University of South Carolina

Inside the Exclusion Zone surrounding the Chornobyl nuclear plant, thousands of animals now roam freely. Among them are the stray dogs – around 900 descendants of the pets left behind, living in the shadow of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

New research is uncovering how non-alcoholic fatty liver disease influences the neurological conditions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The study describes how a protein produced in the liver can travel to the brain and trigger neuroinflammation.

The natural world is a huge source of life-saving drugs and that extends to the organisms that inhabit the seas, with new research describing how a molecule from a sea sponge proved capable of preventing cervical cancer cell growth in the lab.

A study has suggested foods high in sugar and fat might not need to result in significant weight gain. Researchers have identified a gene that can dictate how these foods are processed, potentially suppressing obesity and other problems that often go hand-in-hand with unhealthy eating habits.

A new type of camera can detect invisible bloodstains, with none of the drawbacks of the traditional chemical method.