A shaggy dog story: The contagious cancer that conquered the world

17 May 2016

A contagious form of cancer that can spread between dogs during mating has highlighted the extent to which dogs accompanied human travellers throughout our seafaring history. But the tumours also provide surprising insights into how cancers evolve by ‘stealing’ DNA from their host.

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Tassie devil orphan

Second contagious form of cancer found in Tasmanian devils

28 December 2015

Transmissible cancers – cancers which can spread between individuals by the transfer of living cancer cells – are believed to arise extremely rarely in nature. One of the few known transmissible cancers causes facial tumours in Tasmanian devils, and is threatening this species with extinction. Today, scientists report the discovery of a second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils.

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Sausages (cropped)

MRSA contamination found in supermarket sausages and minced pork

18 June 2015

A survey carried out earlier this year has found the first evidence of the ‘superbug’ bacteria Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in sausages and minced pork obtained from supermarkets in the UK. However, researchers stress that this does not pose a significant immediate risk to the public.

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Clare Bryant

Novel Thoughts #2: Clare Bryant on AS Byatt’s Possession

12 June 2015

New film series Novel Thoughts reveals the reading habits of eight Cambridge scientists and peeks inside the covers of the books that have played a major role in their lives. In the second film, Professor Clare Bryant talks about how AS Byatt’s Possession inspired her not to turn her back on her life as a scientist.

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