News

Researchers have developed a three-dimensional ‘organ on a chip’ which enables real-time continuous monitoring of cells, and could be used to develop new treatments for disease while reducing the number of animals used in research. Two-dimensional cell models have served the scientific community well, but we now need to move to three-dimensional ce…

Many cases of dementia may arise from non-inherited DNA ‘spelling mistakes’ Only a small proportion of cases of dementia are thought to be inherited – the cause of the vast majority is unknown. Now, in a study published today in the journal Nature Communications, a team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Cambridge believe they ma…

Cambridge leads a £10 million interdisciplinary collaboration to target the most challenging of cancers.We are going to pierce through the body’s natural barriers and deliver anti-cancer drugs to the heart of the tumour.George MalliarasWhile the survival rate for most cancers has doubled over the past 40 years, some cancers such as those of the pan…

Professor Sir Greg Winter, of the University of Cambridge, has been jointly awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Frances Arnold and George Smith for his pioneering work in using phage display for the directed evolution of antibodies, with the aim of producing new pharmaceuticals.It came as a bit of a shock, and I felt a bit numb for…

Mitochondrial diseases could be treated with gene therapy, study suggests Researchers have developed a genome-editing tool for the potential treatment of mitochondrial diseases: serious and often fatal conditions which affect 1 in 5,000 people.One idea for treating these devastating diseases is to reduce the amount of mutated mitochondrial DNA by s…

Scientists reveal plan to target the cause of Alzheimer’s diseaseResearchers have developed a new way to target the toxic particles that destroy healthy brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first time that a systematic method to go after the pathogens – the cause of Alzheimer’s disease - has been proposed - Michele VendruscoloAcademics a…

The Chemistry of Health building, a new facility dedicated to the use of chemical techniques to combat disease, in particular neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, was officially opened today in Cambridge. The building houses the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, a world-leading research facility focused on the mis…

A Cambridge startup has developed a low-cost next-generation wearable heart and cardiovascular function monitor which uses AI to diagnose heart rhythm and respiratory problems in real time.Cambridge Heartwear hopes to use its wireless monitor to improve detection of irregular and dangerous heart rhythms and reduce the impact of stroke and stroke-re…

Implantable Device Stops Seizures at the First Signs of an EpisodeA new device from researchers at the University of Cambridge, École Nationale Supérieure des Mines and French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in France can stop seizures at the first symptom. So far researchers have implanted the device in the brains of mic…

A team of researchers at the University of Cambridge has identified a protein complex that might explain why some cancer patients treated with the revolutionary new anti-cancer drugs known as PARP inhibitors develop resistance to their medication.As we improve our understanding of these DNA repair networks and how they interact, we should be able t…

A new institute at the University of Cambridge aims to revolutionise cancer care by using cutting edge analytics to maximize the use of big data sets collected from patients.Integrated cancer medicine offers the promise of turning the tsunami of data generated in medical practice into an extraordinarily powerful but practical tool for patient benef…

The Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellowship Programme represents a multi-million-pound commitment from the private sector to accelerate progress on UN Sustainable Development Goals.The Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellowship Programme will create a rich intellectual space for collaboration between researchers and industry as we se…

Morphogen-IX Ltd, a preclinical biotechnology company focused on the development of bone morphogenetic proteins for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), today announced the appointment of Professor Nick Morrell as CEO. Morrell co-founded the company in 2015 based on research from his lab at the University of Cambridge.The company…

An international team of researchers have developed a low-cost sensor made from semiconducting plastic that can be used to diagnose or monitor a wide range of health conditions, such as surgical complications or neurodegenerative diseases. This work opens up new directions in biosensing, where materials can be designed to interact with a specific m…

New MPhil in Biotechnology – interdisciplinary training and a pathway for physicists, engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists to get into the biological sciencesThe Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology is launching a new MPhil in Biotechnology, now  recruiting the first cohort to start in October 2018.The programme (11 mon…