Life Sciences News
See our Latest Journal Publications
New discovery stops bacterial virus contamination
A new discovery by Dr Antonia Sagona and colleagues could help stop bacteria being contaminated with viruses, reducing disruption and decreasing costs in industry and research.
Press Release (18 April 2023)
Vacancy - Head of Educational Services
The School of Life Sciences is excited to introduce a new post of a Head of Educational Services. The postholder will be required to deliver strategic and operational leadership to the administration of teaching and learning to support the School’s objective of providing an educational provision that produces graduates able to face up to the challenges of the 21st century, whether presented at local, regional, national, or global levels.
Salary: £54,421 - £63,059 per annum.
Closing date: 8 May 2023.
One of the Best Universities for Work Experience
We are thrilled to announce that the University of Warwick has been ranked 12th Best University for Work Experience by RateMyPlacement, in their inaugural Best University for Work Experience table.
The School of Life Sciences is proud of the work we do to support our students in accessing and engaging with quality work experience opportunities, from internships to yearlong placements.
Mineli, BSc Biomedical Science with Placement Year, currently on placement at Pfizer says:
“The University has been really helpful in providing a variety of resources that help students find work experience opportunities. Particularly within the School of Life Sciences, there are weekly 'Careers round-ups' which all students receive. These detail the latest updates and opportunities that companies are advertising - whether that be internship, placement of research opportunities.
The Careers and Placements team are dedicated to ensuring students can maximise their chances of securing a placement as well. They ensure students have access to mock interviews as well as providing useful feedback on applications.
The combination of all these services and resources has allowed Warwick students, myself included, to have the best possible chances of securing our ideal work experience, gaining a competitive advantage when entering the job market.“
Honorary Fellow
Professor Murray Grant has been re-elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Fellows have made contributions to knowledge at the highest levels in their different fields and across disciplinary boundaries. Find out more
Can super-speedy plant cells feed a growing population?
Dr Joe Mckenna has been awarded a BBSRC Discovery Fellowship of £535,000 to investigate actin – a natural molecule contained in plant cells – to see whether it can be engineered to move faster and so grow bigger plants with more biomass.
Press release (21 March 2023)
Job opportunity - Assistant Professor in Environmental Biology (Teaching Focussed)
We are recruiting a Teaching Focussed Assistant Professor in Environmental Biology to join our team to deliver a comprehensive package of teaching, with a particular focus on delivery of lecture and seminar teaching, tutorials, project supervision and practical teaching. You will particularly support the course management, curriculum development and delivery of the MSc Global Decarbonisation, a newly approved interdisciplinary course forming part of the University of Warwick’s STEM Grand Challenge.
Increase homegrown fruit and veg and add £0.5bn to the economy say scientists – as we reel from supermarket shortages
As the UK reels from recent fruit and vegetable shortages, scientists are advising how to increase homegrown produce – benefitting the economy and the environment.
Press release (9 March 2023)
Two domestications for grapes
Professor Robin Allaby gives his perspective in Science, on the evolutionary events that led to grape domestication. The article made the front cover.
Read the paper (3 March 2023)
Growing British - Professor Napier on Radio 4
On Thursday 2 March, Professor Richard Napier was featured on the BBC Radio 4 Farming Today programme talking about a new green paper “Growing British” he helped to create. It’s a strategy highlighting how to increase fruit and veg production in the UK. Listen (from 1:14).
A “zinc” in the armour: could metal help combat common superbug?
A new study has shown that zinc plays a key role in a hospital superbug, that doctors struggle to treat due to its resistance to antibiotics.
Press Release (15 February 2023)
Bacteria communicate like us – and we could use this to help address antibiotic resistance
Like the neurons firing in human brains, bacteria use electricity to communicate and respond to environmental cues. Now, researchers have discovered a way to control this electrical signalling in bacteria, to better understand resistance to antibiotics.
In the study published in Advanced Science, Dr Munehiro and colleagues, report a major step forward in regulating bacterial electric signals with light.
Press Release (13 February 2023)
Earthquakes in Turkey & Syria
Our thoughts are with staff and students affected by the devastating earthquake that has hit Turkey and Syria. People have asked about how they can respond to this; various charitable organisations are coordinating humanitarian efforts that you can contribute to e.g. The Red Cross
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need support, or if you have any concerns about someone else. Students can contact the Wellbeing & Student Support Services team via the wellbeing portal or by calling 024 7657 5570, access bereavement support from the Chaplaincy, or speak to their personal tutor. Staff can access support through the Staff Wellbeing Hub, by contacting the Employee Assistance Programme, or accessing bereavement support from the Chaplaincy.
New study into Tuberculosis membrane molecules will aid drug delivery
Chelsea Brown, a PhD student with Professor Phill Stansfeld and Dr Liz Fullam, has published a first author paper on tackling Tuberculosis (TB) by modelling mycobacterial membranes.
TB rivals covid-19 as the biggest infectious disease killer of humans, claiming millions of lives each year. Now, ground-breaking research from the Universities of Warwick and Toulouse has identified a new method to help tackle this global issue.
Press Release (30 January 2023)
Meet our researchers: John Walsh
Professor John Walsh talks about his research into how viruses interact with agricultural crop plants, and how to improve vegetable crops’ resistance to viruses without using pesticides.
His food and agricultural research has helped to improve natural resistance to the viruses that infect plants, reduce the use of pesticides and improve health and welfare.
Scientists reveal why sprouts taste better as you get older… and why your grandparents were right all along
Researchers from Warwick Crop Centre are sharing food for thought about the humble sprout this Christmas and tell us:
• Why having a gene mutation makes sprouts taste horrid
• Why sprouts taste better after frost
• Why they make us gassy
Press release (15 December 2022)
Four new academic positions available in the School of Life Sciences
We wish to appoint four excellent and ambitious early to mid-career principal investigators who are capable of developing innovative and original research programmes:
- 2 x Permanent positions focused on Host-virus Interactions
- 1 x Permanent position focused on Plant Virology
- 1 x Permanent position focused on Host Responses to Microbes
£1.7m containment facility will help tackle globally important diseases and prepare for future pandemics
A £1.7m laboratory building which will investigate infectious diseases has opened at the University of Warwick – helping to tackle some of the most globally important human diseases and prepare for pandemics of the future. The new containment suite will enable scientists to conduct cutting-edge research into infectious diseases, including tuberculosis (TB), influenza and COVID-19.
Press release (8 December)
Weldon Prize for SPI-M-O and Zeeman modellers
Professor Matt Keeling and Dr Louise Dyson were part of the Warwick Zeeman team invited to attend the Weldon Prize giving in Oxford.
This prize is awarded annually for ‘noteworthy contributions to the development of mathematical or statistical methods applied to problems in Biology’. This year it was given to the SPI-M-O group (part of SAGE) in recognition for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
£1.5m Crop Research Centre opens at University of Warwick
A facility using gene-editing technology to improve quality, resilience and sustainability of vegetable crops has opened at the University of Warwick.
The Elizabeth Creak Horticultural Technology Centre (ECHTC), which also contains The Jim Brewster Laboratory, is a £1.5 million facility which will use cutting edge techniques such as gene-editing to improve vegetable crops.
Addressing issues relating to disease resistance, crop yield, adaptability to climate change and nutritional value in horticultural plants, the research will help with the key global challenges of climate change and feeding the world’s growing population.
Press Release (10 November 2022)
Blog: Research culture from a technical point of view
Our Research Facility Manager, Dr Sarah Bennett, gives her thoughts on research culture from a technician's perspective.
Read the blog (9 November 2022)