New Oxford research hub to propel transformative AI innovations
6 February 2024
AI and data science Computer science Funding
The University of Oxford is to share in a major £80 million investment announced today to develop next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The funding, from EPSRC, will support nine new AI research hubs in the UK, one of which will be based at the Department of Computer Science.
Endangered seabird shows surprising individual flexibility to adapt to climate change
2 February 2024
A decade-long study led by the University of Oxford has revealed new insights into the mechanisms that enable animals to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The results have been published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Oxford scientists launch ambitious roadmap for a circular carbon plastics economy
1 February 2024
Chemistry Research Sustainability & the environment
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.
Urgent call for UK Government to develop a heat resilience strategy
31 January 2024
A new Parliamentary report spearheaded by Oxford University researchers has urged the UK Government to introduce a national heat resilience strategy to prepare the UK for the widespread impacts of a warming world.
From The Conversation: Nasa’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity has ended its mission – its success paves the way for more flying vehicles on other planets and moons
30 January 2024
Physics Space The Conversation
Kevin Olsen, UKSA Mars Science Fellow in the Department of Physics, discusses the extraordinary achievements of the Ingenuity helicopter mission.
Stunning spiral galaxies seen in new James Webb Space Telescope images
29 January 2024
A set of highly detailed images of 19 nearby spiral galaxies from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have been publicly released today. The suite of extraordinary images will provide several new puzzle pieces for astronomers and astrophysicists around the world.
MPLS researchers honoured in 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists
17 January 2024
Associate Professors Fernanda Duarte and Jayne Birkby have been named as Finalists in the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK. The prestigious awards celebrate the past accomplishments and future potential of the UK’s most innovative young scientists and engineers.
Researchers develop hedgehog safety test for robotic lawnmowers
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.
Professor Mike Kendall wins Royal Astronomical Society’s Gold Medal
12 January 2024
Head of Oxford University’s Department of Earth Sciences, Professor John-Michael Kendall, has today been awarded the 2024 Gold Medal for Geophysics from the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). The award recognises his outstanding work in the field of seismology (the study of earthquakes and seismic waves in the Earth’s interior) and for his support for the next generation of seismic researchers.
Third Trilateral Seed Fund between Siemens, TU Berlin and University of Oxford is bearing fruit
11 January 2024
Business and Industry Funding Innovation and Enterprise
Four successful bids have just been announced under the third Trilateral Seed Fund call of Siemens AG, Technical University of Berlin and the University of Oxford, following successful runs in 2020 and 2022.
New study uses machine learning to bridge the reality gap in quantum devices
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.
Sir Stewart Cole joins the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research as Executive Chair
9 January 2024
Sir Stewart Cole, KCMG, FRS has joined the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI) as Executive Chair. The IOI is a world-leading centre of research, training and education in the field of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) based at the University of Oxford.
New images reveal what Neptune and Uranus really look like
5 January 2024
Neptune is fondly known for being a rich blue and Uranus green – but a new study has revealed that the two ice giants are actually far closer in colour than typically thought. The research, led by Professor Patrick Irwin from the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics, has been published today in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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.
New Year Honours 2024
1 January 2024
Four academics from MPLS Division have been recognised in the New Year Honours 2024 Lists.
Two doctoral scholarships for women in STEM endowed at Keble College
20 December 2023
The Oxford-Emmy Graduate Scholarships aim to help address the disproportionately low representation of women who take up postgraduate study and go on to work in the fields of physics, mathematics, statistics, and computer science.
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.
Study finds that vast amounts of waste are caused by single-use e-cigarette batteries
15 December 2023
Energy Engineering Research Sustainability & the environment
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
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.
COP28 Expert Comment from across Oxford University
14 December 2023
There has been considerable debate and discussion over the best path forward, but there was general agreement among Oxford researchers about the devastating impact of fossil fuels and the need to phase out their use, while supporting nature-based solutions, developing renewables and switching to clean energy.