New drugs for diseases like cystic fibrosis could be developed following a £1.5m grant to a research team led by Lancaster University. Physicists and biologists are to work together to find out how our body’s cells work at a fundamental level. The team are examining ion channels in biological cells, which are involved in the basic functioning of all forms of life. They control how ions (electrically charged particles) enter or leave the cells. Unlocking how they work could hold the clue to understanding many diseases like cystic fibrosis, Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Long QT Syndrome which can cause sudden death.