Researchers at Rice University have uncovered a critical link between rising temperatures and declines in a species’ population, shedding new light on how global warming threatens natural ecosystems. The study, published in Ecology and led by Volker Rudolf, revealed that rising temperatures exacerbate competition within populations, ultimately leading to population crashes at higher temperatures. It offers one of the first clear experimental confirmations that rising temperatures alter the forces that control population dynamics in nature.

The winners of this year’s Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists  in the UK are:

Life Sciences Laureate: Prof. Christopher Stewart (Newcastle University): Christopher leads a laboratory where groundbreaking research on microbiome-based therapies for pre-natal infant mortality is already making a life-saving impact.

Chemical Sciences Laureate: Prof. Liam Ball (University of Nottingham): Liam has transformed green manufacturing on an industrial scale, developing safer and more efficient methods of producing pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals with minimal environmental impact.

Physical Sciences & Engineering Laureate: Prof. Benjamin Mills (University of Leeds): Benjamin is transforming our understanding of climate change on earth and in space with revolutionary methods to predict long-term climate change. His research not only uncovers Earth’s climate history over billions of years, but also how other planets might evolve to support life.

As the largest unrestricted prize for UK scientists under the age of 42, the Blavatnik Awards celebrate Britain’s greatest young minds in their fields. This year, the three Laureates—each awarded £100,000 in unrestricted funds—were chosen from a shortlist of nine finalists, representing some of the brightest young scientific minds across the UK.

Among them, the three Laureates are tackling some of the most complex and pressing issues in science and society:  infant mortality, green manufacturing and predicting long-term climate change.

Tonight’s prize-giving gala at The Orangery, Kensington Palace highlights the growing impact of regional universities across the UK driving scientific breakthroughs.

A new study in Nature Food offers a more precise picture of exactly where and how warming will affect our ability to grow food.

A recent review has unveiled an innovative method for monitoring fossil fuel CO₂ emissions using satellite observations of co-emitted NO₂. This approach promises to provide more precise and efficient emission tracking compared to traditional ground-based methods, overcoming significant challenges in distinguishing human-made emissions from natural sources. By capitalizing on the short atmospheric lifespan and high detectability of NO₂, this method enhances the ability to monitor emissions at a variety of scales, from individual power plants to entire nations. This new technique plays a vital role in bolstering global climate change mitigation efforts and ensuring countries meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is the largest ice mass in the Northern Hemisphere, and it’s melting rapidly. Climate change is causing more intense atmospheric rivers, which can deliver intense snowfall — enough to slow Greenland’s ice mass loss, a new study finds.

The SXSW Conference will take place from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, bringing together a vibrant mix of ideas and innovations. Once again, UC San Diego will take center stage, showcasing cutting-edge research, transformative discussions on critical global challenges and a film premiere.