Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet, will continue to fund the renowned Dental Health Unit (DHU) at the University.

Selling its health and hygiene products in more than 200 countries and territories, Colgate-Palmolive is the global leader in toothpaste and manual toothbrushes. With historic links to 91ֱ��, the company’s former Colgate-Palmolive factory in Salford Quays, built in 1938, was redeveloped in 2005 into the famous landmark now known as .

The global leader in oral health has been working with The University of Manchester since 1968, amounting to the University’s longest ever business partnership. The DHU has been a leading centre for oral health research for almost 60 years.

Initially carrying out clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of Colgate products in collaboration with Colgate’s Research & Development team, the DHU has quickly evolved into a public health-focused program working collaboratively to mentor PhD candidates and to develop leaders in dentistry throughout the UK and beyond.

The extension of the funding will support high-quality clinical and behavioural research to generate real-world evidence for policy and practice. It will also allow the DHU to run a Fellowship Program – training the next generation of oral health researchers. The first awards to train future leaders have been announced with funding available for early career researchers in Europe and North America.

Anne-Marie Glenny, Professor of Health Sciences and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at the School of Medical Sciences, said: “For over 50 years, the Dental Health Unit and our proud, historic association with Colgate Palmolive has reaped real health impacts, carrying out world -leading oral health research and supporting the development of research and policy leaders.

“The next chapter for the Dental Health Unit aims to enhance our impact in areas such as dental public health, behavioural science and clinical study management by building a robust network of collaborations with leading academic institutions.

"We will strategically expand our PhD program across renowned universities throughout the UK, Europe and North America.

"By fostering alliances with leading researchers, we are committed to advancing innovation and shaping thought leadership in oral health and behavioural insights.”

Professor Jan Clarkson, Academic Director at the DHU said: “This collaboration between the University and Colgate-Palmolive aims to establish the DHU as a strategic hub for advancing oral health behaviour change, leveraging behavioural insights, and innovative oral health research to deliver impactful, scalable outcomes that improve public health policies and oral health globally.

“This long standing private-public collaboration endeavours to advance global oral health research and education, leveraging industry and academic expertise to drive international excellence in scientific innovation, improve patient outcomes, and shape public health policies.”

Maria Ryan, DDS, PhD, Executive Vice President Chief Clinical Officer, Colgate Palmolive, said: “Colgate-Palmolive’s purpose is to reimagine a healthier future for all. We are proud of the accomplishments of our longstanding partnership with the University of Manchester through this Dental Health Unit. The pioneer DHU at the University of Manchester has advanced oral health through innovative, multidisciplinary research streams for more than half a century, breaking down silos between academia, clinicians, industry, policy makers and the communities that we all serve. And our collaboration has served as a model for others globally, with our more recent DHUs based in Latin America and India.”

The study was carried out by University of Manchester and 91ֱ�� University NHS Foundation Trust  researchers.

The discovery was made when researchers looked at early data from volunteers in the ongoing community-based EARLY-HF study in Greater 91ֱ��. When heart scans were offered to the 550 volunteers aged over 50 with cardiometabolic issues, researchers discovered that nearly one in 10 people (nine per cent) had already suffered a heart attack without realising it.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) had undetected or poorly managed heart or circulatory problems which required medical attention.

To take part in the study, people had to have at least two health issues from a list of seven which affect millions of people in the UK. These included high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, the lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the heart rhythm problem atrial fibrillation, obesity and chronic kidney disease.

The most common issues for study participants were pre-existing high blood pressure, which had already been diagnosed in 88 per cent of the study group, and obesity, which affected 70 per cent. Meanwhile 42 per cent of the volunteers had diabetes.

Led by Consultant Cardiologist at 91ֱ�� University NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at The University of Manchester, researchers wanted to understand the rate of hidden illness which had been unrecognised and untreated in this group.

They discovered almost two-thirds (60 per cent) had high blood pressure which was not under proper control or being effectively managed, raising their potential risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Among the study volunteers, 34 per cent were classified as living in an area that is among the top 20 per cent most deprived in England,¹ while 28 per cent lived in an area among the 20 per cent least deprived. There were more men than women in the study, with males making up 59 per cent of volunteers.

The researchers suggest the rates of undetected health problems found in Greater 91ֱ�� are likely to be reflected in communities across the UK.

British Heart Foundation Research Fellow at 91ֱ�� University NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester, helped to run the study and presented the findings at the BCS conference in 91ֱ��. He said:

“My colleagues and I were shocked by just how much unrecognised disease we found. While our study involves people who would be considered at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, finding so many people who had experienced a heart attack and didn’t know it was not something we ever anticipated going into this study.”

The Detecting EARLY Heart Failure in Greater 91ֱ�� (EARLY-HF) study aims to detect people at risk of developing heart failure earlier, within socioeconomically and ethnically diverse communities who may have reduced access to healthcare.

Heart attacks and other heart and circulatory issues, like those discovered in the study so far, can lead to heart failure – a condition which affects more than a million people in the UK and means the heart cannot pump blood properly, which can cause severe breathlessness and fatigue.

Most study participants (81 per cent) were recruited via their GP surgery, with another 12 per cent signing up after seeing a social media advert, and others recruited through community events or signposted to the project by family and friends.

Everyone involved in the study had blood tests, an ECG and a cardiac MRI scan, and answered questions about their health and medical history. These tests revealed that 125 people out of 550 (23 per cent) had a heart or circulatory issue that required medical attention.

On cardiac MRI scans, signs of scarring suggested that 46 people (nine per cent) had previously had a suspected heart attack. These diagnoses were confirmed by a consultant cardiologist, who looked over every scan. Letters were sent to people’s GPs, and they were then referred on for further tests and treatment.

Researchers found that 331 people in the study (60 per cent) had a blood pressure reading of 140/90mmHg or higher – the usual threshold for a diagnosis of high blood pressure (hypertension).

While 27 of these were undetected cases of high blood pressure, 304 people (92 per cent of them) were known to have it when they joined the study, with 224 already taking blood pressure-lowering medication. The researchers say this suggests their treatment plan was inadequate, as it had not brought their blood pressure down to a normal level.

Blood tests revealed 162 people (30 per cent) had elevated levels of the protein NT pro-BNP - a sign that their heart was under strain.

The study continues to recruit people in Greater 91ֱ�� with at least two cardiometabolic conditions – related to the heart, blood vessels or metabolism.

Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said:

"These shocking findings should ring alarm bells for our healthcare leaders. They show that our current approach to prevention isn’t fit for purpose, and too many people are slipping through the gaps as a result.

“All too often we see patients too late, when years of living with treatable risk factors like high blood pressure or high cholesterol have built up leading to heart attacks or heart failure. We have made huge strides in our ability to treat cardiovascular disease over the past 65 years, but right now we’re missing opportunities to prevent it in the first place. The picture this study paints won’t improve without a radical shift in how we identify and treat people at risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Professor Chris Miller, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist at The University of Manchester and 91ֱ�� University NHS Foundation Trust, who leads the EARLY-HF study said: “These findings underscore the need to address disparities in cardiovascular disease detection, healthcare access, and outcomes, including by engaging people through non-traditional channels such as text messaging and social media.”  

• Theis supported by Innovate UK Greater 91ֱ�� Innovation Accelerator, AstraZeneca, and British Heart Foundation. The sponsor of the study is 91ֱ�� University NHS Foundation Trust.

Lead researchers and will trial the new course which has been shown to improve the way carers and people with dementia communicate with each other across England.

Difficulties communicating can result in a person with dementia losing confidence, withdrawing during interactions, or feeling disconnected from and devalued by the other person.

However, University of Manchester led research has shown that interventions focusing on communication can improve the person with dementia’s communication and behavioural symptoms.

Carers reported positive experiences of using the method called , a detailed study of the experience of 15 carers published in the journal showed.

And a second NIHR-funded study, published in found it was possible to measure participants psychological health, quality of life and service use when trialling the course.

Now the research team are able to progress to a multi-centre trial of the method across three proposed sites in England, thanks to the NIHR funding. The course will be offered across Greater 91ֱ�� with Greater 91ֱ�� Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust as the lead site.

The course, pioneered by 91ֱ��’s Dr Lydia Morris and Professor Warren Mansell brings a glimmer of hope to the 700,000 people supporting a family member, partner, or friend with dementia.

Empowered Conversations uses evidence based psychological and communication theories to support carers to improve relationships and reduce stress.

For example, it uses Mentalisation Theory, which is about understanding our own thoughts and feelings while recognising that others have their own minds with different perspectives.

Professor Berry from The University of Manchester is also Mental Health Co-Theme Lead at the NIHR 91ֱ�� Biomedical Research Centre and Co-Director of the Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit at Greater 91ֱ�� Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

She said: “In dementia care, relationships often change dramatically, for example, a child may become the carer of a parent, or a spouse may shift from partner to caregiver.  Carers often face a painful conflict between remembering the person as they used to be and coping with who they have become.

“Seeing someone who looks the same physically but has changed in memory, personality, and communication can feel confusing, distressing and bring a sense of loss and grief.

“Stress associated with these changes in close relationships can make it harder to understand and interpret another person’s thoughts and feelings.  While some carers adapt by adjusting their expectations and priorities, this kind of coping does not happen easily or automatically. This is where learning skills in mentalisation can help.”

Among the positives, carers said the course resulted in changes to themselves, their relationships, and their communication skills.

Participants also described letting go of their expectations of what the person should be able to do and replacing that with more realistic goals.

Dr Morris, who is a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist at the University, added: “In a landscape where provision of post-diagnostic dementia support is variable or limited, it appears that Empowered Conversations can offer carers an intervention that is appreciated and accessible.

“Communication difficulties are associated with increased carer stress and burden and can contribute to the breakdown of the interpersonal relationship between the carer and person with dementia.

“Training does exist, but it focuses on practical communication skills without addressing the emotional and relational contexts of care and communication.

“However, the carers we worked with reported positive experiences of participating in Empowered Conversations and valued meeting people who, despite sometimes different circumstances, shared their understanding of supporting someone with dementia.

“The course supported participants to rethink communication and have a greater appreciation of the other person’s perspective during everyday interactions.”

• Image is AI generated

Bangladesh has just approved one of the largest river engineering projects its history: the Padma Barrage, a vast river-control project intended to restore water in the country’s drought-prone southwest.

It comes at a dangerous moment for South Asia’s rivers. China is building the upstream on the Brahmaputra, India is accelerating its own , and the treaty governing Ganges water-sharing between India and Bangladesh expires in December 2026.

Rather than easing regional water insecurity, the Padma Barrage risks adding to a cycle of unilateral river engineering across the subcontinent. South Asia is entering a regional dam-building race – without the institutions needed to share its rivers.

Bangladesh’s water crisis

Supporters say the barrage is a pragmatic response to chronic water insecurity in Bangladesh. The country sits at the end of the vast Ganges-Brahmaputra river system, where rivers that originate in the Himalayas spread into thousands of channels before they reach the sea. Despite all this water, the main river channels are and some smaller rivers are disappearing rapidly.

The Farakka Barrage in India, and the proposed Padma Barrage downstream. 

Bangladesh did not create this problem alone. Since the 1970s, the Farakka Barrage, built across the Ganges upstream in India, has diverted water towards the huge city of Kolkata to flush sediment away from its port.

The consequences for Bangladesh are well documented. Its rivers have dried up and become less navigable. They have also become saltier, groundwater levels have declined, and severe riverbank erosion has occurred.

Farming has become more difficult and fish stocks have declined. These environmental pressures have forced many people to migrate out of the country.

Most critically, the reduced flow of freshwater has harmed — the world’s largest mangrove forest, shared between Bangladesh and India. There, elevated salinity has caused widespread among mangrove trees and significant biodiversity loss.

The promise – and risks – of Padma Barrage

When complete, the centrepiece of the Padma Barrage will be a huge dam more than two kilometres long. It is designed to store water during the monsoon season and release it in the drier months, helping reduce salinity intrusion by maintaining freshwater flows and pushing saline water further downstream during the dry season.

In theory, the barrage will revive a host of smaller rivers in western Bangladesh. The it will support irrigation across much of the country, while increasing rice and fish production.

The proposed Padma Barrage will span the Ganges river system’s largest channel in Bangladesh.

Yet the project raises a series of that deserve serious scrutiny.

The most immediate relates to silt, because the Ganges is an exceptionally sediment-heavy river. A dam or barrage causes the river water to lose speed and the energy required to carry sediment, which is dumped upstream.

This is already a severe problem . More than a million people have been displaced from over the past three decades, as banks have been eroded and floods have become more intense.

Constructing a second major barrier downstream – the Padma Barrage – risks compounding these effects, potentially trapping additional sediment loads between the two structures and intensifying flooding pressure.

The consequences downstream could be equally serious. The diversion of water into southwestern river channels — the stated objective of the project — implies reduced flows in the main river systems. If these flows aren’t strong enough to push back salty tidal waters, then parts of coastal Bangladesh, rather than benefiting from improved water security, could face accelerating salinisation.

There is a deeper irony here. Bangladesh is responding to the damage caused by India’s Farakka Barrage with a major barrage of its own.

Farakka was built to solve an economic problem upstream, but imposed major environmental costs downstream in Bangladesh. Those economic problems are still unsolved – Kolkata port still suffers from silt and needs constant dredging.

Critics fear the Padma Barrage could reproduce the same pattern: large environmental disruption without the promised benefits. In other words, the same engineering approach that damaged Bangladesh may soon be reproduced within that country.

A regional struggle over rivers

The project also depends on sufficient water continuing to flow into Bangladesh. But China – alongside planned hydropower projects across India, including plans to – could significantly reduce the volume of water entering Bangladesh in future. If that happens, the Padma Barrage may not have enough water to work as intended.

The timing also matters. The between India and Bangladesh expires in December 2026, and governs the same flows the Padma Barrage is designed to manage. Rather than strengthening Bangladesh’s position ahead of treaty talks, the project could weaken its case for demanding more water from India by signalling that it can cope with reduced flows.

Several rivers that the barrage aims to revive flow through both India and Bangladesh, meaning restoration will require cooperation between the two countries, rather than infrastructure alone.

That makes Bangladesh’s 2025 accession to the particularly significant. As the first South Asian country to join the treaty, Bangladesh now has a stronger legal basis to push for more equitable water-sharing, particularly as the Ganges treaty negotiations approach.

Dams cannot replace diplomacy

The Padma Barrage is not an inherently misconceived project. Bangladesh’s water crisis is real, and the political pressure to respond is genuine.

But without renewed water-sharing agreements and stronger cooperation with neighbouring countries, this new barrage risks repeating the pattern of unilateral river engineering that has already destabilised South Asia’s waterways.

Infrastructure that outpaces diplomacy is a familiar reason for failure in the region. The challenge for Bangladesh is to ensure the barrage becomes part of a strong legal and diplomatic framework for river cooperation – not another step in an escalating cycle of hydropolitical competition.

, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Geography, and , Associate Professor in Risk and Disaster Science,

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

A new study led by researchers at The University of Manchester has carried out the first full environmental life‑cycle cost analysis of using abandoned onshore oil and gas wells to generate geothermal electricity.

Published in Applied Thermal Engineering, the research assesses not only the financial costs of repurposing old wells, but also the often overlooked environmental and human health impacts, such as air pollution and climate damage.

The findings show that while repurposed geothermal systems currently produce electricity at a higher cost than conventional geothermal power, they deliver substantially lower environmental and health costs, particularly by avoiding new drilling and reducing pollution linked to fossil fuel infrastructure.

Turning legacy fossil assets into clean energy

Across Europe and globally, hundreds of thousands of oil and gas wells are approaching the end of their productive life. Safely sealing and monitoring these wells is costly, and poorly managed sites can pose long‑term environmental risks.

The 91ֱ�� team explored whether these existing wells could instead be given a second life as geothermal energy sources, using underground heat to generate electricity.

“Existing oil and gas wells already reach deep underground areas where heat from the Earth can potentially be used for geothermal energy” said , Research Associate at The University of Manchester. “Our research asks whether we can turn this legacy infrastructure into part of the climate solution, rather than treating it solely as a liability.”

The study analysed three repurposing approaches:

• using two fully abandoned wells
• converting a single abandoned well
• turning late-life wells that increasingly produce water rather than oil and gas

These were compared with a conventional, purpose‑drilled geothermal power plant.

Cleaner, but not yet cheaper

The analysis found that repurposed well systems can have dramatically lower environmental impacts, particularly for air pollutants that affect human health. In some cases, environmental damage costs were reduced by more than 80% compared with a standard geothermal plant.

However, because the assessed repurposed systems are typically small and generate relatively little electricity, their cost per unit of power remains high. Electricity generated from repurposed wells currently costs more than from large‑scale geothermal, wind, solar or nuclear power.

, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Chemical Engineering at The University of Manchester said “The challenge is not that repurposed geothermal is dirty or inefficient – it’s that it’s operating at pilot scale. When costs are spread over very small electricity output, the price per kilowatt‑hour inevitably looks high.”

Why environmental costs matter

A key innovation of the study is that it places environmental damage and human health impacts into monetary terms, allowing these costs to be compared directly with financial ones.

When these external costs are included, repurposed geothermal systems perform particularly well compared to fossil fuels. The study shows that coal and gas power impose environmental costs over 100 times higher than repurposed geothermal options.

What needs to change

The study stresses that repurposing oil and gas wells is not a silver bullet, but could play an important role in a diversified, low‑carbon energy system, especially if supported by the right policies.

Key recommendations include:

• Targeted incentives for early‑stage geothermal projects using existing wells
• Scaling up projects by clustering multiple wells together
• Clear rules on long‑term responsibility and well integrity
• Better integration of environmental and health costs into energy policy decisions

Crucially, the research suggests repurposing could help regions historically dependent on fossil fuels transition skills and infrastructure into clean energy, supporting a fairer, more inclusive energy transition.

A highly experienced consultant and chartered psychologist, Dame Robina Shah DBE has spent over 30 years working across healthcare, medical education, patient safety, public service, social justice, and inclusion.

She is currently Professor of Psychosocial Medicine and Medical Education at the University of Manchester Medical School and Director of the Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience.

Dame Robina’s contribution to patient care was recognised through her appointment as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, following her earlier MBE for services to academic research in learning disabilities.

Through her roles in a wide range of sports organisations, including the FA Council, FA Women’s Football Board, 91ֱ�� County FA, and Oldham Athletic Football Club, Dame Robina has also made a significant contribution to football governance, player welfare, disability football, women’s football, and widening opportunity through sport.

Dame Robina has been nominated for the Freedom by the City of London Corporation’s Deputy Policy Chair, James Thomson, and City Corporation Lead Member for Sport, Edward Lord.

Speaking after her Freedom ceremony, Dame Robina Shah said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive the Freedom of the City of London. This unexpected recognition has touched me greatly.

“I thank my nominators, James Thomson and Edward Lord, and accept the Freedom with humility and appreciation, mindful of the many people who have guided, supported, and encouraged me throughout my life.

“The City of London has long held a special significance for me. Although 91ֱ�� is my home and the place where I was born, I have had the privilege, through my civic and public roles, of attending many events in the City and seeing first-hand its unique history, traditions and contribution to public life.

“This recognition of my contribution to the NHS, sport, particularly football, and governance is especially meaningful, because these areas have shaped much of my life’s work and public service. I wish to thank the many colleagues, patients, volunteers, community partners and organisations that I have had the privilege of working alongside over the years. Much of what I have been able to contribute has only been possible through collective effort, shared purpose and the generosity, trust and support of others.

“At this time, I also think warmly of my parents, whose values, kindness and humanity shaped the lens through which I have tried to serve others. They taught me to notice people, especially those who may otherwise go unseen, and nurtured in me a curiosity about people’s stories, lives and experiences, grounded in compassion, dignity and respect.

“I also want to acknowledge my family, Tariq, Zainab, Raabiyah and Sulaymaan, whose love, support and patience have been central to all my achievements.”

City of London Corporation Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said: “Dame Robina Shah’s Freedom of the City of London recognises her distinguished career and expertise in a wide range of fields, including healthcare, medical education, patient care, inclusion, and football governance.

“A very deserving recipient of the Freedom, I hope that Dame Robina and her guests will have very fond memories of her ceremony at Guildhall for many years to come.”

Deputy City of London Corporation Policy Chairman, James Thomson, said: "I am honoured to have nominated Dame Robina for the Freedom of the City of London.

“Robina's public service has been extraordinary, especially, in giving young people opportunity through education and skills, tackling inequality and hate crime, and supporting the most vulnerable in society and giving them a voice.

“Robina is an inspirational role model to so many and has a personal warmth that is infectious."

City of London Corporation Lead Member for Sport, Edward Lord OBE, said: "Dame Robina has made a demonstrable contribution to public life in Greater 91ֱ��, and to the nation.

“In particular, her involvement in providing independent governance expertise to the Football Association and now, on the board of Oldham Athletic Football Club, marks her out as someone worthy of recognition.

“As a fellow Lancastrian, it was a genuine pleasure to support her nomination for the City Freedom."

The City Corporation’s  aims to make the Square Mile a global sports destination, by offering attractive and valued sport facilities, venues, activations, and events for residents, workers, and visitors.

One of the City of London’s ancient traditions, the Freedom is believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade.

As well as being nominated for, or applying for, the Freedom, it is also offered by the City of London Corporation to individuals as a way of paying tribute to their outstanding contribution to London or public life, or to celebrate a very significant achievement.  

Recent notable recipients include broadcaster and breast cancer charity ambassador, Gloria Hunniford; two-time Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian, Cate Blanchett; novelist, Ken Follett; actor, Ray Winstone; and City of London Police Special Constable and TV presenter, Penny Lancaster.

Professor Chris Parkes, an experimental particle physicist at the University, and Professor Jeff Forshaw, a theoretical particle physicist, join over 90 other pioneers and leaders across a range of scientific fields, from astronomy and cancer research to mathematics and biotechnology.

In their election, they join the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin.

Professor Parkes is Head of the Physics & Astronomy Department at The University of Manchester and is internationally recognised for his leadership in particle physics. He previously led the LHCb experiment at CERN - one of the world’s largest scientific collaborations. His research focuses on the search for new physics through studies of matter–antimatter asymmetries and the development of radiation-hard silicon detectors.

Professor Parkes has played a central role in the development of the next generation of LHCb experiments, serving as Principal Investigator and Project Manager for the UK’s contribution to the LHCb Upgrade, installed in 2023, and leading the design of the future LHCb Upgrade II programme. Last year, the LHCb collaboration was honoured by sharing the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. Parkes was also awarded the Institute of Physics High Energy Physics Group Prize in 2010.

Professor Forshaw is a theoretical particle physicist best known for his work on quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of the strong force. His work has uncovered unexpected features of perturbative QCD and has contributed to the theoretical frameworks used to interpret high-energy particle collisions, with important applications at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and other major international experiments. 

Jeff is also a prominent communicator of science. Together with Brian Cox he has written a series of bestselling popular science books that have introduced a wide readership to the mathematical ideas underpinning modern physics. Through his books, lectures and broader public engagement he has brought the substance, and the joy, of fundamental physics to a wide audience. 

Jeff's research has been recognised by the Maxwell Medal of the Institute of Physics for outstanding contributions to theoretical physics, and his public engagement work by the Institute's Kelvin Medal for outstanding and sustained contributions to the public understanding of physics. 

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, said: “I am delighted to welcome this newest group of exceptional scientists to the Fellowship of the Royal Society. 

“Their contributions reflect the highest standards of scientific endeavour. Whether advancing our understanding of vaccines or exploring the transformative potential of mathematics and computation, their work exemplifies the enduring value of curiosity, creativity and rigorous inquiry. 

“Our Fellowship is strengthened not only by individual distinction, but by the diversity of perspectives and experiences its members bring. This incoming cohort highlights the truly international character of contemporary science and underscores the vital role that plays in achieving breakthroughs that benefit us all.”

The full list of newly elected Fellows can be found on the

The study, published in , used a combination of high-resolution imaging, flow measurements, and mathematical modelling to examine fluid flows around corals that are driven by cilia – densely packed tiny hairs on the coral’s surface. The collective beating of the cilia contributes to the movement of fluid around the surface of the coral, regulating the animal’s immediate environment through the transport of particles such as oxygen.

The researchers found that heterogeneity in ciliary orientation—small variations in the direction individual cilia beat—can significantly boost transport efficiency. For substances that diffuse slowly through the fluid, this natural variability increased particle transport by more than 50% compared to perfectly aligned cilia. This contrasts with other biological systems, highlighting how coral cilia are uniquely adapted to their environment.

However, the study also found that strong external flows, such as ocean currents, can reduce the coral’s ability to exchange materials efficiently near the surface.

Researchers believe that the mathematical modelling used in understanding the behaviour and effectiveness of these coral-based cilia structures could be applied to ciliated tissues in humans, such as those found in the respiratory system and fallopian tubes.

Dr Draga Pihler-Puzovic, Reader at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Manchester, said of the study, “This work provides a powerful framework for understanding how coral surfaces operate across a wide range of environmental conditions. It also opens the possibility of applying the same mathematical models to human biology, offering new ways to investigate how cilia function in the body and how their dysfunction may contribute to disease.”

This paper was published in the journal:

DOI: 10.1103/fhfw-f1nv

The research, published in Biological Conservation, found that more than 493,000 square kilometres of land - an area larger than Spain - has been damaged by deforestation and fires in the vital transition zone between the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna in Brazil.

The team - led by Dr Chuanze Li from The University of Manchester - say the findings reveal a major conservation crisis in a region that helps protect the wider Amazon, stores huge amounts of carbon and supports exceptional biodiversity but has very little formal protection.

Key findings

• Researchers mapped more than 35 years of environmental damage using AI and satellite imagery

• At least 493,000 km² of land has been affected by deforestation or fire

• Large areas damaged by fire still had not recovered even after a decade

• Only around 2% of the study region currently has formal protection

• Repeated human-caused fires may be permanently changing ecosystems

What did the study find?

The research focused on the Cerrado-Amazon transition (CAT) zone in Brazil, a vast area where rainforest and savanna meet.

Using decades of Landsat satellite images combined with artificial intelligence, researchers tracked how forests and vegetation changed between 1986 and 2020.

They found widespread damage caused by both large-scale forest clearing and repeated fires linked to farming expansion and cattle ranching.

Why this region matters

This area is one of the world’s most important ecological frontiers, and acts as a buffer protecting the Amazon while supporting unique wildlife and storing carbon that would otherwise contribute to climate change if released.

But despite its importance, the region has received far less attention and protection than the Amazon rainforest itself.

Fires leave long-lasting scars

One of the study’s most striking findings was how slowly vegetation recovered after fire. Researchers found that even ten years later, many affected areas had still not returned to their previous condition.

The damage was particularly severe in parts of the Cerrado, where repeated human-driven burning appears to be weakening the ecosystem’s natural ability to recover.

A hidden protection gap

The study also exposed a major lack of protected areas across the region. While around 28% of the Amazon biome overall is protected, only around 2% of the Cerrado–Amazon transition area studied falls within protected zones.

Researchers warn that large areas facing repeated destruction currently have little or no legal safeguard.

How AI helped uncover the damage

The team combined satellite imagery with advanced artificial intelligence tools capable of detecting different types of environmental disturbance over time.

This allowed researchers to distinguish between forest clearing and fire damage across an enormous area spanning more than one million square kilometres.

What the 91ֱ�� researchers said

“The tools we used enabled us to produce the first wall-to-wall, multi-decade picture of what has actually happened to vegetation across this entire area,” said lead author Dr Chuanze Li.

“We were particularly struck by the recovery data,” said Dr Angela Harris. “The conventional view is that Cerrado vegetation bounces back after fire. What this study shows - at a regional scale and across 35 years - is that it often does not, at least not within a decade.”

"Repeated fires are eroding the very resilience these ecosystems evolved to have - this is a warning that we cannot ignore."

"This study gives policymakers something they have not had before: a precise, long-term map of where the CAT has been damaged, how badly, and how well, or how poorly, it is recovering,” added Dr Polyanna da Conceição Bispo. “This is the empirical foundation that conservation planning in this region has been missing. The protection gap we document is not acceptable, and the tools now exist to close it."

Why it matters

Researchers say the maps created by the study could help governments and conservation groups identify areas most urgently in need of protection, fire prevention and restoration.

They also warn that continued destruction in the transition zone could have consequences far beyond Brazil, affecting biodiversity, climate stability and the future health of the Amazon rainforest itself.

Publication details

The study was conducted by researchers at The University of Manchester (UK),  Professor Beatriz Marimon and Professor Ben Hur Marimon at UNEMAT – Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (Brazil), and Dr. Ricardo da Silva at CTREES (USA). Field data from the Plant Ecology Laboratory at UNEMAT, a reference network spanning the CAT since 1994, underpinned the classification and validation of satellite-derived disturbance maps.

The paper was published in the Biological Conservation journal.

DOI:

The three‑year project, REMOVE‑UM: REcovering MOlecular ValuE from Unrecycled Multi‑materials, funded by EPSRC and Defra will develop new technologies to tackle some of the most challenging waste products. 

Recycling has the potential to recover significant value from materials at the end of their life, playing a crucial role in building a more sustainable future. However, while current systems are effective for simple, single materials that can be easily sorted and cleaned, they struggle to deal with complex, multi-material products. 

Michael Shaver, Project Lead and Professor of Polymer Science at The University of Manchester, explains: “Recycling to recover value from materials at end-of-life is a tantalising component of a sustainable future. However, multi-material products – vapes, cars, batteries, furniture – comingle a host of plastics, metals, glass, ceramics and other materials designed to meet ever-increasing consumer demand for low-cost, high-performance, lightweight, aesthetically pleasing consumer goods. These staggeringly complex multi-materials are reaching their end-of-life with no strategy to facilitate the (re)integration of their components, materials or molecules into a circular economy.  

“Developing an economically viable and environmentally advantageous end of-life for multi-materials is vital. However, to achieve this in a just manner, it is essential we understand economic, societal, and environmental outcomes, coupling systemic approaches to ambitious fundamental research.” 

The REMOVE‑UM project will take a fundamentally new approach, developing methods to break down these materials at a molecular level and recover valuable components that can be reused. 

The work will combine expertise from across The University of Manchester, bringing together specialists in chemical recycling, catalysis, sustainability assessment and materials science.  

The project will focus on four key areas: 

• Analysing waste streams to understand their composition and potential value 

• Developing chemical processes to selectively break down complex materials into valuable products 

• Separating recovered molecules efficiently while minimising environmental impact 

• Working closely with industry partners to translate discoveries into real‑world applications and accelerate their commercial application. 

By targeting materials that current infrastructure cannot process, the team aims to complement existing recycling systems, rather than replace them.  

A core aim of the project is to ensure new recycling approaches are technically feasible, economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Life cycle assessment and economic analysis will be integrated throughout to guide decisions and deliver real benefits for society. The project also aims to cut reliance on fossil fuels by recovering reusable chemicals, while generating insights into how waste systems operate to reduce investment risk and support future recycling infrastructure. 

Dr Kedar Pandya, Executive Director for Strategy at EPSRC said: “This investment reflects our commitment to building a cleaner, more sustainable UK economy. By funding ambitious, collaborative and impactful research into recycling technologies, we are helping to tackle some of the most complex challenges in our waste system from collection through to currently hard-to-recycle material recovery. The research being undertaken, which is jointly funded by EPSRC and Defra, will support the long-term transition to a circular economy and creates the conditions for genuine economic and environmental benefit for the UK.” 

The project will be co-led by Dr Ciaran Lahive, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow in the Department of Materials; Dr , Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering;  , Chair in Engineering Biology; , Professor of Chemical Engineering; and Dr , Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellow.  

It builds on sustained work in this area by these researchers, including:  

• Chemical Recycling of Polycarbonate Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Blends via Organocatalyzed Acetolysis, ChemSusChem, 
• Recyclable Epoxy Composites Built with a Biobased Hardener, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 
• Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Supercritical CO₂ in Gel-spun UHMWPE Fibre Production, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 
• Defining quality by quantifying degradation in the mechanical recycling of polyethylene, Nature Communications, 
• Untangling the chemical complexity of plastics to improve life cycle outcomes, Nature Materials Reviews,