Imperial College

• Aphids that eat Brussels sprouts are smaller than their cabbage-munching brethren. (There is a point to this research.)

• Perhaps our insect friends should use this nifty ‘barcode’ gene to distinguish closely related plant species.

• A map of gut microbes for you to digest.

King’s College London

• Gordon Brown opens a new Institute of Palliative Care research.

Queen Mary University of London

• Drink beetroot juice, reduce blood pressure.

Royal Society

• Any 10–14 year olds reading this? The RS are looking for junior judges for a book prize.

• UK PhDs: an endangered species?

UCL

• How to heat your SIM card to 450°C and still retrieve data.

• A new molecular biology course…"on Mount Kilimanjaro":https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0802/08020602.