What distinguishes these University entrepreneurs? Each finalist has identified real-world challenges and developed innovative approaches that show great potential. From sustainable environmental solutions to ground-breaking healthcare technologies, these ideas showcase the incredible talent nurturing within our university walls.

In this milestone 25th Anniversary year of the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre, the competition holds special significance as we reflect on a quarter-century of fostering innovation and entrepreneurial excellence at The University of ���۴�ý.

After an intense selection process, the finalists are competing for funding of up to £15,000 in one of the five categories: Environment, Healthcare, Services, Social & Technology. The winners will be announced at our awards ceremony on 11 June.

Environment Category

Josiah Edebiri - UrbanWatt 

School of Engineering, PhD EEE 

UrbanWatt is revolutionising sustainable urban logistics by simplifying the commercial adoption of Light-EVs through integrated wireless power technology, AI-driven optimisation, and smart charging systems.

Farah Frikha - Vesta Capsules 

School of Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering 

Inspired by Japanese capsule hotels, Vesta Capsules offers affordable, eco-friendly sleeping pods built with smart technology and sustainable materials, providing a modern alternative to traditional accommodations.

Mohammad Israil Hossain - Aqua Graph 

School of Natural Sciences, Nano and Functional Materials 

Aqua Graph has developed graphene-based filtration technology where micro-sponges can adsorb harmful chemicals from wastewater up to their own weight, with a reversible process allowing for material recovery and reuse.

Thando Mathe - Khuluma 

School of Environment, Education and Development, MSc Global Development Environment and Climate Change 

Khuluma uses AI-driven climate communication to break language barriers across Africa, making critical climate information accessible to diverse communities.

Healthcare Category

Adrian Perez Barreto - Revine 

CDT-Advanced Biomedical Materials 

Revine addresses diabetic limb ulcers with a graphene-based electrostimulation patch that enhances tissue regeneration while preventing infection, with integrated biosensors providing real-time wound data.

Indu Khemchandani - abetesCareAI 

Alliance ���۴�ý Business School, MBA 

abetesCareAI is an AI-powered app helping users manage diabetes through real-time insights, personalised recommendations, and seamless device integration, with a freemium model and B2B partnerships.

Grigorii Rodionov - FlashAid AI 

School of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering BEng 

FlashAid AI tackles ambulance delays with an AI-powered platform for emergency response featuring instant triage, smart dispatch, real-time tracking, and dynamic routing optimised for traffic conditions.

Jasper Beaumont - Mend 

School of Medical Sciences, MBChB Medicine 

Mend is an AI-powered digital mental health platform helping patients build positive lifestyle habits through automated tracking, personalised care insights, and data-driven recommendations.

Services Category

Usman Aziz - JIFFL

Alliance ���۴�ý Business School, PhD Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 

JIFFL is a SaaS platform revolutionising part-time recruitment with an end-to-end solution enabling all recruitment stages on a mobile app and website, supported by machine learning and NLP for automated interviews.

Xiang Zheng - Purfetch 

Alliance ���۴�ý Business School, MBA 

Purfetch combines an AI-powered app and pet robot to help owners better understand their pets' emotional changes, behaviours, and health needs through real-time analysis and personalised care advice.

Matilde Lerias - Syncit

Alliance ���۴�ý Business School, MSc Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship

Syncit is a fitness app that considers the menstrual cycle, providing science-backed personalised fitness, nutrition, and wellbeing plans to help women maintain consistent routines.

Sebastian Contreras - Unisights

Alliance ���۴�ý Business School, BSc Management (Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship) with Placement

Unisights connects Latin American high school students with UK universities through insights from current students, direct access to university representatives, and AI-powered university matching.

Social Category

Alex Kapadia - Pomelo

School of Natural Sciences, Earth and Planetary Science 

Pomelo is an AI-powered platform making local shopping more affordable and convenient by connecting users with nearby food suppliers and chefs, with smart meal planning to reduce food waste.

Bohyuck Han - The Senior Vision Project

Alliance ���۴�ý Business School, MSc Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship

The Senior Vision Project addresses elderly poverty by creating meaningful part-time employment and providing AI-powered dementia prevention training, with data sales reinvested into senior employment projects.

Derry Duffy - Cause

School of Social Sciences, BSocSc Politics and International Relations

Cause is the first online giving platform built specifically for small charities, removing fundraising barriers with no platform fees and enabling connections through data-driven recommendations.

Oboroghene Ogbevire - PalmPro

School of Biological Sciences, Biochemistry BSc (Hons)

PalmPro is pioneering sustainable palm oil extraction through extremophile-derived enzymes that enhance oil yield while reducing environmental impact, with profits reinvested in small-scale producers.

Technology Category

Patrick Johansen Sarsfield - Graphene Thermal

School of Natural Sciences, Graphene NOWNANO CDT

Graphene Thermal specialises in cutting-edge graphene heated floor panels that reach their target temperature in seconds while consuming over 50% less power than conventional underfloor heating.

Dr Sangeethsivan Sivakumar - Ardhann

School of Natural Sciences, PhD Materials

Ardhann develops advanced carbon fibre composites and graphene-based solutions for hydrogen and hydrocarbon storage systems, with integrated monitoring and a SAAS platform for predictive maintenance.

Leo Benjamin Feasby - PulsR

School of Natural Sciences, MPhys Physics with Astrophysics

PulsR offers a suite of AI-powered GPTs including Image Generator Pro and Excel AI, with over 10 million chats and top rankings on ChatGPT's store, enhancing productivity across various fields.

Eduardo Marques - Amplify

School of Engineering, BEng Mechatronic Engineering

Amplify is building a non-invasive Brain-Computer Interface wearable that reads brain signals and uses AI to decode them into commands, streamlining repetitive tasks for 10x productivity.

MEC would like to invite the community at The University of ���۴�ý in congratulating these remarkable entrepreneurs on reaching the finals of the Venture Further Awards 2025. Their innovative ideas showcase the exceptional talent and entrepreneurial spirit within the University ecosystem.

Stay tuned for the announcement of winners on 11 June!

#VentureFurtherAwards2025 #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #StartupCompetition

Find out more about the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) on our website .

The Breakthrough Prize – popularly known as the “Oscars of Science” – honours scientists driving remarkable discoveries. 

CERN’s four major LHC experiment collaborations — , , , and  — have been recognised for testing the modern theory of particle physics – the Standard Model – and other theories describing physics that might lie beyond it to high precision.

In particular, the team have been awarded for discoveries made during the LHC Run-2 data up to July 2024, including detailed measurements of Higgs boson properties, the discovery of new particles, matter-antimatter asymmetry and the exploration of nature at the shortest distances and most extreme conditions.

The University of ���۴�ý researchers are involved in two of the four projects, ATLAS and LHCb. ATLAS is designed to record the high-energy particle collisions of the LHC to investigate the fundamental building blocks of matter and the forces governing our universe in order to better understand building blocks of life, while LHCb focuses on investigating the slight differences between matter and antimatter.

Professor Chris Parkes, Head of Physics and Astronomy at The University of ���۴�ý and former leader of the LHCb experiment explained that for his experiment “the department constructed a silicon pixel based ‘camera’ for the new version of the experiment that takes images 40 million times per second. Members played significant roles in the discovery of new matter antimatter differences and the discovery of new particles”.

The four LHC experiment collaborations involve thousands of researchers from over 70 countries. The $3M award was collected at a ceremony in LA by Parkes’ successor as leader of the experiment along with the leaders of the other three experiments.

Following consultation with the experiments’ management teams, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation will donate the $3 million Prize to the . The Prize money will be used to offer grants for doctoral students from the collaborations’ member institutes to spend research time at CERN, giving them experience in working at the forefront of science and new expertise to bring back to their home countries and regions.

Going forward, the LHC experiments will continue to push the boundaries of knowledge of fundamental physics to unprecedented limits. The upcoming upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider, the High-Luminosity LHC, which many of The University of ���۴�ý’s physicists and engineers are involved in, aims to ramp up the performance of the LHC, starting in 2030, in order to increase the potential for discoveries.

The University and the Santa Clara-based company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a strategic partnership aimed at leveraging the strengths of both organisations to drive advancements in AI applications across multiple sectors, including healthcare, social care, education, and sustainability. 

This collaboration will provide a foundation for joint research projects, academic exchange programs, and curriculum development initiatives that will shape the future of AI-driven solutions.  

Under the terms of the MoU, the partnership will focus on key initiatives, including:  

Research and Development in AI, Robotics, and Automation – Exploring applications of AI in healthcare, education, and sustainability, including the development of AI-powered robotic solutions such as Fari for elderly care and Senpai for special needs education.   

AI for All Initiative – Facilitating upskilling and workforce development programs in AI and robotics for healthcare, social care, and education professionals.  

Joint Degree Programs and Curriculum Development – Establishing specialized programs in AI, robotics, and automation, incorporating theoretical and practical components with hands-on experience using InGen Dynamics’ technologies, including Fari, Senpai, and Origami AI.  

Social Care Testbed Collaboration – Deploying and evaluating AI-driven robotics solutions in real-world environments to improve care delivery and assess the impact of AI in social care settings.  

AI Ethics and Responsible AI Initiatives – Promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical AI development through collaborative research and policy discussions.  

Global Exchange Programs – Enabling international knowledge-sharing by connecting students and researchers from the University of ���۴�ý with InGen Dynamics’ Futurenauts initiative in India and beyond.  

The collaboration will be overseen by a Steering Committee co-chaired by Professor Andrew Weightman, Professor of Medical Mechatronics the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Arshad Hisham, Founder & CEO of InGen Dynamics. The committee will meet biannually to define strategic roadmaps and identify new areas of mutual interest.  

Mr Hisham, said: “This partnership with The University of ���۴�ý is a significant step toward advancing AI and robotics research that has real-world impact.

“By combining our industry expertise with the academic excellence of ���۴�ý, we aim to accelerate innovation and create transformative AI solutions for global challenges.”  

Professor Weightman added: “We are excited to collaborate with InGen Dynamics to drive forward research and education in AI and automation.

“This MoU will enable us to integrate cutting-edge technology into our programs while fostering innovation that benefits society.”  

The finding, from CERN's LHCb experiment, which includes scientists at The University of ���۴�ý, provides new understanding of the ‘standard Model’ of particle physics and a new piece in the puzzle to explain how and why matter ended up dominating over antimatter after the big Bang to form the Universe we see today.

The finding was presented at the Rencontres de Moriond conference in La Thuile, Italy, on 24 March and posted on .

Scientists have known since the 1960s that particles have a distinct asymmetry and can behave differently from their antimatter counterparts — a phenomenon called "CP violation." While this effect has been seen before in the break-up of certain particles, known as mesons,  this is the first time it has been definitively observed in particles similar to those of ordinary matter, known as baryons. Baryons, which include protons and neutrons, make up most of the visible matter in the Universe and consist of three quarks.

LHCb spokesperson Vincenzo Vagnoni, said: “The reason why it took longer to observe CP violation in baryons than in mesons is down to the size of the effect and the available data.

“We needed a machine like the Large Hydron Collider (LHC) capable of producing a large enough number of beauty baryons and their antimatter counterparts, and we needed an experiment at that machine capable of pinpointing their decay products. It took over 80 000 baryon decays for us to see matter–antimatter asymmetry with this class of particles for the first time.”

Every particle has an antimatter counterpart with the same mass but an opposite charge. Normally, these pairs should behave like perfect mirror images of each other. However, when particles break down or transform, such as during radioactive decay, this symmetry can be slightly distorted (CP violation). This means that matter and antimatter particles don’t always decay at the same rate. Scientists can detect and measure this tiny difference using advanced detectors and powerful data analysis techniques.

The LHCb collaboration observed CP violation in a particle called the beauty-lambda baryon (Λb), a heavier, short-lived cousin of the proton. They analysed data from millions of particle collisions collected during two runs of the LHC between 2009 and 2018 in search of a certain decay.

The team discovered that the Λb and its antimatter partner do not decay into other particles at exactly the same rate — a difference of about 2.45%. The difference is large enough to exceed the threshold physicists use to confirm an observation of CP violation. Physicists calculate that the odds of such a discrepancy occurring by chance is less than one in three million.

Chris Parkes, Professor of Experimental Particle Physics at The University of ���۴�ý and the former leader of the LHCb collaboration, said: “Without a difference in the behaviour of matter and antimatter there would be not matter in the universe. All the matter and antimatter would have annihilated and the universe today would be made only of light. The LHCb experiment is specifically designed to look at differences between matter and antimatter in the break-up of particles. This is a landmark discovery in these studies, as it is the first time a difference is seen in particles similar to heavy versions of the proton or neutron.”

 The CP violation predicted by the Standard Model is far too small to explain the matter–antimatter asymmetry observed in the Universe. This suggests that there may be additional, unknown sources of CP violation that scientists have yet to discover. Finding these is a key goal of research at the Large Hadron Collider and will remain a focus for future experiments.

 LHCb spokesperson Vincenzo Vagnoni, said: “The more systems in which we observe CP violations and the more precise the measurements are, the more opportunities we have to test the Standard Model and to look for physics beyond it.

“The first ever observation of CP violation in a baryon decay paves the way for further theoretical and experimental investigations of the nature of CP violation, potentially offering new constraints for physics beyond the Standard Model.”

The LHCb Collaboration is continuing its studies with the second generation version of the large experimental apparatus, key elements of which were built in the Physics and Astronomy department at the University of ���۴�ý.

Professor Cinzia Casiraghi has been appointed as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), bringing with her more than two decades of pioneering research experience in graphene and 2D materials.

Since the early 2000s, Professor Casiraghi has been at the forefront of the graphene journey. From identifying the optical fingerprint of graphene to engineering ink-jet printable 2D materials for use in electronics and biomedical applications, her work has paved the way for the development of functional, scalable applications that are now becoming reality across industries.

Casiraghi’s appointment marks a new chapter for the GEIC, which sits at the heart of the Graphene@���۴�ý ecosystem. As CSO, she will provide strategic scientific leadership to strengthen the Centre’s role as a world-leading facility for the translation of 2D materials research into commercial products and technologies. 

She will play a key role in connecting academic expertise with industrial needs, supporting collaborative research at higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), and steering the scientific direction of GEIC projects.   

Her research group at The University of ���۴�ý has led groundbreaking work in Raman spectroscopy of carbon-based nanomaterials, and 2D material ink formulation, with an emphasis on industry-funded projects. Her contributions to printable electronics, ranging from photodetectors, transistors and memories printed onto low-cost and biodegradable substrates, such as paper, have significantly advanced the field. Casiraghi is also a prominent advocate for cross-disciplinary research, building bridges between chemistry, physics, materials science, and engineering.

Professor Casiraghi said:

“It is an exciting time for 2D materials. I am honoured to take on the role of Chief Scientific Officer at the GEIC. For the past 20 years, I have been dedicated to graphene and 2D materials research, witnessing remarkable progress along this journey. Two decades ago, I was looking at tiny graphene flakes, produced by mechanical exfoliation, with the aim to identify their optical fingerprint.

“Today, academics and companies regularly use this framework to identify graphene. Today, we have graphene and 2D material inks that can be printed onto paper and plastic to create functional devices, or can be combined with other materials to enhance specific properties. Today, we have well-established methods for large-area deposition of graphene and 2D materials, paving the way for their integration into next-generation electronics.

“I look forward to driving innovation, advancing our research capabilities, and working alongside the team at the GEIC and the academic community to develop cutting-edge solutions. By fostering collaboration between academia and industry, we aim to demonstrate the value of 2D materials and their transformative potential.”

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@���۴�ý, said:
“Cinzia has been a driving force in the field of graphene and 2D materials research for over two decades, and her appointment as Chief Scientific Officer marks a significant development opportunity for the GEIC. Her depth of expertise, combined with a passion for innovation and collaboration, will ensure we continue to bridge the gap between fundamental science and real-world application.

“As the GEIC evolves to meet the challenges of a fast-moving innovation landscape, Cinzia’s leadership will help accelerate our mission to deliver sustainable, scalable technologies that make a meaningful impact across industry sectors.”

As CSO, Professor Casiraghi will work across the GEIC’s ecosystem — including academic departments, the National Graphene Institute (NGI), and the wider university research community — to ensure alignment of scientific vision with industrial ambition. She will lead a team of Theme Leads, drawn from disciplines including materials science and physics, to guide project direction, advise on research outcomes, and lower the barrier between industry and academia.

The role also includes high-level engagement with strategic partners and national innovation stakeholders, helping to position the GEIC as a key player in addressing global challenges around clean growth, mobility, and sustainable development. Casiraghi will support the evaluation of major project proposals, mentor scientific staff, and champion excellence in research infrastructure, collaboration, and impact.

Professor Casiraghi has held academic roles at The University of ���۴�ý since 2010 and currently serves as Chair of Nanoscience and Head of Materials Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry. She previously held research fellowships in Berlin and Cambridge and holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

With this appointment, The University of ���۴�ý continues to reinforce its commitment to translating cutting-edge research into real-world impact, supporting the advancement of graphene and 2D materials through collaborative innovation and industrial engagement.

The findings, published in the journal ,  show that these powerful flows could be capable of traveling at speeds of up to eight meters per second, carrying plastic waste from the continental shelf to depths of more than 3,200 meters.

Over 10 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the oceans each year. While striking images of floating debris have driven efforts to curb pollution, this visible waste accounts for less than 1% of the total. The missing 99% – primarily made up of fibres from textiles and clothing – is instead sinking into the deep ocean.

Scientists have long suspected that turbidity currents play a major role in distributing microplastics across the seafloor – The University of ���۴�ý were among the first to demonstrate this through their research on ‘Microplastic Hotspots’ in the Tyrrhenian Sea, published in the journal . However, until now, the actual process had not been observed or recorded in a real-world setting.

The latest study conducted by The University of ���۴�ý, the National Oceanography Centre (UK), the University of Leeds (UK), and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research provides the first field evidence showing the process.

The findings pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems and highlight the urgent need for stronger pollution controls.

Dr Peng Chen, lead author on the study at The University of ���۴�ý, said “Microplastics on their own can be toxic to deep-sea life, but they also act as ‘carriers’ transferring other harmful pollutants such as PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ and heavy metals, which makes them an environmental ‘multistressor’ which can affect the entire food chain.”

The research focused on Whittard Canyon in the Celtic Sea, a land-detached canyon over 300 km from the shore. By combining in-situ monitoring and direct seabed sampling, the team were able to witness a turbidity current in action, moving a huge plume of sediment at over 2.5 metres per second at over 1.5 km water depth. The samples directly from the flow revealed that these powerful currents were not only carrying just sand and mud, but a significant quantity of microplastic fragments and microfibres.

Further analysis found that the microplastics on the seafloor are mainly comprised of fibres from textiles and clothing, which are not effectively filtered out in domestic wastewater treatment plants and easily enter rivers and oceans.

, Geologist and Environmental Scientist at The University of ���۴�ý, who designed and led the research, said: “These turbidity currents carry the nutrients and oxygen that are vital to sustain deep-sea life, so it is shocking that the same currents are also carrying these tiny plastic particles.

“These biodiversity hotspots are now co-located with microplastic hotspots, which could pose serious risks to deep-sea organisms.

“We hope this new understanding will support mitigations strategies going forward.”

Dr Mike Clare of the , who was a co-lead on the research, added: “Our study has shown how detailed studies of seafloor currents can help us to connect microplastic transport pathways in the deep-sea and find the ‘missing’ microplastics. The results highlight the need for policy interventions to limit the future flow of plastics into natural environments and minimise impacts on ocean ecosystems.”

The study team are now focussing on efforts to better understand the effect that microplastics have on marine organisms, for example sea turtles and deep-sea fauna.

This research was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Full title: Direct evidence that microplastics are transported to the deep sea by turbidity currents

DOI:

Published in the journal, , scientists have developed an advanced sensor that can detect volcanic gases with rapid speed and precision.

Using the sensor mounted on a helicopter, the research team measured emissions at Soufrière Hills Volcano on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat, revealing that the volcano emitted three times more CO₂ than earlier studies had estimated.

Scientists typically monitor volcanic emissions by focusing on hot vents, known as fumaroles, which release high concentrations of easily detectable acid gases like sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and hydrogen chloride (HCl). However, many volcanoes also have cooler fumaroles, where water-rich hydrothermal systems on the volcano absorb the acidic gases, making them harder to detect. As a result, CO₂ emissions from these cooler sources are often overlooked, leading to significant underestimations in volcanic gas output.

The new technology exposes those hidden emissions, offering a more accurate quantification of the volcanoes gas output.

The findings also have significant implications for volcano monitoring and eruption forecasting.

, lead researcher from The University of ���۴�ý, said: “Volcanoes play a crucial role in the Earth's carbon cycle, releasing CO₂ into the atmosphere, so understanding the emissions is crucial for understanding its impact on our climate. Our findings demonstrate the importance of fast sampling rates and high precision sensors, capable of detecting large contributions of cooler CO₂-rich gas.

“However, it’s also important to realise that despite our findings that CO₂ emissions could be around three times higher than we expected for volcanoes capped by hydrothermal systems, volcanoes still contribute less than 5% of global CO₂ emissions, far less than human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and deforestation.”

and co-author, added: “Development of high-sensitivity high-frequency magmatic gas instruments opens up a new frontier in volcanological science and volcano monitoring. This work demonstrates the new discoveries which await us. By capturing a more complete picture of volcanic gas emissions, we can gain deeper insights into magma movement, observe potential signs of impending eruptions and signs that an ongoing eruption might be ending. For the people living near active volcanoes, such advancements could enhance early warning systems and improve safety measures.”

The research was carried out in collaboration with Montserrat Volcano Observatory and the National Institute of Optics, Firenze, Italy. Now, the study team are searching for funding to make this instrument suitable for unmanned aerial vehicle platforms, opening up new opportunities for performing delicate gas measurements in challenging and hazardous environments.  

This research has been published in the journal Scientific Advances. 

Full title: Quantification of Low-Temperature Gas Emissions Reveals CO₂ Flux Underestimates at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat.

DOI:

Congratulations to CDT student Patrick Sarsfield, winner of the £20,000 second prize with co-founder of Graphene Thermal Daniel Mills. Patrick is currently doing his PhD in the Theory of Electronic Properties of Graphene.

���۴�ý’s reputation as a global leader in graphene innovation was reinforced as (MEC) announced the winners of the 2025 Eli & Britt Harari Graphene Enterprise Award. The prestigious competition, which supports students, postgraduates, and recent alumni in turning cutting-edge research into viable businesses, awarded £50,000 and £20,000 to two outstanding ventures set to disrupt industries with their graphene and 2D material-based technologies.

The grand final, held on March 11 2025, saw finalists pitch their groundbreaking ideas to an expert panel at Alliance ���۴�ý Business School. The event culminated in a hybrid awards ceremony at the Enterprise Zone, with a global audience tuning in via livestream. Keynotes from Aurore Hochard, Director of MEC, and Luke Georghiou, Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, highlighted the University’s commitment to turning research into real-world solutions. A fireside chat with last year’s winners, Solar Ethos, provided valuable insights for the next generation of graphene entrepreneurs.

The panel featured distinguished leaders in entrepreneurship and graphene innovation at The University of ���۴�ý. The group included Aurore Hochard, James Baker (CEO of Graphene@���۴�ý), Professor Luke Georghiou, Dr. Ania Jolly (Henry Royce Institute), Professor Aravind Vijayaraghavan (founder of Grafine Ltd.), and Dr. Vivek Koncherry (CEO of Graphene Innovations ���۴�ý). Their expertise ensured a rigorous selection process, identifying businesses with the strongest potential for commercial success.

The four finalists for this year showcased diverse and innovative applications of graphene and 2D materials. 

• Patrick Johansen Sarsfield from the School of Natural Sciences is developing Graphene Thermal - a company creating efficient graphene heated floor panels that reach target temperatures rapidly while using 50% less power than competitors.
• Jorge Servert from the School of Biological Sciences leads Sensium, which is revolutionising molecular diagnostics. Their technology achieves 90-95% accuracy in detecting various conditions, including infections and STIs, in under 5 minutes at just $1 per test.
• Mohammadhossein Saberian from the School of Natural Sciences heads Metamorph Materials, which transforms biomass into carbon-negative graphite for lithium-ion batteries, offering a sustainable alternative that enhances battery performance for EVs and electronics.
• Rui Zhang from the School of Natural Sciences presents Graphene Vision, developing next-generation in-situ cells that enhance materials characterisation systems. Their cost-effective solution enables real-time atomic-level imaging, accelerating research in various fields including catalysis and biomaterials.

The £50,000 first prize was awarded to Jorge A. Servert of Sensium (School of Biological Sciences), who combines expertise from diagnostics with his PhD in Biophysics. Jorge was also part of MEC’s Researcher to Innovator (R2I) programme where he received support in delivering impact with his research. 

The £20,000 second prize went to Patrick Johansen Sarsfield of Graphene Thermal with co-founder Daniel Mills, aircraft engineer at General Aero Services. Patrick is currently doing his PhD in the Theory of Electronic Properties of Graphene. We also extend recognition to finalists Mohammadhossein Saberian (School of Natural Sciences) of Metamorph Materials, and Rui Zhang (School of Natural Sciences) of Graphene Vision. Rui was part of MEC’s Researcher to Innovator (R2I) programme where he received support in delivering impact with his research.

We congratulate all participants on their outstanding achievements. Their innovations hold tremendous potential for commercial impact, from sustainable materials to next-generation electronics. By supporting these enterprising individuals, The University of ���۴�ý is not only fostering personal success but also driving forward solutions to global challenges.

“To everyone, the journey continues and it's all about resilience” - Aurore Hochard, Director of the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre.

A University of ���۴�ý academic has been selected as a member of the UK Young Academy - an interdisciplinary network of early-career professionals and researchers working together to tackle pressing global and local challenges and promote lasting change.

is among 42 emerging leaders from across the UK named as the newest members of the UK Young Academy, who come from a wide range of sectors, with backgrounds in political science, engineering, government, communications and the creative and performing industries, and more.

As a member of the UK Young Academy, will have the opportunity to take action on both local and global issues. Through interdisciplinary projects and working across sectors, the members will bridge gaps, drive innovation, and develop the solutions needed to address critical challenges – all while advancing their professional development and contributing to a global network of Young Academies focused on achieving positive outcomes.

’s expertise is in nuclear reaction theories and is particularly interested in working on projects related to physics education, science communication, and supporting early-career researchers from at-risk or underrepresented backgrounds. 

For the first time, a select group of emerging leaders have been chosen for membership in the UK Young Academy through a dedicated route in collaboration with the Council of At-Risk Academics (Cara). At-risk academics from Cara’s network were invited to apply for membership as part of a UK Young Academy member-led project focused on supporting at-risk early-career researchers across the UK. 

Next week, the newest members of the UK Young Academy will come together for their Induction Day, where they will learn about the UK Young Academy’s activities and programmes. This will be followed by the third annual All Members’ Meeting, marking the first opportunity for this new group to connect with the wider membership. 

Speaking on behalf of the UK Young Academy Membership Selection Committee, Alistair McConnell, said:&�Բ�����;“The solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges won’t come from a single field or perspective. We need to bring together expertise and insights from a range of disciplines.

“Today, we are delighted to welcome our newest members, whose diverse backgrounds and expertise will bring fresh perspectives to the UK Young Academy. These members will have the opportunity to challenge boundaries, make new connections, and work together to develop innovative solutions to the challenges that matter most.

“As we enter our third year as an organisation, the new members will be able to contribute right from the outset. Through involvement in innovative projects, work programmes, or by ensuring that early-career voices are part of key global and local debates, they’ll be positioned to make a meaningful contribution.” 

The new members take up their posts from 1 April 2025, and membership runs for five years.  

The NGI opened in 2015 and became the home of research into the world’s thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material. Since then, the institute has established itself as a global leader in the research and development of graphene and other advanced 2D materials.  

Through the translation of graphene science into tangible, real world applications, the NGI has provided the opportunity for researchers and industry to work together on a variety of potential applications. The institute has been at the forefront of numerous pioneering projects that have reshaped industries and set new benchmarks for innovation. 

The NGI’s community of leading academics has played a pivotal role in advancing 2D material research, producing some of the most influential and highly cited studies in the field. Their pioneering work has accelerated the transition of graphene from the laboratory to real-world applications, driving innovation at an unprecedented pace. This collective expertise has cemented ���۴�ý’s position as the global home of graphene, ensuring it remains at the forefront of discovery and innovation. 

One of the many groundbreaking innovations from the NGI is the recent advancement of graphene-based neural technologies, now entering the first phase of human trials. is using graphene-based brain-computer interface therapeutics to improve precision surgery for diseases such as cancer. 

The NGI has also seen the establishment of many high-profile collaborations and spinouts founded by its academics, or as a result of NGI-based research: 

• A collaboration between Inov-8 and the University led to the development of the world’s first graphene-enhanced running shoes, proven to be 50% stronger and more durable than other running shoes. This demonstrates the potential of graphene to revolutionise performance sportswear. 
• seeks to increase accessibility to clean water and air through 2D-enhanced membranes.  
• is using breakthrough technology to control infrared thermal radiation, which could have applications in aerospace engineering. 
• are designing and building mineral recovery systems from various sources, such as brines, industrial wastewater, and used batteries. 

At the heart of the National Graphene Institute’s pioneering research is its state-of-the-art 1,500m² nanofabrication facility, featuring ISO Class 5 and 6 cleanrooms spread across two floors. This advanced facility is dedicated to the fundamental research of graphene and 2D materials, and the development of cutting-edge devices that harness their exceptional properties. By providing such unique environment for precision research and innovation, the NGI continues to drive breakthroughs that push the boundaries of material science. 

Reflecting on the anniversary, Professor Vladimir Fal’ko, Director of the National Graphene Institute said: “This 10-year milestone is a testament to the NGI’s relentless pursuit of excellence and the collaborative spirit that has defined our journey. 

“We are immensely proud of the tangible impact our research has had across multiple sciences and industries and remain excited about harnessing 2D materials’ potential to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”  

Looking ahead, the NGI is committed to furthering its legacy of groundbreaking research and sustaining the pipeline of innovation together with its sister institute, the (GEIC), and the nurturing of the next generation of 2D materials scientists with the PhD programme. 

Innovative research remains at the forefront of the NGI’s mission, with the Institute currently exploring green hydrogen technologies, next-generation batteries and supercapacitors for faster AI and machine learning, advanced quantum electronics, and the continued development of research into nanofluidics, nanocomposites, and van der Waals materials.  

The Euclid space telescope, launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), is designed to create the most detailed map of the night sky ever made, helping scientists understand the evolution of our Universe and mysterious forces like dark matter and dark energy.

Researchers at The University of ���۴�ý have played a key role in leading the Euclid scientific mission and preparing for publication the papers in this new release.  This includes a preview of Euclid's deep fields, showing the capability of the mission with less than 1% of the data. These new images showcase hundreds of thousands of galaxies in various shapes and sizes – most never seen before - highlighting their expansive arrangement within the cosmic web.

Euclid Science Coordinator, Chris Conselice, Professor of Extragalactic Astronomy at the University of ���۴�ý, said: “The Euclid telescope and mission has exceeded our expectations and has produced a slew of new science investigating galaxies, stars, and the large-scale structure of the universe in a way that has never been done before.  This release is only a very tiny fraction of the survey and it is a preview of things to come whereby Euclid will solve many of the existing problem in astronomy from the nature of the universe to the formation, the evolution of galaxies, and properties of extrasolar planets.”

This first set of data released in this Quick Release 1 (Q1) covers approximately 63 square degrees of the sky - the equivalent area of more than 300 times the full Moon – making it the largest area of sky ever observed with an optical/near-infrared space telescope to such depth and resolution.

Euclid’s extraordinary insights into the huge variety of shapes and the distribution of billions of galaxies are made using its visible instrument (VIS) is essential for measuring their distances and masses.

Among the discoveries reported today are vast thread-like structures known as galaxy filaments that form the backbone of the cosmic web. Scientists have also identified more than 500 strong gravitational lens candidates—rare cosmic phenomena where massive galaxies bend and magnify light from more distant sources, revealing hidden details about the distribution of dark matter.

This release represents just 0.45% of Euclid’s full survey. Over the course of the mission, the telescope is expected to capture more than 1.5 billion galaxies, transmitting nearly 100GB of data each day.

To make sense of this enormous dataset, scientists, including those at The University of ���۴�ý, are using cutting-edge AI and the power of citizen science. Nearly 10,000 volunteers helped train an AI system called ‘Zoobot’ to classify galaxies based on their features, such as spiral arms or evidence of past collisions. Their work has resulted in the first detailed catalogue of over 380,000 galaxies—an essential resource for future discoveries.

These results are described in a series of 27 scientific publications alongside seven technical reports detailing how the data is processed by Euclid’s expert teams.

The scientific papers which have not yet been through the peer-review process, but which will be submitted to the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. .

The telescope joins the observatory’s three Small Aperture Telescopes (SAT) at the site and  of the universe’s oldest light — the cosmic microwave background — to help determine what happened just after the universe’s birth.

The University of ���۴�ý is a key partner in SO, playing a leading role in the SO:UK project, which is funded by United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI). SO:UK is currently constructing two additional SATs for the observatory, significantly enhancing its observational capabilities. The University also hosts a major data centre dedicated to processing the wealth of data generated by all four SO telescopes.

Professor Michael Brown, Head of Cosmology at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics and Principal Investigator of the SO:UK project, said: “After eight years of design and construction work, first light for the SO LAT telescope is a major milestone for SO and paves the way for a huge range of exciting science to come over the next decade. Together with data from the first three SO SATs, we are excited to start searching the first LAT observations to reveal new secrets of the Universe.”

The LAT receiver camera, measuring 2.4 by 2.6 metres, was carefully installed last year, with the final step being the placement of its two six-metre mirrors. Shortly after completion in late February 2025, the telescope obtained its first celestial image—an observation of Mars. With this successful test, the LAT is set to begin collecting observations in the coming months.

SO Co-Director Mark J. Devlin, said: “This work is the culmination of eight years of effort by dozens of SO researchers to make the world’s most capable ground-based cosmology telescope.

“At the moment the second mirror went in, we moved to make the first observations with the telescope, and all initial indications point to a huge success.”

SO Co-Director Suzanne Staggs, added: “In the space between design and proof of success, there are many sleepless nights, so the LAT’s first light observations are a highly satisfying first step toward proof of the remarkable design.”

“To achieve the gamut of the SO science objectives, the SO team designed the LAT and its camera to have unprecedented sensitivity and excellent optical quality.”

The LAT and the three SATs will closely measure the cosmic microwave background, which is essentially the afterglow of the Big Bang, as well as observe other targets such as the universe’s most massive black holes and our solar system’s asteroids.

“It’s wonderful to have this last major piece of our observatory in place,” says SO Spokesperson Jo Dunkley, the Joseph Henry Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University. “We are excited to find out what the suite of SO telescopes will reveal to us about the universe.”

With all four telescopes now online, the software behind SO is now hard at work operating the observatory’s mechanics and managing the influx of data.

“The LAT coming online means so is the software that runs it,” says SO Data Manager . “The software is now controlling the movements of the telescopes, analysing the incoming data and backing everything up to two sites in North America and another in the UK.”

Future upgrades to the Simons Observatory are already in the works, including enhancing the sensitivity of the LAT and adding new SATs. These upgrades come thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation, U.K. Research and Innovation, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

The new milestone coincides with the launch of , which will help communicate the project’s incredible science and technological advances to the public. The SO team also  chronicling the SO progress through March 2025.

The programme will be jointly led by five leading research institutions in the UK: the Universities of Dundee, ���۴�ý, Nottingham, Swansea and West of England, and will address challenges associated with enhancing data access and analysis within TREs – secure environments where approved researchers can access sensitive data for research to benefit the public, such as national public health and population-level surveys.

The in the Department of Computer Science at The University of ���۴�ý is leading the TREvolution approach to (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and transparent analysis of sensitive data. The eScience Lab is expanding on its effort in the programme in , building on two decades of experience providing computational analysis and data infrastructure to internationally support open research practices in life sciences and other disciplines.

The programme was awarded £4.94 million from under the .

TREs in the UK are internationally renowned for establishing the, but they have some limitations for researchers. The manual application processes and disclosure checks make it challenging to keep up with today's scientific needs, like federated learning, analysis across sectors and research domains, and large-scale correlation studies.

TREvolution will address these challenges to evolve UK TRE capabilities across three themes:

• TRE reference architecture and implementations: Standardising UK TRE architectures to enable seamless interoperability.
• AI and semi-automated output checking: Enhancing research output review processes to ensure non-disclosure of personal information.
• Federated analysis: Enabling secure analysis of datasets stored in multiple TREs located across the UK.

The work will be delivered in collaboration with NHS Scotland, Lancashire Teaching Hospital, Durham University, Lancaster University, University College London, University of Queensland, University of Basel and University of Cape Town.

It builds on existing work done by the delivery partners, with experience across the themes, as well as the , which developed initial versions of some of the key components of TREvolution.

In the first collaboration, The University of ���۴�ý established : a mechanism of structurally documenting the evidence of computational processes, along with the chain of human reviews for legally accessing sensitive data. Five Safes RO-Crate is based on open Web standards and wider community efforts and has been adopted by several research projects in the European Open Science Cloud () including , and forms the basis for the common metadata standard of TREvolution.

TREvolution is the first of three initiatives under the DARE UK (Phase 2) Transformational Programme, advancing the further development and testing of core TRE components and capabilities developed in the first phase of the DARE UK programme.

Further funding will also be provided to support the early adoption of these capabilities by UK TREs and data services and to demonstrate their application through real-world research exemplars. The goal is to showcase the potential for a connected and efficient national network of secure data infrastructures.

DARE UK Interim Director, Professor Emily Jefferson, said: “TREvolution marks a step change in our efforts to transform the UK’s secure data research ecosystem. This important work will ensure that key capabilities—such as federated analysis and enhanced output checking supporting the training of AI models—are not just theoretical advancements but practical, real-world solutions that enhance the UK’s ability to do impactful research. We look forward to working closely with the TREvolution team to advance these innovations and drive meaningful progress in how sensitive data is accessed and used for the public good."

The TREvolution team will work closely with the DARE UK Delivery Team and early adopter TREs, fostering stronger collaboration and synergy as these critical capabilities are integrated into the UK’s secure data research infrastructure ecosystem.

Follow DARE UK on and , and to follow TREvolution’s progress.

The new project, POUNDS (Prediction Of UnqualifieD losseS from offshore wind farm wakes), aims to provide a national-scale assessment of interactions between wind farms, supporting policymakers and industry leaders to optimise offshore wind energy production in the drive to net zero.

The UK government has set a target to reach 43-50 GW of offshore wind by 2030. Rapid progress has already been made with 16 GW now in operation and further projects are ongoing development under the recent Contract for Difference Allocations. Nevertheless, achieving the 2030 target requires an up to three-fold increase of capacity, potentially reaching over 100 GW installed capacity by 2050. 

Such substantial expansion of offshore wind farms means they must be built closer together, making it crucial to understand how this affects predictions of annual energy production.

When large groups of turbines are built in close proximity, they create ‘wakes’ where wind slows down behind them. and are increasingly impacting the performance of neighbouring farms, reducing the efficiency of the turbines in producing energy and causing conflicts between wind farm operators.

Project Lead , Research Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering and Management at The University of ���۴�ý, said: “Achieving the target of 43-50 GW of deployed offshore wind farms by 2030 is crucial for NetZero and energy security, but reduction in energy prediction due to wind farm wakes must be addressed.”

“Our POUNDS project is key to overcoming these challenges, informing policy makers and project developers about strategies to better quantify these losses. Similar initiatives of national importance have been developed in Germany, The Netherlands and the US, and our project aims to support the whole UK offshore wind industry.”

POUNDS, funded by Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Impact Hub, will be carried out in partnership with the UK’s leading Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) institutes, industry experts, and policymakers, including ORE Catapult, Arup, EDF, RWE, and The Crown Estate.

The project’s key aims include:

• Assessing how offshore wind farms affect each other’s energy production, and the revenue implications of these impacts.
• Helping to identify the best locations for future offshore wind farms to minimise these losses and ensure the UK’s renewable energy targets are met.
• Validating modelled performance data against operational data.
• Improving model accuracy in forecasting wind farm energy production.

As for its methodology, POUNDS will use state-of-the-art mesoscale models – a type of advanced numerical weather forecasting model – to model the performance of wind farms spanning UK waters at a resolution of 1 km. It will assess both the wind farms operational in 2023, and the thousands more wind turbines that are planned by 2030.

The analysis will evaluate accuracy of the model relative to real-world data and quantify the effects of inter-farm wakes on predicted energy yield. It will also capture wind-farm wakes and wind-farm performance in comparison to energy export grid data.

This combination of advanced modelling and collaboration with leading stakeholders is designed to support delivery of the UK’s target to become NetZero by 2050.

, Energy Economist with Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, said: "The UK Government's recent   identification of inter-farm wind wakes as an area of focus highlights this issue's importance. This study could make important contributions towards better understanding and planning around them."

, Wind Skills Leader, UKIMEA, Arup, added: "As the UK continues to expand its offshore wind capacity, balancing the need for security and affordability of supply is becoming increasingly complex. To ensure a just transition, which balances private and public interests, it is critical that we take a collaborative approach to advance our scientific understanding of inter-farm wakes and our ability to quantify the impacts."

By modelling the interactions between wind farms more precisely, the team hopes to provide better guidance for developers and policymakers, reduce investment risks, and resolve conflicts between wind farm operators.

POUNDS could ensure that both the UK’s offshore wind expansion, and 2030 target, remain on track.

The project POUNDS will be officially launched at the , which will be held at The University of ���۴�ý on 15th April 2025 and is open to academic colleagues.

Further information on the Supergen ORE Impact hub is available .

Metascience is the application of scientific methodology to study how research is undertaken. It is hoped that the approach will help to improve the quality and efficiency of UK research.

The successfully funded project at the University is on ‘Supporting Research and Researchers through the deployment of Digital Notebooks: A framework for implementation and impact.’ The research will follow both Cancer Research UK ���۴�ý Institute’s implementation and The Research Lifecycle Programme’s deployment of digital notebooks across the University, and to evaluate the impact of targeted interventions across the various organisational scales.

Speaking about the project, principal investigator , Professor of Cognitive Science in the Department of Computer Science, said: “This grant is an exciting investment in The University of ���۴�ý; recognising the importance of metascience. It will help us to demonstrate the benefits that digital notebooks can make to open, reproducible, and responsible research and provide other higher education institutions with a framework for implementation.”

Co-Investigator, , Research Integrity and Training Adviser at the ���۴�ý Institute, said: “Teams here are already starting to make use of digital notebooks to document their work. We're keen to see these powerful tools made accessible to researchers across the University to help support and grow open, reproducible and responsible research practices.”

The Research Lifecycle Programme’s (RLP) project to deploy digital notebooks is currently engaging with academics and research technical professionals to gather functional requirements for any proposed notebook solutions, and to assess demand for integrated sample inventories. The needs of all schools and faculties are to be captured, to ascertain where functional diversity can be catered for. 

• , 

Commissioned by the band, the roadmap set out clear, measurable targets for the live music industry to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and align with the Paris Agreement.

Using this framework, Massive Attack hosted ACT 1.5 – a one-day music festival over the August bank holiday in 2024.

Analysis in the new report shows that the event had significant reductions in carbon emissions compared to a typical outdoor concert, including:

• 81-98% emissions reduction from power
• 89% emissions reductions from food/catering
• 70% emissions reductions from equipment haulage 
• 73% emissions reductions from artist travel 

The festival was attended by over 32,000 fans and implemented a range of climate measures, including:

• The first ever 100% battery powered festival of its size
• Electric trucks taking batteries offsite to recharge with renewable power
• 100% plant-based catering
• The provision of five times extra show trains one hour after the national network had closed
• Fleets of electric shuttles buses to get fans home. 

To evaluate the event’s carbon impact, the Tyndall Centre team—led by The University of ���۴�ý’s Professor Carly McLachlan and Dr Chris Jones—worked with leading sustainability organisation A Greener Future (AGF). They analysed emissions data from ACT 1.5 and compared it to a hypothetical outdoor concert where environmental measures have not been prioritised.

The results revealed the concert produced the lowest ever carbon emissions from a show of its kind.

It is hoped that the roadmap and insights from the Act 1.5 show are used by other event organisers to transform the live music industry.

Professor Carly McLachlan, Associate Director at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at The University of ���۴�ý, said: "This proof-of-concept show could change the landscape for outdoor festivals. It demonstrated that there are real opportunities for promoters, providers, local authorities and central government to create the conditions for the UK to lead the world in super-low carbon events. A willingness to do things differently was demonstrated by the audience and crew members alike. The unwavering commitment to sustainability from senior members of the production team, including the artist, was essential for the success of the show and inspiring to see.”

While many of the attendees took advantage of incentives to travel by low carbon options such as rail – including VIP bar wristbands for rail travellers, a localised pre-sale, the chartering of trains and the provision of free electric shuttle buses to train stations – data shows that 5% of the audience chose to fly to the show. Those who flew were responsible for 64% of the overall greenhouse gas emissions of the show.

Robert Del Naja, 3D – Massive Attack, said: “Massive Attack are hugely grateful to both the team and the fans that produced a world leading event, and to the scientists and analysts who - via the huge progressive leaps made in producing the ACT 1.5 show - identified a serious emerging issue for all live music events in the context of climate emergency. If fans are encouraged to tour the world to see their favourite artists this sector can simply forget about hitting any emissions reductions targets, let alone Paris 1.5 compatibility. There's a huge question now for tour planning, but also for media and promotor marketing campaigns high on the glitz of epic summer tours that normalise leisure aviation."

Mark Donne, ACT 1.5 Lead Producer, added: “Evidently this show proved to be the cleanest, greenest festival event ever staged - but in terms of popular take up of clean practices, it feels like we and others working on this stuff are attempting to create smart productions within dumb regulation.

“Music fans showed quite categorically that they are up for taking the train if there are reliable services available and they can get to the station post-show - but those arrangements are unnecessarily bureaucratic, with dysfunctional timings that must be made simpler.  High polluting power sources like diesel that dominate the festival world, creating huge amounts of greenhouse gas and toxic air pollution for those that live near festival sites, or work on them are cheap and abundant. Central and local government must address this urgently, either via regulation or a deterrent tax. Clean technology is ready – it just needs to be facilitated; fans want clean shows, that’s very clear. The challenge for promoters and government now is to meet that need.”

The study, led by the Modelling & Simulation Centre within the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at The University of ���۴�ý, seeks to address major inefficiencies within refrigerated HGVs and find solutions to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions within the fleet through aerodynamic improvements.

Although this category of vehicle represents only 5% of the total fleet of European vehicles, they contribute around 30% of CO₂ emissions from transportation. While advancements in engine efficiency and hybrid technology are already underway, aerodynamics remains the second biggest source of energy losses.

The key challenge lies in the addition of refrigeration units, typically mounted above the cabin, which disrupt airflow and significantly increases drag.

Professor Alistair Revell, Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at The University of ���۴�ý, said: “Despite significant work on consumer automotive aerodynamics, there has been relatively little focus on refrigerated vehicles. It is highly likely that significant gains in aerodynamic efficiency can still be made for these vehicles, which would translate to sizeable reductions in fuel consumption.

“We are extremely fortunate to be partnering with Solomon Commercials who have the foresight to focus on novel aerodynamic solutions and a flexible approach to problem solving. This offers the opportunity to bring cutting-edge research to the real world in a short space of time. ”

The researchers will use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to analyse turbulent flow around the cab-mounted fridge unit to better understand the benefits of aerodynamic features. The insights will support  Solomon Commercials to design the next generation aerodynamic slipstream systems.

With refrigerated HGVs covering over 130,000 km annually and fuel costs exceeding £30,000 per vehicle, even a 10% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency could save operators around £3,000 per truck each year. The improvements also align with broader industry efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and support sustainable logistics.

Mark Hanson, Technical Director Solomon Commercials, said: “Our continued goal is to deliver innovative transport systems that our customers know will help reduce their environmental impact while transporting temperature sensitive commodities across multiple sectors safely and efficiently.  

“Our association with The University of ���۴�ý’s Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering outlines our commitment to reducing energy costs and supporting our customers journey to a more sustainable fleet.”

As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, hydrogen is considered a key player to the transition to cleaner energy. However, the clear, odourless and highly flammable gas is hard to detect using human senses and poses a challenge for its safe deployment.

The sensor, developed by a scientist at The University of ���۴�ý, can reliably detect even the tiniest amounts of hydrogen in seconds. It is small, affordable, and energy-efficient – and its results outperform portable commercial hydrogen detectors.

The research, in collaborations with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, was published today in the journal .

The operation of the new organic semiconductor sensor relies on a process known as "p-doping," where oxygen molecules increase the concentration of positive electrical charges in the active material. When hydrogen is present, it reacts with the oxygen, reversing this effect and causing a rapid drop in electrical current. This change is fast and reversible at room temperature up to 120 °C.

The sensor was tested in various real-world scenarios, including detecting leaks from pipes, monitoring hydrogen diffusion in closed rooms following an abrupt release, and even being mounted on a drone for airborne leak detection. In all cases, the sensor proved faster than portable commercial detector, demonstrating its potential for widespread use in homes, industries, and transport networks.

Importantly, the sensor can be made ultra-thin and flexible and could also be integrated into smart devices, enabling continuous distributed monitoring of hydrogen systems in real time.

The team is now focusing on advancing the sensor further while assessing its long-term stability in different sensing scenarios.

Throughout the two-day event held this month, spinout founders presented their innovative projects across Life Sciences, Science & Engineering and Next-Stage Investment categories. These sessions were followed by lively Q&A discussions, with investors and attendees posing insightful questions about the future potential of these groundbreaking technologies.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President & Vice-Chancellor of The University of ���۴�ý, delivered a keynote speech on the global impact of university spinouts and reinforced the role of research-led innovation in shaping industries worldwide.

He said at the event: “One of the things that distinguishes ���۴�ý globally is the connectivity of the city and its institutions and the ecosystem between business, universities and government in a way that is unique in the world.

“It is the superpower of ���۴�ý. I don’t know of any other city in the world in which the connectivity between the main institutions in the city are so deep, so dynamic, and so alive.”

Richard Jones, Vice President for Innovation at The University of ���۴�ý, also commended how commercialisation of university research can benefit the wider innovation ecosystem.

Break-out partnering sessions allowed for in-depth discussion and provided invaluable opportunities for spinout teams to meet privately with investors to discuss their commercialisation journeys.

Catherine Headley, CEO at The University of ���۴�ý Innovation Factory said: “The conference truly demonstrated the strength and diversity of spinout companies emerging from Leeds, ���۴�ý and Sheffield. The level of investor engagement was remarkable, reflecting the exciting momentum behind innovation across the North of England.”

The 2025 Investor Conference reaffirmed the Northern Triangle of Universities’ role as a hub fostering cutting-edge innovation collaborations that shape the future of science, technology, and business. It is hoped that fresh partnerships and investments will emerge from the event and that steps will be taken towards real world impact.

LIBRTI is a £200 million initiative spanning four years, dedicated to demonstrating controlled tritium breeding—a crucial step toward realising commercial fusion power plants. By establishing the capability to accurately predict and reproduce tritium production for a given neutron flux and lithium substrate, LIBRTI will help pave the way for large-scale fusion powerplant tritium breeding. This project is supported by a multi-million-pound investment and aims to fast-track fusion fuel development and advance technologies critical to sustainable energy production.

The University of ���۴�ý will leverage its renowned expertise in tritium science and technology and digital engineering to develop an innovative tritium inventory model. Using Bayesian statistics, the model will provide improved predictions and uncertainty quantification, enhancing the safety and efficiency of breeder blanket systems. A breeder blanket system is a key component in a fusion reactor, designed to breed tritium and extract heat to sustain the fusion reaction. It surrounds the fusion core and converts the energy from fusion into a usable form, making it a fundamental element in future fusion power plants.

The project will integrate the advanced model into a digital twin framework, designed to simulate tritium behaviour within different LIBRTI breeder concepts—liquid lithium, lead-lithium (PbLi), molten salt (FLiBe), and lithium-based ceramic materials. These breeder concepts are being developed in collaboration with digiLab, UKAEA, and partners from Lancaster University, Kyoto Fusioneering, and The University of Edinburgh.

The University of ���۴�ý-led initiative will build upon its existing digital fusion industrial metaverse platform, developed through UKAEA’s Fusion Industry Programme. By adopting a Bayesian Inference-based approach, the project will enable the development of computationally efficient and adaptive models. These tools will ensure real-time tritium monitoring, uncertainty quantification, and predictive analytics, addressing critical challenges in tritium management and advancing the design of next-generation fusion reactors. Tritium is combined with deuterium in fusion reactions to produce helium and vast amounts of energy—mirroring the processes that power the sun and stars. This reaction forms the basis of most fusion power plant designs.

The University’s collaboration with industrial and academic partners provides unique opportunities for integrating the latest advancements in fusion energy. The project will benefit from data and expertise shared by partners, including Commonwealth Fusion Systems and other LIBRTI awardees. This collaboration ensures a holistic approach to addressing the complexities of tritium inventory management.

The LIBRTI project underscores the UK’s leadership in fusion energy research and its commitment to developing sustainable energy solutions. The integration of The University of ���۴�ý’s tritium inventory model into LIBRTI’s breeder systems will play a vital role in achieving the initiative’s ambitious goals of advancing tritium handling and safety technologies.

Professor Philip Edmondson, Chair in Tritium Science and Technology, The University of ���۴�ý, said: “This project exemplifies the power of collaboration and innovation in tackling some of the most complex challenges in fusion energy. By combining our expertise in tritium science with cutting-edge digital engineering, we are contributing to a sustainable energy future.”

Dalton Nuclear Institute at 20 Years

The University of ���۴�ý’s Dalton Nuclear Institute is celebrating 20 years as the biggest and broadest nuclear capability in UK academia. With over 170 PhD researchers, postdocs, and fellows, and 120 academics, ���۴�ý is the only UK university to cover the full nuclear fuel cycle, as well as fusion, health, and social research. As a trusted authority in the field, the Institute engages with the public, media, stakeholders, and government, driving innovation and shaping the future of nuclear science and technology.

The CDT programme – led by the Universities of ���۴�ý, Sheffield, Liverpool and Birmingham, in partnership with the Fusion Futures’ FOSTER programme (Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Teaching Education and Research) at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) – will enable over 150 post-graduates to tackle the critical challenges of fusion energy.

Fusion energy has never been so prominent in this country, thanks to significant investment from both successive Governments and private capital sources which has accelerated cutting-edge research and development, technical and engineering innovations, and knowledge advancements that have bolstered the UK’s reputation as the world leader in the sector.

With a focus on advanced problem-solving, the CDT’s specialist training programme will balance theoretical, practical, and computational training in academic and industrial settings, spanning the entire fusion engineering lifecycle. Students will also gain advanced skills in data-driven modelling and simulation, developing fusion engineering experts (aka ‘fusioneers’) who will lead the design, building, safe operation, maintenance and eventual decommissioning of fusion power plants.

Training will be led by some of the most respected fusion energy experts from UK academia and industry. Each of the lead university partners has a professorial chair in fusion energy, sponsored by either UKAEA or the private fusion energy company, Tokamak Energy. Training will be enhanced with extensive industry input, with expertise provided from the aerospace, space, automotive, civil, nuclear fission, manufacturing, AI, robotics, and exascale computing sectors.

Doctoral students will work on real-world fusion engineering challenges, collaborating with industrial partners, to earn a Doctor of Engineering (EngD) qualification over the four-year programme. This is the highest degree in engineering, and renowned for its industry focus and impact. The programme will support CDT graduates to achieve Chartered Engineer (CEng) status within a few years.

To ensure accessibility for graduates from across STEM disciplines, all students will begin the programme with three months of foundational fusion engineering training. Delivered in a hybrid format through academic and industry partnerships, this training accommodates both university-based and industry-based students. Throughout the programme, students will receive specialized, project-specific training to deepen their expertise in their research areas. This approach not only strengthens technical skills but also fosters career networks within the fusion engineering industry, supporting graduates in their professional development.

The Fusion Engineering CDT will leverage a ‘hub-and-spoke’ model to widen access. An Associate Membership scheme allows any UK university to apply to access the FOSTER studentships and support research and training. UK-based academics who wish to participate in the Associate Membership scheme can express interest via the Fusion Engineering CDT Hub email at fusion-engineering@sheffield.ac.uk.

, UKAEA Chair in Digital Engineering for Fusion Energy at The University of ���۴�ý and the Fusion Engineering CDT Principal Investigator, explains: “Students recruited into the Fusion Engineering CDT are expected to work in the fusion industry sector for the next 40 years, where they will face huge challenges and knowledge gaps, at a scale we’ve never encountered before. The CDT will cultivate Fusioneers who are ready to tackle these critical challenges for fusion energy. With training delivered by world-leading experts, we’re creating a workforce with the skills to design, build, and operate fusion power plants – who are able to make an immediate contribution."

Nick Walkden, Head of Fusion Skills and FOSTER Programme Director at UKAEA, commented: “I am delighted that after a very competitive bidding process, we have been able to select an academic team to embark on this exciting collaboration, which will supercharge the development of specialist engineering skills for the fusion sector. The programme combines international research excellence with deep fusion engineering expertise, and we look forward to working together in the coming years to build a world-leading platform for fusion engineering training.

“A particular highlight of this collaboration is the Fusion Engineering CDT Associate Membership scheme which will provide PhD support to a wider landscape of universities who share our commitment to invest in the future of fusion energy.”

The Fusion Engineering CDT will start recruiting immediately for their first cohort to join at the beginning of the 25-26 academic year. Sign up to receive further news and attend an introductory webinar at www.fusion-engineering-cdt.ac.uk.

The Options Roundabout event on the 19^th February 2025 was the culmination of the which saw our researchers pitch to a panel of commercialisation experts, entrepreneurs and funders. The event was a resounding success and an opportunity for the cohort to network and celebrate their achievements with peers and supporters of the programme.

The programme aims to inspire and accelerate the translation of the knowledge created through academic research into products, services or processes to deliver tangible benefit through a series of bespoke workshops and mentoring opportunities. The workshops helped researchers articulate their ideas by taking them through a lean start-up pathway to explore the commercial potential of their research.

The Innovation Enabling Awards were granted to acknowledge the impact and growth potential with early career researchers receiving between £1000 to £8000 to further develop the commercial potential of their ideas and businesses.

Aline Miller, Professor of Biomolecular Engineering and Associate Dean for Business Engagement and Innovation, presented the Innovation Enabling Awards to the six winning projects.

Award Winners

Innovation Enabling Award: £8,000

Tiny Human Dramas 

Dr Meghan Rose Donnelly (School of Social Sciences)

“The R2I programme provided me with the skills I needed to take my research out into the world and make a real impact: connecting with industry, refining ideas, building a plan for the future, pitching to potential investors, and much more. R2I absolutely brought me from researcher to innovator.”

Innovation Enabling Award: £5,000

Antenatal Education

Dr Holly Reid (School of Medical Sciences)

"The programme and the award have meant that the little idea with which I started R2I, could now be a commercially viable business very soon and that's really exciting."

Innovation Enabling Awards: £3,000

Graphene Vision

Dr Rui Zhang and Dr Matthew Lindley (School of Natural Sciences)

"The R2I programme has equipped us with the skills and confidence needed to navigate the entrepreneurial journey. The Innovation Enabling Award will help accelerate the commercialization of our innovation and has given us even more motivation to succeed." 

AI- GPR

Dr Frank Podd (School of Engineering)

“R2I was a fantastic way to learn about the best approach to starting a company, from the inception of an innovation through to the collaborative development of a product with customers” 

Innovation Enabling Awards: £1,000

Green Terra Energy Storage

Camilo Salazar (School of Engineering)

&�Բ�����;“R2I is a very user-friendly program that provides you with the fundamental tools to start becoming an entrepreneur. The key is to believe in your role, you are already the best.”

Battery Waste Recycling

Dr Amal Nadri (School of Engineering)

The prize winners will also receive expert support and signposting to regional and national accelerator programmes and all the participants on the MEC R2I programme will be connected to the wider ecosystem for further support, mentoring and guidance in taking their research ideas forward.

The organisers wish to thank the  Fellowship for their sponsorship of the Innovation Enabling Awards.

Get Involved

If you are an early career researcher looking for an exciting opportunity to develop your innovative thinking and enhance your understanding of creating and developing impact join the next round of the R2I programme. Find out more .

The is supported by the University’s Innovation Academy. The Innovation Academy is a pan University initiative and joint venture between the , the and the Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange team, bringing together knowledge, expertise and routes to facilitate the commercialisation of research.

The station, part of the UK’s programme, will monitor and provide crucial data on key climate-relevant gases, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). A new high-precision analyser for monitoring atmospheric hydrogen (H₂) is also being deployed at the site to monitor atmospheric hydrogen (H₂) generated through the growth of the UK’s hydrogen economy.   

The project is a collaboration between The University of ���۴�ý’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group at the University of Bristol.

Simon O’Doherty, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Bristol, added: “We can only understand the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by making continuous high-quality, physical measurements of the atmosphere. The current UK network of monitoring stations set up in 2012 has been a huge success in furthering our understanding, however, the addition of the Jodrell Bank station to the network will enhance our ability to determine emissions in the north-west region of the UK.” 

Data collected from Jodrell Bank will be added to a long-term dataset collected by the UK’s Deriving Emissions linked to Climate Change (DECC) network. These measurements are combined with a computer model that represents the transport of gases from the emission sources to the measurement locations. This enables scientists to estimate the size and location of emissions for each measured gas. The total UK emissions estimated for CH₄ and N₂O using this method are included in the UK’s National Inventory Report that is submitted annually to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

As the first site in North West England, the new Jodrell Bank station will provide more granular detail on emissions from Wales and North West England. This will help to improve the accuracy of UK emission estimates and will also permit new studies focused on regional greenhouse gas emissions. Jodrell Bank is also well placed to monitor changes in atmospheric H₂) resulting from planned industrial developments near Ellesmere Port. 

Alistair Manning, Met Office greenhouse gas monitoring Scientific Manager, said: “Jodrell Bank is ideally located to monitor emissions from north Wales and the north-west of England. It complements the existing network perfectly and will enable a better spatial understanding of the emissions of greenhouse gases from these regions. The resulting information will enable the UK to better understand its current emissions and monitor its progress to net zero.” 

The GEMMA Programme is a consortium led by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), which includes the Met Office, National Centre for Earth Observation, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Bristol, University of ���۴�ý, and others working together to create a single integrated network to monitor all sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in the UK, funded by NERC and the Building a Green Future Programme. 

Richard Barker, Head of Environment, NPL, said: “With the welcome addition of Jodrell Bank, we can start to provide greater resolution of UK emissions now and also assure the UK network is better suited to the future, more challenging, demands of achieving net zero.”

Scientists from The University of ���۴�ý used advanced X-ray imaging techniques to examine fossilised bones of the prehistoric flying reptile at the smallest scale, revealing hidden engineering solutions right in the palm of their hands…or fingers to be precise.

They discovered that pterosaur bones contained a complex network of tiny canals, making them both lightweight and incredibly strong — details of its structure that have never been seen before.

The researchers say these ancient adaptations could have the potential to start a ‘palaeo-biomimetics’ revolution—using the biological designs of prehistoric creatures to develop new materials for the 21^st Century.

The findings are published today in Nature’s .

The study’s lead author, Nathan Pili, a PhD student at The University of ���۴�ý, said: “For centuries, engineers have looked to nature for inspiration— like how the burrs from plants led to the invention of Velcro. But we rarely look back to extinct species when seeking inspiration for new engineering developments—but we should.

“We are so excited to find and map these microscopic interlocking structures in pterosaur bones, we hope one day we can use them to reduce the weight of aircraft materials, thereby reducing fuel consumption and potentially making planes safer.”

The pterosaurs, close relatives of dinosaurs, were the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight. While early species typically had wingspans of about two metres, later pterosaurs evolved into enormous forms with wingspans reaching upwards of 10 metres. The size means they had to solve multiple engineering challenges to get their enormous wingspan airborne, not least supporting their long wing membrane predominantly from a single finger.

The team used state-of-the-art X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) to scan the fossil bones at near sub-micrometre resolution, resolving complex structures approximately 20 times smaller than the width of a human hair. 3D mapping of internal structures permeating the wing bones of pterosaurs has never been achieved at these resolutions (~0.002 mm).

They found that the unique network of tiny canals and pores within pterosaur bones—once used for nutrient transfer, growth, and maintenance—also help protect against microfractures by deflecting cracks, serving both biological and mechanical functions.

By replicating these natural designs, engineers could not only create lightweight, strong components but could also incorporate sensors and self-healing materials, opening up new possibilities for more complex and efficient aircraft designs.

The team suggests that advancements in metal 3D printing could turn these ideas into reality.

Nathan Pilli said: “This is an incredible field of research, especially when working at the microscopic scale. Of all the species that have ever lived, most are extinct, though many died out due to rapid environmental changes rather than ‘poor design’. These findings are pushing our team to generate even higher-resolution scans of additional extinct species. Who knows what hidden solutions we might find!”

Senior author of the study Professor Phil Manning, Professor of Natural History at The University of ���۴�ý and Director of Science at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, added: “There is over four billion years of experimental design that were a function of Darwinian natural selection. These natural solutions are beautifully reflected by the same iterative processes used by engineers to refine materials. It is highly likely that among the billions of permutations of life on Earth, unique engineering solutions have evolved but were lost to the sands of time. We hope to unlock the potential of ancient natural solutions to create new materials but also help build a more sustainable future. It is wonderful that life in the Jurassic might make flying in the 21^st Century more efficient and safer.”

With the aerospace industry constantly striving for stronger, lighter, and more efficient materials, nature’s ancient flyers may hold the key to the future of flight. By looking back hundreds of millions of years, scientists and engineers may well be paving the way for the next generation of aviation technology.

Scientists discovered that even brief exposure to high concentrations of PM may impair a person’s ability to focus on tasks, avoid distractions, and behave in a socially acceptable manner.

Researchers exposed study participants to either high levels of air pollution - using candle smoke - or clean air, testing cognitive abilities before and four hours after exposure. The tests measured working memory, selective attention, emotion recognition, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention.

Publishing their findings today (6 Feb) in , researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and ���۴�ý reveal that selective attention and emotion recognition were negatively affected by air pollution – regardless of whether subjects breathed normally or only through their mouths.

The experts suggest that inflammation caused by pollution may be responsible for these deficits noting that while selective attention and emotion recognition were affected, working memory was not. This indicates that some brain functions are more resilient to short-term pollution exposure.

Co-author Dr Thomas Faherty, from the University of Birmingham, said: “Our study provides compelling evidence that even short-term exposure to particulate matter can have immediate negative effects on brain functions essential for daily activities, such as doing the weekly supermarket shop.”

Co-author Professor Francis Pope, from the University of Birmingham, added: “Poor air quality undermines intellectual development and worker productivity, with significant societal and economic implications in a high-tech world reliant on cognitive excellence.

“Reduced productivity impacts economic growth, further highlighting the urgent need for stricter air quality regulations and public health measures to combat the harmful effects of pollution on brain health, particularly in highly polluted urban areas.”

Cognitive functioning encompasses a diverse array of mental processes crucial for everyday tasks. Selective attention, for example, helps decision-making and goal-directed behaviour, such as prioritising items on your shopping list in the supermarket, while ignoring other products and resisting impulse buys.

Working memory serves as a temporary workspace for holding and manipulating information, vital for tasks requiring simultaneous processing and storage, essential for tasks that require multitasking, such as planning a schedule or juggling multiple conversations.

Socio-emotional cognition, which involves detecting and interpreting emotions in oneself and others, helps guide socially acceptable behaviour. Although these are separate cognitive skills, they work together to enable the successful completion of tasks both at work in other aspects of life.

Overall, the study highlights the need for further research to understand the pathways through which air pollution affects cognitive functions and to explore the long-term impacts, especially on vulnerable populations like children and older adults.

The study is the first to experimentally manipulate inhalation routes of PM air pollution, providing valuable insights into how different pathways affect cognitive functions. Researchers emphasise the need for further investigation into long-term impacts and potential protective measures.

Globally, air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor to human health, increasing premature mortality. The detrimental impacts of poor air quality on cardiovascular and respiratory systems are widely acknowledged, with links to neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

PM_2.5 is the air pollutant most responsible for human health effects with some 4.2 million deaths attributed to this size of particle alone in 2015. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that 24-hour and annual limits are below 15 μg m^‑3 and 5 μg m^‑3 respectively.

The asteroid material, delivered in September 2023, contains an abundance of organic molecules, salts, and minerals, some of which have never been observed in meteorites that have fallen to Earth.

The findings, published today in two papers in and , suggest that Bennu originated from an ancient wet world, possibly from the icy regions beyond Saturn.

These discoveries shed new light on how the building blocks of life, such as water and essential chemicals, could have been delivered to Earth—and possibly other planets—by asteroids billions of years ago.

The University of ���۴�ý received part of the sample from asteroid Bennu to support the international analysis effort. In this latest piece of research, Rhian Jones, Professor of Cosmochemistry at The University of ���۴�ý, played a key role in examining the mineralogy of the samples and interpretation of the data.

Professor Jones said: “ is like opening a time capsule from the early solar system. We were surprised to find that the asteroid sample held such a complete library of minerals and some unique salts.

“The salt minerals discovered in the sample are similar to those in dried-up salty lakes on Earth. We think that these briny conditions played a key role in how water and the ingredients for life might have been delivered to our planet billions of years ago. There is evidence for similar brines on Saturn’s moon Enceladus and the dwarf planet Ceres. ”

In the , scientists report that they have discovered some key ingredients for life, including 14 of the 20 amino acids that living organisms use to build proteins and all five nucleobases that form DNA and RNA. They also found high levels of ammonia, a potential precursor for these compounds.

Unlike meteorites that fall to Earth and are altered by the atmosphere, Bennu’s sample was carefully preserved during its journey, with the team protecting every pebble and speck of the Bennu sample while maintaining its pristine quality. As a result, the asteroid sample is giving scientists around the world a rare glimpse at our solar system's earliest days, without having to separate or account for changes caused by exposure to Earth’s atmosphere.

Professor Jones said: “Some of the salts we have found in Bennu have never been seen in meteorites that have fallen to Earth. This is likely because these substances were broken down by exposure to Earth’s environment. Meteorites similar to the Bennu material are also very rare because they do not easily survive their journey through the Earth’s atmosphere.”

The new results are the culmination of years of international collaboration involving scientists from NASA, the Smithsonian, London’s Natural History Museum and Universities across the world.

Professor Jones added: “These results were only possible because of the extremely careful curation of the Bennu sample from the moment the capsule landed. It’s a testament to what we can achieve with international collaboration and cutting-edge technology.”

The research marks the first in-depth analysis of Bennu’s organics and minerals and more scientific results from the OSIRIS-REx team are due in the coming months.

NASA has also stored 70% of the sample at Johnson Space Center's curation lab for study by the broader research community, including by scientists who have yet to be born and who will study it with instruments that do not exist today.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provided overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is the principal investigator. The University leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft and provided flight operations.

Water pollution is one of the growing challenges of modern life. Many everyday items, from medications to cosmetics, leave behind residues that don’t fully break down after use. These pollutants often find their way into water systems, where they disrupt ecosystems and cause harm to plants, animals and humans.

The research, published in the journal ,  describes a new method using a molecular structure called a metal-organic cage (MOC). These tiny cages act like traps designed to catch and hold harmful molecules commonly found in our water supplies.

While MOCs have been studied before for gas and chemical capture, they are most commonly studied in chemical solvents where their performance differs significantly from that observed in water. Being able to demonstrate capture of established wastewater pollutants in water is thus a step towards the application of these cages for real-world applications.

Jack Wright, a Researcher at The University of ���۴�ý, who completed the research as part of his PhD, said: “Being able to use MOCs in water is a really exciting development. We know how valuable MOCs are for capturing unwanted substances, but until now researchers have not been able to apply them to real-world water systems.

“Many harmful chemicals are difficult to remove from water, and with water pollution becoming a global crisis, this new MOC technology could provide a valuable tool to help clean up water systems and prevent pollutants from entering our ecosystem, particularly in rivers and lakes near urban or industrial areas where wastewater discharge is most common.”

The cages are made up of metal ions connected by organic molecules, forming a hollow pyramid-like structure. These hollow spaces at the centre of these structures are where the MOCs trap specific molecules, like pollutants or gases.

The new structure incorporates chemical groups called sulfonates to make it compatible with water, allowing it to function in real-world water systems, like rivers or wastewater.

It uses a natural effect called hydrophobic binding, where contaminant molecules preferentially “stick” to the inside of the cage rather than staying in the water. This allows the material to selectively capture and hold pollutants, even in challenging water environments.

Dr Imogen Riddell, PhD supervisor and researcher at The University of ���۴�ý, said: “One of the real strengths of this method is its flexibility. The approach we have developed could be used to design other water-soluble MOCs with different sizes or properties. This opens the door to many future applications, including cleaning up different kinds of pollutants, development of green catalysts or even development of drug delivery strategies .”

Now, the researchers will look to further expand the water-soluble cages, to enable capture of more, different contaminants, and are working  towards the development of robust routes to recycling the cages to support their development as sustainable water purification aids.

In the last few years, researchers have found that surfactants—the molecules found in soap—can naturally find its way through a maze using the shortest path, with little penetration into dead ends

The discovery may sound a little peculiar, but the finding mimics transport processes in complex branching networks found in the human body, such as lungs. It may hold the key to understanding how liquids, such as certain drugs, travel through these networks, which could help medical scientists find new and more effective therapies.

Now, scientists at The University of ���۴�ý, working with colleagues from France and the US, have published a theory in the journal explaining the phenomenon.

Dr Richard Mcnair, Research Associate in the Department of Mathematics at The University of ���۴�ý, said: “When we put soap into a liquid filled maze, the natural surfactants already present in the liquid interact, creating an omniscient view of the maze, so the soap can intuitively find the correct path, ignoring all other irrelevant paths.

“This behaviour occurs due to very subtle but powerful physics where the two types of surfactants generate tension forces that guide the soap to the exit.”

The researchers used advanced mathematical models and simulations to replicate how these forces gather an awareness of the maze’s overall shape and structure. The mechanism can help scientists understand how materials move in confined spaces in complex, branching environments.

Surfactants are substances that help fluids spread. They naturally exist in the human lungs and when doctors treat lung diseases, they sometimes use "exogenous surfactants" (from external sources) to help the lungs work better. However, the surfactants already in the lungs can interfere with these treatments, making it harder for the added surfactant to travel around the airways to where they are most needed.

This research helps scientists understand why surfactant therapies might not always work as expected, especially for diseases like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which has a high mortality rate and may be able to design more effective therapies.

Dr Mcnair said: “But the applications of this research doesn’t stop there. Many other systems such as microfluidic devices that transport chemicals and other substances through intricate networks could benefit from this insight for informing better designs for these systems, inevitably improving efficiency and reducing costs.”

The research team has already developed preliminary models involving surfactants spreading in realistic lung-scale geometries which could directly connect the findings of this research to clinically important research.

Just like the proteins in our muscles, which convert chemical energy into power to allow us to perform daily tasks, these tiny rotary motors use chemical energy to generate force, store energy, and perform tasks in a similar way.

The finding, from The University of ���۴�ý and the University of Strasbourg, published in the journal provides new insights into the fundamental processes that drive life at the molecular level and could open doors for applications in medicine, energy storage, and nanotechnology.

The artificial rotary motors are incredibly tiny—much smaller than a strand of human hair. They are embedded into polymer chains of a synthetic gel and when fuelled, they work like miniature car engines, converting the fuel into waste products, while using the energy to rotate the motor.

The rotation twists the gel’s molecular chains, causing the gel to shrink, storing the energy, much like winding like an elastic band. The stored energy can then be released to perform tasks.

So far, the scientists have demonstrated the motor’s ability to open and close micron-sized holes and speed up chemical reactions.

Professor Leigh added: “Mimicking the chemical energy-powered systems found in nature not only helps our understanding of life but could open the door to revolutionary advances in medicine, energy and nanotechnology.”

The Ring Nebula is perhaps one of the most photographed objects in the night sky, dating back to its first image in 1886, but its intrinsic structure has been debated for as long as it has been observed.

Now, using Submillimeter Array (SMA) advanced radio-wavelength mapping techniques, the team has determined that the nebula has an ellipsoidal structure, resolving the longstanding debate.

By mapping the emission from carbon monoxide (CO) gas, the observations provided valuable insights into its structure. The CO emission highlights cold molecular gas surrounding the hot gas and dust seen in images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

The findings are the result of collaborative work by researchers from institutions including Rochester Institute of Technology, the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard & Smithsonian, Macquarie University, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, alongside The University of ���۴�ý’s Professor Albert Zijlstra.

Professor Joel Kastner from Rochester Institute of Technology, said: "We looked at the data and the ellipsoidal structure was obvious, so we could put together a simple geometrical model. Now, we understand the structure of this nebula.

“The James Webb Space Telescope gives us a collapsed image of what the object looks like in the sky. The SMA allows us to accurately measure the velocities of the molecular gas in the nebula, so we can see what's moving toward or away from us."

Previous theories suggested the nebula might be ring-shaped or resemble a soap bubble. However, the new model, based on SMA data, confirms its ellipsoidal structure and provides a more detailed understanding of the velocities and locations of carbon monoxide molecules ejected by the dying star that generated the Ring Nebula – detail that can't be inferred from telescopic images, even using powerful NASA space observatories like HST and JWST.

The team’s findings indicate that roughly 6,000 years have elapsed since the dying star, then a red giant, ejected the molecular gas that envelopes the nebula. The SMA data also reveal high-velocity blobs of gas observed at each end of the ellipsoidal shell suggesting the presence of a companion star influencing the nebula’s formation.

Professor Zijlstra from The University of ���۴�ý said: “The Ring Nebula is an iconic object in the night sky, a favourite for professional and amateur astronomers alike. But understanding the real structure of this nebula has been very hard. The appearance of a ring is deceptive. The new data reveals a slightly deformed barrel seen from the top, with a large bubble coming out through the top and bottom of the barrel. In JWST images, these are seen superposed, but the new data allows us to separate them from their different velocities. The bubble is inclined with respect to the barrel. Now we will need to find out how a star can eject two such different structures in different directions! That remains a bit of a mystery.”

These findings follow , one of the first objects observed by the JWST. This new approach of using the combination of SMA mapping and JWST imaging to tease out the 3D structures of these objects gives scientists a fresh way to understand the final, dying stages of sun-like stars.

Kastner added: “The stars that generate planetary nebulae like the Ring and Southern Ring may have produced much of the carbon in the Universe.

“We can watch that carbon on its way to being recycled into the next generation of stars and planets when we observe these amazing objects.”

The research will be presented at the  on 12 – 16 January 2025 and has been sent for publication in a journal .

In 2023, SmartIR successfully launched Mission 1, which sent their adaptive radiators to the edge of space, kickstarting their space validation programme. Building on this achievement, they are now delivering on an ambitious plan for four Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions in 2025.

Leading satellite manufacturers, Hydra Space Systems and Alba Orbital, have collaborated with SmartIR on this pioneering project. While both Hydra Space and Alba Orbital specialise in satellite manufacturing, the operation of the satellite will be managed by Hydra Space Systems. This mission aims to test the graphene-based radiator in LEO, demonstrating its durability in the operational environment of space conditions and validating its ability to withstand the extreme rigours of launch.

A leap forward in satellite thermal control

The graphene adaptive radiator has the potential to transform satellite thermal management by significantly reducing mass and power requirements. This innovation offers cost savings for manufacturers, integrators, operators, and launch providers while maintaining optimal performance in the harsh environment of space.

Margherita Sepioni, CEO of SmartIR, expressed her enthusiasm for this mission: “This is the most exciting technology I’ve worked on in my career! Harnessing graphene to solve real challenges in space is not just thrilling—it’s a groundbreaking path for technology validation. By reducing mass and power requirements, we can revolutionise satellite thermal control, dramatically cutting costs for manufacturers, integrators, operators, and launch providers alike.”

“SmartIR’s groundbreaking technology is poised to revolutionise satellite design by drastically reducing weight, boosting efficiency, extending operational lifespans and so reducing space debris,” said Dr. Pietro Steiner, Product Development Manager at SmartIR. “This launch represents a pivotal opportunity to validate, in real-space conditions, the extensive environmental tests we have conducted on the ground. The data collected will provide critical insights to further enhance our device’s resilience and performance.”

Mission goals and collaborative innovation

This mission represents SmartIR’s second major milestone, following the successful integration of their graphene adaptive radiator. The pico-satellite will test a real LEO duty cycle, evaluate the radiator’s performance, and collect valuable data to further advance its Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from 4.5 to 6.

SmartIR’s partnership with Hydra Space and Alba Orbital highlights the growing ecosystem of innovation in the space sector. Hydra Space manufactured the satellite and integrated SmartIR’s

payload, ensuring seamless operations. Alba Orbital, a key player in the West of Scotland’s regional Space Cluster, acted as the launch broker and integrated the satellite into their deployer, the AlbaPod, facilitating its deployment into orbit.

Join us for the launch

The launch of Mission 2 represents a thrilling moment for the graphene and space industries. Space enthusiasts and the general public are invited to watch the launch live. Stay tuned on LinkedIn for the link and updates throughout this historic event.

Cosmologist Dr Steve Cunnington has been awarded the Early Career Award for early achievement in astronomy. This award is presented to individuals in a UK institution whose career has shown the most promising development within five years of completing their PhD.

Dr Cunnington began working at the at The University of ���۴�ý in 2022. His research focuses on using radio telescopes to map our Universe’s structure across billions of light years. Through this, clues about phenomena such as dark matter and dark energy are revealed, and we can gain a better understanding of how gravity behaves.

Dr Cunnington said: “I am very passionate about my research and am thrilled that the Royal Astronomical Society is highlighting it. There is a long list of inspirational scientists who have won this award in previous years, and I see it as a challenge to continue the prestigious legacy.”

As for what is next for Dr Cunnington’s research, he said: “I am involved in the preparations for the SKA Observatory (SKAO), set to be the largest radio telescope ever constructed. The SKAO precursor, MeerKAT, is already operational and was used to validate our novel mapping technique. We are now making further progress with MeerKAT mapping volumes of the Universe hundreds of times larger than before.”

Dr Michael Keith, Lecturer in Astrophysics at Jodrell Bank is also the recipient of a Royal Astronomical Society Award. Dr Keith is part of the (EPTA) which has won a Group Award, given in recognition of an outstanding achievement made by a large consortium of academics.

The EPTA is a multinational European collaboration between scientists from over ten institutions. It unites collaborators of different nationalities and backgrounds, and encourages and supports early career researchers, resulting in an egalitarian and diverse team structure.

By bringing together the efforts and resources of multiple scientists and six large radio telescopes (including the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank), the EPTA monitor pulsars, which are used to detect gravitational waves from supermassive black hole binary systems in distant galaxies.

In 2023 the EPTA published the first seen evidence of ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves; their findings stemmed from observations made over 25 years.

Each year the RAS recognise significant achievement in the fields of astronomy and geophysics through many awards, medals and prizes, encompassing different types of talent from research to education and outreach.

The extinction of the Dinosaur was a tumultuous time that included some of the largest volcanic eruptions in Earth’s history, as well as the impact of a 10-15 km wide asteroid. The role these events played in the extinction of the dinosaurs has been fiercely debated over the past several decades.

New findings, published today in the journal , suggest that while massive volcanic eruptions in India contributed to Earth’s climate changes, they may not have played the major role in the extinction of dinosaurs, and the asteroid impact was the primary driver of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.

By analysing ancient peats from Colorado and North Dakota in the USA, the researchers – led by The University of ���۴�ý – reconstructed the average annual air temperatures in the 100,000 years leading up to the extinction.

The scientists, including from the University of Plymouth, Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and Denver Museum of Nature and Science in the USA, found that volcanic CO₂ emissions caused a slow warming of about 3°C across this period. There was also a short cold “snap” — cooling of about 5°C — that coincided with a major volcanic eruption 30,000 years before the extinction event that was likely due to volcanic sulphur emissions blocking-out sunlight.

However, temperatures returned to stable pre-cooling temperatures around 20,000 years before the mass extinction of dinosaurs, suggesting the climate disruptions from the volcanic eruptions weren’t catastrophic enough to kill them off dinosaurs.

Dr Lauren O’Connor, lead scientist and now Research Fellow at Utrecht University, said: “These volcanic eruptions and associated CO₂ emissions drove warming across the globe and the sulphur would have had drastic consequences for life on earth. But these events happened millennia before the extinction of the dinosaurs, and probably played only a small part in the extinction of dinosaurs.”

The fossil peats that the researchers analysed contain specialised cell-membrane molecules produced by bacteria. The structure of these molecules changes depending on the temperature of their environment. By analysing the composition of these molecules preserved in ancient sediments, scientists can estimate past temperatures and were able to create a detailed "temperature timeline" for the years leading up to the dinosaur extinction.

Dr Tyler Lyson, scientist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, said: “The field areas are ~750 km apart and both show nearly the same temperature trends, implying a global rather than local temperature signal. The trends match other temperature records from the same time period, further suggesting that the temperature patterns observed reflect broader global climate shifts.”

Bart van Dongen, Professor of Organic Geochemistry at The University of ���۴�ý, added: “This research helps us to understand how our planet responds to major disruptions. The study provides vital insights not only into the past but could also help us find ways for how we might prepare for future climate changes or natural disasters.”

The team is now applying the same approach to reconstruct past climate at other critical periods in Earth’s history.

The Cockcroft Institute is a partnership between the Universities of ���۴�ý, Lancaster, Liverpool, Strathclyde, and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), dedicated to developing and constructing particle accelerators for pure and applied research purposes. 

The Cockcroft Institute is the national centre for accelerator research and development in the UK. It was established almost two decades ago and comprises of over 200 academics and professional accelerator staff dedicated to innovating the future of accelerator science.

The Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI ERIC) is a research infrastructure with the world’s largest and most advanced collection of high-power, high-repetition-rate lasers. As an international user facility dedicated to multi-disciplinary science and research applications, ELI provides access to state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge research. 

The ELI ERIC operates as a single multi-site organisation with complementary facilities specialised in different fields of research with extreme light. The Attosecond Light Pulse Source Facility (ELI ALPS), based in Hungary, is primarily aimed at realising bright, ultrafast, laser-driven secondary photon sources, driven by high-intensity, high-average power, few-cycle-pulse lasers. ELI ALPS is also developing state-of-the-art high repetition rate, laser-driven particle (electron, ion, neutron) acceleration beamlines.

The collaboration agreement targets research in laser-driven plasma acceleration, with ���۴�ý and Lancaster providing expertise in laser-particle beam manipulation on ultra-fast (femtosecond, 10-15 second) time scales. STFC will provide insight and expertise in the control and capture of micron-size beams which are generated when laser beams with 100’s or terawatts of power interact with a plasma.

The collaboration has arisen from research undertaken by ���۴�ý and Lancaster in laser-driven control of electron beams, including in user experiments at the ELI ALPS Facility. The agreement supports the establishment of joint PhD studentships, and a reciprocal arrangement for the exchange or hosting of PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and ELI staff.

Professor Steven Jamison of Lancaster’s Physics Department and the Lancaster lead in the MoU, said: “This MoU is a recognition of the significant research potential that arises through the bringing together of our expertise and facility resources. It is my wish, and expectation, that through collaboration we will achieve important advances in the science and technology of generating and controlling high-energy electron beams with lasers. The technologies being targeted are revolutionary in applications such as x-ray sources and particle beams for high energy physics."

Allen Weeks, ELI ERIC Director General, added: “We are thrilled to be partnering with The Cockcroft Institute on laser-driven plasma acceleration which has broad scientific and technological applications, from high-energy physics to next-generation radiation sources. Collaborations like this are at the heart of ELI ERIC’s mission to push the boundaries of high-energy laser science while also supporting the education and training of PhD students, early career researchers and staff. These exchanges will facilitate connections and engagements between our institutes for both of our benefits.”

January

To start the year, astronomers found a mysterious object in our Milky Way. The unknown object, which was located around 40,000 light years away, is heavier than the heaviest neutron stars known and yet simultaneously lighter than the lightest black holes known. It could be the first discovery of the much-coveted radio pulsar – black hole binary

Later in the month, two University of ���۴�ý professors,  and , were recognised in the prestigious 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. The pair were named among the three Laureates in recognition of their research that is transforming medicine, technology and our understanding of the world in the field of Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences & Engineering, respectively.

February

In February, the Dalton Nuclear Institute welcomed Professor Zara Hodgson as its new Director and ���۴�ý researchers were awarded £4.2 million funding award from UK Research and Innovation to tackle some of the UK’s most challenging resilience and security problems. 

March

March saw the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s marketing team successfully launch a new podcast, Big Sisters in STEM, which aims to amplify marginalised voices in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industry. Episode one was launched to more than 1000 listeners and has since been listened to in almost 60 countries. By May 2024, BSIS became the most listened podcast of The University of ���۴�ý and is rated five stars across podcast platforms.

The University was also named an Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE-CSR) in recognition of its internationally leading cyber security research. And new research found that reduced snow cover and shifting vegetation patterns in the Alps, both driven by climate change, are having major combined impacts on biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems in the high mountains.

April

In April, Dr Dean Lomax identified the fossilised remains of what could be the largest known marine reptile. The fossilised remains measured more than two metres long and was identified as belonging to the jaws of a new species of enormous ichthyosaur, a type of prehistoric marine reptile. Estimates suggest the oceanic titan would have been more than 25 metres long.

���۴�ý scientists also started to develop a world-first Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) that integrates cutting-edge imaging and spectroscopy with artificial intelligence and automated workflows (AutomaTEM). The development will accelerate innovation in materials applications for quantum computing, low power electronics, and new catalysts to support the energy transition.

Also in April, six scientists in the Faculty of Science and Engineering were awarded highly prestigious European Research Council (ERC) advanced grants designed to provide outstanding research leaders with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven projects that could lead to major scientific breakthroughs.

May

In May, scientists made an exciting breakthrough in quantum computing. They produced an enhanced, ultra-pure form of silicon – thought to be the world’s purest silicon  –&�Բ�����; that allows construction of high-performance qubit devices – a fundamental component required to pave the way towards scalable quantum computers. The finding could define and push forward the future of quantum computing.

Also in May, the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC) was launched, , Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in recognition of his “invaluable contributions to science” and scientists released the first set of scientific data captured with the Euclid telescope.

June

In June, two Professors in the Faculty were recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.  was awarded an OBE for his services to public health, to epidemiology and to adult social care, particularly during Covid-19, while Professor Paul Howarth was awarded a CBE for his significant contribution and service to the nuclear industry and to UK research and development (R&D).

Scientists also unlocked a new design for a robot that could jump twice the height of Big Ben – higher than any other jumping robot designed to date. Applications of the robot range from planetary exploration to disaster rescue to surveillance of hazardous or inaccessible spaces.

July

July was a bumper month for health research. Scientists in the Department of Earth and Environment Sciences discovered a way to control mutation rates in bacteria, paving the way for new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance. In the Institute of Biotechnology, researchers developed a new approach to store and distribute crucial protein therapeutics without the need for fridges or freezers, significantly improve accessibility of essential protein-based drugs. They also uncovered a more efficient and sustainable way to make peptide-based medicines, showing promising effectiveness in combating cancers.

August 

During summer, scientists published findings from their study investigating triggers of explosive volcanic eruptions. For the first time, they were able to effectively simulate how bubbles grow in volcanic magma, shedding new light on one of nature’s most astonishing phenomena.

A project that aims to advance research software practices across the UK, was awarded a record £10.2 million in funding.

September

September was all about ocean waves. The M4 wave energy converter, developed by Professor Peter Stansby was successfully launched in Albany, Australia. The device is designed to harness the power of ocean waves to generate electricity, representing a significant step forward for renewable energy technology.

Scientists also discovered that ocean waves could be far more extreme and complex than previously imagined. They found that waves can reach heights four times steeper than what was once thought possible and could have implications for how offshore structures are designed, weather forecasting and climate modelling.

October

October was an exciting month as we celebrated the 20^th anniversary of graphene; the Nobel Prize-winning ‘wonder material’, which was first isolated by Professor Sir Andre Geim and Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov.

In the same month, the Department of Maths was gifted a unique mathematical object known as a  - the first known physical example of a new class of shapes called mono-monostatics. The ��ö����ö�� has the unique serial number 1824, in honour of the University’s 200^th anniversary, which has been celebrated throughout 2024.

November

In November, Professor Carly McLachlan attended a sustainability event at Buckingham Palace, hosted by King Charles III to talk about her work in sustainable live music. She attended the event as part of a delegation representing the Act 1.5 and Accelerator City initiative, alongside Robin Kemp, Head of Creative at Culture Liverpool; and four-time grammy award winning musician Nile Rodgers.

The University also partnered on two new projects – one in cyber security and one in nuclear robotics – each supported by a £5million grant by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Place Based Impact Acceleration Account (PBIAA) scheme.

Ending the month, scientists unlocked the secrets of one of the most remarkable seed dispersal systems in the plant kingdom – the squirting cucumber.

December

To end the year on a high, the University’s Great Science Share for Schools was granted UNESCO Patronage for the second year in a row. Its sibling programme Engineering Educates was also endorsed by UNESCO’s Ocean Decade for its recent challenge ‘Motion in the Ocean’. And a new study from the  describes a novel biological method to convert mixed municipal waste-like fractions – including food scraps, plastics, and textiles – into valuable bio-products. 

A group of leading international scientists is calling for a global conversation about the potential creation of "mirror bacteria"—a hypothetical form of life built with biological molecules that are the opposite of those found in nature.

In a new report published today in the journal , the researchers, including Professor Patrick Cai, a world leader in synthetic genomics and biosecurity, from The University of ���۴�ý, explain that these mirrored organisms would differ fundamentally from all known life and could pose risks to ecosystems and human health if not carefully managed.

Driven by scientific curiosity, some researchers around the world are beginning to explore the possibility of creating mirror bacteria, and although the capability to engineer such life forms is likely decades away and would require major technological breakthroughs, the researchers are calling for a broad discussion among the global research community, policymakers, research funders, industry, civil society, and the public now to ensure a safe path forward.

Professor Cai said: “While mirror bacteria are still a theoretical concept and something that we likely won’t see for a few decades, we have an opportunity here to consider and pre-empt risks before they arise.

“These bacteria could potentially evade immune defences, resist natural predators, and disrupt ecosystems. By raising awareness now, we hope to guide research in a way that prioritises safety for people, animals, and the environment."

The analysis is conducted by 38 scientists from nine countries including leading experts in immunology, plant pathology, ecology, evolutionary biology, biosecurity, and planetary sciences. The publication in is accompanied by a detailed 300-page .

The analysis concluded that mirror bacteria could broadly evade many immune defences of humans, animals, and potentially plants.

It also suggests that mirror bacteria could evade natural predators like viruses and microbes, which typically control bacterial populations. If they were to spread, these bacteria could move between different ecosystems and put humans, animals, and plants at continuous risk of infection.

The scientists emphasise that while speculative, these possibilities merit careful consideration to ensure scientific progress aligns with public safety.

Professor Cai added: “At this stage, it’s also important to clarify that some related technologies, such as mirror-image DNA and proteins, hold immense potential for advancing science and medicine. Similarly, synthetic cell research, which does not directly lead to mirror bacteria, is critical to advancing basic science. We do not recommend restricting any of these areas of research. I hope this is the starter of many discussions engaging broader communities and stakeholders soon. We look forward to hosting a forum here in ���۴�ý in autumn 2025.”

Going forward, the researchers plan to host a series of events to scrutinise their findings and encourage open discussion about the report. For now, they recommend halting any efforts toward the creation of mirror bacteria and urge funding bodies not to support such work. They also propose examining the governance of enabling technologies to ensure they are managed responsibly.

The Hidden REF awards celebrate the impact and roles that are vital to research but are overlooked by traditional research evaluation. It aims to build a more effective and more equitable system for recognising contributions to research success.

The awards are split into five ‘output panels’ with 24 categories, each organised by output type. The panels include Applications of Research, Communicative Outputs, Context, Practices and Hidden Role.

SEERIH was Highly Commended in the Communicative Outputs panel under the category of ‘Campaigns’ for the success of its campaign, a pioneering campaign dedicated to fostering scientific curiosity and education among young learners.

The category recognises campaigns that  initiate change that is adopted across the research community and creates significant positive impact in a broad range of areas, including the way research is conducted, the diversity of the research community, the pipeline of people involved in research, or any other change that can be demonstrated to be beneficial for the research environment.

Professor Lynne Bianchi, Director of SEERIH, said: “We are very proud to have had our work recognised in this new competition across the Higher Education sector. It really does shine a light on the campaign which makes research more visible to young children, as well as empowering them to think and work scientifically themselves. We’d love for more Higher Education Institutions to get involved. I’d also like to say a special thank you to the Faculty of Science and Engineering's Kerry Wilkins for doing such a great job (as always) in supporting the application.”

and the panellists were chosen based on their experience of the submission categories.

The winners were announced at an online awards ceremony on 29 November. You can find all of the winners and re-watch the ceremony

The endorsement reinforces the programme’s significant role in inspiring scientific curiosity, inquiry, and global citizenship among young people and underscores its profound alignment with UNESCO's (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) values through inclusive and equitable quality science education and promotion of sustainable lifestyles.

Now celebrating its tenth year, the pioneering initiative empowers children aged 5-14 to explore and share scientific questions they are passionate about with peers, families, and communities worldwide. Topics relate directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, sparking inquiry on issues such as biodiversity, carbon reduction, and sustainable practices.

In 2023-24, the GSSfS campaign reached over 670,000 pupils in more than 3,500 schools, spanning 36 countries. Of these, 50% were in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation.

Next year, the campaign seeks to be even bigger with young people responding to the theme ‘Connected Science’. Across a range of free resources teachers, pupils and whole schools are inspired to develop genuine awareness and engagement in global climate action.

James Bridge, Chief Executive and Secretary-General, UK National Commission for UNESCO, added: “We are delighted to grant UK National Commission for UNESCO Patronage to the Great Science Share for Schools campaign for a second time in 2025. Education, Science, and Communication & Information are three fundamental pillars of UNESCO’s global work, so it is great that the UK National Commission can support an initiative here in the UK that brings these together in such an imaginative and collaborative way. The GSSfS initiative aligns with UNESCO’s mandate of promoting knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and a more perfect knowledge of each other's lives.”

SEERIH’s other campaign ‘’, has also received UNESCO endorsement of its ‘Motion in the Ocean’ challenge, which has been recognised by the (‘Ocean Decade’).  

The is a global effort to promote transformative ocean science and aim to inspire actions that will preserve ocean health for future generations.

Newly launched in September 2024, “Motion in the Ocean” is one of eight challenges within the EPSRC Robotic Autonomous Systems (RAS) Network led by The University of ���۴�ý. This has been designed to upskill teachers and pupils (7-14 years) in applying design technology, computing and science skills to find solutions to real-world problems.

“Motion in the Ocean” introduces challenges related to ocean sustainability and marine conservation through practical applications of engineering and design.

Professor Andrew Weightman, Programme Director for RAS, said: “The new robotics theme within Engineering Educates has taken our outreach to a new level. By working with Lynne and her team we now have a much stronger focus on how our research can inspire curriculum learning. We are really delighted that we can also support the Ocean Decade.”

As extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and freezes become more common due to global heating, understanding how soil microbes – critical for healthy ecosystems – respond is crucial.

These microbes play a key role in natural processes like carbon cycling, which helps determine how much carbon is stored in the soil and how much is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, a major driver of global heating.

Researchers from The University of ���۴�ý, working with a network of scientists across Europe, collected soil samples from 30 grasslands in 10 countries. They experimentally exposed the samples to simulated extreme weather events under controlled laboratory conditions to find out how the microbes would respond.

The team found that microbial communities in soils from different parts of Europe each reacted in unique ways to the extreme events. For example, soils from cooler, wetter climates were particularly vulnerable to heatwaves and droughts, while soils from dry regions were more affected by floods.

However, the scientists also found encouraging patterns and signs of consistency. In particular, microbes that can "pause" their activity and go dormant—essentially waiting out tough conditions—in any weather condition.

The findings are published today in the journal .

, Senior Lecturer in Earth and Environment Sciences at The University of ���۴�ý, said: “Soil microbes are vital for our ecosystems. Their ability to adapt or struggle with climate change has a direct impact on soil health, plant growth, food production and carbon storage.

“By understanding the microbes’ ‘survival strategy’, we can better predict and possibly mitigate future impacts of these extreme weather events, giving us crucial insights to safeguard vulnerable regions.

“But our research highlights just how complex and varied the effects of climate change can be. The fact that local conditions play such a huge role in how vulnerable soils are means that a "one-size-fits-all" approach won’t work when it comes to protecting soil ecosystems, suggesting tailored strategies will be key.”

Each sample site represents the diversity of biogeographic regions present in Europe: alpine (Austria), subarctic (Sweden), Arctic (Iceland), Atlantic (Oxford and Lancaster, UK), boreal (Estonia), continental (Germany), Mediterranean (Spain and GR, Greece) and steppe climate (Russia).

The research offers a key first step in predicting how microbial communities respond to climate extremes, helping inform conservation efforts and climate policies around the world.

, who conducted the research while at The University of ���۴�ý, now a Professor of Earth Surface Science at the University of Amsterdam, added: “This study is one of the largest of its kind. By working across multiple countries and ecosystems, we have been able to provide key insights that could guide future research and environmental management strategies ensuring the health of our ecosystems in the face of increasing climate challenges.”

Formed to challenge and disrupt the global conveyor belt market, Ecobelt Ltd is an environmentally ambitious company that champions environmental sustainability and fosters a circular life-cycle approach for belting use.

In the UK alone, 4,000 tonnes of conveyor belts are incinerated or sent to landfill every week.

The ‘Sustainable Materials Innovation for Net-zero’ award recognises Ecobelt’s patented innovative belt splice technology to address the main cause of belt failure. The technology extends belt lifespan from months to years, therefore improving the upstream sustainability by reducing the demand for new belts.

Through partnership and collaboration with The University of ���۴�ý—supported by its UKRI Impact Acceleration Account and the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at the Henry Royce Institute—Ecobelt tested the performance of their technology to develop an approach to repair damaged conveyor belts, employing a whole life-cycle environmental impact approach.

The judges from the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining commended Ecobelt’s technology, citing the robust research base and collaboration with partners as key indicators to Ecobelt’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

Conveyor belts service virtually all consumer products, production and manufacturing facilities globally, driving a market valued at $6 billion (USD) annually, fuelled by e-commerce and industry 4.0.

Despite this, the industry has been remarkably stagnant in relation to innovation, sustainability and the manufacturing process of materials used in conveyor belts. As conveyor belts are fossil fuel based, manufacturing consumes huge natural resources whilst producing significant Greenhouse Gases – an issue that Ecobelt seeks to change.

Whilst Ecobelt’s next steps for commercial scale up are still unfolding, the technology’s potential for lasting impact in the industrial settings are clear.

Professor Michael Shaver, Director of the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub said: “Our world is driven – both literally and figuratively – by conveyor belts. Yet we don’t think of them as essential in championing ���۴�ý as a sustainable city.

“Our eyes have been opened by this hidden gem of a local business: Ecobelt have tackled an invisible material flow that is essential to keeping our manufacturing and delivery systems moving by improving material repair, reuse and circularity. It has been a privilege to work on assessing the AnnStuMax technology and quantifying its impressive environmental credentials.”

While most plants rely on external forces such as animals, wind, or water to spread their seeds, this cucumber – scientifically known as Ecballium elaterium - launches them at high speed in a pressurised jet, sending seeds over 10 metres from the parent plant.

The fruit has long intrigued scientists for its dramatic seed dispersal method, but the exact mechanism and its benefits were poorly understood.

The new research, published in the journal , uses high-speed videography, image analysis, lab experiments and mathematical modelling to examine each phase of the ejection process.

They found that as the cucumber ripens, fluid from the fruit is squeezed into the stem, causing it to stiffen and straighten, and changing the inclination of the fruit so that it is better suited for launching seeds over long distances. The internal pressure in the fruit is so high that, once it detaches from the stem, the fluid and seeds within the shell are explosively launched in a powerful jet.

The finding has important implications for understanding the plant’s population dynamics and offers insights into evolutionary adaptations related to explosive fruit mechanisms. Its seed dispersal strategy could also inspire new technologies.

Lead researcher Finn Box from The University of ���۴�ý, said: “Seed dispersal is incredibly important for plant survival and population, and we see a wide range of dispersal strategies across the plant kingdom, each adapted to different ecological needs.

“This research is the first comprehensive mechanical explanation for how the cucumber plant launches its seeds with remarkable speed and precision – a process almost unheard of in the plant world.

“The explosive launch of the cucumber plant has evolved over generations to help it survive. The way that the stem is able to re-position itself to the perfect angle and build enough pressure to maximise spread has been key to help regulate the plant’s population. These mechanisms allow the plant to disperse seeds over a wide area and reduce overcrowding and competition among offspring and other neighbouring plants, ensuring a better chance of survival for the next generation.”

The research could also help scientists better understand how plants might adapt to environmental changes such as temperature, rainfall patterns and soil conditions due to climate change. Effective seed dispersal plays a critical role in this adaptation as it allows them to move on and colonise new, more stable environments.

It is also thought that understanding the mechanics of explosive seed dispersal could inspire new technologies, such as smart medical devices that can eject drugs on demand and thereby increase the concentration of medication at target sites within the body.