False alarms in embryo imaging 

A University of Cambridge study suggests that a common IVF test, pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), may wrongly label healthy embryos as abnormal. Using advanced live imaging, the Director of the Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research and Co-Chair of Cambridge Reproduction Professor Kathy Niakan’s team, in collaboration with the Francis Krick Institute, observed embryos developing in real time. They found that chromosomal abnormalities often appear later in development, mainly in cells forming the placenta rather than the foetus. In 13 embryos studied, about 10% of cells showed such errors. The findings indicate that current screening may overestimate abnormalities, leading to viable embryos being discarded, and highlight the need for more accurate IVF testing methods.

From Cambridge to climate advice 

Professor Emily Shuckburgh CBE, Director of Cambridge Zero, has been appointed Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) to the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). In this role, she will provide advice on science and engineering, aiming to encourage positive policy on climate change and energy use issues. Shuckburgh will begin part-time in November 2025. This follows her collaboration with King Charles III on A Ladybird Book on Climate Change. Awarded a CBE in 2025 and having previously worked at the British Antarctic Survey, Shuckburgh is a leading climate scientist and previously Professor of Environmental Data Science at Cambridge.

Lost Dali rediscovered

A forgotten Salvador Dalí painting bought for £150 during a Cambridge house clearance has sold for £45,700 at Cheffins’ Art & Design Auction. The work titled Vecchio Sultano (“Old Sultan”) dates from 1966 and depicts a scene from The Arabian Nights. It was part of a 500-piece series commissioned by Italian collectors Giuseppe and Mara Albaretto; however, Dalí completed only around 100 paintings from the project. The painting was authenticated by leading Dalí expert Nicolas Descharnes. Cheffins director Brett Tryner described the find as “a significant rediscovery,” stressing the high level of interest garnered by the find. The anonymous seller has said that they were “over the moon” with the result.

Cambridge student elected Young Leader by UN

The United Nations has named University of Cambridge PhD student Tanatswa Amanda Chikaura as a Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals. She is one of 17 outstanding young changemakers selected this year. The group will bring focus to and help address a range of global challenges. Tanatswa, 26, from Zimbabwe, researches autism, mental health, and suicide prevention, and founded the Ndinewe Foundation for the promotion of mental health awareness and the importance of youth creativity and leadership as vital for national development. Selected from over 33,000 applicants, she will collaborate with the UN for two years. The announcement coincided with United Nations Day on 24/10.