25 Jul 2014
Knee pain arthritis study wheels out door-to-door service
A research study into knee arthritis is looking for volunteers in Dundee, Fife and Angus. Older people living with knee pain and osteoarthritis are being asked to join a research study hoping to find a safer treatment for reducing pain and improving quality of life. To make it as easy as possible to take part, volunteers are being offered a door-to-door taxi service. Researchers at the University of Dundee are examining the effects of spironolactone, an inexpensive and well known heart drug which has been on the market for over 40 years and which they believe may have potential to help people with osteoa...
22 Jul 2014
Danny Alexander to be grilled by 5MQ
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander will next month visit the University of Dundee to set out the case for a No vote in September’s referendum at an event organised by the Five Million Questions (5MQ) initiative. Mr Alexander will be the latest big name from both sides of the debate to appear at the University and have their views scrutinised by the audience. The Liberal Democrat MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey and former Secretary of State for Scotland will be in conversation with 5MQ Associate Director David Torrance on Monday, 18th August. The event will cover the ...
21 Jul 2014
RNA determination opens up the possibility of evolutionary discoveries
Researchers from the University of Dundee have defined the structure of a recently discovered enzyme, raising the possibility of learning more about the evolution of organisms over billions of years. Using X-ray crystallography, Professor David Lilley and a team from the Cancer Research UK Nucleic Acid Structure Research Group at Dundee’s College of Life Sciences were able to determine the three-dimensional structure and mechanism of action of the ‘twister’ ribozyme, discovered by scientists at the University of Yale earlier this year. While most enzymes are made up of protein, ribozyme...
18 Jul 2014
Chinese students to attend CASE Summer School
Photo opportunity: 12.30pm on Monday, 21st July at Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA). Dozens of Chinese students will visit the University of Dundee over the next month for an educational and cultural programme designed to encourage them to consider undertaking exchange or postgraduate studies in the City of Discovery. The University’s College of Art, Science and Engineering (CASE) is holding its first-ever Summer School between 20th July and 17th August, with around 30- 40 students attending from partner universities in China. The students, from 2nd and 3rd-year level, ...
18 Jul 2014
Genetic blueprint of bread wheat genome unveiled
The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) published today in the international journal Science a chromosome-based draft sequence of the bread wheat genome. This genetic blueprint provides new insights into the structure, organisation, and evolution of the large, complex genome of the world’s most widely grown cereal crop, and is the last step before a full genome sequence is reached. The sequence is an invaluable resource to plant science researchers and breeders. For the first time, they have at their disposal a set of tools enabling them to rapidly locate specific genes on indiv...