School of Biological Sciences news 1

Sir John was a visionary in the field of developmental biology, whose pioneering work on nuclear transfer in frogs addressed one of the most fundamental questions in biology: whether genetic information is retained or lost during development.

His work paved the way for ground-breaking advances in biomedical research, from stem cell biology to mouse genetics and IVF.

His discovery that mature adult cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell state (known as pluripotency) was recognised by the award of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, shared with Shinya Yamanaka.

Professor Ben Simons, Director of the Gurdon Institute at the University of Cambridge said: “As well as being a towering figure in developmental and stem cell biology, through his dedication to science, his affection for colleagues and his humility, Sir John Gurdon was an inspiration to us all.” 

Born in 1933, Sir John was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, where he gained First Class Honours in Zoology. Following appointments in Oxford and the United States, Sir John joined the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge in 1972 and later became the John Humphrey Plummer Professor of Cell Biology in the Department of Zoology. He served as Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge from 1995 to 2002. 

In 1991 he founded the Wellcome/CRUK Institute for Cell Biology and Cancer, later renamed the Gurdon Institute at the University of Cambridge, together with Ron Laskey. Their vision was to bring together expertise in two research areas: developmental biology and cancer biology. Sir John’s personal commitment to research - he continued to perform experiments at the bench until his 90s - was matched only by his dedication and support of his colleagues.

The University remembers Sir John as an inspiring scientist, insightful colleague, mentor, teacher and leader, whose legacy will live on through the generations of scientists trained in his lab, and extends its heartfelt condolences to Lady Gurdon and the family.

It is with great sadness that the University shares the news of the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon, founder of the Gurdon Institute.

As well as being a towering figure in developmental and stem cell biology...Sir John Gurdon was an inspiration to us all.Ben SimonsSir John Gurdon in the lab

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Yes

Research led by the University of Cambridge has found the first clear evidence that the ‘good’ gut bacteria Bifidobacterium breve in pregnant mothers regulates the placenta’s production of hormones critical for a healthy pregnancy.

In a study in mice, the researchers compared the placentas of mice with no gut bacteria to those of mice with Bifidobacterium breve in their gut during pregnancy.

Pregnant mice without Bifidobacterium breve in their gut had a higher rate of complications including fetal growth restriction and fetal low blood sugar, and increased fetal loss.

This gut bacteria seems to play a crucial role in prompting the placenta to produce pregnancy hormones that allow the mother’s body to support the pregnancy.

This is the first time scientists have found a link between the gut microbiome and the placenta.

The researchers say this paves the way for testing the mother’s gut microbiome to identify pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia or miscarriage early - and then manipulating it with probiotics to improve the chances of a healthy baby.

The research is published today in the Journal of Translational Medicine.

“Our results open up an entirely new way to assess the health of a pregnant mother and her developing fetus by looking at the mother’s gut microbiome,” said Dr Jorge Lopez Tello, first author of the report, who carried out the work while at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience.

He added: “Everybody ignores the placenta - after nine months of pregnancy it just gets thrown in the bin. But now we understand more about how it works, in the future pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, miscarriage and stillbirth might be prevented simply by adjusting the mother’s gut microbes to improve the function of the placenta.”

The placenta is a crucial organ during pregnancy that connects mother to fetus, and provides the nutrients, oxygen and hormones essential for healthy development of the baby.

Remote control

In the study, over 150 biological processes in the placenta - involving over 400 different proteins - were found to be different in mice with, and without, Bifidobacterium breve in their gut.

The mice with Bifidobacterium breve in their gut lost fewer of their pregnancies. Their placentas were better at absorbing and transporting nutrients, like amino acids and lactate, from mother to fetus - vital for fetal growth. Their placentas also produced more of the hormones important for pregnancy, such as prolactins and pregnancy-specific glycoproteins.

By studying mice, whose diet, activity and gut microbiome could be tightly controlled, the scientists can be sure their findings are not caused by other factors. Using mice allowed them to pinpoint the importance of Bifidobacterium breve - a finding that is also relevant to human pregnancies.

The scientists say more research is needed to understand how these ‘good’ bacteria work within the human body’s full gut microbiome, and whether they could be manipulated in the gut without any negative effects.

Bifidobacterium breve occurs naturally in the human gut microbiome, but in pregnant women the levels of this ‘good’ bacteria can be altered by stress or obesity. It is widely available as a supplement in probiotic drinks and tablets.

Healthier pregnancies

The babies of up to 10% of first-time mothers have low birth weight or fetal growth restriction. If a baby doesn’t grow properly in the womb, there is an increased risk of conditions like cerebral palsy in infants, and anxiety, depression, autism, and schizophrenia in later life.

“Our research reveals a whole new layer of information about how pregnancy works, and will help us find new interventions that can improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy for mother and baby,” said Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience and St John’s College, senior author of the report.

“It’s exciting to think that beneficial microbes like Bifidobacterium - which naturally support gut and immune health - could be harnessed during pregnancy to improve outcomes. Using something like a probiotic offers a promising alternative to traditional therapeutics, potentially reducing risks while enhancing wellbeing in mother and baby,” said Professor Lindsay Hall at the University of Birmingham’s College of Medicine and Health, who was also involved in the work.

This research was funded primarily by Wellcome.

Reference

Lopez-Tello, J. et al: ‘Placental endocrine function is controlled by maternal gut Bifidobacterium in germ-free mice.’ Journal of Translational Medicine, October 2025. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-025-07198-4

When Bifidobacterium breve, widely available in probiotic drinks, is present in the gut of pregnant females it boosts the placenta’s production of pregnancy hormones to reduce the likelihood of complications like preeclampsia and miscarriage.

Our results open up an entirely new way to assess the health of a pregnant mother and her developing fetus by looking at the mother’s gut microbiome.Jorge Lopez TelloMakidotvn on GettyPregnant woman with a probiotic drink

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YesLicence type: Attribution-Noncommerical

A Nobel prize-winner and one of the most influential scientists of the twentieth century, Edwards spent much of his career in the Department of Physiology at the University of Cambridge.

Together with gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe and technician and embryologist Jean Purdy, Edwards pioneered the technique of IVF, in which eggs are fertilised by sperm in a laboratory, creating an embryo that is transferred into a woman’s womb to achieve pregnancy.

Their breakthrough came when the first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was born in July 1978 - marking the beginning of a new era of medicine.

Researchers estimate there have now been over 13 million babies born from IVF worldwide.

A two-part event on Friday 26 September at the University of Cambridge will celebrate Edwards’ life, work and legacy, marking what would have been his 100th birthday on Saturday 27 September.

An afternoon of talks and discussion, focusing on science and clinical practice, will take part in the Physiology Lecture Theatre - the building where Edwards succeeding in fertilising a human egg in a test tube. It will involve clinicians and scientists who were trained or inspired by Edwards.

This will be followed by an evening panel discussion open to the public at Churchill College, Cambridge, where Edwards was a Fellow from 1979 and a Member from 1974.

Among the evening panellists will be Louise Brown - the first IVF baby, Dr Jenny Joy - the second of Edwards’ five daughters, Emma Barnett - British Broadcaster and Journalist with a young IVF child, and Dr Mike Macnamee - former CEO of the world’s first IVF clinic, Bourn Hall Clinic, which was established in 1980 by Edwards together with Steptoe and Purdy.

“Scientists studying human reproduction at the University of Cambridge today are building on Sir Bob Edwards’ incredible legacy. Many of their careers overlapped with his, and now they’re developing his science further, and also building on his pioneering contributions to the ethics of assisted reproduction,” said Professor Kathy Niakan, Director of the University of Cambridge’s Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research, who will chair the scientific sessions at Friday’s event.

She added: “To be part of this field today is a unique opportunity for discovery and innovation, and a great honour to carry forward Sir Bob Edwards’ vision in advancing our understanding of human reproduction.”

Dr Jenny Joy, Edwards’ daughter, said, “Our family is delighted to be involved in this event, working with the Loke Centre in the Physiology Department and Churchill College, which both meant a great deal to our father.”

Edwards joined the University of Cambridge in 1963, and went on to win the Nobel Prize in 2010 for his work, by which time around four million people had been born following IVF treatment. Edwards died in 2013, aged 87.

Infertility affects over 10% of all couples worldwide, and IVF is now one of the most commonly used and successful fertility treatments available.

More information about the event is available online.

The Bob Edwards centenary conference has been organised by the family of Sir Robert Edwards, the Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research, and Churchill Archives Centre (Churchill College) - which houses Edwards’ papers.

The conference is supported by Cambridge Reproduction.

Celebrations at the University of Cambridge honour the life, work and legacy of Sir Robert Edwards, whose work revolutionised fertility treatment through the invention of in vitro fertilisation.

Scientists studying human reproduction at the University of Cambridge today are building on Sir Bob Edwards’ incredible legacy.Kathy NiakanChurchill Archives CentreBob Edwards giving a talk at a Berlin symposium

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YesLicence type: Attribution-Noncommerical

Cambridge researchers Dr Claudia Bonfio, Dr Akshay Deshmukh and Dr Elizabeth Radford have been awarded UKRI Future Leader Fellowships, which provides up to seven years of support to enable them to tackle ambitious programmes or multidisciplinary questions, and new or emerging research and innovation areas and partnerships.

Dr Claudia Bonfio’s lab in the Department of Biochemistry studies how life emerges from non-living matter and tries to answer this question by designing and building active primitive cells. Her Future Leader Fellowship project addresses this evolutionary question through an approach that bridges chemistry and biophysics, by investigating how the synergy between primitive lipids and peptides led to the emergence of membrane proteins – a hallmark of living cells.

Dr Akshay Deshmukh is returning to Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology from MIT to take up his Future Leader Fellowship. To reach net zero by 2050, we will require seven times more critical metals than we produce today. Current extraction methods use large amounts of energy, water, chemicals, and land. During his Fellowship, Deshmukh will develop new processes to recover metals from sources like brines and recycling streams. His research combines experiments, spectroscopy, and mechanistic studies to create a framework for designing next-generation membranes, and aims to speed up the development of cheaper, more sustainable separation technologies.

Dr Elizabeth Radford is a paediatric neurologist based in the Department of Paediatrics, whose research is working to accelerate diagnosis and expand the treatment options for children affected by neurodevelopmental genetic conditions. Everyone carries small genetic changes, and while most are harmless, some disrupt how the proteins in our cells work and can affect a child’s development. However, it isn’t always clear which changes cause problems, making diagnosis slow and uncertain. During her Fellowship, Radford will study thousands of genetic changes by recreating them in human cells grown in the lab. This will show which changes damage proteins, helping doctors interpret genetic tests and provide earlier diagnoses, and paving the way for future treatments.

UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowships fund allows universities and businesses to develop talented early career researchers and innovators and attract new people to their organisations, including from overseas.

Out of the successful applications, thirteen projects are led by businesses and funded by Innovate UK.

To support excellent research and innovation wherever it arises and to facilitate movement of people and projects between sectors, FLF fellows are based in the most appropriate environment for their projects, be that universities, businesses, charities, or other independent research organisations.

The Fellowship allows the individual to devote their time to tackle challenging research and innovation problems and to develop their careers as they become the next wave of world-class research and innovation leaders.

The Fellowship also allows recipients access to the FLF Development Network, which provides specialised leadership training, access to networks, workshops, mentors, one-to-one coaching, and opportunities for additional seed-funding for collaborative projects.

“UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships provide researchers and innovators with long-term support and training to embark on large and complex research programmes, to address key national and global challenges,” said Frances Burstow, Director of Talent and Skills at UKRI. “The programme supports the research and innovation leaders of the future to transcend disciplinary and sector boundaries, bridging the gap between academia and business. UKRI supports excellence across the entire breadth of its remit, supporting early-career researchers to lessen the distance from discovery to real world impact.”

“UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships offer long-term support to outstanding researchers, helping them turn bold ideas into innovations that improve lives and livelihoods in the UK and beyond,” said UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Sir Ian Chapman. “These fellowships continue to drive excellence and accelerate the journey from discovery to public benefit. I wish them every success.”

Three Cambridge researchers are among 77 early-career researchers who have been awarded a total of £120 million to lead vital research, collaborate with innovators and develop their careers as the research and innovation leaders of the future.

University of Cambridge(L-R) Dr Claudia Bonfio, Dr Akshay Deshmukh and Dr Elizabeth Radford

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Yes

A short profile of a migrant NHS worker that taps into values of duty and hard work produces a 20-point swing in positivity towards EU immigration among British voters, according to a Cambridge psychology experiment.

In a study in mice, researchers have identified genes associated with the dramatic transformation of the mammary gland in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and after breastfeeding as it returns to its resting state.

Their results form the most detailed atlas of genetic expression ever produced for the adult developmental cycle of the mammary gland. They are published today in the journal Nucleic Acids Research.

The mammary gland is made up of different cell types, each with a different function - such as fat cells that provide structural support, and basal cells that are crucial for milk ejection.

The team analysed the cellular composition of the mammary gland at ten different time-points from before the first pregnancy, during pregnancy, during breastfeeding, and during a process called involution when the breast tissue is remodelled to its resting state. The mix of cell types changes dramatically through this cycle.

By measuring gene expression in the mammary gland over the same time-points, the researchers were able to link specific genes to their functions at different stages of the developmental cycle.

“Our atlas is the most detailed to date, allowing us to see which genes are expressed in which cell types at each stage of the adult mammary gland cycle,” said Dr Geula Hanin, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Genetics, first author of the report. 

The team found that genes associated with breastfeeding disorders such as insufficient milk supply are active not only in the breast cells that produce milk, but also in other cells such as basal cells - which squeeze out the milk as the infant is suckling. This suggests that in some instances, a mechanical problem - rather than a milk production problem - could be the cause and provides a new cell target for investigation.

The study also found that genes associated with postpartum breast cancer become active immediately after weaning in various cell types - including in fat cells, which have previously been overlooked as contributors to breast cancer linked to childbirth. This offers a future potential target for early detection or prevention strategies.

Hanin said: “We’ve found that genes associated with problems in milk production, often experienced by breastfeeding mothers, are acting in breast cells that weren’t previously considered relevant for milk production. We’ve found genes associated with postpartum breast cancer acting in cells that have been similarly overlooked.

“This work provides many potential new ways of transforming maternal and infant health, by using genetic information to both predict problems with breastfeeding and breast cancer, and to tackle them further down the line.”

Breastfeeding affects lifelong health, for example breast-fed babies are less likely to become obese and diabetic. Yet one in twenty women have breastfeeding difficulties, and despite its importance this is a greatly understudied area of women’s health.

Postpartum breast cancer occurs within five to ten years of giving birth and is linked to hormonal fluctuations, natural tissue remodelling, and the changing environment of the mammary gland during involution that makes it more susceptible to malignancy.

The researchers also focused on ‘imprinted genes’- that is, genes that are switched on or off depending on whether they are inherited from the mother or the father. Imprinted genes in the placenta are known to regulate growth and development of the baby in the womb.

The team identified 25 imprinted genes that are active in the adult mammary gland at precise times during the development cycle. These appear to orchestrate a tightly controlled system for managing milk production and breast tissue changes during motherhood.

Some functions of the genes themselves have been identified in previous studies. This new work provides a detailed understanding of when, and where, the genes become active to cause changes in mammary gland function during its adult development cycle.

“Breastfeeding is a fundamental process that’s common to all mammals; we wouldn’t have survived without it. I hope this work will lead to new ways to support mothers who have issues with breastfeeding, so they have a better chance of succeeding,” said Hanin.

The research was funded primarily by the Medical Research Council.

Hanin co-leads the Cambridge Lactation Network and is a member of Cambridge Reproduction. 

Reference: Hanin, G. et al: ‘Dynamic Allelic Expression in Mouse Mammary Gland Across the Adult Developmental Cycle.’ Nucleic Acids Research, September 2025. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaf804

Learn more about the University's research into Women's Health.

A University of Cambridge study of adult mammary gland development has revealed new genes involved in breastfeeding, and provided insights into how genetic changes may be associated with breastfeeding disorders and postpartum breast cancers.

This work provides many potential new ways of transforming maternal and infant health, by using genetic information to both predict problems...and to tackle them further down the line.Geula HaninAlexandr Kolesnikov, GettyMother breastfeeding her baby

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YesLicence type: Attribution

The £42.8 million Generation New Era birth cohort study will create a comprehensive picture of early childhood development in all four nations of the UK.

Funded by the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), this is the first new UK-wide longitudinal birth cohort study in 25 years and comes as the government publishes its Giving every child the best start in life policy paper.

Generation New Era will collect data at two key developmental stages – between 9-11 months and again at 3-4 years – providing crucial insights before children enter formal education. The research will examine physical, mental and social development, and explore how technological, environmental and social changes affect early childhood experiences. The intention is that the initiative will track these children and their families throughout their lives.

Generation New Era will be led jointly by Co-Directors Professor Pasco Fearon of the University of Cambridge and Professors Alissa Goodman and Lisa Calderwood of UCL.

Professor Fearon, Director of the Centre for Child, Adolescent and Family Research at Cambridge, said: “Children’s lives have changed dramatically since the last UK birth cohort study was launched at the turn of the century. In the past decade, unprecedented social, technological, political and economic events have taken place that have changed the landscape for families raising children dramatically.

“New UK-wide data are needed urgently to help us understand how these changes impact children as they grow up, and there will be new opportunities and challenges for families coming down the line, like AI, that a study like this can help us to better understand.”

As a four-nations cohort study, the study team will benefit from the expertise of senior academics based at the universities of Swansea, Ulster, and Edinburgh, who will serve as the study's leads in their countries.

It will invite over 60,000 children and their families from across the UK with the aim of recruiting 30,000 to participate in the project. There will be a particular focus on recruiting fathers as well as mothers and including groups previously underrepresented in population research, giving a voice to as many communities in UK society as possible

This comprehensive approach will ensure the findings are representative of the diverse experiences of families across the country and that comparisons can be made to help all areas of the UK to learn what works best to improve lives and livelihoods.

The findings generated by the study will directly inform policy development across government departments, helping to ensure services and support for families are based on robust evidence.

Professor Alissa Goodman from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies said: “Generation New Era is a landmark scientific endeavour which will improve the lives of children and benefit science and society for many years to come.  

“As the government works to give every child the best start in life, the study can help shape vital policies and services for babies and parents across the UK. Thanks to the commitment of our participants, we can support the health and development of this generation - and help future generations thrive.”

Generation New Era is part of a long tradition of research council-funded UK longitudinal birth cohort studies which have followed the lives of tens of thousands of people over the past eight decades.

ESRC executive chair Stian Westlake said: “I am excited to see what Generation New Era will discover about the lives of children born next year and how they differ across the UK. The evidence this study produces can underpin policy that makes the UK a happier, healthier and fairer place, improving lives and livelihoods. It is an investment in the future that we are proud to make.”

The study will begin inviting families to take part in the study from summer 2026.

Adapted from a press release from the ESRC

Cambridge is to co-lead a new UK-wide scientific study that will follow the lives of 30,000 children born in 2026, helping provide evidence to improve the lives of future generations.

In the past decade, unprecedented social, technological, political and economic events have taken place that have changed the landscape for families raising children dramaticallyPasco FearonSolStock (Getty Images)Friends and their children at the beach

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Yes

When we feel socially isolated, our brain motivates us to seek rewards. Current theory holds that this is a beneficial evolutionary adaptation to help us reconnect with others.

The University of Cambridge-led study found that people in their late teens are very sensitive to the experience of loneliness. After just a few hours without any social interaction, adolescents make significantly more effort to get rewards.  

This increased motivation to seek rewards can help with social reconnection. But when connecting with others is not possible, the behaviour change might be problematic – for example, by making some people more prone to seek out rewards such as alcohol or recreational drugs.

The study found that the effect was stronger in adolescents who reported feeling lonelier while in isolation. When study participants were allowed to interact with others on social media during isolation, they reported feeling less lonely – and their reward-seeking behaviour changed less dramatically as a result.

The report is published today in the journal Communications Psychology.

“Our study demonstrates just how sensitive young people are to very short periods of isolation,” said Dr Livia Tomova, first author of the report, who conducted the study while in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge.

“We found that loneliness significantly increases adolescents’ motivation to seek out rewards – whether that’s more social contact, money, or something else,” added Tomova, who is now based at the University of Cardiff.

Studies suggest that adolescent loneliness has doubled worldwide over the past decade. Social media has been suggested as the culprit, but the researchers say many other changes in society could also be to blame.

“Social media can lead to loneliness in some adolescents, but our study suggests that this relationship is complex,” said Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology, senior author of the report.

She added: “Virtual interaction with others seems to make isolated teens less driven to seek external rewards, compared to when they are isolated without access to social media. That suggests social media might reduce some of the negative effects of isolation – but of course we don’t know what potentially harmful effects it might have at the same time.”

While study participants got less bored and lonely in isolation if they had access to social media, they still experienced the same decrease in positive mood as those without access.

Social interaction is a basic human need, and lack of it leads to loneliness. Until now there has been very limited understanding of how loneliness affects adolescent behaviour, with most scientific experiments carried out in animal models.

HOW WAS THE STUDY DONE?

Researchers recruited young people from the local area in Cambridge, UK, conducting extensive screening to gather a group of 40 adolescents aged 16-19 who had good social connections, no history of mental health problems, and average levels of loneliness for their age group.

Participants were given initial tests to establish their baseline score for each task. Then on two different days, they were asked to spend between three and four hours alone in a room before completing the same computer-based tasks again.

On one of the isolation days participants had no social interaction at all, but on the other they had access to virtual social interactions through their phone or laptop.

The study found that when virtual interactions were available, almost half the participants spent over half their time online – predominantly using Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp to message their friends.

Overall, the study found that participants became more motivated to look at images of positive social interactions, and to play games where they could win money, after being in isolation for around four hours. They were also better at learning how to get these rewards in ‘fruit machine’-type games.

If they could interact virtually with others while in isolation, they reported feeling less lonely. They were also less inclined to make an effort in the tasks than when they didn’t have virtual social interaction during their isolation.

This research was funded by a Henslow Research Fellowship from the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Wellcome, Jacobs Foundation, and Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.

Reference: Tomova, L. et al: ‘Acute isolation is associated with increased reward seeking and reward learning in human adolescents.’ Communications Psychology, September 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s44271-025-00306-6

A study has found that adolescents become highly motivated to seek rewards after just a few hours of social isolation. This may be beneficial in driving them towards social interaction, but when opportunities for connection are limited could lead them to pursue less healthy rewards like alcohol or drugs.

Our study demonstrates just how sensitive young people are to very short periods of isolationLivia TomovaSDI Productions, GettyTeenage girl sitting on sofa

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YesLicence type: Attribution-Noncommerical

The visit brought together fundamental plant science research with crop and Agri-Tech researchers from across the University for a series of research demonstrations and a roundtable discussion. 

Mr Zeichner toured the award-winning facility, meeting researchers in the open-plan office and lab spaces, which foster collaboration and advances in multi-disciplinary research. 

The Minister saw exciting examples of foundational research, which have the potential to transform agriculture and ensure long term sustainability.  

The first demonstration was led by Dr Sebastian Schornack and PhD student Nicolas Hernandez, who are investigating the plant developmental processes. The Minister saw through the microscope how they are using beetroot pigments to enable us to see how fungi is colonising living plant roots. This research allows us to track and measure in real time how chemicals, soil tillage and environmental conditions impact this beneficial plant-microbe relationship.  

Mr Zeichner then visited the Lab’s microscopy room, and met with Dr Madelaine Bartlett and her colleague Terice Kelly. Dr Madelaine Bartlett's team researches the development of maize flowers (among other grass and cereal species) with a particular focus on the genetics behind these specialised flowers and future crop improvement. The team demonstrated how they image a maize flower on the Lab’s desktop scanning electron microscope. 

The Sainsbury Laboratory boasts its own Bee Room, where Dr Edwige Moyroud demonstrated how bumble bees are helping to reveal the characteristics of petal patterns that are most important for attracting pollinators. Dr Moyroud and her team are identifying the genes that plants use to produce patterns that attract pollinators by combining various research techniques, including experiments, modelling, microscopy and bee behaviour. 

Finally, overlooking Cambridge’ Botanic Gardens, academics from the Department of Plant Sciences and the Crop Science Centre presented on research into regenerative agriculture and using AI to measure and prevent crop disease.  

Professor Lynn Dicks presented on the latest findings of the H3 research on regenerative agriculture. Professor Dicks and colleagues, during this ongoing five-year project, have worked collaboratively with farming clusters in the UK to study the impacts of a transition on regenerative agriculture, which has so far has been shown to improve soil health and reduce the use of chemicals. 

Professor Eves-van Den Akker and his team, based at the University’s Crop Science Centre, have combined low-cost 3D printing of custom imaging machines with state-of-the-art deep-learning algorithms to make millions of measurements, of tens of thousands of parasites across hundreds of genotypes. They are now working with companies to translate this fundamental research, with the aim of accelerating their breeding programs for crop resistance to pests and disease. 

The visit concluded with a discussion of the UK’s leading strengths in Agri-Tech and crop science, and how the UK and Cambridge are an attractive place for researchers from around the world to work, and make exciting advances, with global impact. 

The University of Cambridge hosted a visit from local MP, and Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner MP, at the Sainsbury Laboratory.

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Yes

While previous research shows outrage and division drive engagement on social media, a new study of digital behaviour during the 2024 US election finds that this effect flips during a major crisis – when “ingroup solidarity” becomes the engine of online virality.

Psychologists say the findings show positive emotions such as unity can cut through the hostility on social media, but it takes a shock to the system that threatens a community.  

In a little over a week during the summer of 2024, the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a rally (July 13) and Joe Biden’s suspension of his re-election campaign (21 July) completely reshaped the presidential race.

The University of Cambridge’s Social Decision-Making Lab collected over 62,000 public posts from the Facebook accounts of hundreds of US politicians, commentators and media outlets before and after these events to see how they affected online behaviour.*

“We wanted to understand the kinds of content that went viral among Republicans and Democrats during this period of high tension for both groups,” said Malia Marks, PhD candidate in Cambridge’s Department of Psychology and lead author of the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Negative emotions such as anger and outrage along with hostility towards opposing political groups are usually rocket fuel for social media engagement. You might expect this to go into hyperdrive during times of crisis and external threat.”

“However, we found the opposite. It appears that political crises evoke not so much outgroup hate but rather ingroup love,” said Marks.

Just after the Trump assassination attempt, Republican-aligned posts signalling unity and shared identity received 53% more engagement than those that did not – an increase of 17 percentage points compared to just before the shooting.

These included posts such as evangelist Franklin Graham thanking God that Donald Trump is alive, and Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham posting: “Bleeding and unbowed, Trump faces relentless attacks yet stands strong for America. This is why his followers remain passionately loyal.”

At the same time, engagement levels for Republican posts attacking the Democrats saw a decrease of 23 percentage points from just a few days earlier.

After Biden suspended his re-election campaign, Democrat-aligned posts expressing solidarity received 91% more engagement than those that did not – a major increase of 71 percentage points over the period shortly before his withdrawal.

Posts included former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich calling Biden “one of our most pro-worker presidents”, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi posting that Biden’s “legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history.”

Biden’s withdrawal saw the continuation of a gradual rise in engagement for Democrat posts attacking Republicans – although over the 25 July days covered by the analysis almost a quarter of all conservative posts displayed “outgroup hostility” compared to just 5% of liberal posts.

Research led by the same Cambridge Lab, published in 2021, showed how social media posts criticizing or mocking those on the rival side of an ideological divide typically receive twice as many shares as posts that champion one’s own side.

“Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are increasingly seen as creating toxic information environments that intensify social and political divisions, and there is plenty of research now to support this,” said Yara Kyrychenko, study co-author and PhD candidate in Cambridge’s Social Decision-Making Lab.

“Yet we see that social media can produce a rally-round-the-flag effect at moments of crisis, when the emotional and psychological preference for one’s own group takes over as the dominant driver of online behaviour.”

Last year, the Cambridge team (led by Kyrychenko) published a study of 1.6 million Ukrainian social media posts in the months before and after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February of 2022.

Following the invasion they found a similar spike for “ingroup solidarity” posts, which got 92% more engagement on Facebook and 68% more on Twitter, while posts hostile to Russia received little extra engagement. 

Researchers argue that the findings from the latest study are even more surprising, given the gravity of the threat to Ukraine and the nature of its population.

“We didn’t know whether moments of political rather than existential crisis would trigger solidarity in a country as deeply polarised as the United States. But even here, group unity surged when leadership was threatened,” said Dr Jon Roozenbeek, Lecturer in Psychology at Cambridge University and senior author of the study.

“In times of crisis, ingroup love may matter more to us than outgroup hate on social media.”

* The study used 62,118 public posts from 484 Facebook accounts run by US politicians and partisan commentators or media sources from 5-29 July 2024.

Research reveals how political crises cause a shift in the force behind viral online content ‘from outgroup hate to ingroup love’.

It appears that political crises evoke not so much outgroup hate but rather ingroup loveMalia Marksconceptphoto.info via FlickrThe Trump assassination attempt on the front page of German newspaper Bild.

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YesLicence type: Attribution

With over 70 drop-in and bookable events, Open Cambridge encourages people to discover more about their local history and communities. Taking place over 10 days, here is a preview of some of the events taking place. 

Experience two iconic Cambridge sites this September by booking on to guided tours of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO) and the University of Cambridge’s Senate House. At MRAO, discover more about mysterious dishes which are dotted over the Cambridgeshire countryside. You’ll get up close to the One-Mile Telescope, 5-km Ryle Telescope, and the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager as well as see inside some of the control rooms and learn about the unique history of the site and some of the important discoveries made here. In the tours of Senate House, led by the University’s Ceremonial Officer, find out what goes on in this Grade 1 listed building during graduations as well as some of the incredible history the building as played host to.  

Learn about the experiences of over 2000 Cambridgeshire soldiers who were sent last minute by Churchill to the failed defence of Singapore in WWII in a special talk by Lewis Herbert, former Leader of Cambridge City Council. On the 80th anniversary of the release from Japanese Army slavery of our Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOWs) in September 1945, this talk will pay tribute to them and their families, particularly over 800 locally who never made in home - over 4 in every 10. 

This year marks 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen and to celebrate King’s College Library and Archives are hosting an exhibition showcasing first and early editions of the author’s much-loved novels, alongside the autograph manuscript of her unfinished novel Sanditon and treasures highlighting the Austen family’s connection with the College. This one-day event is a rare opportunity to look inside the College’s beautiful early nineteenth-century library designed by the architect William Wilkins. 

Back in May, The Sainsbury Laboratory here in Cambridge were part of a team winning a silver-gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. For Open Cambridge, enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the lab, see some of the award-winning display and have a go at some of the interactive activities the team took to Chelsea. 

Try your hand at the world’s fastest growing sport, Padel, in a free 55-minute taster session at the Cambridge University Sports Centre. A fun, sociable mix of tennis and squash, each session is led by a qualified coach and great for beginners, so you’ll learn the rules, try out some shots, and experience what makes padel so popular. 

Cambridge Samaritans will be joining Open Cambridge for the first time this year. For over 60 years, they have been there—day or night—for anyone struggling to cope or in distress, offering a safe space to talk without judgement or pressure. Join a special online event to find out more about the work the charity is doing on the helplines and in the local community and discover Samaritans’ unique approach to supporting those in emotional distress and our work in reducing the number of suicides. 

Also, in the programme for the first time, are two tours of the Biomedical Campus. The first, delivered by Sociologists and residents David Skinner and Will Brown, considers the past, present, and future of the Campus from the perspective of the people who live around it. 

The second tour will explore landmark institutions like Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth Hospitals, the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and AstraZeneca’s global HQ as well as give visitors the opportunity to learn about the upcoming Cancer and Children’s Hospitals, world-first surgeries, and the collaborative spirit that drives breakthroughs from bench to bedside. 

Zoe Smith, Open Cambridge Manager, said: “Each year we’re blessed with such an incredible and unique programme of events. From garden and walking tours, to learning more about some of the amazing work our local community organisations undertake, this year’s programme opening doors to the residents of Cambridge”. 

Jo McPhee, Civic Engagement Manager at the University of Cambridge said: “Open Cambridge is a great way for our University and local communities to come together and celebrate our shared history and incredible stories behind our spaces, places and people. This year’s programme is full of exciting events that bring those stories to life, showcasing the the depth and diversity of our collective heritage.” 

The full Open Cambridge programme can be viewed here: https://www.opencambridge.cam.ac.uk/events. Open Cambridge is part of the national Heritage Open Days. It is designed to offer special access to places that are normally closed to the public or charge admission. The initiative provides an annual opportunity for people to discover the local history and heritage of their community. It is run by the Public Engagement team at the University of Cambridge who also deliver the Cambridge Festival, which takes place each Spring. 

Bookings are now open for Open Cambridge 2025 (12-21 September). This September the public can enjoy tours of College gardens, exhibitions from hidden archives, tours of University sites not usually open to the public as well as open sites across the city, all free of charge.

A group of people walk up to a radio telescope

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Researchers have conducted the world’s biggest ever bird survey, recording 971 different species living in forests and cattle pastures across the South American country of Colombia. This represents almost 10% of the world’s birds.

They combined the results, gathered over a decade, with information on each species’ sensitivity to habitat conversion to find that the biodiversity loss caused by clearing rainforest for cattle pasture is on average 60% worse than previously thought.

Until now, understanding the biodiversity impact of land-use change has generally involved small-scale, local surveys. The researchers say that this approach does not represent the larger-scale damage caused to nature.

When forests are converted to pasture, some species win and others lose. Measuring the biodiversity loss at local scale does not capture the larger-scale effect of forest conversion, which is occurring across the ranges of many different species. While the same species usually survive on pastureland, a wide range of other species don’t, so overall biodiversity is more severely reduced at large scale.

The results are published today in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

Professor David Edwards in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, senior author of the report, said: “This is a really surprising result. We found that the biodiversity loss caused by clearing rainforest for pastureland is being massively underestimated.”

He added: “When people want to understand the wider impact of deforestation on biodiversity, they tend to do a local survey and extrapolate the results. But the problem is that tree clearance is occurring at massive spatial scales, across all sorts of different habitats and elevations.

“When we looked the biodiversity impact of deforestation across thirteen different eco-regions in Colombia, we found a 62% greater biodiversity loss than local survey results would indicate.”

The study also showed that at least six different eco-regions – that is, regions containing distinct types of plants and animals - must be considered for an accurate assessment of overall biodiversity impact. This is because the species in different eco-regions have different sensitivities to habitat conversion.

Biodiversity offsetting schemes, which aim to compensate for species losses caused by developments in one place by boosting biodiversity in another, rely on accurate measures of biodiversity.

Trees are also being cleared at huge scales in Colombia and other tropical regions to create growing space for major agricultural crops including rubber, oil palm, sugar cane and coffee.

Edwards said: “The food we eat comes with a much great environmental cost than we thought. We need policy makers to think much more about the larger scale biodiversity impact of deforestation.”

Tropical birdsong recordings

The team studied Columbia’s birdlife across its diverse landscapes for over seven years, recording the song of hundreds of bird species to help them identify the species present in landscapes across the country, from pasture to mountain forest. In about 80% of cases the birds were heard but not seen, requiring the team to make identifications from the sounds alone.

With information about the birds, including their size and diet, the team could predict which other species were likely to be living in the same regions and how they too would respond to deforestation.

A highly biodiverse country

Colombia is home to some of the most beautiful and exotic animal and plant life in the world, with almost one third made up of rainforest.

Particularly biodiverse areas, including the Caqueta moist forests and the Napo moist forests, can have 500-600 different bird species within an area of ten square kilometres – but many of these species have very specific habitat requirements. The study showed that if trees are cleared across their range these species are likely to die out.

Land-use change, particularly in the highly biodiverse tropics, is one of the main causes of the global biodiversity crisis.

This research was funded by the Research Council of Norway and the Natural Environment Research Council.

Reference 

Socolar, J. B. et al: ‘Tropical biodiversity loss from land-use change is severely underestimated by local-scale assessments.’ Nature Ecology and Evolution, July 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41559-025-02779-4

In the largest ever survey of rainforest birdlife, scientists have discovered that deforestation to create pastureland in Colombia is causing around 60% more damage to biodiversity than previously estimated.

The food we eat comes with a much great environmental cost than we thought. We need policy makers to think much more about the larger scale biodiversity impact of deforestation.David EdwardsDavid EdwardsSavanna hawk is a widespread species that invades formerly forested areas after clearance

The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright ©University of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

YesLicence type: Attribution-Noncommerical

Highlighting the last 10 years of partnership through scientific collaboration, nurturing talent and strengthening our ecosystem

Scientists have used an AI model to reassess the results of a completed clinical trial for an Alzheimer’s disease drug. They found the drug slowed cognitive decline by 46% in a group of patients with early stage, slow-progressing mild cognitive impairment – a condition that can progress to Alzheimer’s.

Using AI allowed the team to split trial participants into two groups: either slowly or rapidly progressing towards Alzheimer’s disease. They could then look at the effects of the drug on each group.

More precise selection of trial participants in this way could help select patients most likely to benefit from treatment, with the potential to reduce the cost of developing new medicines by streamlining clinical trials.

The AI model developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge predicts whether, and how quickly, people at early stages of cognitive decline will progress to full-blown Alzheimer’s. It gives predictions for patients that are three times more accurate than standard clinical assessments based on memory tests, MRI scans and blood tests.  

Using this patient stratification model, data from a completed clinical trial - which did not demonstrate efficacy in the total population studied - was re-analysed. The researchers found that the drug cleared a protein called beta amyloid in both patient groups as intended - but only the early stage, slow-progressing patients showed changes in symptoms. Beta amyloid is one of the first disease markers to appear in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease.

The new findings have significant implications: using AI to separate patients into different groups, such as slow versus rapidly progressing towards Alzheimer’s disease, allows scientists to better identify those who could benefit from a treatment approach - potentially accelerating the discovery of much-needed new Alzheimer’s drugs.

The results are published today in the journal Nature Communications.

Professor Zoe Kourtzi in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology, senior author of the report, said: “Promising new drugs fail when given to people too late, when they have no chance of benefiting from them. With our AI model we can finally identify patients precisely, and match the right patients to the right drugs. This makes trials more precise, so they can progress faster and cost less, turbocharging the search for a desperately-need precision medicine approach for dementia treatment.”  

She added: “Our AI model gives us a score to show how quickly each patient will progress towards Alzheimer’s disease. This allowed us to precisely split the patients on the clinical trial into two groups – slow, and fast progressing, so we could look at the effects of the drug on each group.”

Health Innovation East England, the innovation arm of the NHS in the East of England, is now supporting Kourtzi to translate this AI-enabled approach into clinical care for the benefit of future patients.

Joanna Dempsey, Principal Advisor at Health Innovation East England, said: “This AI-enabled approach could have a significant impact on easing NHS pressure and costs in dementia care by enabling more personalised drug development - identifying which patients are most likely to benefit from treatment, resulting in faster access to effective medicines and targeted support for people living with dementia.”

Drugs like this are not intended as cures for Alzheimer’s disease. The aim is to reduce cognitive decline so that patients don’t get worse.

Dementia is the UK’s leading cause of death, and a major cause of mortality globally. It costs $1.3 tr per year, and the number of cases are expected to treble by 2050. There is no cure, and patients and families face high uncertainty.

Despite decades of research and development, clinical trials of treatments for dementia have been largely unsuccessful. The failure rate for new treatments is unreasonably high at over 95%, despite $43 bn having been spent on research and development. Progress has been hampered by the wide variation in symptoms, disease progression and responses to treatment among patients.

Although new dementia drugs have recently been approved for use in the US, their risk of side effects and insufficient cost effectiveness have prevented healthcare adoption in the NHS.

Understanding and accounting for the natural differences among individuals with a disease is crucial, so that treatments can be tailored to be most effective for each patient. Alzheimer’s disease is complex, and although some drugs are available to treat it they don’t work for everybody.

“AI can guide us to the patients who will benefit from dementia medicines, by treating them at the stage when the drugs will make a difference, so we can finally start fighting back against these cruel diseases. Making clinical trials faster, cheaper and better, guided by AI has strong potential to accelerate discovery of new precise treatments for individual patients, reducing side effects and costs for healthcare services,” said Kourtzi.

She added: “Like many people, I have watched hopelessly as dementia stole a loved one from me.  We’ve got to accelerate the development of dementia medicines. Over £40 billion has already been spent over thirty years of research and development - we can’t wait another thirty years.”

This research was funded by the Royal Society, Alan Turing Institute and Wellcome.

Reference 

Vaghari, D. V. et al: ‘AI-guided patient stratification improves outcomes and efficiency in the AMARANTH Alzheimer’s Disease clinical trial.’ Nature Communications, July 2025.  DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61355-3

Scientists have used AI to re-analyse a clinical trial for an Alzheimer’s medicine, and identified a group of patients who responded to treatment. The work demonstrates that AI can inform the design of future clinical trials to make them more effective and efficient, accelerating the search for new medicines.

With our AI model we can finally identify patients precisely, and match the right patients to the right drugsZoe KourtziMichael Hewes/ Getty

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A case study of how AstraZeneca is nurturing the talent of the future through its funded PhD programmes.

New Cambridge laboratory supports the UK’s ambition of having the most advanced genomic healthcare system in the world.

Making advances in patient care through scientific collaboration and partnering on clinical trials.

A new study suggests that our ancestors’ close cohabitation with domesticated animals and large-scale migrations played a key role in the spread of infectious diseases.

The team, led by Professor Eske Willerslev at the Universities of Cambridge and Copenhagen, recovered ancient DNA from 214 known human pathogens in prehistoric humans from Eurasia.

They found that the earliest evidence of zoonotic diseases – illnesses transmitted from animals to humans, like COVID in recent times – dates back to around 6,500 years ago, with these diseases becoming more widespread approximately 5,000 years ago.

The study detected the world’s oldest genetic trace of the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, in a 5,500-year-old sample. The plague is estimated to have killed between one-quarter and one-half of Europe’s population during the Middle Ages.

In addition, the researchers found traces of many other diseases including:

Malaria (Plasmodium vivax) – 4,200 years ago

Leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae) – 1,400 years ago

Hepatitis B virus – 9,800 years ago

Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae) – 11,100 years ago

This is the largest study to date on the history of infectious diseases and is published today in the journal Nature.

The researchers analysed DNA from over 1,300 prehistoric humans, some up to 37,000 years old. The ancient bones and teeth have provided a unique insight into the development of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

“We’ve long suspected that the transition to farming and animal husbandry opened the door to a new era of disease – now DNA shows us that it happened at least 6,500 years ago,” said Willerslev.

He added: “These infections didn’t just cause illness – they may have contributed to population collapse, migration, and genetic adaptation.”

The significant increase in the incidence of zoonoses around 5,000 years ago coincides with a migration to north-western Europe from the Pontic Steppe – that is from parts of present-day Ukraine, south-western Russia and western Kazakhstan. The people embarking on this migration – and who to a large extent passed on the genetic profile found among people in north-western Europe today – belonged to the Yamnaya herders.

 

 

The findings could be significant for the development of vaccines and for understanding how diseases arise and mutate over time.

“If we understand what happened in the past, it can help us prepare for the future. Many of the newly emerging infectious diseases are predicted to originate from animals,” said Associate Professor Martin Sikora at the University of Copenhagen, and first author of the report.

Willerslev added: “Mutations that were successful in the past are likely to reappear. This knowledge is important for future vaccines, as it allows us to test whether current vaccines provide sufficient coverage or whether new ones need to be developed due to mutations.”

The sample material was primarily provided by museums in Europe and Asia. The samples were partly extracted from teeth, where the enamel acts as a lid that can protect the DNA against degradation as a result of the ravages of time. The rest of the DNA was primarily extracted from petrosa bones - the hardest bone in humans - located on the inside of the skull.

The research was funded by the Lundbeck Foundation.

Reference

Sikora, M et al: ‘The spatiotemporal distribution of human pathogens in ancient Eurasia.’ Nature, July 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09192-8

Adapted from a press release by the University of Copenhagen.

Researchers have mapped the spread of infectious diseases in humans across millennia, to reveal how human-animal interactions permanently transformed our health today.

We’ve long suspected that the transition to farming and animal husbandry opened the door to a new era of disease – now DNA shows us that it happened at least 6,500 years agoEske WillerslevMarie Louise JørkovLate Neolithic skull from Madesø.

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Researchers from every school and more than 20 departments across the University of Cambridge gathered in February to explore the links between air quality and climate, their impacts on human health, and the challenges and opportunities for Clean Air and Net Zero.

Cambridge researchers are working to undo a longstanding male bias in health research, to help drive more effective healthcare for all.