Cancer treatment is improving all the time, but one area where progress has been slower is in the treatment of metastases, the secondary growths that break away from the initial tumour. Metastasis is responsible for 90% of cancer-related deaths — the development of new diagnostic and treatment methods is crucial. Professor Heike Allgayer of Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg, Germany, believes the source of these much-needed innovations might be found in the metastasome: the sum of all the molecular characteristics of metastases. …

The ‘Mapping Funds’ project is creating maps based on collaborative and crowdsourced (public contribution) information as an active way to support the scientific activities and studies of at-risk scholars. These scholars are encountering constraints on their research activities due to the restrictive regimes they live and work in. The constraints include travel bans, deportations, arrest, prosecution and imprisonment. The project began in 2016, and Dr Asli Telli of the University of Siegen is project supervisor. …

The ‘Mapping Funds’ project is creating maps based on collaborative and crowdsourced (public contribution) information as an active way to support the scientific activities and studies of at-risk scholars. These scholars are encountering constraints on their research activities due to the restrictive regimes they live and work in. The constraints include travel bans, deportations, arrest, prosecution and imprisonment. The project began in 2016, and Dr Asli Telli of the University of Siegen is project supervisor. …

The morphology of layered anisotropic systems plays a crucial part in the development of new materials as well as in medical, forensic and biomimetic research. The ability to quantitatively describe these morphologies is required for solving scientific and engineering problems. Dr Igor Smolyar, from the National Centers for Environment Information/NOAA, Professor Tim Bromage, from New York University and Professor Dr Martin Wikelski, from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and University of Konstanz, have developed an empirical model that can quantify the structural characteristics of layered patterns.

Naturally occurring structures, such as sand dune ripples, sediment profiles, fish scales…

Through decades of research, biologists have determined that under the right conditions, viruses can assemble themselves from their constituent proteins. So far, however, many of the precise characteristics of this process have eluded researchers. Dr Guillaume Tresset at Université Paris-Saclay aims to fill these gaps in our knowledge through experiments that measure how x-rays are scattered by self-assembling viruses. His team’s work has now yielded significant advances in our understanding of how the intricate molecular structures can build themselves up inside cells using injected genetic material as a blueprint.

Viruses are some of the most intriguing structures in molecular biology…

What is the difference between non-living matter and biological life? In biological systems, individual components have specific functions and tasks to perform, much like artificially made machines, but the key difference lies in the complexity. As new experimental techniques have made it possible to delve further into the microscopic world, more questions have arisen as to how single-molecule species work to give rise to life. Professor Vladik Avetisov at the Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics is studying the design of molecular machines, in particular how the construction of oligomers affects their function.

Living organisms represent a fortuitous harmony of highly…

Patient and Public Involvement, or PPI, is an essential part of modern healthcare research. Patients are the only ones who truly understand what it is like to live with their condition and can therefore offer a uniquely valuable contribution to research. At the University of Nottingham, Professor Roshan das Nair and his colleagues have established a successful PPI group for multiple sclerosis research. The group ensures that service users, including patients and carers, are involved at every stage of the research process, from project planning to communicating results to the public.

Modern healthcare research is centred on the patient. Rather…

Most of us are familiar with demonic possession as depicted in popular culture, for example in horror films such as The Exorcist. While these representations are usually exaggerated, they are frequently based on real-life accounts of the phenomenon. Despite widespread academic scepticism, pastoral care and mental health practitioners are becoming increasingly aware of the affliction, and the need for adequate care provision. In her recent paper, Dr Marta Illueca collates the empirical data on spirit possession from the medical and humanities literature, and aims to provide a point of reference to benefit those working in pastoral and healthcare settings.

Throughout…