New Sheffield research uncovers a surprising dance of survival and friendship between fungi, plants, and parasites
Plants are capable of making even smarter choices about how to treat their friends and foes than ever previously thought, new research from the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield has found.
A study published last month in Nature found plants can choose to starve out parasites trying to steal sugar from them even while they attempt, as much as possible, to feed the white threads of friendly mycorrhizal fungi who intertwine with their roots.
“The paper is really exciting. It really surprised me at the end of the day that the plants are able to do that,” said Dr Katie Field, Professor of Plant Soil Processes at the University of Sheffield and author on the study.
Plants are not just roots, shoots, and leaves. To grow and prosper, plants also form intimate partnerships with friendly fungi who provide the plant with hard-to-reach minerals from the soil in exchange for the sugars and fats that the plant makes from the sun.
“These relationships between plants and fungi have existed since the dawn of plants growing on land. We’re talking 500 million years,” said Dr Field.
The partnership is essential to our planet’s ecosystem and climate.
Dr Field said: “A lot of the air that we breathe, it is because of the actions of these fungi in the soil around us. And that contributes to climate and weather patterns.”
The experiment took place in glass houses on a roof at the University of Leeds. The fungi scientists took potato plants, split the roots in half, and planted half with mycorrhizal fungi, and the other half with tiny, squirming parasitic roundworms called nematodes. Then they let the potato plants grow.
When the scientists came back to the potato plants, they discovered the plants had cut off the supply of sugars to them both - but still kept pumping out the fats that fungi, but not nematodes, need as food. The fungi may not have gotten all the food they usually get, but they still got as much as the plant could provide without feeding the nematodes.
“Even in a situation where you have pests and diseases, fungi are going to provide huge benefits for the plant. What we did was show how,” said Dr. Field.
The new discovery could help farmers and food scientists develop new crops that maximise the benefits of friendly fungi - leading to healthier food and less need for pesticides.
“It’s good for soil, it’s good for carbon emissions, and it’s good for farmers pockets. There’s no downside to encouraging crops to form intimate relationships with fungi,” said Dr Field.
Sheffield professor wins prestigious nursing award
A university professor has won a prestigious award for her research into domestic abuse.
The research has helped shape a new national policy and changes the way survivors can communicate their experiences.
She said: “This award is also a fabulous endorsement of the benefit arts-based healthcare research can have in giving voice to those who would otherwise remain silent in healthcare settings.”
Homeless people at risk of being criminalised by council plan
A draft proposal which would incriminate begging and loitering in the city centre has been criticised for marginalising the homeless.
Sheffield professor wins prestigious nursing award
A university professor who wants to provide nurses with better tools for dealing with domestic abuse has won an award for her research that has helped shape a new national policy.
Julie McGarry, Professor of Nursing and Gender Based Violence at the University of Sheffield, has been named as the recipient of the Sigma European award for Excellence in Nursing research 2024.
The award is highly regarded among the nursing and midwifery community and recognises groundbreaking research.
Professor McGarry’s work aims to empower survivors of domestic abuse to share their lived experiences through creative media such as paintings, storytelling, poetry, and photography.
The research also provides nurses with the tools to deal with lived experiences of sexual violence and domestic abuse, who are often a first point of contact for victims and vulnerable people.
By reframing the narrative of domestic violence, referring to sexual safety as a ‘jigsaw puzzle’ rather than ‘common sense’, it helps healthcare professionals to feel competent when dealing with victims of abuse and vulnerable people.
Professor McGarry also contributed to shaping a new national policy, The Sexual Safety Collaborative Standards and Guidance to Improve Sexual Safety on Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Inpatient Pathways, which is now widely used by medical professionals and psychiatrists across the UK.
She said: “I am deeply honoured to be accepting this prestigious award.
"The value of personal narrative cannot be underestimated, and through my research we have been able to reframe the discourse of health and illness for vulnerable and underrepresented groups from one which is professionally dominated to one which holds the most meaning for the individuals concerned.
“This award is also a fabulous endorsement of the benefit arts-based healthcare research can have in giving voice to those who would otherwise remain silent in healthcare settings.”
The Sigma Theta Tau International Honour Society of Nursing was founded in 1922 and has more than 135,000 members made up of nurses, academics, and researchers. It aims to empower nurses who seek to transform global healthcare and enhance the experience of people’s healthcare worldwide.
Professor McGarry will presented with the award at the seventh Sigma European Biennial conference, which will take place in Bournemouth from 26-28 June.
Sheffield cat café struggles with growing emergency vet bills
Tabby Teas, in Highfield, has eight in-house rescue cats including Ziggy and Nyx, in need of various medical treatments.
Café co-owner, Charlotte Pickering, said: “We were paying around £300 beforehand and now we are paying, judging by the last vet bill we had, £620, so vet bills have gone up dramatically.
“It is always a worry and we don’t really have a safety net because the cats aren’t really insured here, so every vet bill is a hit.”
Homeless people at risk of being criminalised by council plan, charities and public say
A draft proposal which would criminalise begging and loitering in the city centre has been criticised for marginalising the homeless by charities and the public.
The Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has received backlash that it will drive homelessness into other parts of the city rather than addressing its causes.
The policy, which is open to public consultation, has been pitched by the council to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Benjamin Archer, a law lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University who specialises in anti-social behaviour and public space management, said: “PSPO’s are a tool to deal with symptoms of behaviour rather than addressing its root causes.
“They disproportionately target vulnerable groups through financial penalties and open them up to a cycle of criminality.”
The PSPO is designed to crack down on antisocial activities, but many issues such as drug-taking and public drinking are already covered by other laws.
This has led to the view that the policy’s only purpose is to tackle begging and loitering which are not currently illegal.
As part of the PSPO, temporary structures such as tents would be banned, while anyone sleeping rough could be charged for ‘loitering’.
The Archer Project, a charity for homeless people based at the Cathedral, said: “If people are without accommodation, excluding them from the city centre will only lead to homelessness elsewhere and the city doesn’t want that either.”
The PSPO will be enforced through fixed penalty notices, and would encompass everywhere within the ring road as well as the train station.
Councillor Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “I don’t think there’s necessarily any evidence that introducing PSPO’s moves the issue of antisocial behaviour outside of a city centre.
“We do need to take a very firm line on antisocial behaviour and make sure our city centre is safe for everyone.”
PSPO’s have been introduced in cities such as Doncaster and Barnsley since the government repealed the Vagrancy Act in 2022, which removed begging as a prosecutable offence.
Sheffield previously tried to implement one in 2019, but it was dropped after failing to gain public support and meeting similar criticisms from charities.
The council will be taking public opinions on the policy until 25 March.
More pro-Palestinian protests took place in Sheffield this weekend
The Sheffield Palestine Campaign has protested weekly since the October 2023 Hamas terror attack.
Musheir El-Farra, who was born in Khan Yunis, Palestine, is an author and filmmaker as well as the chairman of the Sheffield Palestine Campaign.
He said: “It’s still extremely important to raise awareness among the British Public of what’s going on in Palestine.
“Much of the British public is still ignorant of the situation. The public is being mislead into believing that the Palestinians are culprits of this genocide that is taking place by the Israelis.”
University of Sheffield is back on University Challenge tonight
Team Sheffield will be back on our screens tonight at 8:30pm on BBC 2.
Goals across board for five-star Doncaster in away-day hammering
Doncaster Rovers put on a stellar display in a relegation battle against seaside rivals Grimsby Town on Saturday, beating them 5-1 to move six points clear of the relegation places.
Luke Molyneux opened the floodgates at Blundell Park with a sensational strike from 20 yards, after a cut-throat move which saw Grimsby’s defence torn open, kickstarting Rovers' early onslaught.
The lead was doubled 22 seconds later, when loanee Hakeeb Adelakun nabbed the ball in the middle of the park, before driving forward and threading it in for Joe Ironside to slot home his 18th goal of the season with precision.
Despite Grimsby Town pulling one back through a controversial Danny Rose penalty, Rovers maintained their composure, dictating proceedings with authority.
The second half saw Rovers tighten their grip on the game, as they capitalised on Grimsby's defensive vulnerabilities. Grant McCann's tactical adjustments, including the introduction of Kyle Hurst, proved instrumental in maintaining their momentum.
A calamitous own goal by Niall Maher and a clinical finish from Matthew Craig effectively put the result beyond doubt.
Hurst added the finishing touch with a well-taken goal, sealing a comprehensive victory for Rovers and extending their unbeaten run to four games under McCann's stewardship.
Thimothée Lo-Tutala's heroics between the posts ensured Rovers remained unscathed in the face of Grimsby's occasional forays forward, further highlighting their defensive solidity.
With a fervent away following cheering them on, Rovers showcased their championship credentials with a commanding performance that left Grimsby Town reeling.
Local fan, Jack Roberts, 22, has been a Rovers fan for 17 years, and described it as the strongest performance he'd witnessed in a long time.
He said: "It wasn't just the fact that we scored five goals away from home, and two in the first ten minutes - it was the quality of them.
"I think it's a case of backing Grant McCann in the summer, and we could be pushing for promotion next season."
Community in shock over deaths of three young children in Bristol
A family friend of three children who were found dead at a home in Bristol has spoken of her shock at the incident.
Salwa Bashar, from Bristol, said: “I have known this family for over six years now.
“They are part of our community, they’re family friends.
“I was shocked (when I heard the news) – I didn’t want to believe it, I didn’t want it to be true.
“I was, I still am in shock. I was really really sad, I still am very sad.
“This is something I have never heard of happening before in our community, never in my life.
“It’s beyond unbelievable.”
Man who lost his leg in running accident launches fundraiser to represent Team GB at World Championship
A Team GB para ice hockey player from Sheffield is raising money to fund his place at the World Championships in Norway this year.
Damien Barker, 34, who plays for the Sheffield Steelkings underwent a lower leg amputation last year after breaking his ankle in a running accident 10 years ago.
Originally treated as a sprain, it quickly deteriorated. After undergoing an unsuccessful ankle fusion in 2021, Barker made the decision to remove his lower leg last June.
Barker, who has always been a big sports fan said: “Sport is my life. It gets me through the good days and the bad. Getting my trainers on and going for a run used to be my way of getting through.”
After being told by doctors he would never play sport again, Barker joined the Sheffield Steelkings in 2021 and described them as a support system that helped him through very dark times.
He said: “I didn’t realise how much I’d missed the dressing room atmosphere. I remember the first day. Everybody made me feel like I’d been there for ages. It was like I was immediately part of the group. It felt brilliant to find sports again.
“When you get onto the ice, after being told you’ll never play sports again, you feel alive.”
He now has the chance to represent Great Britain at the para ice hockey World Championship in April this year, which will take place in Norway.
Barker is sponsored by Rae Coulston Hardy and has partnered with Andy’s Man Club this year. Personal donations will be crucial to securing his place on Team GB. Para ice hockey is a self-funded sport in the UK.
He described his wife, Stephanie, and his two young children, Lucy and Edison, as his biggest motivation.
He said: “When I gave my daughter my puck from the first goal I scored, she was so proud of me and I loved that.
“It feels like my way of giving something back and making them proud of me. I know my wife believes in me and she’s been really encouraging. She’s kept me level-headed and encourages me at the same time.”
It was also through the Sheffield Steelkings that Damien met his now best friend, Paul Brown, who underwent the same amputation as him.
The Sheffield Steel kings. Credit: Sheffield Steelkings
He said: “We went through something similar and he gets it completely. If it wasn’t for the club, I wouldn’t have met him.
Damien said what matters most to him is setting an example for his family, as well as young children in Sheffield with disabilities.
He said: “Anything is possible, you just need to know where to look. Never get told you can’t do anything.”
Donations can be made through Damien’s GoFundMe page.
People responsible for Navalny death must be ‘held to account’ – No 10
The death of Alexei Navalny must be “investigated fully” and those responsible “held to account”, Downing Street has said.
MPs are to discuss the death of jailed Russian opposition leader when they return to Parliament on this afternoon, as the Government weighs up its options for responding to the news.