Implemented by a digital marketing agency: this work is ongoing via my EPSRC Fellowship grant: EPM00158X/1EconomicOther2009The findings in the project have indirectly led to a technique for remotely measuring heart sounds (as a continuation of this project). This idea was then the basis for a spin-out company, Light Hearted AI that is led by Lucrezia Cester who completed her OPhD in the research group. The RA hired on this grant is currently providing consultancy to the spin out company.EconomicHealthcare2021Cryoprotectants are widely used as components for storage of biological and pharmaceutical products at low temperatures. Understanding the physical properties of cryoprotectants like glycerol and its potential uses is therefore very advantageous in improving our understanding of important biological processes and costly industrial processes. The completed research therefore contains the future potential of exploitation for industrial benefits, whilst advancing the knowledge of areas of current interest in the fields of physical chemistry, biophysics and biochemistry and the broader scientific community. The scientific impact of the completed research is the advancement of our understanding of protein folding in relevant solvent environments as well as improving our understanding of solvent induced denaturation and protection of proteins, areas which are receiving considerable interest in the scientific community. The development of novel experimental and computational protocols has enabled us to probe this interesting system in more detail and contribute significant scientific advancement to the physics department at Leeds and the wider scientific community. The researcher working on this project, Dr Dougan, also benefited from the cross-disciplinary nature of the work, and the collaboration opportunities with the Biological Sciences school and Prof. Alan Soper at Rutherford Appleton Laboratories. Future graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at Leeds will have the opportunity to utilize the new force-clamp instrument and benefit from its unique capabilities. The knowledge and expertise gained through this project by Dr Dougan will benefit the wider biophysics community through a number of sources. by Dr Dougan on the outcomes and progress of the research. The research was disseminated through the Astbury Centre an interdisciplinary centre at Leeds for researchers interested in aspects of structural and molecular biology. This was an excellent platform with which to broadcast and propagate the work from this grant through a combination of a weekly seminar program and experimental workshops. The new research generated from this proposal played a crucial role in educating and stimulating undergraduate and postgraduate students who are interested in biophysics. The research was presented nationally through the IOP Liquids and Complex Fluids and Biological Physics groups in the form of workshops, meeting and special Institute events. In addition, the research was presented at neutron diffraction user group meetings organized by RAL and the STFC. The research was disseminated internationally through attendance of conference such as the GRC in Protein Folding and Water and Aqueous Solutions. In addition, Dr Dougan actively wrote publications to high-impact peer-reviewed journals and book chapters for specialist issues. In addition to translating this work to an academic audience, Dr Dougan optimized the wider dissemination of the research by giving educational talks at local schools and presentations and demonstrations at physics open days. This outreach will work towards improving the profile of biophysics research in the UK and in particular with junior students.CulturalSocietalEconomicAgriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Energy,Environment,Healthcare2010The software outputs of the grant have been used by scientists at NASA (US) to understand the effects of tides on melting in greenland glaciers: Gadi, R., Rignot, E., & Menemenlis, D. (2023). Modeling ice melt rates from seawater intrusions in the grounding zone of Petermann Gletscher, Greenland. Geophysical Research Letters, 50, e2023GL105869. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105869Environment2023Our findings are being used by Syngenta in agrochemical discovery programs. To date we have supplied them with more than 70 natural products for pesticidal screening, of which 24% showed activity. We have also received financial support from the Warwick Impact Fund to further develop some of the methods we established during the course of the project and explore their commercial potential. We have participated in ICURe, leading to the award of Innovate UK funding to establish a spin out company.EconomicAgriculture, Food and Drink,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology2014In: Slingo, J., Davies, P., Fowler, H. 2021. Weather Advisory Task Force. Final Report, pp77. https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Network-Rail-Weather-Advisory-Task-Force-Final-Report.pdf Also used in many media reports and articlesSocietalEnvironment,Transport2021Prediction and model development for complex surfactant systemsEconomicAgriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Healthcare2022My research group is increasingly being approach by the aviation industry and government representatives for advice on airport capacity and disruptive aircraft technology related questions.EconomicAerospace, Defence and Marine,Transport2019The primary research has been published in Faraday Discussions. The software development is available through the widely-available LAMMPS molecular simulation package.EconomicChemicals2014The findings of this award led to the publication: British Standard Publically Available Specification: 198 Specification for Managing Environmental Conditions for Cultural CollectionsCulturalEconomicPolicy & public servicesEducation,Energy,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections2012The new facility has allowed more collaboration with researchers, with 6 major collaborations, despite COVID restrictions being in force for the early period. The stated priorities have all been advanced. The issues are large and will require significant research to initiate change within the sector. The research enabled has generated 20 peer reviewed papers, with significant additional material at publication stage and four papers in press. The award of the GoGreen project funding (the proposal was strengthened by our stronger analytical capabilities from CapCo) significantly enhanced our research ability in the areas covered by the project, sustainability and preventive conservation. The award of RIO and RiCHeS funding will dramatically increase our analytical and aging capabilities and capacity to undertake research. The main research areas from the CapCo application were; • Addressing the sector debate regarding RH fluctuations causing damage to objects, significant data produced on furniture response in real environments with acoustic emission; impact on egg tempera paintings (DVS); susceptibility of stone and ceramic objects (UV/vis/NIR, environmental chambers); requirements of miniature paintings on ivory (DVS, oxygen measurement for air exchange rates, environmental chambers); ivory response (DVS, universal tester, environmental chambers); damage mechanisms of glass and enamel objects (DVS, laser displacement measurement, environmental chambers). • Investigating mould growth and treatment: DVS analyses of both dust and cardboard storage boxes have allowed understanding of moisture- RH response which drives mould growth. • Preventing damage to archaeological materials: extensive work on archaeological iron and copper alloy (oxygen measurement, DVS), clays in stone (UV/Vis/NIR), stability of archaeological glass (DVS, UV/Vis/NIR). Environmental chambers and DVS used for archaeological bone and glass PhDs. • Testing and developing damage functions: Existing damage functions for copper and silver have been tested and compared to measurements of corrosion rate. New funding delivered (GoGreen project) to provide a post to undertake this work to generate new damage functions for glasses, iron alloys and stone. International exposures underway and materials sourced. • Treatments for outdoor objects: Internship of PhD student investigating paint treatments for twentieth century artillery in facility. PhD now awarded. • Exploring storage methods, which are key to survival of stored collections: Investigations into performance and long term stability of storage boxes for archaeological iron and copper alloy, bone and glass. Investigation into performance and long term stability of silica gels (Environmental chambers, DVS, tensile tester). New methods for much more stable storage developed and protocols for storing unstable glass investigated. The performance of portable pollution filtering devices has been investigated (UV/vis/NIR). A new grant, RIO will significantly extend our abilities to measure and determine the impact of pollution on collections and also RH fluctuations. Research has also facilitated the display of mixed archaeological objects in the new exhibitions at Richborough Roman Fort, Lindisfarne Museum and Wroxeter Roman Town. Able to support these projects with extensive testing of objects proposed for display including stability of archaeological iron objects and light stability of two prints (including the Girtin discussed below). . The re-opening of Marble Hill House was supported by the trials of air curtains to reduce air impact into the newly designed visitor route with the ultrasonic air velocity equipment. The APOLLO infra-red camera is being used as part of the paintings documentation process. Over the last year, 20 paintings have either been fully treated or prepared for loan out in the English Heritage paintings conservation studio and all are now back on display in properties across the country. A further 9 paintings will return to sites over 2025/26 once treatments are complete. The enhanced pantograph studio lighting system is in use every day, and each treatment utilised other equipment acquired through this funding stream. All paintings were examined with Infrared Reflectography using the Apollo camera, this work now forming a part of our documentation process alongside standard photography with the new camera equipment. Additionally many were examined with the microscope to answer questions relating to condition or technique, the new camera set up facilitating discussion amongst colleagues as well as enhanced documentation of findings.CulturalCulture, Heritage, Museums and Collections2022Results collected and methods developed with this funding resulted in 3 industrial collaborations with the total funding of >£1M to date and pending funding of up to ~£300k. Of these, two industrial collaborations have now completed, one is ongoing and one proposal is pending. In one collaboration, we extended the proof-of-the-approach demonstration, funded by this award, to a new category of commercially-important materials; this enabled the industrial partner to identify new composition, microstructures and formulations that are now being evaluated internally. In another collaboration, the modeling tools that we developed with this funding to describe changes in the composition and microstructure of a mechanically loaded polymer are now being applied to estimate and predict how such mechanochemical changes affect bulk properties of widely-used material in an important industrial process. IN the ongoing collaboration, we are contributing to the development of first-in-industry "digital twin" of a complex process.EconomicAerospace, Defence and Marine,Chemicals,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Transport,Other2018To determine the isoform of PI3Ks that are best targetted in different forms of cancer. Previous dogma and much pharmaceutical investment had being based on the concept that in tumours lacking the tumour suppressor PTEN PI3Kbeta was selectively augmented and the primary therapeutic target. Part of our study showed this is untrue. This has changed biotech PI3K targetting strategy and funding. We have shown that a well known tumour suppressor (an inhibitor of tumour progression) is a PI(3,4)P2 phosphatase in addtion to its other known roles, this has important implications for cancer progression and understanding how different mutations in cancer interact and can influence therapeutic strategy. Further work flowing from this award went to show that PTEN, a human tumour suppressor and PIP3-3-phosphatase is also a PI(3,4)P2 3-phosphatase and this is important for its cellular functions and this has led to new strategies to inhibit and modulate PI3K pathway activity.EconomicHealthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology2014This collaborative project created a community of practice for travel professionals and behavioural change practitioners and has been used to generate public debate on the issue of climate change and personal mobility and has resulted in the development of a sustainable travel planner app. The award has also been used as the basis for developing a successful Innovate UK application to work with commercial partners to develop interventions for promoting positive 'real time' travel decision making for sustainability.EconomicDigital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Energy,Environment,Transport2012The findings of this award are of special interest to the industrial partner Evonik, Germany and to an associated SME, Bitop, Germany The production of cDPG in a one step process is being investigated for patent application by our German partners. The extremolytes to be produced have both healthcare and medical applications and are high value compounds. We have been able to demonstrate the expression of the two unique enzymes that are required for the synthesis of cDPG and demonstrated the whole-cell production of this extremolyte in a thermophilic host Thermus thermophilus. This is not possible in the mesophilic host Escherichia coli. This demonstrates the possibility of using Thermus thermophilus for other in vivo synthesis of different extremolytes and related small molecules. The two enzymes involved in the synthesis of the extremolyte cyclic di-phosphoglycerate are unique in their overall structures. The enzyme cyclic di-phosphoglycerate synthetase that is involved in the production of the osmolyte cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate isfound exclusively in the hyperthermophilic archaeal methanogens and it protects the DNA and proteins against oxidative damage caused by hydroxyl radicals and it has healthcare and cosmetic applications. We have solved its structure to high resolution to study its mechanism. The enzyme structure has two domains, the core domain shares some structural similarity with other NTP-dependent enzymes but a significant proportion of the structure has no structural similarity to other known enzyme structures which is very unusual to find todate and hence cannot be predicted using Alphafold. The structure of the complex shows a large conformational change that occurs in the enzyme during catalytic turnover. This work has recently been published in the open access journal Frontiers Microbiology. In addition another paper has recently been submitted for the large scale production of the cyclic diphosphoglycerate with the ERA-net collaborators in Germany and the process modelled by collaborators in South Africa. The other enzyme 2PGK in the pathway is also unique in structure and work is continuing with this protein from different thermophilic archaea with collaborators in Milan, Italy who were also partners in the overall Hotsolute consortium.SocietalEconomicChemicals,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology2021We have documented evidence (through questionnaire data and teacher comments on our learning platform) of changes in their understanding and knowledge about teaching foreign languages. This relates directly to DELTEA since we can demonstrate changes relating to the teaching of creativity, culture and empathy which were key facets of the DELTEA digital professional development. We have exemplars of teachers using our resources and creating their own resources based on DELTEA professional learning activities and we have children's responses to some of those tasks for example, how/whether they affected their sense of confidence in reading.SocietalPolicy & public servicesEducation2023This has had by facilitating knowledge and skills transfer between countries. Specifically, Dr Yanzhou Zhou returned to China and continued to publish in the area.CulturalOther2010The results obtained formed the basis for a patent application. The patent has now been filed TEC1102685 PCT from GB1422144.4 The idea has been taken up by a company (Kromek Ltd) to commercialise using InnovateUK funding. This award started January 2017 and will run for two yearsEconomicEducation,Healthcare2012The technique developed is presently used by us and new groups which subsequently implemented our developments to support defense and space industry product development, as well as on government funded (UK, EC, US) research programs.EconomicAerospace, Defence and Marine,Electronics,Transport2010Cultural context and information has been added to several collections in Italy and the UK. This may become important in public disseminations in the future.CulturalCulture, Heritage, Museums and Collections2024