News in 2019
- New archaeological discoveries reveal birch bark tar was used in medieval England 19 December 2019 Scientists from the University of Bristol and the British Museum, in collaboration with Oxford Archaeology East and Canterbury Archaeological Trust, have, for the first time, identified the use of birch bark tar in medieval England – the use of which was previously thought to be limited to prehistory.
- Pronoun button badges available in the School of Chemistry 12 December 2019 For our LGBT+ colleagues and students, the pronouns we use for them are a big part of their identity. We can show we care by using the right ones and sharing our own.
- Changes in oxygen concentrations in our ocean can disrupt fundamental biological cycles 27 November 2019 New research led by scientists at the University of Bristol has shown that the feedback mechanisms that were thought to keep the marine nitrogen cycle relatively stable over geological time can break down when oxygen levels in the ocean decline significantly.
- Red Heroes Project fund raising 22 November 2019 On Wednesday 20th November, the Red Heroes Project (organised by Natalie Fey, Hazel Sparkes, and Lauren Smith) held a bake sale in the coffee lounge to raise money for their ongoing charity work, raising an amazing £257.39.
- Could synthetic molecules provide a general treatment for Cystic Fibrosis? 14 November 2019 A new treatment for lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF) for which there remains no cure could potentially benefit all patients, according to a University of Bristol study published in Chemical Science. The findings are an important step towards a new therapy addressing the fundamental cause of cystic fibrosis.
- University of Bristol wins significant funding for three new National Nuclear User Facilities 8 November 2019 The University of Bristol has been awarded around £10 million funding for three National Nuclear User Facility bids covering robotics, microscopy and materials research.
- University of Bristol spin-out raises £760,000 to commercialise biosensing technology 31 October 2019 Rosa Biotech, a new University of Bristol spin-out which developed a sensing platform capable of detecting the faint chemical signature given off by chronic diseases has raised £760,000 to commercialise its ground-breaking innovation. The artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven biosensing technology, which mimics mammals’ sense of smell, has significant potential to transform the medical diagnostics and pharmaceuticals industries.
- Inspirational Bristol Scientists Board Unveiled 10 October 2019 Lara Lalemi organised the ‘Inspirational Bristol Scientists’ event as part of Black History Month. It was designed to showcase the brilliant contributions that BAME students in science and engineering make to the university and to the wider community.
- First evidence for early baby bottles used to feed animal milk to prehistoric babies 26 September 2019 A team of Scientists led by the School of Chemistry's Organic Geochemistry Unit, has found the first evidence that prehistoric babies were fed animal milk using the equivalent of modern-day baby bottles.
- Advanced Chemistry Summer School for students from Jilin University in China 28 August 2019 The School of Chemistry has welcomed staff and students from Jilin University (JLU) in China as part of a long-standing relationship between the two institutions.
- Supercapacitors turbocharged by laxatives 16 August 2019 An international team of scientists, including Professor Julian Eastoe from the School of Chemistry, has worked out a way to improve energy storage devices called supercapacitors, by designing a new class of detergents chemically related to laxatives.
- Bristol School of Chemistry celebrates fantastic independent research fellows 30 July 2019 At Bristol, we’re proud to be able to host a number of externally-funded independent research fellows in the School of Chemistry.
- Shape shifting protocells hint at the mechanics of early life 29 July 2019 Inspired by the processes of cellular differentiation observed in developmental biology, an interdisciplinary team of researchers in the School of Chemistry have demonstrated a new spontaneous approach to building communities of cell-like entities (protocells) using chemical gradients.
- Prestigious Royal Society honour for Bristol Chemist 18 July 2019 Professor Varinder Aggarwal from the School of Chemistry has been awarded the prestigious Davy Medal from the Royal Society for his outstanding contribution to the field of chemistry
- National Student Survey 2019 15 July 2019 Our graduating Chemistry students of 2019 have sent out a ringing endorsement of their courses in the latest National Student Survey (NSS), released recently.
- Coffee pots, Lego and red cabbage water turn the spotlight on ‘green chemistry’ 2 July 2019 Using light and electricity to activate molecules instead of toxic chemical reagents will enable the sustainable manufacture of next generation medicines and other innovative products, according to scientists.
- Vanishing Air-Bubble Layer & Ion Adsorption on Graphene in Aqueous Media 13 June 2019 New research from Bristol chemists has important implications for how graphene is used.
- Chemistry with Scientific Computing – new undergraduate degrees at the University of Bristol from 2020 10 June 2019 Science and Computing infuse every aspect of modern life - in Bristol we recognise that skills in both will be crucial into the future. To address this evolution, we are launching new degree programmes in “Chemistry with Scientific Computing” - both BSc and MSci programmes are recruiting now for undergraduate students starting in September 2020.
- Scientists discover the source of new CFC emissions 23 May 2019 Since 2013, annual emissions of a banned chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) have increased by around 7,000 tonnes from eastern China, according to new research published in Nature today [Wednesday 22 May] by an international team of scientists from Bristol (led by Matt Rigby), the UK, South Korea, Japan, USA, Australia and Switzerland.
- New research reveals what was on the menu for medieval peasants 16 May 2019 Scientists from the School of Chemistry have uncovered, for the first time, definitive evidence that determines what types of food medieval peasants ate and how they managed their animals.
- Report Published on the Being BME in STEM Conference 10 May 2019 The Being BME in STEM Conference hosted by the School of Chemistry on 6th of February 2019, was organised to come up with possible solutions for the problem of low recruitment and retention of BME students in STEM degrees (the leaky pipeline). A summary of the event and the resulting suggestions of how to improve, are detailed in the report.
- Bristol Synthesis Meeting 2019 a great success 17 April 2019 On Tuesday the 9th April, we hosted the annual 19th Bristol Synthesis Meeting. This event is the largest one-day chemistry meeting in Europe and attracts delegates from all over the UK and beyond with a programme of world-leading experts in organic synthesis. Once again, this year’s event was a great success, with over 500 participants enjoying a brilliant day of chemistry.
- Bristol chemist wins prestigious fellowship 15 April 2019 The School of Chemistry is delighted to congratulate Phillippa Cooper, a postgraduate student in John Bower's group, who has been awarded a highly prestigious Lindemann Trust Fellowship.
- Bristol ChemLabS Partners for the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) in Chemistry Outreach Training 12 April 2019 Bristol Chemists Tim Harrison (Director of Outreach) and Jonny Furze (Outreach Assistant) took time out of their busy schedule to work with 77 second and third year chemistry undergraduates at USIM. The initial training session was followed up when small groups from the trained students assisted Tim Harrison in the delivery of the internationally established lecture demonstration ‘A Pollutant’s Tale’ to senior school students.
- New Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology to be hosted in the School of Chemistry 27 March 2019 Building stripped-down versions of life using protocells, genome delivery systems and synthetic cytoskeletons comprise some of the groundbreaking research due to take place at a new Centre launched at the University of Bristol. The Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, a partnership between the University of Bristol and the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (MPG) in Germany, aims to advance the future of health and medicine by understanding the fundamental nature of life.
- Accessible toilet signs installed throughout the School of Chemistry 4 March 2019 These signs have been developed to raise awareness of invisible disabilities.
- Protocells use DNA logic to communicate and compute 4 March 2019 Researchers in the School of Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology and Microsoft Research have successfully assembled communities of artificial cells that can chemically communicate and perform molecular computations using entrapped DNA logic gates.
- Being BME in STEM Conference 18 February 2019 On 6th of February 2019, the School of Chemistry hosted it's first 'Being BME in STEM’ Conference which was organised by Lara Lalemi and the newly formed BME in STEM network. The event was organised to come up with possible solutions for the problem of low recruitment and retention of BME students in STEM degrees.
- Bristol scientist awarded prestigious honour for women in chemistry 11 February 2019 Professor Chris Willis, from the University’s School of Chemistry has been honoured by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) with a 2019 IUPAC Distinguished Women in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Award.
- Amelia Pereira appointed a Stonewall Workplace role model 28 January 2019 Amelia will help create a workplace where LGBT staff can be themselves, driving performance, engagement and innovation.
- Assessing the airborne survival of bacteria in aerosol droplets from coughs and sneezes 23 January 2019 The airborne transmission of diseases including the common cold, influenza and tuberculosis is something that affects everyone with an average sneeze or cough sending around 100,000 contagious germs into the air at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour
- Prestigious award for Bristol scientist 10 January 2019 A University of Bristol academic has been recognised for his work in the field of synthetic chemistry after being awarded the prestigious Yamada-Koga Prize 2019 from the University of Tokyo.