Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:58:25 +0000Science & Engineering/article/hulk-lizard-knocks-out-ancient-colour-paletteWed, 21 Jan 2026 08:58:25 +0000/article/hulk-lizard-knocks-out-ancient-colour-paletteA myriad of colours that survived millions of years of evolution have disappeared in a short period of time. The culprit? A bright green, aggressive, and sexually dominant wall lizard that has wiped out several colour variants within its species./article/elegant-solution-measuring-ultrashort-laser-pulses-discoveredThu, 18 Dec 2025 10:41:28 +0000/article/elegant-solution-measuring-ultrashort-laser-pulses-discoveredUltrashort laser pulses - that are shorter than a millionth of a millionth of a second -have transformed fundamental science, engineering and medicine. Despite this, their ultrashort duration has made them elusive and difficult to measure. About ten years ago, researchers from Lund University and Porto University introduced a tool for measuring pulse duration of ultrafast lasers. The same team has now achieved a breakthrough that enables the measurement of individual laser pulses across a wider parameter range in a more compact setup./article/contaminated-bathing-water-easier-detectMon, 15 Dec 2025 16:09:22 +0000/article/contaminated-bathing-water-easier-detectUrbanisation and a warmer climate means that more people want to swim in canals, harbours, and urban beaches. However, this means that they may swimming close to where treated wastewater and stormwater are discharged – including bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that might make people sick. A new method tested in Sweden by Lund University, can provide both faster and more complete answers on whether the water is safe for swimming or not./article/can-europeans-still-dream-about-white-christmasFri, 12 Dec 2025 11:31:32 +0000/article/can-europeans-still-dream-about-white-christmasGiven the current warming climate, many of us have wondered if snow around Christmas time is slowly becoming a thing of the past. We asked Alex Vermeulen, Director of the ICOS Carbon Portal at Lund University, what Europeans can expect going forward. Only one thing seems certain: the weather will change in unpredictable ways, with more extreme weather likely./article/new-technology-reveals-migratory-birds-stunning-precision-flightThu, 11 Dec 2025 10:14:52 +0000/article/new-technology-reveals-migratory-birds-stunning-precision-flightRed-backed shrikes fly thousands of kilometres to reach Africa – and they do so with astonishing precision. Aided by new technology, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have been able to track the birds’ journeys in detail. It turns out that they may have a more complex genetic migration programme than researchers have previously been able to show./article/honeybees-crowd-out-bumblebees-even-flower-rich-heathlandsWed, 10 Dec 2025 13:31:46 +0000/article/honeybees-crowd-out-bumblebees-even-flower-rich-heathlandsWhen the late summer sun falls over Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains, the slopes turn purple with blooming heather. Honeybees are moved to the heathlands for the sought-after heather honey, but their presence affects wild bumblebees./article/three-lund-university-researchers-awarded-major-eu-grantTue, 09 Dec 2025 11:00:07 +0000/article/three-lund-university-researchers-awarded-major-eu-grantThe evolution of eyesight, how not to disrupt animal flight, and immunotherapies in cancer treatment. Biologists Michael Bok and Cecilia Nilsson, along with medical researcher Paul Bourgine, have been awarded the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant to further study these topics./article/conference-breaking-barriers-climate-solutionsFri, 05 Dec 2025 15:35:38 +0000/article/conference-breaking-barriers-climate-solutionsClimate solutions exist – so why isn’t more happening? On 9 December, researchers from University of Cambridge and Lund University will gather in Lund and online to try to find answers to how we can accelerate the climate transition./article/new-study-challenges-idea-humans-innately-nature-lovingThu, 04 Dec 2025 10:35:14 +0000/article/new-study-challenges-idea-humans-innately-nature-lovingNature is a source of well-being and recovery for many people. However, research shows that there is also a growing number of individuals who experience negative emotions, such as fear, discomfort, or even disgust, toward nature. The phenomenon, called biophobia, is now highlighted in a new study from Lund University./article/new-guide-making-biggest-climate-differenceMon, 01 Dec 2025 20:04:37 +0000/article/new-guide-making-biggest-climate-differenceA new interactive guide identifies the most effective actions you can take for the climate. The interest has been so great that the server hosting the guide crashed temporarily. /article/decision-new-grain-stuck-eus-regulatory-systemMon, 01 Dec 2025 09:03:11 +0000/article/decision-new-grain-stuck-eus-regulatory-systemThe EU’s approval process for a novel perennial, eco-friendly grain with the potential to fundamentally change Europe’s agriculture has dragged on for more than six years. This delay, according to researchers at Lund University, is due to an outdated regulatory system. /article/how-make-eu-more-digitally-independentThu, 27 Nov 2025 14:23:38 +0000/article/how-make-eu-more-digitally-independentUnless Sweden and the EU strengthen their digital autonomy, there is a risk of catastrophic consequences. That is the conclusion of Lund University researcher in computer science, Johan Linåker, who considers that we must begin to think about control and maintenance of digital infrastructure in the same way as critical physical infrastructure such as seaports, airports, roads, and water and power networks./article/old-air-samples-hint-effects-climate-changeWed, 26 Nov 2025 10:03:42 +0000/article/old-air-samples-hint-effects-climate-changeThrough the DNA analysis of old air samples collected by the Swedish Armed Forces, researchers at Lund University in Sweden can show that spore dispersal of northern mosses has shifted over the past 35 years. It now starts several weeks earlier, revealing how quickly nature’s calendar can reset in line with a warmer climate./article/new-research-lifespan-oresund-bridge-can-be-doubledTue, 25 Nov 2025 15:31:36 +0000/article/new-research-lifespan-oresund-bridge-can-be-doubledResearchers at Lund University have developed a new framework that can lead to the Öresund Link, thanks to the right maintenance at the right time and smart monitoring, having a total lifespan of 200 years. This is twice as long as envisaged when the bridge was inaugurated 25 years ago./article/dog-diversity-thousands-years-older-we-thoughtWed, 19 Nov 2025 11:56:36 +0000/article/dog-diversity-thousands-years-older-we-thoughtWe tend to attribute today's zoological menagerie of dog breeds to Victorian gentlemen with a penchant for selective breeding. The truth, however, goes back much further. An international study shows that the rich morphological variety among dogs began to take off 11,000 years ago – long before nineteenth century kennel clubs./article/alfa-laval-and-lund-university-strengthen-strategic-partnershipWed, 12 Nov 2025 11:40:11 +0000/article/alfa-laval-and-lund-university-strengthen-strategic-partnershipAlfa Laval and Lund University have formalized a new strategic partnership to strengthen collaboration, drive innovation, and address complex global challenges. At the same time, ground breaks for Alfa Lavals upcoming innovation center – a center that will drive the energy transition through, among other things, the development of heat transfer technology and fuel cells./article/researcher-challenges-myth-plant-based-food-saferThu, 06 Nov 2025 08:51:09 +0000/article/researcher-challenges-myth-plant-based-food-saferCurrent knowledge of food safety is based on traditional foods that include animal products. Corresponding knowledge of plant-based foods lags behind. “There is a naive belief that plant-based food is safer than animal-based food. Unfortunately, this is not the case,” says Jenny Schelin, a researcher on food safety at Lund University in Sweden. /article/warmer-nordic-springs-double-incidence-avian-malariaThu, 23 Oct 2025 10:13:11 +0000/article/warmer-nordic-springs-double-incidence-avian-malariaA unique long-term study, in which biological samples were collected from the same population of blue tits over a 30-year period, shows that rising spring temperatures have doubled the incidence of avian malaria in southern Sweden./article/new-eye-universe-opens-chileTue, 21 Oct 2025 13:55:58 +0000/article/new-eye-universe-opens-chileA new instrument on the four-metre VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile has recently captured its first starlight. This marks the beginning of a new era in astronomy, as researchers prepare to map the sky in unprecedented detail./article/new-study-reveals-innermost-secrets-spaghettiFri, 17 Oct 2025 07:45:32 +0000/article/new-study-reveals-innermost-secrets-spaghettiWhat keeps spaghetti from disintegrating in boiling water? The answer, according to new research, is gluten. The amount of salt in the water also has an unexpected significance./article/researchers-take-step-towards-improved-antibody-therapyTue, 14 Oct 2025 12:39:25 +0000/article/researchers-take-step-towards-improved-antibody-therapyAntibody-based drugs often become too thick to be injected at high concentrations. Now, new research can explain why this happens—knowledge that could eventually lead to easily injectable medications./article/hidden-highways-sky-mappedTue, 07 Oct 2025 13:55:16 +0000/article/hidden-highways-sky-mappedHigh above us, the atmosphere is teeming with life. Birds, bats and insects share the airspace, but divide it into different lanes of traffic. New research from Lund University in Sweden reveals how the atmosphere is an ecosystem, with complex ecological processes that affect how animals move between different altitude levels. /article/secondary-forests-could-be-key-factor-climate-management-if-we-protect-them-timeFri, 26 Sep 2025 09:37:16 +0000/article/secondary-forests-could-be-key-factor-climate-management-if-we-protect-them-timeBy analysing over 100,000 field measurements as well as environmental data, an international research team has created maps that show how and when naturally regrowing forests bind most carbon. /article/solar-fuel-conundrum-nears-solutionTue, 23 Sep 2025 09:24:54 +0000/article/solar-fuel-conundrum-nears-solutionSolar energy stored in the form of fuel is something scientists hope could partially replace fossil fuels in the future. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden may have solved a long-standing problem that has hindered the development of sustainable solar fuels. If solar energy can be used more efficiently using iron-based systems, this could pave the way for cheaper solar fuels./article/hostile-hoots-make-robins-eat-less-nightMon, 22 Sep 2025 13:29:40 +0000/article/hostile-hoots-make-robins-eat-less-nightThe sound of tawny owls makes young European robins eat less during their southward migration. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows how the threat from nocturnal predators affects the birds’ behaviour – and by extension their survival./article/scientists-solve-astronomical-riddleThu, 18 Sep 2025 10:48:18 +0000/article/scientists-solve-astronomical-riddlePacked tightly together like twinkling stellar beehives, these globular clusters are made up of hundreds of thousands of stars. Now, for the first time, a team of scientists can reveal how the ancient and mysterious star systems actually form./article/road-self-driving-futureWed, 17 Sep 2025 10:32:34 +0000/article/road-self-driving-futureWhat happens when we get out of the driver's seat and our vehicles become autonomous? Mathematician Viktor Larsson is developing methods to enable cars and drones to see their surroundings. This is his insight into the self-driving present and future./article/innovative-ideas-and-pioneering-solutions-lund-university-celebratedWed, 10 Sep 2025 13:37:04 +0000/article/innovative-ideas-and-pioneering-solutions-lund-university-celebratedAn innovative IVF test and a methane detector – these are some of the future innovation stars developed at Lund University. /article/researchers-pinpoint-exact-pace-helps-nightingales-long-journeyFri, 05 Sep 2025 09:58:33 +0000/article/researchers-pinpoint-exact-pace-helps-nightingales-long-journeyA new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that migratory birds fly at peak efficiency at a medium pace – precisely the speed they use during their long journeys across the continents./article/surprise-discovery-leads-treatment-common-infectionThu, 04 Sep 2025 13:18:45 +0000/article/surprise-discovery-leads-treatment-common-infectionEach year, one in four women suffers from bacterial vaginosis, something that is currently treated with antibiotics. However, recently a gentler, antibiotic-free alternative has been authorised for sale in the EU. The chance discovery behind the innovation was made by a group of researchers from Lund University in Sweden. /article/ancient-giant-marine-reptile-relied-stealth-while-hunting-darknessWed, 16 Jul 2025 17:39:52 +0000/article/ancient-giant-marine-reptile-relied-stealth-while-hunting-darknessInvestigation of a metre-long front flipper, uniquely preserved with fossilized soft tissues, has revealed that the giant ichthyosaur Temnodontosaurus was equipped with flow control devices that likely served to suppress self-generated noise when foraging in dimly lit pelagic environments about 183 million years ago. Thus, this visually guided megapredator relied on underwater stealth—or ‘silent swimming’—while hunting under the cover of darkness, much like owls on land today./article/two-researchers-receive-erc-proof-concept-grantsMon, 14 Jul 2025 10:00:06 +0000/article/two-researchers-receive-erc-proof-concept-grantsCarmelo D’Agostino, a researcher in traffic safety and behaviour, and stem cell researcher Paul Bourgine receive ERC Proof of Concept grants for their research into developing a new method for traffic safety assessments and finding new accurate models for testing immunotherapies in cancer treatment./article/sek-30-million-awarded-research-ultrashort-laser-pulses-and-quantum-mechanicsWed, 02 Jul 2025 08:56:29 +0000/article/sek-30-million-awarded-research-ultrashort-laser-pulses-and-quantum-mechanicsAnne-Lise Viotti and Armin Tavakoli will each receive SEK 15 million grants as part of the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research’s investment in Future Research Leaders./article/moths-use-stars-and-earths-magnetic-field-compassThu, 19 Jun 2025 06:54:40 +0000/article/moths-use-stars-and-earths-magnetic-field-compassA groundbreaking study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the Australian Bogong moth uses the stars and the Milky Way as a compass during its annual 1,000-kilometre journey to cool inland caves. It also reveals that the Earth’s magnetic field plays an important role in the enigmatic moth’s navigation./article/new-lithium-mines-could-cut-eu-imports-halfFri, 13 Jun 2025 07:17:07 +0000/article/new-lithium-mines-could-cut-eu-imports-halfThe most important mineral in today's electric car batteries is lithium. China completely dominates the market, with no extraction taking place in Europe. However, a new study shows that there is great potential for European lithium production, which would bring improvements in competitiveness, the climate and security. The study also points out that there are complex international trade dependencies that affect supply and demand./article/nocturnal-pollinators-just-important-their-daytime-colleaguesThu, 22 May 2025 11:57:24 +0000/article/nocturnal-pollinators-just-important-their-daytime-colleaguesFor over 60 years, scientists have tried to determine whether plants are pollinated primarily during the day or at night — without reaching a clear conclusion. Now, a major research review from Lund University in Sweden has revealed that nighttime pollinators play just as significant a role as daytime species in 90 percent of the cases studied./article/unicellular-green-algae-may-carry-giant-virus-dna-their-genomeWed, 07 May 2025 14:22:22 +0000/article/unicellular-green-algae-may-carry-giant-virus-dna-their-genomeHumans and animals are not the only ones affected by viruses. Unicellular organisms can also be attacked. In a new study, scientists establish that green algae can carry latent giant virus DNA in their genome./article/living-air-scientists-enlist-arctic-bacteria-fight-climate-changeThu, 24 Apr 2025 13:53:36 +0000/article/living-air-scientists-enlist-arctic-bacteria-fight-climate-changeWhat if we could fight climate change using bacteria that live on air? That’s the vision behind a newly funded international research project led by scientists from Lund University, the University of Tromsø, and Harvard Medical School. With support from the prestigious Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP), the team aims to explore how an Arctic microbe that can feed exclusively on methane could become a powerful tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions./article/how-animal-life-exploded-earthWed, 09 Apr 2025 10:51:28 +0000/article/how-animal-life-exploded-earthAbout 540 million years ago, our planet suddenly erupted with life, filling our oceans with a diversity of complex life. This is known as the Cambrian explosion, and for a long time scientists agreed it was triggered by a rise in oxygen levels in the atmosphere. But new research from Emma Hammarlund at Lund University is turning the tables completely on what scientists thought they knew to be true – for decades. How did Hammarlund end up going down an entirely different path?/article/reptiles-are-brightest-open-habitatsMon, 07 Apr 2025 10:17:47 +0000/article/reptiles-are-brightest-open-habitatsReptiles living in open habitats generally have brighter colouration than species living in denser vegetation. This is shown in a new study from Lund University in Sweden. The results suggest that changes in habitat and climate over millions of years have prompted animals to adapt their colouration in order to survive./article/migrating-roach-have-sharper-eyesightThu, 03 Apr 2025 08:19:48 +0000/article/migrating-roach-have-sharper-eyesightRoach that migrate between different lakes and water courses have larger pupils and better eyesight than roach that stay in one place. The adaptation makes it easier for the red-eyed freshwater migrants to find food in murky waters. This is shown in a large study from Lund University in Sweden./article/surprising-number-environmental-pollutants-hedgehogsTue, 01 Apr 2025 08:25:02 +0000/article/surprising-number-environmental-pollutants-hedgehogsLead, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, plastic additives, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals. This is what researchers at Lund University in Sweden found when they collected dead hedgehogs to investigate the environmental pollutants found in urban environments. /article/lakes-worldwide-are-changing-colour-possibly-due-human-impactFri, 14 Mar 2025 15:16:18 +0000/article/lakes-worldwide-are-changing-colour-possibly-due-human-impactOver the last 40 years, the majority of the world’s lakes have changed colour, according to a new study. The research team analysed 32 million satellite observations from over 67,000 lakes. Major changes in the lake ecosystems are thought to be the cause./article/titanium-and-mysterious-jet-streams-discovered-extreme-exoplanetThu, 27 Feb 2025 12:07:50 +0000/article/titanium-and-mysterious-jet-streams-discovered-extreme-exoplanetUsing the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, astronomers have made detailed observations of the mysterious exoplanet WASP-121 b. The discoveries of the element titanium and jet streams challenge our understanding of the winds and chemistry found on ultrahot planets./article/sek-420-million-cancer-research-lund-universityWed, 26 Feb 2025 07:31:17 +0000/article/sek-420-million-cancer-research-lund-universityThe Mrs Berta Kamprad Foundation is donating SEK 420 million to cancer research at Lund University. This is the largest donation to the university since its foundation in 1666./article/quantum-state-photoelectrons-measured-first-timeThu, 13 Feb 2025 09:20:35 +0000/article/quantum-state-photoelectrons-measured-first-timeFor the first time, researchers have been able to measure the quantum state of electrons ejected from atoms that have absorbed high-energy light pulses. This is thanks to a new measurement technique developed by researchers at Lund University in Sweden. The results can provide a better understanding of the interaction between light and matter./article/soft-tissue-183-million-year-old-jurassic-plesiosaur-analysedFri, 07 Feb 2025 12:18:20 +0000/article/soft-tissue-183-million-year-old-jurassic-plesiosaur-analysedResearchers at Lund University in Sweden have analysed the soft tissue from a fossilized plesiosaur for the first time. The results show that the long-necked marine reptile had both smooth and scaly skin. This was likely so it could both swim rapidly and move along rough seabeds./article/key-takeaways-latest-research-gut-bacteriaFri, 31 Jan 2025 15:21:33 +0000/article/key-takeaways-latest-research-gut-bacteria/article/fermenting-seaweed-could-boost-consumptionMon, 20 Jan 2025 11:47:46 +0000/article/fermenting-seaweed-could-boost-consumptionFermented seaweed? Those who have tried it think it is much tastier than it sounds, and researchers at Lund University in Sweden are now hoping that acidified seaweed, rather than today’s dried version, will signify a major breakthrough for seaweed as a food source. /article/heres-how-easily-you-can-catch-covid-19-through-airFri, 17 Jan 2025 13:16:14 +0000/article/heres-how-easily-you-can-catch-covid-19-through-airThe virus winter season has struck – and COVID-19 is still part of everyday life. However, unlike during the pandemic, we now know more about how it spreads through the air we breathe. Research from Lund University in Sweden shows that it only takes a few minutes in the same room as an infected person to catch the virus./article/virgin-birth-beyond-biblical-legendFri, 20 Dec 2024 12:42:29 +0000/article/virgin-birth-beyond-biblical-legendNow that Christmas is just around the corner, thoughts inevitably turn to an expectant Mary in the stable. However, she is not alone in the sphere of life-giving without the involvement of both sexes. In the animal kingdom, there are many species that engage in immaculate conception.