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Non-antibiotic drugs may also have a role to play in promoting antibiotic resistance, Dr Typas says. Image credit - Dr Nassos Typas
health | interview | frontier research
03 October 2019

Antibiotic resistance: How did we get here?

Finding ways to enlist the bacteria living in our bodies to defend against infections while better understanding their role in promoting antibiotic resistance are key to fighting this growing problem, says Dr Nassos Typas, a microbiologist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany.

It is believed that the composition of gut bacteria in newborn babies is a strong indicator of future health. Image credit - Pixabay/ blankita_ua, image under Pixabay license
health | frontier research
01 October 2019

Bacteria passed from mother to baby may play a role in later health

The bacteria and viruses a baby inherits from its mother play a crucial role in determining the child’s health in later life, according to research that could lead to new interventions to tackle conditions like obesity, allergies and colic.

Investigating less-studied neural structures is revealing insights which could explain dyslexia. Image credit: Pezibear/Pixabay, licensed under Pixabay licence
health | frontier research
30 September 2019

Better understanding sensory perception could help people with autism and dyslexia

Deciphering how the brain processes sight and hearing could have implications for how we understand and treat conditions such as dyslexia, autism and schizophrenia.

The science that made smartphones possible was done in the 1940s and 1950s. Image credit - Pixabay/ 7721622, licensed under Pixabay license
frontier research | policy
26 September 2019

Basic research to world-changing applications can take 6 months – or 50 years

All technology and innovation have a science base but to get there requires patience, as the journey from curiosity-driven basic research to a world-changing technology can take six months or 50 years, a panel of Nobel and Kavli prize laureates has said.

There is still uncertainty around the knock-on effects of abrupt ocean changes. Image credit - Pixnio, CC0
environment | policy
25 September 2019

‘The biggest threat to our oceans is that we’ve taken them for granted’

People need to be persuaded that the ocean is not a problem or dangerous for humans, but that we are a problem for the oceans, according to former WTO trade chief Pascal Lamy, who kicked off discussions on Europe’s ambitions for protecting oceans over the next decade at a major research event in Brussels, Belgium.

Nantes is the new European Capital of Innovation. Image credit: Pierre Guezingar/Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
policy
25 September 2019

Nantes named 2019 European capital of innovation

Nantes, France, has been named the 2019 European Capital of Innovation for its ability to improve the lives of its residents through innovation.

‘As Greta Thunberg would say, I would like people to panic and take action,' said Prof. Schellnhuber. Image credit - PlanetMallika/ Pixabay
environment | policy
24 September 2019

‘I would like people to panic’ – Top scientist unveils equation showing world in climate emergency

A new equation showing that the world is ‘deep in a climate emergency’ was unveiled on 24 September by Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, one of the world’s leading authorities on climate change, who said that people still don’t want to see the truth about the state we’re in.

Having an external visual cue such as a line has been shown to reduce the number of freezing episodes in Parkinson's patients. Image credit - Walk With Path
policy
24 September 2019

Shoe-mounted laser to ‘unfreeze’ people with Parkinson’s scoops €1 million prize

A shoe-mounted laser beam that helps people with Parkinson’s disease ‘unfreeze’ by shining a green line in front of their feet has been awarded the EU’s €1 million Horizon Prize for Social Innovation.

Prof. Mark Ferguson, chair of the European Innovation Council's advisory board, says that he aims for the EIC to bring together entrepreneurs and innovative academics so that a groundbreaking discovery or promising technology can be scaled up quickly. Credit: Science Foundation Ireland
industry | open innovation
23 September 2019

‘Turning science into business is about recognising opportunity’

Scientists need to work more closely with entrepreneurs and financiers to ensure groundbreaking research in Europe can be turned into successful business opportunities, according to the recently appointed chair of the European Innovation Council’s pilot advisory board.

The idea that wellbeing encompasses more than economic growth is widespread, but the problem is deciding what to measure. Image credit - Cherylholt/ Pixabay
science in society
19 September 2019

Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?

More than two decades ago, Professor Andrew Oswald worked at the London School of Economics, UK, when he organised what he says was the world’s first conference on the economics of happiness. He put up posters, invited speakers, and waited for the crowds to come.

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