Latest research news

Aids epidemic threatens western Europe, warns UN
The fastest-growing Aids epidemic in the world will soon be knocking on Western Europe's door, United Nations officials warned yesterday. The spectacular growth of HIV and Aids in Eastern Europe and central Asia could no longer be considered a distant problem once the European Union's borders were expanded in the east, Peter Piot, the head of UNAids, said at a conference in Dublin on the spread of HIV.
(Independent)

Dispute over MMR jab 'must stop'
Tony Blair appealed for an end to the MMR vaccine debate yesterday after allegations that the original research had been flawed by a conflict of interest. Prof Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England, also criticised the work for "mixing spin with science" which had led to a loss of confidence in the triple-jab vaccine.
(Daily Telegraph)

Double breast removal reduces risk of cancer
Women who are genetically prone to breast cancer can cut their chances of developing the disease by 90 per cent by having a double preventive mastectomy, the first evaluation of the procedure has revealed. 
(The Times)

Biologist quits research laboratory to earn more as gas fitter
A molecular biologist whose research could help arthritis and cancer sufferers is to abandon his academic career for a better paid job as a gas fitter. Karl Gensberg, 41, has been a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Birmingham for 13 years but says he can no longer afford to work on short-term contracts in the education sector.
(Daily Telegraph)

A portrait of the artist as a middle-aged man?
The public will get a chance to decide if a photograph that scientists claim to be a rare image of Vincent van Gogh is really the artist or a simple case of mistaken identity. Van Gogh painted more than 40 self-portraits but there are only two photographs in existence that are widely believed to be the artist - at the ages of 13 and 19. The latest discovery, bought for just $1 in the early 1990s in an antique dealer's shop, is the subject of a new exhibition that attempts to make the case for its authenticity.
(The Guardian)

Enzymes stitch together non-natural DNA
Researchers have found new ways to string together artificial DNA bases. The techniques could aid the creation of altered genetic material for applications in medicine and technology.
(Nature)