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AMBER Centre researchers based in Trinity have discovered that the way many everyday plastics are manufactured builds unseen stress into the material-stress that later drives the release of tiny plastic particles into our food and the environment. When factories mould plastics into water pipes, bottles, and household products for food preparation, they cool the molten plastic quickly, so it keeps its shape.

New research led by Irish scientists has uncovered how lipid-rich fluid in the abdomen, known as ascites, plays a central role in weakening the body's immune response in advanced ovarian cancer. The findings offer new insights into immune suppression in ovarian cancer and open promising avenues for future immunotherapy approaches Over 70% of patients with ovarian cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage, often presenting with large volumes of ascites.

New findings suggest the vaccine may reduce the production of pro-inflammatory mediators to bacterial, fungal or viral infections by reprogramming innate immune cells to regulate inflammation Trinity researchers have found that the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine may offer protection beyond its intended, primary target.

New multidisciplinary research led by Prof. Tomás Ryan from Trinity shows that the brain forms memories of cold experiences and uses them to control our metabolism. This newly published study is the first to show that cold memories form in the brain - and map out how they subsequently drive thermoregulation.

The simple act of looking at a piece of visual art can boost your wellbeing, a new research study has found, and this benefit can be gained in a hospital setting as well as an art gallery. Artworks which were included in the review include famous pieces such as The Scream by Edvard Munch, The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, and other pieces of modern and contemporary art.

New research reveals that PET-based glitter microplastics can actively influence biomineralisation processes in marine environments, raising fresh concerns about the long-term environmental impact of microplastic pollution on marine ecosystems. The research, led by a team from Trinity's School of Natural Sciences and published in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe , shows that these microplastics promote the crystallisation of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) minerals, potentially affecting the growth and stability of marine calcifying organisms.

Steroid hormone levels are also influenced by other lifestyle choices and factors such as biological sex and age, according to new research that has just been published in leading international journal Science Advances. The objective of the research was to expand knowledge and understanding of steroid hormone levels, including corticoids and sex hormones, in healthy women and men over a broad age range.