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Scientists from the University of Oxford’s Engineering Science Department and the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR) have developed a rapid testing technology for the novel corona virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). The team, led by Prof. Zhanfeng Cui and Prof. Wei Huang, have been working to improve test capabilities as the virus spreads internationally.
Study finds that bees need food up to a month earlier than provided by recommended pollinator plants
Biology Food security & biodiversity Research
26 March 2024
New research from the Universities of Oxford and Exeter has revealed that plant species recommended as ‘pollinator friendly’ in Europe begin flowering up to a month too late in the spring to effectively contribute to wild bee conservation.
Major new project will harness AI to transform how zero-emission buildings are designed
Engineering Physics Research Sustainability & the environment
22 March 2024
Researchers from the Departments of Engineering Science and Physics are to join the ZEBAI project. The major new initiative, backed by the European Commission Horizon Programme, aims to revolutionise the way Zero-Emission buildings are designed.
AI ethics are ignoring children, say Oxford researchers
AI and data science Computer science Research
21 March 2024
Researchers from the Oxford Martin Programme on Ethical Web and Data Architectures (EWADA) and Department of Computer Science have called for a more considered approach when embedding ethical principles in the development and governance of AI for children.
Oxford researchers uncover remarkable archive of ancient human brains
Earth sciences Research
20 March 2024
A new study conducted by researchers from the Department of Earth Sciences has challenged previously held views that brain preservation in the archaeological record is extremely rare.
Entering the quantum era
Innovation and Enterprise Physics Research Spin out
19 March 2024
The world’s most powerful computer hasn’t yet been built – but we have the blueprint, says the team behind Oxford spinout Quantum Dynamics. Meanwhile, Chris Ballance, co-founder of spinout Oxford Ionics, says ‘quantum computing is already solving complex computing test cases in seconds – solutions that would otherwise take thousands of years to find.’
Oxford Martin researchers explore global views on data privacy
AI and data science Computer science Research
19 March 2024
Department of Computer Science researchers from the University of Oxford’s Oxford Martin Programme on Ethical Web and Data Architectures (EWADA) are trying to better understand people’s values over who manages the sharing of their personal information online through an expansive research project.
Researchers discover a coral superhighway in the Indian Ocean
Biology Earth sciences Food security & biodiversity Research
12 March 2024
Despite being scattered across more than a million square kilometres, new research has revealed that remote coral reefs across the Seychelles are closely related. A network of ocean currents scatter significant numbers of larvae between these distant islands, acting as a ‘coral superhighway.’
The world’s most prolific carbon-fixing enzyme is slowly getting better
Biology Food security & biodiversity Research
7 March 2024
New research led by the University of Oxford has found that rubisco – the enzyme that fuels all life on Earth – is not stuck in an evolutionary rut after all; it is improving all the time – just very, very slowly. These insights could potentially open up new routes to strengthen food security.
Like charges attract?
Chemistry Research
1 March 2024
It’s not only opposites that attract – new study shows like-charged particles can come together
Study reveals high number of persistent COVID-19 infections in the general population
Biology COVID-19 Medical science Research
21 February 2024
A new study led by the University of Oxford has found that a high proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the general population lead to persistent infections lasting a month or more. The findings have been published today in the journal Nature.
Researchers achieve breakthrough in silicon-compatible magnetic whirls
Functional materials Physics Research
20 February 2024
Researchers from the Department of Physics have made a breakthrough in creating and designing magnetic whirls in membranes that can be seamlessly integrated with silicon, which could be used as information carriers in a new generation of green and super-fast computing platforms.
Innovative technique reveals that leaping atoms remember where they have been
Materials science Research
15 February 2024
Researchers have used a new technique to measure the movement of charged particles (ions) on the fastest ever timescale, revealing new insights into fundamental transport processes. These include the first demonstration that the flow of atoms or ions possesses a ‘memory.’ The results have been published in the journal Nature.
Oxford scientists launch ambitious roadmap for a circular carbon plastics economy
Chemistry Research Sustainability & the environment
1 February 2024
Researchers from the Department of Chemistry/Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Plastics have outlined ambitious targets to help deliver a sustainable and net zero plastic economy, arguing for a rethinking of the technical, economic, and policy paradigms that have entrenched the status-quo.
Researchers develop hedgehog safety test for robotic lawnmowers
Biology Research
16 January 2024
Researchers at the Department of Biology have developed a new test to assess how dangerous robotic lawnmowers are to hedgehogs. They hope this will lead to a certification scheme that will allow consumers to choose ‘hedgehog-friendly’ mowers to help protect these lovable mammals.
New study uses machine learning to bridge the reality gap in quantum devices
Engineering Quantum Research
10 January 2024
A study led by the Department of Engineering Science has used the power of machine learning to overcome a key challenge affecting quantum devices. For the first time, the findings reveal a way to close the ‘reality gap’: the difference between predicted and observed behaviour from quantum devices.
Study shows that the way the brain learns is different from the way that artificial intelligence systems learn
AI and data science Computer science Medical science Research
3 January 2024
Researchers from the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit and the Department of Computer Science have set out a new principle to explain how the brain adjusts connections between neurons during learning. This may guide further research on learning in brain networks and inspire more robust learning algorithms in artificial intelligence.
Ancient DNA reveals how a chicken virus evolved to become more deadly
Biology Medical science Research
18 December 2023
An international team of scientists led by geneticists and disease biologists from the University of Oxford and LMU Munich have used ancient DNA to trace the evolution of Marek's Disease Virus (MDV). This global pathogen causes fatal infections in unvaccinated chickens and costs the poultry industry over $1 billion per year.
Study finds that vast amounts of waste are caused by single-use e-cigarette batteries
Energy Engineering Research Sustainability & the environment
15 December 2023
While the lithium-ion batteries in disposable electronic cigarettes are discarded after a single use, they can continue to perform at high capacity for hundreds of cycles, according to new research from the University of Oxford and UCL, supported by The Faraday Institution.
Study shows diverse gut bacteria communities protect against harmful pathogens by nutrient blocking
Biology Research
15 December 2023
A new study led by the University of Oxford has demonstrated that diverse communities of resident bacteria can protect the human gut from disease-causing microorganisms. The researchers found that protective communities block the growth of harmful pathogens by consuming nutrients that the pathogen needs.
Antibiotic resistance genes are spread more widely between bacteria than previously thought
Antimicrobial resistance Biology Medical science Research
7 December 2023
Researchers at the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI) at Oxford University and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in China have developed a new approach to study the transmission of plasmids containing antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria sampled from hospital wastewater.