Using South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope, the international team measured radio emissions from neutral hydrogen dating back to a time when the Universe was several billion years younger than it is today.

The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, demonstrate the potential of a technique known as hydrogen intensity mapping, which allows astronomers to study vast regions of the cosmos more efficiently than ever before.

Key findings

• Researchers directly detected the hydrogen intensity mapping signal using MeerKATradio observations alone.
• The signal comes from hydrogen that existed when the Universe was several billion years younger than today
• The measurement traces cosmic structures across scales of millions of light years.
• The results validate hydrogen intensity mapping as a practical new tool for cosmology, enabling scientists to probe the large-scale structure of the distant Universe.
• The technique could help future telescopes map the Universe more efficiently than traditional galaxy surveys.

How hydrogen intensity mapping works

Neutral hydrogen naturally emits a faint radio signal known as the 21-centimetre line. As the Universe expands, this signal is stretched to longer wavelengths, allowing astronomers to observe hydrogen at different stages of cosmic history.

Rather than detecting individual galaxies one by one, hydrogen intensity mapping measures the combined radio emission from many unresolved galaxies. This makes it possible to study enormous volumes of the Universe and build a three-dimensional picture of its structure.

Until now, reliable detections of this signal at these distances have typically relied on combining radio observations with optical galaxy surveys. In this new study, however, the team has directly detected the hydrogen intensity mapping signal using MeerKAT radio observations alone.

The team analysed around 96 hours of observations from MeerKAT and detected the signal from two periods in cosmic history, corresponding to emissions that have travelled approximately four to five billion years before reaching Earth. The measurements trace hydrogen across scales of several million light years - comparable to the distance between the Milky Way and its neighbouring galaxy Andromeda.

What the researchers say

“This is a very exciting milestone,” said Dr Sourabh Paul, lead author of the study. “Hydrogen intensity mapping has long been seen as a promising way to map the Universe efficiently, but the signal is extremely faint and difficult to isolate from foreground emission, human-made radio-frequency interference, and instrumental effects. Detecting it directly with MeerKAT shows that this technique is becoming a practical tool for cosmology.”

“This was a challenging data analysis process, requiring a detailed understanding of the many sources of contamination that can affect such a faint measurement,” Professor Santos added. “It is particularly remarkable that the data used in this study were taken in 2018, when MeerKAT had only just started science operations. There is now a rich trove of MeerKAT data waiting to be explored with this method.”

The researchers say the work opens up new opportunities to measure neutral hydrogen over cosmological distances and study how galaxies form and evolve over cosmic time.

Dr Zhaoting Chen, co-author of the study, said: “Neutral hydrogen is one of the key ingredients for understanding how galaxies form and evolve.

“With intensity mapping, we do not need to detect every individual galaxy. Instead, we can measure the collective signal from hydrogen across large cosmic volumes, giving us a new way to study both galaxy evolution and the underlying matter distribution of the Universe.”

The detection also has important implications for future cosmological surveys. Hydrogen intensity mapping is expected to become a major science driver for the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, for which MeerKAT is a precursor telescope.

Professor Laura Wolz, co-author of the study from Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at The University of Manchester, added: “MeerKAT continues to open new windows for cosmology. The fact that this signal can be extracted from observations that were not originally designed for hydrogen intensity mapping is very encouraging. It shows the enormous scientific value of MeerKAT data and points the way to future observations with SKAO.”

The researchers say future observations covering larger areas of the sky and using longer observing times will enable astronomers to map hydrogen in even greater detail, helping reveal how galaxies formed, how dark matter shapes the cosmic web, and how the Universe has evolved over billions of years.

Publication details

The study was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ae808f

The $4.3 billion Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA's next flagship astrophysics mission that will investigate the nature of dark matter and dark energy, study how galaxies have evolved over cosmic time, and discover more than 100,000 planets beyond our Solar System.

Using a powerful 2.4-metre mirror, Roman will conduct fast, detailed scans of the sky in infrared light. The telescope will combine Hubble-quality imaging but with a field of view that is more than 200 times larger. Scientists estimate that observations Roman can complete in a day would take the Hubble Space Telescope around four years to achieve.

The mission will also generate an unprecedented volume of data. Roman is expected to capture around 1.4 terabytes of observations every day, producing more than 500 terabytes of data each year. By comparison, the Hubble Space Telescope has collected around 400 terabytes during more than 35 years of operation.

Dr Eamonn Kerins, from Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at The University of Manchester was appointed by the European Space Agency to the Roman mission. He leads the Exoplanet Demographics Working Group for the Transits in the Roman Exoplanets Survey (TRExS), one of two science teams working with Roman data to find planets around other stars. TRExS will focus on planets orbiting closer to their host star.

Dr Kerins is also a member of the Roman Galactic Exoplanets Survey (RGES). RGES will use the gravitational lensing effect to find planets further out from their hosts. Roman is the first survey to combine two detection methods to gain a more complete picture of distant planetary systems. Dr Kerins was also part of the Roman Observations Time Allocation Committee (ROTAC), the NASA panel responsible for determining the mission's final survey design.

The mission is expected to discover more than 100,000 planets orbiting other stars, dramatically increasing the number of known exoplanets and helping astronomers build the most comprehensive picture yet of planetary systems across our galaxy. NASA Senior Project Scientist Julie McEnery, who helps to lead Roman's scientific programme, is also a Physics alumna of The University of Manchester.

Scientists believe about 25% of the Universe consists of dark matter and around 70% of dark energy, yet neither is fully understood. Roman will study tiny changes in the shapes of millions of galaxies to map the distribution of matter and dark matter and trace how galaxies evolved. The mission will also investigate how the Universe has expanded over time and why that expansion appears to be speeding up, with dark energy thought to be the driving force behind it.

Beyond its studies of exoplanets and the dark Universe, Roman will observe black holes, quasars and other rare cosmic events, providing astronomers with new insights into some of the most extreme objects in the Universe.

The mission follows the launch of the European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope in 2023, another major international astronomy mission involving researchers from The University of Manchester. Together, Euclid and Roman will provide complementary observations that will help scientists better understand the evolution and structure of the Universe.

Roman is expected to operate for at least five years, producing vast quantities of data that will be used by astronomers around the world to address some of the most important unanswered questions in astrophysics.

Roman is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA on 30 August 2026 at 07:26 EDT /12:26 BST / 13:26 CEST. Watch the launch live via NASA’s YouTube channel. Follow NASA for updates.

In recent weeks, a range of open letters have been published highlighting the importance of Jodrell Bank, e-MERLIN and the wider radio astronomy capabilities based at the Observatory. Support has come from leading figures in science, culture and public life, as well as from organisations representing the international radio astronomy community.

Lending their voices to support the positive impact, which the whole of the Jodrell Bank site has given to UK science and culture, signatories include Professor Brian Cox, Sir Brian May, Tim Peake, Chris Hadfield, Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Simon Armitage, Johnny Marr, members of New Order and Elbow, Jarvis Cocker and Christopher Eccleston. Many have longstanding links with Jodrell Bank through public engagement programmes, artistic collaborations and the Bluedot festival.

Alongside this, letters have been received from international research organisations, observatory directors, scientific advisory groups and astronomy institutes from across the UK and Europe. Together, they underline the value placed on Jodrell Bank's scientific capabilities, its role in training future generations of scientists and engineers, and its contribution to international research partnerships.

The letters follow the announcement that funding for e-MERLIN, the UK's national radio telescope network operated from Jodrell Bank Observatory, is due to end in March 2028 unless alternative support can be secured.

At the heart of Jodrell Bank's scientific work is e-MERLIN, the UK's national radio telescope network. By linking seven radio telescopes across England, it enables scientists to study the universe with a level of detail comparable to some of the world's most advanced astronomical instruments.

The University has made clear its commitment to securing the future of the Lovell telescope and radio astronomy at Jodrell Bank and is continuing discussions with partners on potential long-term funding solutions.

The growing body of support from across the scientific community and beyond, underlining the importance of Jodrell Bank to research, skills, education and inspiration for future generations.

Find the full list of letters here: e-MERLIN News

But studying glycans has a major challenge: because many glycans are highly water-soluble, or hydrophilic, they cannot easily cross the cell membrane and must be modified with a hydrophobic moiety – a water repelling chemical group – and prepared and delivered with potentially harmful solvents.

Professor Matthew Gibson and his team have now demonstrated a new approach using a small super chaotropic nanostructure made of boron to transport these molecules directly into mammalian cells, crucially removing the need for cytotoxic organic solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).

Delivering the sugars to programme cell surfaces

One widely used technique for studying glycans is metabolic oligosaccharide engineering, where modified sugars carrying a chemical ‘handle’ are introduced into cells. These sugars, specifically designed to be tracked and followed through the cell, allow researchers to investigate their biological functions. But, as these sugars are hydrophilic (water-loving), the hydrophobic cell membrane prevents them from passing through.

To combat this, the research team used the new boron delivery method, to introduce the unnatural sugars into the cell where they were metabolised and used to ‘edit’ the surface of the cell. The ‘handle’ from the modified glycan, now on the cell surface, can be used to potentially reprogramme or add new cell functions.

The researchers also used the technique to investigate recently discovered glycoRNA – RNA molecules associated with glycans which have only recently been discovered.

A cleaner delivery service for glycans

By removing some of the practical barriers associated with intracellular glycan delivery, the researchers believe the approach could provide new opportunities across glycobiology and cell-surface engineering, as well as related areas including autophagy, cryobiology and infection research.

Future research will focus on increasing the amount of glycan that can be transported into cells, with the aim of matching the delivery performance of existing acetylation-based methods.

The study, published in Nature Communications, examined clusters made from three thorium atoms and found that they display an unusual field-induced magnetic behaviour. The discovery helps explain conflicting interpretations of these materials and could improve how chemists assess aromaticity in metal-based systems.

A long-running debate about metal aromaticity

Aromaticity is a fundamental concept in chemistry that helps explain the stability and behaviour of molecules. While it is traditionally associated with carbon-containing compounds such as benzene, researchers have recently discovered forms of aromaticity in all-metal systems. One such example involves clusters of three thorium atoms that had previously been reported to show signs of so-called Jellium aromaticity, a form of electron delocalisation found in metal clusters.

However, those earlier findings sparked debate because experimental measurements suggested the clusters were aromatic, while some computational studies argued otherwise. To investigate the disagreement, researchers synthesised and characterised an expanded family of one-electron and two-electron trithorium clusters and compared their magnetic behaviour with that of conventional organic aromatic compounds.

An unexpected magnetic response

Using a combination of synthesis, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, crystallography, magnetic measurements and quantum chemical calculations, the team found that all of the thorium clusters exhibited unusually strong diamagnetism, a magnetic signature associated with aromatic behaviour. This was true for both open-shell and closed-shell systems, demonstrating that all the clusters behaved as aromatic "superatoms".

The researchers also observed something unexpected. Instead of responding immediately and linearly to an applied magnetic field, the thorium clusters initially showed a weak paramagnetic response before switching to strong diamagnetism as the field increased. By contrast, familiar organic aromatic molecules including benzene, naphthalene and anthracene displayed the expected linear response from near zero field.

The findings suggest that electrons in the thorium clusters must first reorganise under the influence of an external magnetic field before establishing the coherent electronic motion responsible for aromaticity. According to the authors, this behaviour helps explain why some computational methods, which assume a linear response, have produced conflicting conclusions about whether the clusters are aromatic.

The work highlights an important distinction between classical organic aromaticity and emerging forms of all-metal aromaticity. While organic aromatic systems appear to be naturally arranged to sustain aromatic currents, the thorium clusters seem to require an external field to trigger the electronic reorganisation needed to produce the same effect.

The researchers say the study demonstrates the need for caution when using magnetic current calculations alone to assign aromatic character, particularly in systems containing heavy metals where non-linear magnetic responses may be more common than previously recognised. The findings could help researchers better understand bonding in complex metal systems and refine future approaches for evaluating aromaticity.

Published in Nature Catalysis, the research addresses a long-standing challenge in chemistry: developing biological catalysts that can selectively construct complex molecular architectures. Carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen bonds are fundamental building blocks in many chemicals, pharmaceuticals and advanced materials.

To expand upon the reaction pathways found in natural enzymes, the researchers engineered proteins containing a non-natural catalytic amino acid. This facilitated the development of a new enzyme class, termed allylic transferases, which form highly reactive imidazolium intermediates that could then be intercepted by a variety of carbon- and nitrogen-containing molecules, selectively producing a diverse range of products.

The team used directed evolution to improve enzyme performance. One evolved variant, known as ASB1.3, achieved more than 99% conversion in several reactions while delivering products with high stereochemical purity. In a preparative-scale reaction, the enzyme produced the target compound with 98% conversion.

A second enzyme variant, ASA1.5, enabled the formation of molecules containing all-carbon quaternary stereocentres, structures that can be challenging to synthesise selectively. In preparative-scale experiments, the enzyme achieved 98% conversion.

The researchers demonstrated that the engineered enzymes could work with a broad range of reaction partners, including substituted furans, indoles, pyrroles, cyanoesters, diketones, ketoesters, anilines and isatins. Across the reactions examined, the enzymes generated a single major product with no observable by-products other than the released leaving group used for monitoring the reaction.

Expanding the biocatalysis toolbox

Structural analysis also provided new insights into how the enzymes achieve their selectivity. The team found evidence that a para-nitrophenol group released during the reaction remains in the enzyme active site and helps orient incoming reactants, contributing to stereoselective bond formation.

While further development will be needed before these enzymes can be applied more widely, the study expands the range of chemical transformations available through biocatalysis. The study highlights how engineered protein catalysts can provide new ways to access molecular structures that are difficult to produce using established small-molecule catalysts.

First author Zachary Birch-Price said:

Mitochondria provide the energy that cells need to function. Mutations in their DNA can cause serious, progressive conditions affecting organs and tissues with high energy demands, including the brain, heart and muscles. Around one in 5,000 people is affected by a mitochondrial disease, and there is currently no cure.

The Manchester team, led by Sarah Lovelock, Professor of Biological Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, will combine genome mining, computational enzyme design and laboratory evolution to develop next-generation base editing tools capable of selectively targeting the most common disease-causing mutations in mitochondrial DNA.

Led by the University of Cambridge, the centre includes partners at the universities of Birmingham, Manchester, Heidelberg and Queensland, the Imagine Institute in Paris, patient charity The Lily Foundation and industry organisations worldwide.

By bringing together academic, clinical, patient and industry perspectives, the centre aims to establish a long-term research platform that can define the causes of mitochondrial disease and accelerate progress towards therapies.

Collecting rainwater from rooftops and using it to spray buildings during hot weather could help cities cut air conditioning use, lower urban temperatures and lessen the impact of heatwaves, according to new research from The University of Manchester.

Cities around the world are facing rising temperatures, putting pressure on public health, infrastructure and energy systems. As people rely more on air conditioning to stay cool, energy demand increases and waste heat released from buildings can make urban areas even hotter.

Urban watering technologies are becoming important ways for reducing extreme heat in cities, but their use is often limited by the availability of water.

How does rainwater keep cities cool?

In the study, published in Earth’s Future, researchers used process-based numerical simulations and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to test a system that stores rainwater collected from rooftops and automatically sprays it onto buildings during hot weather.

Using Tokyo as their case study, they found that cooling rooftops, the system reduced the amount of energy needed for air conditioning. The cooler roofs transferred less heat into buildings, while lower air conditioning use meant less waste heat was released into the city. Together, these effects helped reduce urban temperatures, cutting the number of heatwave days overall and lessening the intensity of extreme heat events.

What do the reserchers say?

Lead author Dr Zhonghua Zheng, Co-Lead for Environmental Data Science & AI at Manchester Environmental Research Institute (MERI) and Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Data Science and Environmental Analytics at The University of Manchester, said: "Cities around the world are facing growing challenges from extreme heat. Air conditioning can help keep people safe and comfortable, but it also consumes large amounts of energy and releases additional heat into the urban environment.

"Our study shows that harvesting rainwater from roofs and using it strategically for cooling could provide a practical way to reduce both energy demand and urban temperatures.

"What is particularly encouraging is that the benefits become even greater during hotter years, suggesting this approach could become increasingly important as the climate continues to warm.”

How would the rainwater sprinklers work?

The study suggests that when the sprinklers switched on - for example, when the roof reached a certain temperature - had a greater impact than either the size of the tank or the amount of water applied. The researchers also found that bigger is not always better. Very large tanks delivered only modest additional reductions in energy use and extreme heat, while applying extra water did not always lead to more cooling because some of it remained on the roof instead of evaporating.

The researchers say the approach could help local authorities and urban planners evaluate how rainwater-based cooling systems might work in their own regions while balancing practical considerations such as cost, water availability and local regulations.

Can rainwater cooling help with other urban challenges?

As cities continue to grapple with rising temperatures, the team believes roof-based rainwater cooling systems could form part of a wider suite of urban climate adaptation measures designed to improve resilience and protect public health.

Junjie Yu, PhD researcher at The University of Manchester, added: “The rainwater tank also provides an additional co-benefit on reducing the extreme urban runoff. This approach exemplifies a ‘natural solution to natural challenges’, in which rainwater serves as a natural resource to mitigate both thermal stress and hydrological extremes.”

Professor Mahima Swamy’s lab studies intestinal immunology, diet, infection, and immune-mediated bowel diseases (Coeliac and Crohn’s). The group particularly focuses on intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), a poorly characterised class of T cells residing within the intestinal epithelium, and their communication with epithelial cells.

Mahima joins the Becker from The University of Dundee, where she is a Programme Leader in the MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC PPU). In 2016, Mahima established her own research group in the MRC PPU, supported from 2017 by a Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellowship, and became an EMBO Young Investigator in 2022.

Originally from Bangalore, India, Mahima studied Biological Sciences and Biotechnology at BITS Pilani before completing her PhD at the Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology in Freiburg, Germany, studying T-cell receptor biochemistry with Wolfgang Schamel. She then held postdoctoral positions with Adrian Hayday at CRUK's London Research Institute, researching intestinal immune surveillance, and with Doreen Cantrell at Dundee, uncovering roles for O-GlcNAc modification in T cell lymphomagenesis and development.

Mahima said: “I am very excited to be joining The University of Manchester and the Lydia Becker Institute. I have always appreciated the amazing immunology research that happens at the Becker and loved the collegiate and friendly atmosphere whenever I have visited. With the recent award of the MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Exposome Immunology to the University, I think this is a great time to be joining and to be able to contribute to the great mucosal barrier research going on here.”

Commenting on the appointment, Professor Tracy Hussell, Director of the Lydia Becker Institute said: “I am thrilled that Mahima will be joining the Lydia Becker Institute at Manchester. Her fantastic research on intestinal immunity is a natural fit with our focus on barrier tissues and their interaction with environmental stressors.”

The research, published today in Nature, describes a new family of antifungal agents, which - when tested in mice - are more potent and less toxic than existing treatments.

A growing threat

Fungal diseases are an escalating global health threat, becoming harder to treat as resistance to existing drugs grows and the development of new antifungal medicines lags behind. The urgency for new treatments was emphasised by a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

While existing antifungal medicines can be highly effective, many can cause serious side effects because fungal cells share similarities with human cells, making it difficult to target infections without harming healthy tissue.

Discovering new antifungal compounds

In the new study, researchers from the Micklefield Lab focused on polyenes — a class of powerful antifungal agents. Using an approach called genome mining, they identified bacterial species capable of producing new, undiscovered antifungals.

Dr Saadia Nasr Mirza who worked on the project said: “The most effective antifungal agent currently available is a polyene molecule called amphotericin produced by soil bacteria. Although amphotericin is very potent, it is highly toxic, so we set out to discover if bacteria can produce different types of polyenes that are safer than amphotericin. We developed a bioinformatics pipeline, which surprisingly showed that many bacterial species have the capability to produce novel polyenes.”

More potent, less toxic treatments

Using a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), the team determined the structures of the newly discovered polyenes, showing that each one had a unique structure that differed from any existing antifungal compounds. The researchers also characterised the enzymes responsible for producing them and generated a library of polyene derivatives for testing.

Several of the new compounds showed increased antifungal activity, reduced toxicity and improved solubility compared with the parent drugs. The findings demonstrate that enzymes can be used to redesign these important medicines in a cleaner, more efficient way, producing new compounds that retain strong antifungal activity while reducing toxicity and harmful side effects.

One compound, known as Nys34, showed particularly promising results. In a mouse model of invasive aspergillosis, a serious fungal infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, the compound reduced fungal burden without substantive signs of toxicity.

Professor Jason Micklefield who led the project said “We were pleased to find that several of the new polyene derivatives were more potent and less toxic than amphotericin and nystatin, which is another important polyene that is also used in the clinic.

“Surprisingly, we found that one of the most effective new polyene derivatives, Nys34, has a different mode-of-action to the widely used amphotericin. Because Nys34 kills fungal cells in a different way, it could prove very useful to combat emerging pathogens that have evolved resistance to amphotericin.”

A cleaner way to develop new medicines

Polyene antifungal drugs are highly complex molecules. Previous efforts to improve them have typically relied on lengthy chemical synthesis processes that are expensive, inefficient and can require environmentally harmful reagents.

The Micklefield lab, based at Imperial’s Molecular Sciences Research Hub, developed an enzyme-based approach that can produce improved polyenes by cleaner and more efficient biological processes, generating promising new drug candidates without the need for complex multi-step chemical manufacturing.

Because the process is potentially scalable and cost-effective, it could help make improved antifungal treatments more widely available, particularly in lower-income regions where fungal diseases are highest place a substantial burden on public health.

The researchers hope that further development of Nys34 could ultimately lead to clinical testing in people. Beyond Nys34, their enzyme platform provides a powerful new way of generating and refining polyene antifungal compounds that could be used to create additional treatments for a range of fungal diseases, helping to expand the limited pipeline of new antifungal medicines.

Published in Physical Review Materials, the research, led by Dr Sam Azadi demonstrates that this electronic “reheating” alone can cause metals to switch between different crystal structures in a fraction of a picosecond.

A different way to drive phase changes

In most phase transitions – such as melting or structural rearrangement – heat flows through the lattice of atoms. But in this work, the team shows that another mechanism can dominate: electronic entropy, a measure of how electron populations spread across energy states at high temperatures.

By modelling 17 different elemental metals, the researchers found that almost all undergo one or more solid-to-solid phase transitions driven purely by this electronic effect.

This means materials can change structure before the atomic framework has time to respond, creating a short-lived but physically meaningful state governed entirely by electronic properties.

Predicting how metals respond under extreme conditions

The team used advanced simulations to calculate how the free energy of different crystal structures changes as electronic temperature rises. These calculations revealed consistent patterns across groups of metals, including transitions between common structures such as hexagonal (hcp), face-centred cubic (fcc), and body-centred cubic (bcc).

A key finding is that increasing electronic temperature tends to favour structures with lower density, driven by an effect known as electronic thermal pressure.

However, the behaviour is not universal. In some elements, subtle differences in electronic structure (especially the distribution of electrons near the Fermi level) lead to more complex or unexpected phase changes.

Understanding materials on ultrafast timescales

These results help explain how metals behave under extreme, nonequilibrium conditions, such as those created in laser experiments or high-energy environments.

Because the transitions occur on femtosecond to picosecond timescales, they could be observed using ultrafast experimental techniques, including time-resolved X-ray or electron diffraction.

The findings suggest that researchers may be able to use ultrafast laser pulses to temporarily switch materials into new structural states, opening possibilities for controlling material properties in ways not accessible under equilibrium conditions.

Toward new approaches in materials design

By showing that electronic entropy alone can drive structural changes, the study provides a new framework for understanding and designing materials under extreme conditions.

The research could inform future developments in areas such as ultrafast electronics, high-energy physics, and advanced manufacturing technologies, where materials are routinely pushed far from equilibrium.

Published in Nature Communications, the study led by researchers from The University of Manchester, the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis and the University of Münster describe a family of tellurium-based catalysts that use chalcogen bonding to control reaction outcomes through non-covalent interactions.

Chalcogen bonding, which arises from electron-deficient regions known as σ-holes, has attracted growing attention as a tool for catalysis. However, translating these comparatively weak interactions into effective asymmetric catalysis has proved difficult, particularly when using neutral catalyst systems. Most successful examples reported to date have relied on charged catalysts to strengthen substrate binding.

To address this limitation, the researchers used computational modelling to design a series of chiral tellurium-triazole catalysts capable of forming a confined binding environment around reacting molecules. They identified a catalyst incorporating a 1,3-diaminocyclohexane backbone that could adopt a bidentate binding arrangement, allowing two tellurium centres to interact cooperatively with a substrate.

When tested experimentally, the catalyst was able to induce asymmetry in benchmark Reissert-type reactions of quinolines and isoquinolines. The best-performing examples reached enantiomeric ratios of up to 89:11, providing evidence that neutral chalcogen-bond donors can transfer chiral information during catalysis.

Dr Olga García Mancheño, corresponding author and Professor of Catalysis in Organic Chemistry at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, who led the experimental catalysis work, adds: "Chalcogen bonding has enormous potential as a tool for catalysis, but translating these relatively weak interactions into reliable asymmetric control has proved challenging. This was only possible by bringing together computational design, synthesis and experimental catalysis. The study shows that carefully designed neutral chalcogen-bond donors can overcome an important limitation in the field and opens the door to more selective systems in the future."

The team combined computational design, synthesis and mechanistic studies to understand why some catalyst architectures performed better than others. Spectroscopic and computational analyses showed that the most effective catalyst forms two cooperative chalcogen-bond interactions with a bound chloride ion, supported by additional hydrogen-bonding contacts that help stabilise the catalytic complex.

Alternative catalyst designs either failed to bind effectively or produced little or no enantioselectivity, highlighting the importance of catalyst geometry in controlling stereochemical outcomes.

"The computational analysis allowed us to understand why certain catalyst structures were successful while others were not", says James O'Brien, who carried out the computational studies at The University of Manchester. "It revealed how subtle changes in catalyst geometry influence binding and selectivity, helping us identify the features needed for effective chalcogen-bonding catalysis."

Lary Massold, who conducted the experimental studies says: “From the two most promising synthesised chalcogen donors, the catalyst with a weaker binding but more directive bidentate interactions with the substrate showed higher selectivity and stereocontrol. With this study we proved that fine-tuning of weak interactions plays a crucial role in this area of supramolecular catalysis.”

Although the levels of stereocontrol remain below those routinely achieved with more established classes of asymmetric catalyst, the work provides a proof of principle for neutral chalcogen-bonding catalysis and offers a framework for designing more selective systems.

The authors say the design principles identified in the study could help guide future efforts to harness weak non-covalent interactions for increasingly complex catalytic transformations.

Alcohol-related harm continues to place a significant burden on health services. The study highlights that these harms are most common late at night, particularly at weekends, when higher levels of intoxication can contribute to injuries, violence and emergency healthcare demand. The researchers note that Scotland recorded more than 31,000 alcohol-specific hospital admissions between 2022 and 2023.

The team says the findings provide important evidence for policymakers considering future licensing decisions. They argue that both the scale of licensing extensions and the types of venues receiving them should be carefully considered when assessing potential impacts on public health and community safety.

The authors also note that previous international research has linked reductions in late-night trading hours with decreases in alcohol-related harm. As the first UK study to examine the relationship between extended opening hours and alcohol-related ambulance call-outs, they believe the results can contribute to future national and local licensing policy discussions.

Professor Niamh Fitzgerald of the University of Stirling, and Principal Investigator of the wider study, said: “Our study shows that local authorities need greater powers to control the number and type of venues that are allowed to open later at night because large-scale extensions will result in increased health harms and crimes. Whilst this part of the research didn’t find measurable impacts in Glasgow, local stakeholders reported in interviews that the 4am extension in just 10 nightclubs had put frontline services under severe strain.”

The study was a collaboration between The University of Manchester, the University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Sheffield, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Scottish Ambulance Service, and forms part of a wider project led by the University of Stirling.

Dr Henriques-Cadby’s role on this work and the wider NIHR funded ELEPHANT project focused on advising the statistical design and methodologies proposed for the analyses, including analyses of changes in the geographical distributions of harms.

The College was formally launched on 18 June 2026 at the Royal Society in London and brings together experts from universities, industry and research organisations across the UK. Professor Dixon is one of 71 members selected through a highly competitive process that attracted nearly 1,200 applications. College members volunteer their time to support government decision-making through expert advice, workshops and peer review.

The appointment comes at a time when engineering biology is increasingly recognised as a strategic technology for the UK’s future prosperity. The sector is expected to play a pivotal role in developing new routes to manufacture chemicals, materials and consumer products from renewable resources, strengthening supply-chain resilience while helping industries reduce their reliance on fossil-derived feedstocks.

“The launch of the College of Experts at the Royal Society brought together an extraordinary group of independent specialists from across the UK, spanning AI, quantum, life sciences, cyber security, and far beyond. The experts volunteer their time to support us, reflecting a real commitment from the UK’s research and innovation community to contribute to government policymaking. Seeing DSIT colleagues and world-leading academics and practitioners in the same room was a powerful reminder of what this department can achieve when it draws on the best available expertise.”

— Professor Chris Johnson, DSIT Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the College of Experts

Engineering biology’s role in UK growth and net zero

Professor Dixon joins the College in recognition of more than two decades of leadership in engineering biology, sustainable biotechnology and industrial biomanufacturing. His research focuses on developing advanced biological systems that enable renewable and waste-derived carbon feedstocks to be transformed into valuable chemicals, materials and products, supporting the transition towards a more sustainable manufacturing economy.

His work aligns closely with the UK’s science and industrial priorities: engineering biology has been identified as a critical technology for future growth, while sustainable manufacturing, resource efficiency and net zero are central to the UK’s long-term economic resilience.

From Manchester for the UK

Manchester has long been at the forefront of engineering biology and sustainable biotechnology, bringing together the scientific expertise, facilities and industry partnerships needed to turn discovery into practical solutions. As the UK looks to strengthen its industrial base, build resilience and meet its net zero commitments, engineering biology will have a significant role to play – from cleaner routes to chemicals, fuels and materials, to new ways of reducing waste and using resources more sustainably. We are pleased to be part of this national conversation and to contribute evidence, insight and innovation that can help shape a more sustainable and competitive future for UK industry.

The study, published in Nature and led by the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, found that concentrations of airborne desert dust have increased across Europe over the past decade.

Researchers combined measurements from more than 100 monitoring stations across Europe with artificial intelligence to create what is believed to be the most comprehensive assessment of desert dust pollution on the continent.

The University of Manchester contributed data from the Air Quality Supersite at The Firs, which forms part of a Europe-wide network of atmospheric monitoring stations.

The study found that average desert dust concentrations are highest in southern Europe, where levels are more than twice those measured in central and northern Europe. Overall, the amount of dust increased by around 10–25% over the study period.

Professor James Allan, Professor of Air Pollution Measurement at The University of Manchester, said: "This study demonstrates the value of the long-term and detailed monitoring of air quality across Europe. Data from The University of Manchester's Air Quality Supersite at The Firs contributed to a unique dataset that has helped researchers build a clearer picture of how desert dust pollution is changing over time.

"While air pollution from many human activities has declined in recent decades, this research highlights how natural sources of particulate matter can also affect air quality, public health and energy infrastructure. Continued monitoring will be essential to understanding these trends and their impacts in the years ahead."

Using aluminium as a chemical marker of desert dust, the researchers were able to distinguish airborne particles originating from the Sahara from other sources of particulate matter, such as transport, industry and construction activities.

The team suggests the increase is linked to growing dryness in the Sahara and changing atmospheric circulation patterns that transport dust towards Europe. The researchers say climate change may be contributing to these trends by creating drier conditions and supporting desert expansion.

Alongside environmental impacts, the study highlights potential health concerns. Previous research has linked days with elevated desert dust concentrations to increased deaths from heart and respiratory conditions. Desert dust can also reduce the efficiency of solar panels by blocking sunlight and accumulating on their surfaces.

The findings provide an important new dataset for understanding how natural sources of particulate matter are changing across Europe and how they may affect health, energy systems and air quality in the future.

The study published in Materials & Design investigated molten metal deposition (MMD), an additive manufacturing technology. Unlike many established metal 3D-printing techniques, MMD operates at lower and more controllable temperatures, potentially reducing energy use while making it easier to manufacture complex components. 

The researchers examined how different processing conditions influence the formation of microscopic defects and grain structures within aluminium alloy 4043, a material widely used in manufacturing and engineering applications. Their findings provide new evidence that carefully controlling the thermal conditions during printing can reduce defects and improve the final material structure. 
 

Metal additive manufacturing is attracting increasing attention because it can create complex geometries while reducing material waste. However, many existing techniques involve extremely rapid heating and cooling, which can introduce defects, residual stresses and distortions into the finished part. MMD offers a different approach by depositing aluminium that has already been melted, reducing the intensity of thermal cycling experienced during manufacture. 

To understand how the process influences material quality, the team produced aluminium alloy samples using different nozzle and substrate temperatures. They then used advanced microscopy techniques to investigate grain structure, crystallographic orientation and the distribution of microscopic pores inside the printed components. Mechanical testing was also carried out to assess performance. 

The researchers found that higher nozzle and substrate temperatures slowed cooling during printing. This led to larger grain structures and increased levels of porosity, tiny voids within the material that can affect performance. In contrast, lower processing temperatures promoted faster cooling, resulting in finer grain structures and fewer defects. 

The study also revealed that defect levels and grain size generally decreased as printing progressed through successive layers of a component. This suggests that thermal conditions evolve throughout the build process, influencing how the material solidifies over time. The team identified a strong relationship between grain size and porosity, providing valuable insight into how manufacturing parameters shape material quality. 

Despite the presence of some defects, the mechanical properties of the printed components were found to be comparable with those achieved using conventional manufacturing routes. The researchers reported hardness and elastic modulus values that fall within the expected range for aluminium alloy 4043, highlighting the practical potential of the technology. 

Dr Wu and Dr Mirihanage added: “Molten metal deposition is still a relatively new manufacturing technology, and there is currently limited understanding of how processing conditions affect the final material. By establishing clear links between processing parameters, microstructure and defect formation, this work provides a foundation for optimising future manufacturing strategies and improving the reliability of aluminium components produced using MMD.” 

The researchers believe the findings will help accelerate the development of molten metal deposition for industrial applications where component quality, consistency and efficiency are critical. 

MMD has been developed by ValCUN BV, a Belgium based manufacturer focused on developing deployable and affordable metal additive manufacturing. 
 

Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed a new computational approach to help identify two-dimensional materials that may host unusual quantum behaviour. The work, published in Science Advances focuses on materials with “flat bands”, electronic states where electrons have very little kinetic energy. In these materials, interactions between electrons can become much more important, creating conditions linked to phenomena such as magnetism, unconventional superconductivity and topological electronic behaviour.  

Finding real materials with flat bands from large dataset is difficult. Conventional searches often rely on density functional theory calculations, which can reveal a material’s electronic structure but are time-consuming when applied across thousands of possible candidates. The Manchester team took a different route. They developed a physics-informed scoring system that captures two signatures of flat-band behaviour, low band dispersion and a strong peak in the density of states, then trained a model to estimate that score directly from atomic structure. 

“Flat bands are not only a feature we see in electronic calculations. They are often connected to the geometry of atoms in a material.” said Dr Xiangwen Wang, leading author of the study. “Our approach learns from that structure, which means we can search much larger materials spaces in a more targeted and interpretable way.” 

The framework was trained using known two-dimensional materials and then applied to more than 10,000 unlabelled 2D materials. Among high-scoring candidates with kagome-like structural motifs, follow-up quantum calculations confirmed flat-band behaviour with 98.2% accuracy. The study also identified several materials predicted to host fragile topological flat bands, a form of electronic topology associated with strongly correlated quantum phases. These results suggest that the method can do more than sort large datasets, it can help reveal which structural features make certain materials promising for further study. 

Dr Qian Yang, Senior Research Fellow in the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester, said: “The exciting part is not only that we found new candidate materials, but that the method changes how we search. Rather than calculating everything first and looking afterwards, we can now use physical intuition and structural learning to guide the search from the beginning. That makes discovery more scalable and more interpretable.” 

The approach remains computational, so experimental work will be needed to test the most promising candidates in the laboratory. However, the researchers say the same strategy could be adapted to search for other classes of quantum materials, provided the target property can be expressed as a meaningful physics-based score. By connecting physical insight with structure-based learning, the study offers a more efficient way to move from large materials databases to shortlists of candidates for detailed quantum calculations and experimental validation. 

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships are among the most competitive and prestigious researcher development schemes in Europe, supporting outstanding early career researchers to pursue ambitious projects while developing their independence, mobility and long-term career prospects.

These latest awards span disciplines including chemistry, chemical engineering, physics and astronomy, highlighting the breadth of research across the Faculty and the exceptional calibre of the fellows joining Manchester.

Supporting research excellence and researcher independence

MSCA fellowships are designed to support postdoctoral researchers in establishing their own research trajectories, providing funding, training and international mobility opportunities that help accelerate their career development.

Professor Chris Hardacre, Professor of Chemical Engineering at The University of Manchester and supervisor on the PHOENIX fellowship, said:

Incoming fellows

Among the incoming fellows is Dr Silvia Escayola, who will join The University of Manchester under the MAGPIE project:

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships awarded at Manchester

The following MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships have been selected for funding and are currently progressing through Grant Agreement Preparation:

• MecAI
  AI-powered classification of bimolecular reaction mechanisms from kinetic data
  Dr Emilie Werner, Chemistry
  
• SUPERFRACA
  Towards Josephson effect in fractional quantum Hall systems via light–matter interaction engineering
  Dr Hadrien Vignaud, Physics and Astronomy
  
• PHOENIX
  Piezo-photonic High-entropy Oxides Enabling Integrated Extraction to Polyesters
  Dr Yue Jiang, Chemical Engineering
  
• AtropEnzymes
  Engineering new enzymatic platforms for atroposelective C–N bond formation
  Dr Martin Power, Chemistry
  
• DRIFT
  Deep Reinforcement Learning for control of wave energy converters integrated on floating offshore wind turbines
  Dr Zechuan Lin, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  
• MAGPIE
  Magnetic-exchange and aromaticity guidance for pi-system spin interaction engineering
  Dr Silvia Escayola Gordils, Chemistry

  
• DECODE
  Deciphering hydro-mechanical coupling and multiscale response of basaltic rocks under mineral carbonation with implications for carbon storage
  Dr Manab Mukherjee, Civil Engineering and Management
  
• IMAGES
  Ionic memristors with gate control for low-power artificial synapses
  Dr Biswabhusan Dhal, Physics

Considering an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship at Manchester?

Prospective applicants and supervisors are encouraged to explore guidance and upcoming opportunities via the link below:

Horizon Europe: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship in Science and Engineering

Ethanol is one of the world's most widely used chemicals. It is used in fuels, solvents, disinfectants and as a feedstock for manufacturing. Finding new ways to produce ethanol from carbon-containing waste streams could help support broader efforts to make chemical production less dependent on fossil resources. The study focused on a process in which methanol acts as a starting material and carbon dioxide provides an additional carbon source. 

The team also investigated how the catalyst works. Their experiments showed that carbon dioxide is first converted into carbon monoxide through a reverse water gas shift reaction. The carbon monoxide then acts as an intermediate in forming ethanol. The researchers found that ruthenium and cobalt perform complementary roles, with ruthenium helping drive hydrogenation steps and cobalt promoting the carbon-carbon bond formation needed to build the ethanol molecule. 

Beyond performance, the researchers assessed characteristics important for industrial use. The activated catalyst remained stable during storage tests and retained good activity after five recycling cycles. The catalyst system also uses precursor materials that are easier to obtain and store than many alternatives previously reported for similar reactions. 

The work has already progressed to preliminary scale-up studies. The authors report that the catalyst maintained high activity and ethanol selectivity in larger-scale reactor (3 L). Based on these findings, the team proposed a process flow for producing ethanol from methanol, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, with catalyst recycling and recovery of unreacted materials built into the design. 

Dr Li adds: “There is still further work to do before a process such as this could be implemented commercially. However, these results demonstrate a promising route that combines accessible catalyst materials with recyclability and strong performance, which are all important considerations when developing practical carbon utilisation technologies.” 

This international collaboration was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2024YFE0206500) from MOST International S&T Cooperation Centre.

The evaluation, led by researchers at The University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), analysed nine real-world pilot projects spanning music festivals and arena concerts, TV production, infrastructure and public transport.

The findings show that the Programme delivered practical changes with the potential for long term impact across Liverpool’s cultural sector, including new sustainability standards for film and TV production, improved carbon reporting at events and greener operational practices in the city’s major venues.

The programme delivered a series of high-profile successes, including:

• Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena was recognised by A Greener Future as one of the UK's greenest music venues after trialling fully plant-based catering, improved waste management and shared production infrastructure across a series of major concerts.

• Two BBC drama productions filmed in Liverpool – The Cage and Waiting for the Out – reported reductions in their carbon footprints of 46% and 61% compared to the industry average through measures including LED lighting, battery power and dedicated staff with sustainability expertise.

• BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend won the Green Award at the UK Festival Awards after introducing battery-powered infrastructure, low-carbon travel initiatives and the most comprehensive environmental dataset ever collected for the festival.

• The UK's first National Occupational Standards for sustainability roles in film and television were developed through consultation with industry professionals.

Beyond individual pilots, the research found that the programme changed how sustainability was considered within Liverpool City Council, improving understanding and confidence around sustainability, helping embed climate considerations in everyday decision-making and future cultural project planning.

Local authorities were found to have particular influence through using the levers already within their direct control, such as land-use and event permissions. In Liverpool, this led to the development of a new framework for events on council land, embedding environmental standards and data reporting into the approvals process.

Liverpool’s UN ‘Accelerator City’ status also provided momentum, helping bring together organisations across the creative industries to collaborate in ways that might have been difficult under normal circumstances.

However, the research also highlights the significant barriers and challenges cities face when trying to cut emissions.

A lack of funding, limited staff capacity and gaps in technical expertise slowed progress across several projects. In many cases, basic data on environmental impacts was missing, making it harder to target the most effective actions.

Efforts to introduce low‑carbon infrastructure during the year, such as replacing diesel generators or improving grid connections, were constrained by the cost, complexity and time needed to modernise existing systems.

Interventions that depended on external partners, such as integrating public transport, proved significantly harder to deliver at pace trials helped to identify challenges and opportunities and a plan for how this can be operationalised in the future has been developed.

The researchers say that the lessons are relevant far beyond a single city and the findings can help any city or cultural organisation reduce emissions.

Read the full report here: https://tyndall.ac.uk/reports/how-cities-can-decarbonise-culture-lessons-from-liverpools-year-as-the-first-un-climate-accelerator-city/

After more than a decade of preparations, it’s the start of one of the most ambitious studies of the cosmos ever undertaken. For the next ten years, the LSST will capture the entire southern sky to create an ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of our Universe. This movie will help solve some of the Universe’s biggest mysteries – such as the nature of dark energy, and the evolution of the solar system, Milky Way, and galaxies across cosmic time.

The University of Manchester is part of the LSST Consortium, a partnership of 36 institutions representing the UK’s leading astronomy research groups. Supported by investment from the Science and Technology Facilities Council(STFC), 

Scientists at Manchester will use Rubin data to study the first galaxies and the evolution of the universe and its cosmological parameters.  

During its 10-year survey, Rubin will catalogue an estimated 17 billion stars, 20 billion galaxies, and millions of events that change in the sky – more objects than there are living people on earth. With the survey expected to create up to 500 petabytes of data in its lifetime, the UK is playing a significant role in the management and processing of this unprecedented dataset. The UK's LSST data facility will process 25% of the data from Rubin, turning raw images of the sky into the calibrated data products with which astronomers can do science, and will operate a science platform capable of supporting analysis of those data products by 20% of the international LSST community.

The UK's LSST computing facility also hosts the Lasair event broker, a sophisticated software system supporting the near-real-time analysis of the alerts that Rubin issues whenever it detects a moving or time-varying celestial source. This alert stream - which can comprise millions of alerts per night and which includes a wide range of astrophysical objects, from nearby asteroids to distant supernovae - started flowing in February, ahead of today's formal start of the 10-year LSST.

Professor Grahame Blair, Executive Director of Programmes at STFC, said: "Today marks the beginning of a new era in astronomy. Together with our partners, UK scientists, engineers and software experts, STFC is excited to be part of one of the most ambitious scientific projects ever undertaken. “The discoveries made over the next decade will inspire future generations, deepen our understanding of the cosmos, and reinforce the UK's position at the forefront of astronomical research."

Researchers from Professor Radha Boya’s team in The University of Manchester’s Department of Physics and the National Graphene Institute, working with Diamond Light Source and Freie Universität Berlin, found that water reorganises in surprising ways at the smallest molecular scales. Hydrogen bonds give water many of its familiar properties, but until now it has been extremely difficult to test what happens when water is forced into a flat, single-layer arrangement because the amount of material is so small. 

By combining atomically precise nanochannels with the ultra-bright synchrotron infrared microbeam at Diamond Light Source’s MIRIAM beamline B22, the team was able to measure the vibrational modes of water confined down to a single molecular layer. 

Professor Radha Boya from The University of Manchester said: “You can think of bulk water as a three-dimensional network where each molecule is constantly forming and breaking hydrogen bonds in all directions. When you squash water into a single layer, that network simply cannot hold together in the same way. For the first time, we were able to directly see how those bonds rearrange in this extreme limit.” 

The researchers created angstrom-scale slit channels using stacks of two-dimensional materials, including graphite and hexagonal boron nitride. These materials acted as both atomically smooth confining walls and optical amplifiers, boosting the weak infrared absorption signal from just a single layer of water. 

Infrared spectroscopy is highly sensitive to the stretching vibrations of O-H bonds within water molecules. By comparing water in channels of different heights with water in bulk regions of the same device, the researchers tracked how those vibrational frequencies changed as the water layer became thinner, down to a monolayer. 

The team found that when water is confined to a true monolayer, its infrared absorption spectrum shifts to higher frequencies. Dr Gianfelice Cinque of Diamond Light Source said: “My first excitement was being able to measure, at beamline B22, the vibrational fingerprint of a single monolayer of water. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the transition from 3D to 2D water has been directly detected with an infrared microprobe. The blue shift is a clear sign that the hydrogen-bonding network is disrupted compared with bulk water.” 

“Our measurements show that monolayer water does not resemble a flat version of ordinary liquid water,” added Professor Boya. “Instead, it forms a fragmented, mosaic-like structure made up of small hydrogen-bonded clusters surrounded by poorly bound or free molecules.” 

The study also showed that this behaviour is specific to the monolayer limit. Once the channels exceeded around one nanometre in height, equivalent to roughly three molecular layers of water, the vibrational signatures began to move back towards those of bulk water, indicating recovery of a more conventional hydrogen-bond network.

To understand the origin of these spectral changes, the experiments were supported by atomistic simulations. Professor Roland Netz of Freie Universität Berlin said: “Despite the disrupted bonding, monolayer water is unexpectedly dense and structurally distinct from both bulk water and simple interfacial water at surfaces.” 

The findings provide direct experimental evidence for long-standing theoretical predictions about two-dimensional water and offer a benchmark for future studies of confined fluids. 

Dr Marcos Martins, first author of the study at The University of Manchester, said: “Water confined at this scale plays a role in everything from nanofluidic devices to biological channels and energy technologies. Having a direct experimental picture of how its structure changes at the single-layer limit helps us understand the physical rules that govern these systems.” 

The ability to directly measure how water reorganises at the single-layer limit could help researchers design better angstrom-scale technologies, including nanofluidic circuits, selective membranes, and electrochemical and energy devices where confined water shapes interfacial behaviour. The same platform could also be used to study other ultrathin liquids and solvated ions, expanding experimental access to extreme confinement in materials science and biology. 

The University and the Earlham Institute have been appointed by BioFAIR to lead a new consortium to establish the Methods Commons, the first spoke of the £34 million BioFAIR programme.

The Methods Commons will provide researchers with national-scale capabilities for the discovery, execution, sharing and reuse of the computational workflows, tools and notebooks that underpin modern data-driven life sciences.

Led by Professor Carole Goble at The University of Manchester, the consortium will develop services designed to improve the reproducibility, reliability and reuse of computational methods across UK bioscience.

The Methods Commons will deliver eight core capabilities for UK life sciences researchers, including Galaxy and Nextflow workflow execution, support for containerised bespoke workflows on HPC, a national workflow registry with a community-endorsement mechanism, a “workflow observatory” providing trust and quality assurance, a shared Jupyter notebook environment, and API standards for ingesting input data and sharing workflow results.

Tony Burdett, BioFAIR Director, said: “The Methods Commons tackles one of the longest-standing problems in computational bioscience — reproducibility and reuse of methods that produce the results to be included in publications as research outputs. We had a strong field of applicants, and the appointed consortium combines real delivery track record with deep roots in the UK and international workflow communities. Establishing the Methods Commons is a major milestone for BioFAIR as it’s the first spoke in our federated BioCommons and the point at which the services needed by our users really start to take shape.”

The consortium — which includes support from Nextflow, Seqera — was selected following a competitive two-stage process that opened with an Expression of Interest call in December 2025, followed by invited full proposals reviewed by an independent expert panel. BioFAIR is investing up to £4 million over an initial two-year period, with the expectation that the partnership will extend to deliver the full programme of work through to June 2029 and beyond.

Carole Goble, Methods Commons Project Lead, said: “We’re proud to be establishing the Methods Commons as part of BioFAIR. Computational workflows are how modern bioscience gets done, and giving UK researchers a trusted, national-scale set of services to find, run and share them — without having to reinvent the plumbing each time — is overdue. We’re looking forward to working with the BioFAIR Hub, the Fellows and Pathfinder Projects to make sure what we build is shaped by real user needs from day one.”

The Methods Commons will adopt an incremental, user-driven delivery model, with early value delivered to exemplar communities — including the first cohort of BioFAIR Pathfinder Projects — before scaling to national reach. It will operate alongside the forthcoming Data Commons, People Commons, Knowledge Hub and BioFAIR Portal in a hub-and-spokes federated infrastructure coordinated from the BioFAIR Hub at the Earlham Institute.

The lecture, chaired by Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, explored the theme of ‘Discovery in an Age of Distrust’.

The lecture covered how choices and values shape scientific discovery, in the modern context of today’s increasingly polarised public sphere influenced by pandemics, politics, and debates over gender, climate and artificial intelligence.

Julia also examined how political divisions influence science, how power and identity affect whose knowledge is heard, and why misinformation spreads so easily. She also addressed what this means for research leaders, universities and policymakers – and the issue of how to strengthen society's commitment to evidence at a time of major global challenges.

Creating a space for dialogue on these issues aligns with the core belief that The University of Manchester has a vital role to play in shaping a healthier, fairer and more sustainable future.

At this defining moment, the University is working to address the issues that demand action, from climate change and inequity to health challenges. Through the Challenge Accepted campaign, the University – supported by its global community of alumni and donors – is working to tackle the world’s most pressing issues.

The event was held on campus on Wednesday, 1 July at 6.30pm, with a recorded livestream available to access here.

Data centres have been designated as critical national infrastructure due to their importance for economic growth, but their electricity consumption is projected to quadruple by 2030. The inquiry will assess how this increasing demand could affect energy and water systems and how emerging technologies and policy approaches could reduce environmental impacts.

In their evidence, Dr Alejandro Gallego Schmid and Dr Raphael Tarpani, researchers at the University’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, highlight a number of challenges associated with this growth, including:

• Rising carbon emissions from both electricity use and the manufacturing of hardware

• Increasing demand for critical materials such as copper, silicon and rare elements

• Growing volumes of electronic waste driven by rapid hardware replacement cycles

• Potential strain on water resources and local environments

They argue that current policies do not yet fully account for the pace and scale of AI-driven demand and recommend:

• Integrating data centre growth into wider energy, infrastructure and environmental planning, ensuring expansion is aligned with grid capacity and the availability of low-carbon electricity.

• Improve transparency around environmental impacts through better reporting of energy, water and material use, alongside accounting for full lifecycle of digital infrastructure, such as hardware production, supply chains and electronic waste.

• Support a circular economy approach to digital technologies, promoting the reuse, repair, refurbishment and recycling of servers and other hardware to reduce resource demand and waste.

• Manage the resource pressures associated with AI and data centre expansion, including demand for critical minerals

The evidence highlights emerging technologies that could reduce environmental impacts, including more efficient chips, advanced cooling systems and “green AI” approaches that limit unnecessary computation.

The researchers also point to opportunities for data centres to contribute to local energy systems, for example, by recovering waste heat to supply homes and buildings, or by providing flexibility to help balance electricity demand.

Dr Alejandro Gallego Schmid said: “Data centres are fundamental to the digital economy and will play an important role in enabling AI innovation. However, their expansion needs to be planned alongside the UK’s wider sustainability objectives.

“Our evidence shows that solutions are available but many of these will require investment in infrastructure and more coordinated action across policy, industry and research.”

Dr Alejandro Gallego Schmid delivered the evidence to the to the Environmental Audit Committee in Westminster today (1 July 2026).

The submission has been supported by Policy@Manchester, the University’s policy engagement unit.

Read the full written submission: Written evidence - DCU0023

Read more about the inquiry: Risks and opportunities to the sustainability of data centres in the UK - Committees - UK Parliament

In a study published in ACS Catalysis, the international research team including Dr Christopher Parlett, Xinyue Zhou, and Yutao Jiang from the Department of Chemical Engineering, has aided in revealing how a highly efficient “single-atom catalyst” species operates at the molecular level to cleave the strong chemical bonds that hold lignin together.

The catalyst uses isolated ruthenium atoms embedded in a nitrogen-doped carbon material. This design maximises catalytic performance while using very small amounts of metal, making it more efficient than conventional systems

A clearer picture of how lignin breaks apart

A major challenge in this field has been understanding exactly which parts of the catalyst are responsible for breaking lignin’s tough chemical bonds. Without this knowledge, improving catalyst performance has remained difficult.

The research shows that a specific atomic configuration – known as a “Ru–N₄ site” – plays a central role. These sites activate oxygen molecules and help drive the cleavage of both carbon–oxygen and carbon–carbon bonds within lignin.

By combining experimental techniques with computational modelling, the team demonstrated how the catalyst first activates oxygen to form highly reactive species, which then attack the lignin structure and break it down into smaller molecules.

High efficiency under mild conditions

Under optimised conditions, the catalyst achieved near-complete conversion of model lignin compounds and produced high yields of valuable phenolic chemical products.

Importantly, the system operates under relatively mild conditions and without the need for harsh chemicals, highlighting its potential for more sustainable chemical manufacturing processes.

The catalyst was also successfully applied to real lignin samples from different biomass sources, converting them into useful aromatic compounds that could serve as building blocks for fuels, plastics and other materials.

Toward sustainable chemical production

This work provides a detailed understanding of how single-atom catalysts function in biomass conversion, offering a blueprint for designing more efficient systems in the future.

By enabling the upgrading and valorisation of lignin, the research supports efforts to move away from traditional linear petroleum-derived chemicals and towards a more circular, biomass-based economy.

The new estimates, published by the WHO as part of its monitoring of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), shows that while levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) declined globally up to 2020, they have since remained largely unchanged.

The new estimates will support global efforts to towards the WHO’s new goal to cut deaths linked to anthropogenic (man-made) air pollution by 50% by 2040, providing a critical evidence base for international policy and action.

Dr Matthew Thomas, a Lecturer in Data Science & Analytics at The University of Manchester and Research Scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, developed the Data Integration Model for Air Quality (DIMAQ) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) during his PhD. Since 2016, DIMAQ has underpinned the WHO's global estimates of population exposure to ambient air pollution. This latest release, the first since 2021, incorporates new data and methodological advances to provide the most up-to-date assessment of global air pollution trends and inequalities.

Dr Thomas’s work contributes directly to monitoring SDG indicator 11.6.2, which tracks annual levels of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in cities, and SDG 3.9.1, which tracks the mortality rate attributable to ambient and household air pollution.

DIMAQ brings together satellite observations, atmospheric models, and ground-based monitoring data to provide a consistent picture of air pollution levels around the world, enabling meaningful comparisons between countries.

The updated figures highlight significant disparities between countries. In 2023, exposure to PM_2.5 above the WHO Air Quality Guidelines was more than 13 times higher in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries, affecting around 6.5 billion people worldwide.

Exposure to both ambient and household air pollution remains a major driver of non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, stroke, chronic respiratory conditions and lung cancer, with the greatest burden falling on vulnerable populations.

Regional trends highlight mixed progress. While Asia bears the highest levels of air pollution, it also displays the greatest progress, while other regions, including Africa and Western Asia, have seen little change over the last decade.

Urban areas typically experience higher pollution levels than rural areas, but cities have also shown stronger improvements irrespective of their income level. In contrast, some rural areas, particularly in low-income countries, have seen pollution increase.

Bruce Gordon, Director a.i., Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration, WHO, said: “As the custodian of environmental health-related SDG indicators, WHO is committed to providing robust, evidence-based data, which is essential for bold decision-making. We cannot address the climate and air pollution crisis or protect public health without reliable information that highlights global inequalities and disparities. Placing science at the forefront to drive monitoring and foster multi-sectoral collaboration is crucial to ensuring universal access to clean air and energy, safeguarding both the health of people and planet—now and for future generations."

The ongoing use of Manchester-developed research highlights the University’s contribution to tackling one of the world’s most pressing environmental health challenges.

The work builds on Dr Thomas's wider research in modelling for global public health, spanning air pollution, environmental exposure assessment and environmental epidemiology. Previous iterations of DIMAQ highlighted that half of global population were experiencing increasing concentrations of PM_2.5 in the early 2010s. Other works include personal exposure modelling to provide a more realistic assessment of exposure to air pollutions as we interact with the environment. His research aims to help provide the evidence needed to support public health policy and decision-making worldwide.

Read more on WHO's website: https://www.who.int/news/item/29-06-2026-new-sdg-data-shows-stalled-progress-on-air-pollution-and-health

Chemical bonding is often described in terms of covalency, where atoms share electrons. While this concept is well understood, experimentally measuring covalency remains challenging and no single method works reliably in all cases. One of the most direct approaches is X‑ray charge density determination, which maps where electrons sit within a material, but this typically requires exceptionally high‑quality crystals and highly controlled conditions, limiting its use in routine studies.   

To address this, the researchers used HAR, a form of quantum crystallography, which combines experimental X‑ray data with theoretical calculations to build a detailed picture of electron density, the distribution of electrons that defines how atoms bond. This method is more accessible than traditional charge density techniques, but until now has been difficult to apply to heavy elements such as actinides, where electron behaviour becomes more complex due to relativistic effects.  

To test the method, the team analysed two trithorium clusters, which differ in how many electrons are involved in bonding. In one case, a single electron is shared across all three atoms, while in the other, two electrons are shared. Both systems act as “extreme test cases” because the atoms are heavy and closely spaced, making their electron distributions difficult to resolve.  

By analysing the electron density, the researchers identified features such as bond critical points, which mark where bonding interactions occur. The measurements matched closely with theoretical calculations, providing direct evidence for thorium–thorium bonding and helping resolve debate about how electrons are shared in these systems.  

The results also revealed clear differences between the two clusters, consistent with their underlying characteristics. These differences reflect how the number of shared electrons changes the nature of the bonding. Importantly, the method achieved this using standard experimental data rather than the specialised conditions typically required for charge density studies. This suggests that HAR could be applied more widely to investigate bonding in other complex materials. 

Professor Liddle, adds: “Understanding how electrons are distributed in these systems is important because small changes in bonding can affect how materials behave, including their chemical reactivity and physical properties. By providing a way to directly measure electron sharing, the approach offers a more reliable way to connect experimental observations with theoretical predictions.” 

Professor Roman Gorbachev, based in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the National Graphene Institute (NGI), will lead the five-year project “Future van der Waals Nanotechnologies”. The programme focuses on establishing new capabilities for producing high-quality 2D material heterostructures at wafer scale, supporting applications in electronics, quantum technologies and telecommunications. 

While van der Waals heterostructures can be engineered with high precision, most work to date has been limited to micrometre-scale samples. The project will address this by developing fabrication methods that operate at millimetre and wafer scales, enabling more consistent device performance and compatibility with industrial processes. 

Central to the programme is the development of a new ultra-high vacuum (UHV) fabrication platform designed to eliminate contamination between layers during assembly. This builds on recent advances from Professor Gorbachev’s group, including the creation of ultra-clean heterostructures using bespoke instrumentation. 

The fellowship will also establish a UK-based “2D Material Electronics” hub, providing access to advanced fabrication capabilities for academic and industrial users. By linking materials growth with device development, the initiative aims to accelerate progress in areas such as low-power electronics, neuromorphic computing and quantum technologies. 

This project builds on sustained research in this space. Some recent papers from the group include studies published in journals such as Nature, Science, Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Electronics, reflecting ongoing work on nanofabrication, electronic and optical properties of 2D materials, and their integration into device architectures. 

Professor Gorbachev has 20 years experience in graphene and 2D materials research, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications and a track record of developing new experimental approaches for nanofabrication and characterisation. His work has contributed to instrumentation and techniques now used by research groups internationally.  

The project will support a multidisciplinary team of researchers and technical specialists, alongside collaborations with partners across the UK and internationally. By developing scalable fabrication methods and strengthening links between fundamental research and application, the programme aims to support the next phase of 2D materials development and their translation into emerging technologies.

The research team used concrete sourced from the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and tested how it behaved when mixed with synthetic groundwater containing either stable strontium or trace levels of radioactive strontium‑90. Experiments ran for three months under two contrasting conditions: air‑limited, representing sealed or low‑oxygen (sub-surface) environments, and air‑equilibrated (air-exposed), representing disposal scenarios where air is present. 

In air‑equilibrated systems, the crushed concrete removed around 82% of strontium from solution within three months, compared with only 14% under air‑limited conditions. This difference was linked to the formation of calcite, a calcium carbonate mineral that forms as concrete reacts with carbon dioxide in air. Strontium can substitute for calcium in calcite, locking it into the mineral structure. 

X‑ray absorption spectroscopy confirmed that strontium was partially incorporated into newly formed calcite in these air‑exposed systems, providing a mechanism for long‑term removal of strontium-90 from groundwaters. 

The team also tested two phosphate treatments – one where phosphate was added during the experiment, and one where the concrete was pre‑treated with phosphate. Both approaches increased strontium uptake, even when air was limited. 

In air‑equilibrated phosphate systems, up to 98% of strontium was removed from solution within 48 hours. Microscopy showed that poorly crystalline calcium phosphate coatings formed on the concrete surface, providing additional sites for strontium to sorb or incorporate over long timescales to allow radioactive decay to stable Zr. 

Strontium‑90 is a key contaminant at many historic nuclear sites because it is relatively mobile in groundwater. Significant volumes of lightly contaminated concrete are generated during decommissioning, and on‑site disposal is increasingly being explored to manage this material. 

The findings suggest that, when concrete is crushed and exposed to air – as would occur during recycling or shallow burial – natural carbonation processes can significantly enhance strontium retention. Phosphate treatments could further improve performance, particularly in areas where air access is limited. 

Professor Morris added: “These results give us a clearer picture of what happens when concrete waste interacts with groundwater over time. By understanding the mechanisms that trap strontium, we can better support safe, evidence‑based decisions about on‑site disposal and long‑term radioactively contaminated land management.”

Professor Roman Gorbachev, based in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the National Graphene Institute (NGI), will lead the £3m five-year project Van der Waals Nanomachines (ATOMSTEP). The ERC Advanced Grant scheme is among the most competitive in Europe, supporting established researchers to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven science.

Professor Gorbachev said: "This project aims to establish a new approach to controlling motion at the nanoscale using two-dimensional materials. By developing electrically driven nanomachines, we will be able to study and assemble atomic-scale systems in ways that are not currently possible."

The project will combine atomically thin materials into engineered structures, van der Waals heterostructures, whose electronic and mechanical properties can be precisely controlled. From these, the team will build a new class of on-chip nanomachines that move in controlled, atomic-scale steps, able to move and position atomic-scale objects with high precision. The work brings together the fundamental behaviour of layered materials, the design and construction of the nanomachines themselves, and their use in emerging technologies, including quantum devices.

The research will be carried out at the NGI, which provides specialist facilities for nanofabrication and advanced characterisation. It builds on the group's recent work on ultra-clean fabrication of van der Waals heterostructures and atomic-scale imaging, published in journals including Nature Nanotechnology, Science and Nature Electronics, and further strengthens Manchester's position as a centre for advanced materials science.

The study published in ACS Catalysis focuses on the water gas shift reaction. This is a widely used process for producing and purifying hydrogen, which is expected to play an important role in future low carbon energy systems. 

Using a 2.0% Pt/CeO₂ catalyst, researchers found that carbon monoxide conversion dropped from 34.3% to 21.5% under conventional thermal operation. When non thermal plasma was applied, conversion remained stable at around 34.1% over the full 30 hour test. 

The researchers linked the performance difference to changes in surface processes on the catalyst. Under thermal conditions, carbon-containing species and strongly adsorbed carbon monoxide gradually build up, blocking the active sites needed for the reaction and reducing performance. This process, known as carbon monoxide poisoning, is a major limitation for platinum-based catalysts. 

In contrast, plasma generates highly reactive species that continuously convert or remove these surface deposits before they can accumulate. This keeps the catalyst surface dynamic and preserves the active sites required for the reaction. Importantly, these effects occur at relatively low temperatures where conventional catalysts struggle to perform efficiently. 

Using in situ spectroscopy, the researchers tracked how molecules behaved on the catalyst surface during operation. Under thermal conditions, carbon-rich intermediates steadily accumulated over time, directly correlating with the observed drop in activity. Under plasma activation, these species were present in much lower amounts or behaved as weakly bound species that did not interfere with the reaction. 

The study also shows that plasma changes how the reaction proceeds. Under thermal conditions, the reaction mainly follows a pathway involving formate intermediates, which tend to build up on the catalyst surface and contribute to deactivation. Under plasma conditions, the reaction shifts to a different route involving carboxyl intermediates, which turn over more quickly and do not accumulate. 

This shift in mechanism helps explain why performance remains stable. Plasma also reduces the inhibitory effect of carbon monoxide, meaning more active sites remain available even under conditions where conventional systems become limited. 

Maintaining catalyst stability is important for industrial processes because deactivation leads to reduced efficiency, shutdowns and the need for regeneration or replacement. In this study, regeneration under thermal conditions only partially restored performance, and activity declined again during subsequent operation. 

The findings suggest that integrating plasma activation into catalytic systems could offer a practical route to improving the durability and efficiency of hydrogen production by the water gas shift processes. By preventing catalyst deactivation and maintaining stable performance over time, this approach could improve reliability and reduce operational demands in industrial settings. 

Dr Chawdhury adds: “Understanding the mechanism behind this effect gives us new opportunities to design more durable catalysts for future hydrogen production processes, which also provides valuable guidance for industrial research and development.” 
 

The image, which contains more than 60 million stars, offers scientists an unprecedented view of the galactic bulge – the dense, bright heart of our Galaxy – and could help researchers confirm the existence of any exoplanet found in this region and measure their mass.

The new data comes from the Euclid Galactic Bulge Survey, a dedicated observing programme designed to support the discovery and study of exoplanets using a technique known as microlensing.

Captured over around 26 hours on 23 March 2025, the Euclid space telescope covered nine neighbouring fields of view, with each pointing covering a patch of the sky larger than the full Moon.  The result reveals a region of sky packed with stars, nebulas and star clusters in extraordinary detail.

Dr Eamonn Kerins, Astrophysicist at The University of Manchester, said: “Opening Euclid’s eyes towards the centre of our Galaxy was a very exciting moment for the team. It was the culmination of years of preparation and simulations to ensure Euclid could observe such a crowded region of the sky successfully, and without impacting on Euclid’s main science goals. The view Euclid gives us of the Galactic Centre region is absolutely stunning.”

The new observations show how Euclid’s capabilities can also be used for a broad range of astrophysics.

In this case, researchers are using the mission’s exceptionally sharp visible-light observations to identify the host stars to planets that cause microlensing events. Microlensing occurs when a foreground planetary system passes in front of a distant background star, briefly magnifying its light.

Dr Kerins co-led the Euclid Exoplanet Science Working Group between 2023 and 2025 and helped lead the effort to secure approval for the Galactic Bulge Survey, shape how it would be carried out, and help coordinate its successful execution.

The work required significant innovation, as Euclid was not originally designed to observe such a densely crowded region of the sky. Dr Kerins worked closely with colleagues within the Euclid Exoplanet Science Working Group, as well as the Euclid Project Scientists, instrument teams and spacecraft operations teams across the Euclid Consortium. He also helped to press the science case to Euclid colleagues and to ESA and international partners involved in Euclid. Extensive simulations and technical studies were undertaken to ensure the spacecraft could operate effectively in these conditions without affecting its core mission to study dark matter and dark energy.

The Euclid Galactic Bulge Survey targets regions rich in past microlensing events observed from the ground, where the lens and source have since begun to separate.

“This time baseline makes it possible to track the motion of the host stars and better characterise the planetary systems, ultimately enabling more accurate mass estimates for planets as small as Mars,” says Dr Kerins.

Because the centre of the Milky Way is so densely populated with stars, it provides one of the best places in the sky to look for these events. “Towards the centre of the galaxy, there is one chance in a million for a star to be magnified, while it would be one in a billion on other lines of sight.” states Matthew Penny, Assistant professor at Louisiana State University and current lead of the Euclid Exoplanets team. Dr Penny is a Manchester Physics undergraduate and postgraduate alumnus.

The survey is expected to help scientists better characterise known planetary systems and prepare for future discoveries. In particular, the Euclid data will provide an important reference point for observations to be made by NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will repeatedly observe the same region of the sky as part of its own microlensing and transit planet-hunting programmes.

Roman has recently arrived at the Kennedy Space Centre and is due to launch on August 30^th this year. The European Space Agency is a partner in Roman and Dr Kerins is the ESA-appointed scientist to the Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey. Dr Kerins leads the exoplanet demographics working group within the transit science team that is expecting Roman to discover around 100,000 exoplanets across the Galaxy. 

By comparing Euclid’s earlier images with future exoplanet detections from Roman, researchers expect to be able to confirm transiting planets more robustly and determine the masses of microlensing planets with greater precision.

Dr Kerins adds: “We are at the dawn of an exciting new age of exoplanet discovery, and Euclid has just fired the starting pistol”.

In a new study published in Soil Biology and Biochemistry, researchers investigated how different forms of nitrogen are used by plants and microbes in alpine heath environments.

Different strategies below ground

Using stable isotope labelling to track nitrogen movement in the field, the team – including Dr Ellen Fry, lead author for the paper – found that plants and microbes use distinct strategies to access this critical nutrient.

Plants primarily absorbed simpler, inorganic forms of nitrogen – such as ammonium and nitrate – and transported them from roots to shoots, where nitrogen accumulated over time.

In contrast, soil microbes showed a clear preference for more complex organic forms, particularly amino acids.

This division of labour reduces direct competition between plants and microbes, enabling them to coexist more effectively even in nutrient poor soils.

A dynamic system over time

The study also found that nitrogen cycling is highly dynamic. Nitrogen taken up by plants was rapidly moved through tissues, while microbes processed organic forms and influenced what eventually became available to plants.

Importantly, the researchers found little evidence that plants take up large organic molecules directly. Instead, these are likely first broken down by microbes and then reused by plants in simpler forms.

The team also observed that faster growing, more dominant plant species tended to take up more nitrogen overall, highlighting how competition between plant species influences nutrient use within ecosystems.

Implications for climate and ecosystem health

Alpine and heathland ecosystems are often cold, nutrient limited environments where small changes in nutrient cycling can have large ecological impacts.

By showing how plants and microbes partition nitrogen based on its chemical form, this research provides new insight into how these ecosystems function and persist under challenging conditions.

The findings could also inform efforts to manage soils more sustainably, by improving understanding of how nutrients move through ecosystems and how biodiversity is maintained.

Scientists have long tried to replicate this behaviour using synthetic materials, but most designs have focused on how molecules interact with ice at their surface.

In a study published in Chemical Science, the team – led by Professor Matthew Gibson –  have shown for the first time that the internal structure of polymer nanoparticles, rather than their outer surface, plays a key role in controlling ice growth. This was a collaboration with Professor Steve Armes FRS at Sheffield Univeristy.

Looking inside the particle

The team created a library of polymer nanoparticles using a scalable technique known as polymerisation‑induced self‑assembly. These particles consist of a water‑exposed outer layer and a hidden inner core.

Surprisingly, the researchers found that changing the chemistry of the inner core dramatically altered how effectively the particles inhibited ice recrystallisation – the process by which ice crystals grow larger over time.

Particles with “soft” cores showed significantly higher activity, strongly suppressing ice growth, while those with more rigid cores were less effective.

Even more strikingly, chemically locking the core structure removed this activity entirely.

A new design principle

The findings challenge the conventional view that only the surface of a material interacts with ice. Instead, they show that internal mobility and structure within nanoparticles can influence how ice crystals behave.

The study suggests that individual polymer chains within the particles may play a role in interacting with ice as conditions change during freezing and thawing.

Applications from medicine to materials

Materials that control ice growth are important in a wide range of applications, from preserving cells and tissues to improving the texture of frozen foods and developing anti‑icing coatings.

By providing a new way to design these materials, the research opens up opportunities to develop more effective, scalable and cost‑efficient alternatives to natural antifreeze proteins.

The work also establishes a broader framework for designing functional nanoparticles, showing that internal structure can be as important as surface chemistry in determining performance.

The work focuses on tellurium, a semiconductor of interest for electronic, thermoelectric and optoelectronic applications, where performance depends strongly on the size and shape of the nanostructures produced. Although liquid-phase synthesis is a scalable and relatively low-cost way to make these materials, it has been difficult to observe exactly how anisotropic tellurium structures begin to form and evolve during growth.

Using liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, the researchers tracked the early stages of tellurium formation at the nanoscale. They found that tellurium first appears as spherical seed particles, which then give rise to multiple nanowires. During growth, nearby wires compete for available material, affecting local growth speed and branching. Across the experiments, local nanowire growth rates were measured in the range of 1 to 15 nm per second, depending on electron flux and the presence of neighbouring structures.

Professor Sarah Haigh, corresponding author at The University of Manchester and the National Graphene Institute, said: “This study lets us see, in real time, how tellurium nanowires emerge and evolve in liquid. By directly observing nucleation, growth and branching at the nanoscale, we can begin to understand how to control these processes much more precisely. That matters because the performance of tellurium-based materials depends strongly on their size and shape.”

A second key finding was that bismuth seed nanoparticles dramatically change how tellurium grows. In the microscopy experiments, bismuth increased the number of nucleation sites and promoted more highly branched, fern-like structures. Follow-up electrodeposition experiments confirmed that bismuth also lowers the reducing potential needed for tellurium deposition and can substantially increase the amount of tellurium deposited under the same conditions. Together, these results show how insights from real-time microscopy can guide more effective materials synthesis outside the microscope.

Dr Yi-Chao Zou, co-corresponding author, said: “One of the most exciting aspects of this work is that the behaviour we observed in the liquid cell translated into conventional electrodeposition experiments. We found that bismuth seeding not only promotes tellurium nucleation but also makes deposition easier and more productive at a fixed potential. That opens up new possibilities for designing tellurium nanostructures with tailored morphologies for future device applications.”

The study, a collaboration between Sun Yat-sen University, The University of Manchester, the National Graphene Institute and Beijing Institute of Technology, suggests that real-time microscopy can do more than describe nanostructure growth. In this case, it identified a specific way to alter nucleation behaviour and improve deposition under defined experimental conditions. That could help researchers refine how tellurium nanostructures are produced for device-relevant studies, while keeping claims closely tied to the systems tested here.  The team report the findings could help accelerate the optimisation of low-dimensional nanostructures for electronics, energy conversion and sensing applications.

The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates how placing graphene close to a magnetic material can influence the spin of electrons without permanently altering graphene itself. By combining this magnetic proximity effect with graphene superlattices and operating at very low charge densities, the researchers were able to strongly tune how spins move through the material. 

“This work shows that by combining graphene with nearby magnetic materials, we can gain a high level of control over electron spin using electrical signals alone,” said Dr Daniel Burrow, from The University of Manchester. “In simple terms, we are learning how to pass information through graphene using the spin of electrons rather than their electrical charge.” 

Electron spin is a quantum property that can act like a tiny magnetic compass needle. While conventional electronics rely on the movement of charge, spin-based approaches aim to use this magnetic degree of freedom to process and carry information, potentially reducing energy losses. 

In the study, the team used cobalt contacts to induce magnetism in graphene through proximity, meaning the graphene itself does not become magnetic. They then injected and detected pure spin currents, allowing them to probe how spin transport changes across different electronic regimes. 

Near the charge neutrality point, where graphene has very few mobile charge carriers, the researchers observed a clear reversal of the spin signal. This behaviour indicates that the magnetic proximity effect creates a spin dependent energy splitting in graphene, which governs how spins travel through the material. 

Importantly, the same effect was also observed at additional neutrality points that appear when graphene is precisely aligned with hexagonal boron nitride. These so called superlattice features show that proximity induced spin control applies not only to graphene’s original electronic bands but also to those reconstructed by the superlattice structure. 

“Our measurements show that the same underlying mechanism controls spin transport across all these regimes,” said Dr Burrow. “That tells us we are seeing a robust physical effect rather than something specific to a single device setting.”

The strongest signals were observed in a bilayer graphene superlattice device designed to open an energy gap in the electronic structure. In this specific system, the researchers measured spin polarisations approaching 50 per cent and nonlocal spin resistances exceeding 300 ohms. These values are nearly two orders of magnitude larger than those measured away from charge neutrality in the same experimental platform. 

The study shows that low carrier density, combined with magnetic proximity effects and engineered band structure, can greatly enhance spin filtering and detection. While the work focuses on demonstrating the physics, the authors note that electrical control of spin at low power could be relevant for future spin based electronic technologies. 

“This research shows that we can engineer graphene systems where spin signals become both large and electrically tunable,” said Dr Jesus Toscano Figueroa, a co-author of the study. “That opens up new ways to explore spin transport in two-dimensional materials and brings us closer to using these effects in practical devices.” 

The team, Industrially Viable Solid State Lithium Metal Batteries, received the Stephanie L Kwolek Prize for developing a scalable solid-state lithium metal battery architecture that integrates nanocarbon-enhanced cathodes with solid electrolytes.

The award recognises a collaboration between researchers at PETRONAS, The University of Manchester, and Deakin University in Melbourne. Their work focuses on overcoming key barriers to the commercialisation of solid-state lithium metal batteries, including improving energy density, safety and manufacturability. 

Solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte found in conventional lithium-ion batteries with a solid alternative, offering potential advantages in stability and performance. However, challenges remain in ensuring reliable operation at scale. The team’s approach combines nanocarbon-enhanced cathodes with solid electrolytes to deliver a design that can be manufactured using processes compatible with industry. 

The RSC Horizon Prizes, introduced in 2020, recognise teams working on innovative projects at the frontiers of the chemical sciences. The prizes highlight collaborative research that addresses global challenges and demonstrates significant progress towards practical applications.

Dr Helen Pain, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “The purpose of the Horizon Prizes is to recognise those who are pioneering new techniques, technologies and discoveries. Our winners demonstrate how expertise from across chemistry and related disciplines can be brought together to tackle some of the most pressing global challenges.” 

The Manchester researchers contributed expertise in nanomaterials and their integration into functional devices, building on the University’s strengths in advanced materials and energy research. Their involvement in the project reflects ongoing collaborations with international partners and industry to accelerate the development of next-generation technologies. 

The prize is one of a number of Horizon Prizes awarded this year by the RSC, which form part of a wider programme recognising excellence in research, innovation and education across the chemical sciences. 

The milestone marks the largest level of participation in the campaign's history, having launched in 2016. This demonstrates the growing global appetite for teachers to upskill in how to engage 5–14-year-olds in practical science learning in schools.

Teachers and their pupils have been involved in thinking about scientific questions that interest them. Time has been dedicated to encouraging them to plan and undertake investigations, gathering evidence and drawing conclusions on topics ranging from nature, weather, motion and materials.

Under the annual theme 'Globally Curious', the pupils’ questions have demonstrated creativity, curiosity and wonder.

• Which is the smallest animal that makes the biggest difference in our environment?
• What do ants like to eat the most?
• How does friction affect the distance a car travels?
• How do different exercises affect your heart rate?
• How do my clothes shed microfibres and does it matter?

Teachers and educators across the globe get involved in many ways. As an inclusive campaign, sharing events take place in schools, gardens, zoos, hospital schools and community spaces.  This year saw the campaign expand its reach into Slovenia and Spain, with bespoke training for teachers and translated materials that increasingly support engagement globally.

Brompton-Westbook Primary in Kent was the school that took registrations beyond the million mark. Claire Hofer, the school’s Science Lead, said Great Science Share for Schools has enabled their pupils and teachers to do more enquiry-based science, which they share with other pupils at a showcase event at the Discovery Park in Sandwich.

Similarly, The University of Manchester welcomed 31 schools from across Greater Manchester to its Nancy Rothwell Building for a large in-person event, where pupils showcased their investigations and discoveries with the Lord Mayor encouraging them on.

The Great Science Share for Schools campaign was founded by Professor Lynne Bianchi, Vice Dean for Social Responsibility at The University of Manchester, to elevate the prominence of science in the classroom through learner-led enquiry, inclusive participation and collaboration.

Professor Bianchi said: “2026 is a truly great year for GSSfS by reaching this huge milestone. This makes a huge difference to teachers and young people, as well as showing that there is keen interest to raise the profile of science education for all. As the University’s From Manchester for the world 2035 strategy really takes pace, GSSfS models our values towards social responsibility and widening participation.”

Grace Marson, Campaign Manager for Great Science Share for Schools, added: “We are really proud that the campaign continues to grow as this means it is continuing to support teachers to upskill their own knowledge and develop pupils’ confidence in science enquiry.”

As participation surpasses one million pupils for the first time, the achievement comes amid a new Royal Society report, calling for stronger support for public engagement with science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects, highlighting the growing importance of initiatives such as Great Science Share for Schools.

Multinex, a new model for low‑light image enhancement (LLIE), was created by Computer Science undergraduate Alexandru Brateanu during his third-year project, working with academic supervisors.

The model outperforms comparable compact systems, recovering detail and clarity from images that would previously have been considered unusable.

The advancement has significant implications for photography, security, and a wide range of computational imaging tasks.

Low‑light image enhancement seeks to restore natural visibility, colour fidelity, and structural detail in scenes captured under poor illumination. While recent LLIE models have achieved impressive results, many rely on heavy architectures with large parameter counts, resulting in high computational cost and limited real‑time applicability. Efficiency has therefore become a central research challenge: how to enhance images more effectively while dramatically reducing model size.

In the work presented at the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition 2026, the team proposes a structured solution grounded in classical colour vision theory and implemented using modern neural components within the Retinex framework. Retinex, a foundational approach in image enhancement, decomposes an image into illumination (light) and reflectance (colour) components to better handle low‑light scenes.

The design motivation behind Multinex is to extract as much useful information as possible from low‑light images using a highly compact architecture. By prioritising enhancement over reconstruction and leveraging lightweight neural operations, Multinex achieves strong illumination correction, detail recovery, and colour fidelity while using only a fraction of the parameters required by existing approaches.

The model is released in both a lightweight version (45K parameters) and an extremely compact nano version (0.7K parameters), each offering substantial reductions in computational load. Comparison to corresponding lightweight models such as PairLIE (330K parameters) and ZeroDCE (80K parameters) Multinex shows a significant performance improvement.

Like other LLIE techniques, Multinex still faces challenges in scenes with severe spectral distortions, lens flares, or mixed artificial and natural lighting. The team aims to extend the framework to these complex cases, exploring alternative formulations such as tone‑mapping or multiplicative residuals, and applying Multinex principles to related domains including intrinsic image decomposition, colour constancy, underwater enhancement, and haze removal.

The researchers demonstrate that Multinex delivers state‑of‑the‑art performance at real‑time cost, highlighting the power of combining analytic priors with modern lightweight design.

Professor Michael Garrett, the Sir Bernard Lovell Chair of Astrophysics, chaired a global effort to update the long-standing “post-detection protocols” used by researchers involved in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The updated guidelines have now been formally ratified by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).

The revised Declaration of Principles marks the first major update to the protocols in more than 15 years and reflects a media landscape transformed by social media, artificial intelligence and the 24-hour news cycle.

Acknowledging that any credible detection of extraterrestrial technology would be a transformative event for humanity, the new Declaration establishes a rigorous framework for verification, transparency and global risk communication.

"The information environment we operate in today is vastly more complex than it was in 2010," said Professor Michael Garrett, Chair of the IAA SETI Committee. . "In an era of deepfakes, automated misinformation, and instant global connectivity, a single unverified claim could trigger confusion or panic. These new protocols ensure that scientists maintain the highest standards of evidence before making announcements to the world."

Adapting to a new era of SETI research

SETI and Technosignature research have expanded significantly since the previous protocols were adopted in 2010. Scientists now investigate the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including excess infrared heat signatures from megastructures, optical laser emission, and even multi-messenger signals. The updated Declaration explicitly recognises this broader approach.

It also addresses other modern challenges, including protections for researchers, acknowledging that scientists involved in potential detection could face harassment, doxxing, or intense media scrutiny.

It also acknowledges the risk of viral rumours, ensuring verified data is distinguished from hoaxes or terrestrial interference.

Verification before announcement

At the heart of the new rules is a reaffirmation of a core scientific principle: “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”.

Under the revised protocols, no public announcement should be made until a signal or artifact has been rigorously authenticated by independent organisations using different instrumentation.

"We do not shout “alien” the moment we see a strange blip," Professor Garrett added. "The scientific method demands we check, check again, and then ask others to check. Only when we have reached a consensus that a signal is credible do we bring it to the world."

The 'No Reply' Consensus

While the protocols outline how to share news of a discovery, they remain firm on one critical restriction: No reply should be sent.

The Declaration reaffirms the enduring principle that transmitting a response to an extraterrestrial intelligence is a decision that belongs to all of humanity and should only take place following international consultations, specifically through the United Nations.

What happens next

With the updated Declaration ratified by the IAA Board, the aim is to see the document lodged with other stakeholders, including the United Nations. A formal technical presentation of the protocols to the wider community, including the scientific press, will take place at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) later this year in Türkiye.

The IAA SETI Committee will also establish a permanent Post-Detection Sub-Committee, bringing together experts in social science, law, and ethics, to advise on the longer-term societal implications of a confirmed discovery.

The full document is available here: https://iaaspace.org/wp-content/uploads/iaa/Scientific%20Activity/iaasetideclaration.pdf

The group, backed by House of Lords peer Baroness Natalie Bennett, say the UK urgently needs a new national strategy to tackle fungal antimicrobial resistance — a growing and often overlooked threat to human health, food production and the environment.

In a new paper published in Nature NPJ Antimicrobials and Resistance, they reveal how widespread use of fungicides in agriculture could be undermining life‑saving medicines used to treat patients.

Calling for sweeping changes, including a powerful cross-government body to coordinate action, they argue for a nationwide system to monitor resistance in both the environment and clinics, and stricter regulation of fungicides linked to resistance.

Dr Michael Bottery, co-author of the study from The University of Manchester, said: “Fungal resistance is a silent and underestimated threat. The same substances helping to protect crops are also reducing the effectiveness of essential medicines. If we fail to act, we risk losing critical treatments and putting lives at risk.”

The concern centres on so‑called “dual-use” fungicides — chemicals used in both medicine and farming. In the UK, these are applied to around 94 per cent of arable crops, exposing fungi in the environment to the same compounds relied upon in hospitals.

Over time, this exposure allows fungi to evolve and develop resistance, making infections harder to treat when they infect humans. Some resistant strains have already been detected in clinical settings, raising fears that treatments could become increasingly ineffective.

Fungal infections already pose a major global threat, killing an estimated 2.5 million people each year. They disproportionately affect vulnerable patients, including those undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplants, or intensive care treatment.

Despite this, researchers warn that the UK’s current response is fragmented, with responsibility split between agriculture, healthcare and environmental regulators, and limited coordination between them.

They argue that without better surveillance, dangerous resistance trends may go unnoticed until it is too late. More coordinated data-sharing, they say, could allow earlier intervention and more effective policymaking.

Speaking in parliament Baroness Bennett added that tackling the issue requires recognising the close links between human health, farming and ecosystems.

Dr Bottery added: “Without urgent action, the UK risks sleepwalking into a crisis that could threaten not only public health, but also food security, as resistance undermines crop protection and agricultural productivity.”

The full paper, “Addressing the Dual-Use of Antifungals and Fungal Antimicrobial Resistance (fAMR) through a One Health Approach”, is open-access and available here.

• The image was created with AI

Professor Zühlke is also honorary professor at The University of Manchester and Vice President of the South African Medical Research Council.

The award was given in  recognition for her work with children with heart conditions especially rheumatic heart disease (RHD) that disproportionately affects children living in poverty.

Zuhlke’s research repositioned RHD as a socio-political issue tied to health system deficiencies and inequities.

In a press release, UNESCO said her dedication to scientific excellence, leadership in global health, and capacity building activities have improved the lives of vulnerable children with cardiovascular disease.

The five researchers will be recognized for their pioneering contributions to life and environmental sciences ON  11 June at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

This year's selection highlights their major roles in tackling global health and environmental challenges, from revolutionary tissue engineering and genomic research to agricultural innovation and the impact of nutrition on mental health.

The programme, now in its 28^th year, reflects the growing excellence of women in science worldwide.

The Laureates were selected from a record 504 nominations representing 89 countries, and now join the more than 5,000 women who have been recognized by the programme.

That includes 142 International Award Laureates, among whom seven have received a Nobel Prize in science.

This selection was conducted by an independent international jury chaired by Professor Brigitte L. Kieffer, Research Director Emeritus at the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) France, Member of the French Academy of Sciences and former Laureate of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards.

Professor Zühlke  said: “ I am deeply humbled by this immense honour. Childhood-onset heart disease remains not only globally neglected but also serves as a stark barometer of inequality and inequity, with profound differences in survival, outcomes, and quality of life. My sincere thanks go to all those working tirelessly in this field, as well as to the exceptional support from my academic institutions, including the University of Manchester, and to my collaborator of over a decade, Professor Bernard Keavney. This equitable partnership has really extended our work and improved our science, but also served as a source of capacity development for all in the team”.

BHF Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine Bernard Keavney, a longterm collaborator with Prof Zühlke at The University of Manchester, said: “This well-deserved award reflects Liesl’s huge contributions to the cardiovascular health of children and young people in poor countries. Liesl is a truly remarkable and inspiring woman.”

Measuring around a metre in length and armed with pincers over 16 centimetres long, Praearcturus gigas would have been a formidable predator stalking floodplains around 415 million years ago. Remarkably, the fossils used to identify Praearcturus have been held in the Museum’s collection for more than 150 years.

The study, published in the journal Palaeontology, used modern analytical techniques and comparisons with newly described fossil species to suggest that Praearcturus is a scorpion, and a distinct species.

Dr Richard J. Howard, Curator of Fossil Arthropods at the Natural History Museum, London, and lead author of the study, said: “When we think of giant arthropods, people often picture Carboniferous rainforests with giant millipedes or dragonfly-like insects from later in Earth’s history. But Praearcturus lived at least 50 million years earlier, well before the evolution of trees, when life on land was only just getting started.

“Confirming that this animal is a scorpion fundamentally changes our understanding of how and when these creatures evolved to such extraordinary sizes.”

Dr Russell Garwood, Palaeontologist at The University of Manchester, added: “Praearcturus has puzzled us palaeontologists for more than a century. By bringing together material from several collections and using cutting edge imaging techniques , we've been able to build a clearer picture of the animal than was previously possible, which is really exciting.

“What makes Praearcturus so interesting is that it became enormous at a time when life on land was otherwise very small. But it was a world  that could somehow support a giant predator. To try and better understand this ancient world we compared the size of fossil scorpions with other animals alive at the time. To reach such extraordinary sizes, and conclude that perhaps it lived in water, where life was bigger.”

Praearcturus gigas lived during the Early Devonian. Small plants and fungi had only recently begun to spread across the landscape, and complex terrestrial ecosystems like forests had yet to evolve. This means that, unlike later giant arthropods, Praearcturus did not benefit from the high atmospheric oxygen levels associated with the rise of forests. Instead, its enormous size may reflect a world with relatively little competition from other large predators. This suggests that Praearcturus might have grown so big simply because there weren’t many other large animals around meaning it could dominate its environment in a way that wouldn’t be possible later on.

The fossils also hint that this giant scorpion may have led a partly aquatic lifestyle. Some specimens show flap-like structures on the abdomen similar to those found in modern crustaceans such as lobsters, suggesting it may have been capable of moving between water and land. Quantification of the wider arachnid fossil record, led by Dr Garwood and the team, shows that scorpions are unusually abundant in rocks of this age compared with other arachnids, supporting the idea that some early forms may have lived in freshwater environments where they are more likely to survive as fossils. This places Praearcturus at a pivotal moment in Earth’s history when animals were first experimenting with life outside the oceans.

 This places Praearcturus at a pivotal moment in Earth’s history when animals were first experimenting with life outside the oceans.

Dr Greg Edgecombe, Merit Researcher at the Natural History Musuem, London, and co-author of the study said: “The boundary between land and sea was much less defined at this time. Praearcturus gives us a fascinating glimpse into how early animals adapted to these changing environments.

“It may even represent a lineage that returned to the water after earlier ancestors had already begun living on land.”

First described in 1871, Praearcturus gigas was originally thought to be a giant crustacean, similar to a woodlouse. The known fossils fragmentary nature lacked key features such as a tail making it difficult to classify with confidence for more than a century.

The breakthrough came through comparison with better preserved fossils discovered in recent years, which revealed key anatomical features unique to scorpions. The discovery highlights the continuing scientific importance of museum collections.

Dr Howard added: “Specimens collected over a century ago can still hold entirely new insights. By revisiting them with modern techniques, we can uncover discoveries that reshape our understanding of life on Earth.”

The discovery of such a large scorpion so early in the history of life on land challenges assumptions about why prehistoric arthropods reached gigantic sizes. Rather than being driven solely by environmental factors such as oxygen levels, the findings suggest that ecological opportunity such as a lack of competition may have played a crucial role.

A new study led by researchers at The University of Manchester has carried out the first full environmental life‑cycle cost analysis of using abandoned onshore oil and gas wells to generate geothermal electricity.

Published in Applied Thermal Engineering, the research assesses not only the financial costs of repurposing old wells, but also the often overlooked environmental and human health impacts, such as air pollution and climate damage.

The findings show that while repurposed geothermal systems currently produce electricity at a higher cost than conventional geothermal power, they deliver substantially lower environmental and health costs, particularly by avoiding new drilling and reducing pollution linked to fossil fuel infrastructure.

Turning legacy fossil assets into clean energy

Across Europe and globally, hundreds of thousands of oil and gas wells are approaching the end of their productive life. Safely sealing and monitoring these wells is costly, and poorly managed sites can pose long‑term environmental risks.

The Manchester team explored whether these existing wells could instead be given a second life as geothermal energy sources, using underground heat to generate electricity.

“Existing oil and gas wells already reach deep underground areas where heat from the Earth can potentially be used for geothermal energy” said Dr Jingyi Li, Research Associate at The University of Manchester. “Our research asks whether we can turn this legacy infrastructure into part of the climate solution, rather than treating it solely as a liability.”

The study analysed three repurposing approaches:

• using two fully abandoned wells
• converting a single abandoned well
• turning late-life wells that increasingly produce water rather than oil and gas

These were compared with a conventional, purpose‑drilled geothermal power plant.

Cleaner, but not yet cheaper

The analysis found that repurposed well systems can have dramatically lower environmental impacts, particularly for air pollutants that affect human health. In some cases, environmental damage costs were reduced by more than 80% compared with a standard geothermal plant.

However, because the assessed repurposed systems are typically small and generate relatively little electricity, their cost per unit of power remains high. Electricity generated from repurposed wells currently costs more than from large‑scale geothermal, wind, solar or nuclear power.

Dr Laurence Stamford, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Chemical Engineering at The University of Manchester said “The challenge is not that repurposed geothermal is dirty or inefficient – it’s that it’s operating at pilot scale. When costs are spread over very small electricity output, the price per kilowatt‑hour inevitably looks high.”

Why environmental costs matter

A key innovation of the study is that it places environmental damage and human health impacts into monetary terms, allowing these costs to be compared directly with financial ones.

When these external costs are included, repurposed geothermal systems perform particularly well compared to fossil fuels. The study shows that coal and gas power impose environmental costs over 100 times higher than repurposed geothermal options.

What needs to change

The study stresses that repurposing oil and gas wells is not a silver bullet, but could play an important role in a diversified, low‑carbon energy system, especially if supported by the right policies.

Key recommendations include:

• Targeted incentives for early‑stage geothermal projects using existing wells
• Scaling up projects by clustering multiple wells together
• Clear rules on long‑term responsibility and well integrity
• Better integration of environmental and health costs into energy policy decisions

Crucially, the research suggests repurposing could help regions historically dependent on fossil fuels transition skills and infrastructure into clean energy, supporting a fairer, more inclusive energy transition.

Professor Chris Parkes, an experimental particle physicist at the University, and Professor Jeff Forshaw, a theoretical particle physicist, join over 90 other pioneers and leaders across a range of scientific fields, from astronomy and cancer research to mathematics and biotechnology.

In their election, they join the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin.

Professor Parkes is Head of the Physics & Astronomy Department at The University of Manchester and is internationally recognised for his leadership in particle physics. He previously led the LHCb experiment at CERN - one of the world’s largest scientific collaborations. His research focuses on the search for new physics through studies of matter–antimatter asymmetries and the development of radiation-hard silicon detectors.

Professor Parkes has played a central role in the development of the next generation of LHCb experiments, serving as Principal Investigator and Project Manager for the UK’s contribution to the LHCb Upgrade, installed in 2023, and leading the design of the future LHCb Upgrade II programme. Last year, the LHCb collaboration was honoured by sharing the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. Parkes was also awarded the Institute of Physics High Energy Physics Group Prize in 2010.

Professor Forshaw is a theoretical particle physicist best known for his work on quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of the strong force. His work has uncovered unexpected features of perturbative QCD and has contributed to the theoretical frameworks used to interpret high-energy particle collisions, with important applications at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and other major international experiments. 

Jeff is also a prominent communicator of science. Together with Brian Cox he has written a series of bestselling popular science books that have introduced a wide readership to the mathematical ideas underpinning modern physics. Through his books, lectures and broader public engagement he has brought the substance, and the joy, of fundamental physics to a wide audience. 

Jeff's research has been recognised by the Maxwell Medal of the Institute of Physics for outstanding contributions to theoretical physics, and his public engagement work by the Institute's Kelvin Medal for outstanding and sustained contributions to the public understanding of physics. 

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, said: “I am delighted to welcome this newest group of exceptional scientists to the Fellowship of the Royal Society. 

“Their contributions reflect the highest standards of scientific endeavour. Whether advancing our understanding of vaccines or exploring the transformative potential of mathematics and computation, their work exemplifies the enduring value of curiosity, creativity and rigorous inquiry. 

“Our Fellowship is strengthened not only by individual distinction, but by the diversity of perspectives and experiences its members bring. This incoming cohort highlights the truly international character of contemporary science and underscores the vital role that plays in achieving breakthroughs that benefit us all.”

The full list of newly elected Fellows can be found on the Royal Society website.