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A brand new vaccine against seasonal flu has to be created once a year for both the northern and southern hemispheres. The constant and rapid evolution of the virus means an effective vaccine this year, can be useless by the next. Scientists in Belgium are determined to beat the virus by producing a vaccine that works long-term, against many types of flu, including pandemic strains.

Last year, the blood transfusion service collected just over one million litres of blood from donors in the United Kingdom. This enormous and expensive effort is currently the only way possible to produce the vast amount of blood needed for the millions of blood transfusions carried out each year. A team of scientists in Edinburgh, Scotland is growing red blood cells in a laboratory, using embryonic stem cells, but it has a long way to go before... Last year, the blood transfusion service collected just over one million litres of blood from donors in the United Kingdom. This enormous and expensive effort is currently the only way possible to produce the vast amount of blood needed for the millions of blood transfusions carried out each year. A team of scientists in Edinburgh, Scotland is growing red blood cells in a laboratory, using embryonic stem cells, but it has a long way to go before it can achieve this on a large scale. Show more Show less

A new, simple, plastic device, which needs no anaesthetic, surgery or stitches is being used to circumcise up to two million men in Rwanda. Male circumcision reduces the chances of men in heterosexual relationships becoming infected with HIV. Staff need very little training to fit it – something extremely important in a country with only 300 doctors for ten million people.

Mosquito nets coated with insecticides are a vital tool in helping to prevent the spread of malaria. But research from the Liverpool School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine shows that mosquitoes are developing resistance to these insecticides. Scientists are extracting the DNA from these mosquitoes to work out what it is in their genes that are making them resistant. They are then using this information to develop more effective insecticides.