RECENT NEWS

A tiny, four-fingered ‘hand’ folded from a single piece of DNA can pick up the virus that causes COVID-19 for highly sensitive rapid detection and can even block viral particles from entering cells to infect them, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report in a new study.

Cambridge scientists have developed a urine test for early detection of lung cancer. The test, the first of its kind, detects 'zombie' cells that could indicate the first signs of the disease.

The Microbiology Society has coordinated a response to the consultation launched by the government and NHS England ahead of the 10-Year Plan.

The government and NHS will unveil a refreshed workforce plan in the summer with a focus on shifting care from hospitals and into the community, as work to support NHS recovery continues.

The Future Medicines Institute based at Queen’s University Belfast has received £55 million funding aimed at advancing the precision medicine sector. Managed by UK Research and Innovation’s Strength in Places Fund, the Institute is backed by a consortium of medical companies.

The Royal College of Pathologists' submission to the government's 10-Year Health Plan for England calls for urgent investment in the pathology workforce, IT, and estates.

NHS fears of a potential ‘quad-demic’ are rising with a 350% increase in influenza cases and an 86% rise in norovirus cases in hospital compared to same week last year – alongside concerns about rising COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) levels in hospitals.

Five innovative technologies have been selected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for the AI Airlock, a pilot scheme to better understand how we can regulate artificial intelligence (AI) powered medical devices.

Diagnostics firm Prolight’s novel point-of-care Psyros system has reached the prototype stage, the company has announced.

Health technology firm Philips has announced the expansion of its strategic collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to offer Philips’ integrated diagnostics portfolio in the cloud, including digital pathology, radiology, cardiology, and AI advanced visualisation solutions.

The UK government has agreed a contract for more than five million doses of human H5 influenza vaccine to boost the country’s resilience in the event of a possible H5 influenza pandemic.

The Automated Multiplex Diagnostics System developed by a team at Hong Kong Baptist University can detect 42 respiratory pathogens in less than 90 minutes, and is recommended for use in low-resource settings.

Advancing diagnostic tests and shaping the most effective treatment has taken a step forward for patients thanks to a £2.56m award for a collaboration between industry, Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University.

New process maps have been published to help researchers speed up new vaccine development and respond to epidemics and pandemics, using lessons learned from COVID-19.

A new report published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has found that the NHS England emergency department opt-out testing programme for bloodborne viruses has helped to diagnose thousands of people with HIV, hepatitis B and C.

On behalf of the biomedical science profession, the IBMS has submitted its response to the change.NHS Consultation, shaping the 10-Year Health Plan.

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland is enrolling patients in an innovative clinical trial that seeks to cure sickle cell disease. The trial is the first in the US to apply non-viral CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology in humans to directly correct the genetic mutation that causes the disease.

The Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone Programme has launched a new business support centre to commercialise businesses in health and life science research, backed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Complete Genomics, a California-based genomic sequencer manufacturer, has announced the launch of its mpox virus (MPXV) amplicon sequencing panel, part of its sequencing product portfolio for pathogenic microorganisms.

International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra’s digital pathology solution will be adopted by the hospital CH Béziers in France. It is the third hospital in the region to choose Sectra, providing it with a powerful platform for collaboration.