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  • ​New method to create terahertz radiation advances materials science

    Uppsala physicists have in an international collaboration developed a new method for creating laser pulses which are shorter, have much higher intensity and cover the THz frequency range better than current sources. The study is published today in the authoritative journal Nature Photonics and is of great importance to materials research.

  • Mille-feuille-filter removes viruses from water

    A simple paper sheet made by scientists at Uppsala University can improve the quality of life for millions of people by removing resistant viruses from water. The sheet, made of cellulose nanofibers, is called the mille-feuille filter as it has a unique layered internal architecture resembling that of the French puff pastry mille-feuille (Eng. thousand leaves).

  • New study shows how shift work affects cognitive functions

    A new study from Uppsala University shows that compared to non-shift workers, shift workers needed more time to complete a test that is frequently used by physicians to screen for cognitive impairment. However, those who had quit shift work more than five years ago completed the test just as quick as the non-shift workers. The findings are published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

  • Second gene modifies effect of mutation in DM, a dog model of ALS

    Canine Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a neurodegenerative disease in dogs with similarities to ALS in humans. Scientists at Uppsala University, SciLifeLab, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and the University of Missouri, have discovered a modifier gene that affects the risk of developing DM in Pembroke Welsh Corgis. The study is published in PNAS this week.

  • Childhood obesity in focus at 2016 Uppsala Health Summit

    In just a few decades, the number of overweight and obese adults and children in the world has reached alarming levels, not least in low-income countries. This year, Uppsala Health Summit is taking place in conjunction with World Obesity Day: 11-12 October 2016. International experts on child obesity will gather to discuss countermeasures with industry, policy makers and society.

  • Why animals court their own sex

    Same-sex sexual behavior is common in animals but puzzles evolutionary biologists since it doesn’t carry the same obvious benefits as heterosexual courtship behavior that leads to mating and production of offspring. A study from Uppsala University sheds new light on the pervasiveness of same-sex sexual behavior in the animal kingdom.

  • Dogs provide information about brain tumour development in humans

    Brain tumours in dogs are strikingly similar to their human tumour counterparts. In a recent study in the journal PLOS Genetics, researchers at Uppsala University and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have used genetic analyses in different dog breeds to identify genes that could have a role in the development of brain tumours in both dogs and human.

  • Coral death stops fish from learning predators

    In a world first study researchers have found that coral bleaching and death can have dramatic repercussions for how small reef fish learn about and avoid predators. The new results are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

  • The herring genome provides new insight on how species adapt to their environment

    How species genetically adapt to their environment is a central question related to the evolution of biodiversity. In a new study scientists at Uppsala University and their colleagues report that whole genome sequencing of Atlantic and Baltic herring revealed hundreds of loci underlying adaptation to the brackish Baltic Sea or timing of reproduction. The study is published today in eLife.

  • Evolution in action detected in Darwin’s finches

    The most characteristic feature of Darwin’s finches is the diversification of beak morphology that has allowed these species to expand their utilization of food resources in the Galápagos archipelago. A team of scientists from Uppsala University and Princeton University has now identified a gene that explains variation in beak size within and among species. The study is published in Science.

  • Bird genomes contain ‘fossils’ of parasites that now infect humans

    In rare instances, DNA is known to have jumped from one species to another. If a parasite’s DNA jumps to its host’s genome, it could leave evidence of that interaction that could be found millions of years later — a DNA ‘fossil’ of sorts. Researchers from Uppsala University have discovered a new type of so-called transposable element that occurred in the genomes of certain birds and nematodes.

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