Success for Biology researchers in the NERC Impact Awards
30 November 2023
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) celebrated the finalists of the 2023 NERC Impact Awards on Wednesday 29th November. Two researchers from the Department of Biology received awards, including Dr Sophus Zu Ermgassen who was the winner of the Early Career category.
Unlocking more sustainable futures with green chemistry
28 November 2023
Chemistry Energy Research Sustainability & the environment
A feature article about three Oxford research groups using chemistry to help reach sustainability goals. From solving global plastic pollution to improving the performance of rechargeable batteries found in electric cars, ‘green chemistry’ is a truly promising topic.
Three Oxford academics awarded European Research Council Consolidator Grants
23 November 2023
Award Computer science Funding Physics
Two of those awarded grants are from MPLS Division: Fabrizio Caola, Associate Professor of Theoretical Particle Physics in the Department of Physics, and Aleks Kissinger, Associate Professor of Quantum Computing in the Department of Computer Science.
End-of-the-world scare stories have the opposite effect: celebrated conservationist EJ Milner-Gulland accentuates the positive
22 November 2023
Biology Climate Food security & biodiversity
Professor Milner-Gulland, who leads three programmes at the Oxford Martin School, has been a conservationist for more than 30 years. But, she maintains, end-of-the-world scare stories will make people fear it is too late, there is nothing they can do, and they will bury their heads in the sand.
Oxford-led study shows how AI can detect antibiotic resistance in as little as 30 minutes
21 November 2023
Antimicrobial resistance Research
To mark World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, researchers supported by the Oxford Martin Programme on Antimicrobial Resistance Testing at the University of Oxford have reported advances towards a novel and rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test that can return results within as little as 30 minutes - significantly faster than current gold-standard approaches.
Bees cannot taste even lethal levels of pesticides
21 November 2023
The new study from researchers in the Department of Biology demonstrates that bumblebees are not able to avoid contaminated nectar, putting them at high risk of pesticide exposure and posing a threat to crop pollination.
AI that automatically detects methane plumes from orbit could be a powerful tool in combating climate change
17 November 2023
AI and data science Computer science
University of Oxford researchers, in partnership with Trillium Technologies’ NIO.space, have developed a tool to automatically detect methane plumes on Earth from orbit using machine learning with hyperspectral data. This could help identify excessive ‘super emitters’ of methane and enable more effective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Oxford Robotics Institute wins prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize
17 November 2023
The Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI) has been awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for innovation in autonomous robotic technologies. This prestigious award is the highest national honour available to universities and further education colleges across the UK.
Professor Charlotte Deane named as Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
16 November 2023
Professor Deane - who will remain affiliated with the Department of Statistics - is expected to take up the role in January 2024.
Extraordinary new space phenomenon mystifies scientists
15 November 2023
Astrophysicists at the University of Oxford have helped to discover a spectacularly bright and unusual explosion in a galaxy 4.4 billion light-years away. Luminous fast blue optical transients are characterized by their intense blue light and are amongst the brightest known optical phenomena in the universe.
From The Conversation: Iceland on high alert for volcanic eruption – what we know so far
15 November 2023
Earth sciences The Conversation
Professors David Pyle and Tamsin Mather from the Department of Earth Sciences discuss what might happen next in a sequence of seismic events that started in early 2020 in Iceland, and which has so far culminated in three eruptions.
Researchers from the INEOS Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI) bring to life the dangers of AMR
15 November 2023
Ahead of World AMR Awareness Week (18 - 24 November), researchers from the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI) came together to bring to life the dangers of AMR, one of the biggest public health threats facing the world today.
Found at last: bizarre, egg-laying mammal finally rediscovered after 60 years
10 November 2023
More than sixty years after it was last recorded, an expedition team has rediscovered an iconic, egg-laying mammal in one of the most unexplored regions of the world. Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, named after famed broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, was captured for the first time in photos and video footage using remote trail cameras set up in the Cyclops Mountains of Indonesia's Papua Province.
University and SCG Chemicals launch £1m SCGC-FIRST fund to accelerate sustainable technology development in the chemicals industry
10 November 2023
Chemistry Computer science Engineering Innovation and Enterprise Materials science Maths
SCG Chemicals Public Company Limited (SCGC), part of the Siam Cement Group (SCG) and one of the largest integrated chemical companies in Asia, has agreed a major new award scheme to develop novel ideas and nascent research from Oxford’s laboratories into environmental sustainability solutions for the global chemicals industry.
Expert comment: Oxford AI experts comment on the outcomes of the UK AI Safety Summit
7 November 2023
Over 2 days, the UK AI Safety Summit brought together approximately 150 representatives from across the globe including government leaders and ministers, and industry, academia and civil society leaders.
From The Conversation: Bletchley declaration: international agreement on AI safety is a good start, but ordinary people need a say – not just elites
7 November 2023
AI and data science Computer science The Conversation
An opinion piece about the recent AI Safety Summit by Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Professor of Computing Science in the Department of Computer Science, Professor John Tasioulas, Director of the University's Institute for Ethics in AI, and Hélène Landemore, Professor of Political Science at Yale University.
Nature-based solutions are essential for Brazil to meet its 2050 net zero pledge
1 November 2023
Biology Climate Food security & biodiversity Research
The study by researchers in the Department of Biology also concluded that halting deforestation is the single most important mitigation measure Brazil can take towards net zero emissions by 2050 while preventing biodiversity loss.
The outdoor lab on the doorstep of Oxford’s students
1 November 2023
Biology Food security & biodiversity Teaching
Professor Andy Hector (Department of Biology) describes a unique living resource, Wytham Woods, and how this contributes to the distinctive and immersive learning experience for students at Oxford.
New training centre will bridge the gap between environmental science and AI to address global environmental challenges
31 October 2023
AI and data science Climate Funding Physics Sustainability & the environment
Backed by over £15 million funding, the new UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for the Environment (The Intelligent Earth Centre) will combine the University’s strengths in artificial intelligence, machine learning, Big Data, and environmental sciences.
University of Oxford top for Computer Science in the World for sixth year running
30 October 2023
The University of Oxford has topped the Times Higher Education world ranking for Computer Science for the sixth consecutive year, in their newly released subject tables. The computer science subject table uses the same trusted and rigorous performance indicators as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024, but the methodology has been recalibrated to suit the discipline.