Latest research news

Allergies linked to Parkinson's disease
Millions of people who suffer from chronic allergies to pets, dust and spores are up to three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease later in life, research suggests. A study by US scientists has shown that sufferers of allergic rhinitis, a condition that causes symptoms of having a “permanent cold”, appear to be at much greater risk of the degenerative neurological condition. The research, which explored possible links between conditions that cause inflammation and the breakdown of brain cells, found a marked increase in cell death in rhinitis sufferers.
The Times, The Scotsman, Daily Mail

Iranian scientists clone sheep
Scientists in Iran are hailing a technological breakthrough after producing what they claim is the Middle East's first cloned sheep. The sheep was delivered at Tehran's Royan Institute, a research centre specialising in fertility issues, after months of unsuccessful cloning attempts also involving cows and mice. It died minutes after being born before its creators had the chance to give it a name. But specialists say its birth represents a scientific landmark for Iran and will form the basis for other attempts to produce cloned animals.
The Guardian

Up there with the best
When humans start travelling to Mars, the next frontier in the space programme, their craft will require a terrific wallop to get there. But scientists at Nasa can tick developing more powerful rockets off their to-do list. The British have them in hand. Or, rather, a group of 34 young Britons aged 13 to 17 has come up with what some of Nasa's finest brains reckon to be solid steps in the right direction. Which is why they have found themselves spending 10 days as Nasa's guests at its centres in Florida and Houston, Texas. They are the winners of a competition that seeks to stimulate problem-solving and innovation among the next generation of British physicists.
The Guardian

Half of probiotic drinks fail bacteria health test
Half of all probiotic health drinks do not contain the healthy bacteria they claim on the label, a panel of microbiologists warned yesterday. Recognised brands made by Yakult, Danone, Muller or Nestle do not dupe consumers. But up to 25 products - many of which are sold via the web - do not contain the right bacteria, or contain it in too small quantities. The warning was made by Glenn Gibson, professor of food microbiology at the University of Reading, together with Dr Sandra McFarlane, a microbiologist at Dundee University, and Professor Christine Edwards, head of human nutrition at Glasgow University.
The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Independent

Around the world in 200 days
The longest animal migration distance ever recorded electronically is reported today by scientists, revealing how a little sea bird flies in a giant figure of eight to cover 40,000 miles in 200 days. The sooty shearwater, which spends 90 per cent of its life at sea, travels this vast distance annually in search of food and crosses the equator twice annually to cover the entirety of the Pacific. Scientists have long known that sooty shearwaters breed in New Zealand and Chile and migrate to feeding grounds in the Northern Hemisphere. But the details of this extraordinary migration between the hemispheres are only now emerging from a study using electronic tracking tags to follow individual birds.
Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times

Keepsake ultrasounds 'may harm unborn child'
Parents are warned today about "keepsake ultrasounds'' which allow them to inspect the facial features of their unborn baby and see it wave, yawn or suck its thumb. The remarkable moving images, made with the latest generation of ultrasound scanner, are marketed as a unique way for parents to bond with their baby-to-be for about £200 and come as DVDs or glossy shots in sepia tones. But scientists say prolonged and frequent use of ultrasound could be harmful after it emerged that it causes brain abnormalities in the developing foetuses of pregnant mice.
Daily Telegraph