Two Fellowships Awarded to Southampton Researcher


The five- year fellowships were offered to Francesco to fund his work on a novel platform of extreme fibre laser sources. Combining the technologies of micro-structured optical fibres and fibre lasers, originally developed at the ORC, Francesco will work to create a novel platform of extreme laser sources, which will target operation at wavelengths, pulse durations and peak intensities currently not achievable with conventional technology.


Dr Francesco Poletti


Dr Francesco Poletti, a research fellow at the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) has been awarded two prestigious fellowships from the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE).


Key to this project will be the design and development of micro-structured fibres with tailored micrometre holes, which will be filled with gases, liquids and semiconductors, to manipulate the properties of light emitted by conventional fibre lasers through exploitation of wave-guided nonlinear effects in unprecedented regimes.


The results could see integrated fibre laser devices being used in industrial manufacturing, laser surgery, molecular imaging, metrology, optical coherence tomography, EUV nanolithography and attosecond science.


Competition for these prestigious awards is


Rocket Fuel Research Celebrated on Anniversary of Moon Landing


with the Apollo Command and Service Module. This short, but crucial journey had its origins in research carried out in 1947 by PhD student Ray Thompson of Nottingham University, who wrote his Master’s thesis on the use of liquid N2O4 — laying the foundations for the chemical reaction used to fire the lunar module off the face of the moon. His work appeared in a series of papers from the research group led by the late Professor Clifford Addison in the School of Chemistry, which were published


in the Journal of


Chemical Society in the early 1950s; in 1969, the university was approached by NASA to help solve a problem that could been disastrous for the American space programme. NASA needed to find out why N2O4 was causing blockages in the filters and fuel lines onboard NASA space rockets and corrosion in the stainless steel and titanium fuel storage tanks.


Dr Norman Logan


When the lunar module took off from the surface of the moon 40 years ago Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were relying on 4 cubic tonnes of N2O4 — one of the most important rocket propellants ever developed — to return them to lunar orbit and rendezvous


The late Professor Clifford Addison and Dr Norman Logan, from the School of Chemistry, were able to pinpoint the iron compound that was causing the corrosion. The blockages and damage were all down to very small amounts of a very sophisticated type of rust — a type of iron nitrate formed by corrosion of the stainless steel propellant tanks and first synthesised and


UK NanoForum – Registration Open


The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN) and UK Trade


Investment


(UKTI) have announced that registration is now open for its UK NanoForum Emerging Technologies Conference 2009, (London, Nov 3- 4), which has now been expanded to 2 days for the first time.


Reflecting the importance of international business opportunities, the event will be opened by distinguished keynote presenters Professor Anthony Ryan and Christos Tokamanis. Professor Anthony Ryan OBE of Sheffield University presented the 2002 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on Channel 4 and in 2006 was made an OBE for ‘Services to Science’. Christos Tokamanis is Head of Unit ‘Nano converging Sciences and Technologies’ for DG Research, European Commission.


Next generation lithium ion batteries, heterogeneous photocatalysis for water treatment and purification, the use of new technologies in phase 1 clinical trial, and carbon nanotube fibres, are just some of the topics to be addressed by over 40 distinguished presenters.


UK NanoForum will combine a 3 parallel session conference with an industrial exhibition, poster session with EPSRC’s awards for young scientists, technology elevator pitches and facilitated networking for over 100 international and 350 UK delegates, as well as the Business Innovation Awards for UK companies. Leading companies from 21 countries were represented at UK NanoForum 2008, such as Hyundai Motor, Shell Global Solutions International, Kings College London and Nokia Research Centre.


Emerging technologies have the potential to solve industrial and societal challenges, and the key themes for the event will be: Life Sciences, Healthcare, Energy and Electronics


Environment Materials. In addition, four


further emerging technologies will be showcased: phototonics, electronics and plastic electronics, and precision surfaces and complex structures.


With a focus on trade, investment and collaborations, UK NanoForum Emerging Technologies 2009 is ideal for companies, academia, technology purchasers and those seeking to develop joint ventures to develop new business relationships.


Visit www.uknano.biz TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 507


studied in pure form in Dr Logan’s PhD research during the late 1950s.


Dr Logan said: “Since the Apollo era a large number of space craft using liquid N2O4 propellant, such as the Space Shuttle, Ariane and communications satellites have benefitted from the research carried out at The University of Nottingham. This work spanned 50 years from 1947 to 1997.”


On July 20th, the 40th anniversary of the first landing of a man on the moon, Dr Logan returned to The University of Nottingham to see the re-enactment of one of Ray Thompson’s experiments. Professor Martyn Poliakoff and Dr Pete Licence used the exact same model rocket that Dr Logan used in a demonstration lecture given to a large number of school, university and other audiences between 1970 and 1995.


Professor Martyn Poliakoff, from the School of Chemistry, said: “It is great to have the opportunity to celebrate this pioneering chemistry research and its links with the Apollo moon landing. Let us hope that current research at Nottingham will prove equally significant in 40 years time.”


TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 506


fierce with over 600 applications for the 30 Royal Society Fellowships and 100 applications for the 10 to 12 RAE fellowships this year alone.


Unable to accept two fellowships at the same time, Francesco has chosen to accept the Royal Society Fellowship.


On receiving the news Francesco said: “The award of two such prestigious fellowships is a tremendous honour, and it will give me the freedom and independence to follow my own research ideas and continue working in such an inspiring and multidisciplinary research institution. The award comes, I believe, in recognition of the world-leading role the ORC has always had in the development of fibre optics-based technologies and of the outstanding quality of the ongoing research.”


These latest awards once again highlight the ORC’s excellent track record in receiving recognition and support from leading organisations, there have now been eight fellowships awarded by the Royal Society and the RAE since 2000.


TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 505


Researchers Win Regenerative Medicine Funding


Four academic teams from the universities of Durham, Leeds, Newcastle and York have been awarded regeNer8 grants totalling nearly £250,000 in the scheme’s second round of grant funding.


The winners of the two collaborative research and development grants were Dr Mary Herbert from Newcastle University, for her work on a novel bio-processing system for cellular therapy; and Durham University’s Dr Stefan Przyborski for his work on new technology which grows skin in a laboratory for cosmetic and drug testing research.


Technology validation grants were awarded to Dr Xuebin Yang from the University of Leeds whose team has combined three technologies to provide an innovative approach to regenerative medicine which minimises the risk of infection; and Dr Paul Genever from the University of York for his project which isolates mesenchymal stem cells from different tissues with the aim of turning them into bone structures for use as 3D bone replacements.


Established by N8 through the Northern Way initiative, to promote scientific, social and economic development in the North of England, regeNer8 is a virtual centre that brings together the work of the North of England’s top scientists to advance and accelerate the development of regenerative therapies, which aim to replace or repair diseased or damaged body parts. The Centre is directed by Professor John Fisher at the University of Leeds and is managed from the University of Leeds with project management support from Newcastle- based CBSL and BITECIC in Leeds.


TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 508


Applications of Micro and Nano Technology in Biosensing & Diagnostics


This BioSIG meeting, jointly organised by the SIKTN and NanoKTN, will be held on 17th September 2009, at Cranfield University. It aims to highlight current advances in biosensing and diagnostics being made possible by the application of micro and nanotechnology. The programme includes presentations from leading academic researchers and industrial R&D and manufacturing organisations on the use of MEMS, microfluidics, cantilever biosensor arrays, printed microstructures, MIPs, nanowires, DNA nanoswitches and paramagnetic particles. These technical presentations are balanced by an industry presentation giving a commercial perspective on the use of nanoparticles for biosensing and a view from a large diagnostics company on what it is looking for from micro and nanotechnology. Time will be allowed for making new contacts, viewing new products from industry and networking; following the formal presentations in the afternoon a session is free for delegates to visit the exhibition stands and poster displays or have a guided tour of some of the Cranfield Health laboratories, or simply to meet with the presenters and other delegates in a relaxed environment.


Further information for exhibitors and those wishing to submit posters can be obtained from:


Natasha.Taylor@nanoktn.com. TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 509


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32