6 June UCD Science Summer School Meeting point is the UCD Conway Institute. Juice/water with mini pastries from 9:00am. Programme starts at 9:30am sharp. Download Map of UCD (doc)

7 June UCD Computer Science Summer School There are limited places available on the UCD Computer Science Summer School for 5th year students. Email science.events@ucd.ie for an application form.

New protein signature of breast cancer progression identified
A protein signature that predicts overall survival in breast cancer patients has been uncovered in the most comprehensive survey of protein expression patterns in breast cancer progression to date. The findings of the collaborative study led by the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany and involving researchers in University College Dublin and the National Institute of Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University are published in the current issue of Cancer Research.

In tune with the hipsters
Think of a hipster city, one that latches on to music trends early and throws them off before they become stale. Seattle? New York? London? Try again: Oslo, Dublin and Atlanta top the charts in a study by UCD researchers Prof Pádraig Cunningham and Conrad Lee, published on the online scientific forum Physics arXiv at http://arxiv.org/pdf/1204.2677v1.pdf

Keeping an eye on kidneys
Dr Tara McMorrow, a UCD Conway Institute Investigator, Lecturer in Pharmacology in the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and a group leader of the Renal Disease Research Group, is working on several angles to better understand what happens to cells as kidneys get damaged and fail...

UCD College of Science Undergraduate Awards
On Thursday 12 April 2012 a ceremony for the UCD College of Science Undergraduate Awards was held in Science Centre South. Over 50 students, their parents and friends celebrated with staff from the UCD College of Science...

MRSA tailors virulence mechanisms to the hospital setting
Findings of new research by UCD scientists led by Conway Fellow, Dr Jim O’Gara from UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science indicate that the so-called ‘super-bug’, MRSA sacrifices virulence potential for antibiotic resistance. Image: Colonies of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from a post-operative wound in a dog. Image by Ms Yvonne Abbott. © UCD Research Images.

New clues about a mysterious bat-killing disease
New research findings have pinpointed the cause of a deadly disease in bats, but mysteries remain about why animals in the US are more vulnerable to it than their European counterparts. The disease, called White-Nose Syndrome, was first spotted in a cave in New York State in 2006, explains UCD’s Dr Sébastien Puechmaille, a post-doctoral researcher at the UCD School of Biological and Environmental Science...Image created by Dr Sebastien Puechmaille, UCD School of Biology & Environmental Science

Ambitious UCD Research project aims to solve the mystery behind freak ocean waves
A new project jointly led by UCD researcher Professor Frédéric Dias aims to unravel the mysteries of the origin of rogue waves in the ocean by looking at analogies between ocean wave and optical wave physics...

An infection that is hard to stomach
widespread bacterial infection is linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer. Dr Claire O'Connell hears how UCD researchers are helping to figure out why particular strains of H. pylori can cause serious problems, and to identify patients at high risk who need treatment for the infection...

Kerry red deer ancestry traced to population introduced to Ireland by ancient peoples over 5,000 years ago
Research findings recently published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews show that red deer populations were introduced to Ireland by ancient peoples from Britain during the Neolithic period over 5,000 years ago...

Toxin tricks could help deliver drugs
Drawing up lists of genes associated with the movement of toxins and nanoparticles in cells could help in the design of targeted delivery systems for such agents so they can avoid the lysosome, explains Professor Simpson from the UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science...

Probing mysteries of the Universe with Einstein
Professor Peter Hogan's most recent book, Equations of Motion in General Relativity (International Series of Monographs on Physics), is co-authored with Hideki Asada and Toshifumi Futamase and published by Oxford University Press. Professor Hogan, who is Associate Professor of Relativity Theory at the UCD School of Physics, has worked with some of the world’s leading relativists and has long-standing collaborations with colleagues in France, Japan, South Africa and the United States. 

Making light work of solar cells

How do you harvest light in a solar cell? It’s a question that has prompted decades of research, and some valiant records have been set. Now by redesigning the architecture of third-generation solar cells at the nano-level, a team in UCD has come up with an approach that could ultimately allow useful levels of light to be harvested in everyday applications.

Shedding new light on eye disease

Being able to image tiny structures and cells in the eye can potentially identify the early stages of degenerative blindness, and it may also help eye surgeons carry out corrective procedures. Dr Brian Vohnsen and his team at the Advanced Optical Imaging Group in UCD are developing ways to image the eye both closely and rapidly.

Obesity and heart disease: is the health of your fat a measure of risk?

Dr Fiona McGillicuddy from the UCD Conway Institute wins the first award under the SFI-HRB Wellcome Trust Biomedical Partnership. She will investigate the links between obesity, 'good cholesterol', diet and coronary artery disease. Mr Enda Connolly, Chief Executive of the Health Research Board (HRB) and spokesperson for the SFI-HRB Wellcome Trust Biomedical Partnership said, 'We are delighted to announce that the first award under this partnership is for a Research Career Development Fellowship.

Development of the UCD Science Centre enters next phase

The next phase of the UCD Science Centre is an integrated development that will incorporate 32,000sq.m of undergraduate, taught postgraduate, research, innovation and outreach accommodation. Thanks to everyone for their patience as we begin the renovation and the new build.

Bringing maths to a new generation of minds

For many of us, our experience of learning maths ends when we leave school. Yet studying maths at college can open up whole new worlds of understanding. Dr Maria Meehan spearheads an initiative that places UCD undergraduates into schools to help develop their communication skills and encourage young minds to study maths at third level..

UCD Science Undergraduate Brochure for entry 2012

The UCD Science brochure for entry 2012 is now available. It includes information on planning your Science career and the opportunities open to Science graduates.