Medicine and Life Sciences - Life Sciences

Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and leading biotechnology company BioAtlantis have announced the launch of an innovative new research initiative, VASEACAD (Valorising Seafood Side Streams, Residues, Unwanted Catches and Discards).

A comparative study shows that marine worms shattered their genome and rebuilt it in a radically different form when they first emerged from the sea 200 million years ago. The identified "genomic disorder" mechanism, similar to the one observed in cancer development in humans, could shed light on the evolutionary origin of terrestrial biodiversity and contribute to human health.

A host of Trinity researchers will feature in a new four-part documentary series on RTé One and RTé Player which traces 8,000 years of Irish history. Premiering on Sunday 8 June at 6:30pm, From That Small Island - The story of the Irish will bring to life "the extraordinary story of the Irish people, from the island's very first inhabitants to the global diaspora that now numbers over 80 million people".

Four Trinity researchers have secured awards worth a combined total of €2.57 million under Research Ireland's Pathway funding programme. A total of €23 million was announced today to support early-career researchers by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless under the scheme.

The discovery will help scientists now explore the important role of "queuosine", a microscopic molecule first discovered in the 1970s, in cancer and human health. An international team of scientists, co-led by researchers at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Florida, has cracked a decades-old mystery in human biology: how our bodies absorb a micronutrient that we rely on for everything from healthy brain function to guarding against cancer.

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin are assessing how the development of spinal ligaments provide mechanical stability and impact postural support in the spine - with a view to better understanding how developmental "missteps" may contribute to spinal deformations, such as the characteristic curved spines that develop in people with scoliosis.