2009-2010
Jing Zhang, Chemistry
This project was extremely attractive to me because of its potential to be applied in various areas and the possibility to completely revolutionize the current methods of initial drug screening. Working on this project has taught me an enormous amount about general business strategy, market analysis, team building, effective communication and presentation. This has been…
Finding real-world uses for efficient non-linear optical materials
Contacts: Dr. Jacqui Cole, Tze-Chia Lin & Andrew Higginbotham, Physics Non-linear optical materials have a wide range of uses, including high-speed optical switching and phase modulation. This makes them important as electro-optic modulators in fibre-optic telecommunications, optical computing, and in the development of lasers operating at different frequencies (for example, a red laser can be converted…
Barcode biosensors – developing a new generation of diagnostic devices
Contacts: Dr Al Edwards & Dr Nuno Reis, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Mentor: Marc Bax Immunoassays are the most powerful and widely-used biochemical detection method. They are currently used to measure a vast number of different biomolecules for applications ranging from the detection of pathogens, drugs and diseases to environmental contaminants and biowarfare agents. While most…
Using bistable metal sheets as hinges
Contacts: Dr. Keith Seffen, Engineering Mentor: Martin Sabry Dr Seffen and his team have spent many years investigating the manufacture and operation of bistable and multi-stable structures. They are now able to create a novel class of bistable structures which can be used as single-piece hinges and fine-tuned to meet the requirements of a particular real-world…
Manufacturing carbon nanotubes at low cost and at high volume
Contacts: Professor Derek Fray, Department of Materials Science Mentor: Marc Bax Carbon nanotubes have long attracted the attention of the media due to their unique physical and chemical properties. However, they are generally expensive and slow to manufacture, due to the low yield and complexity of current manufacturing methods. Although carbon nanotubes are used in increasing…
Using fingerprints to detect drugs and other metabolytes
Contacts: Professor David Russell, Department of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, & Jerry Walker, Intelligent Fingerprinting Ltd. Mentor: Dr. Julian White A team of researchers at the University of East Anglia have developed a ground-breaking new technique which can use the sweat in fingerprints to identify a number of illegal drugs, prescription drugs and drug metabolites.…
Highly-sensitive low-power gas sensors
Contacts: Professor Stephen Elliott, Chemistry, & Professor Bill Milne, CAPE Mentor: Dr. Mark Priest A team of researchers from Chemistry and Engineering have worked together to develop novel gas sensors based on carbon nanotube technology. These sensors have the potential to be low-power, compact and lightweight, as well as to be highly sensitive to low concentrations…
Developing insect-proof surfaces
Contacts: Jan-Henning Dirks, Dr. Walter Federle & Cristofer Clemente, Department of Zoology Mentor: Dr. Mark Priest he team of researchers in Zoology has used advanced optical techniques to identify the adhesion process by which insects are able to stick to surfaces, a mechanism which uses a secreted emulsion of water in oily fluid. They have then used this understanding…
Improving athletes’ physical performance
Contact: Dr. Salman Taherian & Dr. Marcelo Pias, Computer Lab Mentor: Dr. John Hunter http://www.sesame.ucl.ac.uk A team of researchers from the Computer Lab and Engineering in Cambridge has worked for the past 2 years on a detailed sensing project for athletes. The SESAME project (SEnsing in Sport and Managed Exercise) has looked at a variety of methods for…