Research

In late 2019, a new institute opened on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Its timing could not have been better - as the COVID-19 pandemic sent Britain into lockdown several months later, the institute found itself at the heart of the University’s response to this unprecedented challenge.

Young people’s faith in democratic politics is lower than any other age group, and millennials across the world are more disillusioned with democracy than Generation X or baby boomers were at the same stage of life.

‘Mini-lungs’ grown from tissue donated to Cambridge hospitals have provided a team of scientists from South Korea and the UK with important insights into how COVID-19 damages the lungs. Writing in the journal Cell Stem Cell, the researchers detail the mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection and the early innate immune response in the lungs.

Manufacturing firms have had a rocky few months, struggling with fractured supply chains, uncertain supply and demand, and shutdowns. Yet some have not only survived but thrived, re-organising and experimenting with their operations during the pandemic. This could be ‘Operational Darwinism’ in action says Jag Srai – and the results could help businesses prepare for future disruptions.