Date:

2014-2014

Themes:

Accessibility, Internet Science

Funding:

Technology Strategy Board

We understand mathematical ideas by making connections between language, symbols, pictures and real-life situations . Individuals who face barriers with reading, comprehending and/or seeing these connections, such as those with print disabilities, dyscalculia and learning difficulties always struggle with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and professions. Hearing and seeing symbols together can help make those links. These connections are important whether learning numbers 1 to 10, dealing with calculations in the workplace or understanding maths at university. For up to 10 million individuals in the UK affected by print disabilities or dyscalculia, having a tool to read aloud mathematical language and symbols at an appropriate level could ameliorate many difficulties they experience when manipulating mathematical concepts. The lack of accessibility in mathematical notation is impacting on the progress of students working at basic functional skills levels through to degree as well as in the workplace at all levels from apprentice through to professionals such as scientists and engineers.

Primary investigator

• Mike Wald

Secondary investigators

• Abigail Catherine Louise James
• yl2
• E.A. Draffan

Associated research group

• Web and Internet Science

Date:

2014-2018

Theme:

Bionanotechnology and Biosensors

Funding:

University PGR studentship

Relatively recently it has been demonstrated that nanopores can be used for label-free detection of single biomolecules. Conceptually this is similar to a classical Coulter counter, where the passage of a bacterial cell through a micropore causes a temporary partial blockage of the pore, which is detected as a short-lived decrease in electrical current (~aqueous electrolyte) flowing through the micropore, with the frequency of current block events ('pulses') correlating to the bacterium concentration. In this project, the biological nanopore a-hemolysin is used for the detection of nucleic acid biomarkers by resistive pulse sensing. The nanopore is incorporated in aperture-suspended lipid bilayers and nucleic acids are made to traverse the pore by application of a transmembrane potential. Probe DNA is added to the sample to create probe-target duplexes that cause a deeper and longer-lifetime current block than non-complexed non-target molecules, enabling specific single-molecule detection of the biomarker in a complex sample.

Primary investigators

• Maurits De Planque
• Dr Philip Williamson (Biological Sciences)

Secondary investigator

• Josip Ivica

Associated research group

• Electronics and Electrical Engineering

Date:

2014-2014

Theme:

Bionanotechnology and Biosensors

Funding:

NC3Rs

Animals are currently needed to perform cardiac pharmacology and toxicology studies on novel compounds with potential therapeutic value before their use in clinical practice. A potential alternative is the use of human stem cell-derived cardiac cells but, with the current culture protocols, they present poorly developed features of adult cardiac cells and therefore are inadequate for drug testing. Here, we aim to develop a novel, in vitro system consisting of cell culture platforms with special structural and mechanical properties designed to encourage maturation of human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes into tissues with relevant structure and physiology. These platforms will allow the use of a simple method to monitor cardiac contractility, a frequent target of cardiac and non-cardiac drugs that is currently difficult to monitor in toxicology settings. In order to obtain the maturation of the stem cell-derived cardiac cells, we will engineer flexible membranes using Parylene-C, a biocompatible and durable polymer, already used for other bioengineering purposes. The novel application of this material consists in the fabrication of very thin membranes to be used as a cell culture substrate. As adult cardiac tissue is formed by elongated, carefully aligned cells, the cell culture membranes will be patterned to obtain the deposition of the cells into parallel lines. This will be achieved by oxygen plasma treatment, a technique that makes the membrane differentially hydrophilic in predetermined areas, allowing adhesion of the cells only in certain configurations. In these conditions the cells will develop a shape and structure that is more similar to mature cardiac cells. To study contractility we will develop an optical system and associated software for a reproducible and reliable image movement analysis. This method will be incorporated in an existing system developed for the screening of large number of compounds and used in combination with other techniques, to provide a comprehensive assessment of the response to drug treatment. If successful this system will also be employed for studies into the mechanisms of cardiac disease, with further, significant reduction of the use of animals for research.

Associated research group

• Nano Research Group

Date:

2014-2017

Themes:

Bionanotechnology and Biosensors, Medical Engineering

Funding:

EPSRC

Our aim is to develop a low-cost real-time protein detection device to continuously monitor cytokines during in-vitro culture that could eventually expand in clinical practice. We will do this by exploiting discrete electronic components as chemical sensors that are compatible with unique microfluidic chips for minimising the overall cost of the device in combination with small size enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) chambers that minimise antibody requirements. We aspire achieving this by adapting well established manufacturing techniques, currently employed in fabricating printed-circuit boards (PCBs), that could effortlessly render bespoke functionalised electrodes coupled with μm-scale fluidic channels/chambers.

Primary investigator

• Themistoklis Prodromakis

Secondary investigator

• Hywel Morgan

Partners

• Peter Kelleher, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London
• Panagiotis Pantelidis, Infection and Immunity, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Louise Greathead, Infection and Immunity, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Associated research groups

• Nano Research Group
• Southampton Nanofabrication Centre

Date:

2012-2017

Themes:

Nanoelectronics, Photovoltaics and Energy

Funding:

EPSRC

Summary

An alternative paradigm for enhancing the light utilisation in photovoltaic (PV) devices is the use of nano-particles of metals in order to make superior use of the optical field. Since the size and shape of nano-particles act as tuning variables for plasmonic effects, it should be possible to design schemes to enhance different PV technologies in wavelength regions where they could perform better. The structures could be introduced at various interfaces within a PV device. Issues are surface recombination and absorption losses, both of which are potentially significant if the density of nanoparticles is high.

In order to thoroughly understand the influence of plasmonics on the PV materials and devices by experiment, carrier lifetime measurements and photoconductivity measurements can be performed. The aim of this project is to produce a test platform which can be used to measure the change in photoconductivity of a thin layer of silicon due to the presence of a variety of plasmonic nanostructures on the surface.

Method

We have chosen the asymmetric metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector as the basis for our plasmonic structure test platform as these devices are known to have fast response times and high sensitivities. We are optimizing the dimensions of the MSM photodetector, such as distance between metal fingers, width and lengths of metal fingers, thickness of the silicon device layer and thickness of the SiO2 passivation layer using simulations built in Athena/Atlas software. The simulation results are being used to guide the design of MSM devices for our plasmonic structure test platform. Fabrication of the initial MSM devices is currently underway.

Next steps

Following fabrication and testing of the MSM devices, plasmonic structures will be placed in between the metal fingers using ebeam lithography and lift-off or deposition from a liquid suspension. Photoconductivity measurements will then be performed using the IV characteristic measurement systems.

Key References

1. Barnard, E. S.; Pala, R. A. and Brongersma, M. L. “Photocurrent mapping of near-field optical antenna resonances�, Nature Nanotechnology, 2011, 9, 588-593 2. Chui, C. O.; Okyay, A. and Saraswat, K. “Effective dark current suppression with asymmetric MSM photodetectors in Group IV semiconductors�, Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE, 2003, 15, 1585-1587 3. Sesuraj, Rufina S.A.; Temple, T.L. and Bagnall, D.M. “Optical characterisation of a spectrally tunable plasmonic reflector for application in thin film silicon solar cells.� Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2013, 111, 23-30.

Primary investigators

• Pavlos.Lagoudakis
• Stuart Boden
• Asa Asadollahbaik

Secondary investigator

• Darren Bagnall

Associated research group

• Nano Research Group

Date:

2013-2018

Theme:

Energy Harvesting

Funding:

EPSRC (EP/K031910/1)

The UK's healthcare system faces unprecedented challenges. We are the most obese nation in Europe and our ageing population is especially at risk from isolation, depression, strokes and fractures caused by falls in the home. UK health expenditure is already very substantial and it is difficult to imagine the NHS budget rising to meet the future needs of the UK's population. NHS staff are under particular pressure to reduce hospital bed-days by achieving earlier discharge after surgery. However this inevitably increases the risk that patients face post operative complications on returning home. Hospital readmission rates have in fact grown 20% since 1998. Many look to technology to mitigate these problems - in 2011 the Health Minister asserted that 80% of face-to-face interactions with the NHS are unnecessary.

SPHERE envisages sensors, for example:

1) That employ video and motion analytics to predict falls and detect strokes so that help may be summoned.

2) That uses video sensing to analyse eating behaviour, including whether people are taking their prescribed medication.

3) That uses video to detect periods of depression or anxiety and intervene using a computer-based therapy.

The SPHERE IRC will take a interdisciplinary approach to developing these sensor technologies, in order that:

1) They are acceptable in people's homes (this will be achieved by forming User Groups to assist in the technology design process, as well as experts in Ethics and User-Involvement who will explore issues of privacy and digital inclusion).

2) They solve real healthcare problems in a cost-effective way (this will be achieved by working with leading clinicians in Heart Surgery, Orthopaedics, Stroke and Parkinson's Disease, and recognised authorities on Depression and Obesity).

3) The IRC generates knowledge that will change clinical practice (this will be achieved by focusing on real-world technologies that can be shown working in a large number of local homes during the life of the project).

The IRC "SPHERE" proposal has been developed from day one with clinicians, social workers and clinical scientists from internationally-recognised institutes including the Bristol Heart Institute, Southampton's Rehabilitation and Health Technologies Group, the NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle and the Orthopaedic Surgery Group at Southmead hospital in Bristol. This proposal further includes a local authority that is a UK leader in the field of "Smart Cities" (Bristol City Council), a local charity with an impressive track record of community-based technology pilots (Knowle West Media Centre) and a unique longitudinal study (the world-renowned Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a.k.a. "The Children of the Nineties").

SPHERE draws upon expertise from the UK's leading groups in Communications, Machine Vision, Cybernetics, Data Mining and Energy Harvesting, and from two corporations with world-class reputations for research and development (IBM, Toshiba).

Primary investigator

• Steve Beeby

Secondary investigators

• dz
• zl1v13
• Neil Jonathan Grabham
• John Tudor
• Russel Neil Torah
• Sasikumar Arumugam

Partners

• University of Bristol
• University of Reading

Associated research group

• Electronics and Electrical Engineering

Date:

2006-2016

Funding:

Ministry of Defence, U.S. Army Research Laboratory

The International Technology Alliance in Network and Information Sciences (ITA) is a collaborative research alliance between the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MoD) and US Army Research Laboratory (US ARL), and a consortium of leading academic and industry partners. The ITA programme started on May 12, 2006 with the strategic goal of producing fundamental advances in information and network sciences that will enhance decision making for coalition operations and enable rapid, secure formation of ad hoc teams in coalition environments and enhance US and UK capabilities to conduct coalition warfare. The first phase of the ITA programme finished in 2011, and now the programme is in its second phase (May 2011-May 2016).

The ITA consortium is led by IBM - with one of the largest and most admired commercial research and development (R&D) programmes in the world. The consortium includes recognised military domain experts including some of the major defence system integrators in the US (Raytheon BBN Technologies, The Boeing Company, Honeywell, Applied Research Associates) and UK ((LogicaCMG, Roke Manor Research Limited, SEA). The academic partners include top-notch universities both in US (Carnegie Mellon University; City University of New York; Columbia University; Pennsylvania State University; Rensselaer Polytechnique Institute; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Massachusetts, Amherst) and in UK (Cranfield University; Imperial College, London; Royal Holloway; University of London; University of Aberdeen; University of Cambridge; University of Southampton; University of York).

Text from US UK ITA.

Primary investigator

• ps02v

Secondary investigator

• dpr1g09

Partners

• Carnegie Mellon University
• IBM
• EADS

Associated research group

• Web and Internet Science

Date:

2010-2014

Themes:

Bionanotechnology and Biosensors, Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-chip

Funding:

EPSRC (studentship), ECS studentship contribution

Electrical measurements of ion channel activity can be performed by patch clamping of cell membranes or by suspending lipid bilayer model membranes, with incorporated channels, in an aperture positioned inbetween two aqueous compartments. The latter method is in principle more suitable for miniaturization, parallelization and automation of ion channel measurements, but it critically depends on the stability of the suspended bilayer. Conventional apertures in thin Teflon sheets have a diameter of ~150 µm and are produced by mechanical punching or electric sparks. These methods do not give reproducible aperture geometries and consequently only a number of apertures are suitable for suspended bilayer formation, and even these tend to be relatively fragile, limiting measurement throughput.

In this project we fabricate apertures in photoresist sheets by 3D lithography, which enables not only precise control of the aperture diameter but also of the shape of the aperture side walls. Ideally the sheets should be relatively thick to reduce the capacitance of the septum, but it is hypothesized that a thinner aperture edge improves bilayer stability. We have shown that bilayers formed at the thin tip of our tapered apertures display drastically increased lifetimes, typically >20 hours, and mechanical stability, being able to withstand extensive perturbation of the aqueous compartments as required for ion channel assays. Single-channel electrical recordings of peptides and proteoliposome-delivered channels demonstrate channel measurements with low noise, enabling observation of the ~10 pA channel current steps.

These shaped apertures with micrometer edge thickness should substantially enhance the throughput of channel characterisation by bilayer lipid membrane electrophysiology, especially in combination with automated parallel bilayer platforms, which are developed in a related project.

Primary investigators

• Maurits De Planque
• Hywel Morgan

Secondary investigator

• Mr Sumit Kalsi

Partner

• Birkbeck College, University of London

Associated research group

• Nano Research Group

Date:

2013-2014

Funding:

EPSRC

BluPoint™, will provide a physical content provisioning access point to enable people in off-grid, low resources, communities to access digital materials on their mobile phones and create/share their own digital content. BluPoint™ uses Bluetooth as the local data carrier, which is supported on both smart and non-smart phones alike and is widely used to transfer digital artefacts in LEDCs as it is free. It is envisioned that BluPoint™ will be located in rural health centres, schools, commercial centres, taxi’s, water wells and other places that people naturally gather. BluPoint™ will be used for both content and service provision for commercial, health, government, local-community and entertainment sectors.

The ITaaU funding will enable an investigation and subsequent delivery of a scoping report covering two case studies of potential BluPoint: one in Africa and the other in India. The investigation will focus on user experiences derived in BluPoint created Smart Spaces.

Primary investigator

• Gary Wills

Secondary investigator

• mhds

Partners

• ITaaU
• SetSquared

Associated research group

• Electronic and Software Systems

Date:

2009-2011

Themes:

High Voltage Engineering, Condition monitoring

Funding:

UK Power Networks

Power distribution cable networks are inherently inaccessible and complex systems; many of them are coming to the end of their expected lifespan and are being loaded beyond their original design specifications. The ability to accurately monitor and record the real-time health of these systems is of vital importance to utility companies for activities such as planning, asset management, and pin-pointing possible weaknesses of the network. Partial Discharge (PD) activity has been highlighted as both a cause and symptom of electrical degradation of high voltage equipment. Utilities increasingly use the analysis of PD signals to make more robust maintenance and asset replacement decisions. Additionally, it reduces the likelihood of future supply interruption, and allows replacement or repairs to be planned in advanced. Finally, the use of on-line PD sensing systems can reduce costly down time and help to avoid catastrophic failures.

An EDF Energy Networks sponsored project is taking place at the Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory, University of Southampton. It involves the introduction of known faults into medium voltage three-phase PILC cable and aims to closely replicate operational conditions. The results produced by the experimental rig in the lab will be obtained using conventional techniques covered by IEC 60270, in parallel with commercially available PD monitoring equipment that is installed in distribution networks worldwide. It is hoped that the research being undertaken will develop the understanding of fault progression with respect to 11 kV three-phase PILC cables.

Primary investigators

• jah1c12
• Paul Lewin

Partner

• UK Power Networks

Associated research group

• Electronics and Computer Science