• Bifidobacterium longum APC1472 has promising beneficial effects on the metabolism of obese people. 
• The B.Longum APC1472 strain reduced fasting blood glucose levels and normalised active levels of ghrelin, a hormone that signals hunger, and the stress hormone cortisol, both of which are altered in obese people. 

Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980 and most of the world’s population now live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. Obesity represents a major health challenge because it substantially increases the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes. In recent years, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has soared worldwide with approximately 462 million individuals affected, corresponding to 6.28% of the world’s population. 

Dr. Harriet Schellekens and colleagues, at the APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre in UCC, identified Bifidobacterium longum APC1472 to be an important regulator of apetite and metabolism during laboratory studies.

University College Cork celebrates its 175th anniversary today, December 30; on that date in 1845 the university formally came into being as Queen's College Cork (QCC).

QCC was founded as one of three Queen’s Colleges located in Belfast, Cork, and Galway, under an Act “to enable her Majesty” – Queen Victoria – “to endow Colleges for the Advancement of Learning in Ireland".

A research centre for energy, climate and marine based at University College Cork has joined forces with an Irish tech development company to collaborate on subsea superconductor research to transform large scale power generation from offshore renewables.

The School of Law has announced that Professor Dagmar Schiek has this month been appointed to the important and highly anticipated position of Synnott Family Chair in European Union Law.

Professor Schiek’s appointment was made possible thanks to the generous €1,000,000 donation made to the school by alumnus Aidan Synnott (BCL 1985) in 2019.

Researchers from University College Cork have been presented with two of the four Medals of Excellence handed out at this year’s Irish Research Council ‘Researchers of the Year’ awards, announced today.

World-leading academics in science and engineering at University College Cork (UCC) have received prestigious European funding worth a combined total of €6.4m to support research into diverse topics such as animal evolution, how viruses impact gut bacteria, and ways to revolutionise surgery. 

An international ranking which examines sustainability practices in universities across the world, has ranked University College Cork (UCC) today at ninth, the only Irish university to make the top 10 of the ‘greenest universities’ in the world.

Researchers at UCC have produced a guide to help stay safe in the home this Christmas. The guide illustrates common Christmas settings in the home to provide useful advice, particularly in relation to the importance of ventilation. 

World-leading academic Professor Jens Walter will lead a €3.7 million research programme at APC Microbiome Ireland (APC) through a prestigious Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Professorship award announced today.

His research will investigate the impact of a modern lifestyle on the gut microbiome and its relationship to increased chronic diseases. Research has shown that modern diets and medical practices may play a role in diseases such as obesity, multiple sclerosis and allergies by disrupting our microbiome.

Eight UCC students will get the opportunity to be mentored by Oscar-winning film producer Lord David Puttnam, after each being awarded a prestigious scholarship.