Arctic glaciers are leaking significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Gacial melt rivers and groundwater springs are transporting large volumes of methane from beneath the ice to the atmosphere. This previously unrecognised process could contribute to Arctic climate feedbacks, accelerating global warming.

The 2025 Finalists of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom were announced today. They include:

­­­Life Sciences Finalists

Nicholas R. Casewell, PhD - Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine – a toxinologist, uses molecular and biochemical approaches to understand variations in snake venom toxins to identify new treatment strategies for snakebite envenoming, a neglected tropical disease.

Andrew M. Saxe, PhD - University College London – a neuroscientist, has developed mathematical analyses illuminating learning mechanisms in artificial and biological systems, advancing AI understanding and insights into memory-related neurological diseases.

Christopher Stewart, PhD - Newcastle University – a microbiologist, has developed novel microbiome-based approaches to prevent necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), the leading cause of death in preterm infants around the world.

Chemical Sciences Finalists

Liam T. Ball, PhD - University of Nottingham – an organic chemist, is developing efficient methods for the safe and sustainable synthesis of molecules vital to healthcare and agriculture.

Brianna R. Heazlewood, PhD - University of Liverpool – a physical chemist, has developed instruments that characterise complex chemical reactions at extremely cold temperatures, providing new insights into the chemistry of space and other challenging environments.

Chunxiao Song, PhD - University of Oxford – a chemical biologist, is developing a state-of-the-art sequencing method to detect DNA and RNA modifications, enabling early cancer detection and leading to the founding of a $410 million biotech company.

Physical Sciences & Engineering Finalists

Benjamin J.W. Mills, PhD - University of Leeds – a biogeochemist, is developing long-timescale models of the Earth, linking geology and biology and giving insight into our planet's connected atmospheric and geologic history, co-evolution of life and the Earth, the future of our planet, and the habitability of other worlds.

Hannah Price, PhD, University of Birmingham – a theoretical physicist, has authored groundbreaking theories and innovative experimental collaborations employing synthetic analogues to simulate higher dimensions, giving insight into physics with more than three spatial dimensions, including the fourth dimension.

Filip Rindler, DPhil – The University of Warwick – a mathematician, has developed the first rigorous theory describing how crystalline materials, like metals, deform through microscopic defects called dislocations. This theory advances foundational mathematics and opens new research avenues in materials science.

Researchers from Beijing Normal University have analyzed how China's land system may change in 2100 under a 1.5°C global warming scenario and a reference scenario without updated emission reduction measures. Their findings reveal that the 1.5°C climate pledges will drive greater changes in future land systems. Under this scenario, areas of shrubland, wetland, and forest are projected to increase by 185%, 79%, and 33%, respectively. 35% of the existing cropland (as of 2020) are estimated to be converted to other types by 2100 (or earlier) under the 1.5°C scenario, with high-density cropland decreasing by nearly 50%. This shift could pose a substantial challenge to food security.

In a recent paper published in National Science Review, a jointed team of scholars from China and UK has made significant progress in understanding the genesis of volcanic rocks in subduction zones. By analyzing the magnesium and boron isotopic compositions of volcanic rocks and forearc serpentinites from the South Sandwich Island arc, a globally representative island arc, the team proposed a novel mechanism for island arc magma formation. Their findings suggest that island arc volcanic rocks can originate from the partial melting of serpentinite-dominated mélanges. This breakthrough significantly advances the understanding of the processes and mechanisms of material recycling in subduction zones.

Animals are not just inhabitants of the natural world—they are its architects. A new study led by Professor Gemma Harvey from Queen Mary University of London has revealed how hundreds of species shape the landscapes we depend on, from vast termite mounds visible from space to hippos carving drainage systems and beavers creating entire wetlands.