Study reveals why highly infectious cholera variant mysteriously died out
05 July 2022Scientists say continuous monitoring of the cholera bug genome is key to preventing outbreaks of new variants.
Scientists publish first real-world data from Africa looking at immune response to AZ/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine
11 May 2022Scientists have released the first real-world data from Africa on the effectiveness of two doses of AstraZeneca/ChaAd0x-1 COVID-19 vaccination, showing that while protective against SARS-CoV-2, immunity against the Delta and Omicron variants was lower, even in the context of prior infection or infection after vaccination.
Epilepsy drug could help prevent stroke in people with ‘furred’ arteries
04 April 2022A drug used to treat epilepsy patients could help prevent stroke in people whose arteries show signs of atherosclerosis – furring of the arteries – scientists will tell audiences at the Cambridge Festival.
Drug incorporated into silicone coating reduces ‘foreign body reaction’ to implants
14 March 2022Long-term use of implantable electronic medical devices – such as pacemakers and cochlear implants – is hampered by the body’s reaction to foreign bodies. Now, in a study in mice, a team led by scientists at the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge has shown that this reaction can be dramatically reduced by incorporating an anti-inflammatory drug into the silicone coating around the implant.
Genomic study shows that England’s travel quarantine measures were effective – up to a limit
23 February 2022Fourteen-day quarantine measures imposed on incoming travellers returning to England in summer 2020 helped prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, particularly among 16-20 year olds, say a team led by Cambridge scientists.
Omicron may be significantly better at evading vaccine-induced immunity, but less likely to cause severe disease
20 December 2021̽»¨Ö±²¥Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 may be significantly better than previous variants at evading vaccine-induced antibodies, according to new research from Cambridge – but preliminary evidence suggests it is less likely to cause severe COVID-19 illness in the lungs.
̽»¨Ö±²¥microbiologist tackling humanity’s next biggest killer
17 November 2021Since childhood Stephen Baker says he had a grim fascination with poo. He caught the bug for microbiology and spent 12 years in Vietnam researching bacteria that cause diarrhoea. Stephen thinks that antibiotic-resistant bacteria is likely to be humanity’s biggest killer in the future. But says that if we keep doing the science, we have hope.
Air filter significantly reduces presence of airborne SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 wards
16 November 2021When a team of doctors, scientists and engineers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge placed an air filtration machine in COVID-19 wards, they found that it removed almost all traces of airborne SARS-CoV-2.
Film: the race to sequence COVID-19
04 October 2021̽»¨Ö±²¥variant hunters are helping us to understand how and why the COVID-19 virus is spreading, allowing us to fight back against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Farmed carnivores may become ‘disease reservoirs’ posing human health risk
24 August 2021Carnivorous animals lack key genes needed to detect and respond to infection by pathogens, a study has found.
