Issue 4 // Autumn 2015 bristol.ac.uk/chemistry THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD HOW SELF-REPAIRING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY BRISTOL CHEMISTS COULD CHANGE THE WORLD DIAL A MOLECULE: HOW SYNTHESISING A MOLECULE JUST GOT EASIER LIFE IN CHEMISTRY: TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE SCHOOL Welcome Also in this issue… Welcome to the autumn issue of Chemistry Explored. This summer saw us say goodbye to students who graduated in July and headed off to pursue their goals after completing their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees with us. You can read about some of the careers that chemistry News leads to in this edition. 2015 Science Alive 03 As well as celebrating academic Thornbury Festival, latest from Tyntesfield 04 success, we’ve attracted widespread I’m a scientist, get me out of here! 05 media attention. Research carried out Summer in the labs, Fresh ideas for first years 06 into advanced composite materials leading to the development of self- Features healing technology had a huge amount Molecules made easy 07 of press coverage, which you can read Generation next 08 more about in this edition. Technology, heal thyself 10 We’ve also welcomed Professor Life in Chemistry 12 Jonathan Clayden who has recently Climbing for charity 14 joined us from Manchester. We’re Infographic 15 delighted that Jonathan has chosen Life through a lens 16 to move to Bristol and there will be a feature about him and his research University of Bristol Production Editor Steve O’Brien Art Editor School of Chemistry Elaine Knight-Roberts Editorial Director Dan group in the next edition. Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK Linstead Group Art Editor Will Slater Account Manager Clair Atkins Tel +44 (0)117 928 8201 As ever, we hope the magazine gives With thanks to Varinder Aggarwal, Thomas Web bris.ac.uk/chemistry Farrugia, Adele Faulkner, Tim Harrison, Dominic you a taste of life here at Bristol. Email [email protected] Palubiski, Selena Power, Jenny Slaughter, David Smith, Duncan Wass, Colin Western, Clare To find out more about our courses and Westlake, George Whitcombe, Isabel Wiltshire programmes, visit: bris.ac.uk/study Freelance Writer & Communications Consultant Aliya Mughal Chemistry Explored is produced in Photography Bhagesh Sachania association with Immediate Media Cover Getty Images Branded Content, Tower House, Unless otherwise indicated, copyright in this publication belongs to Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN the University of Bristol. Views expressed in Chemistry Explored do not necessarily reflect those of the University. The Editor reserves the right to edit Tel +44 (0)117 927 9009 contributions received. While care is taken to ensure accuracy of information, this cannot be guaranteed. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons. Web immediatecontent.co.uk Professor Nick Norman Head of the School of Chemistry YOUR SAY We want to hear from you! If you’ve anything you want to tell us about your experiences at Bristol University, or if you have any thoughts about Chemistry Explored, then please email us at [email protected]. 02 Chemistry Explored // Issue 4 update UPDATE The latest news from the School of Chemistry Bringing science to life Left: Chemistry’s Director of Outreach and Science Communicator in Residence, Tim Harrison, brings science to China; Above: Some local girls get stuck in at Hong Kong’s SciFest Bristol’s outreach team delivered 26 20-minute Bristol ChemLabS lectures as part of the 2015 Science Alive series The School of Chemistry’s Experimentation and an enthusiasm for Assisting Tim were an able team of Bristol ChemLabS is a UK discovery are some of the hallmarks of Chemistry’s finest, including PhD student Centre for Excellence in good science. The School of Chemistry James Fothergill and Outreach Teaching Teaching and Learning. Since managed to harness both on a record- Assistant Dr Alison Rivett, as well as eight 2005, it has seen a large-scale breaking scale when it involved over first-year undergraduate scientists from refurbishment of Chemistry’s 4,000 people in a public demonstration in the Hong Kong University of Science teaching laboratories and the Hong Kong. and Technology. development of the Dynamic The event, which took place under Professor Nick Norman, Head of the Laboratory Manual (DLM) – a giant pink inflatable canopy in Hong School of Chemistry, said: “This is yet a fully interactive online learning Kong Museum, was led by Tim Harrison, another example of the outstanding work resource which has transformed Chemistry’s globe-trotting Director of of the award-winning outreach team at students’ experience of Outreach and Science Communicator in Bristol. They can be rightly proud of their chemistry as a practical science. Residence. It was part of the 2015 Science achievements and I am certain that all the Alive series of events, hosted during March students who attended will have been as part of Hong Kong’s SciFest, which aims delighted with their experience.” to elevate public interest in the relevance of Science Alive 2015 was sponsored “THIS IS YET science and technology to everyday life. by the British Council, the Hong Kong ANOTHER Over the course of just two days, Leisure and Services Department, Hong Bristol’s outreach team delivered 26 Kong Science Museum, the HKSAR EXAMPLE OF THE 20-minute lectures, featuring Education Bureau, HKedCity and the OUTSTANDING demonstrations on atmospheric chemistry. Croucher Foundation. The lectures were attended by over 3,500 The Bristol team was supported by a WORK OF THE members of the public. On top of that, portfolio of Natural Environment Research AWARD-WINNING 900 young students were given the Council (NERC) grants held by the School chance to take part in a series of practical of Chemistry’s Atmospheric Chemistry OUTREACH TEAM chemistry sessions. Research Group. AT BRISTOL” Chemistry Explored // Issue 4 03 UPDATE Science on tour Dinosaurs, drugs and essential oils July’s Thornbury Science Festival was a big success for Bristol Visitors at this year’s Thornbury Science Slaughter and Isabel Wiltshire, who There was also a talk on the scientific Festival got a taste of the eclectic scope of talked about their work with the National fight against cancer courtesy of Chris science at Bristol, thanks to talks hosted Trust, analysing Victorian medicines Paraskeva, Professor of Experimental by our staff and students. discovered at the local Tyntesfield House. Oncology, as well as Science Question The festival, which took place in July, Chemistry’s Dr Natalie Fey gave a Time, a Q&A with Bristol’s Emeritus featured a tour of chemistry through practical demonstration for visitors eager Professor Gareth Williams (Medicine the ages, as delivered by Chemistry’s to try their hands at creating perfume and Dentistry), Professor Dudley Director of Outreach, Tim Harrison, and using plant extracts and essential oils, Shallcross (Chemistry), Dr Annela ChemLabS Teacher Chris Holland. while Earth Science’s researcher Ryan Seddon (Physics) and the University of Also providing a window into the Marek gave a presentation on Bristol’s Bath’s Emeritus Professor Jonathan Slack history of science were Dr Jenny famous Dinosaur Project. (Developmental Biology). WHEN HISTORY AND CHEMISTRY COLLIDE Chemistry student Isabel Wiltshire rounds up the latest discoveries from Tyntesfield House, where she and colleagues from the School of Chemistry have been helping to unlock the medicinal mysteries of the Victorian era I am now a little over halfway how historical research is concoctions, pharmaceutical the cabinet was opened to through a summer vacation done. The research took cures and proprietary the public, which meant that project to analyse the contents me into the workings of medicine, also known as we got to share our findings of a medicine cabinet that Victorian pharmacies, quack secret remedies or nostrums. with visitors. was discovered five years medicine and the many varied I’ve been working with The next stage, ago by the National Trust at ways people used to cure my supervisor, Dr Jenny currently underway with Tyntesfield House. themselves. Slaughter, and Chemistry’s the help of a fellow student I spent the first couple It’s been interesting to Safety Officer, Tony Rodgers, Dominic Palubiski, involves of weeks focused on the learn about the different kinds to sample some of the 100 analysing the contents and historical research, whilst of treatment that used to be bottles that were found. comparing them with trying to get to grips with used – homemade herbal We visited Tyntesfield when modern samples. 04 Chemistry Explored // Issue 4 UPDATE I’M A SCIENTIST, FROM BRISTOL GET ME OUT OF HERE! TO THE Thomas Farrugia is a PhD student in the School of NETHERLANDS Chemistry and a recent finalist in the University of PhD student Adele Bristol’s Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT). Here Faulkner has been he explains what it takes to be a science communicator awarded a postdoctoral research fellowship by the Leverhulme Trust to spend a year at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Adele started off in John Bower’s research group, developing catalytic methods for the construction of novel and complex molecules. These processes are of particular interest to many chemical industries, which earned her research sponsorship from the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Adele’s new fellowship will see her developing her research to focus on developing light driven catalysts to facilitate complex chemical transformations. Test success Dr Colin Western’s work in developing a system to track undergraduate student progress has earned him a University Teaching Award for I enjoy telling people about what school pupils about their research and the Education. I do. There’s something very satisfying experience of doing science. The Marks, Absences and about connecting with an audience of The students vote for their favourite Feedback system (MAF) allows non-scientists.