Research News in the British Journal of Surgery

11 September 2003: Laser light can be delivered in a controlled and predictable manner to destroy tumours. By inserting fibre optic cables through needles, doctors can direct the powerful laser light onto liver tumours – killing the cells and thus eliminating the need for major surgery. A review of recent research shows that this ‘interstitial laser thermotherapy’ (ITL) can be a safe and effective way of removing tumours and improving ov

The humble yeast can teach us vital lessons in coping with stress, according to researchers from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Speaking tomorrow, Thursday 11 September 2003, at the Society for General Microbiology’s meeting at UMIST in Manchester, Dr Jan Quinn will explain how she and colleagues have tracked stress responses in yeast to give a new understanding of how cells cope with oxidative stress.

Reactive oxygen chemicals occur naturally through respiration (breathing

Spotting disease causing germs has just become a lot easier with a new technique developed by researchers from Newcastle upon Tyne, scientists learned today, Wednesday 10 September 2003, at the Society for General Microbiology’s meeting at UMIST in Manchester.

“Knowing exactly which bacteria and micro-organisms are around at any given time is vital if you want to be able to kill the dangerous ones,” says Dr Olivier Sparagano, from the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development at the

Potato blight causes worldwide losses of £3 billion every year, but scientists are only just discovering how it infects potato plants, according to research due to be presented tomorrow, Thursday 11 September 2003, at the Society for General Microbiology’s meeting at UMIST in Manchester.
“In the past potato blight, Phytophthora infestans, was always thought to be a member of the fungal family, but now we know that it is more closely related to golden brown algae, which are commonly known as kelp

People with weakened immune systems, including patients with cystic fibrosis, could be better protected in future from a highly resilient bacteria thanks to work by medical scientists from the University of Leeds. The research is presented today, Wednesday 10 September 2003, at the Society for General Microbiology’s meeting at UMIST in Manchester.

“British soldiers stationed in South East Asia and North Australia, as well as local people, can be exposed to infection by a dangerous bacterium

Thousands of breathless trekkers each year gratefully stop to admire the stunning high altitude scenery as they pass through the village of Landruk on their way to Nepal’s famous Annapurna mountain range.

As their gaze shifts from the famous ‘Fish Tail’ mountain to the brilliant green sloping terraced foot hills 6,000 ft up the Himalayas they could be forgiven for thinking it was all mother nature’s work.

It isn’t. In fact it’s all down to novel relationships being forged between l