Latest news with #NewcastleUniversity
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Newcastle University students get £1.7m in strike compensation
A university has handed out over £1.7m in compensation to students affected by strikes this of 30 June, Newcastle University had paid £1.72m to learners who saw disrupted teaching due to action by staff between March and June in response to job university previously said students would be paid between £100 and £1,200 in compensation following guidance from the Office for and College Union (UCU) representative Prof Matt Perry said the payments highlighted the institution had the funds to "cut compulsory redundancies". Industrial action ended last month when the UCU said it had received assurances from the university no further job losses would be made until next year. More than 200 staff have already taken voluntary severance. 'Impact of action' In response to a freedom of information request, the university said it had identified 12,769 students eligible for compensation fee-paying students can be awarded £100 of compensation for each teaching module disrupted, up to a maximum of £600, according to the Local Democracy Reporting fee-payers can receive £200 of compensation per module, with an upper limit of £1, university said the compensation scheme had not yet closed and so the final amount it would spend on compensation was not yet said it was funding these payments using the cash it had saved as a result of unpaid salaries due to the industrial Perry said: "The fact that they can pay £1.7m out to students shows the measure of the impact of our actions plus that the university had the money to cut compulsory redundancies in the first place." Follow BBC Newcastle on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
Irish Times
19-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Ireland far behind other countries for IVF genetic testing, doctors and advocates say
Eight healthy babies were recently conceived via in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the UK using DNA from three people to avoid inheriting serious genetic mutations, but it could be many years before these procedures are permitted under law in Ireland. The remarkable scientific development was years in the making. The procedure is carried out in cases where the mother is known to have a genetic mutation in her mitochondrial DNA – the power house of the cell that makes up human tissue. The mother's egg is artificially fertilised by the father's sperm, and the genetic material from this embryo is extracted and transferred to a donor's egg, one which doesn't have mitochondrial mutation. The vast majority of the DNA is that of the mother and father, with the donor only providing less than a tenth of a per cent to the embryo's genetic code. It nonetheless has the potential to provide hope for families around the world. Graphic: Newcastle University/Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/PA Wire Dr Jane Farrar, from Trinity College 's genetics department, explains that mutations in the mitochondria are rare, yet manifest themselves in serious health issues from birth. Babies born with these mutations often suffer brain, heart and muscle failure from a young age as well as developmental delays. Dr Farrar says there is a range of mitochondrial disease with a spectrum of symptoms, all of which are severe. Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) can lead to quite sudden, sometimes total loss of vision in both eyes. Dr Farrar says this is an onset disease and often takes place in young adulthood. On the other hand, Leigh Syndrome is a disorder characterised by progressive and gradual loss of muscle use and brain function. This is evident from infancy and early childhood, she says. The eight healthy babies in the UK were born after about 20 years of genetic and medical research, and in 2015 a change in law allowed for this procedure to be carried out. In spite of the Church of England and other religious leaders questioning its ethics, the UK parliament passed it by a two-thirds majority. IVF clinics in Ireland are not permitted under law to carry out this procedure. The Department of Health calls it 'a relatively new and highly complex form of assisted human reproduction technology'. A department spokesperson said the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 'establishes a regulatory framework for fertility clinics and assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatments, aiming to ensure consistency, oversight and ethical standards in practice and research'. The National Infertility Support and Information Group (NISIG) said 'while work is under way to establish a regulatory authority for Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) treatment in Ireland as part of this legislation, research like this in the UK highlights just how far behind Ireland still is in comparison to other countries'. They said it is imperative the government's regulatory framework includes an authority that 'enables the use of pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) of embryos; posthumous assisted human reproduction; and embryo and stem cell research'. Dr John Waterstone, a graduate of Trinity College's genetics department as well as its medical school, is the founder and director of Waterstone Clinic, one of Ireland's largest IVF providers. While he acknowledges the 'very experimental' nature of the procedure, he says 'it is pretty remarkable that they've managed to do it. It's an incredible achievement for them'. He says that for some 'it's ethically questionable' to facilitate genetic modification of embryos but adds that this is for 'couples who have found themselves in tragic situations. Really traumatic, horrendous experiences of parents' children dying in infancy after being born with rare genetic mutations'. Waterstone Clinic does provide pre-implantation genetic testing on embryos to discover if parents are unknowingly passing down genetic mutations that could cause serious health conditions in their children. However, Dr Waterstone says that the kind of procedure that took place in the UK is unlikely to come to Ireland anytime soon. 'I don't really think in the foreseeable future that anyone in Ireland who's diagnosed with mitochondrial disease will receive that treatment here. It's more viable to go to the UK,' he says. Given the rarity of these mutations, 'one in 5,000 individuals might have mitochondrial diseases', he says and the necessity for this treatment is not widespread.
New Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Three-parent babies: Can this reproduction technique prevent genetic disorders?
CHENNAI: A decade after the UK legalised mitochondrial donation—a pioneering reproductive technology that combines DNA from three individuals—questions are emerging about its effectiveness, safety, and the overall patient experience. Developed by scientists at Newcastle University, the technique uses nuclear DNA from the intended mother and father, along with healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg. Approved under the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Regulations in 2015, the method has so far led to the birth of eight reportedly healthy children. The goal of mitochondrial donation is to prevent the transmission of serious genetic disorders caused by faulty mitochondria. Mitochondria are parts of a cell that act like power stations, converting food into energy the cell can use. They are inherited exclusively from the mother through the egg cell, as mitochondria in the father's sperm are typically not passed on to the offspring. Results from Newcastle University, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that 22 women received the treatment since 2017, resulting in eight births. The technology offers new hope to families at risk of passing on inherited mitochondrial disorders such as Leigh syndrome—a life-threatening condition that disrupts the body's ability to produce energy at the cellular level. In mitochondrial donation, the nucleus from the mother's egg—which holds her nuclear DNA—is moved into a donor egg that has had its own nucleus removed. This creates an embryo that contains the mother's nuclear DNA and the donor's healthy mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). This technique helps stop the transfer of the mother's faulty mitochondrial DNA to her child, significantly lowering the risk of the child developing a mitochondrial disease.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists use DNA from three people to protect babies from rare disease
LONDON - A pioneering IVF technique combining DNA from three people to protect a baby from a rare genetic disease has been used in Britain, leading to a healthy cohort of eight babies with no sign of serious disease, scientists said Wednesday. Four girls and four boys, including one set of twins, were born healthy after scientists used the treatment to prevent mothers with mutations in their mitochondrial DNA from transmitting the condition to their children, scientists at Newcastle University in northern England said in a statement Wednesday. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. The authors say it represents the first study into an entire cohort of babies and paves the way for further research on their health outcomes, as well as improved medical techniques for that specific treatment - which is granted approval in the United Kingdom on a case-by-case basis. Mitochondria are commonly known as the 'powerhouse of the cell' and produce energy required for major parts of the body to function. However, small mutations in mitochondrial DNA can affect tissues with high-energy demands such as the heart, muscle and brain, causing devastating disease and, in some cases, death. Mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother, and although males can be affected, they do not transmit the disease, researchers said. About 1 in 5,000 babies are born worldwide each year with mutations that can cause the disease, researchers said. Now, scientists have detailed how an IVF technique called pronuclear transfer has been used to combine the DNA of three people to reduce the risk of mitochondrial disease being passed down the generations, in accompanying studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday. The technique uses 99.9 percent of the DNA from a man and woman, with another 0.1 percent from a second woman's donor egg. It works by transplanting the nuclear genome of an egg from the mother with the condition - which contains genes essential for individual characteristics like hair color and height - to an egg donated by an unaffected woman that has had its nuclear genome removed, researchers said. The resulting embryo inherits nuclear DNA from its two parents, but the mitochondrial DNA comes from the donated egg, researchers said. The treatment was offered to certain women at very high risk of passing on serious mitochondrial disease, in accordance with U.K. regulations that assess each application for the procedure on a case-by-case basis. The eight infants - who range in age from newborn to over 2 years old - were assessed to be healthy, meeting developmental milestones and reported levels of mitochondrial disease-causing mutations that were undetectable or at levels unlikely to cause disease, the Newcastle University statement said. Three of the babies had levels of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations of up to 20 percent, which is still below the 80 percent threshold for clinical disease, it added. Doug Turnbull, a neurologist at Newcastle University who co-wrote the study, said it was the first to document a 'cohort' of children who had received the treatment. He said it is the result of an extremely cautious approach by scientists and regulators that has been more than two decades in the making. 'People have used very similar techniques, but nobody's quite used this particular technique,' he told The Washington Post in a phone interview Thursday. 'It's just absolutely critical when you're doing a new technique to be cautious and to make sure … it's as safe and efficient as possible.' The procedure has also raised concern from some, including religious groups, about its ethics and the fear that it could open the door to further genetic modification. Peter Thompson, chief executive of the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, which regulates the process in Britain, said that only people with a 'very high risk' of passing on a serious mitochondrial disease are eligible for the treatment and that every application is assessed individually. As of July 1, 35 patients have been granted approval by U.K. authorities to proceed with the treatment since it was first licensed in 2017. 'These robust but flexible regulatory processes allow the technique to be used safely for the purposes that Parliament agreed in 2015,' Thompson said in a statement in response to Wednesday's news. Scientists have cautiously welcomed the findings, while stressing the importance of long-term monitoring and raising the prospect of whether the procedure offers advantages over embryo screening for genetic disease. Others have raised the issue of cost in the long-term project that is supported by Britain's National Health Service and medical charity the Wellcome Trust, among other groups. Mary Herbert, who is professor of reproductive biology at Newcastle University and lead author of the research paper, said 'the findings give grounds for optimism' but further research is needed to 'bridge the gap' between reducing risk of mitochondrial disease and preventing it. Turnbull said the team is also looking to improve medical techniques and follow up with the children involved for as long as possible to track their health outcomes. He said researchers are offering health assessments for five years, but it 'would be lovely to be able to follow them up much longer.' Joanna Poulton, a professor in mitochondrial genetics at the University of Oxford, who was not involved in the research, said 'time will tell' whether the treatment results in 'dramatic clinical advance.' The births come amid a wider boom in genomic sequencing and IVF start-ups that have sparked a wider debate about the ethics and science behind embryo screening and genetic preselection. In the United States, those undertaking IVF typically test for rare genetic disorders stemming from a single gene mutation, such as cystic fibrosis, or chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome. The use of donor mitochondria, however, is not permitted under U.S. regulations. In Britain, the creation of babies using DNA from three people was first made legal in 2015, hailed for its ability to prevent serious disease being passed on. Related Content Democrats try a new tone: Less scripted, more cursing, Trumpier insults An asylum seeker abandons her claim and leaves Trump's America He may have stopped Trump's would-be assassin. Now he's telling his story.
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Gráinne O'Hare's Thirst Trap is a quintessential millennial coming of age story - and magic to read'
Irish writer Gráinne O'Hare is the next big thing on the literary scene. The Mirror speaks to her about her new literary sensation Thirst Trap, nostalgia, and how to write grief while also remaining funny Irish fiction is having a 'boom'. Step into a bookshop anywhere in the world and you will find at least one Irish writer's book nestled in the bookshelves. Though they are much more likely to be in the front window, facing out to passers by in the street. Irish writers have become a global currency in the literary world, from Colm Toibin's Brooklyn that pulls on the diaspora's heartstrings with longing for the Emerald Isle to Sally Rooney 's works that catalogue love, austerity, and grief in modern Ireland. Now, with news of a recent US bookdeal , there's a new global sensation on the horizon: Belfast writer Gráinne O'Hare with her debut novel Thirst Trap. Ahead of the US deal news breaking, The Mirror spoke to Gráinne about nostalgia for Belfast night life, dark humour, and of course: death. Set in Gráinne's home city of Belfast, Thirst Trap is the story of three friends approaching their thirties, living in a student house they're struggling to admit they no longer love, all the while mourning the death of their friend, Lydia. This may sound all very down-beat, but it's anything but. This novel balances the heartbreak with humour in a way that is reminiscent of Caroline O'Donoghue's The Rachel Incident . Gráinne tells me that the impetus to sit down and write this story began as she moved away from Belfast to Newcastle-upon-Tyne to study for a PhD at Newcastle University. She said she was 'feeling quite homesick and wanting to reconnect with the places that I missed in Belfast, like all the pubs that I missed going out to.' She adds that part of the appeal of writing home was to 'live vicariously through telling stories about women out on the sesh.' A familiar feeling for the homesick - of both Ireland and youth alike. But Thirst Trap is much more than a story solely about necking pints in the pub with your mates; it's a meditation on the millennial condition, where there were high expectations of what life would be, but the reality is not what was promised nor imagined. There's a sense of longing in Thirst Trap for a life that didn't turn out the way it was planned. This feeling will undoubtedly speak to millennials and Gen Z alike, as many people now shell out over a third of their salary to live in rented accommodation, while others move back into their parent's houses. There's been a recent wave of posts on Tiktok where students post nostalgia-heavy posts about their university accommodation and friends, splicing videos of rooms filled with friends drinking and hugging with those of empty rooms, the posters gone, the people long since moved on to their new lives. I got this same nostalgic yearning feeling when I read Thirst Trap. Gráinne said: 'You almost don't realize until it's quite a lot later, that was the last time that I saw this friend who I used to see every day.' For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. Of this nostalgic feeling, Gráinne adds that 'when you're living with your best friends and you think, 'this is going to go on this forever.' … Then things change and people move out or move away or people get into relationships or they have kids or all kinds of changes that happen in that sort of wave of weddings and babies and significant changes.' This would not be a piece about Thirst Trap nor Irish fiction if it didn't address Irish culture's preoccupation with death. If you have ever met an Irish person even in passing, you will have heard that the best craic happens at a wake, where people visit the deceased in their home ahead of the funeral mass. These events are a time for shared mourning and to celebrate the life of the person who has recently passed. In 2024, Sally Rooney's Intermezzo dropped to international acclaim and bookish hype. In Intermezzo, two brothers are rapt in grief following their father's death. Anne Enright's Booker Prize winning The Gathering , too, explores those living after death, as the title refers to the gathering at a wake. Both Enright's and Rooney's novels are heart-wrenching and vital illuminations on Ireland's living with the dead, long after their last breath. O'Hare brings new light to this heart wrenching topic, and couples it with a blistering wit. It's, in the best way possible, like a wake: all humour and heartbreak. It feels like a breath of fresh air to read about a serious topic - such as the death of a friend - without the piece descending into trauma porn. Gráinne tells me that 'dealing with incredibly bleak situations by making jokes' is something that comes naturally to her. She adds: 'It's just like life is horrible, but we're still having a bit of craic.' Thirst Trap is the quintessential millennial coming of age story: there is bad sex, terrible jobs, stunted opportunities. And the propulsive longing for another life, for something better, all the while pining for the past. It gave me an emotional kicking: the contradictions of wanting to evolve while wanting everything to stay the same. It's magic to read. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
