Latest News

Work begins on UK system for estimating COVID-19 cases from wastewater

Scientists will develop a standardised UK-wide system for detecting coronavirus in wastewater, in order to provide an early warning of future outbreaks and reduce reliance on costly testing of large populations.

The majority of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease - are believed to shed the virus in their faeces, even if they are asymptomatic, so sewage surveillance is widely seen as a promising way of identifying future disease hotspots.

Publication date: 2 July 2020

Don’t disturb the sleeping oystercatchers

Zoologists from Bangor University have shown how human activity could be disturbing oystercatchers, a near-threatened British bird.

Published in the Journal of Zoology, the research studied to what extent these birds have their sleep disturbed by walkers and their dogs, and by more distant noises from passing boats, and what effect this might be having on both their need for sleep and their alertness to any threats. 

Publication date: 29 June 2020

How is ‘lock-down’ affecting our use of green-spaces?

We know that access to green spaces and to nature can affect our mood and even our mental health and well-being. The on-going ‘lock-down’ restrictions have changed that access. What effect will this have on our wellbeing? And what can this tell us about the importance of such access and the experiences of different socio-economic groups?

Bangor University’s School of Natural Sciences have been awarded funding from the UK’s Economic and Society Research Council to answer some of these questions.

Publication date: 26 June 2020

Noisy humans make birds sleep with one eye open – but lockdown offered a reprieve

Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for your well-being, as any new parent will tell you. Chronic sleep loss can have a range of effects on the body, from impaired memory to an increased risk of heart attack. But it’s not just humans that need regular sleep. Most animals, from insects to primates, undergo a state of reduced awareness at some point in their day that we can think of as sleep.

This article by Graeme Shannon, Lecturer in Zoology, School of Natural Sciences is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 25 June 2020

Artificial night sky poses serious threat to coastal species

The artificial lighting which lines the world’s coastlines could be having a significant impact on species that rely on the moon and stars to find food, new research suggests.

Creatures such as the sand hopper (Talitrus saltator) orientate their nightly migrations based on the moon’s position and brightness of the natural night sky.

Publication date: 23 June 2020

Pilot programme to measure coronavirus prevalence in waste water treatment plants

A pilot programme which will flag early signs of the coronavirus in Welsh communities by monitoring sewage systems, has been awarded almost half a million pounds - the Health Minister Vaughan Gething has confirmed.

The frequent monitoring of coronavirus levels at waste water treatment plants can offer a signal of the infection rate in the community and provide early sign that coronavirus is present.

Publication date: 20 June 2020

Bangor marine energy research in UK Parliamentary briefing

A UK Parliament POST on Marine Renewable Energy cited recent Bangor University research on the role of marine energy for a low-carbon, resilient, and sustainable future.

Publication date: 19 June 2020

Enhancing spatial ability to help close the gender gap in STEM

Bangor University is to contribute expertise to a new Europe-wide project to improve children’s spatial abilities, with the aim to help close the gender gap in science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Pupils with high levels of spatial ability are much more likely to succeed in STEM subjects, enjoy doing them and select them for further education and careers compared to those with low spatial ability.

Publication date: 18 June 2020

Undergraduate research published in a scientific journal

James Edwards has seen his final year dissertation work at Bangor University published in Acupuncture in Medicine.

James, now 23 and studying dentistry, researched the effectiveness of acupuncture for nerve pain in the face. He compared treatment outcomes for acupuncture against drug therapy and surgery.

Publication date: 10 June 2020

Coronavirus: wastewater can tell us where the next outbreak will be

Fairly early in the COVID-19 outbreak, scientists discovered that the virus that causes the disease – SARS-CoV-2 – is shed in faeces. But unlike the virus found in mucus and spit, the bits of virus found in faecal matter are no longer infectious, having lost their protective outer layer. They are merely bits of RNA – the virus’s genetic material. But these bits of RNA are very useful because they allow us to track outbreaks through the wastewater system.

This article By Prof Davey Jones of the School of Natural Sciences is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 9 June 2020

Coming of age in 2020 – the summer without exams or school proms

The transition from childhood to adulthood is marked by humans in a wide variety of ways across the world. Many of these “coming of age” celebrations are held at puberty. For instance, the filing of front teeth in Bali is said to ease the “sad ripu” or six evils of lust, greed, wrath, pride, jealousy and intoxication. In contrast, the Jewish bar mitzvah marks the point at which children are deemed to be responsible for their own actions.
This article by Isabelle Catherine Winder, School of Natural Sciences and Gwyndaf Roberts, and Vivien Shaw, School of Medical Sciences is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 8 June 2020

Brexit reveals new findings on minorities & mental health

Being part of a minority group, whose identity is important to you, could negatively affect your mental health. 

That’s the conclusion of a piece of research offered up by the Brexit referendum and published in the journal Social Science and Medicine. (Mental health consequences of minority political positions: The case of Brexit)

Publication date: 8 June 2020

Cumberland Lodge Scholarship 2020-22

Publication date: 9 March 2020