https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from University of Southern Denmark A diagnosis of depression in connection with hospital treatment can have long-term consequences for personal finances. This is shown in a new registry-based study from the Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, which follows nearly five million people in Denmark over time. The study includes only people who had contact with a hospital and therefore does not cover those treated solely by a general practitioner or private practitioners. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-depression-hidden-diagnosis-falling.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:40:05 EDT news694790041 Deep below the surface in coastal sediments, microorganisms use conductive particles as tiny natural "wires" to exchange electrons. This enables them to convert organic carbon into methane in a way not previously documented. The mechanism is described in a new study in Nature Communications led by researchers from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) in collaboration with Aarhus University. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-overlooked-microbial-network-methane-production.html Ecology Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:20:03 EDT news693590101 Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark investigated how eight weeks of high-intensity interval training affect the structure of mitochondria—the parts of muscle cells that produce energy. The study shows that training not only increases the number of mitochondria but also expands the active membrane—the cristae—inside them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-high-intensity-interval-boosts-muscle.html Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:30:04 EDT news692283024 In 2022, a Russian whale researcher made a remarkable discovery on Bering Island off Russia's Pacific coast: a severed killer whale fin marked with the teeth of another killer whale. In 2024, it happened again. The two finds were two kilometers apart. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-killer-whales-cannibals-dont.html Plants & Animals Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:40:01 EST news691685222 Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the Western world and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Age, diet and lifestyle are known risk factors. However, in most cases we still lack a precise understanding of what triggers the disease. In recent years, researchers have increasingly turned their attention to the ecosystem of the gut—the vast community of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that live there. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-newly-virus-linked-colorectal-cancer.html Gastroenterology Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:19:36 EST news690736741 For decades, the idea that the human brain might naturally produce the psychedelic compound DMT has attracted considerable attention. It has been speculated that DMT could function as a natural signaling substance in the brain—possibly as a co-transmitter alongside serotonin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-key-brain-dmt-theory-rat.html Neuroscience Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:00:01 EST news690561618 For many years, the deep ocean has been seen as a nutrient-poor environment where microbes living in the water survive on very limited resources. But new research from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) challenges that idea. A study led by SDU-biologists at the Department of Biology shows that nutrients might not be so sparse after all in the deep and that microbes have access to a hitherto unknown source of dissolved organic food. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-deep-sea-microbes-unexpected-energy.html Ecology Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:56:30 EST news689871361 For almost 60 years, scientists have tried to understand why DNA doesn't replicate wildly and uncontrollably every time a cell divides, which happens constantly. Without this process, we would die. These essential, ongoing cell divisions involve a cell copying its unique genetic material, DNA, and then forming new cells. Cells know exactly when and how to do this during the roughly 24 hours it takes to complete a division, and they also know what type of cell they should become: a liver cell, a brain cell, or a skin cell. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-cells-built-capacity-limit-dna.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:00:16 EST news688749422 It is well known that obesity typically leads to inflammation and dysfunction of fat tissue that increases the risk of developing metabolic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-weight-loss-benefits-health-fat.html Overweight & Obesity Mon, 12 Jan 2026 05:00:05 EST news687187621 Halalaimus is a microscopic nematode genus commonly found in sediment on the seafloor. It lives 1–5 cm below the sediment surface and grazes on bacteria or organic materials in the sediment. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-identical-micro-animals-isolated-deep.html Plants & Animals Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:30:04 EST news685290002 Gynecological disorders such as endometriosis, PCOS, and menstrual irregularities are common and often associated with pain and disruption to everyday life. They are typically diagnosed late, and many women experience both physical discomfort and mental distress for years before receiving treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-depression-common-women-gynecological-disorders.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:30:53 EST news684412148 When University of Southern Denmark whale researcher Olga Filatova set off on her first field trip in 2000, she spent five years looking for whales before she saw a humpback. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-humpback-whales-comeback.html Plants & Animals Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:55:39 EST news683808909 For more than a century, building archaeologists have believed that the art of brick building in Denmark was imported directly from Lombardy in northern Italy in the mid-12th century. But a new study reveals that the story is far more complex. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-danish-brick-architecture-germany-italy.html Archaeology Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:00:01 EST news682786643 It's not pleasant to shiver from the cold, but for some, it has the appeal of making the body burn more energy as heat than when staying in a warmer environment. According to several studies, exposure to cold is a reliable way to boost energy expenditure in mice and humans. This process of burning energy through heat loss is called thermogenesis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-key-amino-acids-mouse-diets.html Overweight & Obesity Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:34:29 EST news682007664 Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital have studied tissue from patients with atherosclerosis. They found that many of the cells in the diseased tissue carried the same genetic alteration and appeared to originate from a single ancestral cell that had divided repeatedly—a pattern otherwise associated with tumor biology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-atherosclerotic-blood-vessel-cells-similar.html Genetics Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:26:04 EDT news669389161 Danish researchers, in collaboration with the Danish Football Association, have released a White Paper that describes football as an effective recipe in the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-beautiful-game-silver-bullet-global.html Health Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:46:05 EDT news662823961 People often put a lot of thought into getting a tattoo. But there's one thing most people forget to think about—what impact the tattoo might have on their health in the long run. What happens to the ink once it's in your skin? Does it all stay in the skin where it's visible, or does it travel further into the body? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-tattoos-linked-cancer-twin.html Oncology & Cancer Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:02:05 EST news660232922 Many people who have tried to lose weight by cutting calories are familiar with this frustrating reality: At some point, the body stops shedding pounds. It senses the reduced calorie intake and responds by slowing down metabolism, causing it to burn fewer calories than before the diet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-body-metabolism-mouse-reveals-path.html Overweight & Obesity Mon, 03 Mar 2025 11:00:09 EST news659898901 A new study by researchers at the Department of Molecular Medicine at SDU sheds light on one of the most severe consequences of stroke: damage to the brain's "cables"—the so-called nerve fibers—which leads to permanent impairments. The study, published in The Journal of Pathology, which is based on unique tissue samples from Denmark's Brain Bank located at SDU, may pave the way for new treatments that help the brain repair itself. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-brain-abilities.html Medical research Fri, 24 Jan 2025 12:12:04 EST news656943121 Cancer metastasis—the spread of cancer to other organs—is the leading cause of death among cancer patients. Researchers have now uncovered a "genetic signature" of 177 genes shared across multiple cancer types that drives this deadly process. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-scientists-reveal-genetic-drivers-metastasis.html Oncology & Cancer Thu, 09 Jan 2025 14:40:05 EST news655656001 Could an ordinary carrot improve the treatment of type 2 diabetes? A new study from SDU suggests so. The researchers found that carrots can enhance the body's ability to regulate blood sugar and positively influence the composition of gut bacteria. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-carrots-aid-diabetes.html Diabetes Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:05:04 EST news655578301 Two independent studies from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) show that patients with type 2 diabetes who are treated with the drug Ozempic have an increased risk of developing damage to the optic nerve of the eye, which can lead to severe and permanent loss of vision. Both studies are based on Danish registers and are the largest in the world. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-diabetes-drug-linked-severe-eye.html Medications Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:57:05 EST news653590621 Trillions of bacteria work in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, helping produce everything from beer and facial creams to biodiesel and fertilizer. The pharmaceutical industry, in particular, relies heavily on bacteria for producing substances like insulin and penicillin. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-coli-dons-polymer-superman-cape.html Biochemistry Wed, 11 Dec 2024 09:03:03 EST news653130181 Pipelines, sprinklers, and other infrastructure in oxygen-free environments are vulnerable to microbially induced corrosion (MIC)—a process where microorganisms degrade iron-based structures, potentially leading to costly damages or even collapses. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-microbes-iron-reveals.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:29:20 EDT news648991757 In the Middle Ages, alchemists were notoriously secretive and didn't share their knowledge with others. Danish Tycho Brahe was no exception. Consequently, we don't know precisely what he did in the alchemical laboratory located beneath his combined residence and observatory, Uraniborg, on the now Swedish island of Ven. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-chemical-analyses-hidden-elements-renaissance.html Archaeology Wed, 24 Jul 2024 20:00:01 EDT news641029201 Antibiotic resistant bacteria are experts in evolving new strategies to avoid being killed by antibiotics. One such bacterium is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is naturally found in soil and water, but also hospitals, nursing homes and similar institutions for persons with weakened immune systems are home for strains of this bacterium. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-thwart-resistant-bacteria-strategy.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 01 Jul 2024 09:00:01 EDT news639041822 Brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue (BAT), is a type of fat in our bodies that's different from the white fat around our belly and thighs that we are more familiar with. Brown fat has a special job—it helps to burn calories from the foods that we eat into heat, which can be helpful, especially when we're exposed to cold temperatures like during winter swimming or cryotherapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-denmark-germany-brown-fat.html Overweight & Obesity Mon, 29 Apr 2024 05:00:01 EDT news633358045 A study has followed more than 600 socially vulnerable children who took part in a 10-week residential stay at two Danish charity homes over a 2-year study period. Through a parallel cohort study, the researchers investigated the effects of the residential stay itself, and whether there are additional effects of adding the football [soccer]-based health education program called "11 for Health." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-socially-vulnerable-children-health-knowledge.html Health Mon, 08 Apr 2024 16:33:24 EDT news631812799 Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is difficult to treat due to its aggressive nature and resistance to chemotherapy. Exciting research published by the University of Southern Denmark sheds light on the mechanisms that drive this resistance and gives hope for better treatment for patients in the future. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-insights-aggressive-breast-cancer-potential.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 02 Apr 2024 12:48:04 EDT news631280881 Cancer cells are characterized by their aggressiveness: they grow rapidly and spread to other parts of the body. To enable this, numerous mechanisms come into play, and one of them involves a protein called MYC, which activates certain genes on the cancer cell's DNA strand, causing the cancer cell to grow and divide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-insights-growth-cancer-cells.html Oncology & Cancer Thu, 07 Mar 2024 12:26:20 EST news629036776