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Andreas Nord, a researcher at the Department of Biology, will receive EUR 2 million to study how warm-blooded animals are affected as the climate becomes warmer and more unpredictable. As part of the project, he will study different species of birds to determine how quickly heat tolerance could evolve and what will happen to our bird populations if tolerance fails to adapt. In the final part, Nord

https://www.science.lu.se/article/researcher-receive-erc-consolidator-grant - 2025-09-23

Now 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. What we refer to as virgin birth means that an unfertilized egg can develop into a new individual. The technical te

https://www.science.lu.se/article/virgin-birth-beyond-biblical-legend - 2025-09-23

Researchers 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. Plesiosaurs lived in the world's oceans for much of the Mesozoic Era (203–66 million years ago). These reptiles, which

https://www.science.lu.se/article/soft-tissue-183-million-year-old-jurassic-plesiosaur-analysed - 2025-09-23

Using 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. Just over 5,800 exoplanets – planets that orbit stars other than our Sun – have been discovered since the

https://www.science.lu.se/article/titanium-and-mysterious-jet-streams-discovered-extreme-exoplanet - 2025-09-23

A study center, a unified library, a student café, and an office for faculty management—plus a towering venue for events. Project manager and library director Kristina Holmin Verdozzi has grand visions for the Astronomy Building, which is set to undergo a complete transformation over the next three years. Anyone visiting Sölvegatan 27 on a September day in 2028 will hardly recognize it. Students w

https://www.science.lu.se/article/she-wants-create-space-scientific-curiosity - 2025-09-23

Over 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. Lakes are critical components of Earth’s ecosystem. They provide habitats for aquatic and terrestrial species, support biodiversity and help mai

https://www.science.lu.se/article/lakes-worldwide-are-changing-colour-possibly-due-human-impact - 2025-09-23

Lead, 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. Previous research has investigated the presence of heavy metals in hedgehogs from other urban areas in Europe and

https://www.science.lu.se/article/surprising-number-environmental-pollutants-hedgehogs - 2025-09-23

Roach 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. Animals’ eyes, just like those of humans, are a kind of window to the world. Eyesight controls important

https://www.science.lu.se/article/migrating-roach-have-sharper-eyesight - 2025-09-23

Reptiles 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. It has been long established that environmental factors affect how animals’ col

https://www.science.lu.se/article/reptiles-are-brightest-open-habitats - 2025-09-23

The global scientific community celebrates a major achievement as CERN’s four flagship experiments—ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb—receive the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, one of the most prestigious awards in science. This prize honors discoveries that reshape our understanding of the universe, including how particles gain mass via the Higgs boson, the imbalance between matter and

https://www.science.lu.se/article/cerns-breakthrough-physics-prize-highlights-lund-universitys-global-impact - 2025-09-23

Anders Persson, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biology, will receive SEK 2.8 million from the Kamprad Family Foundation. The grant will support research on artificial reefs aimed at helping the endangered Baltic cod.Congratulations on the grant, Anders – how does it feel?– It’s amazing! We’re a small group that has been working for a long time to develop methods for studying reefs, mostly wi

https://www.science.lu.se/article/biologist-receives-million-sek-grant-support-baltic-sea-cod-stocks - 2025-09-23

Humans 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. Biology researchers at Lund University in Sweden have spent several years studying microorganisms isolated from Lake Krageholm in Skåne and Lake Örsjön in Småland. During the most recent ele

https://www.science.lu.se/article/unicellular-green-algae-may-carry-giant-virus-dna-their-genome - 2025-09-23

For 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. Most of us know how important bees, birds, and butter

https://www.science.lu.se/article/nocturnal-pollinators-just-important-their-daytime-colleagues - 2025-09-23

A 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. It is absolutely amazing considering the length of the journey. It’s the equivalent of a h

https://www.science.lu.se/article/moths-use-stars-and-earths-magnetic-field-compass - 2025-09-23

In 2025, the Faculty of Science launched a new doctoral programme in computational science to meet the growing demand for advanced computational methods in research. This initiative aims to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and train doctoral students in handling and analysing large datasets across fields such as medicine, environmental science, and engineering. The doctoral programme was cr

https://www.science.lu.se/article/faculty-science-invests-computational-science-new-doctoral-programme-meets-growing-demand-advanced - 2025-09-23

Investigation 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 s

https://www.science.lu.se/article/ancient-giant-marine-reptile-relied-stealth-while-hunting-darkness - 2025-09-23

Helena Filipsson, professor at the Department of Geology, together with colleagues, has received seed funding from Lund University for the interdisciplinary project From Microns to Models: Leveraging μCT and Machine Learning for High-Resolution Morphological Diversity Analysis (MICROMORPH). The project brings together expertise in geology, biology, mathematics, and statistics, and is carried out i

https://www.science.lu.se/article/new-perspectives-natures-forms-interdisciplinary-project-receives-seed-funding-university - 2025-09-23

Each 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. Stinging, itching and odorous vaginal discharge is a common and a stigmatise

https://www.science.lu.se/article/surprise-discovery-leads-treatment-common-infection - 2025-09-23

A 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. Now, at the end of the summer, when the thrush nightingales leave Europe for southern Africa, they do not fly at full speed. Instead they maintain an even pace – and according to a new study from Lund Universi

https://www.science.lu.se/article/researchers-pinpoint-exact-pace-helps-nightingales-long-journey - 2025-09-23

An international recruitment initiative from the university has attracted a large number of applicants. A total of 357 researchers from around the world have applied to become visiting professors at Lund University – as many as 86 of them to the Faculty of Science! “It was a very positive outcome of the initiative,” says Per Persson, Dean of the Faculty of Science. “When going through the applicat

https://www.science.lu.se/article/recruitment-initiative-attracts-international-top-researchers-faculty-science - 2025-09-23