Maintaining the cutting-edge research capability of ISAAC Lab

Lead Research Organisation: Nottingham Trent University
Department Name: School of Science & Technology

Abstract

The Imaging and Sensing for Archaeology, Art history and Conservation (ISAAC) Lab established in 2006 within Nottingham Trent University, is at the forefront of developing advanced optical imaging, spectroscopy and remote sensing instruments and data science methods tailored for cultural heritage. It operates a unique and comprehensive mobile lab for collection-focussed interdisciplinary research both within the UK and around the world. ISAAC Mobile Lab has been accessed by over 30 cultural organisations across 4 continents including most of the museums, galleries, archives, libraries and other heritage organisations at the national level as well as regional organisations within the UK and major international heritage organisations. ISAAC Lab is also at the forefront of developing novel DIGILAB data processing facility to the world-wide heritage science research community, through the AHRC funded AI for DIGILAB project. The capability for collections fund proposal is to upgrade existing key instruments in the lab, many of which are cutting-edge instruments developed in past research council supported projects. This renewal of ISAAC Mobile Lab instrument capability and data science provision for DIGILAB will ensure that it stays at the forefront of heritage science research. This investment along with the match funding from NTU, will ensure the realisation of both the institutional strategic of prioritising the development of interdisciplinary research in cultural heritage and the vision of the ISAAC Lab to expand the application of heritage science to a broader range of research questions in arts and humanities and broader types of collections, and to push for heritage science data collection at scale through automated spectral imaging and innovative data science methods for handling large datasets.

All instruments requested for upgrade is unique or supports unique capabilities in the UK if not world-wide. ISAAC is the most appropriate to host these because the expertise of its personnel and the mobile lab (MOLAB) and DIGILAB will ensure a wide range of collections and institutions will benefit. This in turn broadens and benefits research conducted by the ISAAC Lab.

Research done by ISAAC Lab for heritage science has also been used for public engagement in museums and proven to be relevant not only to cultural heritage but also to a broader range of disciplines and industries from fundamental research in other science disciplines to industrial applications from quality control in manufacturing to monitoring industrial infrastructure for the energy sector. This proposal will also have knock-on benefits on all these aligned sectors demonstrating the impact of heritage science research on UK industry.

NTU has won a range of green awards over the past 8 years and its procurement department is committed to sustainable procurement and highly supportive of the project and will ensure timely delivery of the procurement activities.
 
Description This is a capital grant for upgrading research infrastructure. A range of instruments have been upgraded which has help a range of projects that are externally or internally funded.
Exploitation Route The upgraded instruments will be used for ISAAC MOLAB to engage with museums. Already these have made an impact on 4 AHRC funded projects. new instruments were used during ISACC MOLAB's data collection campaign at the British Library, British Museum, the National Gallery, the National Archives. Internationally, they have contributed various projects includes an ERC project "The Greek philosophical schools according to Europe's earliest 'History of Philosophy': Towards a new pioneering critical edition of Philodemus' Arrangement of the Philosophers", EU IPERION HS project, ISAAC MOLAB campaigns at Cambridge University Library, Biblioteca Nacional de Nápoles, 1. UNESCO site of the Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair, Switzerland, Santa Maria Novella Cathedral in Florence, Sale delle Asse in Sforza Castle Milan, St Peter's Church Mistail, Switzerland, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, ArcAntique - Grand Patrimoine Laboratory in Nantes, Swiss Institute for Art Research (SIK-ISEA).
Sectors Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections
 
Description The grant had enabled us to upgrade and extend the capabilities of the ISAAC Lab. ISAAC Mobile Lab used these new upgraded/extended instruments at the following cultural organisations and made impact on the understanding of the museum collections/historic sites and/or informed the conservation state of sites and collections: 1) British Museum, conservation of enamels; understanding the artist materials of 18th C Chinese and Japanese paintings; 2) National Gallery, verifying OCT assisted understanding of varnish and glaze layers for conservation and art historical studies 3) British Library, understanding pigment use on South East Asian illuminated manuscripts and its connection with the global trade 4) The National Archives, understanding 19th C Chinese naval maps, 16th C maps Irish maps 5) UNESCO site at Mustair, distinguishing past intervention material from original 6) St peters Church Mistail: understanding Carolingian wall painting techniques and materials 7) Swiss Institute of art: understanding the material makeup of Indian miniatures 8) Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp: answering conservation questions on Belgium modernist paintings 9) ArcAntique - Grand Patrimoine Laboratory in Nantes: monitoring conservation treatment to reduce corrosion of heritage aircrafts as part of the EU project "Protection and Conservation of Heritage Aircraft". 10) Monitoring salt problems in the famous Santa Maria Novella Cathedral in Florence 11) Remote spectral imaging of the newly conserved Leonardo da Vinci's wall paintings in Sale delle Asse in Sforza Castle Milan to determine areas that are Leonardo's original and later addition 12) Monitoring of conservation of archaeological metal using the hybrid OCT and microscopic spectral imaging, remote SWIR spectral imaging at Arc'Antique 13) Imaging modern paintings at the National Museum of Oslo to inform conservation decisions 14) Remote reflectance spectral imaging, remote Raman spectroscopy, remote LIF spectral imaging of Macedonian Royal Tombs
First Year Of Impact 2023
Sector Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

Economic
 
Description Follow on to "From Lima to Canton and Beyond: An AI-aided heritage materials research platform for studying globalisation through art"
Amount £122,900 (GBP)
Funding ID AH/Y006100/1 
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2023 
End 10/2024
 
Description Integrating Platforms for the European Research Infrastructure ON Heritage Science (IPERION HS)
Amount € 6,000,000 (EUR)
Funding ID H2020-INFRAIA-2019-1 (GA no. 871034) 
Organisation European Commission H2020 
Sector Public
Country Belgium
Start 03/2020 
End 09/2023
 
Description UK-CNR International Exchange
Amount £12,000 (GBP)
Funding ID IEC\R2\202126 
Organisation The Royal Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2021 
End 12/2022
 
Title A hybrid Optical Coherence Tomography and microscopic hyperspectral imaging system 
Description A hybrid Optical Coherence Tomography and microscopic hyperspectral imaging system for layer by layer material identification 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact The system has been used at a range of museums and historical sites in the UK and on continental Europe 
URL https://www.isaac-lab.com/isaac-mobile-lab
 
Title Improved performance of Raman spectroscopy in the remote sensing mode 
Description Mobile Remote standoff Raman spectroscopy at tens of metres 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Ability to take measurements from a large distance, e.g. inaccessible heights, from the ground without scaffolding, particularly useful for wall paintings and architectural interiors 
URL https://www.isaac-lab.com/instruments-remotespectroscopy
 
Title Laser induced fluorescence spectral imaging in the remote sensing mode 
Description Mobile laser induced fluorescence spectral imaging at tens of metres 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Ability to take measurements from a large distance, e.g. inaccessible heights, from the ground without scaffolding, particularly useful for wall paintings and architectural interiors 
 
Description OCT for conservation of photography 
Organisation The National Archives
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The Ultra-high resolution OCT at 810nm was used to assess the effectiveness of a conservation treatment
Collaborator Contribution Conservation knowledge and providing samples/artefacts
Impact We will expand OCT examination to their entire collection of rare photographs. This is multi-disciplinary, involving optics, chemistry and art conservation.
Start Year 2020