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The Brain’s Secret to Overcoming Fear

Can we change the way our brain responds to fear? While fear can be essential for survival, it can also become excessive, resulting in disorders such as anxiety and phobias that impair daily life. Recent research from the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at UCL questions what we know about the brain

Could 3D Cell Cultures and Organoids Replace Animals in Research?

Animals have long been involved in the scientific research process, testing treatments and drugs to ensure they are safe for humans. This role animals play has been highly criticised due to ethical and welfare concerns. New research methods, such as 3D cell culture and organoid engineering have been explored as

Busting the Baby Blemish Boom: Everything That's Wrong With Baby Skincare Trends

Wellness trends appear to come and go at a rapid rate. The latest of these trends targets the very youngest of us. Baby skincare is the new craze encouraging parents to perfect their baby’s skin using products. Is this beneficial for these children or can this new trend cause

Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis: The Simplicity of a Blood Test

Longer life expectancy and ageing populations will lead to an increase in the prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease across the globe. However, symptoms can be vague and non-specific, hindering diagnosis. The most effective treatments should be administered early in the progression of the disease. How can clinicians ascertain a

Into the Wilderness: Part 2

We're delighted to reveal Part 2 of a beautiful series of wildlife photography taken by Olivia Binfield, an MSci Zoology student at UCL!

Into the Wilderness: Part 1

We're thrilled to present Part 1 of a series of beautiful wildlife photographs taken by Olivia Binfield, an MSci Zoology student at UCL. Each photograph tells a unique story, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the natural world.

AI Drug Detectives: An Investigation of the Counterfeit Drug Scandal

Drug fraud has been described by many as the perfect crime – a destabilising force on both the society and an individual's wellbeing. Recent advancements in analytical technologies could elevate quality control standards, potentially putting an end to this menace in both developed and developing countries. By James Lau

The Night Sky Through UCL Telescopes

From the mesmerizing patterns found in nature to the artistic beauty of microscopic organisms, science has always inspired creativity. We're therefore delighted to launch UCL Science Magazine's Creative section, a brand-new space dedicated to exploring science through photography, artwork, and creative writing by UCL students. In

Past Events

Unveiling the Genetic Blueprint of Human Brain Evolution

How has the human brain evolved over time? There are several key players in the origin of human intelligence, both biological and anthropological. In this introduction, we explore some of the genetic drivers of human brain evolution and their pivotal role in shaping our higher cognitive abilities. By Madeleine Hjelt

Bioluminescence: How Fireflies Are Trailblazing Modern Cancer Treatment

Bioluminescence - the emission of light by an organism - is amongst nature’s most charming phenomena. A new phototherapy, which uses light emission from fireflies, aims at stimulating the self-destruction of remote tumours. Could this illuminate the path to a cancer-free future? By Calista Chan Presenting itself in larvae,

Could Our Favourite Pineapple-Inhabiting Friend Help Treat Alzheimer’s?

Though less lively than their cartoon counterpart, deep-ocean sponges are helping researchers alleviate symptoms of Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Research spearheaded by the Perha Pharmaceuticals lab in Roscoff, France, has produced a promising drug candidate, Leucettinib-21. I had the opportunity to meet the lead researcher, Dr Laurent

Trial and Error - How Robots Are Learning to Walk, Run, and Fly

Throughout our lives, we learn how to behave through trial and error. What if we could teach machines using the same principle? From football-playing robots to chemical reaction simulations, deep reinforcement learning is unlocking new levels of intelligence in machines. By Julian Tan Imagine training a dog to sit by

Eco-Innovation: Can We Tackle the Climate Crisis Using IVF Corals and Cyborg Plants?

Climate change is already reshaping our world, but what if nature and technology could fight back together? IVF corals and cyborg peace lilies are emerging as unlikely heroes in the battle against environmental destruction. These innovative solutions - designed to restore fragile marine ecosystems and monitor hidden pollutants- are reimagining

AlphaFold2: Reshaping Our Understanding of Protein Folding

AlphaFold2, one of the AI programs behind the 2024 Nobel Prize win in Chemistry, provides an innovative breakthrough for tackling "The Protein Folding Problem." The protein structure prediction capability provided by AlphaFold2 not only provides a new perspective for solving this long-standing problem but also indicates the potential

How to Train Your Fusion Reactor: Letting Tokamaks Learn Stability

Fusion Reactors, while impressively useful for renewable energy production, often run into chaos due to plasma disruption events. A group of scientists tackled this problem using reinforcement learning, letting the reactor learn how to stay stable during operation. By Faraaz Akhtar You may have heard of the notion that we

The Shining Abacus: How Light Can Be Used to Perform Computations

Quantum Computing is one of the hottest buzzwords in technology today, but what lies beneath the hype? How does this cutting-edge tech actually work, and why is it being called a game-changer for everything from medicine to cybersecurity? By Veronika Liutarevich Quantum computing is a broad term describing the field

Sticking it to Cancer: How Molecular Glues Could Transform Treatment

Imagine a therapy that forces rogue cancer-causing proteins to self-destruct. Molecular glues offer just that — a ground-breaking avenue in targeted protein degradation, especially when conventional cancer drugs fail. By Neelabh Datta. These small molecules foster binding interactions between harmful proteins and degradation signallers known as E3 ubiquitin ligases - these

The Fire Within: A Look at the Inflammatory Basis of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complex syndrome where people interpret reality abnormally resulting in hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking (‘Schizophrenia’, 2020). The specific mechanism of how this disorder presents is unknown. Could inflammation be the underlying cause of this disorder? By Oriella Stellakis Two case studies informed this theory. The first patient

Listen To Your Heart: A Patient Perspective on Catheter Ablation

Undergoing a heart procedure can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when it involves a catheter ablation. This is a first-hand account of a patient's personal journey in hospital, shedding light on the daunting procedure of catheter ablation and the promising results it should produce for patients. By Micah

Can We Save Our Collapsing Fisheries?

In 2017, 100 million Pacific cod disappeared off southern Alaska’s coast. This 70% reduction (over 2 years), represents an unprecedented crash of fishery worth $100 million annually, and it was caused by an increase in ocean temperatures. By Francesca Young

The Spinning Dorito: The Ideology Behind the Rotary Engine

Perhaps all engineering success requires is a bit of unorthodox cognitive exercise. This is definitely the case for the rotary engine, known as the “Spinning Dorito" due to its triangular-shaped rotor. It is an invention that defies conventional wisdom with its unconventional design. By Hovan Cheung

Weight Loss Drugs: The Intersection Between Medication, Stigma, and Lifestyle

Ozempic, a weight-loss drug, has invaded popular culture. It is not only seen as a rapid, effective method for weight loss but also endorsed by celebrities in the media. Is this medication the quick-fix it is painted to be, or is it damaging health and perpetuating stigma? By Grace Cunningham

Will it Come Back? - Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Teenagers and Young Adults

Defeating cancer is a feat that many diagnosed patients hope to achieve. However, the fear of cancer recurrence remains, especially in young people. This is an under-researched mental health issue that can have detrimental psychological effects on patients. By Chana Korenblum

The Origin of Disease from the Womb: Developmental Programming

The extent to which a foetus adapts to the outside environment before birth is phenomenal; but how perfect are these adaptations in preventing disease later in life? By Madeleine Hjelt.

Cell & Gene Therapy: Ethical Debates Unpacked

The Role of UCL’s Cell and Gene Therapy Experts in Shaping the Field’s Future. By Nhi Pham and Nidhi Rege

Fighting Viral Evolution in Real Time

The difficulty in fighting viral pandemics lies in the ability of these entities to evolve solutions to everything we throw at them. But what if we had a tool to predict what they were going to evolve before they did? By Tom Dubois.

The Power of Toxin-Antitoxin Systems

The same way that bacteria protect their genetic material and cope with stress is now used in a broad range of emerging applications in synthetic biology. By Oscar Blackwell

The Babies Born with Cobalt in their Veins: How The Cobalt Mining Crisis is Impacting Congolese Children

Cobalt mining on the African Copperbelt is a well known human rights crisis for many reasons. A new study on foetal blood shows its health effects may now materialise in Congolese infants before they are even born. By Charlotte Leeds.

Smokeless Lives

Will banning future generations from smoking prevent future hospitalisations? By Altay Shaw

Antibiotic resistance: The Gordian knot of the 21st Century

Since the 20th century, the issue of antimicrobial resistance has developed into a gordian knot of gargantuan proportions. This has inspired research into treatments from other medical fields in hopes of minimising the consequences of antibiotic resistance. By James Lau Yi Wei

Joule in the Crown

The intricacies of Formula 1’s fuel flow systems and how exceptional design has to break some regulations. By Matthew Hoult.

When Words Become Weapons

Brainwashing may seem like an alien, almost unbelievable concept to many of us. Alexandra Stein has dedicated her life to unravelling this phenomenon which robbed so many years of her life, to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities we all share that can be targeted. By Diya Asawa

The Nano Toolbox Used to Combat Cervical Cancer

(3/3) Women in developing countries are disproportionately affected by cervical cancer due to a lack of access to preventative medicine – innovations in nano-based cancer therapies are paving the way for a cancer-free future. By Mia Shepherd.

Novel Image-guided Nanoparticles Poised for Cancer Clinical Trials

(2/3) A research team at Kings College London have developed a novel image-guided nanoparticle-based cancer treatment for targeted drug delivery, in hopes of reducing patient suffering. By Mia Shepherd.

The UK Startups Developing Novel Cancer Treatments

(1/3) Trojan horse bacteria and biomarker transistors may solve some cancer questions – so say UK-based startups ChronosDx, Cansor, and Neobe Therapeutics. By Mia Shepherd.

Branded: The Ethics of Livestock Ownership

Branding has been used to establish ownership over livestock for centuries, despite its numerous harmful side-effects. Animal activists insist that more humane methods can only be implemented with government support. By Joseph Olaniyan.

‘We Are Electric’ by Sally Adee — A Holistic Inquiry into Bioelectrical Revolution

‘We are Electric’ explores the unlimited potential of biological communication between cells to help our body heal—be it tissue regeneration or cancer treatment. Those seeking to understand this potential would benefit from Adee’s technical and engaging narrative. Book review by Julia Wojciechowska.

Going with your Gut - An Alternative Approach to Alzheimer’s

What do the bacteria in our gut have to do with Alzheimer’s Disease in the brain? A recent paper has revealed a potential link between gut bacteria and the deterioration of brain cells in mice. By Mollie Huggins.

The Potential and Protection of Carbon-Capturing Ecosystems

Blue Carbon Ecosystems are natural carbon sinks that have the potential to store huge amounts of CO2 - recent conservation efforts have developed methods to monitor their health and measure their carbon storage potentials. By Ewan Yeo.

Understanding Water: A Deep Dive Using Machine Learning

Having struggled to create an accurate functional to describe molecules such as water for years, physicists have now turned their attention to how tools like ML can help with the task. In the process, DM21 is born. By Faraaz Akhtar

Hitting the Mark: How Nanoparticles are Revolutionising Cancer Treatments

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally - nanoparticles could help combat this epidemic through targeted drug action. By Rakshith H and Nidhi V.

Narrative Medicine: Putting the ‘Care’ in Healthcare

Healthcare services are facing a major paradigm shift with the collapse of key clinician-patient relationships. Narrative medicine, however, may just be the harbinger to bringing the ‘care’ back into healthcare. By Obomate Briggs.

A Code Within the Codons?

How studying patterns in the genetic code is beginning to uncover the origins of biological information and of life itself. By Tom Dubois.

Buzz Off!

Italian researchers have synthesised a safe and sweet-smelling solution to keep those pesky mosquitoes at bay this summer! By Joseph Olaniyan.

How A “Twisted DNA” Sensor Can Revolutionise Cancer Treatment

Sensing of Z-nucleic acid by ZBP-1 constitutes an important line of innate immune defence, but could drugs targeting ZBP-1 signalling serve as a new and improved strategy for treating cancer? By Ziyue Kong.

Nominate yourself to Lead SciMag next year!

Nominations have commenced at the UCL Students' Union. This is your opportunity to lead UCL SciMag, give back to the UCL community and develop yourself. To nominate yourself please use the link below and search Science Magazine Society. The Leadership RaceEach year in March, every student at UCL votes

Has ChatGPT Bid Farewell to Traditional Assessment Methods?

ChatGPT has studied the entire internet and is now capable of forming complete and logically structured answers to many types of assessments. Will this technology change how students are tested in the future? By Saleh Bubshait.

The Unknown Genome: A Message Lost in Translation

Learning about your genome has been crucial now, more than ever. From population studies to precision diagnostics and experimental therapies, genomics is paving the way for modern medicine. Ground-breaking? Absolutely. Beneficial to us all? Perhaps not as much as we think so. By Nitish Aswani.

Tackling the Synthetic Cannabinoid Epidemic

Currently, there are limited clinical treatment options to deal with cases of synthetic cannabinoid abuse. A novel approach utilising nanoparticle vaccines offers an unconventional solution, but not without challenges to its clinical application. By James Lau Yi Wei.

Has He Got A Touch On It?

How will the Al Rihla, with its tracking and data recording capabilities, change the modern game? By Ben Crawford.

“Hey Siri, can you speak Yorùbá?”

How multilingual can a translation machine be? David Ifeoluwa Adelani from DeepMind shares new techniques to support low-resource languages, their heritage and prospects for promoting cultural diversity. By Teresa Su.

Plenty of Fish?

The first study modelling the effects of different fishing scenarios on marine ecosystems in the Western Baltic Sea has raised a dire concern towards critically endangered species, identifying overfishing as the main threat to marine biodiversity. By Charlotte Miles.

Is Pain Really Painful? Let’s Ask Our Minds

Understanding Pain Reprocessing Therapy and how our brain’s therapeutic capacity confronts conventional treatments. By Mimoun El Fantroussi.

Why We Need to Destigmatise Psychedelics to Reform Mental Health Systems

With our current lack of understanding of psychopharmacological medications, ground-breaking therapies are long overdue. It is up to legislative frameworks to liberate psychedelics, amongst other classed substances, to reform mental health systems. By Anushka Barthwal.

The Nose Knows, But How?

Our sense of smell is an important, yet underappreciated biological function. Understanding its evolutionary and psychological purpose could help us appreciate the wealth of information it provides. By Melike Temizturk.

The Secret to a Longer Life Lies in Your Morning Coffee

Studies have found a simple practice to increase the longevity of our lives that many of us are already using – a daily cup of coffee or two. By Julia Teichman.

Pub quiz 2: Next Monday!

Test your general knowledge! We're back again with another UCL Science Magazine pub quiz and mixer social. We sold out of tickets last time, so get your ticket soon to come along. Winning team receives a prize. Tickets are sold via the UCL Student's union website

Big Data, Small Scale: Will Nanotechnology Shift the Computing Paradigm?

Information overload? In the age of Big Data, researchers look to the nanoscale to handle it all. By Miranda Hitchens.

Cancer Targeting CAR T-Cells: Can They Treat Autoimmune Diseases?

For the first time, five patients diagnosed with the incurable autoimmune disease lupus have been sent into remission using a therapy previously designed for treating cancer. This has opened up the possibility of keeping other autoimmune diseases at bay. By Catherine Turnbull.

Infinitely Paradoxical: How Contradictions Influence Science Today

Do we really think we know what we know? Two millennia after Achilles raced the tortoise and our exploration of how paradoxes challenge scientists continues to unravel new understandings of nature. By Daniel Bilsborrow.

‘Junk DNA’ Proves Valuable in Demystifying Ageing and Cancer

Researchers have recently identified a DNA region, known as VNTR2-1, which drives the activity of the telomerase encoding gene and influences the ageing of certain cell types. By Sara Majernikova.

Estimation of White Dwarf Velocity Distribution Made For the First Time

Scientists unlock the secrets of elusive, near-invisible white dwarfs using new mathematical data and models. By Mephy Liu.

Bipartite Elixir Found to Regenerate Animal Appendages

A new study by researchers at Caltech has found that appendage regeneration in animals can be promoted by feeding them a mixture of amino acids and insulin or sucrose. This begs the question: is there a limit to our regenerative capabilities? By Kai Mason

DNA Mutations Through the Lens of Quantum Physics

Researchers at the University of Surrey use quantum physics to unlock the secrets of spontaneous DNA mutations. By Shriraam Thiagarajan

Electrocatalysis: Making Batteries that Breathe

UCL researchers collaborate with an international research team to improve the efficiency of low-cost, sustainable batteries which could power the future. By Melike Temizturk

COVID-19 Sparks Research Into Modelling Future Pandemics

COVID-19 brought instability, shock and grief to all. To some, it provoked questions about its predictability. Can artificial intelligence really forecast pandemics? If so, what does this mean for the future of prevention methods? By Teresa Su.

Is it Time to Rethink Our Treatment of Depression?

“No convincing evidence that depression is caused by low serotonin” - researchers at University College London challenge decades old theory about using antidepressants to treat depression, but should that completely change the way doctors prescribe them? By Nathan Adu-Poku.

Singin’ in the Brain: A Compelling Discovery About the Neurons That Respond to Singing

Neuroscientists have discovered a subpopulation of neurons which respond specifically to sung music. By Miranda Porter.

‘Galactic Cannibal’ Regurgitates Black Hole at 4 million Miles per Hour

Could the answer to galaxy formation be hidden in massive black hole mergers? By Alexander Gavin

Getting to the Root of the Problem: Prioritising Conservation Efforts in Global Forests

Researchers have developed a mathematical model that aims to maximise the conservation of global forested biodiversity under budget and time constraints. By Amelia Macho.

Quantum Teleportation beyond Neighbouring Nodes: A Step Closer to a New Internet

What is quantum teleportation, really? Non-neighbouring nodes, qubit channelling and complex quantum networks. True, but invariably non-Layman. Cue Alice, Bob and Charlie, who might just help us wrap our heads around it. By Teresa Su.

Heating and Cooling our Homes: As Simple as Black and White?

Quan Zhang and his team at Nankai University have developed a seemingly obvious, yet elegant thermoregulator that unravels the path to a sustainable future. By Melike Temizturk.

The Friendly-Parasite Paradox; Gut Microbiome Found to Impact Mood

Microorganisms in our bodies outnumber human cells by approximately 10:1, but do any impact our mood? By Amaani Nawaz.

Could the James Webb Space Telescope Help us Find Extraterrestrial Life?

Read about the new James Webb Space Telescope, learn about its capabilities and limitations. By Alexander Gavin.

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