Asher may just look like a cute cuddly dog but he is much more than that. He, along with some of his canine friends, have been trained to sniff out Covid-19 in people and the initial results show they can do it very reliably. This is because a research team, involving Durham, has found that Covid-19 has a very distinct odour – which we as humans can’t smell – but the dogs’ super sniffing powers can detect it with up to 94 per cent accuracy.

Biosciences Steve Willis and a team of researchers are working on a new project inviting people to help create a national sample of birdsong.

Fresh water ecosystems can be adversely affected by barriers to the flow of water and a new study suggests that Europe’s river system is particularly badly affected.