Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

UCL Faculty of Life Sciences @ucllifesciences.bsky.social · 5d

🎙️ New BBC podcast: Digital Dolittles – Talking to the animals? 🐘🦉

Featuring UCL’s Prof. Kate Jones @profkatej.bsky.social @ucl-pnl.bsky.social and UCL's PhD students, exploring how tech is changing the way we listen to nature 🌍✨

🔗 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

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UCL News @uclnews.bsky.social · 6d

From finding a "universal language" in science, to comedy, conferences and following her passion, Prof Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu @ucllifesciences.bsky.social tells BBC World Service about her fascinating path to becoming a pioneer of pharmaceutical nanoscience and champion for race equality

Outlook - One suitcase, three kids: a broke scientist pursues a dream - BBC Sounds

Once a homeless single mum, Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu is now a nanomedicine pioneer

www.bbc.co.uk

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UCL News @uclnews.bsky.social · 6d

A fossil found in Scotland has revealed a new species and family of Jurassic reptile linked to the origins of lizards and snakes, in a study co-led by Prof Susan Evans @ucllifesciences.bsky.social. It's named Breugnathair elgolensis, for ‘false snake of Elgol’ @amnh.org @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social

Fossil discovered in Scotland reveals new species of ‘false snake’ reptile

A fossil discovered in Scotland has revealed a new species and family of Jurassic reptile linked to the origins of lizards and snakes, reports a study co-led by a UCL researcher.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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UCL Grand Challenges @uclgrandchallenges.bsky.social · 15d

Applications open: Cultural Understanding Small Grants 2025/26
We're offering up to £5,000 for interdisciplinary projects that explore Cultural Understanding. Open to UCL staff.

🗓 Apply by 20 Oct 2025
🔗 More info: https://shorturl.at/kNx4q

Cultural Understanding Small Grants Call 2025/26

Funding of up to £5,000 is now available for impactful, interdisciplinary projects that address the theme of Cultural Understanding.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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UCL Centre for Integrative Anatomy @ucl-c4ia.bsky.social · 14d

Susan Evans has just returned from the Institute of #Vertebrate #Paleontology and #Paleoanthropology, Beijing. She has been working on Mesozoic #fossil #reptiles with colleague, Dr Liping DONG, Professor (Associate). english.ivpp.cas.cn/about/Introd... @ucl.ac.uk @ucllifesciences.bsky.social

A woman (Susan Evans), dressed in blue sitting at a computer desk bearing a microscope, holding a Mesozoic fossil reptile specimen

A woman (Susan Evans), dressed in blue sitting at a computer desk bearing a microscope, through which she is viewing a Mesozoic fossil reptile specimen

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UCL Innovation & Enterprise @uclenterprise.bsky.social · 21d

Congratulations to UCL-supported startup, Camera Intelligence, on raising $2 million in seed funding to revolutionise content creation its AI camera.

The founder, Vishal Kumar, was supported to grow his business through the Hatchery incubator programme.

Read now: bit.ly/47I86XF

#10YearsBaseKX

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UCL News @uclnews.bsky.social · 27d

Micronutrients may have influenced human evolution more than previously understood, finds a new study by @ucllifesciences.bsky.social and @uclchildhealth.bsky.social researchers showing how some groups developed genetic adaptations in response to shortages and surpluses of minerals in their diets

How micronutrient shortages changed human DNA

Tiny elements in the human diet, such as micronutrients, may have influenced human evolution in ways greater than previously recognised, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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UCL Faculty of Life Sciences @ucllifesciences.bsky.social · 23d

A message of congratulations to our new graduates from the UCL School of Pharmacy’s director, Professor Cate Whittlesea. We hope you enjoyed your graduation day! Welcome to our #UCL alumni community!

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Seirian Sumner @waspwoman.bsky.social · Aug 28

What do wasps eat? First molecular data for native zone Vespula Yellowjackets.

So happy to see this out, finally!
Started in 2018.. or maybe 2017.. 🫣involving @uclcber.bsky.social MRes (Ben Bellekom) and MSci (Georgia Law) students @ucllifesciences.bsky.social
@dr-bob-brown.bsky.social

Insectes Sociaux @insectessociaux.bsky.social · Aug 28

New short communication! 📄

Drinkwater, @waspwoman.bsky.social et al. used metabarcoding to analyze the gut contents of 554 wasp larvae, revealing their diverse diet and their role as predators 🐝
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s000...

#SocialInsects #WaspEcology #ArthropodRegulation #NativeEcosystems #Vespula

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Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · Sep 7

Great piece today by Simon Barnes, one of last to see a Slender-billed Curlew observer.co.uk/news/science... following research confirming extinction @rspb.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social @naturalis.bsky.social @nhm-london.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social

Why we should all mourn the slender-billed curlew

A bird that hasn’t been photographed since 1995 has now been declared extinct. Its fate is cause for wider alarm

observer.co.uk

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UCL Translational Research Office @ucltro.bsky.social · Aug 21

[Join us on 19 Sep, 2-3pm] Webinar: Fragment Screening using 19F NMR at the UCL School of Pharmacy, @ucllifesciences.bsky.social

Register now to join our speakers to delve into the subject and interact with research fellows: bit.ly/4lpBftT

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UCL Innovation & Enterprise @uclenterprise.bsky.social · Aug 21

Celebrating ten years of BaseKX – UCL’s Entrepreneurship Hub🎉

Today on #WorldEntrepreneursDay, we’re celebrating some of the remarkable achievements of those who received entrepreneurial support from UCL.

Read about some of UCL’s inspiring entrepreneurs: bit.ly/45sLTeI

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UCL Faculty of Life Sciences @ucllifesciences.bsky.social · Aug 18

The Centenary Special Issue of The Annals of Human Genetics is now available!

First published in 1925, this special issue celebrates recent advances in human genetics, and features contributions from 13 @ucl.ac.uk researchers.

Check out the issue online: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14691809...

Cover image of The Annals of Human Genetics centenary issue.

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Hernán A. Burbano @hernanaburbano.bsky.social · Aug 14

Published version of our collaborative work! Congrats to @laskyjr.bsky.social @upenn.edu & Lua Lopez who lead the work, and to all the authors. tinyurl.com/mu8uht92 @ucllifesciences.bsky.social @cloeucl.bsky.social

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UCL News @uclnews.bsky.social · Jul 30

🖋️"With unsustainable wildlife loss across the planet, we need to learn to live alongside all organisms – even wasps."

Prof Seirian Sumner @waspwoman.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social gives a scientist’s guide to dining safely with insects.

theconversation.com/what-to-do-w...

What to do when wasps crash your picnic – a scientist’s guide to dining safely with these insects

Did you know wasps switch from ham to jam foraging during the late summer?

theconversation.com

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UCL News @uclnews.bsky.social · Jul 30

An experimental device that stimulates a key nerve connecting the heart and brain can improve fitness and exercise tolerance, according to a new study co-led by Prof Alexander Gourine @uclnpp.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social with @thebhf.bsky.social funding www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/ju...

Vagus nerve stimulation could help people get more exercise

An experimental device that stimulates a key nerve connecting the heart and brain can improve fitness and exercise tolerance, according to a new study co-led by a UCL researcher and funded by the Brit...

www.ucl.ac.uk

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UCL News @uclnews.bsky.social · Aug 7

The survey can be found at forms.gle/aRZY7uv5NL7G... and only takes a minute @ucllifesciences.bsky.social

Ham or Jam - What are wasps after at your picnic?

Summer time means wasps visiting picnics! Sometimes they go for protein (e.g. ham) other times it's sugar (e.g. jam). Learning about the type of food wasps are after tells us about their life-cycle an...

forms.gle

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UCL @ucl.ac.uk · Aug 14

Congratulations to everyone receiving their A-Level results today!
If you’re joining us this September, welcome to UCL. 💜

Got questions about Results Day, visit our website: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-...

Three students laughing and walking together through an archway.

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UCL Faculty of Life Sciences @ucllifesciences.bsky.social · Aug 1

UCL, with @thesgc.bsky.social and scientists from 30 leading organisations, has published a landmark roadmap in @natrevchem.nature.com‬, outlining a global, open science strategy to scale up hit discovery efforts for every human protein. #Target2035 #DrugDiscovery
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Protein–ligand data at scale to support machine learning - Nature Reviews Chemistry

Target 2035 aims to develop a potent and selective pharmacological modulator for every human protein by 2035 with the results made publicly available. This Roadmap article sets out how that will be ac...

www.nature.com

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UCL News @uclnews.bsky.social · Jul 29

🤝UCL @ucllifesciences.bsky.social and @zslofficial.bsky.social have renewed their longstanding partnership, reinforcing their commitment to innovation in #conservationscience and #biodiversity. 

www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/ju...

Conservation innovation at the heart of UCL and ZSL partnership

UCL has renewed its longstanding partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), through a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), reinforcing their united commitment to drive innovat...

www.ucl.ac.uk

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UCL Faculty of Life Sciences @ucllifesciences.bsky.social · Jul 29

Wasps on BBC Breakfast 🐝
Our expert joined BBC Breakfast to talk all things wasps - why they're essential, misunderstood, and worth celebrating.

Discover the Grant Museum’s fascinating new exhibition on wasp diversity.
🔗 www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-coll...

#UCL #GrantMuseum #BBCBreakfast #Wasps

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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · Jul 28

Research is crucial to inform better interventions for #diagnosis, #prevention & #treatment of viral #hepatitis for different people in different settings. Global collaboration essential!
#WorldHepatitisDay #NoHep #HBV
@crick.ac.uk @ahri-news.bsky.social @cnwl.nhs.uk @ucllifesciences.bsky.social
🧪

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ZSL @zslofficial.bsky.social · Jul 25

We're thrilled that this week ZSL and @ucl.ac.uk signed a Memorandum of Understanding, advancing our 200-year partnership to build upon, enhance and develop the research, impact, teaching, and public engagement at both institutions 🌍🎓 @ucllifesciences.bsky.social

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Shozeb @shozebhaider.bsky.social · Jul 27

Our latest work out in @angewandtechemie.bsky.social on what happens to PETase functions at the Solid‐Liquid Interface. With excellent work by my PhD student Shuang Chen @ucllifesciences.bsky.social

Paper: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Seirian Sumner @waspwoman.bsky.social · Jul 25

Super proud of my PhD student, @idrisadams.bsky.social who 100% rocked #WaspLove messaging on #BBCBreakfast yesterday! 🥳🥳
Look out for more wasp media from Idris, as wasps flourish in our #climate-change driven hot summer!
@uclcber.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social

Idris Adams @idrisadams.bsky.social · Jul 24

Have had a very exciting and unexpected start to this week, travelling to Salford for an interview with BBC Breakfast talking all things #wasps! Many thanks to @waspwoman.bsky.social for trusting me with this opportunity, and the fantastic #WorldOfWasps at @uclgrantmuseum.bsky.social for the props!

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