Exeter joins £18 million industry-academia networks scheme to boost industrial biotechnology and bioenergy

The University of Exeter is set to benefit from a share of an £18million initiative designed to boost interaction between academic research and industry in biotechnology and bioenergy.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has funded 13 collaborative ‘Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy’ to help promote the translation of research into tangible benefits for the UK.

A leading academic from Exeter’s Engineering...

Devon County Council is warning people to be be prepared for icy roads in parts of the county tomorrow (Thursday) morning.

Areas of higher ground could see road surface temperatures drop below freezing during the peak travel time and gritters will be out on Dartmoor, Exmoor, the Blackdown Hills and parts of north and west Devon overnight.

There is also the chance of sleet and wintry showers tomorrow morning, and everyone travelling on the county’s highways is urged to take extra care.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway...

The number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) in Devon has risen for the first time since February 2013, with figures increasing by 66 claimants over the past month. Claimants in Devon have gone up from 6,513 in October to 6,579 in November meaning a 1% increase from last month.

The news comes the same day as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) report reveals that the overall national unemployment rate has fallen.

The ONS reports that nationally 250,000 more people are now in employment since July this year.

The new employment rate in Great Britain...

Russian MPs have backed an amnesty law that may see the charges against Arctic 30 dropped allowing them to return home for Christmas.

If the amnesty bill passes at its final reading in the Russian Duma (parliament) tonight the 26 non-Russian members of the Arctic 30 will be able to leave Russia and return home.

Six Britons including three from Devon are among those arrested following a protest against a Gazprom oil-drilling platform in the arctic circle.

The amnesty law, backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, could also see the release of two members of Pussy...

It looks like we are heading for a windy, rather than a white Christmas this year.

Forecasters are predicting spells of wet and windy weather, more often mild, rather than very cold.

A spokeswoman for netweather.tv said: "The forecasts are showing another stormy area of low pressure heading for the UK around Christmas day. There is some cold air, wrapped up in this but a picture perfect glistening snowy scene is quite unlikely a week Wednesday."

According to the Met Office Christmas 2010 was the last white Christmas. It was extremely unusual, as not only was there...

It was somewhat apt that there was no room at the inn when BBC Radio Devon recorded its annual Christmas carol service at Exeter Cathedral last night.

More than 1,000 people packed into every available space to hear music from performers such as the Choir of St Michael and All Angels at Mount Dinham and the Big Noise Chorus.

They also heard bible and poetry readings from some of BBC Radio Devon’s famous voices including presenters: Judi Spiers, Matt Woodley, Michael Chequer, Tony Beard and John Govier.

Rebecca Shaw, 37, from Christow, said: "The queues were long but...

A 12-year-old girl has been taken to Frenchay hospital in Bristol after being hit by a car in Newton Abbot yesterday afternoon. (Tuesday 17 December).

The girl, a pupil at Newton Abbot College, is in a critical but stable condition with a head injury.

The car is thought to have collided with the girl on Highweek Street at around 3.30pm while she was walking back from school.

The collision was witnessed by passersby including school pupils and the school will offer support to the children who witnessed the collision.

The driver, a 69-year-old woman, from the...

READERS of The Exeter Daily are being encouraged to vote for their Healthcare Hero for 2013.

The Exeter Daily has linked up with the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, which is running the Healthcare Hero Awards for the second year.

The Trust needs your help to find those staff who deserve to be recognised and rewarded for going above and beyond the call of duty.

The Trust manages a variety of services in Exeter including Exeter Community Hospital at Whipton and the NHS walk-in centre in Sidwell Street, while its community nursing and therapy teams care for people...

A female engineer from Italy has secured a job with design and engineering consultancy Atkins in Exeter after receiving advice from the National Careers Service.

Giulia Magri, who graduated as a structural engineer from University of Rome Tor Vergata in 2005, arrived in Devon in September after finding that opportunities for progression in her field were limited in her native country.

“Although there were jobs available in Italy, and I worked for a number of Italian engineering firms and architects, it became clear that my progression – and my salary ‒ would not meet my...

The Bank of England has confirmed plans to introduce its new polymer banknotes starting with the introduction of a new Winston Churchill £5 note in 2016. The first note will mark the end of a 320 year tradition of using cotton paper notes but will introduce a range of newly developed security features making counterfeiting the notes far more difficult. The new notes are also much more durable than the cotton paper notes lasting more than twice as long before becoming damaged by age. This includes dirt and moisture resistance which mean the new notes will remain cleaner for longer. The Bank...