The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university. Edinburgh receives approximately 47,000 applications every year, making it the third most popular university in the UK by volume of applicants. Entrance is intensely competitive, with 12 applications per place in the last admissions cycle. It was the fourth university to be established in Scotland and the 6th in the United Kingdom, and is regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in the world. The university is ranked the top rated in Scotland and the 6th and 7th in Europe according to the 2011 QS and Times Higher Education Ranking Globally, the 2011 QS rankings placed the university 20th in the world. It is the only Scottish university to be a member of both the elite Russell Group, and the League of European Research Universities, a consortium of 21 of Europe's most prominent and renowned research universities.
Scientists have gained insights into the fundamental process of cell division, by identifying key steps that ensure cells divide correctly as they undergo repair and growth.
Scientists have devised a technique for visualising tissues that could aid diagnosis and treatment of diseases including cancer.
Rising global temperatures could increase the amount of carbon dioxide naturally released by the world's oceans, fuelling further climate change, a study suggests.
Breeding dogs on the basis of a single genetic test carries risks and may not improve the health of pedigree lines, experts warn.
Rare historic records of the changing seasons are helping scientists better understand how woodland trees and flowers are responding to climate change.
Some bacteria are able to thrive even when under continued attack, scientists have found, in a development that may help explain how our immune systems can't always prevent infections.
Crocodiles which roamed the world's seas millions of years ago developed in similar ways to their modern-day relatives, a study has shown.
Scientists have shed new light on the fundamental biological process of cell division, thanks to an emerging analytical method.
The most comprehensive family tree of meat-eating dinosaurs ever created is enabling scientists to discover key details of how birds evolved from them.
Messages from around the world are to be beamed into space at the speed of light as part of a cultural project to create a celestial time capsule.