19 November 2025
\n \n \n \nA new study led by the Department of Biology has found evidence that kissing evolved in the common ancestor of humans and other large apes around 21 million years ago, and that Neanderthals likely kissed as well.
\n \n\n \n \n12 November 2025
\n \n \n \nThe University of Oxford has announced that Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Principal of Jesus College and Professorial Research Fellow in Computer Science, has been appointed Chair of AI@Oxford Research, a new role to champion and coordinate Oxford\u2019s world-class research in artificial intelligence (AI).
\n \n\n \n \n6 November 2025
\n \n \n \nA new study led by the Department of Biology reveals that reptiles confined to islands are facing a double jeopardy. Despite being more likely to go extinct than mainland species, they remain largely ignored by researchers compared to their mainland counterparts.
\n \n\n \n \n29 October 2025
\n \n \n \nProfessor Dame E.J. Milner-Gulland, Department of Biology, explains why conservationists and researchers are concerned about the proposed Planning & Infrastructure Bill, and what needs to change for UK growth to not come at nature\u2019s expense.
\n \n\n \n \n15 October 2025
\n \n \n \nOxford University has opened a \u00a3200 million world-class teaching and research facility with the potential to tackle global challenges of life and mind.
\n \n\n \n \n27 August 2025
\n \n \n \nProfessor Kayla King (Department of Biology), Professor Philipp Kukura (Department of Chemistry) and Professor Michael Wooldridge (Department of Computer Science) are amongst the four Oxford researchers recognised in the 2025 Royal Society Awards.
\n \n\n \n \n20 August 2025
\n \n \n \nA new study led by the University of Oxford could provide a cost-effective and sustainable solution to help tackle the devastating decline in honeybees. An engineered food supplement, designed to provide essential compounds found in plant pollen, was found to significantly enhance colony reproduction. The results have been published today in the journal Nature.
\n \n\n \n \n31 July 2025
\n \n \n \nOxford researchers tracking wild great tits over multiple seasons have discovered that bird couples show clear behavioural signs of impending \"divorce\" months before they actually separate.
\n \n\n \n \n22 July 2025
\n \n \n \nAmy Dickman, from WildCRU, is one of the researchers behind a recent Conversation article exploring how upgraded fencing in Tanzania is helping to reduce conflict between people, livestock and large carnivores. The piece looks at how communities can better coexist with lions and other predators while protecting both livelihoods and wildlife.
\n \n\n \n \n15 July 2025
\n \n \n \nNew research led by University of Oxford researchers has found that old age likely impacts the habitual tool-use behaviours of some wild chimpanzees \u2013 although the extent to which different individuals are affected appears to be highly variable.
\n \n\n \n \n7 July 2025
\n \n \n \nNature-friendly farming budgets are increasing through schemes like the ELM programme \u2013 but could cuts elsewhere undermine overall progress? Professor Nathalie Seddon from the Department of Biology investigates for The Conversation UK.
\n \n\n \n \n1 July 2025
\n \n \n \nDepartment of Biology research on animal seismic senses will be featured at the Royal Society\u2019s annual free celebration of world-leading science. The Summer Science Exhibition runs from 1-6 July 2025 at the Royal Society in London.
\n \n\n \n \n14 June 2025
\n \n \n \nThe King's Birthday Honours 2025 Lists have been published, marking the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the UK, including members of the MPLS Division and wider University.
\n \n\n \n \n6 June 2025
\n \n \n \nDepartment of Biology researchers have contributed to an international study which found that dehorning rhinos resulted in a drastic reduction in poaching of these endangered animals. The findings have been published this week in the journal Science.
\n \n\n \n \n3 June 2025
\n \n \n \nResearchers in the Department of Biology and Wild Bioscience Ltd are to receive backing of a \u00a36.7 million grant from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to pioneer a new synthetic biology approach which promises to improve yields in potato and wheat.
\n \n\n \n \n20 May 2025
\n \n \n \nSeven academics from the University of Oxford, including five from the Mathematics, Physical and Life Sciences Division (MPLS) have been elected as Royal Society Fellows.
\n \n\n \n \n29 April 2025
\n \n \n \nTen new Fellows have joined the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship programme at the University of Oxford. Now entering its third year, the programme is helping to accelerate the next scientific revolution by applying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to research across the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematical sciences.
\n \n\n \n \n24 April 2025
\n \n \n \nThe study, led by the Department of Biology and published in Science Advances, is the world\u2019s first randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of an incentive-based marine conservation programme conclusively.
\n \n\n \n \n16 April 2025
\n \n \n \nAn impressive feat for Colossal Biosciences would be re-engineering large animals to provide lost ecological functions writes Professor Tim Coulson in The Conversation.
\n \n\n \n \n9 April 2025
\n \n \n \nProfessor David Macdonald, who founded the Department of Biology\u2019s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), has been awarded the Linnean Medal for long-standing and significant contributions to natural sciences.
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