Colistin resistant bacteria found in mothers and newborn babies in Nigeria
27 March 2024
Antimicrobial resistance Medical science Research
Researchers from the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI) and Cardiff University have found evidence that bacteria resistant to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, were present in mothers and babies under a week old in Nigeria in 2016, despite limited clinical use of colistin at that time in the country.
Oxford early career researchers shine in Parliamentary competition
6 March 2024
Award Chemistry Computer science Engineering MPLS Maths Medical science Physics
Thirteen early career researchers from Oxford were finalists at this year’s STEM for BRITAIN event, held on Monday at the Houses of Parliament, with three winning awards in their categories.
Study reveals high number of persistent COVID-19 infections in the general population
21 February 2024
Biology COVID-19 Medical science Research
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.
Study shows that the way the brain learns is different from the way that artificial intelligence systems learn
3 January 2024
AI and data science Computer science Medical science Research
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
18 December 2023
Biology Medical science Research
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.
Oxford scientist to lead international transdisciplinary consortium towards delivering NetZero Healthcare
12 December 2023
Biomedical engineering Climate Funding Medical science
The European Union Horizon Europe (with joint funding from UK Research Innovation) has awarded the NetZeroAICT Consortium major funding to develop a novel technology with great potentials to promote climate neutral and sustainable health care.
Antibiotic resistance genes are spread more widely between bacteria than previously thought
7 December 2023
Antimicrobial resistance Biology Medical science Research
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.
Armed to the hilt: Study solves mystery behind bacteria’s extensive weaponry
5 December 2023
Antimicrobial resistance Biology Medical science
A new study led by the University of Oxford has shed light on why certain species of bacteria carry astonishing arsenals of weapons. The new findings could help us to engineer microbes that can destroy deadly pathogens, reducing our reliance on antibiotics.
First digital atlas of human fetal brain development published
26 October 2023
Computer science Medical science Research
The first digital atlas showing how the human brain develops in the womb has been published by a global research team led by the University of Oxford.
New AI tool could help predict viral outbreaks
19 October 2023
Computer science Medical science Physical sciences underpinning health Research
As the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated, viruses can quickly evolve new ways of evading our immune systems, undermining our efforts to control outbreaks. But a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by researchers in the Department of Computer Science and Harvard Medical School could help predict new viral variants before they emerge.
Oxford researchers develop 3D printing method that shows promise for repairing brain injuries
4 October 2023
Chemistry Medical science Research
A breakthrough technique developed by University of Oxford researchers could one day provide tailored repairs for those who suffer brain injuries. The researchers demonstrated for the first time that neural cells can be 3D printed to mimic the architecture of the cerebral cortex.
University of Oxford named Focused Ultrasound Centre of Excellence
3 October 2023
Engineering Funding Medical science Physical sciences underpinning health
The Focused Ultrasound Foundation has designated the University of Oxford a Centre of Excellence in Focused Ultrasound. Oxford becomes the fifth Centre of Excellence in Europe and the eleventh worldwide. The recognition coincides with the University of Oxford’s celebration of Focused Ultrasound Day.
Prof Zhanfeng Cui one of eight Oxford academics elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
18 May 2023
Award Engineering Medical science
The new Fellows have been elected to the Academy in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the advancement of biomedical and health science, cutting edge research discoveries, and translating developments into benefits for patients and wider society.
Wellcome funding for multidisciplinary project to improve understanding about deadly disease outbreaks
3 February 2023
Climate Engineering Funding Medical science Research
DART (Dengue Advanced Readiness Tools) is a new, Oxford-led project involving scientists around the world, and one of 24 Wellcome-supported projects that will use climate data to better predict and prepare for infectious diseases outbreaks.
COVID-19 is a leading cause of death in children and young people in the US
31 January 2023
COVID-19 Computer science Medical science Physical sciences underpinning health Research
A new study led by researchers at the Department of Computer Science has found that, between 2021 and 2022, COVID-19 was a leading cause of death in children and young people in the United States, ranking eighth overall.
Bacterial armour plating has implications for antibiotics
3 November 2022
Antimicrobial resistance Chemistry Medical science Research
A new study, involving researchers in the departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Kavli Institute, sheds light on how Gram-negative bacteria like E. coli construct their outer membrane to resemble body armour, which has far-reaching implications for the development of antibiotics.
$3m Rockefeller Foundation funding to strengthen pandemic surveillance and response innovation co-developed by Oxford biologists
1 November 2022
Biology COVID-19 Funding Medical science
The Rockefeller Foundation has announced $3 million in new funding for Global.health (G.h) – a first-of-its-kind, open-source platform for scientific pandemic data.
MenACWY teenage meningitis vaccine programme drives herd immunity across all ages
7 October 2022
Biology Medical science Research
Researchers from the University of Oxford have today reported findings from a large-scale study that examined the impact of the UK’s MenACWY vaccination programme on the carriage of meningitis bacteria in the throats of UK teenagers.
Discovery of new nanowire assembly process could enable more powerful computer chips
29 September 2022
Functional materials Medical science Research
Researchers from Oxford University’s Department of Materials have developed a technique to precisely manipulate and place nanowires with sub-micron accuracy. This discovery could accelerate the development of even smaller and more powerful computer chips.
Night-time blood pressure assessment important in diagnosing hypertension
26 September 2022
Biomedical engineering Medical science Physical sciences underpinning health Research
A new study involving Oxford's Department of Engineering Science has found that monitoring night-time blood pressure is important in preventing cardiovascular disease such as stroke or heart failure.