News archive: Research press releases 2014
Scientists at the University of York have played a key role in new research into the way ‘mother’ plants use their memory of the seasons to teach their seeds the most advantageous time to germinate.
Scientists at the University of York have helped to uncover the properties of defects in the atomic structure of magnetite, potentially opening the way for its use in producing more powerful electronic devices.
A new policy paper by a University of York academic calls for limits on the influence of the drinks industry in shaping alcohol policy because it has a ‘fundamental conflict of interest’.
Millions of documents stored in archives could provide scientists with the key to tracing the development of agriculture in the British Isles over the last 700 years, according to new research at the University of York and Trinity College Dublin.
New research by academics at the University of York suggests that Special Guardianship (SG), an alternative to adoption, increases the potential for permanent stability for children who are unable to live with their birth parents.
A researcher at the University of York, studying male attitudes towards self-managing long-term healthcare issues, has discovered that self-management support is better received by men if it does not threaten aspects of masculine identity.
An international research team provides overwhelming evidence that the skeleton discovered under a car park in Leicester represents the remains of King Richard III, closing what is probably the UK’s oldest forensic case.
Scientists in the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) at the University of York are part of a major research project launched today to help provide improved crops for the future.
We drink milk because it is good for us, but we rarely stop to think “Why?” Archaeologists and geneticists have been puzzling this question since it was revealed that the mutations which enable adults to drink milk are under the strongest selection of any in the human genome.
Leading researchers from UK universities and industry have come together in a unique collaboration to exploit fundamental laws of quantum physics for the development of secure communication technologies and services for consumer, commercial and government markets.
A University of York scientist has won a second major award for his pioneering research in the evolutionary biology of microbes.
An international research team including a University of York biologist has found the earliest evidence for chicken domestication to date.
Emerging composers and performers are set to benefit after the University of York’s Music Press (UYMP) secured a grant from Arts Council England to establish a new support project.
Scientists at the University of York have identified a therapeutic target which could lead to the development of new treatments for specific blood cancers.
An international team of scientists, including a researcher from the University of York, has reported a recent increase in atmospheric hydrogen chloride (HCI), an ozone destroying substance.
Scientists at the University of York are helping local companies extract and use chemicals from food waste.
A new policy paper led by University of York scientists, in partnership with Proforest, aims to increase awareness among researchers of the High Conservation Value (HCV) approach to safeguarding ecosystems and species.
Researchers at the University of York say that more should be done to tackle the problem of inappropriate disposal of pharmaceutically-contaminated wastes. They also have a potential solution.
An expert on acoustic modelling is to work with the University of York’s Department of Electronics investigating and developing new methods for architectural and environmental sound design.
Scientists from the University of York have released a report highlighting the gap between declining wild fish supplies and healthy eating advice recommending more seafood.
A University of York researcher has edited a special edition of a Royal Society publication examining the potential risks and impacts of pharmaceuticals in the environment on wildlife and ecosystems.
A study of rural pubs has provided the first robust evidence of their central role in the life of English rural communities.
Academic research into the experiences of families of patients with severe brain injuries has been translated into a radio programme, providing insight into the heart-breaking dilemmas they face.
New research involving the University of York has found that the high heritability of exam grades reflects many genetically influenced traits such as personality, behaviour problems and self-efficacy, and not just intelligence.
Biologists from the University of York have compiled two new datasets on insect evolution, revealing that metamorphosing insects diversify more quickly than other insects and are therefore the biggest contributors to the evolution of insect diversity.
A new study led by the University of York identifies the key research questions about the risks of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment.
Scientists at the University of York are part of a team of researchers which has gained fresh insights into how a disease-causing enzyme makes changes to proteins and how it can be stopped.
A new website launched today by the University of York unlocks some of the mysteries surrounding an enigmatic collection of 1950s paintings commissioned by Rowntree and held in York’s Borthwick Institute for Archives.
Manufacturing biofuels from food crop by-products such as straw could be made quicker and cheaper thanks to a new study led by scientists at the University of York.
Scientists at the University of York are working on a promising new approach for tackling colorectal cancer, the second most common cause of cancer-related death.
A team led by the Centre for Immunology and Infection (CII) at York is one of five winners who will share a total of £4.9 million in the UK’s National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), the CRACK IT Challenges programme.
Three academics from the University of York have secured funding totalling more than £3 million from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for two major research projects.
A unique online resource for family members and others involved in the care of people with severe forms of brain injury is to be launched this week.
A new study of alcohol health workers has found that while many hospitals now employ specialist staff to deal with alcohol problems among patients, the work is often precarious and underfunded.
An international team of researchers has found that the majority of threatened species are ‘invisible’ when using modern methods to predict species distributions under climate change.
A frog that does not croak, the largest living lizard, and a tortoise that can live up to 100 years are just some of the species staving off extinction thanks to the help of zoos, according to a new report.
Research led by the University of York suggests that many rivers contain levels of ibuprofen that could be adversely affecting fish health.
The EU is becoming part of most Europeans’ everyday life irrespective of social class, according to a study in six countries.
Passport issuing officers are no better at identifying if someone is holding a fake passport photo than the average person, new research has revealed.
Physicists at the University of York, working with researchers at the University of Birmingham and Genoa, have developed new technology to study atomic vibration in small particles, revealing a more accurate picture of the structure of atomic clusters where surface atoms vibrate more intensively than internal atoms.
Researchers from the Universities of York, Macquarie and Oxford have discovered new evidence to suggest that the origins of mummification started in ancient Egypt 1,500 years earlier than previously thought.
Declines in ocean productivity, increases in ocean acidification, and the cumulative effects of multiple stressors on ocean health are among the most pressing issues facing coastal and maritime countries, according to a survey of scientists by a University of York researcher.
University of York scientists have shed new light on why teenagers and young adults are particularly susceptible to meningitis and septicaemia.
Environmentalists from the University of York, a partner in the CHIESA (Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services and Food Security in Eastern Africa) project, are to showcase winning entries from an East African school art competition that was used to celebrate International Mountain Day.
A new study by researchers in the Department of Psychology at the University of York shows that it is possible to accurately predict first impressions using measurements of physical features in everyday images of faces, such as those found on social media.
Scientists from the University of York are part of an international team of researchers who have made a significant step in discovering the genetic mechanisms that plants use to fight for light.
An international team of researchers led by the University of York has carried out the first assessment of community-led marine conservation in the Western Indian Ocean.
An international team of researchers has found new evidence that our prehistoric ancestors had a detailed understanding of plants long before the development of agriculture.
Research led by the University of York has highlighted the potential cancer risk in non-smokers – particularly young children – of tobacco smoke gases and particles deposited to surfaces and dust in the home.
A new study by the University of York and the Newcastle Business School (Northumbria University) has revealed the central role pubs play in creating economic development and social wellbeing in rural Ireland.
Can physical systems from bacteria to black holes act as a computer? A University of York computer scientist and colleagues from the universities of Oxford and Leeds address this question in newly published research which seeks to define unconventional computational devices.
A University of York scientist has played a key role in research that could help to improve the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, one of the most common cancers, particularly among men.
A knowledge exchange network led by the University of York, which aims to increase the use of scientific evidence to guide oil palm policy, has produced its first science for policy report. The report – ‘Change in carbon stocks arising from land-use conversion to oil palm plantations’ – focuses on identifying low carbon stock landcover types which could be converted to oil palm production.
A University of York economist has developed a new approach to auctions which could help to transform the way multiple goods are sold.
Academics at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at the University of York are capitalising on the opportunities offered by the development of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to monitor, map and explore our cities, countryside and changing environments.
Forgotten passwords are a serious problem for both IT managers and users. The root of the problem is a trade-off between memorability and security: simple passwords are easy to remember but easy to crack; complex passwords are hard to crack but hard to remember. Now a University of York academic, Dr Rob Jenkins, is proposing an alternative based on the psychology of face recognition. Dubbed ‘Facelock’, it could put an end to forgotten passwords, and protect users from prying eyes.
A new study by scientists at the University of York has shed new light on the use of mollusc shells as personal adornments by Bronze Age people.
The percentage of households who fall below society’s minimum standard of living has increased from 14 per cent to 33 per cent over the last 30 years, despite the size of the economy doubling.
The Marine Conservation Zone network now under construction was heralded as a new beginning for life in UK seas. But on present evidence – as Professor Callum Roberts of the University of York will explain in a speech at the Zoological Society of London on the 17 June – it will be worse than useless, giving the illusion of protection while offering virtually none.
Scientists at the University of York are playing a key role in the quest for a better understanding of how a recently discovered family of enzymes can degrade hard-to-digest biomass into its constituent sugars.
Researchers at the University of York have found that a structured approach to teaching writing about a memorable experience can make a significant improvement to children’s writing skills.
Laser beams 60,000 billion times more powerful than a laser pointer have been used to recreate scaled supernova explosions in the laboratory as a way of investigating one of the most energetic events in the Universe.
Human actions have pushed extinction rates to 1000 times faster than the natural rate. New research says that without urgent action, further rises are likely heralding what many believe could become the sixth mass extinction in Earth’s history.
Scientists at the University of York have contributed to a new study which represents a significant step forward in understanding the molecular processes which underpin the evolution of genomes in Brassica species.
An archaeologist at the University of York has played a key role in a pioneering project to discover the scope of the First World War’s impact on England.
A biologist and a psychologist at the University of York have joined forces with a drug discovery group at Lundbeck in Denmark to develop a potential route to new therapies for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
A new study by scientists at the University of York and the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science has demonstrated that nature reserves and other areas specially protected for wildlife, as well as being vital for native species, are very important for helping European birds to expand their ranges into Britain naturally. The catch is that protected areas are also at increasing risk of invasion by species that have been introduced from further afield.
A University of York biologist is part of an international team of scientists that has discovered how plants use fungi to help them to gather vital nutrients from the soil.
Ground breaking research by an international team of scientists has resulted in greater understanding of the effects of pesticides on aquatic invertebrates such as shrimps and snails.
Nearly 90 years after Werner Heisenberg pioneered his uncertainty principle, a group of researchers from three countries has provided substantial new insight into this fundamental tenet of quantum physics with the first rigorous formulation supporting the uncertainty principle as Heisenberg envisioned it.
New research by scientists at the University of York sheds light on how bacteria exploit human proteins during infections.
Researchers at the University of York are aiming to develop better therapies for the painful condition of osteoarthritis by rejuvenating old stem cells and using them to repair cartilage damage.
Scientists at the University of York are part of an international team of researchers that has sequenced and analysed the genome of the tsetse fly, the blood-sucking insect that is the source of sleeping sickness which kills thousands of people every year.
New research led by a scientist at the University of York reveals that a process that forms a key element in the development of the nervous system may also play a pivotal role in the spread of breast cancer.
University of York researchers are launching a new multi-disciplinary project to examine what works best for abused or neglected children – going into care or staying at home with support.
Foreign species that are devastating water ecosystems could be “hitchhiking” around Britain on canoeists’ and anglers’ kit, according to a new study.
Archaeologists at the University of York are challenging the traditional view that Neanderthal childhood was difficult, short and dangerous.
Health economists at the University of York are to carry out research into the value that people with chronic long-term conditions, such as asthma, cancer, and coronary heart disease, place on interventions aimed to support self-management of their health condition.
Mathematicians at the University of York have joined forces with experimentalists at the University of Leeds to take an important step in discovering how viruses make new copies of themselves during an infection.
New research published today by the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York says that pooling funds across health and social care services is not a panacea that will lead to the successful delivery of integrated care.
An international team of scientists investigating the electronic properties of ultra-thin films of new materials – topological insulators (TIs) - has demonstrated a new method to tune their unique properties using strain.
The White Rose College of the Arts & Humanities which aims to train more than 300 doctoral students over the next five years is formally launched today.
Scientists collaborating on ash dieback research can reveal the first genetic clues that could help them identify and breed trees tolerant to the disease.
A University of York economist has played a key role in a major review of the future of the minimum wage in the UK by the Resolution Foundation.
University of York researchers are carrying out a pioneering study of the management history of the 1966 FIFA World Cup, investigating the tournament’s impact on local and national economic development.
A study of one of the Europe’s most important Early Mesolithic sites -- Star Carr, near Scarborough -- has won "Research Project of the Year" in the national Current Archaeology Awards 2014.
An international team of scientists led by physicists from the University of York has paved the way for a new class of magnetic materials and devices with improved performance and power efficiency.
An international team of researchers including scientists from the University of York have discovered a ‘microbial Pompeii’ preserved on the teeth of skeletons around 1,000 years old.
An international team of scientists has used detailed analysis of ancient and modern DNA to show that the distribution and lack of genetic diversity among modern European beavers is due largely to human hunting.
Scientists at the University of York are to lead a new Government-backed research project to investigate the potential conversion of waste biomass and waste carbon dioxide into safer and more sustainable raw materials.
A University of York scientist’s experience in seeing his partner in hospital recovering from a double lung transplant prompted him to design and synthesise new chemical agents that could revolutionise post-operative patient care.
Scientists at the University of York today report the development of hemp plants with a dramatically increased content of oleic acid.
SCIENTISTS at the University of York have discovered how the prostate gland develops for the first time, according to research published today (Thursday, February 6) in Stem Cell Reports.
Water supply is the most pressing environmental issue facing the United States according to a survey of policy makers and scientists revealed in a new publication in BioScience by researchers at the University of York and the University of California, Davis.
A team of researchers has found that British people travelling abroad for medical treatment are often unaware of the potential health and financial consequences they could face.
Patients from less affluent backgrounds have a greater chance of dying from a form of chronic blood cancer than those from more affluent areas, according to a comprehensive study carried out by researchers at the University of York.
The University of York has announced the establishment of a new centre to provide a focus for its growing inter-disciplinary research into quantum technologies.
A new study highlights surprising differences between Herdwick sheep and their closest neighbouring UK upland breeds.
New drugs being developed for the treatment of prostate cancer may not be targeting the root cause of the disease, according to research published today (Friday, 24 January 2014) in Cell Death & Differentiation.
We are all aware of the health benefits of "dietary fibre". But what is dietary fibre and how do we metabolise it?
Research involving scientists at the University of York has provided important new information about transmission of human leishmaniasis, a group of infectious diseases which kills more than 100,000 people a year.
The families of some very severely brain injured patients believe that once all treatment options are exhausted, allowing their relatives to die with the help of terminal sedation would be a humane and compassionate option, research carried out by the University of York and Cardiff University has revealed.
A massive ancient subglacial trough – deeper than the Grand Canyon - has been discovered by a team of UK scientists, including experts from the University of York.
Stable population trends are a prerequisite for species’ range expansion, according to new research led by scientists at the University of York.