Cambridge Uni news

A team of researchers, led by Cambridge University, has now formulated a method to assess whether carbon removal portfolios can help limit global warming over centuries.

The approach also distinguishes between buying credits to offset risk versus claiming net-negative emissions.

The study paves the way for nature-based carbon removal projects – such as planting new forests or restoring existing ones – to become effective climate change solutions when balanced with a portfolio of other removal techniques, according to researchers.

They say the findings, published in the journal Joule, show how nature-based and technology-based carbon storage solutions can work together through the transition to net zero, challenging the notion that only permanent tech-based “geological storage” can effectively tackle climate change.

The study’s authors point out that some carbon removal portfolios, such as California’s forest carbon offsets programme, may be severely underfunded for risks beyond the next few decades.

They call for a “buffer” of around two tonnes of stored carbon for every tonne offset in portfolios containing nature-based solutions, noting that this is “sufficient in most cases” to manage long-term risks.

However, researchers say the most high-risk portfolios that rely heavily on nature-based offsetting might need extreme buffers of nine tonnes of carbon removed for every tonne emitted. The authors caution against the use of such portfolios given the costs and uncertainties involved.

“Tech giants like Microsoft and Meta are collectively spending billions on carbon removal portfolios to offset their growing carbon footprints,” said lead author Dr Conor Hickey, Assistant Professor in Energy and Climate at Cambridge University’s Department of Land Economy.

“While companies and countries agree that increased investment in carbon removal is essential to reach net zero targets, they also want to understand whether carbon removal schemes can help stabilise global temperatures over the long term.”

“Our risk management approach offers one of the first reliable measures for portfolio managers targeting long-term temperature stabilisation,” said Hickey. “It shows that nature-based carbon storage such as tree planting has a bigger role to play than critics assume when used as part of a diversified carbon removal portfolio.”

“Durable net zero means geological net zero,” said Professor Myles Allen, a co-author on the paper and Professor of Geosystem Science at the University of Oxford. “To stabilise climate in line with Paris Agreement goals, anyone still relying on offsets must plan to shift entirely to carbon dioxide removal with geological storage by the middle of the century.”

Current market incentives favour cheaper and more available ‘biological’ projects to pull carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and store it, such as forestry, which locks carbon in trees, or biochar, where plant materials are heated to create a charcoal-like substance that traps carbon when incorporated into soil.

However, these methods carry a higher risk of carbon re-release, such as when land use changes or wildfires increase. They are often considered only a temporary solution – the carbon is not locked away for long enough to stem rising global temperatures.

Alternative tech-based solutions like Direct Air Capture (DAC) are proving hard to grow at scale when costs remain high and the process energy-intensive. Yet the permanence of the carbon storage means this emerging technology is less vulnerable to reversal, such as through leakage. DAC can be combined with deep underground storage to lock the CO₂ away.

For the latest study, the research team have developed a new “risk management framework” to accurately calculate the additional CO₂ removal needed to keep temperatures stable over centuries for various storage portfolios.

Their analysis shows that in some cases, such as a high-risk portfolio dominated by forestry projects, the extra amount of CO₂ removal needed to make up for this risk doesn’t change much – whether the timescale is 300 or even 1,000 years.

“Removing more carbon now can effectively cover carbon storage risk for centuries, and this can be done with a mix of nature and tech, as long as the right buffers are built in,” said Hickey. 

“Portfolios can combine expensive permanent solutions like DAC with lower-cost nature-based options like planting trees – matching society's willingness to pay while still contributing to temperature stabilisation goals.”

“Our approach enables strategic carbon storage choices based on current availability, while targeting long-term temperature stabilisation. It provides buyer flexibility while valuing lower-risk storage options, something today's market lacks,” said Hickey.

By 2050, the UK aims to achieve net zero, with geological storage expected to play a major role in storing any ongoing CO₂ emissions. Incoming UK and EU guidance states that projects must be subject to a minimum 200-year permanence requirement. 

Research on a ‘portfolio approach’ to carbon removal enables firms to mix expensive tech-based solutions that inject carbon deep underground with lower-cost and currently more available nature-based options, such as forests and biochar. 

Removing more carbon now can effectively cover carbon storage risk for centuriesConor Hickey Getty images Looking up at the tree canopy from the forest floor

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Yes

The nearly £500 million fund will make it possible for the 79 UK colleges, universities and other institutions involved in the coalition – formed by the Banking Engagement Forum based in the Dept of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge – to make short-term cash-like investments without contributing to fossil fuel expansion within capital debt markets.

“This is the first cash fund we know of that will avoid providing liquidity to financial institutions who continue to finance companies that are building new infrastructure, such as coal- and gas-fired power plants, which will lock in fossil fuel combustion for decades,” University of Cambridge Chief Financial Officer Anthony Odgers said.

The new “quasi-money market fund” is part of a broader movement towards climate-conscious investing, appealing to a diverse range of investors including universities, local authorities, pension funds, insurers, and others with substantial cash to invest and committed to doing so responsibly.

The fund will filter out fossil fuel companies, utilities, banks, insurers, and other companies that contribute to fossil fuel expansion. Companies that are excluded from the list can be readmitted if they stop engaging in or facilitating fossil fuel expansion.

The HEI coalition has indicated they collectively expect to invest in the first instance close to £500 million in the product. The fund is expected to launch towards the end of 2025, with more seed investors also expected to join prior to launch.

Coalition members include the University of Oxford, London School of Economics, University of Edinburgh, University College London and 75 other leading UK institutions. 

“This initiative offers a practical and credible path for aligning our financial decisions with our climate commitments and institutional values. This provides a solution to institutions that is wider than the higher education sector and which will hopefully act as a catalyst to concrete change," Oxford Group Treasurer Sean Anderson said.

Amundi is a leading European asset manager, which manages more than €2.2 trillion of assets.

“At Amundi we are committed to the view that delivering strong stewardship as well as expert responsible investment solutions will facilitate the transition to an inclusive, low carbon economy while delivering stable, long term sustainable value for clients. This product, developed for the UK’s leading universities and higher education institutions, reflects a growing recognition among UK investors of the importance of these efforts in supporting long-term social, environmental and economic benefits,” said Jean-Jacques Barbéris Head of Institutional & Corporate Clients Division and ESG at Amundi.

A Cambridge-led coalition of UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has selected asset manager Amundi Investment Solutions to create a cash fund that excludes companies contributing to fossil fuel expansion globally.

This is the first cash fund we know of that will avoid providing liquidity to financial institutions who continue to finance companies that are building new infrastructureAnthony OdgersPhoto by micheile henderson on UnsplashA plant grows from a pot of coins

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Yes

University of Cambridge scientists have used human stem cells to create three-dimensional embryo-like structures that replicate certain aspects of very early human development - including the production of blood stem cells.

Human blood stem cells, also known as hematopoietic stem cells, are immature cells that can develop into any type of blood cell, including red blood cells that carry oxygen and various types of white blood cells crucial to the immune system.

The embryo-like structures, which the scientists have named ‘hematoids’, are self-organising and start producing blood after around two weeks of development in the lab - mimicking the development process in human embryos.

The structures differ from real human embryos in many ways, and cannot develop into them because they lack several embryonic tissues, as well as the supporting yolk sac and placenta needed for further development.

Hematoids hold exciting potential for a better understanding of blood formation during early human development, simulating blood disorders like leukaemia, and for producing long-lasting blood stem cells for transplants.

The human stem cells used to derive hematoids can be created from any cell in the body. This means the approach also holds great potential for personalised medicine in the future, by allowing the production of blood that is fully compatible with a patient’s own body.

Although other methods exist for generating human blood stem cells in the laboratory, these require a cocktail of extra proteins to support the stem cells’ growth and development. The new method mimics the natural developmental process, based on a self-organising human embryo-like model, where the cells’ intrinsic support environment drives the formation of blood cells and beating heart cells within the same system.

The findings are published today in the journal Cell Reports.

Dr Jitesh Neupane, a researcher at the University of Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute and first author of the study, said: “It was an exciting moment when the blood red colour appeared in the dish – it was visible even to the naked eye.”

He added, “Our new model mimics human foetal blood development in the lab. This sheds light on how blood cells naturally form during human embryogenesis, offering potential medical advances to screen drugs, study early blood and immune development, and model blood disorders like leukaemia.”

Professor Azim Surani at the University of Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute, senior author of the paper, said: “This model offers a powerful new way to study blood development in the early human embryo. Although it is still in the early stages, the ability to produce human blood cells in the lab marks a significant step towards future regenerative therapies - which use a patient’s own cells to repair and regenerate damaged tissues.”

Dr Geraldine Jowett at the University of Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute, a co-first author of the study, said: “Hematoids capture the second wave of blood development that can give rise to specialised immune cells or adaptive lymphoid cells, like T cells opening up exciting avenues for their use in modelling healthy and cancerous blood development.”

Self-organising structures

The new human embryo-like model simulates the cell changes that occur during the very early stages of human development, when our organs and blood system first begin to form.

The team observed the emergence of the three-dimensional hematoids under a microscope in the lab. By the second day, these had self-organised into three germ layers - called the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm - the foundations of the human body plan that are crucial for shaping every organ and tissue, including blood.

By day eight, beating heart cells had formed. These cells eventually give rise to the heart in a developing human embryo.

By day thirteen, the team saw red patches of blood appearing in the hematoids. They also developed a method which demonstrated that blood stem cells in hematoids can differentiate into various blood cell types, including specialised immune cells, such as T-cells.

Shining a light on early human development

Stem cell-derived embryo models are crucial for advancing our knowledge of early human development.

The blood cells in hematoids develop to a stage that roughly corresponds to week four to five of human embryonic development. This very early stage of life cannot be directly observed in a real human embryo because it has implanted in the mother’s womb by this time.

There are clear regulations governing stem cell-based models of human embryos, and all research modelling human embryo development must be approved by ethics committees before proceeding. This study received the necessary approvals, and the resulting paper has been peer reviewed.

The scientists have patented this work through Cambridge Enterprise, the innovation arm of the University of Cambridge, which helps researchers translate their work into a globally leading economic and social impact.

The research was funded primarily by Wellcome.

Reference: Neupane, J. et al: ‘A post-implantation model of human embryo development includes a definitive hematopoietic niche.’ Cell Reports, October 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116373

Researchers have found a new way to produce human blood cells in the lab that mimics the process in natural embryos. Their discovery holds potential to simulate blood disorders like leukaemia, and to produce long-lasting blood stem cells for transplants.

It was an exciting moment when the blood red colour appeared in the dish – it was visible even to the naked eye.Jitesh Neupane Scientists make human blood in the lab — here’s how Scientists make human blood in the lab — here’s how Video of Scientists make human blood in the lab — here’s how Hematoids after two weeks of development showing red patches of blood

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Yes

The University of Cambridge has submitted its planning application for a revised masterplan for the future phases of the Eddington development, with delivery targeted to begin in 2026.

The outline planning application – a purposeful extension of Eddington’s first phase which began work in 2013 – marks a major step forward in realising the vision for North West Cambridge, and delivering more much-needed homes for the city. The proposals build on years of planning and three rounds of public consultation over the past 12 months. Feedback from local communities, residents, and stakeholders has been integral in shaping the vision for the future phases of Eddington.

The masterplan sets out how around 3,800 additional homes will be delivered, alongside new green spaces, community facilities, and active travel routes. Combined with the 1,850 homes already built or under construction in the first phase, Eddington will provide around 5,650 homes in total. Up to 50% of these will be affordable homes for University key workers with the rest on the open market – all of which help address the city’s critical shortage of housing.

Other key features of the submitted masterplan include:

• Around 50 hectares of open space, including parks, play areas, and community gardens.
• A diverse mix of homes, ranging from townhouses and maisonettes to apartments, designed with varied roofscapes and heights that complement the existing neighbourhood.
• Enhanced community facilities, including new sports pitches, growing plots, and spaces for recreation such as running routes and BMX tracks.
• Continued prioritisation of active and sustainable travel, building on Eddington’s current record of 79% of trips made by walking, cycling, or public transport.
• Commercial and social spaces designed to foster a thriving, inclusive neighbourhood.

The revised masterplan also reflects the University’s commitment to creating an ambitious, enduring, and sustainable community that supports both the academic mission of the University and the wider needs of Cambridge. The first phase of the development has already delivered community hub Storey’s Field Centre, the University of Cambridge Primary School and a central square with shops, restaurants and more.

Matt Johnson, Head of Development for North West Cambridge at the University of Cambridge, said: “This is an important milestone for Eddington. Submitting the masterplan reflects years of engagement with the community, and we’re proud of the balanced and ambitious proposals we have put forward. Eddington is already a place where people live, learn, and connect, and with the future phases it will continue to grow into one of the most sustainable and vibrant neighbourhoods in Cambridge.”

Eddington represents one of the most significant development projects in the region, offering solutions to Cambridge’s acute housing challenges while creating a neighbourhood with global ambitions. By providing high-quality and affordable homes for University staff and postgraduate students, the masterplan will help the University continue to attract and retain world-leading researchers, academics, and innovators. This is vital to sustain Cambridge’s position as a global centre of excellence.

Indeed, a survey conducted by the University found that 89% of all respondents said it was either difficult or impossible to find a suitable home when they moved to Cambridge.

Beyond supporting the University’s mission, the plans will also strengthen the wider Cambridge ecosystem by enabling innovation, investment, and job creation to flourish, while ensuring the city remains a magnet for talent from around the world.

The updated masterplan builds on the original 2013 consent, refreshing and refining the vision to reflect the University’s current needs, community feedback, and the city’s increased demand for housing.

The outline planning application will now be considered by the Joint Development Management Committee which comprises members appointed by the City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. We look forward to working towards a positive outcome with local planning authorities and hope to move into delivering the future phases by the end of 2026.

A programme of public information sessions explaining the details of the planning application will be confirmed shortly.

Plans will deliver thousands of new homes, green spaces, and community facilities for Cambridge.

Eddington is already a place where people live, learn, and connect, and with the future phases it will continue to grow into one of the most sustainable and vibrant neighbourhoods in Cambridge.Matt Johnson, Head of Development for North West Cambridge

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Yes

Researchers from the Cambridge Interfaith Research Forum and Goldsmiths University of London have issued an urgent call to rethink how faith and belief are understood and mobilised in planning new towns and settlements.

Their report, 'Housing with values: faith and belief perspectives on housing and community planning', presents the findings from a Faith & Belief Policy Collective study, produced in light of the UK Government’s ambitious pledge to build 1.5 million new homes.

The researchers’ analysis is based on interviews with practitioners and professionals including architects, housing developers, journalists, lawyers, activists, ordained ministers, policy makers and researchers, social historians, and scholars of religion. The report offers guiding principles for inclusive planning and proposes fuller civil–public collaboration to establish and disseminate good practice.

It follows the publication of the New Towns Taskforce (NTT)’s own recommendations to government in September 2025 which advised that plans for social infrastructure should include “faith-based spaces to enrich communities and open up opportunities for personal development” and that faith organisations should be involved in “community engagement strategy”.

The new report’s authors welcome this but warn that current planning systems in Britain have not yet embraced faith and belief communities as full partners in building thriving communities.

Co-author Dr Iona Hine from Cambridge’s Faculty of Divinity, said: “Developers, agencies, and other planning professionals recognise the effort required to form healthy communities and ensure everyone lives well. Our hope is they’re open to thinking about that challenge in dialogue with people of all flavours of faith and belief.”

The report warns that flourishing communities are undermined by a wide range of factors including: short-term developer models that prioritise profit over social infrastructure; tokenistic consultation; segregated housing patterns that entrench inequality and risk alienation; secular bias and low faith literacy among planners and developers; and intergenerational imbalance in new towns.

The report’s key recommendation is for a 'New Towns Faith Taskforce' to be established to advance the conversation about how best to harness the vision, resources, and overall contribution of faith and belief communities to the delivery of New Towns.

Its authors call for the early provision of schools, health centres, cultural, sporting and faith-based facilities; long-term, co-design consultation that builds trust and ownership; and integration with natural landscapes and local heritage, deepening attachment to place, among a range of other practical recommendations.

The report argues that faith and belief communities offer trusted networks, convening power, insider knowledge, volunteer capacity, inter-generational reach, as well as financial and spiritual capital, and cultural contributions.

Dr Hine and her colleagues point to modern international examples such as Singapore’s proactive planning for religious diversity, but also to model communities in Britain such as Bournville and Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City movement (Letchworth, Welwyn Garden City, Wythenshawe, etc), that paved the way, in their design and ethos, for the 32 postwar New Towns which are currently home to 2.8 million people across the UK.

Lead author Christopher Baker, Professor of Religion, Belief and Public Life at Goldsmiths, University of London said: “As we embark on this next chapter of New Town building in England, it is vital to understand the contribution that faith and belief bring to the sustaining of new communities, through their vision, experience, resources and local leadership.”

Dr Hine said: “This is pivotal moment for housing supply and community formation in Britain. Treating faith and belief as partners in planning can accelerate social cohesion from day one, reduce loneliness and social isolation, and provide governance and voluntary capacity that complements statutory services. Ignoring these dimensions risks creating settlements that are physically complete but socially fragile.”

Dr Iona Hine manages the Cambridge Interfaith Programme and cross-sector Knowledge Hub. She is a member of the Faith & Belief Policy Collective and convenor of Cambridge Interfaith Research Forum.

'Housing with values' is available from the Cambridge Interfaith Programme website from Tuesday 14th October 2025 and the Religion Media Centre is hosting an online briefing for journalists at midday.

 

The UK Government’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes can lead to local resilience, social cohesion and wellbeing but only if the planning process embraces faith and belief communities as full partners

Treating faith and belief as partners in planning can accelerate social cohesion from day oneIona HineAlex PepperhillHouses under construction in a housing estate

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YesLicence type: Attribution

Hundreds of thousands of chemicals are manufactured by the chemical industry, which transforms raw materials – usually fossil fuels – into useful end products. Due to its size and its use of fossil fuel feedstocks, the chemical industry is responsible for roughly 6% of global carbon emissions.

But researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, are developing new methods that could one day lead to the ‘de-fossilisation’ of this important sector.

They have developed a hybrid device that combines light-harvesting organic polymers with bacterial enzymes to convert sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into formate, a fuel that can drive further chemical transformations.

Their ‘semi-artificial leaf’ mimics photosynthesis: the process plants use to convert sunlight into energy, and does not require any external power source. Unlike earlier prototypes, which often relied on toxic or unstable light absorbers, the new biohybrid design avoids toxic semiconductors, lasts longer, and can run without additional chemicals that previously hindered efficiency.

In tests, the researchers used sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into formate and then used it directly in a ‘domino’ chemical reaction to produce an important type of compound used in pharmaceuticals, with high yield and purity.

Their results, reported in the journal Joule, mark the first time that organic semiconductors have been used as the light-harvesting component in this type of biohybrid device, opening the door to a new family of sustainable artificial leaves.

The chemical industry is central to the world economy, producing products from pharmaceuticals and fertilisers, to plastics, paints, electronics, cleaning products, and toiletries.

“If we’re going to build a circular, sustainable economy, the chemical industry is a big, complex problem that we must address,” said Professor Erwin Reisner from Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, who led the research. “We’ve got to come up with ways to de-fossilise this important sector, which produces so many important products we all need. It’s a huge opportunity if we can get it right.”

Reisner’s research group specialises in the development of artificial leaves, which turn sunlight into carbon-based fuels and chemicals without relying on fossil fuels. But many of their earlier designs depend on synthetic catalysts or inorganic semiconductors, which either degrade quickly, waste much of the solar spectrum, or contain toxic elements such as lead.

“If we can remove the toxic components and start using organic elements, we end up with a clean chemical reaction and a single end product, without any unwanted side reactions,” said co-first author Dr Celine Yeung, who completed the research as part of her PhD work in Reisner’s lab. “This device combines the best of both worlds – organic semiconductors are tuneable and non-toxic, while biocatalysts are highly selective and efficient.”

The new device integrates organic semiconductors with enzymes from sulphate-reducing bacteria, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen or converting carbon dioxide into formate.

The researchers have also addressed a long-standing challenge: most systems require chemical additives, known as buffers, to keep the enzymes running. These can break down quickly and limit stability. By embedding a helper enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, into a porous titania structure, the researchers enabled the system to work in a simple bicarbonate solution — similar to sparkling water — without unsustainable additives.

“It’s like a big puzzle,” said co-first author Dr Yongpeng Liu, a postdoctoral researcher in Reisner’s lab. “We have all these different components that we’ve been trying to bring together for a single purpose. It took us a long time to figure out how this specific enzyme is immobilised on an electrode, but we’re now starting to see the fruits from these efforts.”

“By really studying how the enzyme works, we were able to precisely design the materials that make up the different layers of our sandwich-like device,” said Yeung. “This design made the parts work together more effectively, from the tiny nanoscale up to the full artificial leaf.”

Tests showed the artificial leaf produced high currents and achieved near-perfect efficiency in directing electrons into fuel-making reactions. The device successfully ran for over 24 hours: more than twice as long as previous designs.

The researchers are hoping to further develop their designs to extend the lifespan of the device and adapt it so it can produce different types of chemical products.

“We’ve shown it’s possible to create solar-powered devices that are not only efficient and durable but also free from toxic or unsustainable components,” said Reisner. “This could be a fundamental platform for producing green fuels and chemicals in future – it’s a real opportunity to do some exciting and important chemistry.”

The research was supported in part by the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the European Research Council, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Erwin Reisner is a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge. Celine Yeung is a Member of Downing College, Cambridge.
 

Reference:
Celine Wing See Yeung et al. ‘Semi-artificial leaf interfacing organic semiconductors and enzymes for solar chemical synthesis.’ Joule (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2025.102165

Researchers have demonstrated a new and sustainable way to make the chemicals that are the basis of thousands of products – from plastics to cosmetics – we use every day.

Celine YeungSemi-artificial organic photocathode

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Yes

The discovery, reported today in Neuron, is a significant step towards understanding the complex mechanisms that drive the disease and provides a promising new avenue for research into more effective therapies for this debilitating condition.

MS is a chronic disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord, disrupting communication between the brain and the body. While many individuals initially experience relapses and remissions, a significant proportion transition to progressive MS, a phase marked by a steady decline in neurological function with limited treatment options.

To model what is happening in the disease, researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, and National Institute on Aging, US, took skin cells from patients with progressive MS and reprogrammed them into induced neural stem cells (iNSCs), an immature type of cell capable of dividing and differentiating into various types of brain cells.

Using this ‘disease in a dish’ approach, the team observed that a subset of the cultured brain cells was somehow reverting to an earlier developmental stage, transforming into an unusual cell type known as radial glia-like (RG-like) cells. Notably, these cells were highly specific and appeared approximately six times more frequently in iNSC lines derived from individuals with progressive MS compared to controls. As a result, they were designated as disease-associated RG-like cells (DARGs).

These DARGs exhibit characteristic features of radial glia—specialized cells that serve as scaffolding during brain development and possess the capacity to differentiate into various neural cell types. Essentially, they function both as structural support and as fundamental building blocks, making them critical for proper brain development. Unexpectedly, DARGs not only revert to an ‘infant’ state but also display hallmark features of premature aging, or senescence.

These newly identified DARGs possess a distinctive epigenetic profile—patterns of chemical modifications that regulate gene activity—although the factors influencing this epigenetic landscape remain unclear. These modifications contribute to an exaggerated response to interferons, the immune system’s ‘alarm signals,’ which may help explain the high levels of inflammation observed in MS.

Professor Stefano Pluchino from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge, joint senior author, said: “Progressive MS is a truly devastating condition, and effective treatments remain elusive. Our research has revealed a previously unappreciated cellular mechanism that appears central to the chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration driving the progressive phase of the disease.

“Essentially, what we’ve discovered are glial cells that don’t just malfunction – they actively spread damage. They release inflammatory signals that push nearby brain cells to age prematurely, fuelling a toxic environment that accelerates neurodegeneration.”

The team validated their findings by cross-referencing with human data from individuals with progressive MS. By analysing gene expression patterns at the single-cell level—including new data exploring the spatial context of RNA within post-mortem MS brain tissue—they confirmed that DARGs are specifically localised within chronically active lesions, the regions of the brain that sustain the most significant damage. Importantly, DARGs were found near inflammatory immune cells, supporting their role in orchestrating the damaging inflammatory environment characteristic of progressive MS.

By isolating and studying these disease-driving cells in vitro, the researchers aim to explore their complex interactions with other brain cell types, such as neurons and immune cells. This approach will help to explain the cellular crosstalk that contributes to disease progression in progressive MS, providing deeper insights into underlying pathogenic mechanisms.

Dr Alexandra Nicaise, co-lead author of the study from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at Cambridge, added: “We’re now working to explore the molecular machinery behind DARGs, and test potential treatments. Our goal is to develop therapies that either correct DARG dysfunction or eliminate them entirely.

“If we’re successful, this could lead to the first truly disease-modifying therapies for progressive MS, offering hope to thousands living with this debilitating condition.”

To date, DARGs have only ever been seen in a handful of diseases, such as glioblastoma and cerebral cavernomas, clusters of abnormal blood vessels. However, this may be because scientists have until now lacked the tools to find them. Professor Pluchino and colleagues believe their approach is likely to reveal that DARGs play an important role in other forms of neurodegeneration.

This work received funding from the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, the National MS Society, FISM - Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla, the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), the National Institute on Aging, the UK Dementia Research Institute, the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the UK MS Society Centre of Excellence, the Bascule Charitable Trust, and the Ferblanc Foundation, with support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.

Reference

Park, B, Nicaise AM & Tsitsipatis D et al. Integrated Multi-Omics Reveals Disease-Associated Radial Glia-like Cells with Epigenetically Dysregulated Interferon Response in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Neuron; 10 Oct 2025; DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2025.09.022

Scientists have identified an unusual type of brain cell that may play a vital role in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), likely contributing to the persistent inflammation characteristic of the disease.

Progressive MS is a truly devastating condition, and effective treatments remain elusiveStefano PluchinoMark Hunt (Getty Images)Woman with multiple sclerosis in a wheelchair putting on her coat with service dog watching her

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Yes

A total of 48 projects from across the UK are receiving funding from a new £9 million proof of concept programme to support and accelerate the development of new or improved technologies, products, processes and services. The aim of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) fund is to use research to drive growth and create the jobs of tomorrow.

The four Cambridge projects receiving funding exemplify the University's commitment to translating world-class research into practical solutions that address global challenges in health, sustainability, and inclusion. 

CamBoom: championing inclusion in cricket with engineered bamboo bats

Pioneered by Dr Darshil Shah, Associate Professor in Materials Science and Design in the Department of Architecture, this innovation aims to achieve an inclusive and sustainable future for cricket by developing low-cost bamboo bats, meeting the needs of millions of players in low and middle-income countries. 

AI-based coronary artery analysis

Professor Martin Bennett, British Heart Foundation Chair of Cardiovascular Sciences in the Department of Medicine, is using AI to advance medical diagnostics, improving the accuracy and efficiency of coronary artery analysis. 

Pre-clinical development of orally-administered, ultra-stable antibody mimetics

This initiative, led by Professor Mark Howarth and Dr Ana Rossi at the Department of Pharmacology, focuses on new treatments for gastrointestinal conditions, using innovative antibody mimetics that can be administered orally. 

Sustainable film packaging from plant waste

Professors James Elliott, Ruth Cameron and Serena Best from the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy have developed a new way of creating sustainable cellulose-based films at scale from waste plant material, with a range of applications from food and personal care packaging to anti-static discharge bags.  

Professor John Aston, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Cambridge, said: “Turning Cambridge research into innovations that will change people’s lives is at the heart of our mission. That four Cambridge projects have received UKRI proof of concept funding is a tribute both to the excellence of our researchers and to the support provided by our innovation arm, Cambridge Enterprise, in helping to translate their new ideas into effective solutions to global challenges.”

Dr Jim Glasheen, Chief Executive of Cambridge Enterprise, added: “The strength of Cambridge research lies not only in its scientific excellence but in our ability to translate discoveries into real-world impact. These projects are a great example of this strength, and showcase the University’s leadership in research translation and innovation. Funding of this kind is vital for nurturing breakthrough ideas and delivering lasting impact.”

UKRI proof of concept funding

This funding provides critical early-stage support to projects, helping researchers and innovators bridge the gap before attracting private investment, reducing the risks associated with premature market entry.

Of the 48 projects receiving funding, Professor Charlotte Deane, UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Research Commercialisation Executive Champion, said: "These projects are a powerful demonstration of the UK’s talent for turning cutting-edge research into real-world solutions. UKRI’s new proof of concept programme is all about helping researchers take that critical next step toward commercialisation, ensuring that bold ideas are not just published but put into practice where they can deliver tangible impact."

Adapted from a Cambridge Enterprise news story

Four cutting-edge University of Cambridge research projects are to receive funding from UKRI to grow into market-leading products and services.

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Yes

Independent analysis by the Observatory for Mathematical Education’s (OME) found that the specialist sixth forms are not only boosting attainment and progression, but also significantly widening participation in STEM.

Cambridge Maths School was opened in September 2023 by the Eastern Learning Alliance (ELA) – a multi-academy trust with schools across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia – in collaboration with the University of Cambridge. In August this year, it celebrated its first students’ A-level results, with more than half of the grades (53%) awarded at A*.

According to the new OME report – looking at the impact of maths schools across the country, 10 years after the first centres opened – female students, those from under-represented ethnic groups, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds all progress at higher rates to mathematically intensive STEM degrees than comparable peers elsewhere. Maths school students are also more likely to achieve the highest grades in A-level mathematics and further mathematics, and progress to the UK’s most selective STEM universities, including Oxbridge, at significantly higher rates than their matched peers.

The first maths schools launched in 2014 with the principal aim of helping prepare more of the country’s most mathematically able students to succeed in maths disciplines at top universities, and address the UK’s skills shortage in STEM subjects. There are now 11 maths schools in the University Maths School Network. Nine are open, with two more planned – in the North East (Durham University) and East Midlands (University of Nottingham) – both currently awaiting government approval. If confirmed, every region of England will have at least one maths school.

Clare Hargraves, Headteacher at Cambridge Maths School, said: "At Cambridge Maths School, we see every day how transformative a deep mathematical education can be. This report confirms what we witness in our classrooms: that with the right support, young people from all backgrounds can thrive, excel, and shape the future through mathematics."

Rajen Shah, Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge, and a governor at Cambridge Maths School, said: "A mathematical education can really flourish when curiosity and collaboration are at the heart of learning. The Cambridge Maths School offers exactly that environment, and the exceptional outcomes achieved by its students show what is possible when talent is nurtured in this way. The University of Cambridge is delighted to continue supporting the school in its mission to help young people from all backgrounds develop a lasting passion and confidence in mathematics."

Lucy Scott, CEO of the Eastern Learning Alliance said: "We are delighted to see such strong evidence that University Maths Schools are delivering on their shared promise: opening up access to mathematics at the highest level for all young people, regardless of their background. It’s particularly encouraging to see the impact for groups traditionally under-represented in the subject. This is what the Cambridge Maths School was created to do, and I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our staff who work tirelessly every day to ensure that vision becomes a reality."

Dan Abramson, CEO of the University Maths Schools Network, said: "University Maths Schools give students with a spark for maths the chance to thrive, whatever their background. Ten years on from their establishment, this study proves that the schools are fulfilling their mission to be engines of social mobility and nurture a new generation of mathematical scientists."

University maths schools are driving mobility and success in mathematics across England, a new report has found.

The University of Cambridge is delighted to continue supporting the School in its mission to help young people from all backgrounds develop a lasting passion and confidence in mathematics.Rajen Shah, Professor of Statistics University of CambridgeCambridge Maths School students celebrate their results in August 2025.

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YesLicence type: Attribution

In 2022, 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide and there were 670,000 related deaths. Despite significant progress in recent years, it remains challenging to accurately identify the best treatments for individual patients and to predict cases with poorer prognosis.

Whole genome sequencing is a powerful technique that involves analysing the DNA of both the patient and their tumour to look for genetic changes, or mutations. This provides information on the underlying cause of the tumour and what is driving it. It can also provide valuable information to guide treatment, for example by identifying vulnerabilities in the tumour’s makeup or spotting signs that a patient might be resistant to a particular treatment.

Although the technology is rapidly becoming cheaper – Ultima Genomics has recently announced that it can sequence a human genome for US$100 – it is not widely used across the NHS. Offered through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, it is currently available for a few adult cancers, rare cancers, paediatric cancers, and certain metastatic cancers.

Professor Serena Nik-Zainal from the Department of Genomic Medicine and Early Cancer Institute at the University of Cambridge said: “It is becoming increasingly possible to use whole genome sequencing to inform cancer management, but it’s arguably not being used to its full potential, and certainly not for some of the more common types of cancer.

“Part of the reason why is because we lack the clinical studies to support its use, but it’s also in part precisely because the information is so rich – in a sense, the information can be too overwhelming to make sense of.”

To help address these challenges, Professor Nik-Zainal and colleagues used data from almost 2,500 women from across England housed within the National Genomic Research Library – one of the world’s largest and most valuable data assets of its kind and run by Genomics England. The data from the 2,500 women came from their recruitment to the 100,000 Genomes Project and was linked to clinical and/or mortality records, tracking outcomes over five years. The researchers looked for genetic changes that cause or influence breast cancer, including problems in the way cells repair DNA.

The results of their study are published today in The Lancet Oncology.

The researchers found that 27% of breast cancer cases had genetic features that could help guide personalised treatment immediately, either with existing drugs or recruitment to prospective or current clinical trials. This equates to more than 15,000 women a year in the UK.

Among those features identified were: HRD (homology-directed repair deficiency), a DNA repair issue found in 12% of all breast cancers; unique mutations that could be targeted with specific drugs; signs of resistance to hormone therapy; and mutational patterns that suggest weaknesses in the cancer that treatments could exploit.

The team identified an additional 15% of cases that had features that could be useful for future research, such as problems with other DNA repair pathways. This would equate to more than 8,300 women a year.

The analysis also provided insights into prognosis. For example, in the most common subtype of breast cancer, known as ER+HER2- breast cancers, which account for approximately 70% of diagnoses, there were strong genetic indicators of how aggressive the cancer might be. For example, major structural DNA changes were linked to a much higher risk of death, as were APOBEC mutational signatures (a type of DNA damage pattern) and mutations in the cancer gene TP53. These genetic markers were more predictive than traditional measures like age of the patient, stage of their cancer, or tumour grade.

Using the results, the researchers created a framework to help doctors identify which patients need more aggressive treatment and which might safely have less treatment. It also suggested that around 7,500 women a year with low-grade tumours may benefit from more aggressive treatment.

Professor Nik-Zainal said: “The UK is a genuine world-leader in terms of its ability to do whole genome sequencing in the NHS through the Genomic Medicine Service. Now that we have population-level evidence of how impactful whole-genome sequencing could be, we have the potential to make a difference to thousands of patients’ lives every year, helping tailor their care more precisely, giving more treatment to those who need it and less to those who don’t.”

As well as being used to tailor treatments to individual patients, whole genome sequencing data could help transform how we recruit for and run clinical trials, speeding up the development of much needed new treatments.

Professor Nik-Zainal added: “At the moment, we test patients for just a small number of genetic mutations and may invite them to join a clinical trial if the patient has a mutation that matches the trial’s target. But if we have their entire genetic readout instead, we will no longer be restricted to single trials with a specific target. We could massively open up the potential for recruitment, to multiple clinical trials in parallel, making recruitment to clinical trials more efficient, ultimately getting the right therapies to the right patients much faster.”

Professor Matt Brown, Chief Scientific Officer of Genomics England, said: “This promising research further demonstrates the potential of genomics in improving cancer treatment outcomes for many people.

“Rapid advances in genomics are already ushering in the next generation of personalised cancer medicine. Not only can a patient’s genes guide precision treatment decisions that will best serve them, but we could improve how we match people up to clinical trials and help more patients access innovative treatments.

“Research like this highlights the value of the National Genomic Research Library and how understanding our genes can provide a real boost to the way we diagnose and treat disease. It’s all thanks to the contribution of participants and NHS partners in the 100,000 Genomes Project - the consented clinical and genomic data opens the door for incredible research opportunities.”  

Professor Nik-Zainal is an Honorary Fellow at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, and an Honorary Consultant in Clinical Genetics at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH).

The study was largely funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Gray Foundation and Cancer Research UK, with additional support from the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.

The University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT) are fundraising for a new hospital that will transform how we diagnose and treat cancer. Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, set to be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, will bring together clinical excellence from Addenbrooke’s Hospital and world-leading researchers at the University of Cambridge under one roof in a new NHS hospital. The new hospital will be home to the Precision Breast Cancer Institute, applying the latest genomic advances to tailor treatment for breast cancer patients, maximising treatment efficacy and minimising the risk of debilitating side effects.

Reference

Black, D et al. Revealing the clinical potential of cancer whole-genome data: A retrospective analysis of a breast cancer cohort in England linked with mortality statistics. Lancet Oncology; 7 Oct 2025; DOI: 10.1016/
S1470-2045(25)00400-0

Whole genome sequencing offered to breast cancer patients is likely to identify unique genetic features that could either guide immediate treatment or help match patients to clinical trials for over 15,000 women a year, say scientists at the University of Cambridge.

The UK is a genuine world-leader in terms of its ability to do whole genome sequencing in the NHS through the Genomic Medicine Service. We have the potential to make a difference to thousands of patients’ lives every yearSerena Nik-ZainalSDI Productions (Getty Images)Female cancer patient in clinic lobby chats with unseen friend

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Yes

Albert Einstein famously remarked that, had he not been a physicist, he would have been a musician. He said “I know that most joy in my life has come to me from my violin”; and his wife, Elsa, claimed that she fell in love with him “because he played Mozart so beautifully on the violin”.

Dr Paul Wingfield, Director of Studies in Music at Trinity College, has now helped to identify an 1894 German violin as having belonged to Einstein. On 8th October 2025, the instrument will be auctioned by Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Cirencester. When the hammer falls, this will be the end of a remarkable 18-month journey for Dr Wingfield.

In March 2024, Wingfield was at the wake of his brother-in-law, Joseph Schwartz, a lifelong Einstein enthusiast and co-author of the 1979 book Einstein for Beginners. A copy was on a table next to a family photograph album containing a 1912 picture of a small boy playing the violin.

Wingfield says: “This juxtaposition sparked in my mind the idea of composing a musical drama, Einstein’s Violin, in which Einstein tells the story of his life, not as a physicist, but as a violinist, to the accompaniment of music for violin and piano.”

“Researching, scripting and composing this show took me six months, by which time I had collected details of everything Einstein is known to have said or written about music, as well as of the violins he owned, and of the concerts in which he played.” 

Einstein’s Violin was premiered in April 2025 in Highgate by distinguished actor Harry Meacher, Newnham alumna Leora Cohen on violin and Wingfield himself on piano. After a performance at the Highgate Festival at the end of June, the theatre manager handed Wingfield a message that began ‘I am not mad…’!

“Reading this message proved to be one of the most exciting, if surreal, experiences in my life, Wingfield says. “It was from an auctioneer who had been commissioned to sell a violin that had purportedly belonged to Einstein, and who was asking for my help in checking the instrument’s provenance.”

Einstein bought the violin in Munich in 1894, before he left for Switzerland. He played it throughout the period in which he developed his theory of relativity and received his Nobel prize, buying a new violin in Berlin in 1920. In 1932, just before he fled Nazi Germany for the US, he gave the Munich violin, along with a bicycle and two books, to his friend and fellow Nobel Laureate in Physics, Max von Laue. The books and the bicycle’s saddle will also be sold on 8 October. Twenty years later, von Laue gifted the violin and other items to a friend, Margarete Hommrich, whose great-great-granddaughter is the current owner.

Wingfield says: “I am of course not an expert on nineteenth-century violins but, by a quirk of circumstance, my extensive research into Einstein’s musical life made me the obvious person to investigate the owner’s narrative.”

“Over the summer I have thus been deploying all the historical skills that I have amassed over the years, in examining correspondence and a wide range of other documents, critically appraising witness testimonies, mapping Einstein’s movements over a forty-year period and even analysing his school-age handwriting."

The 1894 violin has an inscription of the name ‘Lina’, which Einstein bestowed on all of his violins.

“Along the way, I have acquired knowledge about topics that were previously a closed book to me, such as nineteenth-century varnish, the precise measurements of Einstein’s hands and even inter-War Belgian customs regulations. I am now as sure as anyone could be that this violin was indeed once owned by Einstein. It would seem that, just occasionally, life does imitate art.”

Paul Wingfield’s research focuses primarily on Czech music and music theory and analysis. He has published on Janáček, Martinů and nineteenth-century sonata form, and he has recently written a chapter on Joseph Joachim’s Violin Concerto no. 1 for a CUP book on the nineteenth-century violin concerto. His musical drama, Einstein’s Violin, received its premiere on 27 April 2025 at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate. He is currently composing a new musical drama, Mademoiselle Adagio, about the nineteenth-century violinist, Teresa Milanollo. 

This story is adapted from a Music @ Cambridge: Research blog post

Albert Einstein’s violin has been identified by Dr Paul Wingfield, composer of a musical drama about Einstein’s life as a violinist.

I had collected details of everything Einstein is known to have said or written about music, as well as of the violins he ownedPaul WingfieldCourtesy of Dominic Winter AuctioneersEinstein's violin sold by Dominic Winter Auctioneers in 2025

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YesLicence type: Attribution

Sir John was a visionary in the field of developmental biology, whose pioneering work on nuclear transfer in frogs addressed one of the most fundamental questions in biology: whether genetic information is retained or lost during development.

His work paved the way for ground-breaking advances in biomedical research, from stem cell biology to mouse genetics and IVF.

His discovery that mature adult cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell state (known as pluripotency) was recognised by the award of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, shared with Shinya Yamanaka.

Professor Ben Simons, Director of the Gurdon Institute at the University of Cambridge said: “As well as being a towering figure in developmental and stem cell biology, through his dedication to science, his affection for colleagues and his humility, Sir John Gurdon was an inspiration to us all.” 

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sir John Gurdon. He was a giant within the scientific community, a truly inspirational figure who rightfully earned a Nobel Prize in 2012 for his pioneering work in stem cell research. Sir John will be greatly missed by everyone here in Cambridge, but he leaves behind him an outstanding legacy for which we are extremely grateful.”

Professor Jon Simons, Head of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Cambridge, said: "Sir John Gurdon was, and will continue to be, one of the most inspirational scientists in our community, and in the world. As well as outstanding contributions to developmental biology, John was also a dedicated colleague and mentor, who was deeply committed to interdisciplinary collaboration. He will be greatly missed."

Born in 1933, Sir John was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, where he gained First Class Honours in Zoology. Following appointments in Oxford and the United States, Sir John joined the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge in 1972 and later became the John Humphrey Plummer Professor of Cell Biology in the Department of Zoology. He served as Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge from 1995 to 2002. 

In 1991 he founded the Wellcome/CRUK Institute for Cell Biology and Cancer, later renamed the Gurdon Institute at the University of Cambridge, together with Ron Laskey. Their vision was to bring together expertise in two research areas: developmental biology and cancer biology. Sir John’s personal commitment to research - he continued to perform experiments at the bench until his 90s - was matched only by his dedication and support of his colleagues.

The University remembers Sir John as an inspiring scientist, insightful colleague, mentor, teacher and leader, whose legacy will live on through the generations of scientists trained in his lab, and extends its heartfelt condolences to Lady Gurdon and the family.

 

It is with great sadness that the University shares the news of the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon, founder of the Gurdon Institute.

As well as being a towering figure in developmental and stem cell biology...Sir John Gurdon was an inspiration to us all.Ben SimonsSir John Gurdon in the lab

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Yes

Clarke, who is Professor Emeritus of the Graduate School at the University of California at Berkeley, completed both his undergraduate and PhD studies at Cambridge. He was born in Cambridge and attended the Perse School on an academic scholarship before coming to Christ’s College as an undergraduate to read Natural Sciences.

Clarke moved to Darwin College for his PhD, which he completed in 1968 at the Cavendish Laboratory. His research is based on the theory, design and applications of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), which are ultrasensitive detectors of magnetic flux.

“John Clarke, together with Michel Devoret and John Martinis, pushed the door open for today’s quantum technologies based on superconducting qubits, putting fundamental quantum phenomena at work in real devices,” said Professor Mete Atature, Head of the Cavendish Laboratory. “Brian Josephson – another Cavendish Nobel Laureate – was first to propose the concept of a new quantum phase arising from tunnelling between two superconductors. John Clarke's PhD work in the Cavendish Laboratory demonstrated the operational principle of what we call a superconductor-normal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson Junction - essentially the heart of all superconducting qubits today. Devoret and Martinis spearheaded the translation of this fundamental quantum physics concept into what superconducting quantum computing is today. I’m of course thrilled with today’s well-deserved announcement.”

A major question in physics is the maximum size of a system that can demonstrate quantum mechanical effects. Clarke, Devoret and Martinis conducted experiments with an electrical circuit in which they demonstrated both quantum mechanical tunnelling and quantised energy levels in a system big enough to be held in the hand.

Quantum mechanics allows a particle to move straight through a barrier, using a process called tunnelling. As soon as large numbers of particles are involved, quantum mechanical effects usually become insignificant. The laureates’ experiments demonstrated that quantum mechanical properties can be made concrete on a macroscopic scale.

In 1984 and 1985, Clarke, Devoret and Martinis conducted a series of experiments with an electronic circuit built of superconductors, components that can conduct a current with no electrical resistance. In the circuit, the superconducting components were separated by a thin layer of non-conductive material, a setup known as a Josephson junction. By refining and measuring all the various properties of their circuit, they were able to control and explore the phenomena that arose when they passed a current through it. Together, the charged particles moving through the superconductor comprised a system that behaved as if they were a single particle that filled the entire circuit.

This macroscopic particle-like system is initially in a state in which current flows without any voltage. The system is trapped in this state, as if behind a barrier that it cannot cross. In the experiment the system shows its quantum character by managing to escape the zero-voltage state through tunnelling. The system’s changed state is detected through the appearance of a voltage.

The laureates could also demonstrate that the system behaves in the manner predicted by quantum mechanics – it is quantised, meaning that it only absorbs or emits specific amounts of energy.

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said: “Congratulations to Cambridge alumnus Professor Clarke on being jointly awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics for his research into quantum mechanical tunnelling. Not only did he grow up in this incredible city, but he studied from his undergraduate degree through to his PhD here.

“Professor Clarke joins 125 other noteworthy Cambridge alumni and researchers who have been awarded Nobel Prizes, highlighting our University’s remarkable impact within the research and education sectors.”

Clarke has continued his active affiliation with Cambridge over the years, returning several times, including 1972 when he was elected to a Fellowship at Christ’s, 1989 when he was a Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, and 1998 when he was elected a By-Fellow of Churchill College. He was awarded the ScD from the University in 2003, and was elected an Honorary Fellow of Darwin College in 2023.

John Clarke is the 126th affiliate of the University of Cambridge to be awarded the Nobel Prize.

University of Cambridge alumnus Professor John Clarke has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis, for their work revealing quantum physics in action.

Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize OutreachIllustration of John Clarke

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Yes

Research led by the University of Cambridge has found the first clear evidence that the ‘good’ gut bacteria Bifidobacterium breve in pregnant mothers regulates the placenta’s production of hormones critical for a healthy pregnancy.

In a study in mice, the researchers compared the placentas of mice with no gut bacteria to those of mice with Bifidobacterium breve in their gut during pregnancy.

Pregnant mice without Bifidobacterium breve in their gut had a higher rate of complications including fetal growth restriction and fetal low blood sugar, and increased fetal loss.

This gut bacteria seems to play a crucial role in prompting the placenta to produce pregnancy hormones that allow the mother’s body to support the pregnancy.

This is the first time scientists have found a link between the gut microbiome and the placenta.

The researchers say this paves the way for testing the mother’s gut microbiome to identify pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia or miscarriage early - and then manipulating it with probiotics to improve the chances of a healthy baby.

The research is published today in the Journal of Translational Medicine.

“Our results open up an entirely new way to assess the health of a pregnant mother and her developing fetus by looking at the mother’s gut microbiome,” said Dr Jorge Lopez Tello, first author of the report, who carried out the work while at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience.

He added: “Everybody ignores the placenta - after nine months of pregnancy it just gets thrown in the bin. But now we understand more about how it works, in the future pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, miscarriage and stillbirth might be prevented simply by adjusting the mother’s gut microbes to improve the function of the placenta.”

The placenta is a crucial organ during pregnancy that connects mother to fetus, and provides the nutrients, oxygen and hormones essential for healthy development of the baby.

Remote control

In the study, over 150 biological processes in the placenta - involving over 400 different proteins - were found to be different in mice with, and without, Bifidobacterium breve in their gut.

The mice with Bifidobacterium breve in their gut lost fewer of their pregnancies. Their placentas were better at absorbing and transporting nutrients, like amino acids and lactate, from mother to fetus - vital for fetal growth. Their placentas also produced more of the hormones important for pregnancy, such as prolactins and pregnancy-specific glycoproteins.

By studying mice, whose diet, activity and gut microbiome could be tightly controlled, the scientists can be sure their findings are not caused by other factors. Using mice allowed them to pinpoint the importance of Bifidobacterium breve - a finding that is also relevant to human pregnancies.

The scientists say more research is needed to understand how these ‘good’ bacteria work within the human body’s full gut microbiome, and whether they could be manipulated in the gut without any negative effects.

Bifidobacterium breve occurs naturally in the human gut microbiome, but in pregnant women the levels of this ‘good’ bacteria can be altered by stress or obesity. It is widely available as a supplement in probiotic drinks and tablets.

Healthier pregnancies

The babies of up to 10% of first-time mothers have low birth weight or fetal growth restriction. If a baby doesn’t grow properly in the womb, there is an increased risk of conditions like cerebral palsy in infants, and anxiety, depression, autism, and schizophrenia in later life.

“Our research reveals a whole new layer of information about how pregnancy works, and will help us find new interventions that can improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy for mother and baby,” said Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience and St John’s College, senior author of the report.

“It’s exciting to think that beneficial microbes like Bifidobacterium - which naturally support gut and immune health - could be harnessed during pregnancy to improve outcomes. Using something like a probiotic offers a promising alternative to traditional therapeutics, potentially reducing risks while enhancing wellbeing in mother and baby,” said Professor Lindsay Hall at the University of Birmingham’s College of Medicine and Health, who was also involved in the work.

This research was funded primarily by Wellcome.

Reference

Lopez-Tello, J. et al: ‘Placental endocrine function is controlled by maternal gut Bifidobacterium in germ-free mice.’ Journal of Translational Medicine, October 2025. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-025-07198-4

When Bifidobacterium breve, widely available in probiotic drinks, is present in the gut of pregnant females it boosts the placenta’s production of pregnancy hormones to reduce the likelihood of complications like preeclampsia and miscarriage.

Our results open up an entirely new way to assess the health of a pregnant mother and her developing fetus by looking at the mother’s gut microbiome.Jorge Lopez TelloMakidotvn on GettyPregnant woman with a probiotic drink

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YesLicence type: Attribution-Noncommerical

The Institute is being funded by a gift of £5 million by alumnus Humphrey Battcock (1973), a Foundation Fellow at Downing since 2013 and donor of transformational gifts to support the College and its students.

Led by Dr David Halpern as Director, the Institute will primarily focus on supporting and bringing together researchers and policymakers from other institutions, rather than running its own separate primary research. An early priority will be to fund and host ‘policy retreats’ at Downing on key social and economic challenges, with a particular focus on issues early in the policy cycle, before fixed policy positions have emerged.

Read the full story on Downing College's website.

The Downing Battcock Institute is a new initiative based at Downing College, Cambridge, to strengthen the bridges between academia and policymakers.

Downing CollegeDr David Halpern

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Yes

The visit began at the College, where His Royal Highness toured the Women’s Art Collection – the largest collection of modern and contemporary art by women in Europe. He was welcomed by Dr Rachel Polonsky, Acting President and Chair of the Art Committee, before meeting civic guests including Councillor Dinah Pounds (Mayor of Cambridge), Councillor Peter McDonald (Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council), and Mr Paul Bristow (Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority).

Once inside the College, the Duke was conducted by the Curator, Ms Harriet Loffer, on a private tour of the Collection, which includes more than 600 works by artists such as Dame Paula Rego DBE, Maggi Hambling CBE, Lubaina Himid CBE and Judy Chicago. The Collection, founded in 1986, is displayed against the background of the College’s distinctive modernist architecture and has been accredited by Arts Council England since 2018.

His Royal Highness also met senior members of the University and of Murray Edwards, including the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-President Professor Miranda Griffin, and Dr Victoria Harvey, Senior Tutor at the College and President of the Cambridge University Real Tennis Club.

Following the tour, the Duke attended a reception where he met students who have completed the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and then signed the visitors’ book.

Dr Polonsky said: "This place of learning is governed under a Royal Charter granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. At the start of this academic year, in which we mark the 60th anniversary of our wonderful buildings and the 40th anniversary of the Women's Art Collection, it is a special privilege to welcome His Royal Highness."

In the afternoon the visit turned from art to sport at the Cambridge University Real Tennis Club at Grange Road. In his role as Patron of the Tennis & Rackets Association (T&RA), His Royal Highness officially launched the inaugural National Real Tennis Open Event – a nationwide initiative bringing together all 24 UK real tennis clubs for the first time. The event, which ran from 2–5 October, was designed to introduce the historic game to new audiences through open days, exhibition matches and taster sessions.

At the Club the Duke was welcomed by the President, Dr Harvey, and met representatives from the T&RA, including Chairman Mr Richard Compton-Burnett, CEO Mr Chris Davies and National Event Coordinator Mr Nick Brodie. He also met students, alumni and professionals taking part in the tournament before enjoying the opening Division 1 match.

During his visit the Duke, an alumnus of Jesus College, displayed his personal enthusiasm for a sport that has its roots in the Court of King Henry VIII and is the forerunner of modern lawn tennis.

He also met Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Environmental Sustainability and Chair of the University Sports Committee, and Mr Mark Brian, Director of Sport, alongside sponsors and supporters of the Club. The afternoon also afforded opportunity to speak with players and alumni about the future of the game and the importance of attracting new players.

The day provided a rare opportunity to showcase two distinct aspects of Cambridge’s cultural life: a pioneering collection that celebrates women’s contributions to the visual arts, and an historic sport being introduced to the upcoming generations. 

 

• The Women’s Art Collection at Murray Edwards is open to everyone, every day, between 10am and 6pm and is free to visit. There is no need to pre-book a visit: www.murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk/womens-art-collection
   
• Membership of the Cambridge University Real Tennis Club is open to all: men, women, young and old, school children, students, locals, visitors (town or gown) and not just to members of the University. Guests are also welcome. The club has recently undergone a large development programme which has provided a new court, club room and a new pros room. Visit: www.curtc.net

 

Murray Edwards College and the Cambridge University Real Tennis Club were honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT GCVO on Thursday 2 October for a day of engagements that highlighted the College’s unique artistic offering and the Club’s sporting traditions.

Keith Heppell for Murray Edwards CollegeThe Duke of Edinburgh meets students undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh Awards

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YesLicence type: Attribution

The University of Cambridge study of 615 state schools in England found that while socio-economic background does not have a significant impact on students’ desire to study languages, poorer students are disproportionately concentrated in schools that give languages lower priority. This significantly reduces their chances of studying a language after the age of 14.

The research identified a seven percentage point gap between the proportion of disadvantaged students at schools where languages were optional at GCSE, and at those where they were considered ‘core’. Uptake at these schools diverged dramatically, with the proportion of students studying a GCSE language varying by more than 50 percentage points.

These findings suggest that disadvantaged students have been worst affected by the national decline in language study since 2004, when GCSE languages ceased to be compulsory. In the academic year 2023/4, just 45.7% of eligible students in England took a language GCSE. By contrast, 97.9% of upper secondary students in the EU study at least one foreign language.

The study also shows that if schools offer a wider choice of languages, their GCSE language scores tend to be better overall. For every additional language offered at GCSE, schools’ average scores for GCSE languages rose by almost a quarter of a grade.

The research, published in The Language Learning Journal, was undertaken by Dr Karen Forbes, Associate Professor in Second Language Education at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.

Forbes said it raised concerns about widening inequalities in language learning. “It seems obvious, but surely all children should have the same opportunity to learn a language,” she said. “In practice, for less wealthy students these subjects are often de-emphasised. If this is not addressed, the national decline in language learning will continue and probably accelerate.”

Language learning in England is compulsory from ages seven to 14, with most pupils studying French, Spanish or German. Thereafter, schools decide whether to treat languages as ‘core’ or optional. In addition, some offer languages through a specific pathway tied to the English Baccalaureate (EBacc): a performance measure based on the number of pupils taking GCSEs in what the Government considers important subjects, which includes languages.

The Cambridge study explored how schools’ policies on languages – treating them as ‘core’, attaching them to an EBacc pathway, or leaving them fully optional – affects uptake at GCSE and students’ attainment.

It also considered other factors that might influence uptake and grades, including students’ prior attainment (measured using test scores at Key Stage 2), the number of “disadvantaged” students, and the number of students who use English as an additional language (EAL), meaning they speak a different language at home.

Out of the 615 schools, 19.2% treated languages as ‘core’, 29.6% offered an EBacc pathway, and 51.2% positioned languages as completely optional. The vast majority of GCSE students took French, Spanish, or German; but some studied Chinese, Italian, Urdu, Hebrew, Arabic, Japanese or Bengali.

Disadvantaged students were more likely to attend schools where languages were optional, accounting for almost 29% of all students, compared with just 21.3% in schools where languages were core. The proportion in EBacc pathway schools was 25.65%: almost identical to the national average.

Critically, the effect of school language policies on uptake were stark. In schools where languages were core, 82.6% of students studied a language to GCSE. The figure sank to 52.7% in EBacc pathway schools and just 31.9% in schools where languages are optional. As the study shows, these are the schools that disproportionately serve less affluent communities.

Even after accounting for prior attainment and EAL pupils, school policy remained the strongest predictor of students’ likelihood of studying a language to GCSE. In contrast, disadvantage had no significant effect. In other words, given the chance, poorer students are just as likely to continue language study past age 14 as their peers.

The research also considered the effects that increasing language uptake has on results. On average, each percentage increase in uptake was linked to a 0.019 point drop, or about one-fiftieth of a grade, in the school’s average GCSE grade across all language subjects.

This effect was more than outweighed by the benefits of offering a wider choice of languages, however. For each additional GCSE language on the timetable, the average grade rose by 0.234 points – almost a quarter of a grade.

Forbes said that how schools position languages in the curriculum sends important signals to students. “When schools frame languages as useful and important the students pick up on this,” she said. “Offering a wider range of languages also gives them a choice, and they are more likely to be motivated if they are studying a language they have actively chosen.”

While the EBacc has not reversed the national decline in language learning, the findings provide some tentative evidence that it has a positive effect in some schools, bearing in mind the 20 percentage point difference between uptake in EBacc pathway schools and schools where languages are purely optional.

“Personally, I would love to see languages reestablished as core subjects at GCSE across all schools – this would signal its importance and create more equitable opportunities for students,” Forbes said. “In the absence of that, something is better than nothing, and national-level accountability measures for languages like the EBacc do seem to influence both schools and students. Broadening choice – rather than narrowing it – is key to reducing inequalities between students, and to raising both participation and attainment.”

Students from less wealthy backgrounds are more likely to attend schools where learning a language to GCSE is treated as optional – and not necessarily strongly encouraged – new research shows.

Andrew Fox/GettyUK schoolgirls in a GCSE language lessom

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Yes

The event, which sees the Presidents representing the losing teams of the previous year’s races formally challenge those from the winning teams, was held at London’s Somerset House.

Oxford’s Tobias Bernard and Heidi Long and their victorious Cambridge counterparts Noam Mouelle (Hughes Hall) and Gemma King (St John’s College) faced off before shaking hands in front of the London audience.

First raced in 1829 between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, The Boat Race 2026 will be held on Easter Saturday 04 April with the Women’s Boat Race at 14.21 and the Men’s Boat Race an hour later, at 15.21.

Cambridge, the Light Blues, have held the upper hand with a clean sweep of both Boat Races in 2025. Oxford, the Dark Blues, will be determined to turn the tide in 2026. The records stand at 88-81 in favour of Cambridge Men and 49-30 to Cambridge Women.

The event also saw Channel 4 welcomed as the new free-to-air TV home of The Boat Race, with the broadcaster announcing that they have secured the rights in a multi-year agreement.

Siobhan Cassidy, Chair of The Boat Race Company, said: “We are delighted to work with Channel 4 to broadcast our unique, iconic and intensely British event between our two world-leading Universities.”

In other news, Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) has announced that Chair, Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, has been elected Vice President of World Rowing. Phelps learnt to row at St John’s College and raced for Blondie (Cambridge Women’s Reserves) in 1987, beating Osiris (Oxford Women’s Reserves) by 12 seconds. She went on to represent Great Britain at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and five World Championships, winning gold at Račice in 1993. 

And a week of fantastic racing proved golden for Cambridge at the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, China, with three alumni - James Robson (Peterhouse), Douwe de Graaf (St Edmund’s) and George Bourne (Peterhouse) and one current trialist, Camille VanderMeer (Peterhouse) - crowned champions, along with a slate of other impressive performances. Read the full results on the CUBC website.
 

The starting gun has been fired on The Boat Race 2026 with the staging of the historic Presidents’ Challenge.

The Boat Race/Row360Left to right: Oxford's Heidi Long and her Cambridge counterpart Gemma King, Cambridge's Noam Mouelle and his Oxford counterpart Tobias Bernard

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Yes

An international study led by researchers at the University of Cambridge has discovered that autism diagnosed in early childhood has a different genetic and developmental profile to autism diagnosed from late childhood onwards.

The scientists say that the findings challenge the long-held assumption that autism is a single condition with a unified underlying cause.

Published in Nature, the study analysed behavioural data across childhood and adolescence from the UK and Australia, and genetic data from over 45,000 autistic individuals across several large cohorts in Europe and the US.

Scientists from Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry found that children diagnosed as autistic earlier in life (typically before six years old) were more likely to show behavioural difficulties from early childhood, such as problems with social interaction.

However, those diagnosed with autism later on in life (in late childhood or beyond) were more likely to experience social and behavioural difficulties during adolescence. They also had an increased likelihood of mental health conditions such as depression.

The team then linked the genetic data to the age at diagnosis among autistic people. They found that the underlying genetic profiles differed between those diagnosed with autism earlier and later in life, with only a modest overlap.  

In fact, the average genetic profile of later-diagnosed autism is closer to that of ADHD, as well as to mental health conditions like depression and PTSD, than it is to autism diagnosed in early childhood.

The study’s authors point out that a lack of support in early childhood will also play a role in increased risk of mental health issues in the later-diagnosed group, for example by being more vulnerable to bullying pre-diagnosis.

Nevertheless, scientists say that the stronger genetic overlap between later-diagnosed autism and certain psychiatric disorders suggests there may be some genetic factors that partly increase the risk of mental health conditions among those diagnosed with autism later in life.

“We found that, on average, individuals diagnosed with autism earlier and later in life follow different developmental pathways, and surprisingly have different underlying genetic profiles,” said lead author Xinhe Zhang from the University of Cambridge.

“Our findings suggest that the timing of autism diagnosis reflects more than just differences in access to healthcare or awareness, important as these are. However, it is important to note that these are average differences on a gradient, so earlier and later diagnosed autism are not valid diagnostic terms.”

The study looked at “polygenic” factors: sets of thousands of genetic variants that can collectively shape particular traits. The team found that commonly heritable polygenic factors explain around 11% of the variation in age at autism diagnosis.

“The term ‘autism’ likely describes multiple conditions,” said senior author Dr Varun Warrier from Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry. “For the first time, we have found that earlier and later diagnosed autism have different underlying biological and developmental profiles.”

“An important next step will be to understand the complex interaction between genetics and social factors that lead to poorer mental health outcomes among later-diagnosed autistic individuals.”

This study has implications for how autism is conceptualised, studied, and supported, say the research team. It suggests that genetic and developmental variation contributes to when and how autistic traits manifest, and why some individuals are diagnosed only later in life.

“Some of the genetic influences predispose people to show autism traits from a very young age that may be more easily identified, leading to an earlier diagnosis,” added Warrier. “For others, genetic influences may alter which autism features emerge and when. Some of these children may have features that are not picked up by parents or caregivers until they cause significant distress in late childhood or adolescence.”

“Understanding how the features of autism emerge not just in early childhood but later in childhood and adolescence could help us recognise, diagnose, and support autistic people of all ages.”

Researchers find different genetic profiles related to two trajectories that autistic children tend to follow. One linked to early diagnosis, and communication difficulties in infancy. The other linked to later diagnosis, increased social and behavioural difficulties in adolescence, and higher rates of conditions like ADHD, depression, and PTSD.

The term ‘autism’ likely describes multiple conditionsDr Varun Warrier Jessie Casson / GettyChild with autism sitting at table doing crafts

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Yes

In her speech at Senate House, the Vice-Chancellor spoke about "what the University is doing to enable the flow of brilliant things our academics and students have done in the past year to continue unabated into the foreseeable future and to have the impact on society and the world that they need to have". 

Professor Deborah Prentice marked the start of the new academic year 2025/26 by delivering the Vice-Chancellor’s annual address to the University.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice's annual address to the University of Cambridge – 2025 Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice's annual address to the University of Cambridge – 2025 Video of Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice's annual address to the University of Cambridge – 2025

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Yes