News
Below you can catch up on the latest news from the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield.
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Climate change and deforestation together push tropical species towards extinction, say experts
Only 38 per cent of tropical forest can protect wildlife from rising temperatures as a result of deforestation, increasing the likelihood that vulnerable species will go extinct, say scientists.
Categorised under: Research
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Female bedbugs can ‘control’ their immune systems ahead of mating to prevent against sexual infection
Female bedbugs who are ‘full bellied’ and therefore more attractive mates for males, are able to boost their immune systems in anticipation of catching sexually transmitted infections, research has found.
Categorised under: Research
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Scientists discover how plants breathe – and how humans shaped their 'lungs'
Scientists have discovered how plants create networks of air channels – the lungs of the leaf – to transport carbon dioxide (CO2) to their cells.
Categorised under: Research
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Climate change has long-term impact on species adaptability
Historic climate change events can have a lasting impact on the genetic diversity of a species, a new study by the University of Sheffield - which analysed the genome of the alpine marmot - has revealed.
Categorised under: Research
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Replace soil with foam to solve global food security crisis, say Sheffield scientists
Specially developed foams could help avert a global food security crisis by replacing fast-degrading soils, according to scientists.
Categorised under: Research
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Bedbugs evolved more than 100 million years ago – and walked the earth with T. rex
Bedbugs – some of the most unwanted human bed-mates - have been parasitic companions with other species aside from humans for more than 100 million years, walking the earth at the same time as dinosaurs.
Categorised under: Research
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Study reveals why unique finches keep their heads of many colours
Scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered how a highly-endangered rainbow coloured bird has maintained distinct colours for generations.
Categorised under: Research
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PhD student wins prize for ecology conference talk
=A PhD student in the School of Mathematics and Statistics was awarded a prize at the Joint Meeting of the Society for Tropical Ecology and the British Ecological Society.
Categorised under: Awards and Research
This article is located in a different section of the University of Sheffield website.
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Future of elephants living in captivity is under threat
Scientists at the University of Sheffield and University of Turku are looking at ways to boost captive populations of Asian elephants without relying on taking them from the wild.
Categorised under: Research
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Students showcase cutting-edge research at annual PhD poster event
Students from across biology, chemistry, physics, maths and psychology at the University of Sheffield shared the latest research with visitors to the annual Science Graduate School Showcase.
Categorised under: Awards
This article is located in a different section of the University of Sheffield website.
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Females live longer when they have help raising offspring
Female birds age more slowly and live longer when they have help raising their offspring, according to new research from the University of Sheffield.
Categorised under: Research
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University of Sheffield laboratories open to the public for Discovery Night
The University of Sheffield opened up its laboratories and lecture theatres to the public last week for the annual Discovery Night as part of British Science Week.
Categorised under: Outreach
This article is located in a different section of the University of Sheffield website.
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University of Sheffield research aiming to solve food security issues for communities living in the world’s harshest climates
World leading science research from the University of Sheffield is helping to solve the problem of limited food availability and soaring food prices which hit the Middle Eastern country of Oman every summer through the creation of innovative sustainable greenhouses.
Categorised under: Research
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The Future of Food: Plant science approaches to the global challenge of food security
By 2050, it is expected that the world population will reach 10 billion. The amount of food necessary to feed our appetites is expected to rise by 50%, and as things stand it is impossible for our current methods of agriculture and plant production to sustain this rapid population growth. But scientists at the University of Sheffield are using their knowledge of fundamental plant processes to research new approaches to sustainable food production.
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Epigenetics: how the ‘dark matter of biology’ could help in the fight against plant diseases
A new insight into how plants are able to epigenetically pass on resistance to their offspring in order to strengthen their immune system against pests and diseases has been discovered by scientists at the University of Sheffield.
Categorised under: Research