RSCNEWS DECEMBER 2015 www.rsc.org Virtuous circles From waste to resource, with a little help from chemistry Celebrating volunteering in the chemistry community p8 Exchanging knowledge, expertise and ideas p12 Our annual General Assembly took place in Manchester last month, bringing together members of our community from around the world. See p8 to find out about the many fascinating activities, discussions and celebrations. WEBSITE Find all the latest news at www.rsc.org/news/ Contents DECEMBER 2015 Editor: Edwin Silvester Deputy Editor: Ruth McAvinia REGULARS Design and production: Vivienne Brar 4 Snapshot 7 Contact us: News and updates from around RSC News editorial office the organisation Thomas Graham House Science Park, Milton Road 6 Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK One to one Tel: +44 (0)1223 432294 New benevolent fund support services Email: [email protected] 7 Burlington House, Piccadilly Profile London W1J 0BA, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7437 8656 Prize-winning professor of proteomics Shabaz Mohammed @RSC_Newsroom 15 Opinion 8 Volunteering isn’t just for Christmas, facebook.com/RoyalSocietyofChemistry says Louise Armstrong Photography: © ESA (cover) © Royal Society of Chemistry / FEATURES MPP Image Creation (left) 8 General Assembly 2015 Celebrating volunteering in the chemistry community 10 Waste and the circular 10 economy From waste to resource, with a little help from chemistry 12 Open Innovation Exchanging knowledge, expertise and ideas within the chemical science community DIARY 16 12 Conferences Upcoming meetings and deadlines 17 Events © Royal Society of Chemistry 2015 Your guide to events by region and section Registered charity number 207890 20 Notices Your news, events and competitions Snapshot A look at the latest news from around the world INBRIEF Forging vital links Under-funded and in Africa under pressure SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY © ROYAL We’ve launched a joint report with the Institute of Physics that highlights the state of university chemistry and physics departments in the UK. The report shows that whilst the numbers of undergraduate students have increased significantly in recent years, this increase has not been matched by a proportionate increase in funding. Consequently, most UK university chemistry and physics departments continue to run deficits in teaching and research and operate at a substantial deficit overall. The report calls for support for teaching and research in departments to be maintained and increased so that they can continue to contribute to the economy and increase their capacity. Despite recent increases in the uptake of STEM subjects at university, there is still an estimated annual shortfall of around 40,000 STEM graduates in the UK (requiring an increase of nearly 50% on those graduating in 2012/13). We have announced an exciting five-year organisation which shares our long-term partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to commitment to Africa. On the launch of the report, Professor enhance the capabilities of African scientists “Their global expertise in this critical area Sir John Holman, president-elect of in modern analytical skills. the Royal Society of Chemistry said: of analytical chemistry will help address the “Investment in chemistry and physics is Our partnership with the science-led needs of African scientists and combat local critical to the future of the UK economy. healthcare company will build on a popular challenges, such as measuring contaminants While UK chemistry and physics training programme currently run by in drinking water and identifying counterfeit departments have made significant volunteers. It will enable the Pan Africa medicines. efficiency savings over recent years, they Chemistry Network (PACN) to roll out “The programme will also help support continue to operate at a substantial and training in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and and nurture a future generation of African unsustainable deficit. Ghana. scientists and create opportunities for “These laboratory courses can be The expanded programme will upskill and international research collaborations.” expensive to run but while they are empower African scientists developing their The programme will train more than 400 strategically important they are also practical analytical techniques to solve global scientists across four countries over the vulnerable. Chemistry and physics challenges. It will train chemists to train next five years. GSK will bring a high level departments are heavily dependent on others – leaving a self-sustaining programme of technical and leadership skills, as well public funding, making them especially and lasting legacy in African science. as provide numerous staff engagement susceptible to the ups and downs of The PACN was established in 2008 by the opportunities. the economy.” Royal Society of Chemistry and African Ramil Burden, Vice President Africa and Professor Roy Sambles, president of the scientists to provide support for researchers Developing Countries, GSK, said: “If we are to Institute of Physics, said: “UK physics across Sub-Saharan Africa. As part of this, help meet the current and emerging health and chemistry departments make a vital the network launched its own training challenges Africa faces, we need to swell the contribution to UK productivity and are programme in gas chromatography-mass ranks of skilled scientists in this region. So we essential for training the next generation spectrometry (GC-MS). The programme has are delighted to be working with the Royal of STEM-skilled employees. Their trained more than 100 African scientists Society of Chemistry to foster the training research also underpins major aspects over five years, and these scientists have and development of tomorrow’s scientists”. of UK innovation and addresses modern gone on to publish more than 20 articles The partnership was announced at our policy challenges.” in scientific journals. PACN annual congress at the University A briefing, along with the full report is Stephen Hawthorne, our deputy chief of Nairobi in Kenya. The first training available at rsc.li/hefundingreport executive, said: “We are very pleased to programme with GSK support will begin launch this new partnership with GSK, an in March 2016 in Kenya. 4 RSC NEWS DECEMBER 2015 Science and the INBRIEF Parliament Molecules in Minecraft All the main political parties were represented Rhiannon Cleghorn and Rebecca Brown A grant from our Outreach Fund has at the annual Science and the Parliament from Lossiemouth High School reported on helped to bring molecular structure event we organised in Edinburgh on 11 their visit to Bokomoso School in Botswana, to Minecraft, the popular online November. Next year’s elections in Scotland, where they presented this year’s global building game. ‘MolCraft’ was created and the future of science in Scottish business experiment on water as well sharing other by undergraduate students in the and education formed the heart of debate lessons with students there. Department of Chemistry at the at the Our Dynamic Earth science and University of Hull, to bring knowledge of The Cabinet Secretary for Education & molecules to young fans of the game. exhibition centre. Lifelong Learning, Angela Constance MSP, MolCraft also features information about Highlighting the fact that Scotland’s chemical awarded the prizes, including the 2015 RSE/ our chemical landmarks. sciences industry employs 70,000 people BP Hutton Prize in Energy Innovation won by “The idea was triggered by the Geological directly or indirectly, our president Professor Dr Cairong Jiang of the School of Chemistry Society’s Minecraft map of the UK,” said Dominic Tildesley said: “If Scotland is to at the University of St Andrews. Dr Mark Lorch, who initiated the project. flourish in the future, it must keep investing Dr Jiang’s research into direct carbon fuel “It got me thinking that there must be a in science, and take a long-term approach cells has led her to develop a practical way to bring structural information from to doing so.” system of converting the chemical energy the protein data back into Minecraft. So I He said that education, research and of solid carbon into electricity. The £10,000 set an undergraduate project to work in it. development, and good networks would prize, funded by the BP Trust, is awarded by “The project students came up with the all help science in Scotland to thrive and the Royal Society of Edinburgh to an early workflow, and the RSC grant allowed me pointed out how the RSC was helping to career researcher based in Scotland, who has to employ some of them to finish off the promote all of these. shown a significant individual contribution world. Plus the grant is funding the server The event discussed research and higher to energy innovation through research and that is running MolCraft, which means education, the relationship between knowledge exchange. that anyone can just log into the world science and society, and innovation and the Science and the Parliament has run annually and explore the molecules.” economy, as well as hearing from two young since 2000 and attracts an audience across If you’re not a Minecraft player, you can students who had travelled to Botswana to the scientific and Engineering disciplines, view a walkthrough of the MolCraft world develop a chemistry link between schools. MSPs and other policy makers. on YouTube. A sample screen including a © ROYAL SOCIETY / GBPHOTOGRAPHY OF CHEMISTRY © ROYAL self-portrait of two of the makers is shown The RSE/BP Hutton below. Prize in Energy © UNIVERSITY OF HULL / MARK