Press releases

The use of short flashes of X-ray light brings scientists one big step closer toward developing better catalysts to transform the greenhouse gas methane into a less harmful chemical. The result, published in the journal Science, reveals for the first time how carbon-hydrogen bonds of alkanes break and how the catalyst works in this reaction.

Plastic made from cane sugar also threatens the environment. Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have found that perch change their behaviour when exposed to so-called bioplastic.

Can artificial intelligence (AI) help in the fight against healthcare-associated infections? Patients being infected with diseases while staying at hospitals is a global issue. A group of researchers at Halmstad University is investigating whether AI can help find solutions to the problems of healthcare-associated infections – on social media.   “Many hospitals are very concerned about […]

A new study has discovered that the pro-viral host protein ZC3H11A has a critical role to maintain embryo viability during early development. The study has uncovered a previously unknown function of ZC3H11A in the intricate process of embryonic growth and highlights its impact on development. The study is led by Uppsala University and INRAE/Université Paris-Saclay, now published in journal PNAS.

As more and more electric cars are travelling on the roads of Europe, this is leading to an increase in the use of the critical metals required for components such as electric motors and electronics. With the current raw material production levels there will not be enough of these metals in future – not even if recycling increases. This is revealed by the findings of a major survey led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, on behalf of the European Commission.

Unhealthy food dominated the weekly grocery store flyers. As much as two thirds of the space was taken up by less healthy foods according to a study from the University of Gothenburg. The advertising does not seem to support healthy choices, say the researchers. The study, now published in the scientific journal BMC Public Health, […]

A new dissertation on forest industrial production systems, from researcher Per Nordin at Linnaeus University, reveals that successful regeneration measures are crucial for sustainable forestry. To ensure successful plant establishment, it is important to make decisions based on factors at regional, stand, and microenvironment levels.  Regeneration measures in forestry aim to establish new forests on […]

Complicated, hard-to-heal wounds are a growing medical problem and there are currently only two drugs approved with proven efficacy. In a new study on humans, researchers at Uppsala University show that treatment with a specific type of modified lactic acid bacteria works well and has a positive effect on the healing of wounds.

In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University have investigated how junk food affects sleep. Healthy participants consumed an unhealthier as well as a healthier diet in a randomised order. After the unhealthier diet, the quality of the participants’ deep sleep had deteriorated, compared with those who had followed the healthier diet. The results have been published in the journal Obesity.

NPS, new psychoactive substances, also known as Internet drugs, are substances developed to affect the brain in a similar way to illegal drugs. Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the National Board of Forensic Medicine, have set up a rapid method for measuring the effect of new NPS and provide scientific basis for narcotics classification. This method made it possible to classify a majority of the substances tested as narcotic drugs. The method and the result of analyses of 17 suspected psychoactive cannabinoid drugs are described in an article published in Forensic Science International.