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10 ways to improve your gut health – and have a profound impact on your overall health, according to food scientists
The Irish Independent 06 April 2018
Julia Moloney
Is gut flora the new frontier of human health? A growing body of evidence suggests that the diverse species of bacteria which colonise the surface of our colon are engaged in an elegant and delicate dance with other physiological systems in the body and that their quality and quantity (or lack thereof) can have a profound impact on everything from inflammation, metabolism, autoimmunity, allergies, asthma obesity and even, on psychological issues such as anxiety and depression.
The human microbiome: why our microbes could be the key to our health
The Guardian 26th March 2018
Nicola Davis
A plethora of conditions, from obesity to anxiety, appear to be linked to the microbes inside us. Nicola Davis explains why the microbiome is such a hot topic of research.
University College Cork team uses viruses as magic bullet to kill hospital superbug
Sunday Times 18th March 2018
Danielle Barron
A treatment for superbugs may be closer following promising trials at University College Cork (UCC). Over the past three weeks, 17 patients in Irish hospitals have been infected by CPE, a supposedly “untreatable” bug that is potentially fatal. Scientists at UCC have successfully eradicated similar infections in samples from patients who have died or had limbs amputated due to drug-resistant superbugs. They used viruses known as bacteriophages, which infect and destroy bacteria.
Irish scientists reveal how food can be used to treat depression and anxiety
Irish Central.com 06 February 2018
Irish Central Staff
A new book “The Psychobiotic Revolution” reveals that our brain health and state of mind are intimately connected to our gut bacteria (microbiome)
The discoveries could help change the way we treat conditions such as depression and anxiety.
The European launch of the book will take place on February 6 at University College Cork.
Is your gut microbiome the key to health and happiness?
The Guardian 6th November 2017
Amy Fleming
Research suggests the vast ecosystem of organisms that lives in our digestive systems might be as complex and influential as our genes in everything from mental health to athleticism and obesity. but is ‘poop doping’ really the way ahead?
How Microbes In Our Gut Can Affect Our Emotions
Psychology Today 03 October 2017
Jeffery Borenstein
Studies in animals are helping reveal how the microbes that live in our guts can affect our emotions. According to research reported August 25, 2017, in the journal Microbiome, dozens of gene-regulating molecules called microRNAs in the brain are under the microbes’ influence. Wiping out these microbial communities disrupts microRNA levels in brain regions involved in fear processing, which in turn may alter the development of neural circuits or change neuronal function.
One man’s waste, another’s treasure: the rise of faecal transplants
The Irish Times 5th October 2017
Vanesa Martinez
Who doesn’t enjoy a good old bodily fluid exchange? Well, you might think twice about it if you were told that the bodily fluid in question would be faeces. Then again, faecal transplants have proven incredibly effective in the treatment of disease – and the field is booming to the point that there might be a time when you won’t bat an eyelid if offered someone else’s poop
Research on IBS the focus of Cork conference
Irish Examiner 21 August 2017
Ailin Quinlan
Innovative research into irritable bowel syndrome, a condition which causes agonising pain to thousands of sufferers, will be presented at a prestigious international conference in Cork this week. The NeuroGastro 2017 conference brings together leading experts in the field from around the world. It is the first time Ireland has hosted the event.
Anxious? Gut bacteria may be to blame, say scientists
The Irish Times 25th August 2017
Kevin O’Sullivan
Scientists in Cork have shed new light on how gut bacteria may influence behaviour associated with anxiety and fear.
The discovery relates to gene regulators called microRNAs – their dysfunction in the brain is believed to be a key factor in anxiety-type illnesses and depression.
Scientists find key to relieving IBS pain
Irish Independent 19th June 2017
Ailin Quinlan
Scientists may soon be able to alleviate the agonising belly pain experienced by thousands of sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – by controlling the bacteria in the gut, according to pioneering Irish research.
Irish scientist to analyse fermented foods on BBC programme
The Irish Times 1 February 2017
Dick Ahlstrom
Teagasc’s Dr Paul Cotter will appear on ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’ on Wednesday night.
UCC and Trinity professors strike gold after years of excellence
Silicon Republic 1 February 2017
Gordon Hunt
Two of Ireland’s “foremost contributors to the world of learning” have been awarded the 2016 Royal Irish Academy Gold Medals in recognition of their careers.
Royal Irish Academy honours Louis Cullen and Fergus Shanahan
The Irish Times 31 January 2017
Dick Ahlstrom
Research professors from Trinity and UCC awarded gold medals for achievements
Milk is having a moment
The Irish Times 31 January 2017
John McKenna
Is Irish butter and milk going to storm the supermarkets of the world and confound the standard nutritional advice that butter and dairy aren’t good for us?
Prebiotics can “lessen the effects of stress”
Irish Examiner 24 January
Evelyn Ring
Cork scientists have uncovered a dietary mechanism to reverse the effects of stress.
There is growing evidence that microbes in the gut can play a vital role in regulating brain functions, particularly emotional processing and behaviour.
Irish-based scientists find a way to beat stress by eating
The Irish Times 24 January 2017
Dick Ahlstrom
Scientists in Cork have come up with a way to counter stress just by eating the right foods. The stress-beating menu has shown it works well in mice and efforts are under way to get human tests going.
Breastmilk crucial to aid premature C-section babies
The Irish Examiner 18 January 2017
Joanne Fagan
Cork scientists have found that breastfeeding is very important for premature babies born by caesarian section.
It is particularly important for babies born by C-section before 35 weeks as it helps to develop a “more normal” gut microbiota.
Study proves grass-fed herds are healthier
Irish Examiner 13 December 2016
Joe Dermody
A study conducted by teams of scientists in Cork as proven that milk and butter from pasture-fed cattle are superior in nutritional properties, appearance, flavour and colour.
Irish dairy produce has better qualities than other countries – study
RTE News 12 December 2016
Ireland has good reason to market its dairy produce as having better colour, flavour, nutritional value and appearance than products from other countries, new research findings suggest. The research carried out by scientists at Teagasc and the University College Cork based APC Microbiome Institute, found milk and dairy produce from grass and clover-fed cows has significantly greater concentrations of fat, protein and casein.
Looking after dementia patient ‘can impact carer negatively’
Irish Examiner 28th November
Ailin Quinlan
The stress of looking after a loved one with dementia can negatively impact on both the memory and concentration of the carer, new research shows.
However, it has emerged stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness and meditation can lead to an improvement in both the memory and attention span of dementia care-givers.
Press Articles 2015
Keep the Christmas dinner safe from merry microbes
The Irish Times 17th December 2015
Claire O’Connell
In households around the country the countdown is on to the big dinner. but what about those uninvited guests? …………….
The impact of a sudden swell of massive dinners, chocolates, mince pies, Christmas pudding and alcoholic drinks can go beyond bacteria……….
Scientific Talent in Ireland needs to be backed by investment
The Irish Times 7th December 2015
Claire O’ConnellIreland’s got talent in scientific research, but we need to keep investing it to attract even more. That’s according to Dr Jim Sullivan of global biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, which is embarking on two new collaborations with Irish research groups.
The collaborations with Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute in Dublin and the APC Microbiome Institute in Cork will see AbbVie work with researchers on disease markers and potential new drug targets for conditions such as Crohn’s disease and psoriasis.
15 new jobs in €10m Science Foundation Ireland and AbbVie partnership
Silicon Republic 23 November 2015
Gordon Hunt
Science Foundation Ireland has joined up with biopharmaceutical giant AbbVie for a €10m collaborative project to investigate targets for new drugs…..In the larger of the two parts of this partnership, AbbVie will collaborate with researchers at the APC Microbiome Institute in UCC in a bid to identify new treatments for patients with Crohn’s disease.
Science Week show reveals digestive system journey
The Irish Times 12th November 2015
Dick Ahlstrom
The messy business of how our digestive system works is revealed in a Science Week show by the London Science Museum…….the Cork Science Festival will have a giant blow-up model that explains the system from the inside, organised by the APC Microbiome Institute at University College Cork.
Could gut bacteria actually reduce stress?
The Journal.ie 9th November 2015
Science Week 2015
It might be hard to believe, but there is new scientific evidence to show that your gut (and more importantly the bacteria in there) can affect your brain…..
Probiotics can reduce stress, UCC team finds
The Irish Independent 19 October 2015
Ailin Quilin
Good bacteria can be beneficial for your gut – now researchers have discovered they can reduce stress as well.
UCC scientists discover probiotic that reduces stress
The Irish Times 19 October 2015
Dick Ahlstrom
Scientists in Cork have discovered a live bacteria probiotic that can reduce stress and improve mental function and memory in humans.
The probiotic has potential use as a way to reduce mild forms of anxiety and stress, say the researchers, based at the APC Microbiome Institute at University College Cork.
Probiotic bacteria may aid against anxiety and memory problems
The Guardian 18 October 2015
Ian Sample
People who took capsules containing Bifidobacterium longum 1714 reported less stress and fared better on memory tests, study finds
How does the brain work, and what happens when it doesn’t?
The Irish Times 13 October 2015
Claire O’Connell
Going back to basics to learn about how the brain works could help guide better treatments for diseases.
Every second of the day, your brain is fizzing with activity. Your neurons send signals to each other across a tiny gap between them, in turn spreading electrical messages across vast networks to make your brain do what it does.
Fibre-rich foods stave off disease
Irish Independent 12 October 2015
Eilish O’Regan
Eating a lot of fibre-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables and legumes – typical of a Mediterranean diet – is linked to a rise in health-promoting short chain fatty acids, according to Irish research.
Press Articles 2014
A gut feeling – could depression be prompted by what you eat?
Irish Independent 16 December 2014
Ailin Quinlan
So says Professor Ted Dinan of UCC, who has been researching the relationship between bacteria and mood…..
Warning as use soars of ‘last resort’ antibiotics
The Irish Independent 11 November 2014
Eilish O’Regan
The growing use of ‘last resort’ antibiotics in Irish hospitals could result in the drugs becoming less effective against serious infection, leading to more illness and death, a new report has warned……It comes as members of the public are invited to a free lecture on the antibiotic crisis in UCC tomorrow night where experts will reveal how resistance threatens to make routine operations impossible…
Cork Scientists can show who can thrive on stress or buckle
The Irish Times 7 October 2014
Dick Ahstrom
Scientists in Cork have discovered a way to show whether you are the kind of person who can deal with stress or are vulnerable to its negative effects, a finding that could lead to new drugs for the treatment of depression….
UCC probes why some are more resilient to stress
The Irish Examiner 7 October 2014
Kelly O’Brien
Dubbed the health epidemic of the 21st century, scientists are looking to the human brain to combat the negativeeffects of stress…
When yoghurt affects the brain
The Atlantic 23 September 2014
Olga Khazan
Our gut bacteria play a role in our moods and emotions and switching up the microbiome has been shown to help mice be less anxious. Do probiotics hold the key to a better antidepressant?….
Our microbiome may be looking out for itself
The New York Times 14 August 2014
Carl Zimmer
Your body is home to about 100 trillion bacteria and other microbes, collectively known as your microbiome. Naturalists first became aware of our invisible lodgers in the 1600s but it wasn’t until the past few years that we’ve become really familiar with them….
Children are game to learn about health with apps
The Irisah Examiner 23 July 2014 2014
Niall Murray
Computer games to promote healthy tummies might seem ironic, but two new apps aim to help kids of all ages better appreciate the benefits of keeping the guts in good working order…
Exercise and the good bugs in our guts
The New York Times 18 June 2014
Gretchen Reynolds
Being physically active may encourage beneficial germs to thrive in your gut, while inactivity could do the reverse, according to an innovative new study. The findings suggest that, in addition to its other health benefits, frequent exercise may influence our weight and overall health by altering the kinds of organisms that live inside of us. ….
Irish rugby stars demonstrate true meaning of guts
The Irish Examiner 10 June 2014
Catherine Shanahan
We all know that Irish rugby players are an incredibly gutsy bunch but few would have thought it possible to scientifically prove it…
Rugby players show good guts
The Irish Times 10 June 2014
Claire O’Connell
It takes some guts to play rugby, and a new study from Cork has shown that the guts of professional rugby players are home to a wide variety of bacteria. The research which involved 40 rugby players on the Irish squad, suggests links between diet and exercise and the diversity of microbes in the gut….
Press Articles 2013
Study: Antibiotics affect babies’ long-term health
The Irish Examiner, 1 January 2013 EVELYN RING
Giving infan ts antibiotics that also kill many evolving healthy gut bacteria could be putting them at risk of developing asthma, obesity and allergies later on, a groundbreaking Irish study suggests.
Press Articles 2012
Bright futures: Atlantia
The Sunday Business Post, 2 December 2012
Changing regulatory environments can create business opportunities for canny start-ups, of which Atlantia is a classic example.
Press Articles 2011
Award win for Spioraid Naoimh
Evening Echo, Monday 12 December 2011
A team from Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown, Cork are the winners in the senior category of this year’s Science Raps competition. James Carr composed and performed the vocals for “The Chemistry of Life” rap and the video was produced and edited by Eoghan Calnan. Additional support was provided by their “actor” classmates Luke Delaney, James Meeke, David O’Neill and John Spillane.