets continue to thin and retreat, this newly identified process could influence the timing and magnitude of future methane emissions and shape the trajectory of climate change.

She is one of 44 new Fellows announced this year, recognised for their outstanding contributions to research, innovation, leadership, and public life in Wales and beyond. Fellows of the LSW are part of distinguished body of interdisciplinary experts who promote, support, and advise on research and policy benefitting Wales by sharing their expertise, informing on policy, fostering collaboration, and providing mentorship.

Professor Hywel Thomas, President of the Learned Society of Wales, said: “Welcoming our new Fellows to the Society is always one of the highlights of the Society’s year. I congratulate them on this recognition of the excellence and importance of their work and contributions to life in Wales and beyond. We look forward to bringing their experience and knowledge to our work on policy and researcher development.”

Specialising in the mathematics of liquid crystals and partially ordered materials, Professor Majumdar’s research has been instrumental in advancing the field in an interdisciplinary context. Bridging mathematical modelling, applied analysis and theoretical physics, she has led international and interdisciplinary research networks, collaborating with partners across four continents.

Throughout her career, she has also been a committed advocate for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), leading national and international initiatives to support underrepresented groups in mathematics. In 2015 she became the inaugural winner of the London Mathematical Society’s Anne Bennett Prize, awarded for contributions to mathematics and for inspiring women mathematicians. She also pioneered and co-led the hugely acclaimed “UK Retreats for Women in Applied Mathematics” from 2023-2026.

The 2026 cohort of LSW Fellows reflects the breadth of expertise across Welsh academia and civic society, spanning the arts, humanities, sciences, and engineering. This year marks a significant milestone for the Society, with 52% of new Fellows being women, the highest proportion in its history.

Professor Thomas added “I am also thrilled that our work on equity, diversity and inclusion is starting to see the Fellowship include increasing numbers of women. In three of the last five years, women have made almost or just over 50% of the new intake. This has been the result of concerted efforts to embed our EDI commitment at every turn, to make the nomination process more accessible, and to run a series of events that specifically target women academics and civic leaders who might be interested in joining the Fellowship.”

This year’s Fellows include leading figures in music, heritage, sculpture, climate science, coastal research, and ocean governance, highlighting Wales’s global contributions to cultural vitality and environmental stewardship. The Society also emphasised the growing importance of engineering and artificial intelligence, recognising researchers pioneering AI applications in manufacturing and innovators developing technologies to improve energy and carbon management in buildings.

Professor Majumdar’s election places her among a distinguished community of scholars whose achievements continue to shape Wales’s academic, cultural, and scientific landscape.

Professor Apala Majumdar said "I am delighted and honoured to be elected Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. It is a fantastic opportunity to engage with the best minds in Wales, and to contribute to Welsh higher education and Welsh mathematics. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of my nominator, Professor Marco Marletta and my seconder, Professor Gennady Mishuris, and the generous and continuous encouragement of my parents and friends in Cardiff. I look forward to working closely with the Learned Society of Wales and bringing different communities together".

This new technique utilises self‑assembling polymer carriers for gene delivery, improving effectiveness and reducing the toxicity to cells over existing techniques in lab tests. These advances rely on safe and efficient methods for delivering gene‑editing tools into cells, which is a key bottleneck in enabling widespread application. Improving upon existing gene delivery methods has become essential to enable these developments and allow more effective transfection.

The process of introducing DNA or RNA into cells to change gene expression, can be achieved using viral or non‑viral vectors. While viral vectors are powerful, they raise safety and manufacturing concerns, driving intense interest in the development of safer, non‑viral alternatives. Transfection, using polymeric carriers or lipid nanoparticles to deliver genetic material, is a key non‑viral strategy. However current systems often struggle to balance efficiency and toxicity. In order to develop polymer systems for molecular delivery applications, more advanced polymer systems need to be developed and screened.

In research published in ACS Materials Letters, the team demonstrates that polyplexes produced via Polymerization‑Induced Electrostatic Self‑Assembly (PIESA) offer a more effective and versatile route to gene delivery than conventional produced polymeric polyplexes. Polyplexes are formed when positively charged polymers bind to negatively charged DNA or RNA, creating nanoscale complexes that can enable genetic material to enter cells. Traditionally, polyplexes are prepared using pre-synthesised polymers which are then mixed with DNA or RNA. However, this post‑assembly step can lead to instability and increased cell toxicity, often limiting the size of genetic payloads that can be delivered effectively.

PIESA using PET‑RAFT (Photoinduced Electron/Energy Transfer Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain-Transfer) polymerisation overcomes these limitations by driving electrostatic self‑assembly during polymer growth. As the polymer forms, it binds to the genetic material, producing polyplexes with controlled sizes, structures, and physicochemical properties. By using a “one‑pot” approach to produce polyplexes, the need for complex post‑processing is avoided, resulting in improved consistency and facilitating high‑throughput screening of formulations

The study shows that PIESA‑derived polyplexes are less toxic to cells than their conventionally assembled counterparts and act as more effective gene delivery vehicles in transfection trials, achieving higher gene expression while preserving cell viability.

Transitioning to advanced synthesis and assembly strategies such as PIESA could open the door to the next‑generation of non‑viral gene delivery systems, with improved transfection, broader formulation windows, and reduced cell toxicity.

Dr Lee Fielding added “This approach potentially opens up a more reliable and scalable route to non‑viral gene delivery. By innovating in how polyplexes can be prepared and screened for improved efficiency, while reducing toxicity, we hope it will help accelerate the development of gene delivery technologies and make them more accessible across biomedical research and clinical applications."

Researchers from ԰������ are among the international team awarded the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their contributions to the Muon g‑2 experiment, a 60‑year scientific endeavour spanning CERN, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Fermilab. The prize follows ԰������’s prominent role in the 2025 Breakthrough Prize, awarded to the ATLAS and LHCb collaborations at CERN for precision tests of the Standard Model and discoveries including new particles and matter–antimatter asymmetries.

Valued at $3 million, the Breakthrough Prize is often dubbed the “Oscars of Science” and is considered the world’s premier science award. Unlike the Nobel Prize, which recognises up to three individuals or a single organisation, the Breakthrough Prize honours the approximately 350 collaborators across the world who produced the most precise measurement ever achieved at a particle accelerator: the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon.

Understanding the muon’s magnetic moment

Muons, one of the smallest known particles, interact with a sea of virtual particles that constantly flicker in and out of existence. Acting like tiny magnets, their magnetic moment shifts slightly due to these quantum effects. Comparing the measured value with theoretical predictions reveals the composition of this quantum “foam” and tests whether unknown particles or forces exist beyond the Standard Model.

Decades of increasingly precise measurements now indicate that the Standard Model remains our best description of fundamental physics.

԰������ leadership across UK institutions

The UK played a central role in the collaboration, providing one of the experiment’s two major detector systems and in developing simulations and software to analyse the data alongside contributions to the theoretical calculations.

Professor Mark Lancaster, from The University of ԰������, led the UK involvement across ԰������, Lancaster, Liverpool and UCL, and served as co‑spokesperson of the global Fermilab Muon g-2 collaboration between 2018 and 2020.

A global scientific milestone

The Muon g‑2 experiments began at CERN in the 1970s, moved to Brookhaven in the 1990s and concluded at Fermilab with the final publication in 2025. The goal was to measure the muon’s magnetic moment with ever‑increasing precision, probing the quantum vacuum where virtual particles appear and vanish. Even the smallest deviation from theoretical predictions could point to new physics beyond the Standard Model.

The achievement represents the combined effort of scientists and engineers across multiple disciplines, reflecting the scale and diversity of expertise required to reach record‑breaking precision.

With ԰������ researchers again at the forefront of a globally celebrated breakthrough, the University continues to demonstrate its leadership in shaping the future of particle physics and advancing our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature.

Professor Mark Lancaster FRS said “Our attention at ԰������ now turns to a next generation of experiments that are striving to find evidence of new particles and interactions using novel quantum technologies” 

In the new study, ԰������ engineers, including Dr , compared a conventional packed‑bed reactor with an intensified membrane‑assisted system. By feeding oxygen gradually through a porous ceramic membrane, the team achieved better control of the reaction and suppressed unwanted combustion pathways. 

Under optimised conditions, the membrane reactor delivered up to 58.7% acrylic‑acid selectivity – a 10‑percent improvement over standard reactor technology. It also helped regulate temperature, reducing hot‑spots and improving reaction stability. 

A more sustainable route for a globally important chemical

Glycerol is produced in large quantities by the biodiesel sector as a major by-product, with global production growing rapidly over the last two decades. Its oversupply has depressed market prices and created a need for new valorisation routes. Converting this low‑value by‑product into acrylic acid offers a way to lower emissions, reduce reliance on fossil resources and increase the circularity of chemical manufacturing.

The researchers used two catalysts, one to add oxygen in the right way, and one to remove water molecules (orthorhombic Mo–V–O (Ortho‑MoVO) oxidation catalysts and HZSM‑5(200) dehydration catalysts) respectively, to enable high glycerol conversion (94–99%) across all tested conditions, while the membrane reactor design strategically minimised over‑oxidation to CO/CO₂ (COₓ).

The team applied a statistical Design of Experiments (DoE) approach to map the coupled effects of temperature, GHSV, oxygen-to-glycerol ratio and feed‑to‑membrane ratio. This enabled the identification of precise operating windows that maximise acrylic acid yield while maintaining high conversion and limiting COₓ formation.

A 44‑hour stability study highlighted that catalyst deactivation is primarily driven by coke deposition on HZSM‑5(200), suggesting future work should focus on developing more coke‑resistant materials or regeneration strategies. Ortho‑MoVO, by contrast, retained its structure and showed minimal deactivation.

Pathway to industrial implementation

The results demonstrate strong potential for integrating membrane‑assisted reactors into future commercial glycerol‑to‑acrylic‑acid processes. Beyond enhanced selectivity, the reactor design:

• reduces oxygen consumption,
• improves temperature control,
• may reduce downstream purification costs due to higher product yields, and
• provides a more sustainable alternative to propylene‑based production.

The researchers note that next‑generation membranes specifically engineered for selective oxygen transport could unlock even greater performance improvements, along with opportunities to optimise operating pressure and reactor compactness.

This breakthrough provides fresh insight into one of chemistry’s most familiar concepts – aromaticity – and shows it can occur not only in carbon‑based rings like benzene, but also in unusual clusters of heavy metals.

A new twist on a classic chemical idea

In everyday chemistry, aromatic molecules such as benzene are valued for their stability, which comes from electrons circulating smoothly around a ring. This “ring current” is a signature of aromaticity and is usually found in organic (carbon-based) molecules.

The new study shows that a tiny ring of three bismuth atoms (Bi₃) also supports these circulating currents, behaving as an aromatic system, despite being made entirely of heavy metals.

Even more remarkably, this behaviour is dominated by sigma (σ) electrons, rather than the more familiar π electrons that define aromaticity in organic chemistry.

What this means for chemistry 

The finding bridges the gap between traditional organic chemistry and the emerging field of all-metal aromaticity, offering:

• The heaviest aromatic ring ever identified, made from three bismuth atoms.
• The first actinide “inverse sandwich” complexes supporting such a metal ring, using uranium and thorium to hold the Bi₃ unit in place.
• Clear experimental and computational evidence that the bismuth ring has strong ring currents – a hallmark of aromaticity – even in the presence of large, magnetic metal ions.

This adds a new entry to the catalogue of aromatic molecules and helps scientists understand how aromaticity behaves in heavy elements, which is valuable for areas such as materials science, metal cluster chemistry, and actinide research.

A step toward understanding heavy element chemistry

The international team synthesised and studied two new complexes: 

• a diuranium complex containing the Bi₃ ring, and
• a dithorium version that behaves similarly.

Using Xray crystallography, the researchers confirmed the shape and symmetry of the three-atom ring. They then used magnetic measurements, spectroscopy and advanced computer modelling to show that electrons move around the bismuth ring in a continuous, stabilising current, just as they do in classic aromatic molecules.

Even more intriguingly, the dithorium complex showed measurable exalted diamagnetism, an effect directly associated with aromatic ring currents.

The work provides benchmark data to help chemists compare traditional organic aromaticity with its all‑metal counterpart. It also shows how unusual ring systems can be stabilised using actinides – metals at the bottom of the periodic table that often behave in unexpected ways.

By proving that such a heavy‑element ring can not only exist but also display aromatic stability, the research opens new possibilities for designing metal‑based clusters and exploring the boundaries of chemical bonding.

The ICAM is a successful partnership between bp, The University of ԰������, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Since its launch in 2012, the ICAM has supported research ranging from PhD-led exploratory projects to large-scale strategic initiatives involving multiple teams. The Centre has strengthened research capabilities, fostered interdisciplinary collaboration and provided students and early career researchers with valuable experience working alongside bp experts. Its model embeds bp Mentors within project teams, ensuring research remains industrially relevant and accelerates translation from laboratory to application.

The ICAM’s Next Chapter

Building on more than a decade of interdisciplinary research in materials science, the ICAM will continue to make a difference in today’s energy systems and help build tomorrow’s, while aligning with bp’s strategic interests and technology roadmaps.

The ICAM’s research supports bp’s ambition to be a net zero company and to help get the world to net zero by 2050 or sooner by improving understanding of materials, processes and energy systems that can lower emissions and enhance performance. Recent examples include research on sustainable catalysts for CO₂ conversion through the ICAM's EPSRC Prosperity Partnership on Sustainable Catalysis for Clean Growth, and work to develop better modelling tools for sustainable aviation fuel.

In recent years, the ICAM has welcomed additional expertise from associate members including Cardiff University and Johnson Matthey, both central to its previously mentioned Prosperity Partnership as well as University College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds, University of Sheffield and University of Texas at Austin.

In its next chapter, the ICAM will continue to exemplify what can be achieved when industry and academia work together to address energy challenges.

Routine monitoring of fibre release is considered essential for designing more sustainable textiles and informing policies aimed at reducing pollution at source. However, existing methods are time consuming, prone to bias and vulnerable to contamination. 

By adapting industrial dyeing techniques used in textile manufacturing and combining them with established microplastic analysis methods, the research bridges fashion technology and environmental science to overcome these barriers. The result is a faster, more reliable way to measure microfibre emissions under real world conditions such as washing and mechanical stress. 

The researchers say the method could support better eco-design of textiles, improve testing standards and inform future regulation – including policies such as extended producer responsibility. It may also help guide the development of technologies designed to capture fibres, such as washing machine filters. 

“If we want to reduce microfibre pollution, we need reliable ways to measure it,” Dr Allen added. “This approach opens the door to routine testing that reflects what’s really being released into the environment – not just what’s easiest to see.”

The study, published today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), describes how the research team, led by Professors and , used directed evolution to develop a bespoke aminotransferase, a type of enzyme, to significantly accelerate the manufacturing process and reduce production costs. This new biocatalytic route has the potential to improve global access to this important medicine.

Lenacapavir, recently approved by the FDA and MHRA, is a twice‑yearly injectable drug that has shown extremely high levels of protection in pre‑exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trials. Royalty‑free licence agreements are already in place to enable generic manufacturers to supply Lenacapavir to 120 lower‑income countries, yet the high cost of producing its active pharmaceutical ingredient remains a major barrier to widespread availability.

A sustainable route to a complex molecule

Made up of four distinct building blocks, Lenacapavir’s highly functionalised central core is a very challenging building block to synthesise. This core is constructed from a chiral amine that can exist in two mirror-image forms (like a left and a right hand). The handedness – or chirality – is important in pharmaceuticals as only one form of the molecule will work as intended.

Currently, Lenacapavir is made via traditional multi-step chemical synthesis, but due to the central core’s chirality and challenging molecular structure it is a costly and time-consuming process. Biocatalysis offers significant potential for faster and cheaper production.

To achieve this, the MIB team focused on using directed evolution – a method that speeds up nature’s trial-and-error evolution process – to develop an enzyme that could catalyse the target reaction to produce the chiral amine core. Using an approach known as substrate walking, the researchers began with an aminotransferase that showed no detectable activity on the desired substrate. Over eight rounds of directed evolution, involving screening more than 12,000 enzyme variants, they installed ten mutations that progressively unlocked activity, improved stability and reshaped the active site of the enzyme so that it could accept the central amine core’s bulky ketone precursor.

The final enzyme performed exceptionally well, converting 98% of the starting substrate, producing a yield of more than 90% with a purity of over 99% enantiomeric excess (e.e.) meaning that the correct chiral form was produced. The researchers also tested the enzyme under industrially relevant conditions showing its potential to work at scale.

The team also used X-ray crystallography to create a detailed 3D picture of the improved enzyme showing how the molecular changes arising from evolution allowed the enzyme to accept the substrate and transform it into the target product. Understanding the enzyme’s structure helps scientists unpick its mechanism of action which allows them to improve future enzyme design campaigns.

Towards large‑scale implementation

The team is now collaborating with industrial partners to translate the methodology from laboratory scale to industrial biomanufacturing. The details of this new manufacturing route are also freely available for companies to use. Any company interested in producing Lenacapavir via this new process can contact to request free samples of the enzyme. If implemented at scale, the process could enable a shorter, cleaner and more economical production route for Lenacapavir, supporting ambitions to make long‑acting HIV prevention accessible worldwide.

Computational simulations of mathematical models of fluid flow are essential for everyday applications ranging from predicting the weather to the assessment of nuclear reactor safety. The advent of this simulation capability over the past 50 year has revolutionised the development of fuel-efficient aeroplanes and sail configurations on racing yachts can now be optimised in real time, providing the marginal gains needed to win races in the Americas Cup.

Optimised aerodynamics means that modern day cyclists can ride faster, golf balls fly further and Olympic swimmers consistently set world records. Computational fluid dynamics also enables the modelling of the flow of blood in the human heart, making the provision of patient-specific surgery possible.

Scientists and engineers rely on computer-based simulations to understand, predict, and design these systems that they can’t easily test in real life. But traditional fluid‑simulation methods often require hours or even days of computation, and struggle when the flow becomes fast or highly complex. 

Machine‑learning‑based simulations, once trained, can make these assessments almost instantly. Instant feedback would allow rapid design testing, real‑time adjustments, and rapid testing variation without the usual computational burden.

The findings were published in the

The study uses the stability of fluid motion as the foundation for a new method that predicts how complex systems behave. Instead of relying on costly laboratory experiments, solutions to the fundamental equations of fluid motion are generated numerically. This allows the machine-learning model to be trained on accurate, high-quality data drawn directly from physics, demonstrating that the model can accurately handle challenging simulations.

A key focus of the work is identifying bifurcation points –the moments when a smooth, steady flow (laminar flow) suddenly begins to change – similar to calm, evenly flowing river as it hits an obstruction, or splits and fluids start to mix and form eddies. Laminar flow is when a liquid behaves in a smooth and orderly way, like pouring honey, the flow is consistent and steady.

By successfully using a machine‑learning model to identify the points at which a system changes behaviour or in this case bifurcates, the study suggests that, with further refinement, machine‑learning‑based models could become a practical alternative to traditional fluid‑modelling techniques in the future.

Professor Silvester added: "This marriage of old and new approaches holds the promise of efficient computation of physically realistic fluid flows in a myriad of practical situations. The development of refined mathematical models of complex fluids is likely to be critically important if the promise of AI is to be effectively realised in the future.”

Published in Science, the team demonstrated the first atomic‑resolution imaging of atomic behaviour at solid–liquid interfaces in a broad range of non‑aqueous (organic) solvents. Previous high‑resolution liquid imaging techniques were largely limited to water, but the new technique works with a wide range of liquids beyond water, dramatically expanding the range of chemical processes that can be studied at the atomic scale, including key enabling technologies for the green energy transition.

Transmission Electron Microscopy is one of the only techniques that can image individual atoms, using a highly focused electron beam to probe inside structures, but it requires a high vacuum – making it impossible to study liquid processes. The ԰������ team overcame this long‑standing challenge by building “nano‑aquariums”: nanoscale liquid cells made by sealing tiny pockets of test liquids, each just 100 attolitres, a billion times smaller than a raindrop, between ultra‑thin graphene windows just a few atoms thick. The graphene is strong enough to protect the liquid from the vacuum, yet almost completely transparent, allowing the electron beam to pass through.

Using an advanced electron microscope at the electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC) national facility, the team captured videos of gold atoms at the graphene–liquid interface to compare five industrial solvents. The resulting videos show individual atoms hopping between sites, pairing up into groups of two and three, and clustering into larger nanoparticles with the measured behaviour sensitive to the choice of liquid. An AI‑enabled automated analysis workflow allowed the researchers to individually “track” more than a million gold atoms across the five solvents, enabling extraction of truly statistically significant information – a far cry from most atomic‑resolution imaging papers, which typically draw conclusions by observing only tens or hundreds of atoms.

“Watching individual atoms move in liquids is incredibly exciting, like having a front‑row seat to chemistry in action,” said Sam Sullivan‑Allsop, postdoctoral researcher at ԰������ and first author. “By tracking more than a million atoms, we can move beyond isolated snapshots and finally see how liquids shape atomic behaviour.”

Our images are clear enough to resolve both the gold atoms and the graphene lattice beneath them,” he added. “That lets us understand not just where the atoms move, but why: how they interact with the surface and why they tend to “pair up” into small clusters during their random motion.”

A key innovation was sealing the cells while fully submerged in liquid using a thin ceramic cantilever to manipulate the graphene crystals. Previous approaches suffered from significant evaporation during the sealing step, causing huge fluctuations in the concentrations of test liquids. The new technique enables precise control of what goes inside – essential for making fair comparisons between liquids.

, who developed the fabrication process, explained, “The trick is sealing the cells while they are submerged within the liquid itself. Doing it this way means you know exactly what sample you are looking at – and it works for nearly every solvent, not just water.”

Individual gold atoms are a promising catalyst for green chemistry but preventing them “clustering” into bigger particles has always been challenging. Using their new platform, the team investigated how both the choice of solvent (which controls dispersion in the liquid) and the drying kinetics (which lock in the final structure) together determine whether the final catalyst contains the individually separated gold atoms required for high performance. In particular, acetone – a common solvent – combined low polarity with a low boiling point and surface tension, helping gold atoms remain separated during both the liquid phase and drying, whereas higher‑boiling solvents (e.g., cyclohexanone) and water tended to yield larger particles. The structural findings were confirmed by catalyst testing by collaborators at the University of Cardiff’s Catalysis Institute.

However, the new technique has potential for significant impact in fields outside catalysis. Many crucial processes, from fuel cells and batteries to filtration and precious‑metal recovery from e‑waste, happen at solid–liquid interfaces. Until now, scientists mostly relied on ensemble measurements that can obscure atomic‑scale complexity; watching individual atoms in liquids changes that.

, who led the research, commented, "It's remarkable how much we still don't understand about how atoms behave at solid‑liquid interfaces, given how fundamental these processes are to modern technology. Now we can watch what's actually happening, understand why, and use that insight to design better materials and processes."

The research involved collaboration between The University of ԰������, Cardiff University, Sheffield University, and the ePSIC national microscopy facility at Diamond, combining expertise in electron microscopy, 2D materials fabrication, catalysis, and computational modelling. With the platform now established, the team is already applying it to questions in clean energy technologies and recovery of metals from e‑waste.

This research was published in the journal Science.

Full title: Atomic-resolution imaging of gold species at organic liquid-solid interfaces.

DOI:

Professor Zara Hodgson FREng is an internationally recognised expert in nuclear energy policy and research, and Director of the University’s Dalton Nuclear Institute. She has been appointed to support the NDA 2026 Review, which has been commissioned by the Government to provide assurance on the NDA’s performance and governance, and to make recommendations on improvements.

The Review is led by Dr Tim Stone CBE, a senior expert adviser to five previous Secretaries of State in two successive UK governments and the Chair of Nuclear Risk Insurers. Professor Hodgson will join a team of three other independent experts to support Dr Stone.

The review will focus on the NDA’s strategic planning and management, project and programme delivery, and financial management. It will assess how effectively the NDA delivers value for money for the taxpayer while maintaining the highest standards of safety, transparency and governance across the UK’s civil nuclear legacy. Reviewers will challenge current practices, propose bold value-for-money recommendations, and highlight good practice while identifying areas for improvement.

Professor Hodgson is a Professor of Nuclear Engineering at The University of ԰������ and has played a pivotal role in recent UK Government interventions to grow the UK’s nuclear fuel production capability. Her work has supported the UK’s Net Zero ambitions, strengthened energy security and helped build more resilient nuclear supply chains. At ԰������, she leads contributions to national nuclear programmes through high impact research, education and training, and independent advice.

Professor Hodgson’s appointment reflects The University of ԰������’s leadership in nuclear research and policy, and its long-standing role in providing independent expertise to inform national decision-making.

One object that caught the eye of researchers at The University of ԰������ was a simple drinks can. When crushed while filled with liquid, it behaves completely differently from an empty one. Instead of collapsing suddenly, it produces an ordered sequence of circular rings that appear one by one.

But it turns out there’s more going on than just a satisfying visual. Published in the journal , the ԰������ team has discovered that the formation of corrugations follows a rare mathematical process - and the discovery could have implications for safety across multiple industries.

Lead researcher, , PhD researcher at The University of ԰������, said: “Most of us have stamped on an empty can and watched it collapse instantly. But a full can behaves completely differently. It forms one buckle after another in an orderly fashion, until the whole can is wrapped in evenly spaced corrugations. We were fascinated and wanted to understand what was driving that behaviour – particularly as liquid-filled containers are found everywhere in our day-to-day lives.”

To find out, the researchers combined laboratory experiments with a type of mathematical modelling typically used to study natural pattern formation, such as water ripples or wave formations.

They discovered that the sequence of buckles is anything but random. Because the liquid inside the can is almost incompressible, it changes the way the aluminium can carries force.

“A standard can usually starts to buckle near the middle,” explained , Reader in Nonlinear Dynamics at The University of ԰������. “But tiny variations in shape or size of the can, can shift where the first ring appears. After that, however, the physics takes over, and the sequence becomes extremely predictable. As the can compresses, the metal softens and then stiffens again – this cycle naturally forms the rings. Even changes in the can’s internal pressure don’t alter the overall pattern much. That tells us that the buckling sequence is a fundamental property of any liquid-filled cylinder made from metal, not just a quirky effect of a drinks can.”

The team discovered that this step-by-step pattern matches a mathematical process known as homoclinic snaking - a phenomenon where bumps or ripples appear one by one in a precise, controlled order. Although mathematicians have suggested that this ‘snaking’ could underpin the buckling of cylinders, uncovering its trace in a real physical system is exceptionally rare.

The findings could also have far broader implications. Liquid-filled metal cylindrical shells are used throughout modern engineering — in industrial storage, transportation, construction, energy systems, and even in parts of rockets.

Yet, despite their ubiquity, engineers have lacked a clear understanding of how these structures might buckle when compressed.

, Royal Society University Research Fellow at The University of ԰������. said: “Understanding the exact sequence of buckles could help engineers spot the early warning signs of failure long before a system collapses. That could lead to safer designs, better monitoring techniques, and more reliable structures in a whole range of industries. It might even open up possibilities for manufacturing. For example, it could be possible to create corrugated cans after filling without needing a mould.”

Building more reliable AI molecular models

Machine‑learned potentials (MLPs) are widely used to approximate quantum mechanical behaviour in molecules, but most existing models become unstable when molecules experience heat, movement or structural distortion. This makes long, reliable simulations extremely difficult to achieve.

The ԰������ team – Bienfait Kabuyaya Isamura, Olivia Aten, Mohamadhosein Nosratjoo and – has solved this long‑standing challenge by integrating deep physical knowledge directly into their model. 

The researchers built a new AI model using Gaussian process regression, to understand how atoms in a molecule naturally behave. To do this, they fed the model detailed information about how atoms interact in real life, based on the rules of quantum physics, to help the AI make more realistic predictions about how each part of a molecule should move.

They also discovered that a small mathematical choice, called the “prior mean function”, affected the stability of the model; with this function in place, the AI had the correct “starting point” to create and sustain a stable model even when a molecule is stretched, heated or shaken.

A smarter way to keep molecules from breaking down

Unlike conventional approaches, the new model uses real-world physical principles to prevent atoms from collapsing together or flying apart when the molecule enters high‑energy states. This enables reliable simulations even far beyond room temperature.

The team demonstrated the model’s robustness with 50 independent simulations, each lasting 10 nanoseconds, totalling 0.5 microseconds of stable dynamics, a milestone rarely achieved by machine‑learning force fields. Even highly flexible molecules such as aspirin, serine and glycine remained stable throughout.

The model was also able to repair distorted structures and accurately reproduce known conformations, such as those of alanine dipeptide, a key benchmark molecule in computational chemistry.

Beyond stability, the model is computationally efficient, running on standard CPU hardware at speeds comparable to or faster than leading neural‑network-based potentials that require high‑end GPUs.

The research opens up new opportunities for simulations in extreme environments, condensed matter and biomolecular systems where long‑timescale accuracy is essential. The team is now extending the approach to include electron correlation effects and develop more transferable descriptors.

Building on existing collaboration, the partnership aims to address both immediate and longer-term challenges across the water industry, including climate resilience, water quality, wastewater management and resource optimisation.  

The partnership comes at an important time for the sector, as it undergoes rapid transformation in response to climate change, population growth, and an evolving policy and regulatory environment. The University will support this challenge by providing research-driven solutions that support water quantity and quality for communities and the environment.

Under the MoU, the University and United Utilities will expand engagement across strategic innovation priorities, aligning academic expertise with company needs and opportunities, to deliver tangible, real-world impact.

On a visit to the University, the group toured the robotics lab based in the University’s flagship engineering building, observing some of the cutting-edge robotics equipment that is being developed for real-world applications.

Recent collaborative projects between the two organisations include the use of robotics for water network inspection, and a digital twin for the GMCA Integrated Water Management Plan.

Sarah Sharples, Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, said: "This partnership marks an important step in uniting academic excellence with industry expertise to address the evolving challenges of the water sector. Together, we aim to drive innovation opportunities that benefit students, research, and society."

Dr Louise Bates, Director of Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange at The University of ԰������, said: “Collaboration between The University of ԰������ and United Utilities dates back to 2006, and in recent years it has really grown through joint research and student-focused activities. This has created a strong foundation for us to build on through this new Memorandum of Understanding.” 

Jo Harrison, Director of Asset Management at United Utilities, said: “We are passionate about securing resilient services for the North West, both now and for the future.

"This partnership builds on a strong foundation of collaboration and gives us an exciting opportunity to bring together world-class academic insight with practical, real-world experience. By combining our strengths, we can make a meaningful and lasting difference on the ground, helping to deliver a stronger, greener and healthier North West for generations to come.”

Solving mechanistic models of natural environments is notoriously time‑consuming and often unstable under diverse real‑world conditions. To overcome this, the team trained AI “emulators” to reproduce the behaviour of an existing mechanistic model that describes carbon cycling in ocean sediments. Once trained, these emulators could then be applied globally to predict dissolved organic carbon behaviour at a resolution and scale that were not feasible using the original numerical model alone.

The study reveals that 11% of the particulate organic carbon arriving at the seafloor is returned to seawater as dissolved organic carbon, while 24% is sorbed onto minerals. Strikingly, about half of all solid‑phase organic carbon in the upper metre of marine sediments appears to originate from dissolved carbon that has been sorbed onto minerals. These findings provide the first global quantification of dissolved organic carbon cycling within sediments and highlight its significance within Earth’s long‑term carbon budget.

In developing the modelling framework, the researchers compared deep learning architectures, random forest models and simpler feedforward artificial neural networks. Unexpectedly, the simplest algorithms produced the most accurate predictions. The team confirmed these results by validating emulator outputs against low‑resolution global maps, where the mechanistic model remained numerically solvable, as well as against algebraic solutions for variables with known analytic expressions. They also found that increasing the complexity of the neural network structures consistently reduced prediction accuracy, offering rare empirical support for the Principle of Parsimony, also known as Occam’s Razor, within AI model development.

These insights have important implications for climate science. Quantifying carbon budgets across the sediment–water interface is essential for understanding global climate dynamics but has historically been hindered by computational limitations. By providing a fast, scalable and accurate way to represent sediment carbon processes, the new AI‑based framework can be integrated into global circulation models and used to explore potential ocean‑based climate change mitigation strategies. The research opens new avenues for simulating and testing how marine carbon reservoirs may respond to environmental change in the coming decades.

Read further papers related to this research:

• Preservation of organic carbon in marine sediments sustained by sorption and transformation processes
  DOI:
• Potential use of engineered nanoparticles in ocean fertilization for large-scale atmospheric carbon dioxide removal
  DOI:
• Long-term organic carbon preservation enhanced by iron and manganese
  DOI:

Current drug delivery methods often struggle to target anti cancer treatments precisely at tumour sites, leading to unwanted effects elsewhere in the body. ԰������’s snail inspired robots aim to change this by delivering therapies only where they are needed, with highly targeted, region-specific precision.

By reliably anchoring themselves within malignant tissues and releasing their therapeutic cargo in a controlled manner, the robots are expected to increase drug bioavailability at tumour sites, significantly reduce off target toxicity and improve patient outcomes.

The project – funded through UKRI’s Cross Research Council Responsive Mode (CRCRM) scheme, which supports emerging research that transcends disciplines – aims to transform colorectal cancer treatment by enabling highly targeted drug release directly at tumour sites.

Drawing inspiration from the slow, controlled and highly adaptable movements of snails and slugs, the research team will mimic the animals’ unique slime based locomotion, powered by rhythmic muscular waves and adhesive mucus, to engineer mini robots capable of navigating the gastrointestinal tract with exceptional accuracy.

Snail locomotion has long intrigued evolutionary biologists and roboticists, but its biomechanics remain under explored. This project will generate the first high resolution experimental datasets on snail movement, mucus interactions and foot actuation, enabling the team to build advanced digital simulations and machine learning driven control systems.

These biological insights will underpin the design of a new class of biocompatible soft robots, constructed from peptide based bionanomaterials that can be finely tuned at the molecular level. Engineered to respond to benign external triggers such as magnetic fields, the materials will enable non invasive, remote control of the robotic devices once inside the body.

The project will also create a multiscale digital twin simulation framework, integrating biomechanics, robotics, bionanomaterials and cancer biology. This virtual testing environment will accelerate design optimisation, reduce laboratory costs, and allow researchers to model robot–tissue interactions before clinical translation.

While the primary goal is to deliver advances in colorectal cancer treatment, the technology has potential applications far beyond oncology. The soft robots could serve as alternatives to capsule endoscopy, offer new solutions for environmental and industrial microrobotics, and enable safer operation in complex environments - from pipe inspection to sustainable agri food systems.

The project reflects The University of ԰������’s leadership in engineering biology and its commitment to pioneering research with real world health impact.

Read further papers related to this research:

• Charge Directed Selective Co‐Assembly of Ionic Complementary Peptide Binary Mixtures
  DOI:
• Harnessing 3D microarchitecture of pterosaur bone using multi-scale X-ray CT for aerospace material design
  DOI:
• Scalability of resonant motor-driven flapping wing propulsion systems
  DOI:
• The extracellular-regulated protein kinase 5 (ERK5) enhances metastatic burden in triple-negative breast cancer through focal adhesion protein kinase (FAK)-mediated regulation of cell adhesion
  DOI:
• Energy and time optimal trajectories in exploratory jumps of the spider Phidippus regius
  DOI:

Announced on Tuesday (24 March), the Russell Group’s 24 leading universities, including The University of ԰������, set out plans to train more than 181,000 students in subjects critical to health and care by 2030 – an increase of more than 15%. This includes doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives delivering frontline care, alongside engineers, social scientists and technology specialists whose expertise is increasingly essential to improving today’s healthcare services.

The University of ԰������ already educates around 3,000 medical and dentistry students, and Russell Group universities in the North West collectively train over 17,000 people in the skills we need for a healthier future.  

The commitment will also support the growth of life sciences companies, helping to bring new treatments, technologies and high-skilled jobs to communities across the country.

While expanding training, universities will also work to remove barriers so that more students from disadvantaged backgrounds can access medical and health careers. This includes expanding initiatives, such as targeted gateway courses, summer schools and mentoring that make health and care careers more open to students from all backgrounds.

At The University of ԰������, the commitment builds on a long-standing focus on widening participation and supporting regional skills needs, particularly across Greater ԰������ and the North West.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of ԰������, who is chairing the Russell Group working group behind the commitment, said: “One thing that distinguishes Russell Group universities – like The University of ԰������ – is our unique combination of groundbreaking discovery research and our role in training the health workforce of the future.

“Our commitment is to training 181,000 graduates in health and care-related subjects by 2030, a 15% increase; increasing access for students from all backgrounds to join these vital professions; and supporting the growth of life sciences and innovation to help create high-skilled jobs and attract investment into communities.

“And we’re going to do it in partnership with the NHS and the patients, families, workers, industries and communities we serve. It’s about ensuring that the work of our universities translates into meaningful, real-world impact.

“There is more to do, but this represents an important step forward.”

The University of ԰������ recently formed a new partnership with Wigan & Leigh College and the Greater ԰������ Colleges network to place PhD researchers into Further Education classrooms, helping to strengthen teaching in priority subjects such as engineering, digital skills and STEM. The programme helps colleges with specialist expertise, while giving postgraduate researchers valuable teaching experience and building stronger links between further and higher education.

Other recent initiatives include hands-on pharmacy workshops and Healthcare Careers Pathway Days, offering students opportunities to meet professionals, visit campus and gain practical advice on applications.

The University also runs , such as Lancashire Access Medics and the , designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds into medicine.

While delivering on these commitments, Russell Group universities will for the first time convene a nationwide series of community engagement events.

The University of ԰������ will host an in-person roundtable event bringing together partners from across the region to explore the future of the healthcare workforce. It will focus on how The University of ԰������ can work with the health ecosystem in Greater ԰������ to expand inclusive pathways into health careers and secure a strong and sustainable pipeline of talent for the NHS.

Led by the University’s Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub (SEERIH), the Great Science Share for Schools encourages pupils aged 5–14 to ask, investigate and share scientific questions that matter to them. By placing curiosity at the centre of learning, it supports the development of scientific literacy, creativity and confidence from an early age empowering children to see themselves as active participants in science.

Its reach and inclusivity are among its greatest strengths and Great Science Share for Schools continues to build global momentum. In 2025 alone, more than 845,000 young people from over 4300 schools in 52 countries took part, with around 50% of participants located in areas of high socio-economic deprivation. This reflects the initiative’s position as a worldwide leader in child-centred science engagement and its strong commitment to widening access and ensuring science is accessible to all, regardless of background.

The University continues to play a central role in this growth. In 2025, during the programme’s 10^thanniversary year, we welcomed over 35 schools from across Greater ԰������ onto campus for hands‑on science activities that connected children directly with our colleagues, facilities and scientific community.

With the campaign having received patronage of the UK National Commission for UNESCO in 2024, 2025 and 2026, focus is now on the global growth of GSSfS. With its inclusive, non-competitive and collaborative approach, the format is easily translatable to 5–14-year-olds across the globe to ask a scientific question, investigating it and sharing it in various means of communication.

Great Science Share for Schools provides opportunities for university academics and research to feature in the campaign through the resources produced each year. The campaign has also worked closely with ԰������ Museum staff and the University’s Creative ԰������.

The impact of Great Science Share for Schools over the past decade was recently recognised in a feature in the , which highlighted the programme’s ԰������ roots, its global influence and its success in empowering hundreds of thousands of children to explore the world around them. By nurturing curiosity, confidence and a lifelong love of science, the initiative continues to demonstrate the power of meaningful engagement with young learners.

• Further information can be found here on the .
• Please contact us if you are interested in collaborating on the campaign.
• See the full article in the 

The result is the first particle discovery made using the upgraded LHCb detector, a major international project involving more than 1,000 scientists across 20 countries. The UK made the largest national contribution to the upgrade, with significant leadership from ԰������.

The newly observed Ξ_cc⁺ is a heavier relative of the proton, which was famously discovered in ԰������ by Ernest Rutherford and colleagues in 1917-1919. The proton contains two up quarks and a down quark. The new discovery replaces the up quarks with their heavier relatives the charm quarks. It also extends a legacy begun in the 1950s, when ԰������ physicists were the first to identify a member of the Ξ (Xi) particle family.

Professor Chris Parkes, head of the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, led the international collaboration during the installation and first operation of the LHCb Upgrade detector. He also led the UK contribution to the project for over a decade, from approval through to delivery.

The ԰������ LHCb group designed and built key components of the upgraded tracking system, the silicon pixel detector modules assembled in the University’s Schuster Building. These detectors are central to precisely reconstructing the particle decays in which the Ξ_cc⁺ signal was observed.

said: “Rutherford’s gold‑foil experiment in a ԰������ basement transformed our understanding of matter, and today’s discovery builds on that legacy using state‑of‑the‑art technology at CERN. Both milestones demonstrate just how far curiosity driven research can take us. This discovery showcases the extraordinary capability of the upgraded LHCb detector and the strength of UK and ԰������ contributions to the experiment.”

, from The University of ԰������, who led the silicon detector module production, added: “The detector is a form of ‘camera’ that images the particles produced at the LHC and takes photographs 40 million times per second. It utilises a custom designed silicon chip that also has a variant for use in medical imaging applications.”

The Ξ_cc⁺ particle was identified through its decay into three lighter particles (Λ_c⁺ K⁻ π⁺), recorded in proton‑proton collisions at the LHC in 2024, the first year of full operation of the LHCb Upgrade experiment. A clear peak of around 915 events was observed at a mass of 3619.97 MeV/c², consistent with expectations based on a previously discovered partner particle, the Ξ_cc⁺⁺.

This observation resolves a question that had remained open for more than two decades since an unconfirmed claim of the observation of this particle was made. The particle has now been discovered by LHCb at a mass incompatible with this earlier claim and a mass that is compatible with the theoretical expectations based on the partner particle.

In the next phase of the LHC programme, The University of ԰������ is playing a leading role in LHCb Upgrade 2, which is planned to take advantage of the High-Luminosity LHC accelerator. 

Professor Parkes added: "This discovery highlights the exciting scientific opportunities ahead as we prepare for the next generation of upgrades. Continued UK involvement in LHCb Upgrade 2 will be key to ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of particle physics."

Details of the Ξ_cc⁺ discovery are presented at the Rencontres de Moriond Electroweak conference.

SATURN-2 (Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear) builds on the success of the original , doubling its size and introducing expanded training pathways across the entire nuclear fuel cycle. The programme will recruit around 50 PhD/EngD students per year for the next four years, delivering just under half of the 500 high skill nuclear doctoral graduates the UK is estimated to need by 2030.

The programme brings together seven universities: The University of ԰������ (lead), The University of Liverpool, Lancaster University, The University of Strathclyde, The University of Sheffield, The University of Leeds, and Bangor University. These universities represent more than 70% of the UK’s nuclear academic community and deliver expertise across the entire nuclear fuel cycle.

Backed by £8 million of industrial co‑investment and £4 million from university partners, SATURN-2 represents one of the most significant UK investments in advanced nuclear skills in over a decade.

The programme also maintains a strong regional base across the North West, North Wales and Scotland, home to the UK’s most concentrated cluster of nuclear industry, research facilities and workforce.

, SATURN CDT Director from The University of ԰������ said: “This Doctoral Focal Award reflects the success of the original SATURN Centre for Doctoral Training and its important role in supporting the government’s ambitions for Nuclear. Building on that foundation, SATURN-2 will expand the programme significantly, while continuing to deliver world-leading training for the next generation of specialists the UK needs in this sector. We are proud to lead this collaboration with outstanding partners across the UK.”

Meeting critical UK skills needs

The UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review and National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills highlight an urgent shortage of high skill nuclear scientists and engineers, with an estimated 120,000 workers needed by the 2030s, including a rapidly depleting cohort of subject matter experts.

SATURN-2 directly addresses this challenge by training specialists across:

• Nuclear fuel manufacture and performance
• Reactor science, engineering and operations
• Decommissioning and waste management
• Fusion‑fission interfaces
• Digital engineering, robotics and AI in nuclear contexts

Students will benefit from an enriched training programme including a three‑month residential bootcamp, specialist modules across the partner institutions, international experiences at leading laboratories, and secondments into industry, national labs and government agencies.

Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair at UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council said: “The UK's nuclear sector is central to our national security, clean energy ambitions and economic future. Meeting those challenges demands a new generation of researchers and innovators with the technical expertise to make a real difference. 

“UKRI doctoral focal awards are a proven way to develop that talent. They bring together academic excellence, industry partnerships and cohort-based learning to give doctoral students the skills and experience to make an immediate impact in the nuclear workforce.  

“These new nuclear focal awards, developed in partnership with government, will continue building the research base that the UK's national security and clean energy future depends on.” 

A proven pipeline into the nuclear workforce

Over 15 years of predecessor CDTs, Nuclear First, Next Generation Nuclear, GREEN and SATURN, the consortium has trained more than 300 doctoral researchers, with exceptionally strong career outcomes.

High‑level destination data shows that:

• 75% of graduates now work directly in the nuclear industry
• 18% progressed into education or academia
• 5% are employed in nuclear‑relevant government roles

These figures demonstrate the CDT’s sustained role as the UK’s most effective route for producing nuclear subject matter experts.

Exceptional industrial engagement

SATURN-2 is supported by 22 industry partners spanning the civil, defence and advanced nuclear sectors, including Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, AWE, EDF, UK NNL, Urenco, Framatome, AtkinsRéalis and Rapiscan.

Industrial partners have committed:

• 48 co‑funded studentships
• ~£4 million of in‑kind support (supervision, placements, facilities, equipment, training)

Industry demand for SATURN trained researchers continues to rise, demonstrating trust in the consortium’s ability to deliver highly employable graduates ready for the most complex national nuclear challenges.

Supporting additional national doctoral centres

In addition to leading SATURN‑2, The University of ԰������ is also a supporting partner in several of the newly funded Centres for Doctoral Training announced alongside SATURN‑2, including:

• RAPTOR (Radiation Protection, Nuclear Safety and Environmental Sustainability), led by the University of Liverpool
• DRIVERS (Developing Researchers with an Interdisciplinary Vision for Engineering Reactor Systems), led by Imperial College London
• PANDA (Programme for Accelerating Nuclear Development and Applications), led by Bangor University

The work reflects the University’s wider role in strengthening the UK’s national nuclear skills pipeline.

The research, published in is part of the Stroke IMPaCT study (Stroke – Immune Mediated Pathways and Cognitive Trajectory), a network of European and North American researchers who are working to discover how inflammation and immune responses contribute to post-stroke cognitive decline.

The team followed patients treated for an ischaemic stroke at Salford Royal Hospital, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. They measured levels of a protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the days after stroke and again at both 6-9 and 18-21months. Participants also completed detailed tests of memory and thinking.

Interleukin-6 levels increased soon after stroke and, in most people, fell back to typical levels within 6-9 months. But in some patients, levels stayed high or rose again. These individuals were about eight times more likely to develop difficulties with thinking ability.

The researchers also saw differences between smokers and non-smokers. Smokers showed a different pattern of IL-6 change after stroke, with signs of longer-lasting inflammation. This ongoing inflammation was more strongly linked to problems with thinking and memory.

Lead author an MBPhD researcher at The University of ԰������, said: “Inflammation after stroke doesn't just happen once and disappear. By tracking this protein over time, we may be able to identify patients at greater risk of cognitive problems and eventually tailor support or treatments to them.”

Professor Craig Smith, Professor of Stroke Medicine at The University of ԰������ and Consultant at Salford Royal, said: “Our findings suggest it's not just the initial spike in inflammation that matters- it's whether it properly settles down after the stroke. Smoking appears to interfere with this recovery, leaving people more vulnerable to memory and thinking problems.

Professor Stuart Allan added: “When the immune system's recovery after stroke doesn't occur as expected, patients appear more likely to experience cognitive difficulties. If future studies confirm interleukin-6 is the cause, we might one day use medications that block it to protect brain health.”

Co-lead author Harry Deijnen from the University of ԰������ added: “Though it is clear that more research is needed, these results point towards new opportunities to improve long-term brain health by focusing on the body’s inflammatory recovery after stroke.”

• The work  was funded by the Leducq Foundation, Kennedy Trust, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the British Heart Foundation. Philanthropic support has also been central to enabling this research. The University is proud to partner with donors in support of this work, including Louis and Amy Wong. Find out more about how supporting ԰������ drives impact across our research here: Challenge Accepted. It was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) ԰������ Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)’
• The paper Longitudinal Plasma IL-6 and Post-Stroke Cognitive Outcomes: The Stroke-IMPaCT ԰������ is available DOI:

The study, led by Keele University, in collaboration with The University of ԰������ and University of Ottawa, looked at geological evidence from Oman to better understand processes that occur in subduction zones - where one of the Earth’s tectonic plates sinks beneath another due to the plates colliding together. Such zones are active around much of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” today.

Subduction zones are key to the global carbon cycle because ocean sediments carried by the sinking plate contain large amounts of CO₂. Scientists have long debated what happens to this carbon after it sinks - some is transported deep into the Earth, while some returns to the atmosphere via volcanic eruptions.

Another possibility is that CO₂ becomes trapped in rocks when carbon-rich fluids react with them, forming minerals known as carbonates, which lock the carbon away for millions of years. These reactions happen tens of kilometres underground, so are difficult to observe and study.

To resolve this, the team analysed halogens - chlorine, bromine and iodine - which were present within individual mineral grains. These elements can leave a fingerprint of the fluid reactions and sources of carbon which formed the carbonate minerals.

Their results, published in , indicated that there were at least two separate events where CO₂ reacted with the rocks. It found that most of the carbonate minerals formed from fluids that match those usually found in subduction zones.

They also calculated that over 90% of the CO₂ in the sinking plate could have been channelled along the plate boundary fault into the shallow mantle and locked away, indicating that carbon sinks in subduction zones are not only real, but could play a significant role in the Earth’s carbon cycle, by offering a way to store huge amounts of CO₂ for millions of years.

Lead author, Dr Elliot Carter, from the School of Life Sciences at Keel University said: “As our climate warms there’s been increasing attention on these strange and enigmatic rocks and what they can tell us about how the Earth moves carbon around and how humans could store it in the future”

“Zooming into chemical differences between different microscopic crystals really gave us the key to unlock the story of these rocks”

“We can now tell that rocks such as those in Oman likely form an important part of Earth’s long-term carbon cycle.”

This research was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Full title: Carbonated mantle peridotites represent a hidden sink for subducted CO₂

 DOI:  

The findings partly explain why around 70% of rare diseases go undiagnosed, even in the UK, which arguably has the worlds most advanced genomic medicine service.

Led by a geneticist from The University of ԰������, the findings are published by the Editorial team at the Genetics in Medicine Journal (GIM)-  considered a world-leading clinical genetics journal -  in

It is frustrating news for the parents of the a year with rare genetic diseases, most of whom never receive a diagnosis, and many dying without the underlying cause being determined.

Correct nomenclature - as it is known- could also reduce the to the NHS of pursuing avoidable lengthy diagnostic journeys into rare genetic diseases -  thought to be over  £3 billion per decade.

Miscommunication caused by inconsistent genetic naming has, over time, led to documented cases of incorrect clinical management.

The researchers found that every manuscript submitted to the Genetic in Medicine Journal (the journal of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), who develop global professional standards in Clinical Genomics),  contained one or more errors.

That, they say, substantially reduced the probability of finding variants during routine searches. Such searches are required to gather diagnostic evidence, but if the evidence cannot be found due to findability issues, then a diagnosis may be missed.

The research is being incorporated into a new ACMG-led professional standard, which is being collaboratively developed with all the major professional societies and quality assurance bodies across the US, EU, UK and Canada, to be announced later this year.

The standard will govern the minimal acceptable standards for variant data in clinical reporting, databases and literature.  

Such standards have been legally binding in the United States but there is no indication yet that the UK will follow suit; however, the quality bodies that control UK genomic medicine standards are part of the ACMG-led coalition.

Dr Freeman, formerly of the University of Leicester, and now based at The University of ԰������ devised a tool called to give each variant a standardised name, allowing diagnostic evidence to be shared and found.

Working with the , the Genetics in Medicine (GIM) editors assembled a technical editing team led by Dr Freeman to develop instructions for authors on proper variant reporting.

Hospital geneticists rely on published evidence to make diagnoses, but because of inconsistent variant naming, say the authors, they are often unable to locate relevant information, even if it exists.

Many geneticists, they say, are using simpler but less accurate nomenclature, preventing databases like ClinVar and the Leiden Open Variation Database (LOVD), and widely used AI discovery tools from identifying critical evidence and adding literature to ClinVar and LOVD records.

Dr Freeman, whose son has an undiagnosed genetic disorder, said: “The language of genomics, which guides everything from discoveries of gene-disease associations to rare disease diagnosis, relies on an established standardized system of naming genomic variants.

“This study has revealed a shocking level of inaccuracy in the naming of genetic variants-  which has real-world consequences. Me and my team have yet to find a journal article which uses the correct nomenclature and did not require intervention.”

He added: “Doctors almost always describe DNA variants using various outdated or non-standard naming systems, or fail to accurately apply the current standard. This means they are publishing data which is less findable, so may be missed by others in the field attempting to reach a diagnostic decision, denying the possibility of treatment.

“But even more importantly, for children like my son, not having a diagnosis means they cannot access the support services they desperately need to support their wellbeing and development.

“Nomenclature should accurately describe the changes in DNA sequencing observed when there is a genetic variant. But in many cases, this is simply not happening and is part of a complex set of problems that is causing miss or missed diagnoses.”

The team recommend:

• Universally adopting gene/variant nomenclature guidelines within published works.
• Implementing robust peer review processes to enforce gene/variant nomenclature standards.
• Supporting automated submission of structured variant and classification data into publicly available repositories
• Work with publishers to educate production and copyediting teams.

What misnaming means for patients

In an infamous example over decades, laboratories and clinicians used conflicting naming systems for Factor V Leiden, a common inherited genetic mutation that causes ,

That resulted in misinterpretation of patients’ thrombosis risk and inappropriate treatment decisions.

In another example, inconsistent reporting of variants of the gene CFTR in cystic fibrosis  has contributed to misunderstandings of carrier status and disease risk, leading to errors in family‑planning counselling for affected couples.

• The paper Universal Presence of Gene/Variant Nomenclature Errors in Journal Manuscript Submissions is available   

The team found that growing a widely used magnetic alloy, permalloy, on ultra‑thin MoS₂ alters the film’s internal crystal structure, changing how and where energy is lost as magnetic spins move. By separating energy losses that occur at the surface of the film from those arising within its internal structure, the researchers provide new design insights for devices that use two‑dimensional (2D) materials to control magnetism more efficiently.

Crucially, the work uses large‑area, manufacturing‑compatible MoS₂, showing that these effects are not confined to laboratory‑scale samples but are relevant for real, scalable spintronic technologies.

The study, published in , demonstrates that transition‑metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can alter the fundamental properties of magnetic films. The results highlight the importance of careful comparison with control materials when assessing the impact of 2D layers on magnetic behaviour.

Spintronics is an alternative to conventional electronics that uses not only the charge of electrons, but also their spin, to store and process information. This approach underpins emerging technologies for magnetic memory and has potential applications in energy‑efficient, high‑speed computing. A major challenge in spintronics, however, is energy loss: as magnetic spins move, some energy is inevitably dissipated as heat, limiting device speed and efficiency.

In this work, the researchers studied thin films of permalloy grown on top of large‑area MoS₂ produced using industry‑compatible chemical vapour deposition. They found that the ultra‑clean interface between permalloy and MoS₂ reduces energy loss at the surface of the magnetic film. At the same time, subtle changes within the film’s crystal structure slightly increase internal energy loss.

By clearly separating these two effects, the team was able to explain why previous studies of 2D materials and magnetism have sometimes produced conflicting results.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers used ferromagnetic resonance, a technique in which a high‑frequency magnetic field causes spins inside a magnetic material to wobble, similar to a spinning top slowing down due to friction. By measuring how quickly this wobble fades, the team could determine how and where energy is dissipated. Varying the thickness of the magnetic layer allowed them to distinguish losses occurring at the surface from those within the bulk of the film.

The results point to new routes for designing lower‑power, faster spintronic memory, where material interfaces are engineered to minimise unwanted energy loss without sacrificing performance.

“This work is exciting because the fundamental effects a two‑dimensional material can have on magnetic thin films are still largely unexplored,” said , lead author of the study and Research Associate in THz Spintronics at the University of ԰������. “We’ve shown how these changes affect energy loss, which is a crucial property for next‑generation memory technologies.”

The study shows that 2D materials do not always increase energy loss and that, with the right interface, they can reduce it.

This research was published in the journal .

Full title: Separation of bulk and surface contributions to the damping of permalloy on large-area chemical-vapor-deposited �Ѵ�⁢S₂.

DOI:

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of ԰������, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Published today in , it is the first experimental observation of a half-Möbius electronic topology in a single molecule. To the scientists’ knowledge, a molecule with such topology has never before been synthesized, observed, or even formally predicted. 

Understanding this molecule’s behavior at the electronic structure level required something equally fundamental: a high fidelity quantum computing simulation. The discovery advances science on two fronts. For chemistry, it demonstrates that electronic topology - the property governing how electrons move through a molecule - can be deliberately engineered, not merely found in nature. 

For quantum computing, it is a concrete demonstration of a quantum simulation doing what it was designed to do: representing quantum mechanical behavior directly, at the molecular scale, to produce scientific insight that would otherwise have remained out of reach. 

“First, we designed a molecule we thought could be created, then we built it, and then we validated it and its exotic properties with a quantum computer,” said Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow, Vice President, Europe and Africa, and Director of IBM Research Zurich. “This is a leap towards the dream laid out by renowned physicist Richard Feynman decades ago to build a computer that can best simulate quantum physics and a demonstration where, as he said, ‘There’s plenty of room at the bottom.’ The success of this research signals a step towards this vision, opening the door for new ways to explore our world and the matter within it.

, paper co-author, Lecturer in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry at The University of ԰������, added: “Chemistry and solid-state physics advance by finding new ways to control matter. In the second half of the 20th century, substituent effects were very popular. For example, researchers explored how the potency of a drug or the elasticity of a material changes if, for example, a methyl is replaced with chlorine. The turn of the century brought us spintronics, introducing electron spin as a new degree of freedom to play with, and transforming data storage. Today, our work shows that topology can also serve as a switchable degree of freedom, opening a new powerful route for controlling material properties. 

“The non-trivial topology of this molecule, and the exotic behavior of many other systems, arises from interactions between their electrons. Simulating electrons with classical computers is very hard – a decade ago we could exactly model 16 electrons, and today we can go up to 18. Quantum computers are naturally well-suited for this problem because their building blocks – qubits – are quantum objects, which mirror electrons. Using IBM’s quantum computer, we were able to explore 32 electrons. However, the most exciting part is this is just the start. Quantum hardware is advancing rapidly, and the future is quantum.”

A Never-Before-Seen Molecule 

The molecule, with the formula C₁₃Cl₂, was assembled atom-by-atom at IBM from a custom precursor synthesized at Oxford University, with individual atoms removed one at a time using precisely calibrated voltage pulses under ultra-high vacuum at nearabsolute-zero temperatures. 

Experiments with scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy, both techniques pioneered at IBM, combined with quantum computing to reveal an electronic configuration with no counterpart in chemistry's existing record: an electronic structure that undergoes a 90-degree twist with each circuit, requiring four complete loops to return to the starting phase. 

This half-Möbius topology is qualitatively distinct from any previously known molecule and can be reversibly switched between clockwise-twisted, counterclockwise-twisted and untwisted states — demonstrating that electronic topology is not a property to be discovered, but one that can now be deliberately engineered under specific conditions.

A Disruptive Scientific Tool: Quantum-Centric Supercomputing 

The scientists in this experiment created a molecule that had never existed. Now they had to figure out why it worked, a task which challenged conventional computers. The electrons within C₁₃Cl₂ interact in deeply entangled ways — each influencing all the others simultaneously. Modeling that behavior requires tracking every possible configuration of those interactions at once, requiring computational demands that grow exponentially and can quickly overwhelm classical machines.

Quantum computers are different by nature because they operate according to the same quantum mechanical laws that govern electrons in molecules, and they can represent these systems directly rather than approximate them. They “speak” the same fundamental language as the matter they are built to study and that distinction, once largely theoretical, can now contribute to concrete scientific results.

This capability offers tremendous potential for quantum computers to support realworld experimentation with quantum-centric supercomputing workflows. By integrating quantum processing units (QPUs), CPUs, and GPUs, quantum-centric supercomputing allows complex problems to be broken into parts that are orchestrated and solved according to each system’s strengths — achieving what no single compute paradigm can deliver alone.

Utilizing an IBM quantum computer within such a workflow, the team found helical molecular orbitals for electron attachment, a fingerprint of the half-Möbius topology. Moreover, simulation via quantum computing helped reveal the mechanism behind the formation of the unusual topology: a helical pseudo-Jahn-Teller effect.

This achievement builds on IBM’s long legacy in nanoscale science. The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was invented at IBM in 1981, for which IBM scientists Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1986. Its creation enabled researchers to image surfaces atom by atom. In 1989, IBM scientists developed the first reliable method for manipulating individual atoms. Over the past decades, the IBM team has extended these techniques to build and control increasingly exotic molecular structures.

This research was published in the journal Science 

Full title: A molecule with half-Möbius topology

DOI:  

Researchers from The University of ԰������ suggest that during the Early Pleistocene, the arrival and presence of these early hominins drove the mosquitoes to adapt to feeding on humans.

The study, published in , uncovers how and why certain mosquitoes developed this preference, and the environmental triggers which brought about its development.

The findings could provide critical insight into mitigating the impacts of novel diseases caused by mosquito-borne pathogens, which place a significant burden on global human health, and shed light on the colonisation of Southeast Asia by early humans.

, Senior Lecturer in Earth and Environmental Sciences at The University of ԰������, said “Our findings suggest that early humans must not only have been present in Sundaland at this time, but there in substantial numbers, which is an important piece of evidence, beyond fossil records, to the broader puzzle of the colonization of hominins in insular Southeast Asia.

The team focused on the Anopheles leucosphyrus group, made up of 20 different species of mosquitoes native to Southeast Asia. Some species are extremely anthropophilic (human targeting) and very efficient spreaders of human malaria parasites. Others feed mainly on monkeys, gibbons, and orangutans in forest canopies, spreading a form of malaria that would be harmless to humans, but can be deadly for these other primates.

In the study, the researchers sequenced 38 mosquitoes - supplemented with publicly available genome data of two others - from 11 species within the leucosphyrus group.  The specimens were collected between 1992-2020 and involved sampling larvae from animal wallows hidden deep in the forest or in remote areas of Southeast Asia.

The study included species of all three subgroups (Leucosphyrus, Riparis and Hackeri), and represent all three blood-feeding behaviours - human, non-human primate, and mixed - providing a solid evolutionary framework mapping host preference within the Leucosphyrus group.

They found that the ancestors of the Leucosphyrus Group likely originated in the permanently humid conditions of Sundaland (Borneo, peninsular Malaysia, Sunda Shelf), during the early Pliocene, between 5.3 and 3.6 million years ago. These conditions favoured feeding in the canopy, so the mosquitoes most likely fed primarily on non-human primates.

However, the late Pliocene and into the Pleistocene, saw extensive environmental change, where the global climate became cooler and drier. The shift from permanent humidity to seasonal, open forest and expanding savannah, saw the arrival of a host of new mammals. This led to an adapted species of mosquitoes that could feed readily both in the canopy and on the ground.

The researchers suggest that this shift toward more flexible feeding behaviour may have been the bridge to human-feeding behaviour.

This paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports

Full title: Early hominin arrival in Southeast Asia triggered the evolution of major human malaria vectors

DOI:

The annual ceremony, which took  place on Wednesday  March 4 at 1:15pm, will remember the donors whose selfless gift has helped hundreds of medical, dental and science students gain a deeper understanding of human anatomy.

The donors also give surgeons a crucial opportunity to further their knowledge of anatomy in their quest to constantly improve clinical techniques and procedures.

The service, which is distinct from the final committal or funeral service of the donors, was multi-denominational so any religious belief - or those without - were warmly welcomed.

Relatives and friends of the donors attended the ceremony alongside students, academics, technical and bequethals staff along with senior leaders at the University.

There was  a candle lighting ceremony during the service where a candle will be lit for each donor and their names read out.

Professor Margaret Kingston, Director of Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education spoke alongside Dr Bipasha Choudhury, School Lead for  Anatomy.

There was bereadings from Humanist minister Paul Costello, Methodist minister Richard Mottershead and Father Dushan, a Roman Catholic priest.

The Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Greater ԰������, His Majesty the King’s representative for Greater ԰������, was present.

Professor Nalin Thakkar,  Vice-President for Social Responsibility at the University of ԰������ said: “As a University, we would like to express our deepest thanks to those who gave their bodies to science: your final act became a beginning for countless others.

“Their generosity helps knowledge to grow, medicine and science to advance, and humanity to move forward. Their wonderful gift will not be forgotten.”

Dr Choudhury said: “We are sincerely grateful to the donors for the gift they have bestowed upon our students and staff, helping us learn human anatomy in a profoundly moving way.

“Through their generosity, and the generosity of their families, future health care professionals gain a deep understanding of the form and workings of the human body.”

The wife of one of our donors said: “We were moved by the serious gratitude expressed in the words of the service. The candle and name card represent the fact that the last resting place of John’s body is not under a gravestone or in a casket but it the brain and memory of each student for whom this was his final teaching role.”

• For more details about donating your body to education and science, visit the University’s bequethals webpage .

As the UK prepares for a rapid expansion of tidal energy, (not)NOISY (Propagation of NOISe generated by tidal arraYs and its environmental impacts) will develop the first advanced tools capable of predicting the cumulative underwater noise produced by tidal turbine arrays before they are built.

The research will support industry, regulators and policymakers to strengthen the evidence base used in environmental assessments and enable informed, proportionate decision-making as the sector grows.

Tidal energy is emerging as a key part of the UK’s renewable energy mix. Unlike wind and solar power, which depend on weather conditions, tidal power is highly predictable and can deliver a steady, reliable source of energy day in, day out, making it the perfect complement to other renewable energy.

As the sector scales-up and larger turbine arrays, with 10 devices or more, are planned for deployment, understanding their environmental impacts is becoming increasingly important, particularly potential collision risks with marine macro-fauna and underwater noise. Modelling suggests turbine noise could travel up to 8 km through the ocean.

Lead researcher , Research Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering and Management at The University of ԰������, said: “Tidal stream energy has enormous potential to support the UK’s Net Zero ambitions, but its long-term success depends on our ability to accurately assess and manage environmental impacts, hence accelerating project permitting and licensing.

“Noise generation is one of the biggest uncertainties facing tidal projects today but tools to estimate cumulative acoustic outputs with high confidence do not yet exist. With tidal arrays expected to grow in number and size, we need tools that can predict their cumulative acoustic footprint prior to deployment. (not)NOISY will provide exactly that.”

The research team will develop advanced high-fidelity computer models and AI-assisted rapid tools that closely replicate real world tidal stream site conditions, allowing researchers to quantify how noise from tidal turbines travels through real marine environments. The model will be applied in both near- and far-wake regions, across different turbine types (floating and bottom-fixed) and environmental conditions at four major European sites – EMEC and in Scotland, Raz Blanchard between France and the Channel Islands and Morlais in Wales.

The findings will lead to the development of PyTAI (Python Tidal-Array Induced acoustics), an open-source, AI-driven tool that will enable rapid prediction of tidal turbine noise under a wide range of operating conditions. The tool will support future environmental impact assessments and contribute to the development of evidence-based policy and regulatory guidance.

Dr Ouro added: “By improving confidence in marine noise prediction, we hope this project will help accelerate the next generation of tidal-stream developments, supporting clean energy growth while protecting marine ecosystems, in order to  foster an industry of national importance.”

(not)NOISY is funded by UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Impact hub and brings together a strong international consortium, including three European turbine manufacturers, UK and French tidal project developers, policymakers and academic partners, ensuring close collaboration between research, industry and regulation.

The , authored by the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at The University of ԰������, explores the consequences of terminology choices on end-of-life solutions for plastic waste. While recycling has long been touted as a solution for plastic sustainability - it comes in many forms, and can sometimes serve as a smokescreen for genuine discussions around sustainability.

The researchers, Seiztinger, Lahive, and Shaver, find directional terms - such as ‘upcycling’ and ‘downcycling’ - to be poorly defined as value propositions, and that their use can skew perceptions of the benefits, potentially posing barrier to circularity.

‘Downcycling’, for instance, implies the production of a less favourable or ‘less good’ material as the end product of the recycling process, while ‘upcycling’ has positive connotations. However, despite what these terms suggest, a ‘downcycled’ stream may produce a high value product, while an ‘upcycled’ path may have a greater negative environmental impact than alternative routes.

Using these terms assigns disproportionate value to certain end-of-life plastic solution strategies, and can be used by supporters or detractors of different recycling technologies to obscure genuine evaluation of their environmental impact.

The study, published in the journal , suggests that plastic waste solutions consistently fail to live up to their marketed messaging, and that clearer communication of the true value of the product from a recycling process is essential to drive investment in proper plastic waste management. Corresponding author, Professor of Polymer Science at The University of ԰������, said: “The confused terminology surrounding the fate of waste plastic often lacks a consideration of value and unintended consequences. As these terms are now being used to promote technologies outside of a sustainable system, we felt it important to argue for clarity and caution when presuming quality from this directional terminology.”

The researchers argue that no single solution offers a quick fix, and that it is wrong for the terminology to suggest otherwise. They call for greater clarity over how we value end-products. They suggest a ‘spiral system’ of reuse, in which plastic materials are treated as complex mixtures that, like crude oil, can be chemically deconstructed at the end of their life and transformed to become a huge range of longer-lasting products over their lifetime.

For example, a yoghurt pot could be reconstituted into car parts, and then after that into a park bench. Ultimately, after many years of service, it could be chemically deconstructed, and turned back into a yoghurt pot. As the polypropylene in such simple packaging is already used in cars, hard shell suitcases, garden furniture, appliances, and plumbing, a cross-sector approach to reuse of plastic waste could generate more value than an approach focused solely on single-use packaging.

By moving away from direction-loaded terminology, researchers suggest that plastic waste solutions can be judged on the measurable environmental and economic value of the end-products, rather than an assumed or subjective value based on language, that is not always supported by full life-cycle assessment or economic analysis.

Dr Claire Seitzinger added: “Building a circular plastics economy means looking at the whole system, not isolated solutions pitched against each other. Policy, industry, innovation and collaboration across sectors are essential for a sustainable future. The next time you eat a yoghurt, where do you want the pot to end up? Should it become another yoghurt pot? A park bench? A car? What is best? And what should you, the packaging producer, or the government do to make that to happen?”

Paper details:

Journal: Cambridge Prisms: Plastics 

Full title: Up, down and back again: Value judgements in polymer recycling

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2026.10041.pr1

Sulfonamides are a cornerstone of modern medicinal chemistry, forming part of many antibacterial, anticancer and antiviral medicines. Yet despite their widespread use, producing sulfonamides synthetically can be difficult, often requiring harsh reagents and generating environmentally damaging by‑products. Natural examples of sulfonamide‑containing molecules are extremely rare, and until now very little was known about how biological systems make them.

International collaboration cracks the code

The international research team – including computational chemist Dr and PhD student from the MIB – has uncovered how the enzyme SbzM enables bacteria to form sulfonamides as part of the biosynthesis of the natural product altemicidin. Their work shows that SbzM uses nickel, rather than the more common iron cofactor found in related enzymes, to convert the amino acid L‑cysteine into a reactive sulfonamide intermediate.

Using a combination of structural biology, biochemical assays and advanced quantum‑mechanical computational modelling, the researchers showed that SbzM performs chemistry never before observed in nature. The study reveals:

• SbzM is strictly nickel‑dependent, requiring Ni²⁺ to function and cycling between Ni²⁺ and Ni³⁺ during the reaction.
• Two separate oxygen molecules are incorporated into the final sulfonamide product, a striking contrast to iron‑based cysteine dioxygenases, which use a single oxygen molecule.
• A previously unknown reaction pathway is at work: the enzyme first triggers an oxidative decarboxylation step to form a mercaptoimine intermediate, followed by sequential oxygenation and rearrangement steps that ultimately build the sulfonamide group.
• The enzyme family is far more widespread in bacteria than previously recognised, suggesting nature may harbour many more yet‑undiscovered sulfonamide biosynthetic pathways.

Understanding how nature constructs sulfonamide motifs opens a realistic route to engineering enzymes capable of producing drug-like building blocks more sustainably. The ԰������ team’s computational modelling was essential in mapping the step‑by‑step reaction mechanism and identifying why nickel, uniquely, drives this transformation, and by revealing the fundamental “instruction manual” behind sulfonamide formation, the study lays essential groundwork for creating scalable, low waste biocatalytic processes for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The next steps will focus on expanding the range of molecules SbzM can process, enhancing its robustness, and demonstrating industrially relevant biocatalysis.

Meet the researchers

Sam de Visser Reader in Computational Chemistry at the ԰������ Institute of Biotechnology, investigates inorganic mechanisms in first‑row transition‑metal enzymes using quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics, focusing on heme and nonheme iron enzyme reactivity.

• Email Dr de Visser >>

Henrik Wong is a University of ԰������ PhD student using molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry to study metal‑dependent enzymes and guide their redesign for sustainable biocatalysis, reaction discovery and improved biosynthetic applications.

• Email Mr Wong >>

In a new study by University of ԰������ scientists published in , researchers aimed to uncover why these treatments fail for some individuals. To do this, the team analysed blood samples from people living with MG and compared them to those of healthy volunteers to understand the underlying cellular differences that drive standard therapy resistance.

A Pattern of Immune Imbalance
The study revealed distinct immune system abnormalities in patients with refractory MG. These patients showed an overactive adaptive immune response, specifically involving increased numbers of memory B cells.

At the same time, the researchers found that regulatory T cells—which normally act as a ‘braking system’ to suppress excessive inflammation—were markedly reduced. This combination of an overactive attack and a weakened braking system contributes to significant immune dysregulation.

The research also identified changes in the innate immune system, including reduced dendritic cells and increased monocytes, along with heightened activity of the complement system, all pointing to ongoing immune-mediated damage at the neuromuscular junction.

Predicting Treatment Response
The team also examined a small group of refractory patients treated with rituximab, a drug designed to remove B cells. Although B cells were successfully reduced in all patients, only some showed meaningful clinical improvement.

The study found that those who did not respond appeared to have a version of the disease driven by long-lived plasma cells and particularly high complement activity. This discovery suggests that these specific patients may benefit more from therapies that target the complement pathway rather than just B cells.

“For patients whose symptoms do not improve with existing treatments, the lack of clear answers can be incredibly frustrating,” said , Neurology Consultant at ԰������ Centre for Clinical Neuroscience. “Our findings help explain why some therapies work for certain patients but not others, and point toward more personalised approaches that could improve outcomes in the future.”

“Our study identifies a distinct immune signature associated with treatment-resistant myasthenia gravis,” said , UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the  and lead author of the paper. “Understanding these immune differences brings us closer to predicting how patients will respond to therapy and to developing more targeted, personalised treatment approaches.”

• Lymphocyte alterations and elevated complement signaling are key features of refractory myasthenia gravis published in . DOI: 

The second half goes here

Earth-observation satellites are increasingly relied upon to support efforts to meet the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing critical data on issues like land use, urban development, ecosystems and disaster response. However, the rapid growth of satellite missions is also making Earth’s orbits more crowded and hazardous, increasing the risk of collisions and the creation of long-lasting space debris.

There are currently around 11,800 active satellites in orbit, but some predictions suggest that number could rise to more than 100,000 by the end of the decade. Collisions in space can generate large amounts of debris, threatening satellites, astronauts and the long-term usability of key orbital regions.

The new model, which links satellite mission objectives with collision risk as a key first step in mission design, is presented in the journal .

Lead author , PhD researcher at The University of ԰������, said: “Our research addresses what is described as a “space sustainability paradox”, the risk that using satellites to solve environmental and social challenges on Earth could ultimately undermine the long-term sustainability of space itself.

“By integrating collision risk into early mission design, we ensure Earth-observation missions can be planned more responsibly, balancing data quality with the need to protect the orbital environment.”

Many applications that support the SDGs rely on very high-resolution satellite imagery. To achieve this level of detail, satellites often operate at lower altitudes, which reduces their field of view. Alternatively, they can operate at higher altitudes but must be larger and heavier to carry bigger optical systems. This increases their exposure to space debris and makes collisions more likely and potentially more damaging.

The new modelling framework allows satellite performance requirements and collision risk to be considered together during mission design, rather than being assessed separately or late in development.

The approach links mission requirements, such as image resolution and coverage, with estimates of satellite size, mass, the numbers of satellites in a constellation, and the level of debris present in different regions of low Earth orbit. This allows designers to explore how different mission choices affect both data quality and collision risk.

Using the model, the researchers found that collision risk does not simply peak where debris is most concentrated - satellite size also plays a major role. For example, for a satellite designed to deliver 0.5 metre resolution imagery, collision probability was highest between 850 and 950 kilometres above Earth - about 50 kilometres higher than the peak in debris density.

The study also found that although higher orbits require fewer satellites to achieve coverage, those satellites carry a greater individual collision risk because they are much larger. Lower orbits need more satellites, but each one can be smaller and therefore less hazardous.

Dr , Lecturer in Aerospace Systems at The University of ԰������, said: “As satellite use continues to grow, our method offers a practical way to ensure that space remains safe, sustainable and usable for generations to come, while still delivering the data needed to address the world’s most pressing challenges.”

, Professor of Space Technology at The University of ԰������, added: “The method could also be adapted for different Earth-observation systems and expanded to include more detailed space-environment impacts. In future work, we could account for how long debris fragments stay in orbit, how likely they are to hit other satellites, and the wider environmental effects of satellite re-entry. This would allow mission designers to evaluate trade-offs across the full sustainability picture.”

This research was published in the journal Advances in Space Research

Full title: Collision risk from performance requirements in Earth observation mission design

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The discovery, published in the journal eLife today (insert date), sheds light on how animals integrate sensory information to guide reproduction and has, say the researchers, general implications on understanding the brains’ role in reproduction. 

When male fruit flies mate, they transfer a molecule called sex peptide (SP) to the female. 

This molecule triggers two key changes: females reject courting males who want to mate again, and they lay more eggs. 

Although scientists have known about SP for years, until now the precise neurons in the female nervous system that respond have remained a mystery. 

The  findings suggest that the brain allows females to fine‑tune their responses to mating depending on their internal state and environmental conditions — helping them maximise the chances of reproductive success. 

Lead author, Dr Mohanakarthik Nallasivan, from the University of Birmingham said: “Reproductive behaviours are hardwired in the brain, rather than learned. So if we can understand this behavioural pathway, we may be able to influence it. 

“Knowing the exact nerve cells that drive key behavioural changes in female fruit flies after they mate is a very important step along that path. 

“This knowledge could, for example,  help develop methods to restrict the ability of malaria carrying female Anopheles mosquitoes to mate, which precedes the blood-meal.”

԰������-lead from The University of ԰������ added: “The fruit fly was the first organism with a fully sequenced genome. Now, in 2022, it is the first brain to have all its neurons catalogued and synaptic connections mapped”.

“We now have the resources available to learn how behaviour is encoded in the brain and influenced by decision making processes”.

“This pioneering work has implications for increasing our understanding of how our own brains work, particularly those behaviours that are ‘hard wired’, or built into our neural circuitry.”

To identify the neurons, the research team attached the sex peptide pheromone, that normally circulates in the insects’ blood after mating, to the cell-membrane on the outside of neurons.

When such membrane-tethered sex-peptide is expressed in the same nerve cell as its receptor, post-mating behaviours will be triggered.

To understand how the brain responds to the sex peptide, the scientists explored the complex genetic framework of key reproductive genes involved in sex determination, resulting in male or female offspring.

By combining genetic tools that mark a handful of neurons controlled by reproductive genes, the scientists identified two distinct sets of interneurons — one in the brain and one in the abdominal nerve centre — that regulate the behaviours.

The approach allowed them to pinpoint the neurons that detect the sex peptide, which they named Sex Peptide Response‑Inducing Neurons (SPRINz).

Further mapping of the neural circuits showed that SPRINz receive signals from sensory‑processing neurons and send outputs along two separate pathways.

Artificially activating SPRINz in the brain induced post‑mating behaviours, effectively mimicking a command. This demonstrates that sex‑peptide‑responsive neurons act as central hubs, integrating sensory cues and coordinating the female’s behavioural decisions after mating.

• A draft of the paper, Sex-peptide targets distinct higher order processing neurons in the brain to induce the female post-mating response  is available

As large language models such as ChatGPT and Gemini have rapidly improved in recent years, many widely used benchmarks have become less informative. In 2023, leading models were found to pass the and, separately, in 2025, achieved gold medal-level performance on , achieving over 80% accuracy.

Now, two ԰������ mathematicians, Dr Cesare Giulio Ardito and Dr Igor Chernyavsky, have joined nearly 1,000 expert contributors worldwide to create a multidisciplinary academic test called “” (HLE), which sets AI systems a fresh challenge.

The test consists of 2,500 rigorously reviewed questions spanning dozens of disciplines, from mathematics and the natural sciences to humanities. Questions are deliberately precise, closed-ended and resistant to simple internet search or memorisation, with some using both textual and image data.

Every question in HLE was tested against leading AI models before inclusion. If an AI system could answer a question correctly at the time the benchmark was designed, it was rejected.

The study, now published in , found they passed fewer than 10% of the HLE questions when the dataset was first released in early 2025, despite scoring above 80% on more conventional benchmarks.

Although the rapid pace of AI development has enabled some systems to significantly improve their scores in less than a year, the top-ranked models still reach just below 40%. The results also show that many AI systems still frequently express high confidence in incorrect answers to the HLE questions. However, their capability in self-assessing knowledge gaps has gradually improved.

said: “I'm happy that the University of ԰������ is represented among contributors from all over the world. This was a human team effort and, so far, we appear to still have an edge.”

Although this new AI benchmark only measures performance on closed-ended, expert-level questions at the frontier of current knowledge, the authors hope it will help identify remaining limitations and potentially capture emerging generalist research capabilities.

This research was published in the journal Nature

Full title: A benchmark of expert-level academic questions to assess AI capabilities

DOI:  

Researchers at The University of ԰������'s have now achieved the first atomic‑resolution imaging of monolayer transition metal diiodides, made possible by creating graphene‑sealed TEM samples that prevent these highly reactive materials from degrading on contact with air. The study, published in , demonstrates that fully encapsulating the crystals in graphene preserves atomically clean interfaces and extends their usable lifetime from seconds to months. This capability arises from refinements to an inorganic stamp transfer approach the team previously developed and reported in , which provided the basis for producing stable, hermetically sealed samples.

“Working with these materials felt impossible at first as they are completely destroyed after a few seconds air exposure, preventing traditional fabrication approaches.” explained Dr Wendong Wang who has worked on developing the transfer technique and fabricated the samples in question. “Our approach protects samples r without any unnecessary transfer stages. Being able to make samples that can survive not just hours but months, and for international transfer between facilities, solves a major bottleneck in 2D materials research.“

“Once we were able to make stable samples, we were able to make several interesting observations about these materials, including identifying extensive local structural variations for the thinnest samples, atomic defect dynamics and edge structure evolution”, states Dr Gareth Tainton who conducted the TEM imaging and analysis as part of this work. “The structures of 2D materials are closely linked to their properties, and so being able to directly observe not only the structures of the different crystals, from monolayers up to bulk thicknesses, but also defect behaviour will hopefully inform further work on these materials to unlock their potential in technology”

“What excites me most is how this opens up previously inaccessible scientific territory. We've known theoretically that many reactive 2D materials have exceptional properties for electronics, optoelectronics, and quantum applications, but we couldn't get stable samples into the lab to test those predictions", commented Prof Roman Gorbachev of the National Graphene Institute, who led the investigation. 

This research was published in the journal ACS Nano.

Full title: Atomic Imaging of 2D Transition Metal Diiodides

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Professor Roman Gorbachev is available for interview on request.

The study, led by The University of ԰������, suggests that while removing livestock from upland grasslands can increase fast-cycling carbon stored in plants and dead vegetation, it can also lead to losses of a more stable form of soil carbon. This long-lived carbon, known as mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), is bound to soil minerals and can persist for decades to centuries, making it critical for long-term climate mitigation.

Grasslands store around one-third of the world’s terrestrial carbon, with the vast majority being found in soils. As governments pursue net-zero targets, removing livestock from historically grazed grasslands has increasingly been proposed as a scalable climate solution.

Traditionally, scientists and land managers have relied on “total carbon stocks” to assess carbon removal projects. However, the new findings, published in the today, show that focusing solely on the total amount of carbon stored, rather than how securely it is stored, may be misleading.

“While ungrazed grasslands tend to accumulate more unprotected carbon in plants and litter, they are associated with lower levels of soil carbon protected by minerals, which is the form most resistant to warming-induced decomposition,” explained Dr Luhong Zhou, lead author of the study and visiting scholar at The University of ԰������. “Although high grazing intensity can negatively affect soil carbon, our results show that total grazer exclusion does not necessarily lead to greater long-term soil carbon storage.”

The team of researchers from The University of ԰������ (UK), Lancaster University (UK), Yale University (USA), Fujian Normal University (China), and Leiden University (the Netherlands), analysed 12 upland grassland sites across an 800-kilometre south–north gradient in the United Kingdom, from Dartmoor to Glensaugh in Scotland. At each site, they compared grasslands that had been ungrazed for more than ten years with neighbouring areas that had been grazed over that time.

They found that ungrazed grasslands tended to accumulate more short-lived carbon in plant biomass and surface litter but generally contained lower levels of MAOC.

The decline in long-lived soil carbon is linked to changes in vegetation following the removal of grazing sheep. As a result, grass-dominated landscapes are increasingly replaced by dwarf shrubs such as heather. The roots of the shrubs form associations with a specialised fungi called ericoid mycorrhiza. These fungi slow the decay of plant litter, causing an increase in production of short-lived carbon but also stimulating the breakdown of older, more stable soil carbon, in order to gain nutrients to sustain plant growth. Wetter soils can also further weaken the minerals that normally help protect MAOC.

“Viewing grazer removal as a universally beneficial strategy for carbon mitigation often overlooks the continuum of carbon durability within ecosystems, and the fact that not all carbon gains contribute equally to long-term climate mitigation,” said Dr Shangshi Liu from the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture who co-led this study. “ When slow-cycling carbon declines, grassland carbon stocks may become more vulnerable to future climate change. Effective climate mitigation strategies must therefore consider  both how much carbon is stored and how durable it is”

The findings come at a critical time for environmental management policy in the UK and globally, as governments develop land-use frameworks to meet net-zero targets.  

Professor Richard Bardgett, Chair of Ecology at Lancaster University, who initiated the study while at The University of ԰������, said: “Our results suggest that maintaining low-intensity grazing in upland grasslands, which cover large areas in the United Kingdom, is important for protecting the most stable forms of soil carbon.”

The authors emphasise that their findings do not argue against reducing overgrazing. Rather, they call for more balanced grassland management approaches that account for both total carbon stocks and carbon persistence.

The study was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the European Research Council (ERC), and Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture fellowship.

The findings are Published in PNAS

Full title: Grazer exclusion is associated with higher fast-cycling carbon pools but lower slow-cycling mineral-associated carbon across grasslands

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