Latest News

A new research centre to study the growing problem of plastic waste

A new research Centre has been established at Bangor Universty to study the growing problem of plastic waste. The Plastic Research Centre of Wales (PRC Wales) is the first of its kind in the country and brings together a wide variety of academics, students, organisations and industries.

Publication date: 4 June 2020

New insight into cancer drug resistance mechanism

Research from the laboratory of Dr. Edgar Hartsuiker at the Bangor North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, has been published in the latest issue (29 May) of the high-ranking journal Science Advances.

Many cancer drugs kill cancer cells by inhibiting the replication of their genetic material, the DNA. One of these drugs is Gemcitabine, used to treat, among others, pancreatic, bladder and lung cancer. Gemcitabine mimics one of the building blocks of DNA, the nucleoside deoxycytidine, and competes with it for integration into cancer cell DNA. Once integrated, it inhibits DNA replication and thus division of the cancer cell.

Publication date: 3 June 2020

Six PhD studentships awarded for environmental science research Bangor University

Six high-calibre graduates from universities across the UK have been awarded prestigious studentships from the Natural Environment Research Council for PhD research projects at Bangor University. 

Publication date: 1 June 2020

Treatment of chloroquine poisoning

Research by Bangor University’s Professor Dyfrig Hughes has provided important evidence on the safety of treatments that are being tested for use in COVID-19. 

Publication date: 28 May 2020

How Local Authorities can encourage citizen participation in energy transitions

European citizens could become co-designers and leaders of renewable and sustainable projects involving energy production, transport and social developments rather than having such projects imposed upon them, following a new European Union (EU) Clean Energy for all Europeans package.

Publication date: 27 May 2020

Seagrasses will benefit from global change

Researchers show that seagrasses will benefit from increases in the temperature and CO2 in the oceans because their capacity to acquire nitrogen will be enhanced, not limiting their growth.

Publication date: 22 May 2020

Tropical forests can handle the heat, up to a point

Tropical forests face an uncertain future under climate change, but new research published in Science suggests they can continue to store large amounts of carbon in a warmer world, if countries limit greenhouse gas emissions.

The world’s tropical forests store a quarter-century worth of fossil fuel emissions in their trees alone. There are fears that global heating can reduce this store if tree growth reduces or tree death increases, accelerating climate change.

Dr Simon Willcock of Bangor University’s School of Natural Sciences was one of an international research team who measured over half a million trees in 813 forests across the tropics to assess how much carbon is stored by forests growing under different climatic conditions today.

Publication date: 22 May 2020

Bangor scientists turn damaged wetlands into carbon stores

A team of scientists have developed a new method to help damaged peat bogs capture more carbon, cutting the release of greenhouse gases.

The group, led by researchers from Bangor University in North Wales, say their work could lead to new practises being developed for peatland restoration.

Publication date: 12 May 2020

What our sewage can reveal about Covid-19 infection rates in the community

Scientists at Bangor University are working with Welsh Water and United Utilities to monitor the background levels of coronavirus within different areas.

The scientists have shown that tracing the dead virus which is shed naturally, can provide an early warning of when certain areas may be approaching a next peak of Covid-19, as symptoms can take up to two weeks to emerge, and around 20% of the population or more show no symptoms when they are infected.

Publication date: 11 May 2020

Healthy gut microbiomes can influence farmed fish

We’ve all probably heard or read something about how a healthy gut microbiome can affect our overall health. The gut microbiome is as vital to animals and fish as it is to us humans.

We have microbiomes in different parts of our bodies, on our skin, for example.  

Microbiomes are made up of communities of different microorganisms, viruses and germs and these communities play an important role in the way in which we function. There is even evidence to show that a poor gut biome can lead to ill-health or even disease.

With around 45% of the fish we buy and eat globally coming from farmed sources, understanding the fish gut microbiome is essential to supply this demand.

Publication date: 11 May 2020

Cumberland Lodge Scholarship 2020-22

Publication date: 9 March 2020