Research impact stories
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Impact stories
Creative science opens up unlimited possibilities in biochemistry
28 May 2013
An artistic approach to unpacking the structural components of proteins is proving revelatory for biochemists at the University of Bristol. Their back-to-basics philosophy is a useful antidote to the complexity of one of the on-going challenges in the discipline, allowing them to create new proteins entirely by design.
Studies link schizophrenia to functional disconnections in the brain
13 May 2013
Attempts to understand schizophrenia and its diverse symptoms have taken researchers and psychiatrists on a journey throughout the brain. Schizophrenia is one of the most common of the mental illnesses and is thought to affect about 70 million adults worldwide – yet effective alleviation of its broad range of symptoms continues to elude medical practitioners.
Studies of mutant fish reveal genetic roots of osteoarthritis
8 May 2013
It is one of the UK’s major causes of disability, affecting eight million people. Over half the population of the Western world aged over 65 are affected by it. Yet osteoarthritis, and particularly the prevention of it, attracts a proportionately low level of research interest. For Dr Chrissy Hammond, this makes it an increasingly urgent issue, and her research is already making significant inroads into our understanding of joint deterioration.
Calcium sparks: the discovery that revolutionised cardiac cell biology
7 May 2013
The regulation of calcium in cardiac muscle cells is a well-documented problem that physiologists, biophysicists and mathematicians have made steps towards solving over the past century. Yet there remain major gaps in our understanding of how this process, the failure of which leads to heart failure and heart disease, works at the cellular level.
Contributing to the welfare of laying hens
13 September 2012
Research into the welfare of laying hens, undertaken by Professor Christine Nicol, contributed significantly to the UK Government's decision to sign up to the battery cage ban in January 2012.
Misbehaving neurons and the complexities of human brain disease
14 March 2012
How do our brains process the mass of information that constantly confronts us, and how does this processing go wrong in debilitating disorders such as autism and schizophrenia? Bristol neuroscientists are equipped to answer these questions, which are increasingly critical as the social and economic burden of cognitive impairment increases.
World’s first trachea transplant marks new era in stem cells
20 February 2012
A multinational collaboration involving experts in surgery and tissue-engineering from the University of Bristol made medical history when they carried out the first ever transplant of a bioengineered windpipe, with life-changing results.
Microbiology provides novel insights into disease
20 February 2012
Detailed investigations of how a bacterium that causes dysentery in humans infects its host has yielded insights that may represent new vaccine targets and could ultimately help confront the challenges raised by other species of increasingly antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause different diseases in humans, animals and plants.
New moves in molecular gymnastics for DNA repair
20 February 2012
Since the double helical structure of DNA was famously solved in 1953, much has been discovered about the complex functionality of our genetic material, providing an increasingly detailed level of knowledge that is vital in underpinning medical approaches to disease.
High throughput proteomics could hold the key to new treatment strategies
20 February 2012
The pathogenesis of dengue virus, which infects millions of people worldwide, has so far eluded scientists whose efforts to understand the disease have yielded limited insights. But after years dedicated to investigating the molecular and cellular biology of dengue fever, virologists at the University of Bristol are using novel approaches to identify cellular proteins that could inform more effective drug design and diagnostic development.
Neuroscientists examine hormones and neurones for key to energy balance
20 February 2012
Obesity and high blood pressure are two of the world’s biggest health problems. In a novel study that examines both conditions in parallel, neuroscientists at Bristol University are examining how mechanisms in the brain and body adjust to nutritional intake. Their research aims to identify the signalling pathways that disrupt energy levels and trigger weight gain and hypertension.