In a major breakthrough, scientists have successfully developed tiny nanorobots made of DNA and protein that can be directed at tumours, stopping them from growing. The study was led by researchers at the National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology in Beijing and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and involved the head of the…

A year-long anti-obesity programme in UK schools had no noticeable effect on children’s health. The programme increased physical activity in schools, instituted a healthy eating programme with local sporting heroes and held workshops on healthy cooking for families. Fifteen months after the kids started the programme, there was no difference in weight, body fat measurements,…

An internationally-renowned neurologist who grew up in New Plymouth became better known overseas where he taught at some of the world’s foremost universities and hospitals. Derek Denny-Brown was born in Christchurch but went to school at New Plymouth Boys’ High School after his parents moved to the city in 1913. He is one of several…

Research finds emotional attachment to cigarettes to be a barrier in the switch to vaping A New Zealand study has found that some people still find quitting smoking difficult, even when vaping is offered as a smoking cessation intervention. The Otago University study involved in-depth interviews with 20 vapers who still smoked traditional cigarettes regularly,…

Danish research is some of the most cited among OECD countries, according to this year’s Research Barometer, which examines Danish research from an international perspective. Denmark ranks among the top 5 OECD countries for scientific impact of publications during the period 2012-2016. And Denmark is ranked first within the 10 per cent most cited publications.…

In a partnership part funded by us, Health Data Research UK will be awarding £54 million funding to six collaborations of world leading UK universities and research institutes to fuel scientific advances using data science. The six collabortations involving 21 sites were chosen for their world-leading expertise and proven track record of using big data…

In our hyper-connected world, President Trump’s statements and actions in undermining science, evidence and experts have far-reaching effects, according to a retired senior academic, clinician and public health advocate, Emeritus Professor John Dwyer. In the article below, cross-published from John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations blog, Dwyer raises the question: is Australia doing enough to publicly…

A new Australian study has shown muscles and other organs communicate to each other during exercise, paving the way for future research into how exercise may assist in fighting serious diseases. Researchers from Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research have found that vesicles – tiny carriers of proteins and other molecular information in the bloodstream…

Checking up on the health of your gut and its resident microbes is soon to be as easy as swallowing a gas-sniffing capsule no bigger than a vitamin. Previously trialled in pigs, the capsules — which transmit hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels to a receiver as they traverse the digestive system — have successfully…