Latest News

A green revolution needn’t be dull with sustainable sequins!

With sequins remaining ‘on-trend’ in the world of ‘fast fashion’, one small company is hoping to add a little light of brilliance and sustainability by developing a biodegradable sequin.

Fast fashion is often criticised for increasing the amount of material sent to landfill. The craze for sequins only serves to add a literal ‘layer’ of unrecyclable plastic into that mix.

One company is hoping to change all that however. Rachel Clowes established The Sustainable Sequin Company a year ago to provide the fashion industry with a sustainable sequin.

Rachel is currently using recycled plastic to provide off the shelf and custom-made sequins of various shapes and sizes. Rachel’s recycled plastic sequins are the first step towards her goal of developing a compostable sequin, which when used on a biodegradable material, could see the whole garment degrading naturally once sent to landfill.

Rachel has turned to experts at Bangor University and has asked them to throw their considerable experience behind her challenge.

Publication date: 10 September 2019

Preventable trauma in childhood costs North America and Europe $1.3 trillion a year

Across Europe and North America the long-term impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on health and productivity is equivalent to 1.3 trillion dollars a year, according to a new paper published in the Lancet Public Health.

The cost is equivalent to a massive three per cent of the two regions’ combined Gross Domestic Product - or 1,000 dollars a year for every person in North America and Europe.

Publication date: 4 September 2019

How machine learning is improving English cricketers

Innovative machine learning may seem light years away from first class test cricket, but it was the introduction of machine learning which enabled experts at Bangor University to reveal to the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) the factors which can lead to developing county or international world-class cricketers.

Publication date: 2 September 2019

How do we prepare cricketers for the pressure of performance on the pitch?

In July 2019 the England Men’s cricket team won the World Cup, and on Sunday 25th August 2019 Ben Stokes steered the team to a record run-chase to delivery victory against Australia in the 3rd Ashes Test Match.

Ground-breaking individualised training programmes are helping the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to prepare their players to face the pressure of performing on the pitch, and were a key factor in the England Mens teams’ recent world cup success.

Publication date: 27 August 2019

Cilia: cell's long-overlooked antenna that can drive cancer — or stop it in its tracks

You might know that our lungs are lined with hair-like projections called motile cilia. These are tiny microtubule structures that appear on the surface of some cells or tissues. They can be found lining your nose and respiratory tract too, and along the fallopian tubes and vas deferens in the female and male reproductive tracts. They move from side to side to sweep away any micro-organisms, fluids, and dead cells in the respiratory system, and to help transport the sperm and egg in the reproductive system.

This article by Angharad Mostyn Wilkie, PhD Researcher in Oncology and Cancer Biology, at the School of Medical Sciences republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 27 August 2019

Bangor University Shines the Spotlight on Women in Music

Bangor University’s School of Music and Media is holding its Second International Conference on Women’s Work in Music this year. The Conference takes place on 4 - 6 September, and the University will be welcoming prominent speakers and musicians, including music scholars, practitioners, funders, broadcasters, journalists and music professionals from all around the world.

Publication date: 27 August 2019

How to become a great impostor

Unlike other icons who have appeared on the front of Life magazine, Ferdinand Waldo Demara was not famed as an astronaut, actor, hero or politician. In fact, his 23-year career was rather varied. He was, among other things, a doctor, professor, prison governor and monk. Demara was not some kind of genius either – he actually left school without any qualifications. Rather, he was “The Great Impostor”, a charming rogue who tricked his way to notoriety.

This article by Tim Holmes, Lecturer in Criminology & Criminal Justice at the School of History, Philosophy and Social Sciencesis republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 22 August 2019

What happens to biopsy tissue after it's tested? Your donated cells could be helping important cancer research

If you’ve ever had a tumour removed or biopsy taken, you may have contributed to life-saving research. People are often asked to give consent for any tissue that is not needed for diagnosis to be used in other scientific work. Though you probably won’t be told exactly what research your cells will be used for, tissue samples like these are vital for helping us understand and improve diagnosis and treatment of a whole range of illnesses and diseases. But once they’re removed, how are these tissue samples used exactly? How do they go from patient to project?

This article by Helena Robinson, Postdoctoral Research Officer in Cancer Biology at the School of Medical Sciences is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 20 August 2019

Does social media influence your physical activity levels?

As concerns are being raised about how social media influences young people’s perceptions of their body image, sports scientists at Bangor University as asking whether and how social media affects our participation in physical exercise, and who and what are the motivators?

Surprisingly little research has been published on how social media affects participation in exercise, and yet there are numerous influencers, coaches and participants sharing their tips and triumphs to be found on various social media platforms. Could social media also be acting as a positive influencer, encouraging some to participate in physical exercise or to have a healthier body image?

Publication date: 20 August 2019