People suffering from chronic pain often find their condition distracting and debilitating, but new research reveals that some might in fact be paying less, rather than more, attention to the source of their pain (University of Bath, 2017). The findings from researchers at the University of Bath and the University of Oxford, published in BRAIN, … Continue reading Researchers gaining more insights into complex regional pain syndrome

The GW4 Alliance will open a £2.3m shared facility for cryo-microscopy on September 1st 2017 at the University of Bristol (Cardiff University, 2017). The facility will provide researchers across the Great West region with a suite of state of the art microscopy and analysis tools, enabling them to better understand the molecular processes responsible for … Continue reading GW4 Alliance to open new microscopy facility

Researchers have found people with damage to a crucial part of the brain fail to recognise facial emotions, but they unexpectedly find faces looking sideways more memorable (University of Bath, 2017). The findings are more evidence that damage to the amygdala affects how facial recognition and gaze perception work in unpredictable ways. People with amygdala … Continue reading Brain damage can cause emotional blindness, while making sideways faces more memorable

Exercising on an empty stomach is likely to bring important health benefits in how the body uses stored fat, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Bath (University of Bath, 2017). The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, from academics in the University of Bath’s Department for Health, is … Continue reading Get the most out of exercise by exercising on an empty stomach

A new powered ankle prosthesis, developed by prosthetics maker Chas A. Blatchford & Sons, along with University of Bath researchers, combines an electric hydraulic system with an intricate pattern of sensors (Alliance of Advanced Biomedical Engineering, 2017). These components allow people to climb slopes easily and plant their feet firmly on the ground without them … Continue reading More advanced powered ankle prosthesis developed

Vaccines and antibodies could be transported and stored without refrigeration by capturing them in tiny silica cages, a discovery which could make getting vital medicines to remote or dangerous places much easier, cheaper and safer (University of Bath, 2017). Vaccines and many other medicines contain proteins which break down and become unusable at room temperatures, … Continue reading Tiny cages could be used to keep vaccines safe

Cellesce, a Cardiff-based life sciences company, has completed a six figure funding round led by Finance Wales, to support its research (Insider Media, 2017). Cellesce is a biotechnology company that has developed new bioprocessing technology for the growing and expansion of organoids. Organoids are derived from stem cells and grown in a lab. They are … Continue reading Cellesce completes six figure funding round

Researchers from the University of Bath’s Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology have made an important discovery that might lead to novel therapies to combat chronic inflammation (University of Bath, 2017). The work, jointly funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Wellcome Trust, and published in the Journal of Immunology, focuses on … Continue reading University of Bath discovery may help combat chronic inflammation

A new imaging tool that rapidly diagnoses bacterial lung infections could help prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics in intensive care units (University of Bath, 2017). The bedside technology can detect whether harmful bacteria are present within sixty seconds, so that patients can be treated with the right medicine quickly. Experts say accurate diagnosis means unnecessary … Continue reading Lung probe that spots infections aims to cut overuse of antibiotics