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...
University of Exeter law students have been awarded the prize for Best New Student Pro Bono Activity by the Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC MP for its legal helpdesk that provides assistance to court users.
The Community Legal Helpdesk is run by Law students who are supervised by a qualified lawyer, providing free information and guidance to members of the public involved in legal disputes. Family, small claims housing and employment problems are the most common queries.
The announcement was made at the annual Law Works and Attorney General Student Awards 2013, on 25...
Exeter Forum has been selected as a finalist in the Project of the Year (between £10m - £50m) category for the 2013 Construction News Awards, to be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London on 11 July 2013.
A record number of entries were submitted for this year’s Construction News Awards. Finalists will now face Dragons' Den-style live interviews to members of the 53-strong jury of esteemed key clients, contractors, consultants, institutes and government departments including:
Heavy rain has once again resulted in widespread flooding across the country. With climate change likely to cause further severe weather events in the coming years, methods of quickly predicting flooding will become increasingly important.
A team of engineers and scientists from the University of Exeter has developed a model, 1,000 times faster than existing flood prediction systems, which can rapidly predict when and where flooding will occur. The model uses artificial intelligence to ‘learn’, in the same way that biological neural networks in the human brain process data....
Drama has become a regular activity for Exeter’s young people in care who have joined forces with students from the University of Exeter to stage a play in Austin, Texas. Stetsons and cowboy boots are at the ready as Exeter’s creative gang of performers head to the United States. This life-changing experience will be the first time that the theatre company ‘Perfectly Mixed Up’ travel and perform outside of Devon. Throughout the week-long stay the company will perform their show, More than the Sum and run two workshops with young people in care in Austin, Texas.
