Coral reefs are in decline, but their collapse can still be avoided with local and global action. That's according to findings reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on 9 May based on an analysis that combines the latest science on reef dynamics with the latest climate models.
"People benefit by reefs having a complex structure - a little like a Manhattan skyline but underwater," said Peter Mumby of The University of Queensland and University of Exeter. "Structurally-complex reefs provide nooks and crannies for thousands of species and provide the habitat needed to...
Engineering students from the University of Exeter are, for the first time, gearing up for a UK competition which will pit their engineering skills against 149 teams from 32 different countries. The Exeter students will today unveil the racing car that will compete in Formula Student - an international motorsport competition run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The car will be revealed by the team at a public launch event at the University.
University teams from across the world are challenged to design, build and race a single seat racing car from scratch in one year –...
The University of Exeter moves up from 13th to 10th place in The Complete University Guide ’s ranking of 124 UK universities for 2014, which was published today (Monday 29 April). It is the first time that Exeter has entered The Complete University Guide’s (CUG) national top ten of UK universities. Apart from Exeter’s entry into the top ten, the composition of this grouping has remained unchanged compared with last year. Cambridge again heads The CUG ranking of 124 UK universities, with Oxford back in second place ahead of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Professor Sir...
The Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), a £30 million environmental research institute at the University of Exeter’s Tremough Campus, Penryn, was formally opened on Tuesday 23 April by more than 120 local school children. The ESI leads cutting-edge interdisciplinary research to find solutions to the problems of environmental change and is working with local children to inspire them to take up careers in research. As part of a week of activities to celebrate the opening of the ESI, students from local schools enjoyed hands-on workshops that demonstrated the institute’s research...
It sounds like science fiction but a team from the University of Exeter, with support from Shell, has developed a method to make bacteria produce diesel on demand. While the technology still faces many significant commercialisation challenges, the diesel, produced by special strains of E. coli bacteria, is almost identical to conventional diesel fuel and so does not need to be blended with petroleum products as is often required by biodiesels derived from plant oils. This also means that the diesel can be used with current supplies in existing infrastructure because engines, pipelines and...
New research published in the journal Psychological Science has found that people living in urban areas with more green space tend to report greater wellbeing than city dwellers that don’t have parks, gardens, or other green space nearby. The research has been led by Dr Mathew White from the University of Exeter Medical School’s European Centre for Environment & Human Health. By examining data from a national survey that followed UK households over time, Dr White and colleagues at the European Centre have found that individuals reported less mental distress and higher life satisfaction...
Thomas Hardy is one of the West Country’s most famous writers whose novels, such as Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the D’Urbervilles are internationally renowned. As part of a project to promote knowledge and understanding of Hardy, Dr Angelique Richardson of the University of Exeter is organising a series of lectures in collaboration with the National Trust and Dorset County Museum, where the talks will be held. Although Hardy is most commonly known to the public through his novels, the lectures will provide further contexts for his work.
The Leiden University World Rankings shows that the University of Exeter ranks 49th best institution in the world. The rankings provide a measurement of the scientific impact and performance of 500 major universities worldwide and their involvement in scientific collaboration. Positioning within the rankings is based on the number of citations quoted in highly respected and influential journals. This shows that Exeter’s high quality research has been referenced by other academics in major journals. According to the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2013 is based on Web of Science indexed publications...
A University of Exeter Medical School scientist has received a prestigious Industry Fellowship award, aimed at connecting Academia and Industry. Andrew Randall, Professor of Applied Neurophysiology in the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, was granted the award by the Royal Society. It allows him to forge new collaborations with Lilly UK, the Surrey-based arm of the international pharmaceuticals company Eli Lilly. The research concerns cutting-edge imaging and how it can be applied to understanding dementia. Prof Randall said: “This is a key element in furthering our...
The University of Exeter has joined Easy Access IP, which promotes new ways of sharing intellectual property (IP). The University will be making selected intellectual property – patents, copyright, designs and know-how – available free to businesses which are willing to use it to develop products and services which benefit society and the economy. Some early-stage IP is too risky to attract investment from companies. By offering free and easy access to this, companies have the opportunity to evaluate the potential and possibilities with reduced risk. Companies can access the IP on an...
