University of Liverpool

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-09

Recent discoveries and precision measurements at the Large Hadron Collider have reaffirmed the Standard Model (SM) as an extraordinarily successful framework for describing all known particles and their interactions. Nevertheless, the SM leaves many fundamental questions unanswered. Dark Matter and Dark Energy — the key components of the Dark Universe — remain unexplained, and the absence of a quantum theory of gravity highlights the need for physics beyond the SM (BSM). Planned precision experiments, such as the Future Circular Collider (FCC-ee) in particle physics, and new cosmological and astroparticle observations aimed at probing gravitational phenomena, require matching advances in theoretical precision. This proposal addresses these challenges by developing the theoretical tools and predictions necessary to support and guide these experimental efforts. We will advance the theoretical limits of achievable precision and ensure that they do not become a bottleneck for future discoveries. The Liverpool Consortium’s research programme integrates formal theory, phenomenology, cosmology, and advanced computational approaches across three Science Areas, tackling these questions from multiple perspectives. `String Theory and the Dark Universe' The String Theory and the Dark Universe programme focuses on fundamental questions at the intersection of quantum gravity, particle physics, and cosmology. This research moves beyond traditional supersymmetric and geometric compactifications, addressing core problems such as spacetime singularities, the cosmological constant, and the swampland conjectures. By combining theoretical advances with computational techniques, including AI-driven model generation, this programme aims to develop new models for Dark Matter and Dark Energy. These models will help interpret data from next-generation dark matter experiments, gravitational wave observatories, and quantum sensors, providing a clearer picture of the Dark Universe. `Particle and Astroparticle Precision QFT' The Particle and Astroparticle Precision QFT programme aims to improve our understanding of Quantum Field Theory (QFT) and ensure that theoretical precision matches the needs of future experiments. Building on our excellence in high-order perturbative calculations, this research will refine predictions for key observables such as quark and lepton flavour transitions, the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon (g-2), and parton distribution functions. A significant focus will be on determining the precision required for future lepton colliders like the FCC-ee, ensuring that theoretical uncertainties are minimised and do not limit experimental sensitivity. Effective field theory techniques and advanced computational tools will be developed to explore BSM scenarios and address current anomalies, providing essential guidance for interpreting particle and astroparticle data. 'Lattice Field Theory' The Lattice Field Theory group will use high-performance computing to address key non-perturbative aspects of quantum field theory. The programme will develop innovative non-perturbative renormalisation techniques to improve predictions for hadron structure, quark-flavour physics, and gauge theories under extreme conditions. These calculations will be critical for interpreting data from heavy-ion collision experiments and providing insights into strongly coupled systems beyond the SM. Additionally, quantum algorithms and machine learning methods will be explored to enhance lattice simulations, opening new pathways for precision studies in quantum chromodynamics and quantum computing. By combining expertise in formal theory, phenomenology, cosmology, and computational physics, the Liverpool Consortium is well-positioned to tackle key STFC science challenges. This research will ensure that theoretical predictions keep pace with future experimental advances, helping to unlock the mysteries of the Dark Universe and refine our understanding of the fundamental forces that shape it.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-09

The Crafting Care for People, Place and Planet Doctoral Focal Award (DFA) College aligns with the AHRC ‘arts and humanities for a healthy planet, people, and place’ research theme. Our DFA College aims to equip a new and inclusive generation of researchers, deeply versed in interdisciplinary approaches and multi-sectoral skills, to tackle urgent challenges that do not fit one discipline or perspective. This DFA College is rooted in the University of Liverpool’s interdisciplinary Centre for Health, Arts, Society & Environment (CHASE), which will work in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire and the Royal Northern College of Music (a small specialist institution), both of which bring thematic expertise and extensive experience of diverse doctoral provision. Recruitment and training will be centred around four cross-institutional interdisciplinary themes: Care-as-Craft, Ecologies of Care, Creativity and Care, and Curating the Future. PhD projects will be co-created between prospective Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) and interdisciplinary supervisory teams, with recruitment including a holistic review of candidates’ preparedness for postgraduate research, as opposed to a simple assessment of academic track record. A six-strand training programme has been designed to address baseline and advanced skills needs which include (i) general transferable skills training; (ii) discipline-specific training; (iii) methods training; (iv) theme-specific medical and environmental humanities modules; (iv) bespoke courses informed by a DFA Development Needs Analysis; and (v) employability training. All DFA PGRs will have the opportunity to undertake a placement during their PhD and will be made CHASE Fellows after graduation, continuing their access to training and networks for at least three years. The consortium will be delivered in collaboration with ten non-HEI partners in key sectors: health (Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Wirral Public Health), environment (Canal and River Trust, The Mersey Forest), and the arts (DaDa, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool Philharmonic, National Museums Liverpool). Non-HEI partners will be involved in co-supervising Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDAs), supporting placements, contributing to our training programme, and steering the direction and development of the college by sitting on panels and boards. The aims and objectives of this DFA College are to (i) position the arts and humanities as diverse models of practice; (ii) draw on and further key conceptual innovations; (iii) nurture cross-disciplinary research; (iv) disseminate innovative-creative methods; (v) use arts and humanities creative potentials to dissolve boundaries between sectors, recognising expert marginalised or excluded voices; (vi) employ collaborative and participatory approaches to research; and (vii) create future research leaders in academic and non-academic sectors. We will measure success against these objectives by monitoring the diversity of our cohort, the range of interdisciplinary projects being supported, the skills development of our students, and the scale of non-HEI partner involvement in all areas of our programme. We will prioritise expertise-by-experience, whether that is living with illness, encountering exclusion, or working as an established professional or practitioner. Our partners are united in their commitment to forging non-traditional pathways to PhD study as vitally enriching a research culture with care at its centre.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-06

Climate change is driving species to shift their geographic ranges, while human land uses tend to make shifts more difficult. Making decisions about modifying land use today, with enormous uncertainty about climate change and socioeconomic change, is an unprecedented challenge. It’s clear that our current land-use trajectories globally are unsustainable, and that space is needed to allow biodiversity to recover, but nature is much more complicated than greenhouse gases. Despite decades of research on conservation planning, it is better suited to planning static, fortress-style protected areas than whole, multi-use landscapes. A dynamic world with a patchwork of habitats in different states of recovery requires a new kind of flexible planning toolbox. Now is an exciting time for biodiversity and ecosystem data. In some areas and for some variables the data is phenomenal; elsewhere there are big holes. Unfortunately, the urgency of conservation and restoration decisions means we can’t afford to wait for the holes to be filled. My research uses statistical techniques to make our planning conclusions more reliable, despite the holes. It exploits the sources of strong data, to predict something that can be generalised. My methods have high potential to be widely used inside and outside academia, because many have the same issues with their data. For the next three years, I will complete three studies, which build on my recent theoretical and statistical results. First, I will develop a calculator for overall average species’ abundance in each land-use type in each biome. This exploits high quality land-use maps and fills in gaps for missing species based on their rarity. It is based on a prototype biodiversity indicator which I have just published. Second, I will use global citizen science data to estimate dispersal distances for invertebrates. This exploits high densities of citizen science records in a few landscapes, and fills in gaps for missing species based on their morphology. It builds on a new method I have developed for finding the signal of dispersal in population data. Third, I will enhance my planning model Condatis to ensure habitat networks offer connectivity for all the species that need them under climate change. Condatis quantifies the potential speed of range shifts across a given habitat map. It has been used for numerous conservation and restoration questions in the last 10 years, but hardly ever for specific, named species. My proposed new methods will be adaptable to situations where we only roughly know the niche of each species. The key principle is to find out how species’ needs are intercorrelated, and exploit this so that the planning problem has fewer variables. To ensure my methods reach the users who need them most, I will work with practitioners as partners, ensure my software is user-friendly, and link the methods to open-access data sources. Personally, I love the complexity of nature, yet I believe that conservation planning is over-complicated. Over-complicated results risk getting ignored by decisionmakers, who are predominantly not ecologists. I envision a conservation toolbox that is credible but simple, enabling a higher impact across sectors. I hope it will help nature to recover in coming decades, because biodiversity will be more fairly represented and quantified alongside all the societal and economic drivers of land use.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-06

When species face new environmental challenges – habitat shifts, novel predators, or toxic prey – many evolve remarkably similar solutions. This pattern, called convergent evolution, has long been recognised in analogous phenotypic traits across unrelated species. The molecular era has revealed the mechanism: identical genetic changes emerging independently across different lineages. But these repeat outcomes are not universal. Other species, facing the same pressures, take different evolutionary paths – or fail to adapt. Why does evolution repeat in some cases, but not others? Our central idea is that the repeatability of evolution, particularly convergent genetic change, is shaped not only by natural selection but also by biological constraints rooted in protein structure and evolutionary history. A mutation beneficial in one species might be ineffective or even harmful in another, depending on the molecular context of that species’ biology. A species’ evolutionary history can limit its future: once certain paths are taken, others may be closed off. Our project reframes adaptive evolution as a systems-level process shaped by interactions between ecological pressures, protein architecture, and evolutionary legacy, with real consequences for predicting how species adapt to changing environments. We will test this paradigm through a global-scale study of resistance to cardiotonic steroids (CTSs) – natural toxins that, when consumed, disable a vital cellular pump (Na,K-ATPase). CTS resistance has evolved repeatedly across animals, through amino acid changes at two sites in the protein. Our foundational research, built on eight years of evolutionary and functional analyses, shows that these same changes do not always yield resistance. In some reptiles and mammals, mutations impair ATPase function rather than confer resistance. This variation in outcome challenges the classic view of convergence as a predictable outcome of selection, emphasising how molecular constraints shape species’ evolutionary potential. Birds provide a powerful, tractable, and unexplored model: an ecologically diverse, phylogenetically rich group with multiple independent exposures to CTS. Our enabling dataset of 360 avian ATP1A sequences, combined with validated pipelines for structural modelling and in vitro testing, allows us to uncover the molecular logic behind ecological adaptation and its limits. These insights extend beyond birds. For example, CTSs secreted by invasive cane toads kill native Australian predators via the same ATPase target. We propose three objectives: Map resistance mutations and ecological exposure We will analyse ATP1A1 variation across ~400 bird species – capturing their global diversity. Adding long-read PacBio sequencing of previously unstudied songbirds with known toxin resistance, alongside cutting-edge AI protein modelling and phylogenetic analysis, we will reveal where and why convergence evolves, or does not. Reveal functional effects and trade-offs We will use protein engineering to test how specific amino acid changes affect toxin resistance and ATPase function, by introducing mutations into ancestral proteins and reverting extant proteins to ancestral states. This will reveal functional trade-offs that shape adaptive landscapes. Test the role of historical contingency We will resurrect the ancestral ATP1A1 proteins – from the ancestor of all birds (~150–165 Mya) and key avian orders – and engineer modern resistance mutations into these different evolutionary contexts. This will reveal whether the same mutation succeeds or fails depending on historical background, and how evolutionary history constrains convergence. By linking molecular mechanisms to ecological outcomes, our project builds a predictive framework for understanding the limits of adaptation and will explain how species evolve under ecological pressures.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

This grant covers the second round of Hyper-Kamiokande construction, as well as integration and comissioning. The main grant is being submitted by the UK PI at Oxford and this submission covers the costs at the University of Liverpool.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

Context. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers. It commonly spreads to the liver, through a process known as metastasis and this is the primary cause of death for those with PDAC. Thus, there is an urgent need to prevent pancreatic cancer reaching the liver. Progress is hindered by lack of a detailed understanding of the mechanisms that cause the aggressive metastatic nature of PDAC. Our team has shown that PDAC liver metastasis is influenced by non-cancerous cells supporting the seeding and growth of cancer cells at the distant site. PDAC liver metastatic tumours are often invaded by a type of white blood cells called macrophages. Macrophages are a key part of our immune system and are present in all tissues. In cancer, macrophages can either prevent or promote metastasis depending on their activation state. Approaches that aim to manipulate macrophages to prevent metastatic spreading represent an attractive treatment strategy for PDAC. A particular property of macrophages is to clear dead cells to maintain homeostasis by a process called efferocytosis. Efferocytosis is actively anti-inflammatory to prevent tissue damage. Last year, our team found that in the context of pancreatic cancer, the anti-inflammatory features of macrophages carrying out efferocytosis prevent an anti-tumour immune response and support liver metastasis. Thus, targeting efferocytosis could potentially be beneficial for the treatment of cancer. Challenges. In 2025, there is a widespread overconsumption of dietary fat, resulting in around 32% of the world population having dietary-induced liver steatosis, characterised by fats building up inside liver cells (hepatocytes). Population wide studies looking at the frequency of cancers and metastasis show that people with liver steatosis are at higher risk of developing liver metastasis, suggesting that steatotic livers provide a fertile ground for disseminated cancer cells. Our new data show that mice with liver steatosis are more susceptible to develop pancreatic cancer liver metastasis. Importantly, inhibition of efferocytosis in steatotic livers reduces liver metastasis, suggesting a molecular link between dietary induced liver steatosis, efferocytosis, and PDAC liver metastasis. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which liver steatosis supports PDAC liver metastasis remain unknown. It is this knowledge gap that we aim to address here. Hypothesis and Aims. Our central hypothesis is that a high fat diet reprogrammes liver macrophage functions towards supporting metastasis, thereby promoting metastatic PDAC tumour growth in steatotic livers. We will address this hypothesis with the following specific aims: Investigate the effect of a high fat diet on pancreatic cancer metastasis. Identify molecular targets regulating dietary-induced reprogramming of macrophages. Target dietary-induced reprogrammed macrophages to stop liver metastasis. Potential applications and benefits. This project will reveal fundamental insights into how in pancreatic cancer, an unhealthy high fat diet can have detrimental effects on metastatic disease initiation and progression by reprogramming liver macrophages to support liver metastasis. This study will provide the rationale for developing better treatments for pancreatic cancer. We are ideally positioned to translate our science into new therapies through our close collaboration with the clinical teams at the Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and Liverpool Royal University Hospital. This work will also have applications for other cancer types spreading to the liver and non-cancerous liver diseases linked to liver damage.      

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-03

This project will design innovative device fingerprinting solutions for pervasive Internet of things (IoT) devices. IoT has become the new digital infrastructure by connecting everyone and everything together via billions of wireless devices. The majority of IoT devices are usually low cost, small size with limited computational capacity and energy resources, hence, they cannot afford computational expensive cryptography. There is a trend to solicit non-cryptographic and lightweight solutions for IoT, as evidenced by MIT Technology Review in 2022 reporting the end of the password as the top 10 breakthrough technologies. Radio frequency fingerprint identification (RFFI) emerges as a non-cryptographic technique for secure device identification that exploits the unique and stable hardware impairments of radio devices as their identifiers. RFFI is promising for all wireless technologies, including WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular. While RFFI has attracted active research interests in the last decade, there are still critical research challenges remaining for a more robust and reliable RFFI system, which will be the focus of this project.   This project will bring together experts from the University of Liverpool, UK and Rice University, USA. It will carry out a systematic and comprehensive investigation of deep learning-enhanced RFFI involving RFFI algorithm design and enhancement, adversarial attacks and countermeasures, as well as FPGA implementation. A synergistic research methodology will be adopted consisting of modeling, algorithm design, simulation and experimental evaluation as well as real implementation. A unique outcome of this project will be the creation of robust and secure RFFI systems, validated by both simulation and practical experiments & implementation. The immediate benefits of the project are: (i) well-designed channel elimination algorithms suitable to various channel conditions, (ii) hardware feature enhancement to further improve the classification performance, (iii) practical deep learning attacks against RFFI and countermeasures, (iv) real implementation based on FPGA platforms. The project's broader impact will be to study RFFI algorithms and feasible systems implementation for technology transfer in emerging IoT devices.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-02

Context Brittle bone disease (osteogenesis imperfecta, OI) occurs in 1 in 10,000 individuals. Symptoms range from mild to lethal before birth, but commonly include easily-broken bones, loose joints, and weak muscles. Most cases are caused by mutations in one of the two genes for type I collagen, the major structural component of tissues and organs. Collagen precursors form trimers and assemble into string-like fibrils outside the cell. Type I collagen trimers comprise two copies of the collagen a1 chain and one a2 chain, encoded by the Col1a1 and Col1a2 genes respectively. A mouse model of OI, termed ‘oim’ (osteogenesis imperfecta murine) which is widely used for preclinical testing, carries a Col1a2 mutation such that only a1 homotrimers form in mice with two mutant genes. Carrying one copy of the defective gene produces mild symptoms, whereas two copies cause spontaneous bone fractures. We have shown that bone fragility occurs due to lack of normal (a1)2 a2 heterotrimers AND the presence of the defective oim collagen gene; whereas inactivation of both copies of Col1a2 does not substantially alter bone structure or biomechanics.   Challenge Although the oim model is widely used for preclinical testing of treatments for OI, including anabolic, anti-resorptive and stem cell therapies, the pathogenetic mechanism is unknown. We showed that inactivation of both copies of the second collagen gene (Col1a2) in mice does not substantially alter bone structure or mechanical function. However, one copy of the oim mutation in Col1a2 is more detrimental when the other Col1a2 gene is inactivated, raising the question as to whether normal Col1a2 could counteract other OI-causing mutations. Intriguingly, the abnormal a2 chain precursor protein was not detected in the oim model with two mutant copies of Col1a2, despite the presence of the messenger RNA required to make the mutant protein. Nor was there activation of cellular stress pathways, as seen in other cases with abnormal collagen precursors. This suggests that mechanisms active before or during protein production could play a role in the development of OI.   Aims and objectives We aim to determine whether OI is caused by an unusual pre-translational defect in the oim model, and whether other OI mutations also have defective protein translation, as well as the role of normal Col1a2 in counteracting bone fragility. This will potentially reveal important new mechanisms of OI pathogenesis and shed light on the suitability of the oim mouse model in drug testing. The objectives are: 1) To determine whether the mutant Col1a2 gene is actually made into protein in the cell. 2) The understand the rate of collagen synthesis, fibril assembly, protein composition, and cellular function in the oim mutant model. 3) To establish whether lack of a normal a2 collagen chain and/or the presence of homotrimeric type I collagen can exacerbate OI caused by other type I collagen mutations.   Applications and benefits There is no curative therapy for OI. We therefore need a reliable model for early-stage testing of the wide range of potential OI treatments. This work will establish the extent to which the osteogenesis imperfecta murine (oim) model is a suitable system for such testing. Furthermore, if as we hypothesise, the mutation influences pathways preceding protein production, or protein production itself, this opens up the opportunity for new approaches targeting these pathways as future frontline treatments for OI.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-02

Control of invasive rodents is a major global challenge, particularly for species such as brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) that exploit a wide range of habitats associated with human activity. The most prevalent rat across Europe and North America, brown rats have profoundly negative impacts through crop and food damage, are vectors of diseases with significant human and livestock health risks, inflict expensive damage to the built environment and cause harm to native wildlife. Economic costs run into many billions of pounds worldwide. Reduction of harbourage and available food help minimise rat problems, but current control strategies rely heavily on highly toxic rodenticides with delayed action to ensure a lethal dose. However, these rodenticides are also highly toxic to other animals and have markedly inhumane effects on target and non-target animals. Despite precautions, poisoning of non-target wildlife is widespread, with highly persistent anticoagulant rodenticides causing secondary poisoning in a high proportion of avian and mammalian predators. A major issue is that non-target rodents (field voles, bank voles, wood mice in UK), which are the main prey of many raptors and mammalian predators, easily access rat baits even in tamper-proof bait boxes. While brown rats show substantial wariness towards baits and traps, leading to a long delay before interaction with control measures, non-target rodents access these baits very quickly. There is urgent need to reduce primary and secondary poisoning of non-target animals and to target rat control much more effectively to allow quick control when rats first invade. We will develop tools to protect non-target rodents from rodenticides whilst simultaneously overcoming the substantial caution of rats towards control measures. To achieve this, we will develop scents that (1) overcome neophobia in brown rats and attract them to enter boxes housing baits or traps, and (2) deter non-target rodents from taking rat baits. Deployment of this approach at scale for commercial application requires the development of synthetic mimics of natural scents that are very effective. Using bioassays conducted in large outdoor enclosures under realistic semi-natural conditions, we will optimise these synthetic mimics for both attracting rats and deterring the three main UK non-target rodent species. The most successful mimics will then be field tested in natural rodent populations, and next stages for development discussed with regulators and the pest control industry. For ethical and environmental reasons, all work will involve non-toxic monitoring baits that do not contain rodenticides. Successful development of this approach will improve the efficacy and humaneness of rat control while reducing environmental harm. It will help protect authorised use and sustainability of important rodenticide products, substantially reduce loss of baits taken by non-target rodents, and allow more effective monitoring of rat activity.  An effective rat lure will improve efficiency of control, reducing environmental health risks, rat damage and the number of animals that must be killed. It will also work with next generation control products that may be developed, such as chemical contraceptive or sterilant baits, humane rodenticides and traps. Protecting non-target rodents also protects vulnerable predators from reduced food supply and secondary poisoning. Beneficiaries will include general public, public services and private industry concerned about rat damage and health risks; food producers and retailers; new products for pest control manufacturers, distributors and service industry; regulators and public concerned about biodiversity loss and humaneness of rodent control.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-02

By 750 CE, about a third of the whole of Christian western Europe was in the hands of Church institutions; and the most significant and coherent of those institutions were monasteries. But we still do not know what this meant in concrete terms, at a local level, for the history of the later 8th and 9th centuries, when the Carolingian empire was at its height. This project will identify the implications for this crucial period of our new understanding of landed power by confronting the four methodological problems it involves: 1) delineating regional differences in monastic economies; 2) interpreting leases as ways of managing monastic estates and of mediating relationships with lay lessees; 3) understanding terminologies of size and scale which were not always intended to be precisely quantifiable; and 4) exposing the mutual, interlocking influences of economy, ecclesiastical institutionality, and religious spirituality and learning that constituted monastic communities in the Carolingian age. Our aim to address these methodological challenges is both innovative and timely, because each of them lacks much systematic study and they have never been considered together.  Yet it is urgent that we do so, simply because the vast majority of the evidence that survives for early medieval agriculture was preserved by monasteries and mostly concerned their land (or at least, land that they claimed was theirs). Inevitably, therefore, the current history of the early medieval economy is in fact largely the history of the early medieval monastic economy; but with limited acknowledgement of that fact. Our project meets this core aim by examining in an innovative and fully integrated way two case studies: Farfa in Italy and Fulda in Germany. Our first objective is to turn what survives of their archive from the Carolingian period into a state-of-the art annotated digital edition that reveals rather than conceals medieval practices of archiving.  An ancillary aim is therefore to provide an example of archivally-aware editing. On the basis of the digital edition we will analyse the documents to accomplish three objectives in response to our research questions: How far were legal contracts with peasants (leases and similar instruments) consistent and reliable ways of managing estates – and what does this mean for the institutions’ power over their land?  How far do the texts show agriculture to be quantifiable in a reliable and consistent way? And to what extent were the management and recording of landed property influenced by monastic learning and spirituality? It is a mark of the project’s originality, but also a risk factor, that is has no significant precedents – either for addressing the three challenges in one project or for making a transalpine, Italian-east Frankish/German comparison of this sort. But it is precisely the three PIs’ proven record both of specific expertise and of overarching synthesis that highlights the value of this British-German collaboration and assures the quality of the projected outputs: the digital edition and three articles.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-02

Iraq’s marshes, the Middle East’s largest wetlands, occupy a conflicted position in archaeological and political imaginations. A succession of colonial and post-colonial?powers developed a vision of the marshes as agriculturally unproductive, inaccessible, and impossible to control. Consequently, the marshes were almost entirely overlooked in dominant discourses of Iraq’s past, which centred on interventional irrigation as the basis for thriving states and civilisations. A wave of public and scholarly interest in the lead up and aftermath of the Iraq War (2003) have, however, re-positioned the marshes as the cradle of the Urban Revolution, with the world’s earliest cities seen as developing within and around these biodiverse wetlands during the 4th Millennium BCE. This culminated in the marshes receiving UNESCO World Heritage status, recognised for their cultural and environmental value. Despite this recent reframing, the region and its communities have perfected what James Scott (2009) refers to as ‘the act of not being governed’. Marsh communities (henceforth Ahwari) have always sought refuge from centralising powers in the marshes, from the Sealand Dynasty’s fight for independence from Babylon in the 2nd millennium BCE, to Iraqi army deserters during the Iran-Iraq War. Ahwari lifeways provide a unique ecological-based model of sustainable rurality, in contrast to extractive urbanism. Human settlement in the marshes has always faced challenges from a difficult environment in constant change. In the past, the flood waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers led to enormous variation in water levels. The?Ahwari adapted by building artificial islands for their reed houses, which would rise and fall with the water. Ecologically more significant have been episodes of drastic human intervention, where water was diverted from the marshes for irrigation during the early Islamic period, returning when the Mongols destroyed this infrastructure. The Ottomans similarly undertook large-scale water management, both for agriculture and to suppress the marsh-based tribes who resisted Ottoman control, a tactic which pre-figured Saddam Hussein’s drainage of the marshes in the 1980s and 90s as a means of repression. Although water was restored to the marshes after 2003, the region is once again critically threatened by climate change, dam building upstream, and over-extraction of water by the oilfields which encircle the marshes and are themselves a direct cause of climate change. Climate change has reduced the rainfall feeding the marshes but also increased evaporation through higher temperatures. Lower flow and higher evaporation lead to increased salinity, which is rapidly destroying the freshwater environment, biodiversity and the agro-pastoral base of Ahwari communities. This project will study the changing relationship between settlement and environment in the Western Hamar marsh in deep-time perspective, analysing how past and contemporary communities have adapted and endured in the face of dramatic environmental change. The project will be a partnership between the Universities of Liverpool and Glasgow in the UK, the University of Al-Qadisiyah in Iraq, and the Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten (NINO). It will employ a multi-disciplinary methodology, combining heritage, archaeology, geology, hydrology, and ethnography to build a long-term understanding of human life in the marshes and the strategies of adaption and resilience which emerged in response to crises. These holistic heritage-based narratives are intended as a tool to support policymakers to develop heritage- and ecology-based economic strategies that offset and ultimately replace the current reliance on destructive over-farming and oil extraction.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-02

The COVID-19 pandemic and current climate crisis have created an urgency for our societies to find a radically different way towards discovering new materials for more resilient, flexible pharmaceutical manufacturing and achieving net zero faster. Robotic chemists are increasingly being used in laboratories to accelerate materials discovery and alleviate scientists from tedious manual tasks. The development of robot chemists has been mainly driven by a blend of human intuition and classical engineering design. This has led to remarkable success for a variety of experiments, but the general design principles and formats of adapting robotic systems have now somewhat stagnated. For our application domain, the ideal robot does not yet exist; these generalised robotic systems are not up to the challenge of being used across heterogeneous experiments which currently are only achievable with human dexterity and skill. The dominant paradigm has been to develop multi-functional robotic platforms with predominantly industrial parallel grippers that can be deployed across a variety of tasks and environments. The main bottleneck is, and has always been, the robot’s end-effector which requires iterative manual design, prototyping and adaptation to each experimental workflow; this makes overall deployment in-flexible, time consuming and costly. It takes months, and years, of manual efforts to adapt state-of-the-art robotic chemists to new tasks, materials and instruments. Humans, and in particular human scientists, carry out everyday tasks using tools that have been designed for highly dexterous hands. The sheer diversity of tools used daily underscores the fact that the human hand alone is often insufficient for the complexity of most tasks. Tools embody the solution to addressing manipulation challenges by extending reach, adjusting force direction and magnitude, and overcoming physical limitations. While we have successfully automated some chemistry lab tasks using human tools or custom-designed 3D-printed tools based on task requirements, our works have highlighted a mismatch between the design of tools and the limited dexterity of robotic chemists’ end-effectors. We propose to change this by reconceptualising how tools are optimised for chemistry lab automation tasks such that they are effective with the robot’s embodiment and behaviour. Our research vision is to achieve this through data-driven co-design of tools for acquiring robotic manipulation skills capable of handling novel materials (e.g., fluffy powders, hygroscopic crystals, tacky materials), potentially with unknown properties, across different chemistry experiments. We will then autonomously design, produce and test a suite of optimised robotic tools for the designated laboratory tasks using an end-to-end production and evaluation unit. In collaboration with our industrial stakeholders, we will experimentally validate our methods across material-handling manipulation tasks e.g., sample scraping and powder weighing across at least 2 branches of chemistry with a balance of task-performance and safe, dexterous embodiment (pharma and materials chemistry; e.g., for batteries and clean technologies). The end result will be the construction of ‘robot chemists’ that are closer towards achieving autonomous chemical synthesis; a highly dexterous task that requires multiple tools. This project will undoubtedly challenge current methods of deploying robot scientists in labs; by demonstrating the feasibility of adapting human-designed tools for collaborative use, we will pave the way for a new era of optimised autonomous chemistry labs that will directly benefit the public because fusing robotics, chemistry and AI is the only competitive way to tackle the largest global challenges of our societies, from clean energy to public health.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Understanding how children learn their first language is important because early progress in language learning is a key predictor of later educational achievement. It is also critical for the treatment of conditions like Developmental Language Disorder, which affects 2 children on average in every primary-school classroom. However, explaining how children learn language is challenging because it means explaining how children learn a system where the way words fit together does not depend on what the words mean, but on a complex set of language-specific rules for combining categories like Noun and Verb. For instance, English speakers say "The cat chased the mouse," while Japanese speakers use a structure like "Cat the mouse the chased" to communicate the same message. The aim of this project is to develop an explanation of how infants learn to distinguish Nouns and Verbs and so identify the building blocks of sentences. This explanation must be able to do three things. First, since infants readily learn whichever language, they are exposed to, it must explain how children distinguish between Nouns and Verbs in a way that works equally well across languages.  Second, since children’s language-learning abilities depend on systems in the brain, it must be consistent with what we know about human biology. Third, since we know that children can manipulate Noun and Verb categories by 18 months of age, it must explain how children distinguish between them using skills that are present in language-learning infants. In this project we will develop an explanation that meets all of these challenges. In Work Package 1, we will apply a computer model developed in the Principal Applicant’s previous work on French to several diverse languages. This model distinguishes between words that refer to objects and words that refer to actions in the infant’s very early vocabularies; tracks the way these words are used in caregivers’ speech; and then uses this information to decide whether new words are Nouns or Verbs. The results of this work package will tell us whether our explanation works across languages and hence whether it can explain how children distinguish between Nouns and Verbs in whichever language they are exposed to. In Work Package 2, we will use Electroencephalography (EEG), to test whether 10-month-old infants are sensitive to the difference between words that refer to objects and words that refer to actions – and whether different parts of the infant brain respond to object- and action-words in the same way as those of adults. This will tell us whether infants distinguish object- and action-words in the same way as our computer model and whether this method is consistent with what we know about the brain. In Work Package 3, we will use Pupillometry experiments to test whether 10-month-olds are surprised (show a dilated pupil response) to new object- and action-words when they are presented in contexts associated with old action- and object-words. This will tell us whether the skills used by our computer model to decide whether new words are Nouns or Verbs are present in language-learning infants. We will maximise the impact of our work by working with the BBC and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to communicate our findings to parents and language practitioners, and by organising a workshop to discuss their therapeutic implications for children with language difficulties.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Paracetamol (acetaminophen, APAP) is the most commonly taken medication worldwide. In the UK, around 100,000 overdose presentations and ~50,000 hospital admissions occur each year; paracetamol overdose (POD) is the leading cause of acute liver transplant, costing the NHS over £90 million annually, and claims >250 lives. Timely N-acetylcysteine (NAC) prevents serious acute liver injury (ALI). However, assessment typically depends on venous blood sampling, central laboratory processing and liver injury risk tests that are not specific to APAP-induced ALI. Without rapid, reliable testing, clinicians cannot promptly assess APAP-related ALI risk and therefore initiate NAC treatment “just in case”. In the absence of an APAP-specific rapid risk assessment, many patients start on fixed-dose NAC treatment as a precaution, with >40% ultimately overtreated. This drives precautionary admissions, exposes low-risk patients to adverse effects, and delays to safe discharge (or onward care). A rapid, non-invasive, near-patient test is urgently needed to deliver timely ALI risk information, helping clinicians to rule out NAC treatment for low-risk presentations and, in future pathway studies, informing earlier cessation. Supported by EPSRC (EP/V001019/1) and MRC IAA (MR/X502765/1), we have developed a rapid duplex salivary assay using paper arrow-mass spectrometry (PA-MS) to measure APAP alongside 3-cysteinylacetaminophen (APAP-cys), in a single test. APAP-cys is a sensitive, specific, and dynamic biomarker of APAP-induced liver injury. We have analytically verified performance in saliva from healthy volunteers at therapeutic doses. However, a knowledge gap remains for us to demonstrate that our duplex salivary APAP and APAP-cys test is applicable to real-world POD episodes, comparing between groups with and without ALI. To fill this gap, this project will conduct a prospective investigation to compare APAP and APAP-cys concentration levels across paired saliva and blood samples for POD patients with and without ALI. If successful, this outcome will address the single critical gap between therapeutic-level verification and overdose-level clinical performance, to generate the patient-level data needed to design a multi-site clinical performance/implementation and prototype development study (e.g., DPFS), thereby laying the groundwork for regulatory and commercial engagement.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

We will develop a proactive and sustainable Microbiome One Health Innovation Network (MicrOHbIome-Net) to take advantage of the enormous potential in microbiome science for providing solutions to global health and environmental challenges. Microbiomes are specific communities of microorganisms in the body, such as bacteria in the gut, which can significantly affect health and have wide-ranging impacts across humans, animals, plants, soils and the environment. Microbiome science holds huge potential for helping solve some of the world’s most important challenges including health and wellbeing, antimicrobial resistance, pandemics, agricultural productivity, food security and climate change. Multiple sectors of the UK economy, including personal care, healthcare, nutrition and agriculture, offer significant opportunities for innovative microbiome solutions.  Microbial bioproduct-relevant global markets such as agricultural biologicals and probiotics for human and livestock are worth $16 billion and $71 billion respectively and continue to grow1. However, progress is hampered by translation and innovation that has been slowed by complexities in research approaches, siloed working across topics and disconnect between academia and industry. To address these challenges and take advantage of opportunities offered, MicrOHbIome-Net will contribute to BBSRC's strategic priorities in agriculture and food security, industrial biotechnology and bioscience for health by fostering collaboration, innovation, and translational research across these domains. By enhancing visibility, accessibility, and connectivity among a wide range of stakeholders, nationally and internationally, this network will help the UK to be at the forefront of microbiome research and innovation and accelerate the pace of innovation and research. MicrOHbIome-Net will combine the newly launched Microbiome Innovation Hub by the University of Liverpool and CPI and academic microbiome networks, including the East Midlands Microbiome network, Imperial College and Glasgow, drawing together industry, academia, government, funders, investors, and regulators. This will deepen interconnectedness and enhance sharing of knowledge, resources, and best practices, crucial for translating cutting-edge microbiome research into market-ready solutions and enhancing the UK economy and society at large. This model of connectivity has been proven by network partner, the National Biofilms Innovation Centre. The KTN Microbiome Innovation Network (KTN-MIN) provided a strategic roadmap in 2021 which informs our approach. Funding for that network has finished and there is now an urgent need to build and develop this much further. This new network will offer many advantages. Economically, it can boost the UK’s GDP by fostering a competitive research and innovation environment. Collaboration between diverse microbiome sectors will catalyse economic activity and attract investment, positioning the UK as a leader in this rapidly developing field. It will cultivate a highly skilled talent pool with professionals adept in entrepreneurship, regulatory considerations and market dynamics as well as academic expertise, sustaining long-term industry growth and innovation. We will also build on our engagement with regulatory bodies such as MHRA, DEFRA and FSA to ensure that standards for microbiome research and products are robust and aligned with current scientific and regulatory frameworks. This proactive stance will aid innovation while also instilling confidence among stakeholders. Additionally, the network's interaction with policymakers will facilitate impactful changes at the governmental level, shaping policies that support the growth and sustainability of the microbiome sector. Such advocacy can lead to increased funding, better regulatory pathways and the establishment of initiatives that drive sectoral growth in industry and academia. We will also plan extensive public engagement to communicate widely to diverse audiences.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

This project aims to determine the mechanism by which a key protein called SERPINA3 enables cartilage formation. During development, the vertebrate skeleton begins as cartilage, gradually becoming mineralised into bone. This cartilage is formed from stem cells, which condense and differentiate into cartilage cells – chondrocytes – laying down a mesh of proteins called the extracellular matrix (ECM). This process is known as chondrogenesis, the first stages in the formation of the skeleton. Chondrogenesis is driven by a master regulator, SOX9, which binds to DNA and drives the expression of genes required to make the cartilage ECM. Despite its importance, the regulation of early chondrogenesis, is not well understood. We have discovered that SERPINA3 – a serine proteinase inhibitor - is necessary for cartilage formation to occur. The SERPINA3 gene is switched on very early and robustly during chondrogenesis. When we block the production of SERPINA3, engineered cartilage is markedly reduced in size and is unable to effectively form ECM. Moreover, our global gene expression data demonstrate that SERPINA3 is essential for many genes switched on during chondrogenesis. When we blocked SERPINA3 expression, we observed loss of SOX9 protein induction at early time points during chondrogenesis. We hypothesise that: ‘SERPINA3 functions as an early mediator of chondrogenesis through direct or indirect regulation of SOX9, and has a non-redundant role in skeletal development’. Our hypothesis will be addressed by the following distinct yet complementary work packages/objectives (WP/Obj). WP1 (Objective 1): Define what the SERPINA3 protein interacts with, and how this changes during chondrogenesis. WP2 (Objective 2): Determine the mechanism by which SERPINA3 contributes to cartilage formation, using mutant proteins with altered function, and define the effect of SERPINA3 in signalling pathways essential in early chondrogenesis. WP3 (Objective 3): To define the role of SERPINA3 in chondrogenesis in the developing skeleton using Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog) as a model. The benefits of this proposal are wide-ranging. The immediate impact will be to significantly contribute to our understanding of the molecular events leading to cartilage formation. Identification of a novel regulator of SOX9 would be a significant development in this field. There may also be applications in the field of cartilage tissue engineering/regenerative medicine, with the establishment of a factor promoting cartilage production. This proposal complements BBSRC priorities in several areas. As we are examining the role of a novel player in early skeletal development, we are advancing ‘understanding of the rules of life’. Establishing how SERPINA3 contributes to skeletal development would ‘generate new knowledge about key biological principles’. The proposal harnesses the expertise of researchers with expertise in cartilage, protein biochemistry, gene editing, microscopy, Xenopus in vivo models, and as such harnesses ‘interdisciplinary and team science’. The BBSRC ‘recognis[es] the importance of knowledge exchange for research, skills, and careers development.’ As the Project Lead is an early-career researcher with a growing profile in the cartilage field, this award would significantly bolster his research capacity, grow his network and generate impactful outputs.  

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Our primary objective is to develop a treatment that is substantially better than the current standard of care for patients with keratoconus. Keratoconus is a progressive condition in which the cornea becomes misshapen leading to vision loss. It has an incidence of 1 in 2000 in the UK, increasing to 1 in 200 in south Asia, and generally occurs in patients between 12 and 40 years of age having a major impact on their education and work. We estimate that sight loss and blindness due to keratoconus cost the UK over £400m in 2022. We have developed a medicinal product that can be administered to the eye to stiffen the cornea as a treatment for keratoconus. The proposed research builds on our current formulation to progress the translation of the technology to a clinical setting. The University of Liverpool has already filed a patent application; WO2023237898A1. The current treatment involves cross-linking of the cornea by administration of a photosensitiser and activation by UVA irradiation, which is toxic to corneal cells and may result in long term damage. There is also a need to remove the corneal epithelium in most cases to facilitate diffusion of the photosensitiser throughout the stroma causing considerable discomfort for the patient and a risk of infection. Currently cross-linking treatment is restricted by the corneal thickness. Those with a thin cornea (10-20%) often require corneal transplants instead, accounting for 750 to 1000 corneal transplants annually in the UK at an estimated cost of £4335 per patient.  Our corneal cross-linker is easier to use by the clinician and more comfortable for the patient while causing similar stiffening and could be applied to those patients with thinner corneas. Through previous MRC DPFS funding we have shown that our formulation is well tolerated in vivo and that no changes were observed histologically in the corneal or surrounding tissues. It can be administered to the cornea under local anaesthetic, without removing the epithelium, as a pain-free, simple solution within a suction ring. We believe it has the potential to change the patient care pathway as it is appropriate for administration in primary care settings in contrast to current cross-linking treatments that require hospital facilities. The primary end users will be the clinicians caring for patients with keratoconus. An estimated 2000 cross-linking procedures take place every year in the UK, each costing £2483 meaning the NHS spends approximately £5m annually on treating keratoconus in this manner. We estimate the market value of our solution to be £250/treatment saving the NHS £4.5m annually excluding those that would otherwise have a transplant. Patients with other ectatic diseases could significantly increase the patient population that could benefit from our treatment and those requiring prophylactic cross-linking for refractive surgery may benefit in the longer term. This programme aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of our drug formulation to support a clinical trials application (CTA) and a health economics feasibility plan for future translation. This project will produce drug substance characterisation and preclinical safety packages based on appropriate regulatory advice, required for CTA submission. This work is critical to increase the value proposition and attract funders/investors. It will derisk the technology to support progress towards partnership with a company who will develop the technology as a commercial product including the development of the delivery system and marketing.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Context Life has evolved an abundance of protein-based molecular machines to detect and coordinate responses to environmental stimuli. This biological process is referred to as ‘cell signalling’ and is controlled by a series of functionally divergent and tightly regulated enzymes that introduce chemical modifications on to target proteins. One such class of enzymes are the protein kinases, which catalyse the reversible modification of protein substrates with a phosphate group (phosphorylation). Protein kinases (STKs) regulate virtually every aspect of life and are found ubiquitously within the genomes of eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Challenge While protein kinases are essential for normal cellular signalling, aberrant protein kinase activity and deregulation of kinase-dependent signalling pathways perturbs normal cellular functions and is frequently associated with a huge variety of human pathologies. As such, ~25 % of global drug development efforts are believed to target protein kinases. Pathogenic microbes produce an arsenal of secreted virulence effector proteins that have co-evolved to manipulate host signalling pathways and promote bacterial survival. Legionella pneumophila (Lp) is an opportunistically intracellular pathogenic bacteria and the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease (LD), a serious form of pneumonia in humans. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2021 marked the highest annual notification of LD (2.4 cases per 100,000 people) and a 38 % increase in travel-associated LD compared to the previous year. Lp secretes = 300 survival promoting effector proteins, including several eukaryote-like Ser/Thr protein kinases (eSTKs), which disrupt host cellular processes, contribute to pathogenicity, and produce a replication permissible intracellular compartment - the Legionella Containing Vacuole (LCV). Given marked structural similarities between human STKs and eSTKs, both of which use ATP as a co-factor, we predict that eSTKs can also be drugged using principles established for STKs. Furthermore, observed evolutionary deviations from the canonical kinase fold may allow development of selective compounds that differentiate between host and bacterial kinases.  However, we currently understand very little about the function of Lp eSTKs, including substrate specificities, how they modulate cellular activities, or how they are themselves regulated. Answers to these fundamental questions are critical to establish eSTKs as suitable alternative molecular targets for antimicrobial therapies, which are urgently required to respond to the global health emergency posed by multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, including isolates of Lp. Aims and Objectives We have designed an unbiased analytical Mass Spectrometry (MS) and biochemical pipeline to decode the regulatory host-pathogen interaction networks of a panel of established Lp-secreted eSTKs and to appraise their utility as targets for anti-virulence therapies. We will exploit proven technologies that have revolutionised eukaryotic protein kinase research and uncover the cellular activities of enigmatic bacterial eSTKs. We will employ a novel high-throughput enzyme assay platform to kinetically evaluate bacterial kinase activity and enable compound library screening for potential inhibitor molecules. Applications and Benefits Mapping of host-bacterial kinase signalling networks will provide crucial insights into the pathophysiological processes that underpin Lp infection and determine their suitability as novel molecular targets for the development of medicines to combat MDR bacteria. In this context, recent advances in metagenomics have revealed that unstudied kinases and kinase-like proteins of unknown function are prevalent throughout bacterial phyla. We anticipate that the optimised methodologies and analytical tools developed will also be readily adaptable to analyse unstudied kinase virulence factors from a variety of microorganisms.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

The LCR has an economic inactivity rate of 24%, higher than the England average of 21.4%, and is among the areas in England with the poorest health outcomes, which correlates with higher economic inactivity. Within the LCR, nearly one in five workers (18.8%) are in severely insecure work, slightly below the national average. Efforts by policymakers to reduce economic inactivity have had mixed results in the past. In the LCR, these efforts have included programmes to boost employment opportunities (Ways to Work, Households into Work) and improve health (Citizens Advice on Prescriptions, Life Rooms). LEAF represents a comprehensive, community-focused approach to addressing economic inactivity in the Liverpool City Region. By leveraging interdisciplinary collaboration and existing partnerships, the project aims to deliver new insight, develop tools for future research and policy development, and create a sustained societal impact. Our four interconnected work packages address root causes of economic inactivity, including disability or poor health and informal caring responsibilities. ·       Work Package 1 pilots a bottom-up approach to address economic inactivity, collaborating with local organisations. Local co-researchers with lived experience of worklessness will be trained in research skills to enable them to conduct root cause analyses to identify local causes of economic inactivity and to develop, implement, and pilot Community Innovation Plans as part of three Community Innovation Teams (CITs). The Innovation Plans can serve as inspiration to policymakers when devising new policy. ·       Work Package 2 explores how place-based and systemic factors interact to shape health, disability, and informal care-driven economic inactivity in the UK by conducting systematic reviews and benchmarking data using surveys and community insights.  We will generate new insights into the causes and consequences of economic inactivity using statistical decomposition methods to understand the drivers of economic inactivity in local communities across the UK. These results will form the basis for an inactivity mapping tool to visualise key metrics and the support available for those at risk of economic inactivity across geographies and time in the UK. We cap this work package off with a realist review to explain how interventions work in specific contexts, using primary data collected from interviews to test and refine program theories. The results serve to provide stakeholders with both the knowledge and tools to develop innovative approaches to tackling inactivity in the future. ·       Work Package 3 works to translate the findings into evidence-based policy. In collaboration with ADR UK, ONS and LCR policymakers (the combined authority, the councils, and the Civic Data Cooperative), we will assess current data systems and develop a plan to improve access and linkage, especially with local and community-held data. This ensures increased capacity among UK researchers to conduct more inclusive research with emphasis on place-based analyses in the future. We will co-design a toolkit with LCR Combined Authority and Liverpool City Council to support bridging the research-to-policy gap by breaking down silos and involving the community, which can become a framework for communities across the country to begin to develop place-based policies. ·       Work Package 4 (WP4) will synthesise findings into a theory of change and establish a future research agenda co-developed with CITs and stakeholders through workshops, drawing on lived experience and research outputs. This plan will guide future community-driven research and policymaking, ensuring sustained impact in tackling economic inactivity in LCR and beyond.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Aim: Understand why eating cholesterol boosts the lifespan of male flies when they mate, but not when they are celibate. Hypotheses: Males lose sterols in sperm and seminal fluid when they mate. A lack of dietary cholesterol leads to sterol depletion, changes in hormone production, and early death. Outcome: A step-change in understanding how reproduction determines male dietary needs to avoid early death. Context: food, sex and death are intimately linked Diets that boost reproduction can often accelerate ageing. Macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) are well known to be important. Contrastingly, whilst we know micronutrients have key roles in biochemistry and cell biology, we know much less about their impact on fertility and ageing. There are a multitude of micronutrients, and each can vary in quantity and interact with other nutrients, making it hard to unravel their effects. Challenge: understanding how dietary sterols and reproduction determine male lifespan Cholesterol is a micronutrient and a type of sterol, chemicals that are found in all plants and animals. Animals use sterols to form hormones and cell membranes, and they are found in many tissues, including sperm and seminal fluid. In our recent experiments we made an unexpected discovery: dietary cholesterol makes male fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) live longer when they mate regularly, but not if they never mate (and in some scenarios even shortens lifespan). This experiment suggests that males prioritise sterols for reproduction over using them to maintain their body. Now we want to understand why this happens. Aims Our hypothesis is that males face a trade-off between using sterols for reproduction (in the ejaculate), versus survival. Question 1. Do males lose sterols in sperm and seminal fluid when they mate, leading to harmful sterol depletion and reduced lifespan? Question 2. Is disrupted hormone production, due to mating-induced sterol depletion, the cause of reduced male lifespan? Objectives To answer the questions we will: 1a) Track the movement of sterols from food to different body tissues, and the loss of sterols when males mate, using cutting-edge lipid mass spectrometry techniques. 1b) Reveal what causes males to need cholesterol when they mate frequently, using male flies that genetically lack sperm or seminal fluid, or the ability to absorb sterols normally. 2a) Manipulate hormone levels by replacing cholesterol with sterols that are less efficient at – or completely incapable of – being made into hormones 2b) Directly feed hormones to flies Applications, benefits, and relevance to BBSRC priorities The research underpins our fundamental understanding of the links between diet, reproduction and lifespan. Sterols have the same biological functions across animals, including humans (in the formation of cell membranes and hormones), proteins that move sterols around the body are very similar, and sterols are found ubiquitously in sperm and semen. Our work in flies will thus have wide relevance, including to human diseases such as hypercholesterolemia (and drugs that treat it) and different diet choices (e.g. vegan vs omnivore). Our findings will ultimately help us understand the role of dietary sterols in reproduction and healthy ageing in animals and people. The project will benefit from and develop a highly skilled existing team to work on leading-edge bioscience spanning core themes in BBSRC’s strategy: increasing healthy life expectancy; the biological mechanisms of health; and ageing, diet, nutrition, and health.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Context: This project will determine the extent to which people who have sexually offended against adult and child victims show problems in emotion processing and emotion regulation, which might represent key modifiable psychological processes that can be targeted in treatment to reduce reoffending. We will determine how participants process and respond to pleasant and unpleasant affective cues, and how they regulate their emotional responses to these cues, using a unique combination of experimental and physiological measures. Statistics show a steep upward trend in the number of sexual offences in England and Wales over the last decade. The number of sexual offences recorded by the police in the year ending March 2022 was the highest level recorded, 31% higher than the year ending March 2021. The challenge of addressing child sexual abuse: One of the key approaches to reducing sexual offending is to offer treatment to people who have sexually offended to help lower the risk that they will commit a new offence in the future. Although emotion processing and emotion regulation are widely considered to be risk factors for sexual offending, this is based on a limited body of work that predates current theory and research and is therefore of limited clinical utility. A multi-method examination of emotion processing and emotion regulation is crucial to inform risk management strategies and improve the treatment given to offenders. Objectives: The main objectives of the work proposed here are to use tests of emotion processing and emotion regulation to gain a more precise understanding of the psychological profiles of risk associated with sexual offending against adults and children, compared with people who have a history of non-sexual violent offending, and community controls. To achieve this, we need to know if people who have sexually offended against adult and child victims are distinguishable from violent and non-offender comparison groups, in 1) their processing of, and emotional reactivity to, pleasant and unpleasant affective cues; 2) their ability to withhold an action response when exposed to unpleasant affective cues; and 3) their use of emotion regulation strategies to down-regulate emotional reactivity to unpleasant affective cues. We will recruit participants from prison establishments in England and Wales, and we will recruit a comparison group of people without a history of offending from the local community. Potential applications and benefits: The results of this research will ensure that the treatment given to people who have sexually offended targets known risk factors and is informed by an up-to-date evidence base, with the aim of protecting victims from harm. We will publish our results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and present them to academic and practitioner audiences at national (e.g., the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abuse) and international (e.g., the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse) conferences. We will work with scientists, policy makers, and treatment providers, including the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, and relevant charitable organisations, including the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, and The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, to inform evidence-based treatment and to help protect new victims from harm.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Despite their low human population densities, polar and sub-polar island ecosystems face an increased risk from biological invasions due to growing volumes of transport and rising temperatures under climate change. The Global Biodiversity Framework Target 6 commits nations to halve the rate of invasive species introduction and establishment by 2030. Meeting this goal will require targeted improvements to biosecurity, and this depends on the identification of high-risk species and sources. In turn, these risks can only be verified and quantified through collection of data on detections at points of entry and points of escape within a region. Our project’s overarching aim is to develop pipelines for detecting and identifying plants and invertebrates introduced to Svalbard and the Falklands, so that we can quantify the risk of invasion posed by key pathways of unintentional introduction. We will achieve this through three key objectives: 1) We will develop and implement sampling and species identification protocols to be applied to targeted introduction pathways; 2) We will identify the taxa and life histories of plants and invertebrates that are most likely to be introduced via the sampled pathways; 3) We will integrate pathway, species range and transport network information to identify high-risk species and source regions. The new international partnership between the University of Liverpool, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI) will be developed during two workshops in the Falklands and Svalbard, followed by pilot deployment of sampling protocols aimed at detecting plants (seeds) and invertebrates introduced through transport of habitat material, as contaminants of nursery material, and as stowaways with imported goods. We will identify species based on morphology where possible, and through use of sanger and barcode sequencing where needed. Our case studies of Svalbard and the Falklands will provide the foundation for an invasive non-native species information system covering the terrestrial (sub-)polar regions. We will use this pilot to secure further funding so that we can expand sampling to additional introduction pathways and the wider Arctic and (sub-)Antarctic. Svalbard and the Falklands are connected via aviation (Svalbard) and ship transport (both regions) to the wider Arctic and Antarctic regions, respectively. Because of these connections, our project’s local impacts will contribute to reducing invasion threats to the wider polar and sub-polar regions.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

As incidents such as the Grenfell Tower fire highlight, accidental dwelling fires (ADFs) can have devastating consequences for life, health, and the economy. In the UK, firefighters attend more than 27,000 ADFs annually, with estimated costs over £1 billion for fire, health and insurance agencies1. Home Fire Safety Visits (home visits) are the main intervention used by fire and rescue services (fire services) to prevent ADFs, with more than 500,000 delivered each year2. However, little research has directly examined ‘if’ and ‘how’ home visits prevent ADFs, despite implications for community safety. Accordingly, we propose four work packages (WPs) that aim to examine whether home visits are an effective and cost-effective intervention for preventing ADFs. The objective of WP1 will be to measure i) whether home visits lead to reductions in ADFs, ii) how long benefits last, and iii) whether regional differences in resourcing align with differences in population-based risk profiles and ADF rates. Existing studies typically measure changes in home occupant knowledge, but this may not lead to safer behaviour or fewer ADFs3. Little is also known about how long benefits last, which has implications for frequency of repeat visits. Similarly, the number of home visits delivered per person differs across regions, with little evidence that this is linked to differences in ADF-related population risks like smoking and drug use5. This evidence is needed to inform decisions on resource allocation for fire prevention.  The objective of WP2 will be to examine what home visit delivery mechanisms are important for reducing ADFs and why. To date, research has failed to systematically examine how home visits work. This is an important issue given that variations in delivery exist within and between fire services6, including whether they are conducted by firefighters or other public services who arguably do not have authority to fulfil a fire prevention role7. Similarly, little is known about whether home visits address new and emerging causes of ADFs8 such as lithium-ion batteries9 and use of alternative methods to heat homes during the cost-of-living crisis10. Findings will have important implications for understanding the most effective way of delivering home visits to achieve fire safety behavioural changes.  The objective of WP3 will be to identify the broad range of economic and social impacts associated with ADFs and who is impacted. Few studies consider the economic implications of ADFs and home visits, and findings are published across disparate sources. Understanding the impacts of ADFs has important implications for modelling the economic benefits of fire prevention and showing efficiency in use of finite public resources. Findings of WP3 will highlight the range of benefits that can be achieved by preventing ADFs and who benefits. The objective of WP4 will be to examine whether the economic and social benefits of delivering home visits outweighs the costs, who bears these costs and who benefits. This poses important implications for establishing whether further investment would be beneficial for reducing community risks and whether there is an argument for seeking investment from other sectors.  This proposal has been designed in consultation with Scottish, Merseyside, and Greater Manchester fire services, the National Fire Chiefs Council, and Home Office. We will continue to collaborate with these stakeholders and a Public Advisory Panel throughout the project to shape the research and inform ongoing debate and strategic decisions regarding fire prevention.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

The pressing need to achieve net-zero carbon emission targets poses unprecedented challenges to scientists, who must promptly develop alternative cost-effective technologies to displace current carbon-based industrial processes. For example, the industrial production of ammonia and hydrogen, are major sources of CO2 emission, yet our ability to feed a growing population relies on these two chemicals, due to their role in the production of fertilisers, in addition to pharmaceuticals and plastic industries. Electrochemical (EC) and photo-electrochemical (PEC) methods are the most promising environmentally friendly solutions to replace current industrial production methods, and in fact their products are often referred as green fuels. Similarly, it is critical to develop renewable technologies to power our cars and to offset the intermittent production of energy from renewables. Li-ion batteries are among the preferred solutions for energy storage and the electrification of the private transportation sector (EV cars). All these technologies share the common need to transfer electrons across a solid/liquid interface, or in the case of ammonia, a solid/liquid/gas three-phase interface. Crucially, the dynamics of these electrified interfaces are very poorly understood, hindering the advancement of silicon anodes for application in high energy density batteries, and precluding the achievement of the required readiness levels for commercialisation of green fuels. This project will generate a ground-breaking understanding of the physical and chemical processes occurring at the solid/liquid electrified interfaces during the first stage of the FLF and the three-phase solid/liquid/gas interface during the second stage of the fellowship. The project is structured around three main pillars: (i) the development of the Operando X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (Op-XPS) methodology for characterisation of electrified interfaces; (ii) the application of this methodology to the battery sector, using silicon anodes as case study; (iii) the application of this methodology for the production of green hydrogen by PEC water splitting. In an Op-XPS experiments, XPS spectra are acquired while performing electrochemical and photoelectrochemical testing. This allows to monitor how atoms are reacting, the formation or disappearance of chemical species, and the evolution of the electronic levels (band edges, Fermi level) under different applied conditions (bias or light) on both the solid electrode and the liquid electrolyte simultaneously. This will unravel the origin of the device inefficiency (energy losses) at an atomic level, providing a level of understanding inaccessible with the current analytical techniques. Once developed, my team and I will apply the Op-XPS methodology to respectively the field of battery and the field of water splitting. For the field of battery, we will focus on silicon anodes due to its 10-fold higher capacity than commercial graphite anodes, which makes it of the great interest for the automotive industries as a replacement of graphite. For the green fuels pillar, we will focus on overall water splitting devices, using Sb2Se3 and BiVO4 as case-study, due to their low cost and promising performance. Ultimately the project will deliver cutting-edge fundamental science in the understanding of electrified interfaces and leverage this knowledge to advance the field of Li-ion batteries and green fuels production.        

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Importance Global society is currently experiencing a time of intense crises. Around the world, multiple, interacting and seemingly unbounded disasters are unfolding simultaneously, including the threat of climate change, health pandemics, and an increase in volatile and polarised politics. The World Health Organisation has highlighted the need for greater global cooperation to tackle these crises. Yet, cooperation becomes inherently challenging under pressure, as the extreme conditions have significant impacts on how people and groups behave. In extreme environments people are more prone to biased thinking, tend to adopt a ‘wait and see approach’ instead of acting, and struggle to work effectively as a team. Collective efforts are essential to tackling global crises, and we urgently need innovative ways to support teams working in extremes, ensuring that these approaches are inclusive, intelligent, well-informed, and make the best use of modern technologies. The challenge I propose to lead novel and exciting research that will critically assess ways to improve teamwork in extremes, delivering new approaches to team training informed by social psychological research and integrating advances in new technology that will revolutionise human-AI teamwork. To meet this challenge, during the first four years of the project I will: Map and compare the social, psychological, and organisational processes involved in emergency teamwork across the globe. Classify the factors that are essential to effective extreme teamwork across extreme team types (e.g., Space Teams, Healthcare), informing specially designed recommendations to maximise teamwork across different team and task types. Investigate the role of social friction in extreme teams, specifically how it develops, operates and its consequences, and how relationship breakdowns can be reversed. Explore the potential for human-AI teamwork in extremes, critically considering both benefits and limitations. This paves the way for designing and testing new approaches to the training of extreme teams in the later years of the project. My approach I will collect first-hand data through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and experiments involving teamwork. I will also analyse videos of natural extreme teamwork interactions. My research will be the first to take an international and inter-team focus to understand extreme teamwork across different continents and different team types including emergency services, medical and space teams. My work will prioritise developing new solutions to improve teamwork, working with international academic and extreme team project partners so that my findings change practice. My partners will be involved in the continual refinement of my research plans, ensuring that research is relevant and timely. Applications and benefits This project will revolutionise the global understanding of how people work together in extremes. In the short term, through academic papers, practitioner reports, video animations, presentations and knowledge exchange workshops, this research will help to educate extreme team members and their managers. It will improve team members’, policy makers’ and governments’ understanding of what makes extreme teams work well and where failures are likely to occur, thereby enhancing their response to global crises and benefitting the wider public. In the longer term, the work will deliver new, evidence-based extreme team training which integrates advances in AI technology for team benefit whilst being mindful of its limitations. Ultimately, this project will pave the way for more resilient, adaptive, and effective extreme teamwork, supporting global cooperation in response to the world’s most pressing challenges.