News in 2018
- £3 million for major research study into UK greenhouse gas emissions 14 December 2018 A study to develop new methods for evaluating the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions using atmospheric observations has been awarded £3M by NERC. The project, led by researchers in the School of Chemistry, is vital for assessing climate change mitigation measures.
- Carbopalladation of C-C σ-bonds enabled by strained boronate complexes 14 December 2018 Research from the Aggarwal Group reveals a new fundamental reactivity mode of palladium complexes
- Contracting Prototissues 7 December 2018 Research by Pierangelo Gobbo, Avinash J. Patil, Mei Li, Robert Harniman, Wuge H. Briscoe and Steve Mann that was recently published in Nature Materials has been highlighted on the December Issue journal cover.
- Creating rings in natural antibiotic synthesis 26 November 2018 Scientists at the University of Bristol have revealed the secrets of the key ring forming cascade in the biosynthesis of a globally used antibiotic. They hope their findings could lead to the development of antibiotics with improved properties and new biocatalysts for the clean and efficient synthesis of medicinally important molecules.
- School of Chemistry installs new LGBT+ Flagpole 20 November 2018 We are proud to announce that our new LGBT+ flagpole has been installed in the East Foyer, outside Lecture Theatre One.
- Glucose binding molecule could transform the treatment of diabetes 19 November 2018 Scientists from the School of Chemistry have designed a new synthetic glucose binding molecule platform that brings us one step closer to the development of the world’s first glucose-responsive insulin which, say researchers, will transform the treatment of diabetes.
- University to launch new interdisciplinary antimicrobial resistance research network 14 November 2018 Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global health emergency with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimating that 'superbugs' will kill 1.3 million people in Europe by 2050, including more than 90,000 in the UK, unless we can halt the rise in antibiotic-resistant infections. The University of Bristol is committed to tackling this global challenge and today [Wednesday 14 November] a new cross-faculty and interdisciplinary AMR research network will be launched, funded by the University's Elizabeth Blackwell Institute (EBI).
- Melanie Roffet-Salque awarded prestigious Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship 5 November 2018 Melanie will begin her fellowship in January 2019, which will be hosted by the School of Chemistry.
- Bristol to join forces with one of the world’s most prestigious research societies 2 November 2018 The University of Bristol partners with the Max Planck Society in Germany to establish an innovative new Max Planck Centre for Minimal Biology in Bristol. The Centre will pursue game-changing research in the emerging field of minimal biology to address some of the most complex challenges in fundamental science. This could lead to transformative applications in biotechnology and medicine.
- Athena SWAN Bronze Award 1 November 2018 We are pleased to announce that the School has been awarded an Athena SWAN Bronze Award for a further three years.
- Scientists discover and characterise new protein structures that don’t exist in nature 29 October 2018 A new set of de novo proteins have been made to form 3D structures that are not observed in nature. These designer proteins could be developed into new synthetic biological machines and sensors.
- Location of large ‘mystery’ source of banned ozone depleting substance uncovered 26 October 2018 Researchers from the School of Chemistry have found significant ongoing emissions of a potent ozone-depleting substance from eastern China.
- STEM Fair for Severnvale Girlguiding 24 October 2018 The School of Chemistry was represented at a STEM Fair for Severnvale Girlguiding, hosted in Thornbury Leisure Centre on Saturday 20th October.
- Sticky protocells join forces in prototissue beating 8 October 2018 A research team at the University of Bristol has developed a chemical approach to the construction of a tissue-like material from synthetic cells that is capable of beating when heated and cooled.
- Modification of amino acids provides new starting point for development of medical treatments 4 October 2018 Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and modifying amino acids chemically allows scientists to develop new molecules that can provide the starting point for developing new medical treatments such as antibiotics.
- The latest edition of Chemistry Explored is now available online 4 October 2018 Chemistry Explored is the annual magazine written by staff and students within the School of Chemistry
- PhD student, Lara Lalemi, named in Bristol’s inaugural BME Powerlist 1 October 2018 Published on 01 October to mark the beginning Black History Month, the project aims to celebrate excellence across a broad spectrum of fields – from activism to arts, politics to business – and provide role models for the next generation.
- How quantum dots invade model cell membranes 20 September 2018 Research from Wuge Briscoe's group published in Nanoscale.
- Protocell guests flee the nest 10 September 2018 Researchers at the School of Chemistry have shown that resident artificial cells abandon their protocell hosts by displaying antagonistic behaviour on receiving a chemical signal.
- Enzyme-powered protocells rise to the top 20 August 2018 Researchers in the School of Chemistry have successfully assembled enzyme-powered artificial cells that can float or sink depending on their internal chemical activity. The work provides a new approach to designing complex life-like properties in non-living materials.
- Chemistry spin-out Ziylo acquired by global healthcare company in $800m deal which could transform the treatment of diabetes 17 August 2018 School of Chemistry spin-out company Ziylo has been bought by global healthcare company Novo Nordisk in a deal which could be worth around $800 million.
- Local structure in deeply supercooled liquids exhibits growing lengthscales and dynamical correlations 16 August 2018 Using super-resolution “STED” nanoscopy, James Hallett, Francesco Turci and C. Patrick Royall have found ideal glass-like states.
- Chemistry welcomes new Head of School 1 August 2018 Professor Emma Raven has now joined the department as Head of School
- Ride for Precious Lives 11 July 2018 Professor Dudley Shallcross cycles 205 miles to raise money for Children's Hospice South West
- Celebration of Bristol Chemistry V 4 July 2018 Early career research celebrated in the School of Chemistry
- Novel molecular designs unlock therapeutic potential of nicotine receptors 15 June 2018 Seven million people die each year from smoking related diseases, according to the World Health Organisation, with the annual death toll expected to rise to eight million by 2030.
- Predicting the outcome of the arms race between man and bacteria 7 June 2018 Through computer simulations, scientists can predict if bacteria can be stopped with popular antibacterial therapies or not – a breakthrough which will help select and develop effective treatments for bacterial infections.
- Polymer crystals hold key to record-breaking energy transport 25 May 2018 Chemists from the universities of Bristol and Cambridge have found a way to create polymeric semiconductor nanostructures that absorb light and transport its energy further than previously observed.
- Professor Chris Willis awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry 23 May 2018 In recognition of her outstanding service on numerous Royal Society of Chemistry committees over more than 25 years, Chris has been awarded an RSC 2018 Award for Service
- A concept to tune and address the packing parameter of amphiphiles - research from the Faul group. 16 May 2018 A paper from the Faul Research Group, with collaborators from China, Diamond Light Source and the Bristol Centre for Functional Nanomaterials (BCFN) has just appeared as inside front cover in the latest issue of Chemical Science – featuring the Clifton Suspension Bridge, amongst others!
- Poster Prize Success for Michael O'Hagan 15 May 2018 Chemical Synthesis CDT student Michael O’Hagan (Galan group) won 2nd Poster Prize at the RSC North West Regional Meeting
- Three professors from the School awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry 8 May 2018 Three professors from the School of Chemistry have won prestigious awards from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
- 18th Bristol Synthesis Meeting hosted by the School of Chemistry 18 April 2018 The 18th Bristol Synthesis Meeting took place on Tuesday 10th April 2018 and brought together over 550 chemistry researchers from institutions around the UK, Ireland and further afield to listen to five renowned speakers representing diverse areas of organic chemistry. The vast majority of the delegates were postgraduate students and the enthusiasm this brought to the conference was palpable.
- Bristol researchers awarded over €10M in European Research Council grants 12 April 2018 Five senior researchers from the University of Bristol have been awarded over €10M in European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants in recognition of their ‘excellent science’ and potentially ground-breaking research.
- New aza-Heck reaction for the preparation of complex N-heterocyclic ring systems 6 April 2018 New research from Paul Pringle, John Bower and colleagues outlines a new aza-Heck reaction for the preparation of complex N-heterocyclic ring systems.
- Undergraduate Student Society host Diversity in STEM Event. 20 March 2018 The event was a huge success with over 60 attendees and 20 post-16 students from local Schools in Bristol.
- New methods for quantifying cooperative hydrogen bond strengths 12 March 2018 A recently published paper describes mimics of peptides and proteins built from symmetrical ureas rather than amino acids, which gives them the unusual property that their hydrogen bonding network can choose whether to face up or down the chain.
- Plastic Fantastic: turning plastic pollution into cleaning agents 26 February 2018 Bristol Scientists have discovered a way to re-use your plastic waste to breakdown harmful substances in waste water supplies, as described by a paper published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
- Lung cancer drug resistance explained by computer simulations 14 February 2018 Researchers from the School of Chemistry, and the University of Parma, Italy, have used molecular simulations to understand resistance to osimertinib - an anticancer drug used to treat types of lung cancer.
- Caught in a spin: cation rotation is too rapid to support ferroelectric domains 12 February 2018 A recent paper, by Dr Tom Oliver's group, with collaborators at the Rutherford Appleton National Laboratory, describes the use of two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy to investigate the presence of long-lived (anti-) ferroelectric domains in hybrid lead-halide perovskite thin films.