Issue 297 ▸ 28 October 2016 Reportersharing Stories of Imperial’S Community
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Issue 297 ▸ 28 october 2016 reporterSharing stories of Imperial’s community Teaching aids Undergraduate students get hands on at a real construction site → centre pages NEW BEAT COSMIC NEWS STAR PLAYER Luke Blair Giant space Chris Toumazou on leading blobs and a marks Comms and directionless milestone in Public Affairs universe innovative style PAGE 10 PAGES 6 & 7 PAGES 2 & 14 2 >> newsupdate www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 28 October 2016 • issue 297 Professor Nick Jennings, Vice Provost (Research) at Imperial said: “Research excellence is at the heart of our academic mission at Imperial. Uniquely this EDITOR’S CORNER Centre will bring together world- leading research capabilities, an innovative, interdisciplinary Learning approach and new opportunities for lasting industrial partnerships.” legacy Professor Andrew Livingston (see page 11), who will be the Barrer Centre’s inaugural Director, While the College’s The Barrer Centre Leadership team with director, Professor Andrew Livingston (right) said: “A key aim of the Centre is to reputation is built on stimulate, develop and deliver high world-class research, quality research in all aspects of there’s genuine ambition Degrees of separation membrane and adsorption science for Imperial to become and technology, ranging from a byword for excellent A new centre at Imperial launched processes such as distillation and the nanoscale to the macro-scale. teaching and student this month aiming to develop evaporation which now account Our aim is to elevate the experience. Indeed, new technologies for reducing for 10 to 15 percent of the world’s Barrer Centre to international the College’s Strategy the energy cost of separation annual energy use. pre-eminence in the field of pledges to “embed our processes in industry. Using membranes for the separation science and materials”. educational experience separation of gases and chemicals The Centre is named in in a vibrant, research- Led by a team of chemical provides an alternative, more honour of the late Richard Barrer, led, entrepreneurial engineering academics at Imperial, efficient, non-thermal solution a former Head of the Department environment”. In each the Barrer Centre will provide a which has the potential to reduce of Chemistry, who is credited issue of Reporter, going focus for breakthrough research energy consumption significantly, with breakthrough research in forward, we aim to cover in separation technology. as well as reducing pollution and polymer membranes. He lends at least one example Separation processes consume cutting carbon dioxide emissions. his name to the ‘Barrer’, the unit of innovative teaching, about 40 per cent of energy used Industrial applications include of gas permeability which is still including the perspective in the refining and petrochemical water recovery, environmental used today. of both students and industries. Current techniques protection, food technology — ANGELA LONERGAN, MICHAEL PANAGOPULOS, lecturers. often use costly separation and biomedical devices. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING In this issue we look at the Constructionarium project (Centre pages), now in its 14th year – where students in the Department of Civil Diagnostic start-up secures and Environmental major US contract Engineering get the chance to work on A device that uses DNA analysis to quickly detect flu a real construction and drug-resistant bugs has attracted multi-million site and build scale dollar funding from a US agency. versions of landmark infrastructure including The device, known as Genalysis®, is being developed the Gherkin tower. There by Imperial start-up company DNA Electronics (DNAe), are some great stories which is based at the White City Campus. It has been of students taking the awarded a contract worth up to $51.9 million from the module, securing a job Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Academic and serial innovator Professor Chris Toumazou in construction, then Authority (BARDA). coming back to help with The collaboration will see DNAe working with Genalysis will be able to do it more efficiently and the module as part of the BARDA to further develop Genalysis®, so that hospitals quickly at the point of care, which we believe could lead industry team. That’s the in the US can rapidly detect the early signs of drug- to more effective treatments for patients.” legacy of great teaching. resistant bugs and influenza in patients to make Dr Sam Reed, an Imperial alumnus and DNAe’s treatments quick, personalised and more effective. President, US Office, said: “If a new influenza pandemic ANDREW CZYZEWSKI, EDITOR Professor Chris Toumazou, Chairman of DNAe arises, large numbers of symptomatic patients may Reporter is published every and Chief Scientist at Imperial’s Institute of Biomedical arrive at healthcare facilities. The Genalysis® device month during term time Engineering (see page 14), said: “The way we diagnose could rapidly discriminate patients who have the newly- in print and online. Contact patients is undergoing a massive transformation. arising pandemic strain from those that have seasonal Andrew Czyzewski: [email protected] We are now moving away from gene sequencing being flu or other common viruses.” carried out in big laboratories. Instead, devices like —COLIN SMITH, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS 3 www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 28 October 2016 • issue 297 >> newsupdate Maintaining excellence Stephen Hawking wows Imperial Imperial has renewed its Athena SWAN silver status in recognition Last week, Cambridge physicist and quantum gravity, and the of its ongoing support for women in science. Professor Stephen Hawking told a College should be very proud. packed audience at Imperial that I am confident that the Theoretical The institution-wide award, black holes are not as dark and Physics Group, including five originally granted in April destructive as we think. former members of my own 2012, recognises Imperial’s Relativity Group in Cambridge, successful development of Joining Professor Hawking at the will continue the great tradition employment practices that special event were five of his of fundamental physics research further and support the former students, who are now at Imperial.” careers of women in science, all professors in the Department Following his talk on the technology, engineering, of Physics at Imperial – Jerome nature of black holes, Professor maths and medicine. Gauntlett, Chris Hull, Jonathan Hawking answered questions from In renewing its status, Halliwell, Fay Dowker and the audience, including whether Imperial was required Toby Wiseman. artificial intelligence could ever to demonstrate evidence Professor Hawking said take over. that it had delivered on earlier in the day: “I am very Professor Jerome Gauntlett, promises made in the pleased to be here today to give Head of the Theoretical Physics original submission as this public lecture. Over the Group at Imperial said of the well as developing new years I have developed close event: “It was an honour and a plans and initiatives. connections with the Theoretical privilege to host Stephen Hawking Indeed, Imperial is Physics Group at Imperial, at Imperial. the first university to renew whose members have made “The campus was buzzing its silver status under important advances in our with excitement before his brilliant new criteria, which now includes gender equality in arts, humanities, understanding of fundamental and inspirational lecture in the social sciences, business and law departments (AHSSBL). physics. Great Hall, where the atmosphere Imperial’s Provost, Professor James Stirling paid tribute to College “Looking forward, Imperial was electric. It was a wonderful staff across all departments and in the Human Resources Division continues to be one of the celebration of theoretical physics who worked hard on the renewal submission. world’s leading centres for and an extraordinary event!” He said: “At Imperial, we know that attracting, developing, promoting research in theoretical physics, —HAYLEY DUNNING, COMMUNICATIONS AND and retaining the very best female staff is key to our remaining one of string theory, cosmology, PUBLIC AFFAIRS the world’s great universities. This is why we are committed to removing barriers and ensuring gender equality at all levels across the College. Athena Swan plays an important part in this. “The renewal of our existing silver award is by no means a formality; that we have managed to do this is a tremendous achievement, and reflects very positively on the progress we are making on gender equality and staff support.” In addition to the College’s institution-wide award, Imperial College Business School was for the first time awarded a Bronze Athena SWAN Jerome Gauntlett introduces his former theoretical physics tutor, Professor Hawking Award, among the first university business schools to receive the award. Commemoration university. You have Fintech future learned from academics day 2016 Industry leaders, who may have been born I took my entrepreneurs and More than 2,200 in one country, educated academics gathered this grandson to the undergraduate students in another, and who in front of some 6,800 month to discuss the latest Fringe, a really in brief collaborate globally in their trends in financial technology guests took to the stage research. You have shared at the Business School’s fantastic evening for in the Royal Albert Hall to classes and made lasting Fintech Conference 2016. receive their degrees last friendships with students both