Livestock surrogates successfully made fertile |
Animals that were made sterile through gene-editing techniques became fertile again after receiving stem cells from donor animals. In the study, pigs, goats and mice produced sperm containing only genetic material from donor species. The novel surrogacy approach could speed the spread of desirable characteristics in livestock and improve food production for a growing global population. Read more
In the news: BBC, The Guardian, New Scientist and others |
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Brain study uncovers key to seasonal timing |
A binary switch in the brain regulates the biological changes that enable animals to live seasonal lifestyles. The switch, guided by the duration of daylight, triggers genetic and hormonal changes that cause animals to adjust their physiology and behaviour with the seasons. These processes regulate seasonal changes that are critical for survival, such as the timing of breeding cycles, the growth of a warm coat in winter, or the rate at which the body uses energy. Read more
In the news: Daily Mail, Vet Times and others | |  |
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Immune cell ageing reversed by young microbes |
Exposing elderly mice to gut microbes of young mice or to a common bacterial protein reverses the decline of specialised immune cells, research has shown. Treatment of elderly people with a bacterial protein, called flagellin, or a probiotic containing certain bacteria from young individuals, may help their immune system, the results suggest. Read more | |  |
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Adaptability of bird flu poses threat to poultry |
New insights from a study of the 2016/17 bird flu outbreak show how highly pathogenic bird flu viruses – which are likely to cause deadly disease in chickens – can be transmitted from wild migrating bird populations to domestic flocks and back again. These viruses can readily exchange genetic material with other low pathogenic viruses during migration, raising the likelihood of serious outbreaks in domestic poultry and wild birds. Read more
In the news: Farming UK, Vet Times and others | |  |
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Masks can block 99.9% of Covid-linked droplets |
Wearing a face mask significantly lowers the risk of spreading Covid-19 to others through speaking and coughing, research suggests. Someone standing two metres from a coughing person who has no mask is exposed to 10,000 times more droplets than someone half a metre from a coughing person who is wearing one. The findings – published on a non-peer reviewed preprint server – could have implications for social distancing measures, the team says. Read more
In the news: Daily Mail, Metro and others | |  |
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African schools outreach scheme on prize shortlist |
An outreach programme involving Roslin experts that aims to inspire African girls to join the next generation of scientists has been shortlisted for a 2020 Nature Research Award. The International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN)’s African Schools Outreach Programme, which supports African women scientists to deliver inspirational science outreach workshops for school pupils, is among contenders for the Inspiring & Innovating Science award, in the Scientific Outreach category. Read more | |  |
Our Public Engagement Team is working with our animal researchers to answer questions from the public. You can submit any questions you might have about animal research via this online survey. |
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Owing to the current pandemic, most recruitment is suspended, but the following roles are available. |
Job Title | Salary | Closing date | Bioinformatician | £33,797 - £40,322 | 21 September | Research Fellow – bioinformatics | £33,797 - £40,322 | 21 September | Postdoctoral Data Scientists – Covid response | £33,797 - £40,322 | 28 September | Research Fellow - epidemiology and genotype | £33,797 - £40,322 | 29 September | Research Associate | £28,331 - £32,816 | 5 October |
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