University College London (UCL)

An investigation by Britain's Observer newspaper claimed that nine of 13 companies accused of firing and rehiring made profits or increased executive pay.

The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic

Kymera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: KYMR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing targeted protein degradation to deliver novel small molecule protein degrader medicines, today announced the appointment of Juliet Williams, PhD, as Senior Vice President, Head of Biology.

Engitix Ltd, a biotechnology company developing a portfolio of programmes in fibrosis and solid tumours and with two significant partnerships based on its pioneering proprietary human extracellular matrix drug discovery platform, announced that it has appointed Dr Mike Burbridge, as Vice President, Oncology & Immuno-oncology.

/PRNewswire/ - The Reach Alliance, a research initiative based at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, announced today at...

Oceanic islands are among the most recent areas on Earth to have been colonized by humans, in many cases in just the past few thousand years. Therefore, they are important laboratories for the study of human impacts on natural vegetation and biodiversity. Nogué et al. provide a quantitative palaeoecological study of 27 islands around the world, focusing on pollen records of vegetation composition before and after human arrival. The authors found a consistent pattern of acceleration of vegetation turnover after human invasion, with median rates of change increasing by a factor of six. These changes occurred regardless of geographical and ecological features of the island and show how rapidly ecosystems can change and how island ecosystems are set on new trajectories. Science , this issue p. [488][1] Islands are among the last regions on Earth settled and transformed by human activities, and they provide replicated model systems for analysis of how people affect ecological functions. By analyzing 27 representative fossil pollen sequences encompassing the past 5000 years from islands globally, we quantified the rates of vegetation compositional change before and after human arrival. After human arrival, rates of turnover accelerate by a median factor of 11, with faster rates on islands colonized in the past 1500 years than for those colonized earlier. This global anthropogenic acceleration in turnover suggests that islands are on trajectories of continuing change. Strategies for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration must acknowledge the long duration of human impacts and the degree to which ecological changes today differ from prehuman dynamics. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abd6706

Studying the violent collisions of black holes and neutron stars may soon provide a new measurement of the Universe's expansion rate, helping to resolve a long-standing dispute, suggests a new simulation study led by researchers at UCL (University College London).

The "hygiene hypothesis" says early contact with microbes trains our immune systems. But what happens after a year of distancing?

Researchers have developed the first LiDAR-based augmented reality head-up display for use in vehicles. Tests on a prototype version of the technology suggest that it could improve road safety by 'seeing through' objects to alert of potential hazards without distracting the driver.

Academics will follow progress of 10,000 poorer students affected by the Covid-19 pandemic

Students paying 'astronomical' fees while powerless to claim compensation, watchdog told

Every week there are numerous scientific studies published. Here's a look at some of the more interesting ones.

The ultimate aim of chronic recordings is to sample from the same neuron over days and weeks. However, this goal has been difficult to achieve for large populations of neurons. Steinmetz et al. describe the development and testing of Neuropixels 2.0. This new electrophysiological recording tool is a miniaturized, high-density probe for both acute and long-term experiments combined with sophisticated software algorithms for fully automatic post hoc computational stabilization. The technique also provides a strategy for extending the number of recorded sites beyond the number of available recording channels. In freely moving animals, extremely large numbers of individual neurons could thus be followed and tracked with the same probe for weeks and occasionally months. Science , this issue p. [eabf4588][1] ### INTRODUCTION Electrode arrays based on complementary metal-oxide semiconductor silicon fabrication technology, such as Neuropixels probes, have enabled recordings of thousands of individual neurons in the living brain. These tools have led to discoveries about the brain-wide correlates of perception and action, primarily when used in acute, head-fixed recordings. To study the dynamics of neuronal processing across time scales, however, it is necessary to record from neurons over weeks and months, ideally during unrestrained behavior and in small animals, such as mice. ### RATIONALE To this end, we designed a miniaturized probe, called Neuropixels 2.0, with 5120 recording sites distributed over four shanks. The probe and headstage were miniaturized to about one-third of the original size (i.e., the size of the Neuropixels 1.0 probe), so that two probes and their single headstage weigh only ~1.1 g, without loss of channel count (384 channels per probe). Using two four-shank probes provides 10,240 recording sites in one implant. To achieve stable recordings despite brain movement, we optimized the recording site arrangement. The probe has a denser, linearized geometry that allows for post hoc computational motion correction using a newly designed algorithm. This algorithm, implemented in the Kilosort 2.5 software package, determines the motion over time from the spiking data and corrects it with spatial resampling, as in image registration. ### RESULTS To validate these probes for long-term recordings, we implanted them chronically in 21 rats and mice in six laboratories. Twenty of these 21 implants succeeded and yielded neurons over weeks and months while retaining good signal quality. The probes were reliably recoverable using newly engineered implant fixture designs. To test the performance of the motion correction algorithm, we performed recordings with known imposed motion of the probe relative to the brain. The algorithm improved the yield of stable neurons and largely eliminated the impact of motion on the recording. A version of this algorithm allowed the recording of neurons stably across days. We assessed this by "fingerprinting" individual chronically recorded neurons in the primary visual cortex using their distinctive visual responses to a battery of images. Neuron tracking was >90% successful for up to 2 weeks and >80% successful for up to 2 months. ### CONCLUSION This work demonstrates a suite of electrophysiological tools comprising a miniaturized high-density probe, recoverable chronic implant fixtures, and algorithms for automatic post hoc motion correction. These tools enable an order-of-magnitude increase in the number of sites that can be recorded in small animals, such as mice, and the ability to record from them stably over long time scales. ![Figure][2] Neuropixels 2.0 probes allow unprecedented recordings. ( A ) Comparison of the Neuropixels 1.0 and 2.0 device designs. The Neuropixels 2.0 device is miniaturized and has four shanks. Two probes can be hosted per headstage. ( B ) Pattern of spiking activity across the cortex (Ctx), hippocampus (HC), and thalamus (Th) recorded over >300 days. ( C ) Example spiking rasters from two Neuropixels 2.0 probes chronically implanted in a mouse, showing spikes recorded on 6144 of the 10,240 sites available across the two probes. Eight sequential recordings (different colors) were performed from 768 channels each. Measuring the dynamics of neural processing across time scales requires following the spiking of thousands of individual neurons over milliseconds and months. To address this need, we introduce the Neuropixels 2.0 probe together with newly designed analysis algorithms. The probe has more than 5000 sites and is miniaturized to facilitate chronic implants in small mammals and recording during unrestrained behavior. High-quality recordings over long time scales were reliably obtained in mice and rats in six laboratories. Improved site density and arrangement combined with newly created data processing methods enable automatic post hoc correction for brain movements, allowing recording from the same neurons for more than 2 months. These probes and algorithms enable stable recordings from thousands of sites during free behavior, even in small animals such as mice. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abf4588 [2]: pending:yes

Quercis Pharma AG, a private, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging its novel antithrombotic platform, announces the appointment of several new executives to the Company's leadership team.

(Bloomberg) -- The Covid-19 variant that's become the dominant strain in the U.S isn't as deadly as earlier research indicated, although it's confirmed to be faster-spreading than other versions, according to a study. Among 339 patients with the coronavirus, 36% of those infected with the B.1.1.

There have been many reports but little action: the UK's university science departments have a serious diversity problem - experts explain what needs to change

Health secretary Matt Hancock resists calls to accelerate reopening of society following research published by University College London

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Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.

A study of 250 people with periodontitis - severe gum disease - found people with the condition are 2.3 times more likely to have high blood pressure.