University of South Carolina

Inside the Exclusion Zone surrounding the Chornobyl nuclear plant, thousands of animals now roam freely. Among them are the stray dogs – around 900 descendants of the pets left behind, living in the shadow of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

New research is uncovering how non-alcoholic fatty liver disease influences the neurological conditions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The study describes how a protein produced in the liver can travel to the brain and trigger neuroinflammation.

The natural world is a huge source of life-saving drugs and that extends to the organisms that inhabit the seas, with new research describing how a molecule from a sea sponge proved capable of preventing cervical cancer cell growth in the lab.

​​In news that will do little to dampen fears of a robot apocalypse, researchers have built a robo-limb that can teach itself to walk. It's hoped the research will open up new possibilities in the fields of dynamic prosthetics and robots that learn on the fly in unfamiliar environments. ​

A study has suggested foods high in sugar and fat might not need to result in significant weight gain. Researchers have identified a gene that can dictate how these foods are processed, potentially suppressing obesity and other problems that often go hand-in-hand with unhealthy eating habits.

A professor at the University of South Carolina has successfully turned the material in a cotton T-shirt into a source of electrical power.

A new type of camera can detect invisible bloodstains, with none of the drawbacks of the traditional chemical method.