Science Spin 44

ISSUE 44Jan-Feb 2011

€3 including VAT£2 NI and UK

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emotional braindeath of dinosaurs

science snapssmell the roses

BT Young Scientist

and Technology exhibition

IRELAND’S SCIENCE NATURE AND DISCOVERY MAGAZINE

SCIENCESPIN

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Turning the entire energy conversion chain into a proactive structure and establishingintelligent, interactive Smart Grids is the key to solving the energy challenge we all haveto face. Siemens, a worldwide leader in the field of Smart Grid technology, makes possiblethe vertical and horizontal integration of all elements within a Smart Grid and beyond.Even better, all these products, systems, and solutions are readily available.www.siemens.com/energy

Answers for Ireland

Real Smart Grid solutions from Siemens get youcloser to the future of energy right now.

How can we advance the entire energy system?

Upfront 2Smoke and no fireClaire Belcher discovers that smoke rather than fire may have led to the demise of the dinosaurs 8 THE BRAINVeronica Miller writes about the chemicals that trigger our deepest emotions. 11Foundation scienceTom Kennedy reports that geology underpins many of our sciences. 18Young scientistsSeán Duke previews some projects in this year’s exhibition. 21CHOOSING SCIENCESeán Duke, Tom Kennedy and Marie-Catherine Mousseau have been asking scientists what they do and why they choose science as a career. 23

PublisherDKS Ltd5 Serpentine Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.www.sciencespin.comEmail: [email protected]

EditorTom [email protected]

Contributing editorSeán [email protected]

Business Development ManagerAlan [email protected]

Design and ProductionAlbertine Kennedy PublishingCloonlara, Swinford, Co Mayo

Picture researchSource Photographic Archivewww.iol.ie/~source.foxford/

PrintingTurner Group, Longford

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Geological Survey of Ireland

Innovation AcademyA joint TCD-UCD initiative aims to turn post-graduates into the entrepreneurs of the future. 39SPIN ACTIVEGraphene, a remarkable form of carbon.Links for SMEs 44Smell the rosesAmeena Riham writes on the power of scent to bring back memories. 45 Science SnapsA selection of winning images from the national competition. 48Field tripsHumphrey Jones suggests some destinations 50Stem cellsHumphrey Jones raises some issues for class discussion. 53

Bernard Dunne’s photo from the SCIENCE SNAPS competition.

SCIENCE

SPIN

Suirbhéireacht Gheolaiochta Eireann

LIVELINK

Turning the entire energy conversion chain into a proactive structure and establishingintelligent, interactive Smart Grids is the key to solving the energy challenge we all haveto face. Siemens, a worldwide leader in the field of Smart Grid technology, makes possiblethe vertical and horizontal integration of all elements within a Smart Grid and beyond.Even better, all these products, systems, and solutions are readily available.www.siemens.com/energy

Answers for Ireland

Real Smart Grid solutions from Siemens get youcloser to the future of energy right now.

How can we advance the entire energy system?

Upfront 2Smoke and no fireClaire Belcher discovers that smoke rather than fire may have led to the demise of the dinosaurs 8 THE BRAINVeronica Miller writes about the chemicals that trigger our deepest emotions. 11Foundation scienceTom Kennedy reports that geology underpins many of our sciences. 18Young scientistsSeán Duke previews some projects in this year’s exhibition. 21CHOOSING SCIENCESeán Duke, Tom Kennedy and Marie-Catherine Mousseau have been asking scientists what they do and why they choose science as a career. 23

PublisherDKS Ltd5 Serpentine Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.www.sciencespin.comEmail: [email protected]

EditorTom [email protected]

Contributing editorSeán [email protected]

Business Development ManagerAlan [email protected]

Design and ProductionAlbertine Kennedy PublishingCloonlara, Swinford, Co Mayo

Picture researchSource Photographic Archivewww.iol.ie/~source.foxford/

PrintingTurner Group, Longford

SCIENCE ON AIR

Go to www.sciencespin.com

and listen to what researchers have

to say

Subscribe for just €18 a year, six issues.Register to receive free links to our digital issues.

www.sciencespin.com

Geological Survey of Ireland

Innovation AcademyA joint TCD-UCD initiative aims to turn post-graduates into the entrepreneurs of the future. 39SPIN ACTIVEGraphene, a remarkable form of carbon.Links for SMEs 44Smell the rosesAmeena Riham writes on the power of scent to bring back memories. 45 Science SnapsA selection of winning images from the national competition. 48Field tripsHumphrey Jones suggests some destinations 50Stem cellsHumphrey Jones raises some issues for class discussion. 53

Bernard Dunne’s photo from the SCIENCE SNAPS competition.

SCIENCE

SPIN

Suirbhéireacht Gheolaiochta Eireann

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SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 Page 2

UPFRONTwww.sciencespin.com

Powerful rays from the synchrotron revealed details from permanent teeth within the jaw of a Neanderthal child. In the lower image we see tiny growth lines inside the first molar showing that the child was just three when it died.

Extended childhoodGrowinG up too fast has its drawbacks, and prolonging childhood was one of the evolutionary steps that made us human. our closest relatives mature at a much younger age, and by taking more time to develop, humans gained an evolutionary advantage.

An international team of researchers has cast some light on when this process of extending childhood began by comparing neanderthal to Homo sapiens fossils. The researchers from Harvard University, the Max Planck institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and the European Synchrotron radiation Facility, used X-ray imaging to examine growth at a microscopic level. it was found that modern humans are slower to mature, and this difference is likely to have led to evolutionary divergence, with the slow starters becoming a new species. The researchers focused on teeth, as these provide a clear indicator of growth in much the same way as annual rings in trees. Molars are regarded as the next best thing to a birth cert because they show how old a juvenile was when it died. The X-rays used to make these examinations are extremely powerful, and they can penetrate dense fossils without causing any damage. The resolution of the resulting images is so high that microscopically small growth lines within teeth can be seen. one of the fossil remains examined at the ESrF facility at Grenoble, was that of a three-year old neanderthal, discovered more than a century ago in Belgium. The researchers found that teeth in neanderthals grew faster than some of the earliest group of humans, known to have come from Africa 90,000 to 100,000 years ago. it appears that in terms of growth, neanderthals were somewhere between our early ancestors, and an early member of our genus, Homo erectus.

RegenerationrESEArcHErS from the regenerative Medicine institute, rEMEDi, at nUi Galway, have joined the Munich Technical University and the University Hospital rechts Der isar, in developing a self-healing treatment for osteoarthritis. research groups from Germany, France, italy, The netherlands, and Switzerland are involved in this project which is based on using stem cells to stimulate and assist self-healing of damaged joints. The majority of people in ireland with arthritis have osteroarthritis, a form described as wear and tear of joints and cartilage. According to rEMEDi, the majority of people over the age 55 show some evidence of osteroarthritis in X-rays. The cause is unknown, and at present treatments mainly deal with reduction of pain and inflammation rather than addressing the underlying problem. Because current treatments do not solve the problem, osteroarthritis often leads to joint replacement. recently, rEMEDi was given a €19 million top up by SFi. The funding, according to rEMEDi, will help move research on into clinical trials.

BiodiversityorGAniSATion involved in the study and preservation of

biodiversity in new caledonia have collaborated in launching a web site,

www.biodiversite.ncExcept for a few brief notes, the site

content is in French, so good for some language lessons as well as

science.

ProfessionalismHAvinG a professional career in science is a relatively new development. Many of the celebrated scientists from the past were not professionals in the modern sense of the word, but in these days, we tend to assume that the only way to be a ‘real’ scientist is to have an academic position. needless to say, there is a lot to be said for dedicated professionalism, but as Gerry Sharkey, from the Dublin naturalists’ Field club, points out, the good old tradition of amateur enquiry upon which the sciences were built on lives on. in January, the DnFc will be 125 years old, and in the latest newsletter to members, Gerry argues that we should not dilute or downgrade that great legacy. Many of the DnFc members are widely recognised as leading experts in identification of flora and fauna, yet for many of these experts, science is not the day-job. Like so many artists and writers, what they do best has nothing at all to do with earning an income, so as Gerry maintains, those who are privileged enough to be paid for their work in natural history should stop thinking of amateurs as something nasty they picked on their shoes.

ConstraintsMAkinG decisions when faced with a number of options is difficult, and this is why constraints computing can help people who do not have all day to ponder over a bewildering array of options. The cork constraint computing centre at Ucc has been working in this area, and in november a spin out company, Think Smart was set up to commercalise some of the group’s results. According to the company, their product, intellify, can be used across a range of sectors to optimise decision making, and it integrates seamlessly into existing business and industry systems.


Cold water coralsJust as corals are just not confined to the tropics, the cold water corals are not just found in northern waters. Scientists, led by Prof André Freiwald, head of marine research at Senckenberg in Germany, have been probing a large coral bank off Mauritania. The cold coral reef is 190 km long and up to 60 metres high. From a depth of 615 metres depth, a robotic diver sent back video images of calcified Lophelia coral with orange-red polyps and gorgonias. Giant clams had made their home among the corals, and the scientists reported that what they had found was similar to the reefs occurring off Ireland and Norway. The discovery of cold water corals so far south came as a surprise, and their occurrence went unnoticed by sorkellers and scuba divers because they always kept to the brightly illuminated and warmer waters above. The cold water corals are in colder water at depth. The region below 200 metres is rich in nutrients, but dark. Working from the Maria S Merian vessel, the scientists charted the corals and reported finding a diversity of sponges and large crustaceans. Among these animals, were large colonies of the giant deep sea oyster, Neopycnodonte, described as a Methuselah among living creatures as they can live for over 500 years. More details in German from www.senckenberg.de


Left: Young Lophelia colony with outstretched polyps at a depth of 590 m. Image: Tomas Lundälv, Sven Lovén Centre, University of Gothenburg. Right: Octocoral colony with giant clams on dead Lophelia corals at a depth of 615 m. Image: Tomas Lundälv, Sven

Lovén Centre, University of Gothenburg

TurtlesOVER the past 30 years the number of nesting beaches for turtles has declined. Scientists from the Spanish institute, Conseo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, have found that a soil fungus may be contributing to the decline. In a scientific paper published in FEMS Microbiology Letters, Drs Javier Diéguez-Uribeondo and Adolfo Marco explain that while human activities are having an impact, eggs laid in warm damp sand are open to attack by a Fusarium fungus. The scientists studied the Loggerhead sea turtle population on Boavista Island, off the West African coast. This is one of the most important nesting sites for the turtle, Caretta caretta, and a failure of eggs to hatch has been driving the population down. Egg shells and diseased embryos were found to be infected by the the Fusarium fungus. Sneak attack

THE North American comb jellyfish, Mnemiopsis leidyi, which has crossed the Atlantic to take up residence in European waters is a highly successful predator, consuming large amounts of unsuspecting zooplankton. The success in hunting, as scientists from the University of Gothenburg found, is due to a remarkable ability to sneak up on prey. In effect, the jellyfish is hydrodynamically invisible because, although large, it creates so little disturbance as it glides through the water. As Lars Johan Hansson from the Marine Ecology department at the University of Gothenburg observed, the copepod plankton upon which the jellyfish feeds, are well known for their acute escape response. The slightest disturbance, and they are off, and until the comb jellyfish arrived in European waters, they were relatively safe. To discover how the jellyfish could close in on prey without creating a disturbance its feeding was captured on high definition video. From this, it was found that the jellyfish created

a gentle feeding current that led prey in through its two large lobes. Acceleration of the current was so slow that it did not trigger the escape response, and once in between the jellyfish lobes, there was no escape.

The North American comb jellyfish Mnemiopsis leidyi has a simple structure with two large oral lobes for catching prey. Photo: Lars Johan Hansson

www.marine.ie

[email protected]

LIVELINK



Powerful rays from the synchrotron revealed details from permanent teeth within the jaw of a Neanderthal child. In the lower image we see tiny growth lines inside the first molar showing that the child was just three when it died.

Extended childhoodGrowinG up too fast has its drawbacks, and prolonging childhood was one of the evolutionary steps that made us human. our closest relatives mature at a much younger age, and by taking more time to develop, humans gained an evolutionary advantage.

An international team of researchers has cast some light on when this process of extending childhood began by comparing neanderthal to Homo sapiens fossils. The researchers from Harvard University, the Max Planck institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and the European Synchrotron radiation Facility, used X-ray imaging to examine growth at a microscopic level. it was found that modern humans are slower to mature, and this difference is likely to have led to evolutionary divergence, with the slow starters becoming a new species. The researchers focused on teeth, as these provide a clear indicator of growth in much the same way as annual rings in trees. Molars are regarded as the next best thing to a birth cert because they show how old a juvenile was when it died. The X-rays used to make these examinations are extremely powerful, and they can penetrate dense fossils without causing any damage. The resolution of the resulting images is so high that microscopically small growth lines within teeth can be seen. one of the fossil remains examined at the ESrF facility at Grenoble, was that of a three-year old neanderthal, discovered more than a century ago in Belgium. The researchers found that teeth in neanderthals grew faster than some of the earliest group of humans, known to have come from Africa 90,000 to 100,000 years ago. it appears that in terms of growth, neanderthals were somewhere between our early ancestors, and an early member of our genus, Homo erectus.

RegenerationrESEArcHErS from the regenerative Medicine institute, rEMEDi, at nUi Galway, have joined the Munich Technical University and the University Hospital rechts Der isar, in developing a self-healing treatment for osteoarthritis. research groups from Germany, France, italy, The netherlands, and Switzerland are involved in this project which is based on using stem cells to stimulate and assist self-healing of damaged joints. The majority of people in ireland with arthritis have osteroarthritis, a form described as wear and tear of joints and cartilage. According to rEMEDi, the majority of people over the age 55 show some evidence of osteroarthritis in X-rays. The cause is unknown, and at present treatments mainly deal with reduction of pain and inflammation rather than addressing the underlying problem. Because current treatments do not solve the problem, osteroarthritis often leads to joint replacement. recently, rEMEDi was given a €19 million top up by SFi. The funding, according to rEMEDi, will help move research on into clinical trials.

BiodiversityorGAniSATion involved in the study and preservation of

biodiversity in new caledonia have collaborated in launching a web site,

www.biodiversite.ncExcept for a few brief notes, the site

content is in French, so good for some language lessons as well as

science.

ProfessionalismHAvinG a professional career in science is a relatively new development. Many of the celebrated scientists from the past were not professionals in the modern sense of the word, but in these days, we tend to assume that the only way to be a ‘real’ scientist is to have an academic position. needless to say, there is a lot to be said for dedicated professionalism, but as Gerry Sharkey, from the Dublin naturalists’ Field club, points out, the good old tradition of amateur enquiry upon which the sciences were built on lives on. in January, the DnFc will be 125 years old, and in the latest newsletter to members, Gerry argues that we should not dilute or downgrade that great legacy. Many of the DnFc members are widely recognised as leading experts in identification of flora and fauna, yet for many of these experts, science is not the day-job. Like so many artists and writers, what they do best has nothing at all to do with earning an income, so as Gerry maintains, those who are privileged enough to be paid for their work in natural history should stop thinking of amateurs as something nasty they picked on their shoes.

ConstraintsMAkinG decisions when faced with a number of options is difficult, and this is why constraints computing can help people who do not have all day to ponder over a bewildering array of options. The cork constraint computing centre at Ucc has been working in this area, and in november a spin out company, Think Smart was set up to commercalise some of the group’s results. According to the company, their product, intellify, can be used across a range of sectors to optimise decision making, and it integrates seamlessly into existing business and industry systems.


Cold water coralsJust as corals are just not confined to the tropics, the cold water corals are not just found in northern waters. Scientists, led by Prof André Freiwald, head of marine research at Senckenberg in Germany, have been probing a large coral bank off Mauritania. The cold coral reef is 190 km long and up to 60 metres high. From a depth of 615 metres depth, a robotic diver sent back video images of calcified Lophelia coral with orange-red polyps and gorgonias. Giant clams had made their home among the corals, and the scientists reported that what they had found was similar to the reefs occurring off Ireland and Norway. The discovery of cold water corals so far south came as a surprise, and their occurrence went unnoticed by sorkellers and scuba divers because they always kept to the brightly illuminated and warmer waters above. The cold water corals are in colder water at depth. The region below 200 metres is rich in nutrients, but dark. Working from the Maria S Merian vessel, the scientists charted the corals and reported finding a diversity of sponges and large crustaceans. Among these animals, were large colonies of the giant deep sea oyster, Neopycnodonte, described as a Methuselah among living creatures as they can live for over 500 years. More details in German from www.senckenberg.de


Left: Young Lophelia colony with outstretched polyps at a depth of 590 m. Image: Tomas Lundälv, Sven Lovén Centre, University of Gothenburg. Right: Octocoral colony with giant clams on dead Lophelia corals at a depth of 615 m. Image: Tomas Lundälv, Sven

Lovén Centre, University of Gothenburg

TurtlesOVER the past 30 years the number of nesting beaches for turtles has declined. Scientists from the Spanish institute, Conseo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, have found that a soil fungus may be contributing to the decline. In a scientific paper published in FEMS Microbiology Letters, Drs Javier Diéguez-Uribeondo and Adolfo Marco explain that while human activities are having an impact, eggs laid in warm damp sand are open to attack by a Fusarium fungus. The scientists studied the Loggerhead sea turtle population on Boavista Island, off the West African coast. This is one of the most important nesting sites for the turtle, Caretta caretta, and a failure of eggs to hatch has been driving the population down. Egg shells and diseased embryos were found to be infected by the the Fusarium fungus. Sneak attack

THE North American comb jellyfish, Mnemiopsis leidyi, which has crossed the Atlantic to take up residence in European waters is a highly successful predator, consuming large amounts of unsuspecting zooplankton. The success in hunting, as scientists from the University of Gothenburg found, is due to a remarkable ability to sneak up on prey. In effect, the jellyfish is hydrodynamically invisible because, although large, it creates so little disturbance as it glides through the water. As Lars Johan Hansson from the Marine Ecology department at the University of Gothenburg observed, the copepod plankton upon which the jellyfish feeds, are well known for their acute escape response. The slightest disturbance, and they are off, and until the comb jellyfish arrived in European waters, they were relatively safe. To discover how the jellyfish could close in on prey without creating a disturbance its feeding was captured on high definition video. From this, it was found that the jellyfish created

a gentle feeding current that led prey in through its two large lobes. Acceleration of the current was so slow that it did not trigger the escape response, and once in between the jellyfish lobes, there was no escape.

The North American comb jellyfish Mnemiopsis leidyi has a simple structure with two large oral lobes for catching prey. Photo: Lars Johan Hansson

www.marine.ie

[email protected]

LIVELINK

LIVELINK

Racing aheadTeams from schools around the world were in singapore to compete in the F1 model racing car competition. The objective was to design and build a compressed gas driven racer, and following national competitions, the winners went on to compete at an international level. The Unitus Racing team from the Us were declared World Champions, and the Irish competitors all made it into the top fifteen. Team Blink from st ailbe’s secondary school, Tipperary, came 6th. Team sianide, in which students from Cambridge Grammar School, Ballymena, collaborated with O’Fiaich College, Dundalk, came 14th. Team Govannon, from Dundalk Grammar School, won the Best Pit Display, and ranked 8th place overall. Over one hundred teams from all around Ireland took part in the competition, which was managed by the Irish Computer society.

www.f1inschools.ie

Walton on showFOllOwInG postgraduate research at TCD, ernest Walton went on to work with John Cockcroft at

ernest Rutherford’s lab in Cambridge. In 1932 walton and Cockcroft caused a sensation by successfully splitting the nucleus of an atom, and in 1951 they were jointly awarded the nobel Prize for this pioneering work. ernest Walton returned to TCD as Professor of natural and Experimental Philosophy, where he is remembered as an inspiring lecturer and advocate of science education. On being invited to comment on education by Éamon de Valera in 1957, ernest Walton observed that the world had entered a scientific era, and “our people should not be allowed to grow up scientific illiterate.” In 1993, Walton’s note on education and all his other personal papers, were presented to the college, and these are now on public display in the long Room. The exhibition of papers continues until 18th February 2011.

Jumbos take flightGIanT pterosaurs, known only from a small number of fossils, have always been regarded as much too big to fly, but this assumption could be wrong. Dr Mark Witton from the University of Portsmouth, and Dr michael Habib from the Us Chatham University, after examining the 65 million year old fossil remains, argue that the giraffe sized pterosaurs had such powerful arm muscles that they could launch themselves into the air. In a paper published in the science journal, Plos OnE, the scientists point out that the pterosaurs did not necessarily fly like birds, and instead of taking a run and flapping up into the air, they could have used their powerful forelimb muscles to jump into flight. In this radically different approach, all four limbs would have been involved, and according to Dr Witton, the forelimb muscles may have accounted for 20 per cent of the animal’s total mass, so they could ‘pole-vault’ into the air. Once in the air, these huge animals could stay aloft on wings that spanned 10 metres. In birds, bones have become light and hollow, but with pterosaurs, skeletons became stronger, so muscle mass became bigger to compensate.




Bedrock of historyJERUSALEM’s fate was determined by the underlying geology. At the annual Geological Society of America meeting last October, Michael Bramnik from Illinois University explained that underground passageways in the karst limestone enabled King David to take the city. Water was drawn from the Spring of Gihon, which lay just outside the city walls. David’s soldiers climbed down into the spring and by tunnelling under the walls got access to the city.

An old water fleaA 450 million year old Crustacean, complete with fossilized soft parts, has been found in Herefordshire. One of the scientists involved in the discovery, Prof David Siveter from the University of Leicester, said that what made the 5mm long fossil so special is not that it is a previously un-named species, but that the soft parts have been preserved so well that eyes and the antennae can be made out.

The fossil, named Nasunaris flata, belongs to the same group as water-fleas and shrimps. Their descendants are common today in lakes and oceans, and geologists often use the fossils as indicators of past climates.

Internal image of the fossil showing the soft parts and eyes. Image: David J. Siveter, Derek E. G. Briggs, Derek J. Siveter and Mark D. Sutton.

Later, one of David’s successors, King Hezekiah, fearing that the Assyrians would take Jerusalem using the same approach, rerouted the water into the city via a 550 metre long tunnel. It proved to be a good decision, for in 701 BC, Jerusalem was the only city that the Assyrians failed to take.

Water still remains a major factor in shaping modern history in the region, and Michael Bramnik said that when he went in search of hydrological maps for other towns and settlements he was often rebuffed with a claim that such maps do not exist.



Window into the ancient pastA REMARKABLY detailed snapshot of the Cretaceous period has been preserved in amber. Amber, almost as clear as glass, is fossilized resin, the sticky substance exuded by pine trees.

A team of twenty researchers from Germany, France, Austria, Ethiopia, Italy, the UK and USA, have been examining the 95 million year old plants, insects, nematodes, fungi, and even bacteria encased in Ethiopian amber. The amber was found within sandstone from the northwestern plateau of Ethopia. In reporting their initial findings in the journal PNAS, the researchers explain that they now have an unprecedented window into a Cretaceous woodland. This was a time when the first flowering plants began to appear.

Two of the scientists involved, Matthias Svojtka and Norbert Vávra, from the University of Vienna, explained that thirteen insect families have been identified so far. These include hymenopterans, thrips, barklice, zorapterans, and remains of moths and beetles. During the lifetime of these animals, Ethiopia was part of the ancient continent, Gondwana. As the researchers pointed out, amber from this region is rare, adding greatly to the value of the fossil record. Until now the most significant Cretaceous amber deposits came from North America and Eurasia.

A chalcid wasp (Trichogrammatidae) in Ethiopian amber, body length 0,6 mm

A wasp, just under half a cm long, from the famiuly Mymarommatidae. Naturhistorisches Museum Wien

An 8mm long member of the Thysanoptera, thunder fly, family. Naturhistorisches Museum Wien

MEDICAL implants, such as cathers and prosthetics can save lives, but they can also become an unintended host for fungal infections. Thehe yeast, Candida albicans, can form a biofilm which is difficult to eradicate, and as researchers at University College Cork report, this is the most common hospital-acquired infection.

Normally, the yeast is not a problem, but in certain circumstances

it causes a severe infection. Acquired resistance to antibiotics is making it more difficult to keep these fungal attacks under control, but as the Cork researchers report in the journal, Microbiology, another pathogen could provide a solution to that problem.

The bacterium, Pseudomonas eruginosa, invades burn wounds, so it is seen as a troublesome pathogen. However, as the researchers found, it inhibits the growth of Canida albicans.

Dr John Morrissey, who led the research team, commented that “if we can exploit the same inhibitory strategy that thre bacterium P aeruginosa uses, then we might be able to design drugs that can be used as antimicriobials to disperse yeast biofilms as they form.” He also said that it might be possible to incorporate such inhibitory drugs into the implants.

The next step, he said is to determine what kind of chemicals are being produced by the bacterium, and to discover how and where it targets the yeast.

Blocking infections

Canida albicans biofilm under attack. The fungal growth on the right has been attacked by Pseudomonas. Confocal microscope image, Gordon McAlester.

Counting on mathsTo help students get to grips with maths, engineers are volunteering to go back into schools to help with classswork. School visits are being planned for engineers Week, which runs from February 14th to 20th. To become involved contact the STepS team at engineers Ireland: [email protected] or call 01 6651340.

Investigating scienceDonna McCabe has put together an impressive wiki resource on investigative learning and learning theory. Important for primary teachers, and of relevance to everyone else with an interest in how children learn.

http://investigating-science.wikispaces.com

Early lifeShale rocks with remarkably well preserved fossils have been found near Table Mountain in South africa. The 450 million year old fossils have been examined by geologists from the University of leicester, and in the journal, Geology, they report that bitterly cold winds appear to have been responsible for the unusually good state of preservation. Sarah Gabbott and Jan Zalasiewicz looked at the microscopic composition of the Soom Shale and found that it consisted of silt grains wrapped in the remains of marine algae. From this, they concluded that fierce glacial winds carried these nutrient rich grains in from the sea. By falling into water, they stimulated explosive growth of vegetation. as the vegetation died, the remains sank down into a stagnant layer. as the geologists observed, that rotting layer was an ideal environment for preservation of animal remains. The fossils from this layer are so well preserved that eyes, guts and muscles can be distinguished.

Reconstruction of Eurypterid (sea scorpion) chasing a condont (early vertebrate). The Soom

Shale is one of only two deposits world-wide that preserves complete conodont animals

including their muscles, eyes and notochord (stiffening rod). Conodonts are some of our

earliest vertebrate ancestors. Art by Alan Male.


A Eurypterid (sea scorpion) from the Soom Shale, South Africa. This fossil is approximately 440 million years old. It is so well-preserved that you can see its

muscle blocks, gills and paddles that it used for swimming.

website: www.gsi.iee-mail: [email protected]


LIVELINK

Racing aheadTeams from schools around the world were in singapore to compete in the F1 model racing car competition. The objective was to design and build a compressed gas driven racer, and following national competitions, the winners went on to compete at an international level. The Unitus Racing team from the Us were declared World Champions, and the Irish competitors all made it into the top fifteen. Team Blink from st ailbe’s secondary school, Tipperary, came 6th. Team sianide, in which students from Cambridge Grammar School, Ballymena, collaborated with O’Fiaich College, Dundalk, came 14th. Team Govannon, from Dundalk Grammar School, won the Best Pit Display, and ranked 8th place overall. Over one hundred teams from all around Ireland took part in the competition, which was managed by the Irish Computer society.

www.f1inschools.ie

Walton on showFOllOwInG postgraduate research at TCD, ernest Walton went on to work with John Cockcroft at

ernest Rutherford’s lab in Cambridge. In 1932 walton and Cockcroft caused a sensation by successfully splitting the nucleus of an atom, and in 1951 they were jointly awarded the nobel Prize for this pioneering work. ernest Walton returned to TCD as Professor of natural and Experimental Philosophy, where he is remembered as an inspiring lecturer and advocate of science education. On being invited to comment on education by Éamon de Valera in 1957, ernest Walton observed that the world had entered a scientific era, and “our people should not be allowed to grow up scientific illiterate.” In 1993, Walton’s note on education and all his other personal papers, were presented to the college, and these are now on public display in the long Room. The exhibition of papers continues until 18th February 2011.

Jumbos take flightGIanT pterosaurs, known only from a small number of fossils, have always been regarded as much too big to fly, but this assumption could be wrong. Dr Mark Witton from the University of Portsmouth, and Dr michael Habib from the Us Chatham University, after examining the 65 million year old fossil remains, argue that the giraffe sized pterosaurs had such powerful arm muscles that they could launch themselves into the air. In a paper published in the science journal, Plos OnE, the scientists point out that the pterosaurs did not necessarily fly like birds, and instead of taking a run and flapping up into the air, they could have used their powerful forelimb muscles to jump into flight. In this radically different approach, all four limbs would have been involved, and according to Dr Witton, the forelimb muscles may have accounted for 20 per cent of the animal’s total mass, so they could ‘pole-vault’ into the air. Once in the air, these huge animals could stay aloft on wings that spanned 10 metres. In birds, bones have become light and hollow, but with pterosaurs, skeletons became stronger, so muscle mass became bigger to compensate.




Bedrock of historyJERUSALEM’s fate was determined by the underlying geology. At the annual Geological Society of America meeting last October, Michael Bramnik from Illinois University explained that underground passageways in the karst limestone enabled King David to take the city. Water was drawn from the Spring of Gihon, which lay just outside the city walls. David’s soldiers climbed down into the spring and by tunnelling under the walls got access to the city.

An old water fleaA 450 million year old Crustacean, complete with fossilized soft parts, has been found in Herefordshire. One of the scientists involved in the discovery, Prof David Siveter from the University of Leicester, said that what made the 5mm long fossil so special is not that it is a previously un-named species, but that the soft parts have been preserved so well that eyes and the antennae can be made out.

The fossil, named Nasunaris flata, belongs to the same group as water-fleas and shrimps. Their descendants are common today in lakes and oceans, and geologists often use the fossils as indicators of past climates.

Internal image of the fossil showing the soft parts and eyes. Image: David J. Siveter, Derek E. G. Briggs, Derek J. Siveter and Mark D. Sutton.

Later, one of David’s successors, King Hezekiah, fearing that the Assyrians would take Jerusalem using the same approach, rerouted the water into the city via a 550 metre long tunnel. It proved to be a good decision, for in 701 BC, Jerusalem was the only city that the Assyrians failed to take.

Water still remains a major factor in shaping modern history in the region, and Michael Bramnik said that when he went in search of hydrological maps for other towns and settlements he was often rebuffed with a claim that such maps do not exist.



Window into the ancient pastA REMARKABLY detailed snapshot of the Cretaceous period has been preserved in amber. Amber, almost as clear as glass, is fossilized resin, the sticky substance exuded by pine trees.

A team of twenty researchers from Germany, France, Austria, Ethiopia, Italy, the UK and USA, have been examining the 95 million year old plants, insects, nematodes, fungi, and even bacteria encased in Ethiopian amber. The amber was found within sandstone from the northwestern plateau of Ethopia. In reporting their initial findings in the journal PNAS, the researchers explain that they now have an unprecedented window into a Cretaceous woodland. This was a time when the first flowering plants began to appear.

Two of the scientists involved, Matthias Svojtka and Norbert Vávra, from the University of Vienna, explained that thirteen insect families have been identified so far. These include hymenopterans, thrips, barklice, zorapterans, and remains of moths and beetles. During the lifetime of these animals, Ethiopia was part of the ancient continent, Gondwana. As the researchers pointed out, amber from this region is rare, adding greatly to the value of the fossil record. Until now the most significant Cretaceous amber deposits came from North America and Eurasia.

A chalcid wasp (Trichogrammatidae) in Ethiopian amber, body length 0,6 mm

A wasp, just under half a cm long, from the famiuly Mymarommatidae. Naturhistorisches Museum Wien

An 8mm long member of the Thysanoptera, thunder fly, family. Naturhistorisches Museum Wien

MEDICAL implants, such as cathers and prosthetics can save lives, but they can also become an unintended host for fungal infections. Thehe yeast, Candida albicans, can form a biofilm which is difficult to eradicate, and as researchers at University College Cork report, this is the most common hospital-acquired infection.

Normally, the yeast is not a problem, but in certain circumstances

it causes a severe infection. Acquired resistance to antibiotics is making it more difficult to keep these fungal attacks under control, but as the Cork researchers report in the journal, Microbiology, another pathogen could provide a solution to that problem.

The bacterium, Pseudomonas eruginosa, invades burn wounds, so it is seen as a troublesome pathogen. However, as the researchers found, it inhibits the growth of Canida albicans.

Dr John Morrissey, who led the research team, commented that “if we can exploit the same inhibitory strategy that thre bacterium P aeruginosa uses, then we might be able to design drugs that can be used as antimicriobials to disperse yeast biofilms as they form.” He also said that it might be possible to incorporate such inhibitory drugs into the implants.

The next step, he said is to determine what kind of chemicals are being produced by the bacterium, and to discover how and where it targets the yeast.

Blocking infections

Canida albicans biofilm under attack. The fungal growth on the right has been attacked by Pseudomonas. Confocal microscope image, Gordon McAlester.

Counting on mathsTo help students get to grips with maths, engineers are volunteering to go back into schools to help with classswork. School visits are being planned for engineers Week, which runs from February 14th to 20th. To become involved contact the STepS team at engineers Ireland: [email protected] or call 01 6651340.

Investigating scienceDonna McCabe has put together an impressive wiki resource on investigative learning and learning theory. Important for primary teachers, and of relevance to everyone else with an interest in how children learn.

http://investigating-science.wikispaces.com

Early lifeShale rocks with remarkably well preserved fossils have been found near Table Mountain in South africa. The 450 million year old fossils have been examined by geologists from the University of leicester, and in the journal, Geology, they report that bitterly cold winds appear to have been responsible for the unusually good state of preservation. Sarah Gabbott and Jan Zalasiewicz looked at the microscopic composition of the Soom Shale and found that it consisted of silt grains wrapped in the remains of marine algae. From this, they concluded that fierce glacial winds carried these nutrient rich grains in from the sea. By falling into water, they stimulated explosive growth of vegetation. as the vegetation died, the remains sank down into a stagnant layer. as the geologists observed, that rotting layer was an ideal environment for preservation of animal remains. The fossils from this layer are so well preserved that eyes, guts and muscles can be distinguished.

Reconstruction of Eurypterid (sea scorpion) chasing a condont (early vertebrate). The Soom

Shale is one of only two deposits world-wide that preserves complete conodont animals

including their muscles, eyes and notochord (stiffening rod). Conodonts are some of our

earliest vertebrate ancestors. Art by Alan Male.


A Eurypterid (sea scorpion) from the Soom Shale, South Africa. This fossil is approximately 440 million years old. It is so well-preserved that you can see its

muscle blocks, gills and paddles that it used for swimming.

website: www.gsi.iee-mail: [email protected]


LIVELINK

Schools at seaPrimary school pupils in the west of ireland have been learning all about the sea, and during 2011 the ‘Explorer’ programme is heading for the east coast. The programme, devised by the marine institute, Discover Science and Engineering, Galway’s atlantaquaria, the Galway, mayo and Clare Education Centres, the Bray Sea Life Centre, and the Blackrock Education Centre in Dublin, helps teachers to include marine themes in class activities. ireland’s marine sector is one of the bright hopes for the future, and over the past few years exploration offshore has opened a lot of new opportunities. Commenting on this, marine institute CEO, Peter Heffernan, said that becoming more aware of the sea should be part of every child’s education. Lesson plans are on the web site www.explorers.ie and in-service courses on ecology, marine history, crafts and mathematics, are being run for teachers at local education centres

L-R Pat O’ Shuilleabháin of Bray Sea Life Centre, Maria Spring - Principal of St. Clares Primary School and Dr. Peter Heffernan with two Sixth Class Pupils at the launch of the

Programme - Photo, Jason Clarke Photography.

At the finals in TCD were Quizmaster, Aoibhinn Ní Shuilleabháin, Matt Moran, President of ISTA, Augustin Mangalath, Sean Donohue, Ahmad Hesham, and science teacher, Anthony Carey.

Science quizin the irish Science Teachers association annual quiz, teams from around the country braved the bad weather to come together for the finals at TCD in november. The winning teams were from St mary’s College, Galway, St macCartan’s College, monaghan, Summerhill College, Sligo, Blackrock College, Dublin, and the Christian Brothers Secondary School, nenagh, Co Tipperary. matt moran, iSTa President, in congratulating the participants said that this year there is to be a new award scheme to foster excellence in teaching of science.

Irish studiesiriSH third level colleges are being encouraged to attract fee paying students from abroad. in general, fees for overseas students are high, so colleges have a lot to gain financially from promoting themselves abroad. Enterprise ireland is involved in promoting ‘Education ireland’ as a quality brand, and in one recent deal, several hundred Saudi students are to attend the Carlow, Cork, and Blanchardstown institutes of Technology. a working arrangement was already in place between the Saudi Technical Vocational Training Corporation and three irish institutes, GmiT, WiT and aiT. Under this arrangement, 150 Saudi students are studying construction, engineering, software and financial services.

ERC starting grantsin a listing of over 400 starting grant awards from the European Research Council five went to researchers in the irish republic, Jonathan Coleman at TCD, Gavin Collins at nUi Galway, John Kelly at TCD, Laoise mcnamara at nUi Galway, and ron Pinhasi at UCC. The awards, worth up to €2 million each, are only given for ground-breaking research being undertaken by scientists with from two to twelve years of post doc experience. in a breakdown by country, 25 awards were to researchers in israel, 25 were from The netherlands, 20 were from Sweden, and 82 were from the UK. Jonathan Coleman’s work is on semiconducting and metallic nanosheets, Gavin Collins is working on cold carbon catabolism of micriobial communities, John Kelly is working on stem cell therapies, Laoise mcnamara is working on tissue regeneration, and ron Pinasi is investigating forces that shaped Europe’s population.

Bioethics choppedTHE irish Council for Bioethics, a body established by the Government in 2002, has ceased to exist. The Council was set up to provide independent advice to the Government, and it also had a role in promoting public understanding of ethical issues. Before being abruptly closed down on the 1st December, the Council published a report on research integrity which recommended drawing up a formal framework to ensure honesty and transparency in reporting of results. The Council argued that there should be clear guidelines on misconduct in which serious breaches of scientific conduct, such as falsification, fabrication and plagiarism, are defined. at the time of writing, the report on research integrity was still available for downloading as a PDF from

www.bioethics.ie


I N N O VAT I O N

I N N O V A T I O N

INVENTION

I N V E N T I O N

I N V E N T I O N

INSPIRATION

I N S P I R A T I O N

INVESTIGATION

Be Inspired www.btyoungscientist.com

11Celebrating BT’s th year as sponsor and organiser

RDS, Dublin, 13th - 15th January 2011

BT YOUNG SCIENTIST & TECHNOLOGY Exhibition

Driven by Innovation, delivered by

BTWL0191 BTYS 210x275 advert.indd 1 19/11/2010 10:13

LIVELINK

Schools at seaPrimary school pupils in the west of ireland have been learning all about the sea, and during 2011 the ‘Explorer’ programme is heading for the east coast. The programme, devised by the marine institute, Discover Science and Engineering, Galway’s atlantaquaria, the Galway, mayo and Clare Education Centres, the Bray Sea Life Centre, and the Blackrock Education Centre in Dublin, helps teachers to include marine themes in class activities. ireland’s marine sector is one of the bright hopes for the future, and over the past few years exploration offshore has opened a lot of new opportunities. Commenting on this, marine institute CEO, Peter Heffernan, said that becoming more aware of the sea should be part of every child’s education. Lesson plans are on the web site www.explorers.ie and in-service courses on ecology, marine history, crafts and mathematics, are being run for teachers at local education centres

L-R Pat O’ Shuilleabháin of Bray Sea Life Centre, Maria Spring - Principal of St. Clares Primary School and Dr. Peter Heffernan with two Sixth Class Pupils at the launch of the

Programme - Photo, Jason Clarke Photography.

At the finals in TCD were Quizmaster, Aoibhinn Ní Shuilleabháin, Matt Moran, President of ISTA, Augustin Mangalath, Sean Donohue, Ahmad Hesham, and science teacher, Anthony Carey.

Science quizin the irish Science Teachers association annual quiz, teams from around the country braved the bad weather to come together for the finals at TCD in november. The winning teams were from St mary’s College, Galway, St macCartan’s College, monaghan, Summerhill College, Sligo, Blackrock College, Dublin, and the Christian Brothers Secondary School, nenagh, Co Tipperary. matt moran, iSTa President, in congratulating the participants said that this year there is to be a new award scheme to foster excellence in teaching of science.

Irish studiesiriSH third level colleges are being encouraged to attract fee paying students from abroad. in general, fees for overseas students are high, so colleges have a lot to gain financially from promoting themselves abroad. Enterprise ireland is involved in promoting ‘Education ireland’ as a quality brand, and in one recent deal, several hundred Saudi students are to attend the Carlow, Cork, and Blanchardstown institutes of Technology. a working arrangement was already in place between the Saudi Technical Vocational Training Corporation and three irish institutes, GmiT, WiT and aiT. Under this arrangement, 150 Saudi students are studying construction, engineering, software and financial services.

ERC starting grantsin a listing of over 400 starting grant awards from the European Research Council five went to researchers in the irish republic, Jonathan Coleman at TCD, Gavin Collins at nUi Galway, John Kelly at TCD, Laoise mcnamara at nUi Galway, and ron Pinhasi at UCC. The awards, worth up to €2 million each, are only given for ground-breaking research being undertaken by scientists with from two to twelve years of post doc experience. in a breakdown by country, 25 awards were to researchers in israel, 25 were from The netherlands, 20 were from Sweden, and 82 were from the UK. Jonathan Coleman’s work is on semiconducting and metallic nanosheets, Gavin Collins is working on cold carbon catabolism of micriobial communities, John Kelly is working on stem cell therapies, Laoise mcnamara is working on tissue regeneration, and ron Pinasi is investigating forces that shaped Europe’s population.

Bioethics choppedTHE irish Council for Bioethics, a body established by the Government in 2002, has ceased to exist. The Council was set up to provide independent advice to the Government, and it also had a role in promoting public understanding of ethical issues. Before being abruptly closed down on the 1st December, the Council published a report on research integrity which recommended drawing up a formal framework to ensure honesty and transparency in reporting of results. The Council argued that there should be clear guidelines on misconduct in which serious breaches of scientific conduct, such as falsification, fabrication and plagiarism, are defined. at the time of writing, the report on research integrity was still available for downloading as a PDF from

www.bioethics.ie


I N N O VAT I O N

I N N O V A T I O N

INVENTION

I N V E N T I O N

I N V E N T I O N

INSPIRATION

I N S P I R A T I O N

INVESTIGATION

Be Inspired www.btyoungscientist.com

11Celebrating BT’s th year as sponsor and organiser

RDS, Dublin, 13th - 15th January 2011

BT YOUNG SCIENTIST & TECHNOLOGY Exhibition

Driven by Innovation, delivered by

BTWL0191 BTYS 210x275 advert.indd 1 19/11/2010 10:13

LIVELINK


Palaeontologists have long known that a huge extinction of Earth’s

species occurred 65 million years ago bringing the Cretaceous period to an end and giving birth to a new phase of geological time called the Tertiary. The boundary between the Cretaceous and the Tertiary (K-T) marks one of the most devastating events in the history of life and most famously led to the end of the reign of the dinosaurs. This has made this time in Earth history one of the most hotly debated scientific topics for many decades. So what really happened during the last days of the dinosaurs? A 10 kilometre wide asteroid hit the Earth in Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula leaving the 200 kilometre wide Chicxulub impact crater. On impact, the asteroid blasted melted rock debris across the planet forming the K-T boundary rock layers. These rock layers can be seen at 350 locations around the globe from Mexico to New Zealand and are among the most intensively studied rocks in the world.

During the 1980s scientists led by Prof Wendy Wolbach in Chicago, U.S.A. made an astonishing find; in the K-T rocks they found high levels of tiny particles that were bunched together like grapes that they identified as soot. This soot, they believed, might represent the ancient signature of huge forest fires ignited by the asteroid impact. The way the soot was dispersed looked very similar to that assumed for the smoke cloud of a “nuclear winter” enabling the scientists to suggest two effects of the K-T asteroid impact: (1) it ignited huge and potentially globally extensive forest fires followed by (2) an “impact winter” where the soot released from fires combined with dust thrown into the atmosphere on impact caused darkness and cold across the planet. Both having the potential to destroy and disrupt life on Earth. 10 years later Prof H Jay Melosh a renowned geophysicist specialising in asteroid impacts produced an estimate

of the potential amounts of thermal radiation (heat energy) released from the asteroid impact. This suggested that it blasted a huge heat pulse across the globe, potentially igniting extensive forest fires and burning everything, including the dinosaurs, in its path. However, this vast heat pulse and the global forest fire theory appeared to be at odds with the fossils that palaeontologists continued to find in the latest Cretaceous and earliest Tertiary rocks. Of particular interest was the survival of birds, the descendants of the dinosaurs, where around 22 ancestors of modern birds survived the K-T event along with crocodiles, snakes, frogs and turtles. Early mammals, our own ancestors, also survived this cataclysmic event. By the early 2000s these inconsistencies began to puzzle researchers at Royal Holloway University of London in the UK so they decided to test the thermal radiation theory. The team travelled throughout N. America looking for traces of ancient charcoal in the K-T rocks (such charcoal could only have been produced by burning forest) in order to test the theory that the impact released enough thermal radiation to start fires. Rock samples were

Smoke without firethe last days of the dinosaurs

Claire Belcher explains that dinosaurs may have survived a massive asteroid

impact, but they could not live with the prolonged aftermath.


Palaeontologists have long known that a huge extinction of Earth’s

species occurred 65 million years ago bringing the Cretaceous period to an end and giving birth to a new phase of geological time called the Tertiary. The boundary between the Cretaceous and the Tertiary (K-T) marks one of the most devastating events in the history of life and most famously led to the end of the reign of the dinosaurs. This has made this time in Earth history one of the most hotly debated scientific topics for many decades. So what really happened during the last days of the dinosaurs? A 10 kilometre wide asteroid hit the Earth in Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula leaving the 200 kilometre wide Chicxulub impact crater. On impact, the asteroid blasted melted rock debris across the planet forming the K-T boundary rock layers. These rock layers can be seen at 350 locations around the globe from Mexico to New Zealand and are among the most intensively studied rocks in the world.

During the 1980s scientists led by Prof Wendy Wolbach in Chicago, U.S.A. made an astonishing find; in the K-T rocks they found high levels of tiny particles that were bunched together like grapes that they identified as soot. This soot, they believed, might represent the ancient signature of huge forest fires ignited by the asteroid impact. The way the soot was dispersed looked very similar to that assumed for the smoke cloud of a “nuclear winter” enabling the scientists to suggest two effects of the K-T asteroid impact: (1) it ignited huge and potentially globally extensive forest fires followed by (2) an “impact winter” where the soot released from fires combined with dust thrown into the atmosphere on impact caused darkness and cold across the planet. Both having the potential to destroy and disrupt life on Earth. 10 years later Prof H Jay Melosh a renowned geophysicist specialising in asteroid impacts produced an estimate

of the potential amounts of thermal radiation (heat energy) released from the asteroid impact. This suggested that it blasted a huge heat pulse across the globe, potentially igniting extensive forest fires and burning everything, including the dinosaurs, in its path. However, this vast heat pulse and the global forest fire theory appeared to be at odds with the fossils that palaeontologists continued to find in the latest Cretaceous and earliest Tertiary rocks. Of particular interest was the survival of birds, the descendants of the dinosaurs, where around 22 ancestors of modern birds survived the K-T event along with crocodiles, snakes, frogs and turtles. Early mammals, our own ancestors, also survived this cataclysmic event. By the early 2000s these inconsistencies began to puzzle researchers at Royal Holloway University of London in the UK so they decided to test the thermal radiation theory. The team travelled throughout N. America looking for traces of ancient charcoal in the K-T rocks (such charcoal could only have been produced by burning forest) in order to test the theory that the impact released enough thermal radiation to start fires. Rock samples were

Smoke without firethe last days of the dinosaurs

Claire Belcher explains that dinosaurs may have survived a massive asteroid

impact, but they could not live with the prolonged aftermath.


collected from eight sites from New Mexico up into western Canada. In the lab, the team searched the samples for traces of ancient charcoal (burned plant material). They were amazed when they found almost none. As interesting and important was the large amount of normal non-charred plant fossil material that they found. This new evidence suggested that there was no way that the asteroid impact could have ignited globally extensive forest fires. Prof Andrew Scott, an expert on ancient forest fires explains “This finding is significant because most people who model the effects of the K-T impact suggest that ground temperatures reached of the order of 1000ºC.” The fact that around 40 per cent of species survived the impact event had been puzzling the researchers. How a small mammal might survive temperatures of 1000ºC? They were able to use their new data to suggest that ground temperatures cannot have been higher than 325ºC, because temperatures of 325ºC are required to spontaneously ignite forest material. Therefore the fact that they found abundant plant remains that had not been burned meant that ground temperatures must have been lower than this. Such temperatures suggest that just 6kW/m2 of thermal power was blasted across North America by the impact, which is equivalent to lighting 60 light bulbs every 1 square metre of the land surface. These new temperatures likely gave some animals the potential to burrow or shelter from the heat as a thin layer of soil or a cave would easily form protective barrier against 325ºC but not 1000ºC. The next piece of the puzzle was to answer the question: if forest fires didn’t occur, then what could have formed the large amounts of soot found in K-T rocks? In 2005, some

20 years after the original discovery of the K-T soot layer the team at Royal Holloway collected soot from the burning of different materials and analysed them using a scanning electron microscope, which enabled them to see the shape of and image the micron sized (0.0001 cm) soot particles. The K-T soot was compared with soot produced from the burning of petroleum gas, coal and that formed by a natural forest fire. They concluded that the soot looked much more like soot formed from burning of fossil fuels (petrol/coal). This led to the suggestion that the asteroid must have hit rocks that contained either oil

deposits or rocks that were rich in organic material and that the impact vaporised these blasting the soot across the globe. This idea sparked some new research by a group of biogeochemists led by Mark Harvey and Prof. Simon Brassell at Indiana University, USA who began a search for carbon cenospheres in the K-T rocks. Carbon cenospheres are balls of carbon that can only

be formed by the heating or burning of fossil fuels. This meant that if they could identify carbon cenospheres in the K-T rocks this would be a clear indicator that the asteroid hit rocks that contained some fossil carbon. At the same time the team at Royal Holloway put down their fossils and went to the chemistry lab to look for chemical signs of burning of fossil fuels in the K-T rocks. They searched for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons sometimes known as PAHs. PAHs are compounds made up of fused carbon and hydrogen rings and are a common contaminant in the modern world as they are produced in large quantities by cars. The types of PAHs present are able to tell scientists what kind of fuel is being burnt.

The group at Indiana and the team Royal Holloway both found what they were looking for: an abundance of carbon cenospheres and an abundance of certain types of PAHs consistent with the combustion of fossil fuels or fossil organic material in the rocks at the site of the asteroid impact. 20 years since the first thermal radiation estimate Dr Tamara Goldin and Prof H Jay Melosh at the University of Arizona, USA using the power of modern computer simulations, re-modelled the asteroid

impact. In their new simulation they included how the impact debris itself

K-T rocks in Colorado, USA. The white and orange layer are the rocks deposited by the

impact. Photo: Claire Belcher.

Image of Chicxulub Crater in Mexico. V.L. Sharpton, LPI and NASA courtesy of

nasaimages.org

would affect the amount of heat reaching the Earth’s surface. Their results surprised them “We thought we’d just press ‘go’ on the computer and broil a bunch of dinosaurs,” explained Dr Tamara Goldin (in: Science News, 2009), “But it didn’t work. There wasn’t enough radiation getting down.” Their new estimate suggested that 7kW/m2 of thermal radiation was delivered to the ground surface, similar to suggested from the fossil charcoal and fossil plant record. It seemed that at last, 25 years since the original global wildfire idea was conceived, that scientists from across the world had got models and fossil data that matched. But how do these new findings help explain the mass extinctions seen at the time? What did really kill the dinosaurs? These new results suggest that the heat blast from the asteroid impact had a much lower destructive force. It was not great enough to ignite large forest fires and the new temperature estimates provided a way for some creatures to have survived, by sheltering from a short lived blast of thermal radiation. Dr Tamara Goldin and Prof H Jay Melosh reviewed the effects of such heat damage on human skin and found that for those animals unable to shelter from the thermal pulse the heat could have been lethal to thin-skinned animals and caused some degree of skin damage to large thick-skinned animals (e.g. dinosaurs). However, those that managed to survive this short heat blast were rapidly plummeted into the cold and darkness of an “impact winter”. The Yucatan peninsula was covered by ocean at the time the asteroid hit. When the asteroid hit it would have released large amounts of seawater, dust, soot and gases into the atmosphere. This cooled the Earth’s surface for years to decades by up to 10ºC. This “impact winter” hypothesis also appears to be backed up fossil evidence, where photosynthetic organisms (those that make their food using the sun’s energy), such as phytoplankton in the ocean and plants on the land were greatly affected. The Earth’s forests appear to have been eliminated for a short period following the K-T impact and were replaced by ferns and fungi at locations across the globe. A shut down of photosynthesis because of low light levels well matches this observation, where plants that are adapted to

low light levels (ferns, fungi) were able to flourish at the expense of trees and larger plants that needed sunlight. The elimination of large amounts of vegetation would have had catastrophic effects on animals relying on them as a source of food (e.g. plant-eating dinosaurs). Animals that could scavenge for food or feed on detritus (e.g. crocodiles) would have had a much better chance of survival. Meat-eaters like T-rex and those at the top of the food chain would have been equally affected by a decline in their food sources as the plant-eaters died off. Research led by a team of researchers at New York Medical School, USA also shed light on why this “impact winter” may have been so deadly to the dinosaurs. Most people will be familiar with seeing lizards basking in the sunshine on

rocks. This is because lizards lack the ability to generate their own heat. The team in New York found that birds (the descendants of the dinosaurs) lacked a key gene called UCP1 which is responsible for controlling the development of heat generation fat known as brown fat. This suggests that dinosaurs lacked brown fat which in a cold dark Earth would not have been a good thing if you needed to keep warm. So, 25 years of research into better understanding one the most devastating incidents to life on Earth, has allowed high levels of thermal radiation and extensive forest fires to be eliminated as the culprits. Having ruled the Earth for 135 million years it now seems that a few years or decades of cold and darkness put an end to the age of the dinosaurs.

Dr Claire M Belcher is an Earth

Scientist specialising in Fire and the

Earth System at University College Dublin, Ireland and BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering,

University of Edinburgh, UK She has been researching the K-T event for 9

years.

http://clairembelcher.carbonmade.com

K-T soot found by Wendy Wolbach Image: Wendy Wolbach

SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 Page 10 SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 Page 11

Throughout history ancient civilisations

evolved spiritual rituals which revolved around magic spirits and plants with magical properties. The spiral shapes on the rocks at Newgrange are thought to have been made under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms. The discovery of mushroom sculptures in ancient ruins in Central and South America led people to speculate that native peoples there used hallucinogenic mushrooms also. The Aztecs used the word “teonanacatl” meaning “flesh of the gods” to describe hallucinogenic mushrooms. Under a trance like state, caused by the toxins in the mushrooms, the spaced out Aztecs found themselves in an altered state of consciousness and believed they could communicate with their spirits. We know that beer was brewed many thousands of years ago, according to the presence of fermented hops in the pyramids. Cultural anthropologists have suggested that the spread of ideas and technology was favoured by the ability of alcohol and other drugs to relax us releasing creativity and letting us communicate more freely and share ideas. Now we have a variety of drugs, some legal, some not so legal, ranging from alcohol to opium, caffeine to nicotine, happy pills to hazel nuts. Each works in its own unique way activating and deactivating brain systems, to bring us up, take us down, and keep us busy.

AlcoholAlcohol is one of the most popular and acceptable drugs today. Taken in moderation it’s thought to be beneficial; red wine being one of the best drinks. It reduces stress — which is highly toxic to the brain, and contains lots of antioxidants which mop up dangerous chemicals in the body, helping us live longer. Alcohol also costs millions in missed days at work, hospital bills, heart attacks and blackouts. Ethanol is easily absorbed into the blood and once there travels quickly around the body. If you drink slowly, alcohol can be metabolised in the liver and won’t affect the brain greatly. But if you drink too much, too quickly, the liver can’t metabolise it quickly enough and alcohol will stay in the blood and enter the brain. Once in the brain alcohol can have toxic effects.

Ethanol can inhibit excitatory neurotransmitters in our brains, and at the same time activate inhibitory receptors. This can result in a snoozy sedated

feeling. Too much alcohol can inhibit the hippocampus

to such an extent that it completely obliterates memory formation and causes blackouts. In the long term drinking too much can cause shrinkage of the brain and Korsakoff’s syndrome.

Alcohol and the young brainYounger minds are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than older minds. Studies have found that the hippocampus of adolescent rat brains is more greatly affected by alcohol. Cortical activity of adolescent rats is also decreased compared to older rats after alcohol consumption. Hangovers are usually the delayed reaction of the body to ethanol- perceived as a poison. The “head” people get after a hangover is usually because of the fact that beer consumption ironically prevents neurons metabolising glucose, so drinking will tire out neurons. The metabolism of alcohol also uses up the body’s reserves of fatty acids and

minerals such as potassium— which leaves people feeling drowsy and lethargic.

Drug trafficking in the brainAlcohol differs from other drugs because there isn’t a specific alcohol cell or alcohol receptor pathway in the brain. Most drugs that affect our brains hijack neurotransmitter pathways naturally present in our body. But although drugs, from heroine to caffeine, use natural avenues to take their effects this doesn’t mean that they are safe. Pharmacology is the study of how drugs affect our body. Most drugs which are legal, and used for medicinal purposes have been tried and tested in studies to see both if they can do what they claim to do, and if they are dangerous in the long term. Aspirin can be dangerous for some, but for most of us it’s fine. All drugs have some degree of side effects — in the same way that the side effect of owning a car would be a car crash — but if you drive safely you’ll avoid this. And slight modifications can turn drugs from potentially addictive mind altering chemicals to less harmful chemical cousins available over the counter.

Part six

Drug use AnD AbuseContinuing our series of special features in which

Dr Veronica Miller explains what we know about the brain and how it works.

Spirals at Newgrange, and below, a four thousand year old Egyptian model of a brewery

and bakery from Thebes.

would affect the amount of heat reaching the Earth’s surface. Their results surprised them “We thought we’d just press ‘go’ on the computer and broil a bunch of dinosaurs,” explained Dr Tamara Goldin (in: Science News, 2009), “But it didn’t work. There wasn’t enough radiation getting down.” Their new estimate suggested that 7kW/m2 of thermal radiation was delivered to the ground surface, similar to suggested from the fossil charcoal and fossil plant record. It seemed that at last, 25 years since the original global wildfire idea was conceived, that scientists from across the world had got models and fossil data that matched. But how do these new findings help explain the mass extinctions seen at the time? What did really kill the dinosaurs? These new results suggest that the heat blast from the asteroid impact had a much lower destructive force. It was not great enough to ignite large forest fires and the new temperature estimates provided a way for some creatures to have survived, by sheltering from a short lived blast of thermal radiation. Dr Tamara Goldin and Prof H Jay Melosh reviewed the effects of such heat damage on human skin and found that for those animals unable to shelter from the thermal pulse the heat could have been lethal to thin-skinned animals and caused some degree of skin damage to large thick-skinned animals (e.g. dinosaurs). However, those that managed to survive this short heat blast were rapidly plummeted into the cold and darkness of an “impact winter”. The Yucatan peninsula was covered by ocean at the time the asteroid hit. When the asteroid hit it would have released large amounts of seawater, dust, soot and gases into the atmosphere. This cooled the Earth’s surface for years to decades by up to 10ºC. This “impact winter” hypothesis also appears to be backed up fossil evidence, where photosynthetic organisms (those that make their food using the sun’s energy), such as phytoplankton in the ocean and plants on the land were greatly affected. The Earth’s forests appear to have been eliminated for a short period following the K-T impact and were replaced by ferns and fungi at locations across the globe. A shut down of photosynthesis because of low light levels well matches this observation, where plants that are adapted to

low light levels (ferns, fungi) were able to flourish at the expense of trees and larger plants that needed sunlight. The elimination of large amounts of vegetation would have had catastrophic effects on animals relying on them as a source of food (e.g. plant-eating dinosaurs). Animals that could scavenge for food or feed on detritus (e.g. crocodiles) would have had a much better chance of survival. Meat-eaters like T-rex and those at the top of the food chain would have been equally affected by a decline in their food sources as the plant-eaters died off. Research led by a team of researchers at New York Medical School, USA also shed light on why this “impact winter” may have been so deadly to the dinosaurs. Most people will be familiar with seeing lizards basking in the sunshine on

rocks. This is because lizards lack the ability to generate their own heat. The team in New York found that birds (the descendants of the dinosaurs) lacked a key gene called UCP1 which is responsible for controlling the development of heat generation fat known as brown fat. This suggests that dinosaurs lacked brown fat which in a cold dark Earth would not have been a good thing if you needed to keep warm. So, 25 years of research into better understanding one the most devastating incidents to life on Earth, has allowed high levels of thermal radiation and extensive forest fires to be eliminated as the culprits. Having ruled the Earth for 135 million years it now seems that a few years or decades of cold and darkness put an end to the age of the dinosaurs.

Dr Claire M Belcher is an Earth

Scientist specialising in Fire and the

Earth System at University College Dublin, Ireland and BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering,

University of Edinburgh, UK She has been researching the K-T event for 9

years.

http://clairembelcher.carbonmade.com

K-T soot found by Wendy Wolbach Image: Wendy Wolbach

SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 Page 10 SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 Page 11

Throughout history ancient civilisations

evolved spiritual rituals which revolved around magic spirits and plants with magical properties. The spiral shapes on the rocks at Newgrange are thought to have been made under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms. The discovery of mushroom sculptures in ancient ruins in Central and South America led people to speculate that native peoples there used hallucinogenic mushrooms also. The Aztecs used the word “teonanacatl” meaning “flesh of the gods” to describe hallucinogenic mushrooms. Under a trance like state, caused by the toxins in the mushrooms, the spaced out Aztecs found themselves in an altered state of consciousness and believed they could communicate with their spirits. We know that beer was brewed many thousands of years ago, according to the presence of fermented hops in the pyramids. Cultural anthropologists have suggested that the spread of ideas and technology was favoured by the ability of alcohol and other drugs to relax us releasing creativity and letting us communicate more freely and share ideas. Now we have a variety of drugs, some legal, some not so legal, ranging from alcohol to opium, caffeine to nicotine, happy pills to hazel nuts. Each works in its own unique way activating and deactivating brain systems, to bring us up, take us down, and keep us busy.

AlcoholAlcohol is one of the most popular and acceptable drugs today. Taken in moderation it’s thought to be beneficial; red wine being one of the best drinks. It reduces stress — which is highly toxic to the brain, and contains lots of antioxidants which mop up dangerous chemicals in the body, helping us live longer. Alcohol also costs millions in missed days at work, hospital bills, heart attacks and blackouts. Ethanol is easily absorbed into the blood and once there travels quickly around the body. If you drink slowly, alcohol can be metabolised in the liver and won’t affect the brain greatly. But if you drink too much, too quickly, the liver can’t metabolise it quickly enough and alcohol will stay in the blood and enter the brain. Once in the brain alcohol can have toxic effects.

Ethanol can inhibit excitatory neurotransmitters in our brains, and at the same time activate inhibitory receptors. This can result in a snoozy sedated

feeling. Too much alcohol can inhibit the hippocampus

to such an extent that it completely obliterates memory formation and causes blackouts. In the long term drinking too much can cause shrinkage of the brain and Korsakoff’s syndrome.

Alcohol and the young brainYounger minds are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than older minds. Studies have found that the hippocampus of adolescent rat brains is more greatly affected by alcohol. Cortical activity of adolescent rats is also decreased compared to older rats after alcohol consumption. Hangovers are usually the delayed reaction of the body to ethanol- perceived as a poison. The “head” people get after a hangover is usually because of the fact that beer consumption ironically prevents neurons metabolising glucose, so drinking will tire out neurons. The metabolism of alcohol also uses up the body’s reserves of fatty acids and

minerals such as potassium— which leaves people feeling drowsy and lethargic.

Drug trafficking in the brainAlcohol differs from other drugs because there isn’t a specific alcohol cell or alcohol receptor pathway in the brain. Most drugs that affect our brains hijack neurotransmitter pathways naturally present in our body. But although drugs, from heroine to caffeine, use natural avenues to take their effects this doesn’t mean that they are safe. Pharmacology is the study of how drugs affect our body. Most drugs which are legal, and used for medicinal purposes have been tried and tested in studies to see both if they can do what they claim to do, and if they are dangerous in the long term. Aspirin can be dangerous for some, but for most of us it’s fine. All drugs have some degree of side effects — in the same way that the side effect of owning a car would be a car crash — but if you drive safely you’ll avoid this. And slight modifications can turn drugs from potentially addictive mind altering chemicals to less harmful chemical cousins available over the counter.

Part six

Drug use AnD AbuseContinuing our series of special features in which

Dr Veronica Miller explains what we know about the brain and how it works.

Spirals at Newgrange, and below, a four thousand year old Egyptian model of a brewery

and bakery from Thebes.


Drugs are illegal because their effects at small doses can be lethal, because they have no known medical benefit or because they’re not produced in safe environments so you can’t be sure what drug you are getting. Recently problems have arisen for the pharmaceutical industry. Because the price of drugs to treat malaria and AIDS is so high this prevents third world countries from accessing them. So countries are debating whether or not to ignoring patent laws and make the drugs for themselves. Chemistry is really just cooking at a tiny level. If you know what the chemical you want should look like, it just takes a little engineering to make it.

DopamineDopamine is the brain’s motivator, responsible for your movements and mood swings. It was discovered back in 1957 by Swedish pharmacologist, Arvid Carlsson. Prior to his discovery people didn’t fully understand how cells in the brain signalled to each other. Along with friends, Arvid devised experiments designed to uncover what chemicals motivate us to move. They firstly inhibited movement in mice by injecting their brains with a drug called Reserpine. Then they dosed the animals with a series of chemicals including dopamine to see which one would stimulate the brain cells and make the mice move. He hit paydirt with dopamine. Although in the beginning, Arvid’s peers were sceptical of his work; and they largely ignored his data on dopamine when he first presented it in London in the 1960s. Forty years later, in recognition of his contribution to neuroscience, and the important discovery he made that chemicals are important for neurotransmission, he received a Nobel prize in 2000. Carlsson’s data was originally ignored because the experts of the day fully believed that electrical rather than chemical activity was most important for transmitting signals in the brain. The experts own minds were not open to the idea of both electrical and chemical neurotransmission being important. Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine which you get from proteins and is transported to the brain via the blood. Once in the brain, enzymes work their magic to covert tyrosine to L-dopa which can be converted to dopamine inside brain cells. Dopamine can also be further converted into — norephinephrine or epinephrine (adrenalin) by the action of more enzymes. The family of chemicals which includes dopamine and epinephrine is

known as the catecholamine family. Amine means amino acid. Catechol is the name of the ring shape you can see in its chemical structure. Depolarisation of the cell membrane causes the neuron’s store of catecholamines to be released into the synapse. At the synapse the

catecholamines can act on a variety of adrenergic or dopaminergic receptors. These receptors can open pores in the

post-synaptic neurons for fast ionic activity and, or, set in motion a series of chemical reactions for slower chemical reactions.

Balancing dopamine levelsAntipsychotic drugs which alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia act at dopamine synapses. In general schizophrenics are thought to have hyperactive dopaminergic receptors, specifically the D2 receptors. So if you give them a drug which prevents the action of dopamine at this receptor you might alleviate their symptoms. But the problem with this treatment is that if you get the dose wrong, the patients may end up developing Parkinson’s symptoms because of having too little dopamine. You could imagine treatment for Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia as sometimes being a delicate balance of dopamine treatment, too much could result in schizophrenic symptoms and too little, Parkinson’s.

Docking bays for drugsThere would be no point in sending letters if we didn’t have post-boxes on our front doors. In order for a message to be received, we have to be receptive to it, and neurons are no different. The outside layer or membrane of every neuron is

dotted with millions of tiny molecules embedded in place, and each one has a specialized motif or signature structure which allows it to interact with specific chemicals floating around in the synapses between cells. You might like to think of receptors as docking bays for neurotransmitters. Once the neurotransmitters binds to the receptor, it sends a molecular shiver along the structure of the receptor, right across the cell membrane into the neurons’ cytoplasm- which is the liquid inside. This molecular shiver changes the structure and function of lots of different molecules which are attached on the inside of the cell to the receptor. Once activated, they fall like dominos and send signals throughout the neuron telling it to become more excited, slow down or start making new connections. Once the signal is

CateChol epinephrine

norepinephrinedopamine

oh

ohho

ho

ho

ho

ho

ho

hnCh3

oh

nh2nh2

oh

CH3O

OH

HO

H HH

HO

HO

N CH3

HO

CODEINE MORPHINE

By tweaking the chemical formula you can change codeine into a more powerful painkiller

— morphine.

The catecholamines are derived from the amino acid, tyrosine, are so called because they contain a catechol group. In humans the most abundant catecholamines are epinephrine, norepinephrine,

and dopamine.

sent, the receptors then let the neurotransmitter loose back into the synapse again and in the synapse the neurotransmitter is either broken down, or taken back up by the previous neuron that let it go.

Sugar free could make you sadThe amino acids that flow from the blood to the brain do so via transporter molecules in the blood vessel wall. These transporters are specialised for all manner of chemicals. Tyrosine, tryptophan and phenylalanine are amino acids of similar size and shape. They use the same transporter, known as the large neutral amino acid transporter. The liver can make tyrosine from its store of other amino acids such as phenylalanine, but the brain cannot — it relies on tyrosine flowing around in the blood. Phenylalanine is the substance that makes diet cola sweet. It also competes with tyrosine to use this transporter to get into your brain. Sometimes phenylalanine can get into the brain at the expense of the other amino acids. Researchers have speculated that heavy consumption of diet drinks or food laced with phenylalanine could result in mood disorders associated with lack of neurotransmitters. But the quantities of food and drink you’d need to consume for this to happen would suggest you’d have a problem already to consume that much normally. Most likely this problem could be an addictive personality.

AddictionWhy do we become addicted? Is it just because drugs make us happy, or does drug use simply hotwire addiction into our brains? Research suggests both are true. Cocaine acts on the mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) pathway of the midbrain. This pathway is also known as the reward pathway because it is activated during a pleasurable experience such as eating, sex, or having an enjoyable conversation. The pathway is between the ventral tegmental area just under the substantia nigra in the upper brainstem to the nucleus accumbens in the mid brain. This pleasure circuit is in one of the oldest areas of our brain so clearly our ancestors knew how to have fun. Anything that you associate with stimulating the pleasure pathway has the power to make you addicted to it. Normally most of the things we might like make us ill if we over use them, from food, drink, cigarettes, to chocolate. Most of us reach a limit after a few drinks or chocolate bars when we don’t want any more. But some people don’t have this limit and crave more and more.

Why do we want more?In the last chapter Freudian psychology held that it was our animal instincts, greed and desire for pleasure that motivates us. For addicts it would appear that their instinctive drive for pleasure, however momentary, is what motivates them. However addiction isn’t just a behaviour, its also a series of chemical and biological changes that occur in our brains reprogramming us.

Researchers imaging the brains of regular cocaine users found that their memories seem to work better when taking cocaine as compared to people who never use the drug normally but did for the trial. This suggests that some cocaine users do benefit in the short term from using the drug. Regular cocaine users may also be more sensitive and get more pleasure than the average person from using it.

Dublin researchers have found evidence that cocaine users accumulate damage in the areas of the brain which inhibits addictive behaviour. This suggests initial use can set in motion addictive rewiring of your brain. Naturally if the only source of pleasure in your life is cocaine — you’ll be even more likely to become addicted to it — as you’d have no other source to stimulate your ever demanding pleasure pathways. So addiction is a mixture between scientific and sociological factors.

The love drugWhen it comes to falling in love, when the first flush of attraction meanders into long term bonding, our brains do have a lot to answer for. It’s difficult to study love in a lab, and could be dangerous depending on the state of the relationships you’re supposed to be studying. So one way to study love is to try to see what is

it that makes people and animals want to stick together. So far it appears that two different neuro-hormones are thought to facilitate long term pair bonding. These two hormones are vasopressin and oxytocin. You might have heard of oxytocin in relation to the female menstrual cycle, but it’s also made by men in small quantities, as testosterone is by women. It’s known that both men and women make more oxytocin when they are in monogamous long term relationships. The brain regions which are rich in vasopressin and oxytocin are also rich in dopamine receptors. If you look at the brains of people who have just fallen in love you find the same areas light up as when people take cocaine. One theory is that when dopaminergic reward and pleasure centres of the brain, overlap with the centres that facilitate long

term bonding, this combined chemical reaction primes you for meeting somebody and falling in love. You could say you fall and stay in love with the person that makes you happy.

Serotonin the happy amineSerotonin is manufactured within neurons from tryptophan an amino acid found in protein food stuffs like beans and fish, which flows in the blood to the brain, across the blood brain barrier and into neurons. Serotonin is like the catecholamines because it has a catechol ring, but different because it has an extra indole ring. Foods which are high in tryptophan have been associated with happiness throughout different cultures, from Middle Eastern dates eaten after Ramadan to Japanese happy beans given in the springtime to ward off evil ogres.

CH

CH2

H2N+ COO-

N

TRYPTOPHAN

Like tyrosine, tryptophan has the catechol circle. The five-sided structure is the indole ring, and at the top is the

carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen amine backbone.



Drugs are illegal because their effects at small doses can be lethal, because they have no known medical benefit or because they’re not produced in safe environments so you can’t be sure what drug you are getting. Recently problems have arisen for the pharmaceutical industry. Because the price of drugs to treat malaria and AIDS is so high this prevents third world countries from accessing them. So countries are debating whether or not to ignoring patent laws and make the drugs for themselves. Chemistry is really just cooking at a tiny level. If you know what the chemical you want should look like, it just takes a little engineering to make it.

DopamineDopamine is the brain’s motivator, responsible for your movements and mood swings. It was discovered back in 1957 by Swedish pharmacologist, Arvid Carlsson. Prior to his discovery people didn’t fully understand how cells in the brain signalled to each other. Along with friends, Arvid devised experiments designed to uncover what chemicals motivate us to move. They firstly inhibited movement in mice by injecting their brains with a drug called Reserpine. Then they dosed the animals with a series of chemicals including dopamine to see which one would stimulate the brain cells and make the mice move. He hit paydirt with dopamine. Although in the beginning, Arvid’s peers were sceptical of his work; and they largely ignored his data on dopamine when he first presented it in London in the 1960s. Forty years later, in recognition of his contribution to neuroscience, and the important discovery he made that chemicals are important for neurotransmission, he received a Nobel prize in 2000. Carlsson’s data was originally ignored because the experts of the day fully believed that electrical rather than chemical activity was most important for transmitting signals in the brain. The experts own minds were not open to the idea of both electrical and chemical neurotransmission being important. Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine which you get from proteins and is transported to the brain via the blood. Once in the brain, enzymes work their magic to covert tyrosine to L-dopa which can be converted to dopamine inside brain cells. Dopamine can also be further converted into — norephinephrine or epinephrine (adrenalin) by the action of more enzymes. The family of chemicals which includes dopamine and epinephrine is

known as the catecholamine family. Amine means amino acid. Catechol is the name of the ring shape you can see in its chemical structure. Depolarisation of the cell membrane causes the neuron’s store of catecholamines to be released into the synapse. At the synapse the

catecholamines can act on a variety of adrenergic or dopaminergic receptors. These receptors can open pores in the

post-synaptic neurons for fast ionic activity and, or, set in motion a series of chemical reactions for slower chemical reactions.

Balancing dopamine levelsAntipsychotic drugs which alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia act at dopamine synapses. In general schizophrenics are thought to have hyperactive dopaminergic receptors, specifically the D2 receptors. So if you give them a drug which prevents the action of dopamine at this receptor you might alleviate their symptoms. But the problem with this treatment is that if you get the dose wrong, the patients may end up developing Parkinson’s symptoms because of having too little dopamine. You could imagine treatment for Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia as sometimes being a delicate balance of dopamine treatment, too much could result in schizophrenic symptoms and too little, Parkinson’s.

Docking bays for drugsThere would be no point in sending letters if we didn’t have post-boxes on our front doors. In order for a message to be received, we have to be receptive to it, and neurons are no different. The outside layer or membrane of every neuron is

dotted with millions of tiny molecules embedded in place, and each one has a specialized motif or signature structure which allows it to interact with specific chemicals floating around in the synapses between cells. You might like to think of receptors as docking bays for neurotransmitters. Once the neurotransmitters binds to the receptor, it sends a molecular shiver along the structure of the receptor, right across the cell membrane into the neurons’ cytoplasm- which is the liquid inside. This molecular shiver changes the structure and function of lots of different molecules which are attached on the inside of the cell to the receptor. Once activated, they fall like dominos and send signals throughout the neuron telling it to become more excited, slow down or start making new connections. Once the signal is

CateChol epinephrine

norepinephrinedopamine

oh

ohho

ho

ho

ho

ho

ho

hnCh3

oh

nh2nh2

oh

CH3O

OH

HO

H HH

HO

HO

N CH3

HO

CODEINE MORPHINE

By tweaking the chemical formula you can change codeine into a more powerful painkiller

— morphine.

The catecholamines are derived from the amino acid, tyrosine, are so called because they contain a catechol group. In humans the most abundant catecholamines are epinephrine, norepinephrine,

and dopamine.

sent, the receptors then let the neurotransmitter loose back into the synapse again and in the synapse the neurotransmitter is either broken down, or taken back up by the previous neuron that let it go.

Sugar free could make you sadThe amino acids that flow from the blood to the brain do so via transporter molecules in the blood vessel wall. These transporters are specialised for all manner of chemicals. Tyrosine, tryptophan and phenylalanine are amino acids of similar size and shape. They use the same transporter, known as the large neutral amino acid transporter. The liver can make tyrosine from its store of other amino acids such as phenylalanine, but the brain cannot — it relies on tyrosine flowing around in the blood. Phenylalanine is the substance that makes diet cola sweet. It also competes with tyrosine to use this transporter to get into your brain. Sometimes phenylalanine can get into the brain at the expense of the other amino acids. Researchers have speculated that heavy consumption of diet drinks or food laced with phenylalanine could result in mood disorders associated with lack of neurotransmitters. But the quantities of food and drink you’d need to consume for this to happen would suggest you’d have a problem already to consume that much normally. Most likely this problem could be an addictive personality.

AddictionWhy do we become addicted? Is it just because drugs make us happy, or does drug use simply hotwire addiction into our brains? Research suggests both are true. Cocaine acts on the mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) pathway of the midbrain. This pathway is also known as the reward pathway because it is activated during a pleasurable experience such as eating, sex, or having an enjoyable conversation. The pathway is between the ventral tegmental area just under the substantia nigra in the upper brainstem to the nucleus accumbens in the mid brain. This pleasure circuit is in one of the oldest areas of our brain so clearly our ancestors knew how to have fun. Anything that you associate with stimulating the pleasure pathway has the power to make you addicted to it. Normally most of the things we might like make us ill if we over use them, from food, drink, cigarettes, to chocolate. Most of us reach a limit after a few drinks or chocolate bars when we don’t want any more. But some people don’t have this limit and crave more and more.

Why do we want more?In the last chapter Freudian psychology held that it was our animal instincts, greed and desire for pleasure that motivates us. For addicts it would appear that their instinctive drive for pleasure, however momentary, is what motivates them. However addiction isn’t just a behaviour, its also a series of chemical and biological changes that occur in our brains reprogramming us.

Researchers imaging the brains of regular cocaine users found that their memories seem to work better when taking cocaine as compared to people who never use the drug normally but did for the trial. This suggests that some cocaine users do benefit in the short term from using the drug. Regular cocaine users may also be more sensitive and get more pleasure than the average person from using it.

Dublin researchers have found evidence that cocaine users accumulate damage in the areas of the brain which inhibits addictive behaviour. This suggests initial use can set in motion addictive rewiring of your brain. Naturally if the only source of pleasure in your life is cocaine — you’ll be even more likely to become addicted to it — as you’d have no other source to stimulate your ever demanding pleasure pathways. So addiction is a mixture between scientific and sociological factors.

The love drugWhen it comes to falling in love, when the first flush of attraction meanders into long term bonding, our brains do have a lot to answer for. It’s difficult to study love in a lab, and could be dangerous depending on the state of the relationships you’re supposed to be studying. So one way to study love is to try to see what is

it that makes people and animals want to stick together. So far it appears that two different neuro-hormones are thought to facilitate long term pair bonding. These two hormones are vasopressin and oxytocin. You might have heard of oxytocin in relation to the female menstrual cycle, but it’s also made by men in small quantities, as testosterone is by women. It’s known that both men and women make more oxytocin when they are in monogamous long term relationships. The brain regions which are rich in vasopressin and oxytocin are also rich in dopamine receptors. If you look at the brains of people who have just fallen in love you find the same areas light up as when people take cocaine. One theory is that when dopaminergic reward and pleasure centres of the brain, overlap with the centres that facilitate long

term bonding, this combined chemical reaction primes you for meeting somebody and falling in love. You could say you fall and stay in love with the person that makes you happy.

Serotonin the happy amineSerotonin is manufactured within neurons from tryptophan an amino acid found in protein food stuffs like beans and fish, which flows in the blood to the brain, across the blood brain barrier and into neurons. Serotonin is like the catecholamines because it has a catechol ring, but different because it has an extra indole ring. Foods which are high in tryptophan have been associated with happiness throughout different cultures, from Middle Eastern dates eaten after Ramadan to Japanese happy beans given in the springtime to ward off evil ogres.

CH

CH2

H2N+ COO-

N

TRYPTOPHAN

Like tyrosine, tryptophan has the catechol circle. The five-sided structure is the indole ring, and at the top is the

carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen amine backbone.


Serotonin is the happy amine because too little of it is associated with depression and mood disorders. People, who are suicidal, severely depressed and who have behavioural problems, like anorexia or who harm themselves tend to have unusually low levels of serotonin in the brains. Some have overactive genes for the chemicals which destroy serotonin in the synapses before it has a chance to act or to be taken up again by the neuron which secreted it.

Happy pillsThe enzymes which break down serotonin are the mono amine oxidases. These are found in the synapse and their targets are the mono-amine chemicals like serotonin which are made of one amine. They deactivate them by chopping off the amine group. Drugs to treat major depression and behavioural disorders function by stopping these mono amine oxidases from working at the synapse, which allows serotonin work longer and improve mood. Prozac, one of the more famous happy drugs is thought to work by stopping the neurons which secrete serotonin from taking it up again. This means the serotonin available can work for longer and in theory make you happier.

NicotineSmoking might make some happy, but for others it’s a cancer on society. Yet not all the chemicals in cigarettes are bad, one chemical thought to improve memory is nicotine. Research into the action of nicotine on the brain has been heavily funded by the tobacco industry and might be biased. However it does appear that nicotine intake can increase people’s memory, and possibly delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Normally in Alzheimer’s it’s the acetlycholinergic neurons that appear to die first. So if you give somebody nicotine, in theory their brain will make more receptors. This means that even if some of the neurons die, the others can take over because they can make more receptors. It’s a bit like having fewer boats but more nets when fishing. Nicotinic receptors are so called because they can receive and react to nicotine. The drug which works on them normally in the brain is acetylcholine — the memory associated neurotransmitter. Once released into the synapse acetylcholine can bind to either nicotinic receptors or muscarinic receptors. The muscarinic receptors are like lock and key receptors, once they bind to the receptor, it twists and unlocks molecular machinery within the neuron. To have it’s effect several other molecules become involved, which require energy to be made and this takes time. The nicotinic receptors are quicker. These are ion channels. Once acetylcholine binds they open and ions can shoot into or out of the cell. This means that nicotinic receptors are much quicker. In general the muscarinic receptors are found in the brain and the nicotinic receptors on neurons that synapse, or connect with muscle tissue.

Making drugs work in the brainIn general the amines are either taken back up again after their release or degraded by an enzyme in the synapse. If you want the amine to work longer or better you simply just have to design a molecule to prevent the amine being degraded or being taken back up again by the cell that released it. Most drugs designed to increase the action of dopamine, serotonin or acetylcholine, for schizophrenia, depression or memory loss work like this.

Amino for all seasonsPure amino acids unmodified by any chemical reactions are very important neurotransmitters in the brain. One of the most important of the simple amines is glutamate. Glutamate has a variety of different types of receptors and depending on which one it binds to it will have different effects. Some of the receptors are bound to voltage gated pores, some to

intracellular protein second messengers, and some a bit of both. One of the receptors, the NMDA receptor is the one that is activated when people take the drug ecstasy.

Ecstasy and brain agonyThe chemical MDMA is better known as ecstasy and was originally made as an appetite suppressant in 1913.

One of the side effects of MDMA was that it made people incredibly relaxed. This side effect was then used by some psychotherapists in the 60s to relax their patients and help them talk about their problems. Currently MDMA has no legal medical uses, but is commonly used in night clubs across the world. Ecstasy use is thought to contribute to development of schizophrenia in the long term because if you use it frequently, it will keep overwhelming the brain’s natural glutamate resources. Normally glutamate synapses can act to modify the effects of dopamine on the same neuron. Over time the overuse of ecstasy could disrupt the activity of dopamine and contribute to illnesses related to dopaminergic disruption — ranging from schizophrenia to Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease and dopamineParkinson’s disease in general can be identified by a tremor in the leg or arm and a lack of facial expressions, muscle control and, or, memory loss as the disease progresses. In the laboratory if you look at the brain of a person who had Parkinson’s disease, you see that the areas of the brain which should have lots of dopaminergic neurons, actually have very few. One area affected is the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra is so called because it contains a dark substance, nigra — dark. If you add on some oxygen and hydrogen molecules to dopamine molecules it becomes neuromelanin, a naturally dark coloured chemical.

The blood brain barrierThe brain is very important so it’s vital that as few toxins as possible find their way in the blood to brain cells. Blood vessels in the body are permeable to the chemicals carried in the blood so they can get food, nutrients and oxygen. The cells lining the inside of the brain’s blood vessels are called endothelial cells. They are tightly

SCHIZOPHRENIA — PARKINSON’S DISEASE

DOPAMINE

packed together and where they meet the joins are much tighter — these areas are known as tight junctions and only let a few molecules through. Normally tight junctions are good, but they also can make it difficult for medicines to reach brain cells. To get around this problem, some drugs hijack the routes taken by normal chemicals found in the blood across the vessel wall in order to break through the barrier.


Serotonin is the happy amine because too little of it is associated with depression and mood disorders. People, who are suicidal, severely depressed and who have behavioural problems, like anorexia or who harm themselves tend to have unusually low levels of serotonin in the brains. Some have overactive genes for the chemicals which destroy serotonin in the synapses before it has a chance to act or to be taken up again by the neuron which secreted it.

Happy pillsThe enzymes which break down serotonin are the mono amine oxidases. These are found in the synapse and their targets are the mono-amine chemicals like serotonin which are made of one amine. They deactivate them by chopping off the amine group. Drugs to treat major depression and behavioural disorders function by stopping these mono amine oxidases from working at the synapse, which allows serotonin work longer and improve mood. Prozac, one of the more famous happy drugs is thought to work by stopping the neurons which secrete serotonin from taking it up again. This means the serotonin available can work for longer and in theory make you happier.

NicotineSmoking might make some happy, but for others it’s a cancer on society. Yet not all the chemicals in cigarettes are bad, one chemical thought to improve memory is nicotine. Research into the action of nicotine on the brain has been heavily funded by the tobacco industry and might be biased. However it does appear that nicotine intake can increase people’s memory, and possibly delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Normally in Alzheimer’s it’s the acetlycholinergic neurons that appear to die first. So if you give somebody nicotine, in theory their brain will make more receptors. This means that even if some of the neurons die, the others can take over because they can make more receptors. It’s a bit like having fewer boats but more nets when fishing. Nicotinic receptors are so called because they can receive and react to nicotine. The drug which works on them normally in the brain is acetylcholine — the memory associated neurotransmitter. Once released into the synapse acetylcholine can bind to either nicotinic receptors or muscarinic receptors. The muscarinic receptors are like lock and key receptors, once they bind to the receptor, it twists and unlocks molecular machinery within the neuron. To have it’s effect several other molecules become involved, which require energy to be made and this takes time. The nicotinic receptors are quicker. These are ion channels. Once acetylcholine binds they open and ions can shoot into or out of the cell. This means that nicotinic receptors are much quicker. In general the muscarinic receptors are found in the brain and the nicotinic receptors on neurons that synapse, or connect with muscle tissue.

Making drugs work in the brainIn general the amines are either taken back up again after their release or degraded by an enzyme in the synapse. If you want the amine to work longer or better you simply just have to design a molecule to prevent the amine being degraded or being taken back up again by the cell that released it. Most drugs designed to increase the action of dopamine, serotonin or acetylcholine, for schizophrenia, depression or memory loss work like this.

Amino for all seasonsPure amino acids unmodified by any chemical reactions are very important neurotransmitters in the brain. One of the most important of the simple amines is glutamate. Glutamate has a variety of different types of receptors and depending on which one it binds to it will have different effects. Some of the receptors are bound to voltage gated pores, some to

intracellular protein second messengers, and some a bit of both. One of the receptors, the NMDA receptor is the one that is activated when people take the drug ecstasy.

Ecstasy and brain agonyThe chemical MDMA is better known as ecstasy and was originally made as an appetite suppressant in 1913.

One of the side effects of MDMA was that it made people incredibly relaxed. This side effect was then used by some psychotherapists in the 60s to relax their patients and help them talk about their problems. Currently MDMA has no legal medical uses, but is commonly used in night clubs across the world. Ecstasy use is thought to contribute to development of schizophrenia in the long term because if you use it frequently, it will keep overwhelming the brain’s natural glutamate resources. Normally glutamate synapses can act to modify the effects of dopamine on the same neuron. Over time the overuse of ecstasy could disrupt the activity of dopamine and contribute to illnesses related to dopaminergic disruption — ranging from schizophrenia to Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease and dopamineParkinson’s disease in general can be identified by a tremor in the leg or arm and a lack of facial expressions, muscle control and, or, memory loss as the disease progresses. In the laboratory if you look at the brain of a person who had Parkinson’s disease, you see that the areas of the brain which should have lots of dopaminergic neurons, actually have very few. One area affected is the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra is so called because it contains a dark substance, nigra — dark. If you add on some oxygen and hydrogen molecules to dopamine molecules it becomes neuromelanin, a naturally dark coloured chemical.

The blood brain barrierThe brain is very important so it’s vital that as few toxins as possible find their way in the blood to brain cells. Blood vessels in the body are permeable to the chemicals carried in the blood so they can get food, nutrients and oxygen. The cells lining the inside of the brain’s blood vessels are called endothelial cells. They are tightly

SCHIZOPHRENIA — PARKINSON’S DISEASE

DOPAMINE

packed together and where they meet the joins are much tighter — these areas are known as tight junctions and only let a few molecules through. Normally tight junctions are good, but they also can make it difficult for medicines to reach brain cells. To get around this problem, some drugs hijack the routes taken by normal chemicals found in the blood across the vessel wall in order to break through the barrier.


The neurons in this area usually regulate your movements. Without adequate neurons here people lose control of their muscles. Some different forms exist of Parkinson’s depending on the reason that these neurons die. If neurons die because of a genetic problem, then this disease will show itself earlier in life, at 35+ years rather than the usual 65+. If it’s because of a problem with making dopamine, the person may also have a problem making the other catecholamines because dopamine is the first in the cascade of catecholamines to be made. In that case many other problems would coincide with Parkinson’s including problems in the autonomic system — an inability to regulate blood pressure or dilate pupils. If the problem is because of damage to the nerves that flow to dopamine containing areas of the brain, then the disease could spread to other areas these nerves flow into . One nerve sometimes affected is the Vagus nerve — so called from the Latin verb vagare to wander, because it wanders around the body, from the heart, stomach, intestine to the brainstem and midbrain. People with problems in this nerve will have all manner of other problems, not just the symptoms of Parkinsonism but also, difficulty controlling their blood pressure or digesting food. One treatment for Parkinson’s relies on the fact that some patients simply lose the ability to make dopamine from the tyrosine available in the blood. So these people are given L-dopa a precursor molecule in their blood. This molecule can swim to the dopaminergic neurons and get processed into dopamine there. For some patients this can mean that their symptoms aren’t so bad.

OpiatesOnce upon a time coffee was an illicit illegal drug and opium was freely available. One famous opium user was the fictional character, Sherlock Holmes, who frequented the opium dens of London, before it they were made illegal. Opium is dried juice obtained by making incisions in the green capsules of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), which grows in the Balkans, Persia, India and China among other countries. The opiate family of drugs includes morphine, codeine found in many common pain killers and of course opium. The opiates tend to work slowly acting as a co-transmitter with faster acting neurotransmitters and modulating their action in the synapse. The area of the brain they most effect is to inhibit the locus coeruleus where catecholamines are secreted. In order to work out what opiates did, investigators tried to purify compounds from the poppy flower, which is where opium comes from. They purified a compound and found it bound to opiate receptors in the brain. This led people to understand that morphine and other opiates work by simply hijacking the receptors for the brain’s opiods. This led to the question as to what the brain’s natural opiods are.

Natural highEndorphins are what are known as our endogenous opiates, and they give you a natural high. When you laugh, meditate; become deeply relaxed or happy your brain will secrete these endorphins. They work like the opiates and generate the feeling of euphoria. The cells which contain

endorphins are located mostly within the hypothalamus. From here the cells project fibres to the amygdala and brainstem. Via these connections the endorphins can excite our pleasure centres and alter our heart rate and blood pressure to relieve pain and induce a state of euphoria. High levels of endorphins are linked with decreased stress levels, active immune systems and general health and well being. When people say that laughter is the best medicine, they’re not wrong.

Pain killersEndorphins can be released when we feel pain. But the chemical which tells our bodies that pain is there is the cannily named Substance P. Substance P is the chemical which transmits the burning impulse from your tongue to your brain when you eat a chilli pepper. It was discovered in 1937, and was one of the first neuro-peptides to be isolated from the brain. If your ability to secrete Substance P is hypersensitive or insensitive you can become hypersensitive or insensitive to pain. Without feeling pain, life would be more difficult as you could accidentally hurt yourself, bruise, bleed, or become

infected with fatal consequences without ever knowing. The ability to feel pain is important for us to stay alive. There are a variety of painkillers available to us. Some decrease inflammation if we’ve had an insect bite or burn. Some act on the brain to dampen down pain sensing pathways, to increase the pleasure pathways or to decrease our perception of pain. One common analgesic or pain stopper is laughing gas.

Laughing gasLaughing gas is anther name for nitrous oxide, N2O. For years it was used by dentists to send patients off to pain free sleep and as a recreational drug. Laughing gas enters the blood stream and works on NMDA and glutamate synapses, resulting in a state of euphoria.

Many other inhalants that people use as recreational drugs work because they starve the body of oxygen and replace them with noxious drugs. With little or no oxygen in the blood, the brain stops functioning properly and the user becomes dizzy and

disorientated. When blood flow comes back again the user experiences a rush when their

senses come back to normal again. Naturally this is highly dangerous and can cause death of vulnerable

neurons.

Dopamine cells in the mouse brain

Most inhalants are used by people because they disrupt the normal supply of blood to the brain. Some can work on the blood vessels themselves, making the small muscle cells in the blood vessel wall relax, thus expanding the space inside the blood vessel and letting more blood in. For some people this leads to a feeling of relaxation.

Migraines and blood flowWhen you have a migraine it can simply be because the blood vessels in your brain constrict too much. If you were to take a drug to relax the blood vessels, the migraine could subside. People who have severe headaches often feel nauseous, sweaty or have visual problems. These symptoms can be because the blood vessels which are constricted are in the areas of the brain which control these functions Anther reason can be because of problems within a specialised part of the autonomic system, the para-sympathetic system which innervates blood vessels, skin sweating areas.

Sweating, breathing, beating, pulsing and fightingThe autonomic system is what controls all of the activity in our body outside of the brain. The autonomic system is divided into two different bits, the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems. The sympathetic system enables the body to be prepared for fear, flight or fight. Sympathetic responses include an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and cardiac output, a diversion of blood flow from the skin and digestive blood vessels to those supplying skeletal muscle, increased pupil size, contraction of sphincters and metabolic changes such as the mobilisation of fat and glycogen. If you were really freaked out the sympathetic system would kick into action. The main neurotransmitters of choice in this system are the catecholamines — namely adrenalin. The parasympathetic system in contrast works to conserve and restore energy. It can cause a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure, and facilitates digestion and absorption of nutrients, and consequently the excretion of waste products. The main neurotransmitter of choice in this system is acetylcholine. If your parasympathetic system is hypersensitive, you’re more likely to have the kind of migraine that is mostly on the left side of your brain, and also be quite sweaty and feel queasy at the same time.

Speed up then slow downSpeed is the name given to the drugs which act as a stimulant, or an upper. Speed is the name for the amphetamine class of drugs which includes caffeine. Amphetamines are stimulants of the central nervous system and have a chemical structure similar to adrenalin. Amphetamines increase the levels of different chemicals; norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin.

Altering the levels of these can induce euphoria, increase alertness, reduce fatigue, increase energy, decrease appetite, increase movement and speech, and provide a sense of increased personal power. This is the high people feel when take speed, and it can last for up to eight hours unlike cocaine which has much shorter effects.

But naturally what goes up must come downOnce the effects of speed wear off, people become irritable, anxious, paranoid, their heart rate and blood pressure increase. This is what’s known as crashing and results in total physical and mental exhaustion and depression. With long term use speed, will like other drugs overuse your natural neurotransmitter reserves and result in any number of

psychological problems.

MarijuanaIn China, the mind altering and pain relieving effects of marijuana were well known, thousands of years ago, yet marijuana wasn’t grown for these properties so much as the strength and versatility of the plant itself for making rope and sails. In Egypt marijuana was used as a relaxation aid, and after Napoleon’s occupation of Egypt it became used in Europe as an inebriant. Initially people thought it had its mind altering effects by non-specifically reacting with chemicals in our brains, then researchers found that there are specific cannabis receptors in our brains. These receptors are dotted around the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, basal ganglia, brain stem, spinal cord and

amygdala. It’s thought that the reason that marijuana isn’t lethal to us, is because it doesn’t bind very tightly to the receptors and so won’t have an effect for too long. Because the receptors are found all over the brain it can have a variety of different effects.

Freeing your mindResearch into how marijuana works opened the door to a new understanding of how neurotransmitters work in our brains. Unlike normal neurotransmitters which only take effect on the second neuron, marijuana actually works on the neuron that secreted it. Once released it binds to the second neuron’s receptors and then comes back and binds to the first neuron and inhibits its inhibitions. Such backward, or “retrograde,” signalling wasn’t known to occur in the adult brain before. Inhibiting the neurons inhibitions basically means that the neuron is free from normal synaptic pathways that it follows. This results in the neuron being temporarily released and allows it to generate all manner of temporary new connections. This unconventional short term loosening of synaptic circuits is thought to result in the mind opening experiences associated with taking marijuana.


Veronica Miller has a doctorate in neurobiology from Newcastle University, a Masters in Science Communication from DCU and a degree in Biochemistry from TCD. Previously she worked on “Scope” a popular science TV series for

teenagers. Currently Veronica is working in the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health laboratories, researching how environmental toxins contribute to risk of disease from womb to tomb, with a focus on autism,

Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

A pregnant pauseIn the 1960s pregnant women in Europe and Canada were advised to take a drug called thalidomide to prevent morning sickness. The drug itself was tested in adult rodents for side-effects, prior to being recommended for human use. However, soon it became apparent that women who took the drug in early pregnancy gave birth to children with severe birth defects. Within a year of birth 40 per cent of the children had died. And survivors of thalidomide exposure faced a multitude of health problems including missing or deformed limbs. Some children developed severe autism and mental problems. An estimated 10,000 children in Europe, including Ireland were affected. In the US however, thalidomide was not approved for use in pregnant women, thanks to the eagle eye of a pharmacologist working for the FDA; Francis Kelsey. After reading a study, which suggested some nervous system side effects of thalidomide, she refused to approve of it, in spite of pressure from the companies marketing the drug. Her fears were vindicated when news spread of birth defects associated with the drug in Europe and Canada in the early 60s. Soon it was clear that the original studies on thalidomide effects in animals were not conducted properly. Moreover, whether the drug had neurological side effects or defects in pregnant rodents was largely ignored. Nowadays it is well recognized that the developing brain is exquisitely sensitive to changes in the environment, drugs and stress, much more so than the adult brain. For this reason pregnant women are advised to cut down on caffeine or alcohol consumption and avoid cigarettes and stress. Developing brains lack simply lack the protective structures needed to metabolize toxic drugs into safe by-products and to prevent drugs from entering cells and interfering with their processes. So even though although as adults tiny doses of chemicals can be beneficial, as babies we are super-sensitive to their side-effects.

The brain as liverMost of us consider our liver is vital for detoxifying dinners, drugs and drinks of various persuasions. But interestingly your brain also acts as its own liver, and contains all kinds of chemicals; enzymes, which can detoxify noxious substances. The main enzymes, which detoxify drugs, are part of a family called the Cytochrome p450 or CYP molecules. CYPs take their snappy names from their location; Cyto: the cytoplasm, and the fact they absorb light at 450nm.

Cytoplasm is the liquid material between the outer protective cell membrane and the inner, controlling, nucleus. The CYPs in various forms and structures can metabolize man-made and foreign chemicals into safer forms and are mostly found in the liver. However, immune cells, and the cells which line the blood-vessels in your brain also contain CYPs. In the brain CYPs act as the first-line of defence and help to detoxify drugs before they can enter your neurons and cause problems. For example, smokers have a greater density of CYPs than non-smokers to protect their brains from tobacco poisons. There are also natural differences in CYP expression between people, which mean some of us can metabolize, or tolerate toxins well, whereas others don’t do so well. And its important to remember your supply of CYPs is finite. At some point, after chronic exposure to a drug or poison, or after receiving super high doses of chemicals, you will exhaust your capacity to detox the drugs. So by exposing yourself to drugs at younger ages, although you won’t notice it, at older ages your brain may be more sensitive to toxins.

Eat well feel wellIn Irish mythology the hazelnut tree was considered to be the ‘Tree of Wisdom’. To cut down a hazelnut tree was to commit a terrible crime. The hazelnuts themselves were considered to have magical properties and give the person who ate them great wisdom and knowledge. Hazelnuts are actually filled with amino acids and B vitamins perfect food to help maintain brain activity. You wouldn’t normally consider going into a chemist,

wandering through to the back room grabbing the cheapest medicines before boiling, burning, roasting or micro waving them and then wolfing them down. Yet after a visit to the supermarket that’s what we normally do. By boiling, micro-waving, heavily salting and roasting foods you can lose a lot of nutrients. But amino acids are very resilient molecules, and are the most difficult to leach out of foods, not matter how badly you treat them. This can make some foods into potent “drugs”. It’s no surprise that the sleep inducing properties of Christmas dinner can be related to the high quantities sleep inducing tryptophan in the turkey dinner you eat. Food can make us sleepy, but what our dreams are made of is another story. The next chapter will tell you how your dreams are made, why sometimes you sleep walk, and why some people can exist with little or no sleep.


Hazel nuts are high in amino acids and B vitamins.

Most inhalants are used by people because they disrupt the normal supply of blood to the brain. Some can work on the blood vessels themselves, making the small muscle cells in the blood vessel wall relax, thus expanding the space inside the blood vessel and letting more blood in. For some people this leads to a feeling of relaxation.

Migraines and blood flowWhen you have a migraine it can simply be because the blood vessels in your brain constrict too much. If you were to take a drug to relax the blood vessels, the migraine could subside. People who have severe headaches often feel nauseous, sweaty or have visual problems. These symptoms can be because the blood vessels which are constricted are in the areas of the brain which control these functions Anther reason can be because of problems within a specialised part of the autonomic system, the para-sympathetic system which innervates blood vessels, skin sweating areas.

Sweating, breathing, beating, pulsing and fightingThe autonomic system is what controls all of the activity in our body outside of the brain. The autonomic system is divided into two different bits, the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems. The sympathetic system enables the body to be prepared for fear, flight or fight. Sympathetic responses include an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and cardiac output, a diversion of blood flow from the skin and digestive blood vessels to those supplying skeletal muscle, increased pupil size, contraction of sphincters and metabolic changes such as the mobilisation of fat and glycogen. If you were really freaked out the sympathetic system would kick into action. The main neurotransmitters of choice in this system are the catecholamines — namely adrenalin. The parasympathetic system in contrast works to conserve and restore energy. It can cause a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure, and facilitates digestion and absorption of nutrients, and consequently the excretion of waste products. The main neurotransmitter of choice in this system is acetylcholine. If your parasympathetic system is hypersensitive, you’re more likely to have the kind of migraine that is mostly on the left side of your brain, and also be quite sweaty and feel queasy at the same time.

Speed up then slow downSpeed is the name given to the drugs which act as a stimulant, or an upper. Speed is the name for the amphetamine class of drugs which includes caffeine. Amphetamines are stimulants of the central nervous system and have a chemical structure similar to adrenalin. Amphetamines increase the levels of different chemicals; norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin.

Altering the levels of these can induce euphoria, increase alertness, reduce fatigue, increase energy, decrease appetite, increase movement and speech, and provide a sense of increased personal power. This is the high people feel when take speed, and it can last for up to eight hours unlike cocaine which has much shorter effects.

But naturally what goes up must come downOnce the effects of speed wear off, people become irritable, anxious, paranoid, their heart rate and blood pressure increase. This is what’s known as crashing and results in total physical and mental exhaustion and depression. With long term use speed, will like other drugs overuse your natural neurotransmitter reserves and result in any number of

psychological problems.

MarijuanaIn China, the mind altering and pain relieving effects of marijuana were well known, thousands of years ago, yet marijuana wasn’t grown for these properties so much as the strength and versatility of the plant itself for making rope and sails. In Egypt marijuana was used as a relaxation aid, and after Napoleon’s occupation of Egypt it became used in Europe as an inebriant. Initially people thought it had its mind altering effects by non-specifically reacting with chemicals in our brains, then researchers found that there are specific cannabis receptors in our brains. These receptors are dotted around the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, basal ganglia, brain stem, spinal cord and

amygdala. It’s thought that the reason that marijuana isn’t lethal to us, is because it doesn’t bind very tightly to the receptors and so won’t have an effect for too long. Because the receptors are found all over the brain it can have a variety of different effects.

Freeing your mindResearch into how marijuana works opened the door to a new understanding of how neurotransmitters work in our brains. Unlike normal neurotransmitters which only take effect on the second neuron, marijuana actually works on the neuron that secreted it. Once released it binds to the second neuron’s receptors and then comes back and binds to the first neuron and inhibits its inhibitions. Such backward, or “retrograde,” signalling wasn’t known to occur in the adult brain before. Inhibiting the neurons inhibitions basically means that the neuron is free from normal synaptic pathways that it follows. This results in the neuron being temporarily released and allows it to generate all manner of temporary new connections. This unconventional short term loosening of synaptic circuits is thought to result in the mind opening experiences associated with taking marijuana.


Veronica Miller has a doctorate in neurobiology from Newcastle University, a Masters in Science Communication from DCU and a degree in Biochemistry from TCD. Previously she worked on “Scope” a popular science TV series for

teenagers. Currently Veronica is working in the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health laboratories, researching how environmental toxins contribute to risk of disease from womb to tomb, with a focus on autism,

Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

A pregnant pauseIn the 1960s pregnant women in Europe and Canada were advised to take a drug called thalidomide to prevent morning sickness. The drug itself was tested in adult rodents for side-effects, prior to being recommended for human use. However, soon it became apparent that women who took the drug in early pregnancy gave birth to children with severe birth defects. Within a year of birth 40 per cent of the children had died. And survivors of thalidomide exposure faced a multitude of health problems including missing or deformed limbs. Some children developed severe autism and mental problems. An estimated 10,000 children in Europe, including Ireland were affected. In the US however, thalidomide was not approved for use in pregnant women, thanks to the eagle eye of a pharmacologist working for the FDA; Francis Kelsey. After reading a study, which suggested some nervous system side effects of thalidomide, she refused to approve of it, in spite of pressure from the companies marketing the drug. Her fears were vindicated when news spread of birth defects associated with the drug in Europe and Canada in the early 60s. Soon it was clear that the original studies on thalidomide effects in animals were not conducted properly. Moreover, whether the drug had neurological side effects or defects in pregnant rodents was largely ignored. Nowadays it is well recognized that the developing brain is exquisitely sensitive to changes in the environment, drugs and stress, much more so than the adult brain. For this reason pregnant women are advised to cut down on caffeine or alcohol consumption and avoid cigarettes and stress. Developing brains lack simply lack the protective structures needed to metabolize toxic drugs into safe by-products and to prevent drugs from entering cells and interfering with their processes. So even though although as adults tiny doses of chemicals can be beneficial, as babies we are super-sensitive to their side-effects.

The brain as liverMost of us consider our liver is vital for detoxifying dinners, drugs and drinks of various persuasions. But interestingly your brain also acts as its own liver, and contains all kinds of chemicals; enzymes, which can detoxify noxious substances. The main enzymes, which detoxify drugs, are part of a family called the Cytochrome p450 or CYP molecules. CYPs take their snappy names from their location; Cyto: the cytoplasm, and the fact they absorb light at 450nm.

Cytoplasm is the liquid material between the outer protective cell membrane and the inner, controlling, nucleus. The CYPs in various forms and structures can metabolize man-made and foreign chemicals into safer forms and are mostly found in the liver. However, immune cells, and the cells which line the blood-vessels in your brain also contain CYPs. In the brain CYPs act as the first-line of defence and help to detoxify drugs before they can enter your neurons and cause problems. For example, smokers have a greater density of CYPs than non-smokers to protect their brains from tobacco poisons. There are also natural differences in CYP expression between people, which mean some of us can metabolize, or tolerate toxins well, whereas others don’t do so well. And its important to remember your supply of CYPs is finite. At some point, after chronic exposure to a drug or poison, or after receiving super high doses of chemicals, you will exhaust your capacity to detox the drugs. So by exposing yourself to drugs at younger ages, although you won’t notice it, at older ages your brain may be more sensitive to toxins.

Eat well feel wellIn Irish mythology the hazelnut tree was considered to be the ‘Tree of Wisdom’. To cut down a hazelnut tree was to commit a terrible crime. The hazelnuts themselves were considered to have magical properties and give the person who ate them great wisdom and knowledge. Hazelnuts are actually filled with amino acids and B vitamins perfect food to help maintain brain activity. You wouldn’t normally consider going into a chemist,

wandering through to the back room grabbing the cheapest medicines before boiling, burning, roasting or micro waving them and then wolfing them down. Yet after a visit to the supermarket that’s what we normally do. By boiling, micro-waving, heavily salting and roasting foods you can lose a lot of nutrients. But amino acids are very resilient molecules, and are the most difficult to leach out of foods, not matter how badly you treat them. This can make some foods into potent “drugs”. It’s no surprise that the sleep inducing properties of Christmas dinner can be related to the high quantities sleep inducing tryptophan in the turkey dinner you eat. Food can make us sleepy, but what our dreams are made of is another story. The next chapter will tell you how your dreams are made, why sometimes you sleep walk, and why some people can exist with little or no sleep.


Hazel nuts are high in amino acids and B vitamins.


One of the aims of the Geoscience 2010 conference, held in Dublin

last December, was to draw attention to the enormous significance of earth sciences in Ireland. As the outgoing Director of the Irish Geological Survey, Peadar McArdle, observed, the geosciences underpin many economically important activities, so they must have prominence in our national plans for development. Over the past few years, he said, there has been a steady build up of capacity, and two developments in particular have galvanized interest in the earth sciences. The Tellus project, combining field work with low altitude surveying, and the INFOMAR mapping of Ireland’s extensive marine

territory, have already opened up a whole new world of opportunities. Both of these projects are big in scale, and the yield in terms of delivery of practical results has been remarkably high. In Northern Ireland, the income from exploration licensing to date has exceed the cost of setting up and running the Tellus project, and INFOMAR is literally pushing our boundaries out into the mid-Atlantic. The long term benefits from offshore mapping are immense, and apart from revealing resources that we did not even know about before, better assessment of our natural resources is paying off. In one single development, the company, Vattenfall, is to invest €30 billion in Irish offshore wind

and wave energy. By 2030 Ireland is expected to be a major exporter of power into the UK and Europe. Traditionally, geology would have been associated in many people’s minds with with oil, gas, and minerals, but through collaboration, the connection and relevance to a whole array of other sectors and sciences has become much more apparent. Much the same could be said for marine science, which to many people might be just another word for fisheries, and important as these might be, this is certainly not the case. INFOMAR is yielding impressive results mainly because it is a joint project between the Marine Institute and the Geological Survey. Organising the Geoscience conference, said Peadar McArdle, was of great value because it brought the diversity of players together, so it is to continue as an annual big science event.

SPIN ACTIVEAPPLIED STI

FOUNDATION SCIENCETom Kennedy reports on the growing importance of geosciences to the Irish economy.

INFOMAROVER 2,000 sq km has been covered so far, and programme manager, Koen Verbruggen, said that INFOMAR is now at the half way stage. Among the finds are a number of previously uncharted outcrops, erratics and shipwrecks, and as Koen explained, while charting outrops enables larger vessels to avoid dangers, there is strong interest from divers in the wrecks. Everyone wants to extract different information from the survey, said Koen, and the aim is to make this as easy as possible from INFOMAR’s deep pool of data. At present, he said, there are over 1,000 downloads a month from the web site, and the volume of information through this is expanding all the time. In one of the more recent developments, the near shore vessel, the 15 metre long R V Keary, has gathered data from shallower waters, such as Dublin Bay and Kinsale, and this has been supplemented by aeriel surveying of the difficult and dangerous Broadhaven, Achill and Blacksod areas in Mayo. Between the deeper sea surveying from the Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer, the near shore work of R V Keary, and aeriel coverage, everything from shore to the outer reaches of Ireland’s marine territory will ultimately be covered in one seamless digital chart.

AggregatesAlThOUGh construction has taken a dive, there is always going to be a strong demand for aggregates. As geological consultant, Phelim lally explained, the primary source of aggregates in Ireland is crushed rock, most of which ends up being used with a binder such as cement, bitumen or tar. Ireland is not short of suitable rocks, but as Phelim pointed out, there is a danger of cutting off the supply. For every one off-house, he said, there is an exclusion zone of 50 square metres. Failure to control development could put resources permanently out of the reach. Phelim has been working on a six year long aggregate mapping project, now in its third year. Data for the mapping is being gathered from a variety of sources, including county council quarrying records, some of which, he said, are not that good, or even complete. The mapping is not just being done to provide an indicator of where suitable rocks occur. Rock types are described and the likelihood of commercial extraction is being ranked from high to very low potential. A lot of factors, said Phelim, can come into

play, including access and the overlying surface material. having to remove a lot of commercially useless material adds to costs, and in some cases appearances can be desceptive. For example, the presence of pyrites, as house builders recently found to their cost, can render a rock useless as a foundation material. One of the benefits from these maps, said Phelim, is that planners can take resource conservation into account, and conflicts of interest can be avoided. These conflicts of interest are already a prominent issue, but with planning, future sterilising of valuable resources can be avoided. The maps are being offered to local authorities as downloads, and the aim is to have this data integrated into county plans.

Roadstone currently extracts material from 40 sites around Ireland.

ImagIne a world where clothes don’t stain, screens are as thin as paper and the world’s strongest materials are as light as air. new technologies emerging from nanoscience are set to yield the next generation of communications, drug delivery systems, medical imaging techniques among many other areas.

Trinity College Dublin has recently restructured the content of its established Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials honours degree course to focus more sharply on nanoscience. Students entering Trinity College in September 2011 can embark on a voyage of discovery of the laws of physics and chemistry that govern the exotic ‘nano’ world. Those who choose to study the course will be fascinated, like many other scientists, with the materials that can be made from objects and structures that are so tiny that millions would fit on the point of a pin.

The ‘nano‘ in nanoscience refers to the minuscule scale of the materials studied. Typically, nanoscientists study objects of less than 100 nanometres, where a ‘nanometre’ is one thousand-millionth of a metre. In comparison the human hair is about 50,000 – 100,000 nanometres wide. nanotechnologists are concerned with the behaviour of materials at these small dimensions and how they can be manipulated to do useful things.

Why Nano?That’s all well and good but is it important? Dr Dónall mac Dónaill, the course director of nanoscience – Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials (n-PCam) in Trinity says: “nanotechnology is being used to develop smaller and more powerful electronic devices, lasers, medical diagnostics and materials with completely new properties.”

He adds that nanoscience is contributing to product innovation in virtually every field of manufactured goods, enabling nearly €180 billion in products in 2008, on track to exceed €2 trillion globally by 2015.

“many of the leading growth industries in Ireland are underpinned by nanoscience including technology, biomedical, pharmacy and electronics and companies like Intel, HP and Boston Scientific work with Ireland’s academic institutions,” he said. “In Ireland we are well positioned to play a lead role in this worldwide social and economic revolution and are ranked 6th globally for the quality of the nanoscience research carried out in our universities, especially at TCD in CRann, the leading institute for nanoscience in Ireland.”

About N-PCAMnanoscience – Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials (n-PCam) is a four-year degree programme, run jointly by the Schools of Chemistry and Physics at Trinity College Dublin. Students will gain a deep and lasting understanding of the science of advanced materials that underpins

the nano revolution. Some laboratory training

is provided in CRann, the leading institute for

nanoscience research in Ireland (www.crann.tcd.ie).

This degree programme will equip students to work in a fascinating

scientific area, including a diverse range of industries that employ nanotechnology. The course provides a solid foundation in Chemistry, Physics and mathematics for the first two years and progresses to more advanced courses in Physics and Chemistry in combination with specialist courses in nanoscience for the final two years.

and so the students who study in the course, nanoscience, Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials, could play an important part in shaping Ireland’s technological future.

Who Should Consider N-PCAM?according to Dr mac Dónaill students who study either physics or chemistry at second level would enjoy the course and those who study both are particularly well suited. a reasonable level of mathematical skill is required as it underpins both subjects – a minimum of an a2 at ordinary level or C3 at Higher level.

“The ideal n-PCam student,” he says “Is one who has a great curiosity about the world, why and how it works. If you are the type of person who asks how that works and how can I make it work better, and would enjoy using the most cutting edge technology to make it happen, then you should strongly consider applying for the course.”

Further details may be found athttp://www.tcd.ie/Chemistry/nanoscience/

and at www.tcd.ie/courses/undergraduate

Top left: Transition year students Paddy Finley, and Ella Connaughton during an open day at CRANN. Right: TCD students Shokri Raoof, Maria O’ Brien, and Ian Godwin making Ice-cream, using nano technology, for visiting secondary school students at Maths and Physics Open Day.

Centre: Tungsten filament of a burnt out lightbulb. The image was taken using backscattered Helium ions with CRANN’s Helium Ion Microscope.


One of the aims of the Geoscience 2010 conference, held in Dublin

last December, was to draw attention to the enormous significance of earth sciences in Ireland. As the outgoing Director of the Irish Geological Survey, Peadar McArdle, observed, the geosciences underpin many economically important activities, so they must have prominence in our national plans for development. Over the past few years, he said, there has been a steady build up of capacity, and two developments in particular have galvanized interest in the earth sciences. The Tellus project, combining field work with low altitude surveying, and the INFOMAR mapping of Ireland’s extensive marine

territory, have already opened up a whole new world of opportunities. Both of these projects are big in scale, and the yield in terms of delivery of practical results has been remarkably high. In Northern Ireland, the income from exploration licensing to date has exceed the cost of setting up and running the Tellus project, and INFOMAR is literally pushing our boundaries out into the mid-Atlantic. The long term benefits from offshore mapping are immense, and apart from revealing resources that we did not even know about before, better assessment of our natural resources is paying off. In one single development, the company, Vattenfall, is to invest €30 billion in Irish offshore wind

and wave energy. By 2030 Ireland is expected to be a major exporter of power into the UK and Europe. Traditionally, geology would have been associated in many people’s minds with with oil, gas, and minerals, but through collaboration, the connection and relevance to a whole array of other sectors and sciences has become much more apparent. Much the same could be said for marine science, which to many people might be just another word for fisheries, and important as these might be, this is certainly not the case. INFOMAR is yielding impressive results mainly because it is a joint project between the Marine Institute and the Geological Survey. Organising the Geoscience conference, said Peadar McArdle, was of great value because it brought the diversity of players together, so it is to continue as an annual big science event.


FOUNDATION SCIENCETom Kennedy reports on the growing importance of geosciences to the Irish economy.

INFOMAROVER 2,000 sq km has been covered so far, and programme manager, Koen Verbruggen, said that INFOMAR is now at the half way stage. Among the finds are a number of previously uncharted outcrops, erratics and shipwrecks, and as Koen explained, while charting outrops enables larger vessels to avoid dangers, there is strong interest from divers in the wrecks. Everyone wants to extract different information from the survey, said Koen, and the aim is to make this as easy as possible from INFOMAR’s deep pool of data. At present, he said, there are over 1,000 downloads a month from the web site, and the volume of information through this is expanding all the time. In one of the more recent developments, the near shore vessel, the 15 metre long R V Keary, has gathered data from shallower waters, such as Dublin Bay and Kinsale, and this has been supplemented by aeriel surveying of the difficult and dangerous Broadhaven, Achill and Blacksod areas in Mayo. Between the deeper sea surveying from the Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer, the near shore work of R V Keary, and aeriel coverage, everything from shore to the outer reaches of Ireland’s marine territory will ultimately be covered in one seamless digital chart.

AggregatesAlThOUGh construction has taken a dive, there is always going to be a strong demand for aggregates. As geological consultant, Phelim lally explained, the primary source of aggregates in Ireland is crushed rock, most of which ends up being used with a binder such as cement, bitumen or tar. Ireland is not short of suitable rocks, but as Phelim pointed out, there is a danger of cutting off the supply. For every one off-house, he said, there is an exclusion zone of 50 square metres. Failure to control development could put resources permanently out of the reach. Phelim has been working on a six year long aggregate mapping project, now in its third year. Data for the mapping is being gathered from a variety of sources, including county council quarrying records, some of which, he said, are not that good, or even complete. The mapping is not just being done to provide an indicator of where suitable rocks occur. Rock types are described and the likelihood of commercial extraction is being ranked from high to very low potential. A lot of factors, said Phelim, can come into

play, including access and the overlying surface material. having to remove a lot of commercially useless material adds to costs, and in some cases appearances can be desceptive. For example, the presence of pyrites, as house builders recently found to their cost, can render a rock useless as a foundation material. One of the benefits from these maps, said Phelim, is that planners can take resource conservation into account, and conflicts of interest can be avoided. These conflicts of interest are already a prominent issue, but with planning, future sterilising of valuable resources can be avoided. The maps are being offered to local authorities as downloads, and the aim is to have this data integrated into county plans.

Roadstone currently extracts material from 40 sites around Ireland.

ImagIne a world where clothes don’t stain, screens are as thin as paper and the world’s strongest materials are as light as air. new technologies emerging from nanoscience are set to yield the next generation of communications, drug delivery systems, medical imaging techniques among many other areas.

Trinity College Dublin has recently restructured the content of its established Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials honours degree course to focus more sharply on nanoscience. Students entering Trinity College in September 2011 can embark on a voyage of discovery of the laws of physics and chemistry that govern the exotic ‘nano’ world. Those who choose to study the course will be fascinated, like many other scientists, with the materials that can be made from objects and structures that are so tiny that millions would fit on the point of a pin.

The ‘nano‘ in nanoscience refers to the minuscule scale of the materials studied. Typically, nanoscientists study objects of less than 100 nanometres, where a ‘nanometre’ is one thousand-millionth of a metre. In comparison the human hair is about 50,000 – 100,000 nanometres wide. nanotechnologists are concerned with the behaviour of materials at these small dimensions and how they can be manipulated to do useful things.

Why Nano?That’s all well and good but is it important? Dr Dónall mac Dónaill, the course director of nanoscience – Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials (n-PCam) in Trinity says: “nanotechnology is being used to develop smaller and more powerful electronic devices, lasers, medical diagnostics and materials with completely new properties.”

He adds that nanoscience is contributing to product innovation in virtually every field of manufactured goods, enabling nearly €180 billion in products in 2008, on track to exceed €2 trillion globally by 2015.

“many of the leading growth industries in Ireland are underpinned by nanoscience including technology, biomedical, pharmacy and electronics and companies like Intel, HP and Boston Scientific work with Ireland’s academic institutions,” he said. “In Ireland we are well positioned to play a lead role in this worldwide social and economic revolution and are ranked 6th globally for the quality of the nanoscience research carried out in our universities, especially at TCD in CRann, the leading institute for nanoscience in Ireland.”

About N-PCAMnanoscience – Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials (n-PCam) is a four-year degree programme, run jointly by the Schools of Chemistry and Physics at Trinity College Dublin. Students will gain a deep and lasting understanding of the science of advanced materials that underpins

the nano revolution. Some laboratory training

is provided in CRann, the leading institute for

nanoscience research in Ireland (www.crann.tcd.ie).

This degree programme will equip students to work in a fascinating

scientific area, including a diverse range of industries that employ nanotechnology. The course provides a solid foundation in Chemistry, Physics and mathematics for the first two years and progresses to more advanced courses in Physics and Chemistry in combination with specialist courses in nanoscience for the final two years.

and so the students who study in the course, nanoscience, Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials, could play an important part in shaping Ireland’s technological future.

Who Should Consider N-PCAM?according to Dr mac Dónaill students who study either physics or chemistry at second level would enjoy the course and those who study both are particularly well suited. a reasonable level of mathematical skill is required as it underpins both subjects – a minimum of an a2 at ordinary level or C3 at Higher level.

“The ideal n-PCam student,” he says “Is one who has a great curiosity about the world, why and how it works. If you are the type of person who asks how that works and how can I make it work better, and would enjoy using the most cutting edge technology to make it happen, then you should strongly consider applying for the course.”

Further details may be found athttp://www.tcd.ie/Chemistry/nanoscience/

and at www.tcd.ie/courses/undergraduate

Top left: Transition year students Paddy Finley, and Ella Connaughton during an open day at CRANN. Right: TCD students Shokri Raoof, Maria O’ Brien, and Ian Godwin making Ice-cream, using nano technology, for visiting secondary school students at Maths and Physics Open Day.

Centre: Tungsten filament of a burnt out lightbulb. The image was taken using backscattered Helium ions with CRANN’s Helium Ion Microscope.

LIVELINK



Basically, said, shane Tyrrell, “what i do is look at sand grains, and by examining them, i can tell where they came from.” He is driven by curiosity, and even at school he remembers trying to work out how the landscape around his home in arklow took shape. living by the sea, with the Wicklow mountains close by provided shane with a stimulating environment, and although his parents did not have a scientific background, they did encourage his interest, as did his teachers. By the ripe old age of 15 or 16, shane had made his mind up. “i wanted to be a geologist,” he said, “which was strange really as i did not know any geologists, and never even encountered one.” shane is happy to have made that decision, and studying the origin of sediments for his PhD came as a natural progression. “i wasn’t thinking about careers,” he said, “i was following my passion,” and he counts himself lucky that his interests were encouraged. He also said the upgrading of facilities at UcD came at a good time for him. about three years ago, he said, the geoscience community got a boost in the shape of a state-of-the-art analytical lab. shane was already working on isotopic analysis, and up to then he had to send his samples off to Denmark. He described the mass spectrometer at UcD as “absolutely fantastic, as good as anything in the world.” He also said being able to share these facilities with other geology departments is a great way to foster the development of the geosciences in ireland. Each university has something different to offer, he said, and exchange of expertise is particularly important when it comes to post-graduate work. This sharing of expertise and facilities

has been helped by the formation of a common graduate school, a move promoted by the former Prof of Geology, Ben Kennedy, and shane, an enthuiastic supporter of the development, is already lined up to give a module in

micro-analytical techniques. “i like teaching, i like sharing knowledge and passing it on,” he said, and he also acknowledges that there is an applied side to research. “The new buzz word,” he said, “is innovation, but to me, all research is innovation. i think that when some people use the word innovation, what they really mean is commercialisation.” shane is among the many scientists who argues that this emphasis on application is alarmingly short sighted, and it misses the point that curiosity driven research is more likely to deliver results of real value. “it just takes a bit longer,” he said, remarking that is sometimes the private rather than the public sector that is prepared to wait a bit longer for a better return. In his own field, he said, “It is the oil companies that are now more likely to fund blue skies research than government agencies.” The emphasis on commercialisation, he said is actually a threat to research, and there is a need to take a more balanced long term view of what we want to achieve. apart from his fascination with sediments, a study incidentely of great practical interest to the oil and gas industry, shane likes to strum a guitar. When not immersed in geology”, he said, “music is one of my greatest passions,” but, as he adds, his scientific expertise seems to be a lot more acceptable to friends who are inclined to consider his taste in music to be “weird.”

Strong positionin emphasising the capacity of the geosciences to deliver results, Gsi’s acting head, Pat O’connor, said that geology based activities are now contributing up to €2 billion a year to the economy, and we can expect this to continue, and indeed rise. For this reason, he said, all those who are aware of the benefits have a collective responsibility to make sure that geology is included in the next national Development Plan.

LOOKING FOR SIGNATURES OF THE PAST IN SANDTracing debrisa GrOWinG number of projects are being run under inFOMar, fourteen of which were launched last year. among these projects is one in which geologist, shane Tyrrell, is tracing the origins of marine deposits, a study that tells us where the sand, silt and rocks that now lie in deep water came from. as shane explains, the ice that once covered ireland, extended out into the sea, and when it retreated, rocky debris was deposited. The ice was pushed out from different centres, and examining the debris gives an indication of where these centres were located. Greenland was a centre, as was the north of Europe, and determining where and how these masses of ice interacted can tell us a lot about how the equivalent of our landscape undersea took shape. The mineral content of rocks originating in Greenland and those from northern Europe differ, but shane was looking for a high degree of certainty, so, using the mass spectrometer at UcD’s geology department, he looked at the isotopes. Because the isotopes indicate age, he had a fool-proof way to distinguish where the debris came from, even in deposits where rocks might be mixed. as he found, the irish origins become more diluted as we go out into the atlantic, and there are outliers, like fingers of reworked material. in a related study, shane is looking at marine sedimentary rocks, and tracing them back to their origins. These were formed many millions of years before the ice age deposits, and they represent flows of a different kind. Great rivers, running down from massive mountains that no longer exist, carried sand down into the ocean bed to consolidate into basins of sandstone. “We have to think of the entire pathway,” he said, “from formation to consolidation into sandstone.” This kind of work, he explained is of great help in reconstructing landscapes of the past. “We can find out what Ireland was doing in the Pangea contentinent, and the Jurassic, when we were deep in the interior of an arid continental desert. We can get a better idea of where the ancient plates were, and we can also get an idea of how modern systems, such as the nile and amazon took shape.” if all this seems highly academic, shane points out that these ancient sandstones often act as aquifiers and as reservoirs of oil. Knowing more about how and when these sandstones formed can help pin point some of the world’s most valuable resources.

Many of us are interested in music, and would love to play an instrument, but never found the time to put in the hard hours to learn the necessary skills. For many then, it will be of interest to learn that a group of students in St Mary’s College, Rathmines, Dublin are

developing an instrument anyone can play. The idea is that the instrument will be so simple, that a musical novice, or a disabled person, will quickly be able to produce music of a decent quality. David Howard, Gavin Wynne, and Emmet O’Toole, all 5th years, and keen musicians are developing the idea, under the supervision of teacher, John nisbet. The students want to develop a brand new instrument based around electronics and physical principles. The idea, simply put, is for the person ‘playing’ the instrument to put their hand in a box and control the music in that way. It is very visual, and very clear, says John nisbet, and it can be thought of as one step up from the musical mats

that young children can step on to make music.

The inspiration for the idea came from things like the ‘light harp’ which is based on breaking up a beam of light, and the degree of breakage, creates the sound.

The students are getting help from their teacher to develop the

programmable integrated circuits that control a set of three musical notes and process

them. The broad idea is that a person’s hand, or a tool of some sort, can be used to control the amount of light being allowed into a square that controls the notes. This is dependent on the use of an LDR, or light dependent resistor, which ensures that the level of light allowed into the square, controls the music. The students are currently designing and manufacturing their instrument at their school on the Lower Rathmines Road, in Dublin 6, in advance of the Exhibition. However, they already have their sights set well beyond January and the RDS, as they believe that their instrument could be commercially developed. “They have a vision for this, it is not just for a laugh,” said John. “They have a vision for its use in a concert performance, or in a kids bedroom as a performing tool, as well as a training thing for musicians. They have thought about all this.”

PREVIEW

2011 BT young Scientist and Technology ExhibitionSeán Duke highlights some of the projects

included in this year’s exhibition

THE story begins with a male caller phoning into the Ray Darcy show on Today FM to describe his disgust at having seeing a mother breast feeding in Dundrum Shopping Centre. Then one of the girls at Presentation Secondary School,

Thurles, recalled her father’s discomfort at seeing a woman breast feeding. That did it, and a group of students at Presentation Thurles decided to find out exactly what Irish attitudes were to breast feeding compared to another country. The country they decided to compare with was Germany, by virtue of the fact that their own school had long standing connections with a school in Rosenheim, Bavaria. The plan was to conduct a survey of attitudes among Irish mothers and German mothers to the ‘emotive’ issue of breast feeding and the results were fascinating. In general terms it appears that German women are more enthusiastic for breast feeding with more than 90 per cent of women surveyed in Rosenheim adhering to World Health Organisation guidelines to breast feed for the first six months. However, this doesn’t apparently tell the whole story as many German women also said that the breast fed, despite the fact that they didn’t particularly like it. The reason, it seems, is a strong desire to do the right thing, and follow the rules.

as we know in Ireland, people are not as bothered by rules, and the issue for women here was a sense

of guilt when a decision was made to bottle feed.

The survey, conducted among 50 Irish and 50 German women was conducted

by students alison Kelly, Sarah Jane O’Riordan, and Orlaith Quigley. The survey was done with the guidance of their teacher Emma Kavanagh. The aims of the survey were to determine the percentage of mothers that initiated breastfeeding; the average length of time breastfeeding was continued; the emotional,

social and physical difficulties faced by breastfeeding mothers;

how mothers were supported, and by whom. Clear differences emerged.

It is, quite simply, a phenomenon. The BT Young

Scientist and Technology Exhibition, now in its 47th year, continues to grow, and

in 2011 has attracted more entrants than ever, with projects entered from 32 counties, and 346 schools.

Ireland’s scientific future, it appears, is in very good hands indeed.

The trends this year – as with every year – make for interesting reading. There were more female entrants this

year than male, with 56 per cent being girls. The number of technology, as opposed to science, projects, has soared by 35 per cent this year. This year also sees a continuing push to help students turn their research ideas into commercial

opportunities, by teaching them business skills. The Exhibition will take place, as usual, in the RDS in Dublin

from the 12th January. To find out more in the meantime people can contact the Exhibition through

Facebook, Twitter and Bebo as well as at www.btyoungscientist.com.

a musical instrument anyone can

play

Mothers vary on

breastfeeding

Alison Kelly, Sara Jane O’Riordan, Orlath Quigley, and teacher, Emma Kavanagh.



Basically, said, shane Tyrrell, “what i do is look at sand grains, and by examining them, i can tell where they came from.” He is driven by curiosity, and even at school he remembers trying to work out how the landscape around his home in arklow took shape. living by the sea, with the Wicklow mountains close by provided shane with a stimulating environment, and although his parents did not have a scientific background, they did encourage his interest, as did his teachers. By the ripe old age of 15 or 16, shane had made his mind up. “i wanted to be a geologist,” he said, “which was strange really as i did not know any geologists, and never even encountered one.” shane is happy to have made that decision, and studying the origin of sediments for his PhD came as a natural progression. “i wasn’t thinking about careers,” he said, “i was following my passion,” and he counts himself lucky that his interests were encouraged. He also said the upgrading of facilities at UcD came at a good time for him. about three years ago, he said, the geoscience community got a boost in the shape of a state-of-the-art analytical lab. shane was already working on isotopic analysis, and up to then he had to send his samples off to Denmark. He described the mass spectrometer at UcD as “absolutely fantastic, as good as anything in the world.” He also said being able to share these facilities with other geology departments is a great way to foster the development of the geosciences in ireland. Each university has something different to offer, he said, and exchange of expertise is particularly important when it comes to post-graduate work. This sharing of expertise and facilities

has been helped by the formation of a common graduate school, a move promoted by the former Prof of Geology, Ben Kennedy, and shane, an enthuiastic supporter of the development, is already lined up to give a module in

micro-analytical techniques. “i like teaching, i like sharing knowledge and passing it on,” he said, and he also acknowledges that there is an applied side to research. “The new buzz word,” he said, “is innovation, but to me, all research is innovation. i think that when some people use the word innovation, what they really mean is commercialisation.” shane is among the many scientists who argues that this emphasis on application is alarmingly short sighted, and it misses the point that curiosity driven research is more likely to deliver results of real value. “it just takes a bit longer,” he said, remarking that is sometimes the private rather than the public sector that is prepared to wait a bit longer for a better return. In his own field, he said, “It is the oil companies that are now more likely to fund blue skies research than government agencies.” The emphasis on commercialisation, he said is actually a threat to research, and there is a need to take a more balanced long term view of what we want to achieve. apart from his fascination with sediments, a study incidentely of great practical interest to the oil and gas industry, shane likes to strum a guitar. When not immersed in geology”, he said, “music is one of my greatest passions,” but, as he adds, his scientific expertise seems to be a lot more acceptable to friends who are inclined to consider his taste in music to be “weird.”

Strong positionin emphasising the capacity of the geosciences to deliver results, Gsi’s acting head, Pat O’connor, said that geology based activities are now contributing up to €2 billion a year to the economy, and we can expect this to continue, and indeed rise. For this reason, he said, all those who are aware of the benefits have a collective responsibility to make sure that geology is included in the next national Development Plan.

LOOKING FOR SIGNATURES OF THE PAST IN SANDTracing debrisa GrOWinG number of projects are being run under inFOMar, fourteen of which were launched last year. among these projects is one in which geologist, shane Tyrrell, is tracing the origins of marine deposits, a study that tells us where the sand, silt and rocks that now lie in deep water came from. as shane explains, the ice that once covered ireland, extended out into the sea, and when it retreated, rocky debris was deposited. The ice was pushed out from different centres, and examining the debris gives an indication of where these centres were located. Greenland was a centre, as was the north of Europe, and determining where and how these masses of ice interacted can tell us a lot about how the equivalent of our landscape undersea took shape. The mineral content of rocks originating in Greenland and those from northern Europe differ, but shane was looking for a high degree of certainty, so, using the mass spectrometer at UcD’s geology department, he looked at the isotopes. Because the isotopes indicate age, he had a fool-proof way to distinguish where the debris came from, even in deposits where rocks might be mixed. as he found, the irish origins become more diluted as we go out into the atlantic, and there are outliers, like fingers of reworked material. in a related study, shane is looking at marine sedimentary rocks, and tracing them back to their origins. These were formed many millions of years before the ice age deposits, and they represent flows of a different kind. Great rivers, running down from massive mountains that no longer exist, carried sand down into the ocean bed to consolidate into basins of sandstone. “We have to think of the entire pathway,” he said, “from formation to consolidation into sandstone.” This kind of work, he explained is of great help in reconstructing landscapes of the past. “We can find out what Ireland was doing in the Pangea contentinent, and the Jurassic, when we were deep in the interior of an arid continental desert. We can get a better idea of where the ancient plates were, and we can also get an idea of how modern systems, such as the nile and amazon took shape.” if all this seems highly academic, shane points out that these ancient sandstones often act as aquifiers and as reservoirs of oil. Knowing more about how and when these sandstones formed can help pin point some of the world’s most valuable resources.

Many of us are interested in music, and would love to play an instrument, but never found the time to put in the hard hours to learn the necessary skills. For many then, it will be of interest to learn that a group of students in St Mary’s College, Rathmines, Dublin are

developing an instrument anyone can play. The idea is that the instrument will be so simple, that a musical novice, or a disabled person, will quickly be able to produce music of a decent quality. David Howard, Gavin Wynne, and Emmet O’Toole, all 5th years, and keen musicians are developing the idea, under the supervision of teacher, John nisbet. The students want to develop a brand new instrument based around electronics and physical principles. The idea, simply put, is for the person ‘playing’ the instrument to put their hand in a box and control the music in that way. It is very visual, and very clear, says John nisbet, and it can be thought of as one step up from the musical mats

that young children can step on to make music.

The inspiration for the idea came from things like the ‘light harp’ which is based on breaking up a beam of light, and the degree of breakage, creates the sound.

The students are getting help from their teacher to develop the

programmable integrated circuits that control a set of three musical notes and process

them. The broad idea is that a person’s hand, or a tool of some sort, can be used to control the amount of light being allowed into a square that controls the notes. This is dependent on the use of an LDR, or light dependent resistor, which ensures that the level of light allowed into the square, controls the music. The students are currently designing and manufacturing their instrument at their school on the Lower Rathmines Road, in Dublin 6, in advance of the Exhibition. However, they already have their sights set well beyond January and the RDS, as they believe that their instrument could be commercially developed. “They have a vision for this, it is not just for a laugh,” said John. “They have a vision for its use in a concert performance, or in a kids bedroom as a performing tool, as well as a training thing for musicians. They have thought about all this.”

PREVIEW

2011 BT young Scientist and Technology ExhibitionSeán Duke highlights some of the projects

included in this year’s exhibition

THE story begins with a male caller phoning into the Ray Darcy show on Today FM to describe his disgust at having seeing a mother breast feeding in Dundrum Shopping Centre. Then one of the girls at Presentation Secondary School,

Thurles, recalled her father’s discomfort at seeing a woman breast feeding. That did it, and a group of students at Presentation Thurles decided to find out exactly what Irish attitudes were to breast feeding compared to another country. The country they decided to compare with was Germany, by virtue of the fact that their own school had long standing connections with a school in Rosenheim, Bavaria. The plan was to conduct a survey of attitudes among Irish mothers and German mothers to the ‘emotive’ issue of breast feeding and the results were fascinating. In general terms it appears that German women are more enthusiastic for breast feeding with more than 90 per cent of women surveyed in Rosenheim adhering to World Health Organisation guidelines to breast feed for the first six months. However, this doesn’t apparently tell the whole story as many German women also said that the breast fed, despite the fact that they didn’t particularly like it. The reason, it seems, is a strong desire to do the right thing, and follow the rules.

as we know in Ireland, people are not as bothered by rules, and the issue for women here was a sense

of guilt when a decision was made to bottle feed.

The survey, conducted among 50 Irish and 50 German women was conducted

by students alison Kelly, Sarah Jane O’Riordan, and Orlaith Quigley. The survey was done with the guidance of their teacher Emma Kavanagh. The aims of the survey were to determine the percentage of mothers that initiated breastfeeding; the average length of time breastfeeding was continued; the emotional,

social and physical difficulties faced by breastfeeding mothers;

how mothers were supported, and by whom. Clear differences emerged.

It is, quite simply, a phenomenon. The BT Young

Scientist and Technology Exhibition, now in its 47th year, continues to grow, and

in 2011 has attracted more entrants than ever, with projects entered from 32 counties, and 346 schools.

Ireland’s scientific future, it appears, is in very good hands indeed.

The trends this year – as with every year – make for interesting reading. There were more female entrants this

year than male, with 56 per cent being girls. The number of technology, as opposed to science, projects, has soared by 35 per cent this year. This year also sees a continuing push to help students turn their research ideas into commercial

opportunities, by teaching them business skills. The Exhibition will take place, as usual, in the RDS in Dublin

from the 12th January. To find out more in the meantime people can contact the Exhibition through

Facebook, Twitter and Bebo as well as at www.btyoungscientist.com.

a musical instrument anyone can

play

Mothers vary on

breastfeeding

Alison Kelly, Sara Jane O’Riordan, Orlath Quigley, and teacher, Emma Kavanagh.

LIVELINK

SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 Page xx

The survey determined that 100 per cent of the German women had initiated breast feeding with at least one child, while 56.25% of Irish women had done so. Thesurveyfoundthat,forthefirstchild,84percentofIrish mothers did not feed beyond three months. The mothers continued longer with breastfeeding for subsequent children, with 70 per cent not feeding their second child past three months, and 56 per cent deciding not to feed their third child past three months. The results that came back from the students’ survey correlated closely with the Irish and German national statistics onbreastfeeding.A2009reportinIrelandfoundthat47percent of women tried breast feeding to begin with, but that the figurehadfallento28percentafterfourweeks.InGermany,meanwhile, the statistics indicate that 90 per cent start breast feeding and are still doing it six months later. That is despite the fact that many German mothers don’t like it. In Ireland it appears there are huge pressures on women to breast feed, and that they are made to feel guilty when they decide to bottle feed instead. Then, for those mothers that do breast feed in public they are often met with open hostility.

We all remember the chaos caused by the eruption of the volcano in Iceland earlier in the year, and how fearful airlines were of the resulting ash cloud. Therefore, it is very timely that Ahmed Saeed, Seán Power and Craig Laurie, three transition year students

at Castletroy College, Limerick, have been investigating how to prevent damage to a jet engine from volcanic ash. The students had been exploring a number of ideas for the BT Exhibition, and eventually started thinking about environmental problems in the modern world. The biggest environmental problem Ireland faced in recent years, of course, was the disruption caused when the cloud of ash erupted out of the Icelandic volcano. The idea was also triggered by a relative of one of the students getting caught, and being unable to travel into or out of Ireland following the eruption. Their teacher, Leonard Coughlan, says the students are running a test at the moment that aims to replicate what happens in a jet engine when ash enters. The idea then will be to design a system that can render the ash harmless to jet engines. One danger is to avoid creating a problem worse than the initial problem. The students are realistic and believe that he problem will not be easily solved. However, they are determined to come up with a solution to a ‘real world’ issue. Certainly, should the students come up with a solution to this problem, they have an idea that could be potentially commercialised and sold as a product in future. Thiscouldhelpensurethatflightsareno longer grounded following eruptions, and geologists believe that more eruptions are a possibility this year, or next. As for the importance of the BT Exhibition to the students, Leonard said: “In my opinion I think the show is quite important to them, as it gives them a look at how other teenagers approach science and their curiosity affects their investigations.”

EIGHTEEn people die from cardiac arrest every day in Ireland, with two per week under the age of 35, and a whopping 70 per cent of those die outside hospital. That’saccordingtofiguresfrom

the Sudden Cardiac Death Support Group. Thismeansthereisasignificantnumberofpeoplethatcollapse from sudden cardiac arrest at home, on the street, playing football, or any number of places. These people may have had a chance of survival if a defibrillatordevicewasappliedtothemquicklytogettheirheart going again, but that wasn’t available. Therefore, the idea of two Belvedere College students, Owen Killian and Lucas Grange, to use a mobile phone as a defibrillatorisapotentiallylifesavingone. The idea is that when someone collapses, a person – ideally with medical training – would arrive on the scene carryingtheirsmartphonedefibrillator. Thefirstthingthesmartphoneuserwoulddowouldbeto attach a small peripheral device, a little larger than a matchbox in size, to their phone. This device would have electrodes already attached andreadytogo,anditwouldeasilyfitintoacoatpocket,doctor’s bag, or someone’s briefcase. The operator would then attach pads to the person in trouble, and a special phone ‘app’ would be opened that would analyse the rhythm of the heart. At the same time, a call could be made to the emergency services to inform them of the situation and ensure that they would arrive for backup if required. The phone then comes back with a reading which tells the operative if the heart rhythm is ‘shockable’ or not. If the answer is yes, the device applies the shock, and talks the user – if a non medical professional – through the use of CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation). Owen Killian said that there are other AEDs (automated externaldefibrillator)onthemarket,buttheyarenotlight,withthelightestrightnowbeing400g. The Belvedere lads say that their AED is much lighter than what is available right now, cheaper, simpler, more portable, and not designed just for doctors’ use. The boys have ambitions to develop their AED into a

real world commercial product, and they have got it as far as the ‘proof of concept’ stage just now. At the moment they are working on developing the parameters for the device to analyse heart rhythms that are shockable and not shockable. The students are modest enough to state, meanwhile, that being lucky enough to be in a school with such great science facilities and teachers has helped greatly. “The reputation the science department has built

up over the years of being an innovative, accessible and driven section of the school is greatly deserved,” said Owen.

Preventing volcanic ash damage to jet engines

A ‘smartphone’ based defibrillator

VISIT SCIENCE SPIN AT STAND 28 IN THE INDUSTRIES HALL

Lucas Grange, left, and Owen Killan.

CHOOSING SCIENCESCIENCE SPIN SUPPLEMENT

www.sciencespin.com


The survey determined that 100 per cent of the German women had initiated breast feeding with at least one child, while 56.25% of Irish women had done so. Thesurveyfoundthat,forthefirstchild,84percentofIrish mothers did not feed beyond three months. The mothers continued longer with breastfeeding for subsequent children, with 70 per cent not feeding their second child past three months, and 56 per cent deciding not to feed their third child past three months. The results that came back from the students’ survey correlated closely with the Irish and German national statistics onbreastfeeding.A2009reportinIrelandfoundthat47percent of women tried breast feeding to begin with, but that the figurehadfallento28percentafterfourweeks.InGermany,meanwhile, the statistics indicate that 90 per cent start breast feeding and are still doing it six months later. That is despite the fact that many German mothers don’t like it. In Ireland it appears there are huge pressures on women to breast feed, and that they are made to feel guilty when they decide to bottle feed instead. Then, for those mothers that do breast feed in public they are often met with open hostility.

We all remember the chaos caused by the eruption of the volcano in Iceland earlier in the year, and how fearful airlines were of the resulting ash cloud. Therefore, it is very timely that Ahmed Saeed, Seán Power and Craig Laurie, three transition year students

at Castletroy College, Limerick, have been investigating how to prevent damage to a jet engine from volcanic ash. The students had been exploring a number of ideas for the BT Exhibition, and eventually started thinking about environmental problems in the modern world. The biggest environmental problem Ireland faced in recent years, of course, was the disruption caused when the cloud of ash erupted out of the Icelandic volcano. The idea was also triggered by a relative of one of the students getting caught, and being unable to travel into or out of Ireland following the eruption. Their teacher, Leonard Coughlan, says the students are running a test at the moment that aims to replicate what happens in a jet engine when ash enters. The idea then will be to design a system that can render the ash harmless to jet engines. One danger is to avoid creating a problem worse than the initial problem. The students are realistic and believe that he problem will not be easily solved. However, they are determined to come up with a solution to a ‘real world’ issue. Certainly, should the students come up with a solution to this problem, they have an idea that could be potentially commercialised and sold as a product in future. Thiscouldhelpensurethatflightsareno longer grounded following eruptions, and geologists believe that more eruptions are a possibility this year, or next. As for the importance of the BT Exhibition to the students, Leonard said: “In my opinion I think the show is quite important to them, as it gives them a look at how other teenagers approach science and their curiosity affects their investigations.”

EIGHTEEn people die from cardiac arrest every day in Ireland, with two per week under the age of 35, and a whopping 70 per cent of those die outside hospital. That’saccordingtofiguresfrom

the Sudden Cardiac Death Support Group. Thismeansthereisasignificantnumberofpeoplethatcollapse from sudden cardiac arrest at home, on the street, playing football, or any number of places. These people may have had a chance of survival if a defibrillatordevicewasappliedtothemquicklytogettheirheart going again, but that wasn’t available. Therefore, the idea of two Belvedere College students, Owen Killian and Lucas Grange, to use a mobile phone as a defibrillatorisapotentiallylifesavingone. The idea is that when someone collapses, a person – ideally with medical training – would arrive on the scene carryingtheirsmartphonedefibrillator. Thefirstthingthesmartphoneuserwoulddowouldbeto attach a small peripheral device, a little larger than a matchbox in size, to their phone. This device would have electrodes already attached andreadytogo,anditwouldeasilyfitintoacoatpocket,doctor’s bag, or someone’s briefcase. The operator would then attach pads to the person in trouble, and a special phone ‘app’ would be opened that would analyse the rhythm of the heart. At the same time, a call could be made to the emergency services to inform them of the situation and ensure that they would arrive for backup if required. The phone then comes back with a reading which tells the operative if the heart rhythm is ‘shockable’ or not. If the answer is yes, the device applies the shock, and talks the user – if a non medical professional – through the use of CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation). Owen Killian said that there are other AEDs (automated externaldefibrillator)onthemarket,buttheyarenotlight,withthelightestrightnowbeing400g. The Belvedere lads say that their AED is much lighter than what is available right now, cheaper, simpler, more portable, and not designed just for doctors’ use. The boys have ambitions to develop their AED into a

real world commercial product, and they have got it as far as the ‘proof of concept’ stage just now. At the moment they are working on developing the parameters for the device to analyse heart rhythms that are shockable and not shockable. The students are modest enough to state, meanwhile, that being lucky enough to be in a school with such great science facilities and teachers has helped greatly. “The reputation the science department has built

up over the years of being an innovative, accessible and driven section of the school is greatly deserved,” said Owen.

Preventing volcanic ash damage to jet engines

A ‘smartphone’ based defibrillator

VISIT SCIENCE SPIN AT STAND 28 IN THE INDUSTRIES HALL

Lucas Grange, left, and Owen Killan.

CHOOSING SCIENCESCIENCE SPIN SUPPLEMENT

www.sciencespin.com LIVELINK

The Department of Life & Physical Sciences at GMIT offers the following honours degrees:

l APPLIED FRESHWATER & MARINE BIOLOGY GA 780

l APPLIED BIOLOGY & BIOPHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE GA 781

l CHEMICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE GA 782

l PHYSICS & INSTRUMENTATION GA 783

l MEDICAL SCIENCE GA785

l FORENSIC SCIENCE & ANALYSIS GA786

BE MORE THAN JUST A NUMBER !While other colleges may have a few hundred students in year 1, we target approximately 100 students for our first year intake for the above courses combined, and furthermore students are in groups of 16 for laboratory work. This ensures the best of both worlds – the low student numbers provide an excellent teaching environment and help ensure that you are successful in your studies. While, at the same time, you are in a college of over 6000 students in the student capital of Ireland!

DO YOU WANT TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY ?In GMIT our courses are unique in that students do project work from year 1 onwards. With many mini-projects and a number of major projects completed over the course of your degree you will learn vital skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and project management – skills much sought after by employers. Practical work also forms a large element of our courses, and students gain excellent experience in

completing laboratory practicals in state of the art laboratories. Also, with many marks going for lab work, you can have accumulated a large percentage of your final mark before you sit any exams.

Other features of our courses:

WORK PLACEMENT IN ALL OUR COURSESPaid work placement is extremely valuable in providing work experience and job opportunities – many companies recruit the students that they have taken on for industrial placement.

APPLIED NATURE OF OUR COURSESThe course material is designed in conjunction with employers and our courses are all applied in nature – giving our students an advantage when starting their career.

MODULARIZED COURSES This allows students more choice in which subjects they study.

JOBSOur students continue to enjoy a relatively high employment rate upon graduation. The applied nature of our courses, the high amount of project work and practical work and the fact that industrial placement is a feature of ALL our courses ensures that our students are best placed to gain employment and develop rewarding careers upon graduation.

More Info? Phone: 091 742178 E Mail: [email protected] Web: www.gmit.ie/science

Think smart and choose GMIT !

Thinking of studying

science in college ?

SCIENCE SPIN CHOOSING SCIENCE SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 CHOOSING SCIENCE

Depression, Alzheimer’s, and schizophrenia are all diseases

of the brain, and can destroy the lives of sufferers and their families. Drug therapies exist – though not for Alzheimer’s – but these are far from perfect. The drugs work for some, not for others, while side-effects can be severe. A huge road-block preventing the development of better drugs for brain diseases is the fact that little is known about the chemistry of the brain in general or the chemistry of the diseased brain in particular. For example, little is known about what is happening – chemically – in the brain of a person with schizophrenia as he walks around experiencing symptoms. This ‘knowledge gap’ is something that John Lowry, a softly spoken, talented, and far-sighted scientist is addressing at his laboratory at NUIM. Thefirststeptodevelopingbetterdrugs for brain disease, said John, is to develop a far better understanding of what is happening chemically in the brain, and in the diseased brain, to lay the groundwork for the development of new, and much better, treatments. This is the area that John is working in, and his lab is one of the few in Europe, and even worldwide that is capable of analyzing brain chemical concentrations in ‘real time’. To do this it is essential to work with animals, typically rats, to get true ‘in vivo’ readings.

PERSONABLE John is the type of scientist that would give Irish scientists a good name. He is open, personable, accommodating, and understanding of the importance of the media and communicating science to the public. He understands that TV in particular has the power to ignite an interest in science, in young minds. He is a superb researcher, certainly one of Ireland’s best, and works in an area that has the potential to improve real people’s lives beyond measure. His work is recognized internationally, and his lab is well-funded and resourced. Some in this position might be arrogant, or aloof. John is the polar opposite.

Perhaps this modesty stems in part from his origins, born into what he describes as a ‘working class’ family in Tullamore. His dad had planned that young John would be signed up sometime shortly after his Intermediate Certificate(nowcalledtheJuniorCert)to become a plumber’s apprentice. His father meant well, of course, and wanted the best for his son, but John had other ideas. He wanted to be a scientist, and that was that. His dad didn’t argue the point, and his education continued to Leaving Cert and on to college.

PASSION From 6th class in primary school John wanted to be an astrophysicist, studying the great mysteries of the Universe. The inspiration for this ambition came from watching the US TV show, Cosmos, presented by Carl Sagan, the great astronomer and communicator. The show was watched by an estimated 500 million viewers worldwide, and John, like many others, was held spellbound by the skills of this brilliant populariser of science. He also watched repeat showings of BBC’s Horizon show on RTE on Saturday mornings. But, it was Sagan, more than anyone thatlitthefireandpassionforsciencein young John. He devoured any bookshecouldfindwrittenbySagan,including Broca’s Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science and Dragon’s of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence and pestered the local library to order in more. The brilliance of Sagan, and people like him, such as David Attenborough, says John, are crucial, to generate interest in a subject among young people. It has to be the right person, he says, and TV can provide students with access to these brilliant, gifted communicators. So,Johnwasalreadyfiredwitha passion for science by the time he entered secondary school at the CBS in Tullamore. After the Intermediate Cert, where he took science as a single subject, same as today, he decided he wanted to take all three main science subjectsforleavingcertificate,but

he ran into opposition. The school authorities felt that no-one should take on the three science subjects as it would be too much, and John was pressurized into dropping physics in favour of economics. That decision stood for a week, after which John went back and took physics, supported by the school Principal, who was also his athletics coach and a friend. He went on to prove the doubters wrong, and did very well in his Leaving in all three science subjects, something he puts down to his love of science.

OPTIONS After the Leaving, it was time to consider where to go to university. By this time, John, while still interested in astrophysics, was not 100 per cent sure what branch of science that he would ultimately focus on. Wisely, as it turned out, he decided to go to UCD where he felt the ‘Omnibus’ degree on offer, which was broader than what some other universities were offering, would provide him the opportunity to consider all his options. At UCD, he took physics, chemistry, biology, maths and computer science inhisfirstyear.Hedroppedphysicsafterfirstyear,somethinghewouldhave never anticipated, and kept chemistry, biology and maths in second year. In third year he chose, chemistry and maths Already it was clear he was gravitating towards a career in chemistry rather than physics or astrophysics as he might have expected, given his early fascination with Sagan’s work. John got his degree and was certain then that he wanted to go on, and do

THE BRAIN CHEMISTJohn Lowry, Prof of Chemistry at NUIM, had planned to become an astrophysicist like his hero Carl Sagan, but then, as Seán Duke reports, he became more interested in the chemistry of the human brain.

John collaborates with scientists from abroad, and on his visit to China he was presented with a ‘good luck’ cake.

LIVELINK

The Department of Life & Physical Sciences at GMIT offers the following honours degrees:

l APPLIED FRESHWATER & MARINE BIOLOGY GA 780

l APPLIED BIOLOGY & BIOPHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE GA 781

l CHEMICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE GA 782

l PHYSICS & INSTRUMENTATION GA 783

l MEDICAL SCIENCE GA785

l FORENSIC SCIENCE & ANALYSIS GA786

BE MORE THAN JUST A NUMBER !While other colleges may have a few hundred students in year 1, we target approximately 100 students for our first year intake for the above courses combined, and furthermore students are in groups of 16 for laboratory work. This ensures the best of both worlds – the low student numbers provide an excellent teaching environment and help ensure that you are successful in your studies. While, at the same time, you are in a college of over 6000 students in the student capital of Ireland!

DO YOU WANT TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY ?In GMIT our courses are unique in that students do project work from year 1 onwards. With many mini-projects and a number of major projects completed over the course of your degree you will learn vital skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and project management – skills much sought after by employers. Practical work also forms a large element of our courses, and students gain excellent experience in

completing laboratory practicals in state of the art laboratories. Also, with many marks going for lab work, you can have accumulated a large percentage of your final mark before you sit any exams.

Other features of our courses:

WORK PLACEMENT IN ALL OUR COURSESPaid work placement is extremely valuable in providing work experience and job opportunities – many companies recruit the students that they have taken on for industrial placement.

APPLIED NATURE OF OUR COURSESThe course material is designed in conjunction with employers and our courses are all applied in nature – giving our students an advantage when starting their career.

MODULARIZED COURSES This allows students more choice in which subjects they study.

JOBSOur students continue to enjoy a relatively high employment rate upon graduation. The applied nature of our courses, the high amount of project work and practical work and the fact that industrial placement is a feature of ALL our courses ensures that our students are best placed to gain employment and develop rewarding careers upon graduation.

More Info? Phone: 091 742178 E Mail: [email protected] Web: www.gmit.ie/science

Think smart and choose GMIT !

Thinking of studying

science in college ?

SCIENCE SPIN CHOOSING SCIENCE SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 CHOOSING SCIENCE

Depression, Alzheimer’s, and schizophrenia are all diseases

of the brain, and can destroy the lives of sufferers and their families. Drug therapies exist – though not for Alzheimer’s – but these are far from perfect. The drugs work for some, not for others, while side-effects can be severe. A huge road-block preventing the development of better drugs for brain diseases is the fact that little is known about the chemistry of the brain in general or the chemistry of the diseased brain in particular. For example, little is known about what is happening – chemically – in the brain of a person with schizophrenia as he walks around experiencing symptoms. This ‘knowledge gap’ is something that John Lowry, a softly spoken, talented, and far-sighted scientist is addressing at his laboratory at NUIM. Thefirststeptodevelopingbetterdrugs for brain disease, said John, is to develop a far better understanding of what is happening chemically in the brain, and in the diseased brain, to lay the groundwork for the development of new, and much better, treatments. This is the area that John is working in, and his lab is one of the few in Europe, and even worldwide that is capable of analyzing brain chemical concentrations in ‘real time’. To do this it is essential to work with animals, typically rats, to get true ‘in vivo’ readings.

PERSONABLE John is the type of scientist that would give Irish scientists a good name. He is open, personable, accommodating, and understanding of the importance of the media and communicating science to the public. He understands that TV in particular has the power to ignite an interest in science, in young minds. He is a superb researcher, certainly one of Ireland’s best, and works in an area that has the potential to improve real people’s lives beyond measure. His work is recognized internationally, and his lab is well-funded and resourced. Some in this position might be arrogant, or aloof. John is the polar opposite.

Perhaps this modesty stems in part from his origins, born into what he describes as a ‘working class’ family in Tullamore. His dad had planned that young John would be signed up sometime shortly after his Intermediate Certificate(nowcalledtheJuniorCert)to become a plumber’s apprentice. His father meant well, of course, and wanted the best for his son, but John had other ideas. He wanted to be a scientist, and that was that. His dad didn’t argue the point, and his education continued to Leaving Cert and on to college.

PASSION From 6th class in primary school John wanted to be an astrophysicist, studying the great mysteries of the Universe. The inspiration for this ambition came from watching the US TV show, Cosmos, presented by Carl Sagan, the great astronomer and communicator. The show was watched by an estimated 500 million viewers worldwide, and John, like many others, was held spellbound by the skills of this brilliant populariser of science. He also watched repeat showings of BBC’s Horizon show on RTE on Saturday mornings. But, it was Sagan, more than anyone thatlitthefireandpassionforsciencein young John. He devoured any bookshecouldfindwrittenbySagan,including Broca’s Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science and Dragon’s of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence and pestered the local library to order in more. The brilliance of Sagan, and people like him, such as David Attenborough, says John, are crucial, to generate interest in a subject among young people. It has to be the right person, he says, and TV can provide students with access to these brilliant, gifted communicators. So,Johnwasalreadyfiredwitha passion for science by the time he entered secondary school at the CBS in Tullamore. After the Intermediate Cert, where he took science as a single subject, same as today, he decided he wanted to take all three main science subjectsforleavingcertificate,but

he ran into opposition. The school authorities felt that no-one should take on the three science subjects as it would be too much, and John was pressurized into dropping physics in favour of economics. That decision stood for a week, after which John went back and took physics, supported by the school Principal, who was also his athletics coach and a friend. He went on to prove the doubters wrong, and did very well in his Leaving in all three science subjects, something he puts down to his love of science.

OPTIONS After the Leaving, it was time to consider where to go to university. By this time, John, while still interested in astrophysics, was not 100 per cent sure what branch of science that he would ultimately focus on. Wisely, as it turned out, he decided to go to UCD where he felt the ‘Omnibus’ degree on offer, which was broader than what some other universities were offering, would provide him the opportunity to consider all his options. At UCD, he took physics, chemistry, biology, maths and computer science inhisfirstyear.Hedroppedphysicsafterfirstyear,somethinghewouldhave never anticipated, and kept chemistry, biology and maths in second year. In third year he chose, chemistry and maths Already it was clear he was gravitating towards a career in chemistry rather than physics or astrophysics as he might have expected, given his early fascination with Sagan’s work. John got his degree and was certain then that he wanted to go on, and do

THE BRAIN CHEMISTJohn Lowry, Prof of Chemistry at NUIM, had planned to become an astrophysicist like his hero Carl Sagan, but then, as Seán Duke reports, he became more interested in the chemistry of the human brain.

John collaborates with scientists from abroad, and on his visit to China he was presented with a ‘good luck’ cake.

SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 CHOOSING SCIENCE

more research. He loved the idea of working in the lab, and discovering new things, and began looking around for interesting post-graduate opportunities. He went to listen to a few lectures on the subject of neuro-chemistry by Robert O’Neill, an Irish scientist that had come back to UCD after a period in Oxford University. “He sold it to me,” John recalls.

RESEARCH John’s problem-solving skills were needed immediately when he went to Robert’s lab. Today’s PhD candidates expect, from day one, to have access to equipment and start gathering data when they enter a lab. In the late 1980s and early 1990s things were very different. John recalls that he spent the first six months of his PhD working hard, just setting up his equipment, and writing software so that everything would work together, before he collected any data. If he didn’t do this then his PhD wouldn’t happen, he said. The focus of his PhD was to develop a sensor that could gather information on glucose levels in the brain, in ‘real time’. This was something very new, and potentially very important. He applied for a Marie Curie fellowship, a European Commission funded scheme to encourage post-graduate students to work in a laboratory abroad, and bring the knowledge they gain back to their host country later. It provides the funds for the student, so the university that agree to take the student, do not need to financially support him. John wanted to go to Oxford University. He wrote an application and was successful, and joined the lab of the “phenomenally inspirational” Dr Marianne Fillenz. For a while, Dr Fillenz didn’t know what to do with John. He told her that he had developed a method to do ‘real time’ measurements of glucose in the brain, but the Oxford lab had their own methods. After he was trained up so that he could do experiments, John started to collect data. He sat down with Dr Fillenz to analyze the data, and she then realized that what John was doing was a huge step forward, as it provided ‘real time’ data on brain chemical levels.

FUTURE John does believe that better drugs for brain diseases will be developed in coming decades, but that issues need to be addressed in the pharmaceutical

industry for that to happen. At the moment, the drug development business model is under threat, as even ‘big pharma’ giants cannot sustain losses, should a drug fail in clinical trials. If a drug fails at a late stage it could mean losses of well over €500,000, which is too big a risk. What will happen in future years, he believes, is that big pharma will only want to develop drugs that have excellent pre-clinical data, so that the risk of a drug failing at an advanced stage of the clinical trial process – where drugs are tested with humans – is reduced. It is likely that the pre-clinical drug development work will be done by smaller biotech companies, and this represents an opportunity for future ‘biotech’ entrepreneurs. John himself has got involved in the commercial side of things, with the setting up of Blue Box Sensors, a spin-out from NUIM, based on his research work, in 2009. The company declares on its website: “We produce implantable micro sensors that allow long-term measurements of NO, O2 or glucose in awake and freely moving animals.”

ADVICEHis advice for anyone that is considering doing science in college is, firstly, to be sure that there is an interest, and ideally, a passion for

science. If that is in place, then science is a good career option, and can help students get a job, or to get interviews, even in the current climate. A post-grad degree can move someone up even a notch higher, he says. In hindsight, he says, he might well have signed up to do astrophysics, had there been an astrophysics only degree option available in 1984 when he entered college. In light of what direction his career later took that might well have been a mistake, he says. For this reason, he advises students today to be careful about choosing highly specialized single subject degrees. If an 18-year old knows exactly what he wants to do, then fine, but if a person has a general love of science, but is not sure what he likes best, then a broader degree is the way to go. That way a student can ‘test the waters’ and specialize later. Back in 1984, entering college, John couldn’t have predicted his career path to date. He started out wanting to be an astrophysicist looking at the Universe on a large scale, and ended up studying a smaller Universe, said John. “Because the complexities of the brain, I think, certainly equal the complexities of the Universe. It is a Universe in its own right,” he said.

THE MATERIALS MASTERBy working on fundamental physics, Seamus Davies is preparing the way for a significant break-through in delivery of electrical power. Seán Duke reports how a scientist from Cork has become a high level researcher in the US .

Imagine a laptop that works 1,000 faster than today? Or an electrical

power grid that loses almost no electricity during power transmission, and is 99 per cent energy efficient? These things will become possible in the future if scientists can develop superconducting materials that operate at room temperature. These materials have a number of amazing properties, that can be exploited, but now they only operate at very low temperatures. This is the kind of problem that Seamus Davies, Prof of Physics at Cornell University, and a native of Skibberean works on each day – a challenge he finds incredibly exciting.

Sadly, mass emigration has returned to Irish shores, but Seamus was part of the last great huge exodus out of Ireland in the 1980s. He attended UCC from 1979 to 1982, where he recalled the coursework as challenging and where the students took their studies very seriously. He left Ireland in 1983, heading for the University of California Berkeley, in the city of Oakland in the ‘Bay Area’. This move followed a well-trodden path for many UCC physics graduates. Seamus was collected at the airport by Stephen Fahy, who was then studying for his PhD at Berkeley, and today is the Associate Prof of Physics at UCC.

Seamusremembersbeingfirstinterestedinscienceattheageofsix.Thetriggerwascuriosityabouttheworld,andhowitoperatesasitdoes.Bythetimehewas13,anaspirationtobecomeascientisthadturnedintoadefinitegoal.HegothissecondaryeducationatStFachtna’sinSkibbereenandrecallsscienceteachingthereassuperb. Hewasspecificallyinterestedinphysics.HeappliedforandwasacceptedintoUCC,whichhadearnedareputationforhavinganextremelyhighqualityphysicsprogram. ThesuccessofSeamus,andmanyotherslikehimofthe1980sgeneration,showsthatemigration,whileperhapsnotwhatmostIrishscientistswanttodo,does,atleast,openupthepossibilityofanewlife,andachievinggreatthings.Therearemanyun-heraldedIrish-bornscientistsabroad,doingsuperbworkandSeamusisdefinitelyoneofthose.HisexperienceshowsthatasciencedegreeandPhDfromIrelandarealicensetotheworld.

BERKELEY Certainly,thereareworseplacesanambitiousyoungIrishscientistcouldhaveendedupthanBerkeley,atruly


world-classuniversity,famousinparticularforitsprowessinphysics,astrophysicsandengineering.Whenanopportunityarosetogothere,Seamusgrabbedit,andherecallsthetimehespenttherefrom’83to’89as“wonderful”and“thebestopportunityofmylife”.Seamuswasinterestedin‘fundamentalphysics’,thetypeofphysicsthatdoesn’tnecessarilyhavea‘realworld’application.Inmanycountries,including,Irelandfundingforsuchworkdoesn’texist.TheUSisoneoftheexceptions. SeamuscompletedhisPhDinBerkeleyin1989.Hehadatremendoustime,andlovedeveryminute.Now,withthedoctoratefinished,itwasdecisiontime.ShouldhereturnhometoIrelandorstay?HewasofferedajobasanAssistantProfessoratBerkeley,andthatmadehisminduptostayintheUS.Inanycase,ifhereturnedhome,itwouldhavebeenvirtuallyimpossibletogetfundingtosupporthis‘fundamental’lineofresearch. ThereweregrowingopportunitiesforscientistsinIreland,evenbackin’89,buttheresearchbeingfunded,thenasnow,wasresearchthatcouldyieldaneconomicreturnintheshortormediumterm.ButforresearcherslikeSeamus,whowanttoexplore

‘basic’sciencethatmightonlyhavealongtermpay-off,ifatall,therewerefewopportunities. TheapproachinIreland,despiteallthetalkaboutinnovationandbecomingworld-classresearchleaders,isthesametodayasitwas20yearsago.Theagenciesthatfundscience


MathematicsDC126 - BSc in Actuarial Mathematics DC127 - Common Entry into Actuarial, Financial and Mathematical Sciences

Health and Human PerformanceDC202 - BSc in Sport Science and Health DC204 - BSc in Athletic Therapy and Training DC205 - BSc in Physical Education with Biology

NursingDC208 - BSc in Psychology DC209 - BSc in Health and Society DC215 - BSc in Nursing (General) DC216 - BSc in Nursing (Psychiatric) DC217 - BSc in Nursing (Intellectual Disability) DC218 - BSc in Children’s and General (Integrated) Nursing

Sciences (Biotechnology, Chemistry and Physics)DC161 - BSc in Analytical Science DC162 - BSc in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences DC166 - BSc in Environmental Science and Health DC167 - BSc in Physics with Astronomy DC168 - BSc in Genetics and Cell Biology DC170 - BSc in Horticulture DC171 - BSc in Applied Physics DC173 - BSc in Physics with Biomedical Sciences DC181 - BSc in Biotechnology DC201 - Common Entry into Science DC203 - BSc in Science Education

DCU FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND HEALTH

www.dcu.ie

Since DCU’s foundation, its Faculty of Science and Health has maintained an enviable record of success and growth, with innovative and interdisciplinary degree courses, that now encompass academic disciplines as diverse as physics and psychology. Also many of its courses have affiliations to or are recognised by external professional bodies, for example, the Institute of Actuaries and the Teaching Council of Ireland.

INTRA , DCU’s paid relevant work experience programme continues to be a key feature of the courses offered by the Faculty, ensuring that its graduates have the experience and skills most sought after by Irish and international employers.


more research. He loved the idea of working in the lab, and discovering new things, and began looking around for interesting post-graduate opportunities. He went to listen to a few lectures on the subject of neuro-chemistry by Robert O’Neill, an Irish scientist that had come back to UCD after a period in Oxford University. “He sold it to me,” John recalls.

RESEARCH John’s problem-solving skills were needed immediately when he went to Robert’s lab. Today’s PhD candidates expect, from day one, to have access to equipment and start gathering data when they enter a lab. In the late 1980s and early 1990s things were very different. John recalls that he spent the first six months of his PhD working hard, just setting up his equipment, and writing software so that everything would work together, before he collected any data. If he didn’t do this then his PhD wouldn’t happen, he said. The focus of his PhD was to develop a sensor that could gather information on glucose levels in the brain, in ‘real time’. This was something very new, and potentially very important. He applied for a Marie Curie fellowship, a European Commission funded scheme to encourage post-graduate students to work in a laboratory abroad, and bring the knowledge they gain back to their host country later. It provides the funds for the student, so the university that agree to take the student, do not need to financially support him. John wanted to go to Oxford University. He wrote an application and was successful, and joined the lab of the “phenomenally inspirational” Dr Marianne Fillenz. For a while, Dr Fillenz didn’t know what to do with John. He told her that he had developed a method to do ‘real time’ measurements of glucose in the brain, but the Oxford lab had their own methods. After he was trained up so that he could do experiments, John started to collect data. He sat down with Dr Fillenz to analyze the data, and she then realized that what John was doing was a huge step forward, as it provided ‘real time’ data on brain chemical levels.

FUTURE John does believe that better drugs for brain diseases will be developed in coming decades, but that issues need to be addressed in the pharmaceutical

industry for that to happen. At the moment, the drug development business model is under threat, as even ‘big pharma’ giants cannot sustain losses, should a drug fail in clinical trials. If a drug fails at a late stage it could mean losses of well over €500,000, which is too big a risk. What will happen in future years, he believes, is that big pharma will only want to develop drugs that have excellent pre-clinical data, so that the risk of a drug failing at an advanced stage of the clinical trial process – where drugs are tested with humans – is reduced. It is likely that the pre-clinical drug development work will be done by smaller biotech companies, and this represents an opportunity for future ‘biotech’ entrepreneurs. John himself has got involved in the commercial side of things, with the setting up of Blue Box Sensors, a spin-out from NUIM, based on his research work, in 2009. The company declares on its website: “We produce implantable micro sensors that allow long-term measurements of NO, O2 or glucose in awake and freely moving animals.”

ADVICEHis advice for anyone that is considering doing science in college is, firstly, to be sure that there is an interest, and ideally, a passion for

science. If that is in place, then science is a good career option, and can help students get a job, or to get interviews, even in the current climate. A post-grad degree can move someone up even a notch higher, he says. In hindsight, he says, he might well have signed up to do astrophysics, had there been an astrophysics only degree option available in 1984 when he entered college. In light of what direction his career later took that might well have been a mistake, he says. For this reason, he advises students today to be careful about choosing highly specialized single subject degrees. If an 18-year old knows exactly what he wants to do, then fine, but if a person has a general love of science, but is not sure what he likes best, then a broader degree is the way to go. That way a student can ‘test the waters’ and specialize later. Back in 1984, entering college, John couldn’t have predicted his career path to date. He started out wanting to be an astrophysicist looking at the Universe on a large scale, and ended up studying a smaller Universe, said John. “Because the complexities of the brain, I think, certainly equal the complexities of the Universe. It is a Universe in its own right,” he said.

THE MATERIALS MASTERBy working on fundamental physics, Seamus Davies is preparing the way for a significant break-through in delivery of electrical power. Seán Duke reports how a scientist from Cork has become a high level researcher in the US .

Imagine a laptop that works 1,000 faster than today? Or an electrical

power grid that loses almost no electricity during power transmission, and is 99 per cent energy efficient? These things will become possible in the future if scientists can develop superconducting materials that operate at room temperature. These materials have a number of amazing properties, that can be exploited, but now they only operate at very low temperatures. This is the kind of problem that Seamus Davies, Prof of Physics at Cornell University, and a native of Skibberean works on each day – a challenge he finds incredibly exciting.

Sadly, mass emigration has returned to Irish shores, but Seamus was part of the last great huge exodus out of Ireland in the 1980s. He attended UCC from 1979 to 1982, where he recalled the coursework as challenging and where the students took their studies very seriously. He left Ireland in 1983, heading for the University of California Berkeley, in the city of Oakland in the ‘Bay Area’. This move followed a well-trodden path for many UCC physics graduates. Seamus was collected at the airport by Stephen Fahy, who was then studying for his PhD at Berkeley, and today is the Associate Prof of Physics at UCC.

Seamusremembersbeingfirstinterestedinscienceattheageofsix.Thetriggerwascuriosityabouttheworld,andhowitoperatesasitdoes.Bythetimehewas13,anaspirationtobecomeascientisthadturnedintoadefinitegoal.HegothissecondaryeducationatStFachtna’sinSkibbereenandrecallsscienceteachingthereassuperb. Hewasspecificallyinterestedinphysics.HeappliedforandwasacceptedintoUCC,whichhadearnedareputationforhavinganextremelyhighqualityphysicsprogram. ThesuccessofSeamus,andmanyotherslikehimofthe1980sgeneration,showsthatemigration,whileperhapsnotwhatmostIrishscientistswanttodo,does,atleast,openupthepossibilityofanewlife,andachievinggreatthings.Therearemanyun-heraldedIrish-bornscientistsabroad,doingsuperbworkandSeamusisdefinitelyoneofthose.HisexperienceshowsthatasciencedegreeandPhDfromIrelandarealicensetotheworld.

BERKELEY Certainly,thereareworseplacesanambitiousyoungIrishscientistcouldhaveendedupthanBerkeley,atruly


world-classuniversity,famousinparticularforitsprowessinphysics,astrophysicsandengineering.Whenanopportunityarosetogothere,Seamusgrabbedit,andherecallsthetimehespenttherefrom’83to’89as“wonderful”and“thebestopportunityofmylife”.Seamuswasinterestedin‘fundamentalphysics’,thetypeofphysicsthatdoesn’tnecessarilyhavea‘realworld’application.Inmanycountries,including,Irelandfundingforsuchworkdoesn’texist.TheUSisoneoftheexceptions. SeamuscompletedhisPhDinBerkeleyin1989.Hehadatremendoustime,andlovedeveryminute.Now,withthedoctoratefinished,itwasdecisiontime.ShouldhereturnhometoIrelandorstay?HewasofferedajobasanAssistantProfessoratBerkeley,andthatmadehisminduptostayintheUS.Inanycase,ifhereturnedhome,itwouldhavebeenvirtuallyimpossibletogetfundingtosupporthis‘fundamental’lineofresearch. ThereweregrowingopportunitiesforscientistsinIreland,evenbackin’89,buttheresearchbeingfunded,thenasnow,wasresearchthatcouldyieldaneconomicreturnintheshortormediumterm.ButforresearcherslikeSeamus,whowanttoexplore

‘basic’sciencethatmightonlyhavealongtermpay-off,ifatall,therewerefewopportunities. TheapproachinIreland,despiteallthetalkaboutinnovationandbecomingworld-classresearchleaders,isthesametodayasitwas20yearsago.Theagenciesthatfundscience


MathematicsDC126 - BSc in Actuarial Mathematics DC127 - Common Entry into Actuarial, Financial and Mathematical Sciences

Health and Human PerformanceDC202 - BSc in Sport Science and Health DC204 - BSc in Athletic Therapy and Training DC205 - BSc in Physical Education with Biology

NursingDC208 - BSc in Psychology DC209 - BSc in Health and Society DC215 - BSc in Nursing (General) DC216 - BSc in Nursing (Psychiatric) DC217 - BSc in Nursing (Intellectual Disability) DC218 - BSc in Children’s and General (Integrated) Nursing

Sciences (Biotechnology, Chemistry and Physics)DC161 - BSc in Analytical Science DC162 - BSc in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences DC166 - BSc in Environmental Science and Health DC167 - BSc in Physics with Astronomy DC168 - BSc in Genetics and Cell Biology DC170 - BSc in Horticulture DC171 - BSc in Applied Physics DC173 - BSc in Physics with Biomedical Sciences DC181 - BSc in Biotechnology DC201 - Common Entry into Science DC203 - BSc in Science Education

DCU FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND HEALTH

www.dcu.ie

Since DCU’s foundation, its Faculty of Science and Health has maintained an enviable record of success and growth, with innovative and interdisciplinary degree courses, that now encompass academic disciplines as diverse as physics and psychology. Also many of its courses have affiliations to or are recognised by external professional bodies, for example, the Institute of Actuaries and the Teaching Council of Ireland.

INTRA , DCU’s paid relevant work experience programme continues to be a key feature of the courses offered by the Faculty, ensuring that its graduates have the experience and skills most sought after by Irish and international employers.

LIVELINK

here do not want to support research that is considered expensive, risky and doesn’t pay off quickly. They are not prepared to risk funding truly innovative research. This is why for researchers like Seamus, Ireland has nothing to offer, both back then and still today. Perhaps wisely then Seamus stayed on in the US, and spent 20 years in Berkeley. “It was fantastic, it felt like 3 or 4 weeks, but it was actually 20 years,” he said. “I met my wife, who is English, from Walden in Essex. She was a Professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Then we got married and had two boys.” The boys changed everything, as now the couple, neither of whom was from a big city decided they wanted to leave the Bay Area and work in a less expensive area that was ‘better for the kids’.

ITHAECA That ‘better place’ became Ithaca — a beautiful university town that lies nestled in idyllic countryside in upstate New York, and home to Cornell University. This was a university that had just as famous a reputation in physics as Berkeley. Seamus became Professor of Physics at Cornell, and the family settled quickly finding Ithaca a far easier place to live. Here Seamus became associated with Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, another world-class physics institution, as well as St Andrews University, in Scotland. Soon, he recommenced his researches into the nature of exotic materials such as super solids, super fluids, and super-conductors. These materials had astonishing properties, he said, with huge potential. Super-conductors should not be confused with semi-conductors – the latter being famously associated with microchip manufacturers such as Intel. The semi-conductors made by Intel are based on silicon, and their physical characteristics can be altered by adding impurities, for example. The semi-conductors are governed by the laws of physics as we know them, but super-conductors do not obey any such laws. The potential is there, for example, explained Seamus to develop an electrical grid, using super-conducting wires, that is capable of transmitting electrical power with no losses, and absolute perfect efficiency. The current grids lose a lot of power during


transmission, and this, of course, is a waste of a valuable resource, and results in more power usage. Similarly with laptops, there is substantial leakage of electrical power. This is why a laptop tends to heat up over time. A superconducting laptop would not heat up at all. It would be super power efficient, and it would vastly quick in performing computations. It might come as a surprise to learn that superconductors have been known to scientists for almost 100 years, but researchers have not been able to harness their amazing capabilities in al that time. The reason for that is that superconductors only work at extremely low temperatures, something in the region of -250C. Until a way can be found to make them operate at room temperature, they will be of little practical use to society. Seamus says that making super-conductors operate at room temperature is a “profound problem of physics”, but not so profound that it can’t be solved in coming decades. When that happens then super-conductors could be used for all manner of electrical devices, such as computers, laptops, and mobile phones and replace semi-conductors as the material of choice in most devices. But, the breakthrough in super-conductors is highly unlikely to be made here in Ireland, as there is no support for long-term basic research.

Ireland, or any country that is serious about its science, should have part of its ‘spend’ supporting research set aside for new ideas with potential, that might just as easily not yield an economic return, says Seamus. “You need some fraction of the portfolio to be associated with risky efforts based on new ideas that haven’t been explored before. There is no guarantee, but if you do nothing, there is a guarantee that you won’t succeed.”

ADVICE Meanwhile, Seamus’ advice to students that are interested in science, and about to sit their Leaving Certificate in 2011, or 2012 is to be disciplined and focus on an objective. He says there is no better job in the world for providing the means to pursue one’s own curiosity and interests. His least favourite of the job is searching for funding for research. He adds that professional scientists must be prepared to be highly mobile, and that he has Irish, Chinese, Korean, Israeli, Canadian, German, Portuguese, Taiwanese, Swiss, Scottish, and Indian nationals in his research group at Cornell University. So, his advice to students considering science is to worry about emigration issues. “I would ignore them because any high-level scientist will have to move from country to country anyway.”

Earth shaking workGrace Campbell likes to makes the connection between science and education. Tom Kennedy reports.

Quite a few students will have met up with Grace Campbell,

for she has been doing the rounds, visiting teacher centres and schools to explain all about earthquakes. Grace is involved with the outreach programme run by the Institute of Advanced Studies, a body established just over 70 years ago to foster basic research physics, cosmology and celtic studies. Although Ireland is not a hot spot for earthquakes, the Institute has always followed a tradition laid down by Dublin born engineer, Robert Mallet, a 19th century pioneer of seismology, the scientific study of how waves are propagated through the Earth’s crust. Seismology is of enormous international importance, and Grace

became aware of the Irish connection when Tom Ray from the Institute gave a presentation to students at DCU. At the time, Grace was studying environmental sciences. “I was quite interested in science, teaching, and science education,” she said, and when Tom Ray talked about an outreach programme, she remembers asking if there was any prospect of working in that area. As luck would have it, an opportunity to work on temporary placement at the Institute did come up, but then Grace had to finish her studies, going on to take a masters in environmental management. At that stage, just as Grace was beginning to wonder what came next, she received

a totally unexpected call from “out of the blue”. The Institute. “Would I go back?” Grace jumped at the chance, and until next May she will be working with teachers and going out to schools to show how instruments can trace the shudders as quakes sent waves around the world. “I am impressed by the dedication of so many teachers,” she said. There is great satisfaction in helping students to learn about science, she observed, but is also a bit disappointed that it is not so easy for a scientist to become a qualified teacher. “I am definitely going to stay with science,” said Grace, but she likes the idea of staying close to education, and she remembers how important her own teachers were in shaping her attitude to science. At St Louis in Rathmines, said Grace, “we had great teachers, they were quite young, and they loved what

they were doing.” Students were encouraged to do well, and in first year everyone had to take up science. “Chemistry just grabbed me,” she remarked, and “I had an amazing teacher, Miss Hollorhan.” Going to university was the next logical step, but as Grace explained, she wanted to keep all her options open. “With common science,” she said, “you get a taste of everything within DCU.” The broad range appealed to Grace, so she went for environmental sciences as it involves a mix of chemistry, physics and biology. “I went for it, and have not looked back since,” she said. As Grace said of herself, “I love talking, I love debating,” so she enjoys going out and about to fire up interest in science, but take care not to annoy her. Grace has a black belt in karate.

Whychoose the Faculty of

Engineering, Mathematics & Scienceat Trinity College Dublin?

• The Faculty is part of the oldest University in Ireland • The University Library is one of the largest and best stocked in Europe• You can avail of our world class research facilities and laboratories • You will be part of a unique student body with over 15,500 students from over

90 different countries • There are over 100 societies and 50 sports clubs for students to join

NEW UG courses include: • Nanoscience – Physics and Chemistry of

Advanced Materials• Geography & Political Sciences• Earth Sciences• Human Health & Disease

Science in TCD Looking for excellent training in Science withmaximum flexibility & choice? See our Sciencecourse (TR 071) which offers no less than 17specialist areas.www.tcd.ie/Science

Why not see what we can offer YOU by visiting us at:www.ems.tcd.ie

What can you study? The Faculty has excellentundergraduate andpostgraduate programmesincluding:• 4 year honours degrees• Taught Postgraduate

programmes• Masters programmes• PhDs

Students are offered avariety of options fromacross 8 Schools:Biochemistry &ImmunologyChemistryComputer Science &StatisticsEngineeringGenetics & MicrobiologyNatural SciencesMathematicsPhysics

The Faculty accommodates a wide range of research interests including: BioengineeringBioinformaticsEnergyImmunologyNanoscienceNeuroscienceThe EnvironmentTransport


here do not want to support research that is considered expensive, risky and doesn’t pay off quickly. They are not prepared to risk funding truly innovative research. This is why for researchers like Seamus, Ireland has nothing to offer, both back then and still today. Perhaps wisely then Seamus stayed on in the US, and spent 20 years in Berkeley. “It was fantastic, it felt like 3 or 4 weeks, but it was actually 20 years,” he said. “I met my wife, who is English, from Walden in Essex. She was a Professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Then we got married and had two boys.” The boys changed everything, as now the couple, neither of whom was from a big city decided they wanted to leave the Bay Area and work in a less expensive area that was ‘better for the kids’.

ITHAECA That ‘better place’ became Ithaca — a beautiful university town that lies nestled in idyllic countryside in upstate New York, and home to Cornell University. This was a university that had just as famous a reputation in physics as Berkeley. Seamus became Professor of Physics at Cornell, and the family settled quickly finding Ithaca a far easier place to live. Here Seamus became associated with Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, another world-class physics institution, as well as St Andrews University, in Scotland. Soon, he recommenced his researches into the nature of exotic materials such as super solids, super fluids, and super-conductors. These materials had astonishing properties, he said, with huge potential. Super-conductors should not be confused with semi-conductors – the latter being famously associated with microchip manufacturers such as Intel. The semi-conductors made by Intel are based on silicon, and their physical characteristics can be altered by adding impurities, for example. The semi-conductors are governed by the laws of physics as we know them, but super-conductors do not obey any such laws. The potential is there, for example, explained Seamus to develop an electrical grid, using super-conducting wires, that is capable of transmitting electrical power with no losses, and absolute perfect efficiency. The current grids lose a lot of power during


transmission, and this, of course, is a waste of a valuable resource, and results in more power usage. Similarly with laptops, there is substantial leakage of electrical power. This is why a laptop tends to heat up over time. A superconducting laptop would not heat up at all. It would be super power efficient, and it would vastly quick in performing computations. It might come as a surprise to learn that superconductors have been known to scientists for almost 100 years, but researchers have not been able to harness their amazing capabilities in al that time. The reason for that is that superconductors only work at extremely low temperatures, something in the region of -250C. Until a way can be found to make them operate at room temperature, they will be of little practical use to society. Seamus says that making super-conductors operate at room temperature is a “profound problem of physics”, but not so profound that it can’t be solved in coming decades. When that happens then super-conductors could be used for all manner of electrical devices, such as computers, laptops, and mobile phones and replace semi-conductors as the material of choice in most devices. But, the breakthrough in super-conductors is highly unlikely to be made here in Ireland, as there is no support for long-term basic research.

Ireland, or any country that is serious about its science, should have part of its ‘spend’ supporting research set aside for new ideas with potential, that might just as easily not yield an economic return, says Seamus. “You need some fraction of the portfolio to be associated with risky efforts based on new ideas that haven’t been explored before. There is no guarantee, but if you do nothing, there is a guarantee that you won’t succeed.”

ADVICE Meanwhile, Seamus’ advice to students that are interested in science, and about to sit their Leaving Certificate in 2011, or 2012 is to be disciplined and focus on an objective. He says there is no better job in the world for providing the means to pursue one’s own curiosity and interests. His least favourite of the job is searching for funding for research. He adds that professional scientists must be prepared to be highly mobile, and that he has Irish, Chinese, Korean, Israeli, Canadian, German, Portuguese, Taiwanese, Swiss, Scottish, and Indian nationals in his research group at Cornell University. So, his advice to students considering science is to worry about emigration issues. “I would ignore them because any high-level scientist will have to move from country to country anyway.”

Earth shaking workGrace Campbell likes to makes the connection between science and education. Tom Kennedy reports.

Quite a few students will have met up with Grace Campbell,

for she has been doing the rounds, visiting teacher centres and schools to explain all about earthquakes. Grace is involved with the outreach programme run by the Institute of Advanced Studies, a body established just over 70 years ago to foster basic research physics, cosmology and celtic studies. Although Ireland is not a hot spot for earthquakes, the Institute has always followed a tradition laid down by Dublin born engineer, Robert Mallet, a 19th century pioneer of seismology, the scientific study of how waves are propagated through the Earth’s crust. Seismology is of enormous international importance, and Grace

became aware of the Irish connection when Tom Ray from the Institute gave a presentation to students at DCU. At the time, Grace was studying environmental sciences. “I was quite interested in science, teaching, and science education,” she said, and when Tom Ray talked about an outreach programme, she remembers asking if there was any prospect of working in that area. As luck would have it, an opportunity to work on temporary placement at the Institute did come up, but then Grace had to finish her studies, going on to take a masters in environmental management. At that stage, just as Grace was beginning to wonder what came next, she received

a totally unexpected call from “out of the blue”. The Institute. “Would I go back?” Grace jumped at the chance, and until next May she will be working with teachers and going out to schools to show how instruments can trace the shudders as quakes sent waves around the world. “I am impressed by the dedication of so many teachers,” she said. There is great satisfaction in helping students to learn about science, she observed, but is also a bit disappointed that it is not so easy for a scientist to become a qualified teacher. “I am definitely going to stay with science,” said Grace, but she likes the idea of staying close to education, and she remembers how important her own teachers were in shaping her attitude to science. At St Louis in Rathmines, said Grace, “we had great teachers, they were quite young, and they loved what

they were doing.” Students were encouraged to do well, and in first year everyone had to take up science. “Chemistry just grabbed me,” she remarked, and “I had an amazing teacher, Miss Hollorhan.” Going to university was the next logical step, but as Grace explained, she wanted to keep all her options open. “With common science,” she said, “you get a taste of everything within DCU.” The broad range appealed to Grace, so she went for environmental sciences as it involves a mix of chemistry, physics and biology. “I went for it, and have not looked back since,” she said. As Grace said of herself, “I love talking, I love debating,” so she enjoys going out and about to fire up interest in science, but take care not to annoy her. Grace has a black belt in karate.

Whychoose the Faculty of

Engineering, Mathematics & Scienceat Trinity College Dublin?

• The Faculty is part of the oldest University in Ireland • The University Library is one of the largest and best stocked in Europe• You can avail of our world class research facilities and laboratories • You will be part of a unique student body with over 15,500 students from over

90 different countries • There are over 100 societies and 50 sports clubs for students to join

NEW UG courses include: • Nanoscience – Physics and Chemistry of

Advanced Materials• Geography & Political Sciences• Earth Sciences• Human Health & Disease

Science in TCD Looking for excellent training in Science withmaximum flexibility & choice? See our Sciencecourse (TR 071) which offers no less than 17specialist areas.www.tcd.ie/Science

Why not see what we can offer YOU by visiting us at:www.ems.tcd.ie

What can you study? The Faculty has excellentundergraduate andpostgraduate programmesincluding:• 4 year honours degrees• Taught Postgraduate

programmes• Masters programmes• PhDs

Students are offered avariety of options fromacross 8 Schools:Biochemistry &ImmunologyChemistryComputer Science &StatisticsEngineeringGenetics & MicrobiologyNatural SciencesMathematicsPhysics

The Faculty accommodates a wide range of research interests including: BioengineeringBioinformaticsEnergyImmunologyNanoscienceNeuroscienceThe EnvironmentTransport


LIVELINK

Study Science at Something for everyone!– Aflexibleladdersystemof programmesleadingtonationally recognisedqualifications– Takeitatyourownpace!– Highemploymentpotentialandstrong earnings

Requirements– HonoursMathsNOTessential– LeavingCertificateSciencesubjectsare anadvantagebutNOTessential

Benefits in ITT Dublin• Greatsociallife-small classsizesenableyouto buildagreatsociallifeinadditionto theacademicbenefits• Wearecommittedtoallaspectsof thestudentlife–academic,personal, social,culturalandsporting.• Weprovidestudyclinicstohelp youunderstandacademicissuesthat maybeconfusingyouorholding youback.Wedon’tjustdelivera coursewesupportyouthroughyour course.

For further information please log onto www.ittdublin.ie or e-mail [email protected]

TA321 BScHonsPharmaceuticalScience

TA326 BScHonsDNAandForensicScience

TA324 BScHonsAppliedChemistry

TA325 BScHonsBioanalyticalScience

1 year add-onTA311BScScience(ChemicalAnalysisORBioanalysis))TA314BScPharmaceuticalScienceTA315BScDNAandForensicScienceTA316BScSportsScienceandHealth

1 year add-on 3 year direct entry

TA301HigherCertificateinScience(AppliedBiologyORAppliedChemistry)

2 year direct entry

4 year direct entry

ProgressionPathway

Choosetheprogrammethatisrightforyou!

The decision to become a ‘biomedical engineer’ was prompted by

witnessing how machines helped a family member cope with kidney disease while he was a teenager. These days, Richard Reilly, Professor of Neural Engineering at TCD, and a ‘stat’ of the Irish research scene, wants to de-code and intercept the language of the brain and then interact with it, so that people that can’t move their limbs can simply ‘think’ an action, and a machine will perform it. This work will entail gaining greater insights into how the brain communicates, and how that communication might change with age, or disease. In the future, thanks to people like Richard, it is possible that disabled people, seriously injured people, and people suffering from a range of diseases and disorders, could lead

more independent lives. Studies show thoughts can now be ‘read’ with a high degree of accuracy. This means that when a person thinks a word, such as ‘yes’, that brain scanning machines can — with an accuracy of up to 90 per cent — translate that thought as ‘yes. It seems reasonable to suppose that the accuracy levels will soon approach 100 per cent. Right now, a person that has, for example, become completely paralyzed from the neck down, following a car accident, has to rely on others to move their wheelchair or even to turn on the TV and change the channel. In the not-to-distant future, thanks to Prof Reilly and others, it is likely a person could move their own wheelchair

themselves, by thinking ‘left’, ‘right’, ‘forwards’, or ‘backwards’. Likewise the TV could be turned ‘on’ or ‘off’. It might seem basic to the rest of us, but for a paralyzed person this is a huge advance. There is a growing area of science that is seeking to explore ‘brain computer interfaces’. This can be broadly described as systems that allow the brain to control devices. Richard describes himself, somewhat surprisingly, as a “big critic” of work on such interfaces, as he believes that most of the researchers doing this

THE CODE-BREAKERProf Richard Reilly aims to by-pass our disabilities by using nothing more than thought to command devices. Seán Duke reports.


The Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Limerick invites you to share in the experience of our progressive and exciting campus near Limerick City.

Five new exciting undergraduate honours degree programmes recently launched:LM087 Bsc EnergyLM088 BSc Mathematics and PhysicsLM115 BE Chemical and Biochemical EngineeringLM116 BE Engineering ChoiceLM117 BSc Science ChoiceLM118 BE Electronic and Computer Engineering

l The University Mathematics Learning Centre, the Science Learning Centre and the ICT Learning Centre offer one-to-one support, additional tutorials, a drop-in centre and a supervised study area for all students.

l Co-operative Education and Teaching Practice placements in industry, education and business for all undergraduate degree programmes.

l World Class Engineering and Science Laboratory Facilities, Cultural and Sporting Facilities (including a 50m pool) and on-campus state-of-the-art student accommodation for some 2,500 students further enhance this exceptional learning and working environment.

l Special Mathematics Entrance Exam for those who meet the CAO requirements for entry into all of our BEng and BSc courses but who did not achieve the requisite grade in Leaving Certificate mathematics. Exam date 25th August 2011.

For a full list of all degree programmes and further information visit www.scieng.ul.ieTel: 061 202642 or email [email protected]

www.ul.ie

Faculty of Scienceand Engineering

LIVELINKLIVE

LINK

Study Science at Something for everyone!– Aflexibleladdersystemof programmesleadingtonationally recognisedqualifications– Takeitatyourownpace!– Highemploymentpotentialandstrong earnings

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For further information please log onto www.ittdublin.ie or e-mail [email protected]

TA321 BScHonsPharmaceuticalScience

TA326 BScHonsDNAandForensicScience

TA324 BScHonsAppliedChemistry

TA325 BScHonsBioanalyticalScience

1 year add-onTA311BScScience(ChemicalAnalysisORBioanalysis))TA314BScPharmaceuticalScienceTA315BScDNAandForensicScienceTA316BScSportsScienceandHealth

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Choosetheprogrammethatisrightforyou!

The decision to become a ‘biomedical engineer’ was prompted by

witnessing how machines helped a family member cope with kidney disease while he was a teenager. These days, Richard Reilly, Professor of Neural Engineering at TCD, and a ‘stat’ of the Irish research scene, wants to de-code and intercept the language of the brain and then interact with it, so that people that can’t move their limbs can simply ‘think’ an action, and a machine will perform it. This work will entail gaining greater insights into how the brain communicates, and how that communication might change with age, or disease. In the future, thanks to people like Richard, it is possible that disabled people, seriously injured people, and people suffering from a range of diseases and disorders, could lead

more independent lives. Studies show thoughts can now be ‘read’ with a high degree of accuracy. This means that when a person thinks a word, such as ‘yes’, that brain scanning machines can — with an accuracy of up to 90 per cent — translate that thought as ‘yes. It seems reasonable to suppose that the accuracy levels will soon approach 100 per cent. Right now, a person that has, for example, become completely paralyzed from the neck down, following a car accident, has to rely on others to move their wheelchair or even to turn on the TV and change the channel. In the not-to-distant future, thanks to Prof Reilly and others, it is likely a person could move their own wheelchair

themselves, by thinking ‘left’, ‘right’, ‘forwards’, or ‘backwards’. Likewise the TV could be turned ‘on’ or ‘off’. It might seem basic to the rest of us, but for a paralyzed person this is a huge advance. There is a growing area of science that is seeking to explore ‘brain computer interfaces’. This can be broadly described as systems that allow the brain to control devices. Richard describes himself, somewhat surprisingly, as a “big critic” of work on such interfaces, as he believes that most of the researchers doing this

THE CODE-BREAKERProf Richard Reilly aims to by-pass our disabilities by using nothing more than thought to command devices. Seán Duke reports.


The Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Limerick invites you to share in the experience of our progressive and exciting campus near Limerick City.

Five new exciting undergraduate honours degree programmes recently launched:LM087 Bsc EnergyLM088 BSc Mathematics and PhysicsLM115 BE Chemical and Biochemical EngineeringLM116 BE Engineering ChoiceLM117 BSc Science ChoiceLM118 BE Electronic and Computer Engineering

l The University Mathematics Learning Centre, the Science Learning Centre and the ICT Learning Centre offer one-to-one support, additional tutorials, a drop-in centre and a supervised study area for all students.

l Co-operative Education and Teaching Practice placements in industry, education and business for all undergraduate degree programmes.

l World Class Engineering and Science Laboratory Facilities, Cultural and Sporting Facilities (including a 50m pool) and on-campus state-of-the-art student accommodation for some 2,500 students further enhance this exceptional learning and working environment.

l Special Mathematics Entrance Exam for those who meet the CAO requirements for entry into all of our BEng and BSc courses but who did not achieve the requisite grade in Leaving Certificate mathematics. Exam date 25th August 2011.

For a full list of all degree programmes and further information visit www.scieng.ul.ieTel: 061 202642 or email [email protected]

www.ul.ie

Faculty of Scienceand Engineering

LIVELINKLIVE

LINK


The PharmaChem industry is undoubtedly Ireland’s most valuable

and stable industrial sector. It had exports of €42 billion in 2009 and employed more than 25,000 directly, with a similar number in support roles. With eight of the top ten global PharmaChem companies located here, the industry has an ongoing demand for graduates, frequently offering starting salaries of c€28,000. Based on the increasing demand for graduates who are qualified in pharmacology, biological sciences and chemistry, Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) has revamped its honours degree in pharmaceutical science.

The BSc (Honours) in Pharmaceutical Science will now:l Feature novel student-centred teaching approachesl Integrate teaching with the research activity of AIT and industry researchersl Utilise new state-of-the-art laboratory facilitiesl Comprehensively impart all aspects of product development activities l Impart hands-on, life-long skill sets in synthesis, formulation and analysis of all pharmaceutical ingredientsl Uncover the challenges faced daily by industry scientists and present solutions, as well as methodologies to apply the

optimal experimental designs to address such challengesl Accept applications from holders of appropriate Level 6 and Level 7 awards for entry to year 3 and year 4 as appropriate

Learn answers to fundamental questions such as:l Why are some drugs addictive and others create no such dependency?l How are drugs named?l What does strength or potency mean?l How is aspirin made?l How is it made into a tablet or other dosage form?l How does aspirin differ from ibuprofen or paracetamol?l How is it tested and certified for safety?

A Case Study – Would Aspirin Pass Muster Today?In an early expression of ethno-pharmacology, a version of aspirin was extracted from the bark of the willow in medieval times for use as a painkiller. But this form was overly acidic for many uses and a more benign version is now chemically synthesized since the late 1890s. Aspirin is a widely used analgesic (painkiller) and also has antipyretic (fever reducing) and

anti-inflammatory properties. Despite its longevity and simplicity (it is structurally one of the smallest drugs), it continues to surprise and was recently cited to have certain anti-cancer (colon) effects, to go with earlier reports of anti-stroke properties. It is something of an anachronism in that many experts in toxicology would agree that were aspirin to be discovered today, it would possibly fail to satisfy the strict safety criteria laid down and requiring to be satisfied prior to drug approval. AIT’s BSc (Hons) in Pharmaceutical Science will comprehensively equip the student with the relevant skills to answer, or indeed manage a team of scientists, in seeking to define critical properties for such drugs. This course is unique in providing an integrated platform for the study of the preparation and fate of drugs in the body.

What Career Paths are Open for Graduates of Pharmaceutical Science?Previous graduates are currently:Conducting PhD and MSc research in:l Pharmacognosy l Forensic anthropologyl Formulation developmentl Pharmaceutical analysis

In full-time employment as:l Synthetic chemistsl Active pharmaceutical ingredient characterisationl Preformulation screeningl Chromatographic scientistsl Toxicology and bioanalytical specialists

Application to the BSc (Honours) in Pharmaceutical Science is through

the CAO (code: AL053). For further information visit

www.ait.ie/science

James Roche is a lecturer in the Department of Life and Physical Science, AIT.

AIT Relaunches its BSc (Hons) in PHARMACeuTICAL SCIenCe

James Roche

kind of work are only focusing on the applications end of things, the devices or end products, rather than trying to explore and understand more about the neurology of the brain itself. The understanding of the brain must come first, before products Richard believes or it risks giving false hope to people.

SCHOOL From Dublin, Richard attended St Conleth’s College, Clyde Road, Ballsbridge for both his primary and secondary education. He recalls some fantastic teachers, and small class sizes, with a great physics and chemistry laboratory. Richard’s dad, James Reilly, was an architect and his parents instilled in him from a young age, a love of architecture, and the history and legacy of ancient Greece and Rome. He vividly recalls visiting his father’s office and being fascinated by the set squares, huge drawing boards, and people putting their ideas down on paper. But, something was to happen to spark an interest in science. When he was 13 or 14 a close family member began to have difficulty with her kidneys, and Richard recalls visiting the hospital with her and seeing how machines purified her blood, transforming her from a lethargic state, to being full of ‘pep’ and ready to go. It made a lasting impression on him. He decided there and then that he would find out about how to get involved with machines that would interact with the body like that. This was the moment when his career path changed from architecture to biomedical engineering. The family member went on to have a kidney transplant. That was 1982; the year Richard did his Leaving Certificate. The operation was successful and the family member is alive and well today. That year of ’82 was also a year when Ireland – not unlike today – was in the grip of a savage recession, with an unstable government and cuts and job losses everywhere. However, for the teenage Richard none of that mattered. He was determined to pursue his passion, which he had identified by now as the emerging field of biomedical engineering. He recalls that it would have been far easier for him to do architecture, as with his father he had a route in to the profession and many excellent contacts. But, he chose to follow his passion. He did his research, in the pre-

Internet era, and discovered that there was a UCD electronic engineer called Prof Annraoí de Paor, doing research into how machines could be adapted to help humans. He wrote him a letter of introduction.

COLLEGERichard had great expectations of college, and perhaps because he had done extensive homework in advance, in terms of selecting his college and his course, it lived up to his expectations. His first year was in Belfield, but after that he was based in Merrion Street, in the city centre, where all the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students lived in close proximity, almost “almost falling over each other”. This closeness meant he could see what others were doing in the projects, could ask questions, and decide who he’d like to work with. He enjoyed Merrion Street greatly. He chose a final undergraduate research year project working with the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire – which was to prove the start of a career-long connection – in the area of speech and language. He worked with stroke victims, people that often lose some power of speech. He built a ‘splint’ that could measure the impact of a person’s tongue on the alveolar ridge on the ridge of the mouth. This indicated how well a person could articulate ‘b’ and ‘c’ sounds. It was an objective measure of articulation that assisted the work of speech therapists. Richard won a prize for his research project from Hewlett Packard. It was a pivotal moment. Suddenly he was considering further research after his undergraduate degree, rather than going out immediately into the workplace. “That changed everything and I thought maybe this research side of things is interesting,” he recalled. He stayed on at UCD to do a M.Sc. with Prof Annraoi de Paor, the man he wanted to work with since his final year in school. They worked on an Irish language speech and language synthesizer.

NASA At this point, Richard’s abilities had started to be noticed, and he was approached by a company called Space Technology Ireland, run by the famous Prof Susan McKenna Lawlor, now retired, at NUI Maynooth. He was offered a job in Paris to work on ‘signal processing’ for scientific satellites – to

be launched by NASA. He was based at the CNRS (Centre national de la recherché scientifique) in Paris at the Observatoire de Meudon. This was “incredibly exciting” and Richard went on to work on two space satellite projects. In Paris he enjoyed working on big scale projects, with big budgets, and huge planning — where everyone’s work impacted directly on everyone else, and all team members had to work backwards from a launch date. He spent two and a half years working in Paris, but, after a time, he decided he wanted to get back to his passion — biomedical engineering. He returned to Ireland to work on a PhD again with Prof de Paor. His research focused on determining whether he could ‘record’ communication signals from the brain. He again worked with the National Rehabilitation Hospital, primarily with people suffering from Motor Neuron Disease. Richard was now set clearly on the path to an academic career, and a post at UCD followed, and now he is Prof of Neural Engineering, based at TCD.

RESEARCH Over the past decade or so, Richard’s research has been linked closely with St Vincent’s University Hospital, St James’s and The Mater hospitals, all in Dublin. Recently he has been working with Prof Tim Lynch at the Mater in the area of ‘deep brain stimulation’. This involves the implantation of a device, something like a pacemaker into a person and linking that device with the brain. The device stimulates the brain with electrical signals. Though researchers don’t fully understand why, this stimulation can greatly improve the physical symptoms of people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and Essential tremor and Dystonia (the latter being a disease often associated in Ireland with Christy Brown, the writer of My Left Foot). This research is all part of trying to better understand how the brain processes information, and how the various parts of the brain communicate with each other. This understanding could lead to the development of systems that could help disabled people to control machines around them simply by ‘thinking’. The technology to facilitate this happening could be implanted in people’s brains, or connected externally.



The PharmaChem industry is undoubtedly Ireland’s most valuable

and stable industrial sector. It had exports of €42 billion in 2009 and employed more than 25,000 directly, with a similar number in support roles. With eight of the top ten global PharmaChem companies located here, the industry has an ongoing demand for graduates, frequently offering starting salaries of c€28,000. Based on the increasing demand for graduates who are qualified in pharmacology, biological sciences and chemistry, Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) has revamped its honours degree in pharmaceutical science.

The BSc (Honours) in Pharmaceutical Science will now:l Feature novel student-centred teaching approachesl Integrate teaching with the research activity of AIT and industry researchersl Utilise new state-of-the-art laboratory facilitiesl Comprehensively impart all aspects of product development activities l Impart hands-on, life-long skill sets in synthesis, formulation and analysis of all pharmaceutical ingredientsl Uncover the challenges faced daily by industry scientists and present solutions, as well as methodologies to apply the

optimal experimental designs to address such challengesl Accept applications from holders of appropriate Level 6 and Level 7 awards for entry to year 3 and year 4 as appropriate

Learn answers to fundamental questions such as:l Why are some drugs addictive and others create no such dependency?l How are drugs named?l What does strength or potency mean?l How is aspirin made?l How is it made into a tablet or other dosage form?l How does aspirin differ from ibuprofen or paracetamol?l How is it tested and certified for safety?

A Case Study – Would Aspirin Pass Muster Today?In an early expression of ethno-pharmacology, a version of aspirin was extracted from the bark of the willow in medieval times for use as a painkiller. But this form was overly acidic for many uses and a more benign version is now chemically synthesized since the late 1890s. Aspirin is a widely used analgesic (painkiller) and also has antipyretic (fever reducing) and

anti-inflammatory properties. Despite its longevity and simplicity (it is structurally one of the smallest drugs), it continues to surprise and was recently cited to have certain anti-cancer (colon) effects, to go with earlier reports of anti-stroke properties. It is something of an anachronism in that many experts in toxicology would agree that were aspirin to be discovered today, it would possibly fail to satisfy the strict safety criteria laid down and requiring to be satisfied prior to drug approval. AIT’s BSc (Hons) in Pharmaceutical Science will comprehensively equip the student with the relevant skills to answer, or indeed manage a team of scientists, in seeking to define critical properties for such drugs. This course is unique in providing an integrated platform for the study of the preparation and fate of drugs in the body.

What Career Paths are Open for Graduates of Pharmaceutical Science?Previous graduates are currently:Conducting PhD and MSc research in:l Pharmacognosy l Forensic anthropologyl Formulation developmentl Pharmaceutical analysis

In full-time employment as:l Synthetic chemistsl Active pharmaceutical ingredient characterisationl Preformulation screeningl Chromatographic scientistsl Toxicology and bioanalytical specialists

Application to the BSc (Honours) in Pharmaceutical Science is through

the CAO (code: AL053). For further information visit

www.ait.ie/science

James Roche is a lecturer in the Department of Life and Physical Science, AIT.

AIT Relaunches its BSc (Hons) in PHARMACeuTICAL SCIenCe

James Roche

kind of work are only focusing on the applications end of things, the devices or end products, rather than trying to explore and understand more about the neurology of the brain itself. The understanding of the brain must come first, before products Richard believes or it risks giving false hope to people.

SCHOOL From Dublin, Richard attended St Conleth’s College, Clyde Road, Ballsbridge for both his primary and secondary education. He recalls some fantastic teachers, and small class sizes, with a great physics and chemistry laboratory. Richard’s dad, James Reilly, was an architect and his parents instilled in him from a young age, a love of architecture, and the history and legacy of ancient Greece and Rome. He vividly recalls visiting his father’s office and being fascinated by the set squares, huge drawing boards, and people putting their ideas down on paper. But, something was to happen to spark an interest in science. When he was 13 or 14 a close family member began to have difficulty with her kidneys, and Richard recalls visiting the hospital with her and seeing how machines purified her blood, transforming her from a lethargic state, to being full of ‘pep’ and ready to go. It made a lasting impression on him. He decided there and then that he would find out about how to get involved with machines that would interact with the body like that. This was the moment when his career path changed from architecture to biomedical engineering. The family member went on to have a kidney transplant. That was 1982; the year Richard did his Leaving Certificate. The operation was successful and the family member is alive and well today. That year of ’82 was also a year when Ireland – not unlike today – was in the grip of a savage recession, with an unstable government and cuts and job losses everywhere. However, for the teenage Richard none of that mattered. He was determined to pursue his passion, which he had identified by now as the emerging field of biomedical engineering. He recalls that it would have been far easier for him to do architecture, as with his father he had a route in to the profession and many excellent contacts. But, he chose to follow his passion. He did his research, in the pre-

Internet era, and discovered that there was a UCD electronic engineer called Prof Annraoí de Paor, doing research into how machines could be adapted to help humans. He wrote him a letter of introduction.

COLLEGERichard had great expectations of college, and perhaps because he had done extensive homework in advance, in terms of selecting his college and his course, it lived up to his expectations. His first year was in Belfield, but after that he was based in Merrion Street, in the city centre, where all the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students lived in close proximity, almost “almost falling over each other”. This closeness meant he could see what others were doing in the projects, could ask questions, and decide who he’d like to work with. He enjoyed Merrion Street greatly. He chose a final undergraduate research year project working with the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire – which was to prove the start of a career-long connection – in the area of speech and language. He worked with stroke victims, people that often lose some power of speech. He built a ‘splint’ that could measure the impact of a person’s tongue on the alveolar ridge on the ridge of the mouth. This indicated how well a person could articulate ‘b’ and ‘c’ sounds. It was an objective measure of articulation that assisted the work of speech therapists. Richard won a prize for his research project from Hewlett Packard. It was a pivotal moment. Suddenly he was considering further research after his undergraduate degree, rather than going out immediately into the workplace. “That changed everything and I thought maybe this research side of things is interesting,” he recalled. He stayed on at UCD to do a M.Sc. with Prof Annraoi de Paor, the man he wanted to work with since his final year in school. They worked on an Irish language speech and language synthesizer.

NASA At this point, Richard’s abilities had started to be noticed, and he was approached by a company called Space Technology Ireland, run by the famous Prof Susan McKenna Lawlor, now retired, at NUI Maynooth. He was offered a job in Paris to work on ‘signal processing’ for scientific satellites – to

be launched by NASA. He was based at the CNRS (Centre national de la recherché scientifique) in Paris at the Observatoire de Meudon. This was “incredibly exciting” and Richard went on to work on two space satellite projects. In Paris he enjoyed working on big scale projects, with big budgets, and huge planning — where everyone’s work impacted directly on everyone else, and all team members had to work backwards from a launch date. He spent two and a half years working in Paris, but, after a time, he decided he wanted to get back to his passion — biomedical engineering. He returned to Ireland to work on a PhD again with Prof de Paor. His research focused on determining whether he could ‘record’ communication signals from the brain. He again worked with the National Rehabilitation Hospital, primarily with people suffering from Motor Neuron Disease. Richard was now set clearly on the path to an academic career, and a post at UCD followed, and now he is Prof of Neural Engineering, based at TCD.

RESEARCH Over the past decade or so, Richard’s research has been linked closely with St Vincent’s University Hospital, St James’s and The Mater hospitals, all in Dublin. Recently he has been working with Prof Tim Lynch at the Mater in the area of ‘deep brain stimulation’. This involves the implantation of a device, something like a pacemaker into a person and linking that device with the brain. The device stimulates the brain with electrical signals. Though researchers don’t fully understand why, this stimulation can greatly improve the physical symptoms of people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and Essential tremor and Dystonia (the latter being a disease often associated in Ireland with Christy Brown, the writer of My Left Foot). This research is all part of trying to better understand how the brain processes information, and how the various parts of the brain communicate with each other. This understanding could lead to the development of systems that could help disabled people to control machines around them simply by ‘thinking’. The technology to facilitate this happening could be implanted in people’s brains, or connected externally.


LIVELINK

Science @ GMIT, Galway Campus

The reasons students give for choosing GMIT@Galway to do their Science degree include:

Field Trips Students of the Freshwater & Marine Biology course complete numerous fieldtrips at home and abroad.

Projects Extensive exposure to project work develops skills such as critical thinking, decision making, project management and planning – skills much sought after by employers.

Industrial Placement

Placement at home or abroad: All degree courses now have an industrial placement integrated into the programme. This gives students valuable work experience and helps them develop exciting and well paid careers.

Practicals Practical laboratory work forms a major part of all

programmes – this gives students an excellent science education and helps students build up marks as they progress

through each year of study.

Small class sizes – this helps provide an excellent learning environment.

Good employment record – look at some of our graduate profiles in the college prospectus. The applied nature of our courses, and the high level of practical and project work that are an inherent feature of our courses, puts our graduates in a great position to develop exciting careers in a range of areas.

www.gmit.ie/science

Already, it is possible for disabled people to control machines, or devices, by thinking, albeit in a limited way. For example, it is possible to change the channels on the TV, or to turn something on or off. In the USA, it is ethically possible to do research on human volunteers – which is not possible in Europe – and this has enabled researchers to implant dense electrodes in the cortex of living people and ‘translate’ brain patterns. In Europe, researchers must work with electrodes on the skull of human volunteers. This reduces the options for researchers in Ireland like Richard, but he believes he can still make progress. In Europe research tends to use 512 electrodes placed around the heads of human volunteers – in a skull cap kind of arrangement. Then experiments can be set up using EEG and fMRI brain scanning – brain imaging methods that have improved greatly

in recent years. These brain scanning machines are providing more and more precise information on the way communication happens within the brain. The idea now is to intercept this information as it travels back and forth around the brain and ‘decode’ it.

JOB Richard loves his work, and to say he simply enjoys it would be inaccurate. The great thing about being a scientist, he said, is that the scientist can define his own destiny, that there is always an adventure, and when experiments are set up and performed, it is never possible to know what is around the corner. It is important to select research projects carefully, he added, as there is simply not enough time in the day to do everything. One of the things he enjoys most about his job is interacting with post-graduate students, and being in the lab. He has an office in his lab, and is,

therefore, always in close proximity to his students. It is also very satisfying that many of his former students are scattered all over the world, and that this network provides new research opportunities.

FUTURE Despite Ireland’s current woes, Richard still believes there is “no comparison” between 1980s and today, in terms of the infrastructure available to support science and the opportunities for researchers to pursue their passion. “When you are at the lab and writing papers and reading papers it is immaterial what is happening outside the door, said Richard. “We may not have as many opportunities for new grants and new things, but there will always be interest and passion for doing things. That won’t change at all.”

The eternal stoveMarie-Catherine Mousseau reports that Séamus O’Shaughnessy has been developing a way to generate power while cooking.

Séamus O’ Shaughnessy is working in TCD on a challenging but

exciting project: Designing, developing and manufacturing a device that could be used by people in the developing world to produce cheap electricity . Basically, the idea is to directly exploit the energy that they use to cook their food – that is the heat emitted during biomass combustion in a stove; hence the name of the project: ‘The Eternal Stove.’ “Approximately 80 per cent of the heat generated in a stove is released to the atmosphere,” said Séamus. The device, integrated in the stove, would use what is called a thermoelectric generator (TEG) to convert some of this waste heat directly to electricity. A TEG module is similar to a solar photo voltaic cell, in that it is used to produce electric current directly from energy. When it is connected to a heat source, some of the heat is absorbed by the material and converted directly to electricity (an effect discovered by

a German, Thomas Johann Seebeck, in 1821 but only exploited in the last 25 years). Séamus ‘s resesearch is all about creating a device which would transfer heat through the TEG to generate electricity , and provide the most amount of electricty for the lowest cost. He explained: “the device will transfer waste heat to the hot side of the TEG. Swift removal of heat from

the cold side of the TEG maintains a flow of energy through the device.” This flow of energy prevents the TEG from overheating and breakdown. But most importantly it is some of this energy flow which is converted to electricity. Séamus enjoys what he is doing. As he put it, “there is a sense that this research and development could


Science @ GMIT, Galway Campus

The reasons students give for choosing GMIT@Galway to do their Science degree include:

Field Trips Students of the Freshwater & Marine Biology course complete numerous fieldtrips at home and abroad.

Projects Extensive exposure to project work develops skills such as critical thinking, decision making, project management and planning – skills much sought after by employers.

Industrial Placement

Placement at home or abroad: All degree courses now have an industrial placement integrated into the programme. This gives students valuable work experience and helps them develop exciting and well paid careers.

Practicals Practical laboratory work forms a major part of all

programmes – this gives students an excellent science education and helps students build up marks as they progress

through each year of study.

Small class sizes – this helps provide an excellent learning environment.

Good employment record – look at some of our graduate profiles in the college prospectus. The applied nature of our courses, and the high level of practical and project work that are an inherent feature of our courses, puts our graduates in a great position to develop exciting careers in a range of areas.

www.gmit.ie/science

Already, it is possible for disabled people to control machines, or devices, by thinking, albeit in a limited way. For example, it is possible to change the channels on the TV, or to turn something on or off. In the USA, it is ethically possible to do research on human volunteers – which is not possible in Europe – and this has enabled researchers to implant dense electrodes in the cortex of living people and ‘translate’ brain patterns. In Europe, researchers must work with electrodes on the skull of human volunteers. This reduces the options for researchers in Ireland like Richard, but he believes he can still make progress. In Europe research tends to use 512 electrodes placed around the heads of human volunteers – in a skull cap kind of arrangement. Then experiments can be set up using EEG and fMRI brain scanning – brain imaging methods that have improved greatly

in recent years. These brain scanning machines are providing more and more precise information on the way communication happens within the brain. The idea now is to intercept this information as it travels back and forth around the brain and ‘decode’ it.

JOB Richard loves his work, and to say he simply enjoys it would be inaccurate. The great thing about being a scientist, he said, is that the scientist can define his own destiny, that there is always an adventure, and when experiments are set up and performed, it is never possible to know what is around the corner. It is important to select research projects carefully, he added, as there is simply not enough time in the day to do everything. One of the things he enjoys most about his job is interacting with post-graduate students, and being in the lab. He has an office in his lab, and is,

therefore, always in close proximity to his students. It is also very satisfying that many of his former students are scattered all over the world, and that this network provides new research opportunities.

FUTURE Despite Ireland’s current woes, Richard still believes there is “no comparison” between 1980s and today, in terms of the infrastructure available to support science and the opportunities for researchers to pursue their passion. “When you are at the lab and writing papers and reading papers it is immaterial what is happening outside the door, said Richard. “We may not have as many opportunities for new grants and new things, but there will always be interest and passion for doing things. That won’t change at all.”

The eternal stoveMarie-Catherine Mousseau reports that Séamus O’Shaughnessy has been developing a way to generate power while cooking.

Séamus O’ Shaughnessy is working in TCD on a challenging but

exciting project: Designing, developing and manufacturing a device that could be used by people in the developing world to produce cheap electricity . Basically, the idea is to directly exploit the energy that they use to cook their food – that is the heat emitted during biomass combustion in a stove; hence the name of the project: ‘The Eternal Stove.’ “Approximately 80 per cent of the heat generated in a stove is released to the atmosphere,” said Séamus. The device, integrated in the stove, would use what is called a thermoelectric generator (TEG) to convert some of this waste heat directly to electricity. A TEG module is similar to a solar photo voltaic cell, in that it is used to produce electric current directly from energy. When it is connected to a heat source, some of the heat is absorbed by the material and converted directly to electricity (an effect discovered by

a German, Thomas Johann Seebeck, in 1821 but only exploited in the last 25 years). Séamus ‘s resesearch is all about creating a device which would transfer heat through the TEG to generate electricity , and provide the most amount of electricty for the lowest cost. He explained: “the device will transfer waste heat to the hot side of the TEG. Swift removal of heat from

the cold side of the TEG maintains a flow of energy through the device.” This flow of energy prevents the TEG from overheating and breakdown. But most importantly it is some of this energy flow which is converted to electricity. Séamus enjoys what he is doing. As he put it, “there is a sense that this research and development could

SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 CHOOSING SCIENCELIVELINK

Department of Science and HealthThe Department of Science and Health (DSH) at ITC is a dynamic, focused and innovative Department providing a flexible suite of courses from levels 6-10. The Department is characterised by its niche areas of expertise, student support and practical career focussed programmes. Lectures are supported by practical classes with group tuition giving students unparalleled access to academic staff, all of whom are active in research or curriculum development. Graduates from all of our programmes have the opportunity to continue their studies at postgraduate level. The Department is delighted to accept applications from school leavers, mature students, and part time applicants.

Biological, Biopharmaceutical, Forensic and Analytical ScienceDSH has been providing science programmes for almost 40 years and our graduates are working around the world as biotechnology, pharmaceutical, environmental, educational, analytical, and managerial professionals. The Department focuses on its’ strengths in biology and chemistry based streams and all programmes have an applied, practical, career orientated core. At level 8, we provide honours degrees in Environmental Science (CW168) and Biosciences with Bioforensics or Biopharmaceuticals (CW108). We also have level 6 and 7 awards in Analytical and Forensic Science (CW107), Biosciences (CW117), Pharmacy Technician Studies (CW116), Applied Biology or Applied Chemistry (CW126). All of our final year degree students undertake a commercially orientated research project and develop skills in project planning, team and individual research work, presentation skills and work place planning to prepare graduates for employment. In addition, final year students will also take part in a work placement module where they have the opportunity to apply their skills a real life context.

Sport, Exercise, Athletic Therapy and RehabilitationITC has a long history of Health studies which began with the launch of its Higher Certificate in Physiology and Health Science (CW106) over twenty years ago. This programme remains one of the most popular level 6 courses in the country, providing a unique opportunity to study for a career in the applied health sciences. The vast majority of graduates go on to further study in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, sports rehabilitation, osteopathy, radiography, nutrition and dietetics. With growing participation in competitive and recreational sport the college launched its honours degree in Sport Rehabilitation and Athletic Therapy (CW188) in 2000, training graduates to become competent in supporting the

medical and para-medical professions in the rehabilitation of the injured athlete. Students benefit from a work placement, individual research project, and working in a real life on campus sports rehabilitation clinic. Graduates of the programme are eligible for membership of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy of Ireland (ARTI) and the British Association of Sports Rehabilitators and Trainers (BASRaT). In 2008 the college launched a suite of degree programmes in Sport & Exercise – GAA, Rugby and Soccer (CW807, CW907, CW927) in association with Comhairle Laighean and the GAA, Leinster Rugby, the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Football Association of Ireland. These programmes combine

coaching, fitness, player development and club administration with a broad based academic business or communications curriculum relevant to the development of the sport. Graduates are eligible to progress to the honours degree courses in Business or Communications and Public Relations at IT Carlow and will work in sports related business or public relations environments, games development, sports management; club development; personal coaching or fitness. An honours degree in Sports Science (CW178), which is the study of physiological, biomechanical and psychological influences on performance in sport and exercise is now available at DSH and it welcomed its first class of students in September 2010. Students study the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance and the programme is suited to students with a genuine interest in the science of sport.

Postgraduate research at the Department of Science and HealthThe Department of Science and Health also has an international record of MSc and PhD research and development in a range of areas including biotechnology, molecular ecology, environmental science, Mens’ health and rehabilitative sciences. Research scientists are examining different aspects of Mens’ health in Ireland to develop innovative and multi-disciplinary research and training programmes and the critical evaluation of the therapeutic practices and procedures employed by therapists in clinical practice. They also focus on cutting edge environmental research for pollution control, biofuel production and biomolecular monitoring and these active research groups ensure that

undergraduate students are exposed to the most recent developments in science.

Institute of Technology CarlowAt the Institute of Technology Carlow (ITC), every effort has been made to combine a stress-free location with

top-level tuition and facilities that are state of the art in a number of key disciplines. Located less than an hour from Dublin and serving a catchment area of 700,000 people, ITC had the third highest number of CAO applications of any Institute of Technology in the country this year. The Institute has a student population of

approximately 5,000 with a diverse portfolio of taught programmes in science, engineering and business.

www.itcarlow.ie

Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Cheatharlach

At the Hear t o f South Le ins ter

INSTITUTE ofTECHNOLOGYCARLOW

significantly improve the lives of so many people. I would like to think that my research would be responsible for a positive change in somebody’s life.” He continued: ‘When you consider how many people hate their job, I’m lucky to like mine so much.’ But was this really luck? Séamus O’Shaughnessy did not go into science by chance. “I have always been interested in science. From an early age I was interested in subjects such as astronomy and physics. I’ve always enjoyed mathematics, but mostly I like the discovery aspect of science — everything can be questioned or improved or redesigned,” he said. “ Science is pretty much essential to everything...” he added. Following his taste for design and improvement, Séamus studied engineering in Trinity College Dublin. Like all engineering students, for the first two years of the course he studied aspects of civil, electronic, mechanical and computer engineering. “But of all the branches of engineering on offer in Trinity, mechanical engineering appealed to me most,” he reckoned. And in my opinion, it also offers the widest range of career paths.” So mechanical engineering was his choice for the final two years, before starting a PhD in the field of heat transfer and fluids. Séamus’ idea of doing a PhD was to work on his own project. But as he put it, “I was conscious that a PhD can constrain or pigeonhole a researcher to a specific field,” he said. After four years, he aspired to work on something new. As it happens, his PhD supervisor Dr. Tony Robinson was also working on something new; what’s more, it was right up Séamus’ street, the area of heat transfer. As Séamus’ PhD was nearing completion, ‘the eternal stove‘ project was still in its infancy. The idea of electrification from biomass burning stoves came from a trip that Tony led to Malawi. “An earlier project of ours looked at how we could generate electrical energy from the heat of the sun to power a small light for studying or socializing at night in rural Africa,” explained Tony. “We could not engineer this device to make it affordable for our target market,” he continued”, “but the trip gave us high insight as to how real people in the field might use a stove generator.” After they returned to

Dublin, Irish Aid realised that a device like this could play an important role in reducing some of the negative impacts of cooking. “The stove burns more cleanly, producing significantly less particles, which has a big impact on health. It could reduce indoor air pollution caused by unvented stoves associated with diseases such as bronchitis, or lung cancer”, Tony said. Irish Aid asked them to develop and produce some demonstration devices for evaluation. But designing such a device means having to tackle many different tasks: 1 — heat exchanger design ( for both heat capture and removal) 2 — computational modelling of the heat exchangers, 3 —experimental investigation of the effect of device integration with the stove up 4 — Lab validation, and manufacture of a prototype. Séamus described what all these tasks mean on a day to day basis: “Mostly our work concerns stove characterisation and heat exchanger modeling.” This part would be done on computers, but they also conduct experiments where they actually burn wood to investigate the thermoelectric generators themselves. “In a typical wood-burning experiment we perform a water boil test. This allows us to measure how efficient a particular stove design is in boiling water, and thus ‘rank’ various stove designs,” Séamus explained. “We have also conducted some emissions testing to calculate the amount of certain types of pollutants produced during the burn,” he continued. “Ultimately, we need to discover the best place within a stove to fit our device, and whether this has any undesired impact on the usability of the stove in general.” Of course they don’t want their device to increase the time it takes to cook nzema , the local food staple. Séamus is glad that this project involves the design and development of a product. “Essentially it’s R&D, and that’s where I see my career heading,” he said ” I was given a lot of freedom in my research project to investigate the aspects that interested me, and I really enjoyed it.” This doesn’t mean he loves everything he is doing. Conducting experiments of course is not always a piece of cake. “I don’t like how a stove-

burning experiment means I stink of smoke for the rest of the day!”. But he reckoned there are other practical aspects that are much more enjoyable: “During my PhD I had the opportunity of travelling to conferences worldwide and present my work to audiences of my peers. It was wonderful experience and I got to see so many amazing places and meet a variety of people from all types of backgrounds and cultures.” The Eternal Stove should give him the opportunity for more travel. Soon the device will be presented to the US governement, as part of a global project, called the ‘Global Alliance for Clean Cookstove’.” This is a UN sponsored programme to deploy up to 100 million price subsidised stoves in the developing world in order to reduce pollution, deforestation and increase health and nutritional diversity,” said Wayne O’Connell , the Project Manager. “The Irish Government (through Irish Aid) are playing a leading role and the School of Engineering in Trinity College is proud to be technically supporting this effort,” he pointed out. Then once fully ready ( in three to four months), the prototype will be shipped to Malawi where a three month study will be undertaken to measure both its techncological and societal impact. As Wayne put it, “it is all well and good if we design a stove that works very efficiently in a lab, but what is important to the users is how the device performs in their and home improves their cooking experience.” As for Séamus, he’d like to continue in R&D; “obviously working for a well-established company would be great. Long term I’d like to start my own consultancy company once I’ve got some more experience.” He has one regret though. “Not a regret as such, but I think that to further my career I’ll have to leave Ireland in the next couple of years as the opportunities here for quality R&D are so limited.” He’s probably like so many others, who feel that travelling is fun and stimulating but need to know they have a home to come back to and settle down. Hopefully one day he will.


Department of Science and HealthThe Department of Science and Health (DSH) at ITC is a dynamic, focused and innovative Department providing a flexible suite of courses from levels 6-10. The Department is characterised by its niche areas of expertise, student support and practical career focussed programmes. Lectures are supported by practical classes with group tuition giving students unparalleled access to academic staff, all of whom are active in research or curriculum development. Graduates from all of our programmes have the opportunity to continue their studies at postgraduate level. The Department is delighted to accept applications from school leavers, mature students, and part time applicants.

Biological, Biopharmaceutical, Forensic and Analytical ScienceDSH has been providing science programmes for almost 40 years and our graduates are working around the world as biotechnology, pharmaceutical, environmental, educational, analytical, and managerial professionals. The Department focuses on its’ strengths in biology and chemistry based streams and all programmes have an applied, practical, career orientated core. At level 8, we provide honours degrees in Environmental Science (CW168) and Biosciences with Bioforensics or Biopharmaceuticals (CW108). We also have level 6 and 7 awards in Analytical and Forensic Science (CW107), Biosciences (CW117), Pharmacy Technician Studies (CW116), Applied Biology or Applied Chemistry (CW126). All of our final year degree students undertake a commercially orientated research project and develop skills in project planning, team and individual research work, presentation skills and work place planning to prepare graduates for employment. In addition, final year students will also take part in a work placement module where they have the opportunity to apply their skills a real life context.

Sport, Exercise, Athletic Therapy and RehabilitationITC has a long history of Health studies which began with the launch of its Higher Certificate in Physiology and Health Science (CW106) over twenty years ago. This programme remains one of the most popular level 6 courses in the country, providing a unique opportunity to study for a career in the applied health sciences. The vast majority of graduates go on to further study in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, sports rehabilitation, osteopathy, radiography, nutrition and dietetics. With growing participation in competitive and recreational sport the college launched its honours degree in Sport Rehabilitation and Athletic Therapy (CW188) in 2000, training graduates to become competent in supporting the

medical and para-medical professions in the rehabilitation of the injured athlete. Students benefit from a work placement, individual research project, and working in a real life on campus sports rehabilitation clinic. Graduates of the programme are eligible for membership of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy of Ireland (ARTI) and the British Association of Sports Rehabilitators and Trainers (BASRaT). In 2008 the college launched a suite of degree programmes in Sport & Exercise – GAA, Rugby and Soccer (CW807, CW907, CW927) in association with Comhairle Laighean and the GAA, Leinster Rugby, the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Football Association of Ireland. These programmes combine

coaching, fitness, player development and club administration with a broad based academic business or communications curriculum relevant to the development of the sport. Graduates are eligible to progress to the honours degree courses in Business or Communications and Public Relations at IT Carlow and will work in sports related business or public relations environments, games development, sports management; club development; personal coaching or fitness. An honours degree in Sports Science (CW178), which is the study of physiological, biomechanical and psychological influences on performance in sport and exercise is now available at DSH and it welcomed its first class of students in September 2010. Students study the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance and the programme is suited to students with a genuine interest in the science of sport.

Postgraduate research at the Department of Science and HealthThe Department of Science and Health also has an international record of MSc and PhD research and development in a range of areas including biotechnology, molecular ecology, environmental science, Mens’ health and rehabilitative sciences. Research scientists are examining different aspects of Mens’ health in Ireland to develop innovative and multi-disciplinary research and training programmes and the critical evaluation of the therapeutic practices and procedures employed by therapists in clinical practice. They also focus on cutting edge environmental research for pollution control, biofuel production and biomolecular monitoring and these active research groups ensure that

undergraduate students are exposed to the most recent developments in science.

Institute of Technology CarlowAt the Institute of Technology Carlow (ITC), every effort has been made to combine a stress-free location with

top-level tuition and facilities that are state of the art in a number of key disciplines. Located less than an hour from Dublin and serving a catchment area of 700,000 people, ITC had the third highest number of CAO applications of any Institute of Technology in the country this year. The Institute has a student population of

approximately 5,000 with a diverse portfolio of taught programmes in science, engineering and business.

www.itcarlow.ie

Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Cheatharlach

At the Hear t o f South Le ins ter

INSTITUTE ofTECHNOLOGYCARLOW

significantly improve the lives of so many people. I would like to think that my research would be responsible for a positive change in somebody’s life.” He continued: ‘When you consider how many people hate their job, I’m lucky to like mine so much.’ But was this really luck? Séamus O’Shaughnessy did not go into science by chance. “I have always been interested in science. From an early age I was interested in subjects such as astronomy and physics. I’ve always enjoyed mathematics, but mostly I like the discovery aspect of science — everything can be questioned or improved or redesigned,” he said. “ Science is pretty much essential to everything...” he added. Following his taste for design and improvement, Séamus studied engineering in Trinity College Dublin. Like all engineering students, for the first two years of the course he studied aspects of civil, electronic, mechanical and computer engineering. “But of all the branches of engineering on offer in Trinity, mechanical engineering appealed to me most,” he reckoned. And in my opinion, it also offers the widest range of career paths.” So mechanical engineering was his choice for the final two years, before starting a PhD in the field of heat transfer and fluids. Séamus’ idea of doing a PhD was to work on his own project. But as he put it, “I was conscious that a PhD can constrain or pigeonhole a researcher to a specific field,” he said. After four years, he aspired to work on something new. As it happens, his PhD supervisor Dr. Tony Robinson was also working on something new; what’s more, it was right up Séamus’ street, the area of heat transfer. As Séamus’ PhD was nearing completion, ‘the eternal stove‘ project was still in its infancy. The idea of electrification from biomass burning stoves came from a trip that Tony led to Malawi. “An earlier project of ours looked at how we could generate electrical energy from the heat of the sun to power a small light for studying or socializing at night in rural Africa,” explained Tony. “We could not engineer this device to make it affordable for our target market,” he continued”, “but the trip gave us high insight as to how real people in the field might use a stove generator.” After they returned to

Dublin, Irish Aid realised that a device like this could play an important role in reducing some of the negative impacts of cooking. “The stove burns more cleanly, producing significantly less particles, which has a big impact on health. It could reduce indoor air pollution caused by unvented stoves associated with diseases such as bronchitis, or lung cancer”, Tony said. Irish Aid asked them to develop and produce some demonstration devices for evaluation. But designing such a device means having to tackle many different tasks: 1 — heat exchanger design ( for both heat capture and removal) 2 — computational modelling of the heat exchangers, 3 —experimental investigation of the effect of device integration with the stove up 4 — Lab validation, and manufacture of a prototype. Séamus described what all these tasks mean on a day to day basis: “Mostly our work concerns stove characterisation and heat exchanger modeling.” This part would be done on computers, but they also conduct experiments where they actually burn wood to investigate the thermoelectric generators themselves. “In a typical wood-burning experiment we perform a water boil test. This allows us to measure how efficient a particular stove design is in boiling water, and thus ‘rank’ various stove designs,” Séamus explained. “We have also conducted some emissions testing to calculate the amount of certain types of pollutants produced during the burn,” he continued. “Ultimately, we need to discover the best place within a stove to fit our device, and whether this has any undesired impact on the usability of the stove in general.” Of course they don’t want their device to increase the time it takes to cook nzema , the local food staple. Séamus is glad that this project involves the design and development of a product. “Essentially it’s R&D, and that’s where I see my career heading,” he said ” I was given a lot of freedom in my research project to investigate the aspects that interested me, and I really enjoyed it.” This doesn’t mean he loves everything he is doing. Conducting experiments of course is not always a piece of cake. “I don’t like how a stove-

burning experiment means I stink of smoke for the rest of the day!”. But he reckoned there are other practical aspects that are much more enjoyable: “During my PhD I had the opportunity of travelling to conferences worldwide and present my work to audiences of my peers. It was wonderful experience and I got to see so many amazing places and meet a variety of people from all types of backgrounds and cultures.” The Eternal Stove should give him the opportunity for more travel. Soon the device will be presented to the US governement, as part of a global project, called the ‘Global Alliance for Clean Cookstove’.” This is a UN sponsored programme to deploy up to 100 million price subsidised stoves in the developing world in order to reduce pollution, deforestation and increase health and nutritional diversity,” said Wayne O’Connell , the Project Manager. “The Irish Government (through Irish Aid) are playing a leading role and the School of Engineering in Trinity College is proud to be technically supporting this effort,” he pointed out. Then once fully ready ( in three to four months), the prototype will be shipped to Malawi where a three month study will be undertaken to measure both its techncological and societal impact. As Wayne put it, “it is all well and good if we design a stove that works very efficiently in a lab, but what is important to the users is how the device performs in their and home improves their cooking experience.” As for Séamus, he’d like to continue in R&D; “obviously working for a well-established company would be great. Long term I’d like to start my own consultancy company once I’ve got some more experience.” He has one regret though. “Not a regret as such, but I think that to further my career I’ll have to leave Ireland in the next couple of years as the opportunities here for quality R&D are so limited.” He’s probably like so many others, who feel that travelling is fun and stimulating but need to know they have a home to come back to and settle down. Hopefully one day he will.

SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 CHOOSING SCIENCELIVELINK


Laura Tobin, Jessica Jones, Benedikt Minke, Jack Prenderville, and Binh Dang describe their experience at the recently launched UCD-TCD Innovation Academy. These PhD students were among the first to enroll in a module designed to foster innovation and creativity.

Innovation and entrepreneurship have, in the past, been mainly the

domain of those enrolled in Business Studies. Increasingly however, universities are finding it necessary to ensure that their doctoral research students are sent into the real world with not only the new title of PhD to brag about amongst their friends and family, but also to have an education that has actual commercial value. This could not be more true for Ireland. There is an enormous opportunity in this country to kick-start the economy by utilising the specialised minds of local university research students, and by encouraging them to think innovatively and creatively in their research and beyond. This is the remit of the Innovation Academy and the business sectors, as well as the State and its agencies. The Innovation Academy is the educational centrepiece in a collaboration between TCD and UCD.

With little knowledge of what to expect, we, thirty curious multidisciplinary PhD students, enrolled in the inaugural module of the Academy on Creative Thinking and Innovation under the guidance Prof. Suzi Jarvis (UCD) and Prof. Paul Coughlan (TCD). So what was it actually like to be the guinea pigs in this brand new programme? Did we actually increase our capacity for innovation and creativity, and will it all be of any use? Nothing was promised but

“an innovative journey, no wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete creativity, constant risk, safe return doubtful, honour and recognition in case of success.” Unlike traditional classes, there were no rigid lesson plans, no previous knowledge required and thankfully no exams. The module has been designed to give the students the practical tools that they will need to set their research apart by being creative and innovative.The students were cross-pollinated into five-person teams comprising

of both TCD and UCD students, coming from different research areas that are as diverse as archaeology and quantum mechanical physics. Throughout the week numerous guest speakers from various fields were invited to impart their knowledge. First up was Dr. Deveril from SMARTlab (University of East London) on using media to present a research point of view. The exercise given to us involved filming a short and yet coherent story about random objects from each group member and then showcasing the movie to other groups, making them guess what the story was about. For some ‘true’ science and engineering students, it was initially our instinct to resist these type of ‘artsy’ activities – some

ReInventIng thInkIng

Study makes a scholar;

creativity and innovation

make a difference.

Top: The initial group of PhDs preparing to increase their capacity for innovation.Above: The authors with their sketch

design for a better buggy.

Renewable energy, nanotechnology, space technology, computer animation and game development: A career for you?

Check out career profiles written by young

professionals from all areas of science, along with

useful resources such as video interviews, for

some valuable insights into a career in science.

Find out the difference between various science-

related jobs, what subjects you would need

to study, what a typical day involves and what

other areas could be open to you in the future by

pursuing a career in STEM.

Use the Resources section to direct you to some

important websites that will help you to get more

information on what colleges to consider, what

points you may need and what options are open

to you. Read about Ireland’s rich scientific history

and famous Irish scientists of the past, as well

as finding out more about our brightest Science

Ambassadors of today.

MyScienceCareer.ie is a new website which aims to provide resources for students, career guidance counsellors, teachers, parents and people of all ages who are interested in finding out more about a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

www.MyScienceCareer.ieis an initiative of the national integrated awareness programme Discover Science & Engineering.

My Science Career (spin ad).indd 1 30/11/2009 15:52:55

LIVELINK


Laura Tobin, Jessica Jones, Benedikt Minke, Jack Prenderville, and Binh Dang describe their experience at the recently launched UCD-TCD Innovation Academy. These PhD students were among the first to enroll in a module designed to foster innovation and creativity.

Innovation and entrepreneurship have, in the past, been mainly the

domain of those enrolled in Business Studies. Increasingly however, universities are finding it necessary to ensure that their doctoral research students are sent into the real world with not only the new title of PhD to brag about amongst their friends and family, but also to have an education that has actual commercial value. This could not be more true for Ireland. There is an enormous opportunity in this country to kick-start the economy by utilising the specialised minds of local university research students, and by encouraging them to think innovatively and creatively in their research and beyond. This is the remit of the Innovation Academy and the business sectors, as well as the State and its agencies. The Innovation Academy is the educational centrepiece in a collaboration between TCD and UCD.

With little knowledge of what to expect, we, thirty curious multidisciplinary PhD students, enrolled in the inaugural module of the Academy on Creative Thinking and Innovation under the guidance Prof. Suzi Jarvis (UCD) and Prof. Paul Coughlan (TCD). So what was it actually like to be the guinea pigs in this brand new programme? Did we actually increase our capacity for innovation and creativity, and will it all be of any use? Nothing was promised but

“an innovative journey, no wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete creativity, constant risk, safe return doubtful, honour and recognition in case of success.” Unlike traditional classes, there were no rigid lesson plans, no previous knowledge required and thankfully no exams. The module has been designed to give the students the practical tools that they will need to set their research apart by being creative and innovative.The students were cross-pollinated into five-person teams comprising

of both TCD and UCD students, coming from different research areas that are as diverse as archaeology and quantum mechanical physics. Throughout the week numerous guest speakers from various fields were invited to impart their knowledge. First up was Dr. Deveril from SMARTlab (University of East London) on using media to present a research point of view. The exercise given to us involved filming a short and yet coherent story about random objects from each group member and then showcasing the movie to other groups, making them guess what the story was about. For some ‘true’ science and engineering students, it was initially our instinct to resist these type of ‘artsy’ activities – some

ReInventIng thInkIng

Study makes a scholar;

creativity and innovation

make a difference.

Top: The initial group of PhDs preparing to increase their capacity for innovation.Above: The authors with their sketch

design for a better buggy.

Renewable energy, nanotechnology, space technology, computer animation and game development: A career for you?

Check out career profiles written by young

professionals from all areas of science, along with

useful resources such as video interviews, for

some valuable insights into a career in science.

Find out the difference between various science-

related jobs, what subjects you would need

to study, what a typical day involves and what

other areas could be open to you in the future by

pursuing a career in STEM.

Use the Resources section to direct you to some

important websites that will help you to get more

information on what colleges to consider, what

points you may need and what options are open

to you. Read about Ireland’s rich scientific history

and famous Irish scientists of the past, as well

as finding out more about our brightest Science

Ambassadors of today.

MyScienceCareer.ie is a new website which aims to provide resources for students, career guidance counsellors, teachers, parents and people of all ages who are interested in finding out more about a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

www.MyScienceCareer.ieis an initiative of the national integrated awareness programme Discover Science & Engineering.

My Science Career (spin ad).indd 1 30/11/2009 15:52:55

Covidien; and Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI). From these projects, each group chose their favourite and then had ten days to explore and exploit the project opportunities. Most teams started their projects with a shotgun approach to ideas, whiteboards were filled during brainstorming sessions with mind maps, diagrams, post-its, and pictures, which were then replaced with printouts and more focused approaches. By the end of the first week, all teams had singled out the most feasible, most innovative and most urgent problem to tackle, and produced a report. A presentation and poster were also prepared for the big launch on Friday the 19th of November, with invitations sent out to the great and good. The launch was also open to the public as it formed part of the Innovation Dublin Festival 2010.

Jessica L. Jones, PhD thesis, “Irish fisheries in the medieval and early modern period: scale and causes of decline” Trinity Long Room Hub, TCD

Jack Prenderville, PhD thesis, “The role of endocannabinoid signaling in hippocampal dependent learning and memory” Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience & Department of Physiology, TCD

Benedikt A. Minke, PhD thesis, “Why do cancerous epithelial cells fail to form organized 3D structures?” Systems Biology Ireland, College of Life Sciences, UCD

Binh H. Q. Dang, PhD thesis, “Development of visible light-active materials for hydrogen production by photo-electrochemical water splitting” SFI-Strategic Research Cluster in Solar Energy Conversion/ School of Chemical & Bioprocess Engineering, UCD

Laura L. Tobin, PhD thesis, “Optoelectronic properties of photovoltaic cells (Dye-sensitised solar cells)” SFI-Strategic Research Cluster in Solar Energy Conversion / School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, UCD

On reflection, positive results are still not guaranteed and no glossy future is promised; yet, there is one thing that is certain and it is the fact that the thirty students are now more than inspired to embark on this new journey. Still with “no wages, bitter

cold,… constant risk and safe return doubtful,” but the distinction lies in their willingness to try and in their belief in the power of creativity and innovation in making a change. That is just what the Innovation Academy had wanted to achieve.

“I was fascinated by atoms and molecules, but realised in college that physics told you more about atoms and that I could use my maths. In chemistry, I found it too abstract. The chemicals in the bottles didn’t help me understand how atoms worked.” That first year in college, as for many people, was a momentous one for Peter. He met the two loves of his life - Physics, and his talented scientist wife Dr Emma Teeling. The love-life is a story for elsewhere, but in terms of physics, Peter realised as soon as he did physics in first year that he wanted to be a physicist. The exam results, and reading the ‘Brief History of Time’ by Stephen Hawkins, lit his fire even further. He read Hawkins, but that wasn’t enough. He devoured books relating to Physics. “I launched into astronomy and astrophysics,” he said. “I took books out even during the summer, and worked through them. I loved physics, I couldn’t put them down.” That kind of passion and commitment would lead him to do great things in coming years.

NASA Peter chose to do a post-grad in opto-electronics at Queen’s University in Belfast (QUB) after graduation. This was a hot area at the time, back in 1996, and he learned about fibre optics, lasers, CCD cameras and the like. It was also a stimulating time to be in Belfast, and he was there for the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. He came first in his class, and was offered a PhD at QUB. The clincher was that the PhD would involve travel and interaction with NASA’s Goodard Flight Centre.

The PhD was in Solar Physics, and involved using NASA’s SOHO spacecraft to make measurements of the Sun’s atmosphere. He worked closely with engineers and scientists based at the SOHO control centre. Then, following the completion of his PhD he was offered a job by NASA at Goddard. A career in NASA beckoned. However, after three years working as a senior scientist with NASA he decided he wanted to come home. Why would he leave what many would consider a dream job and come back to Ireland? “How the hell knows,” he answered (laughing). But, the decision was taken for very clear reasons, and he believes it was best for his career. At NASA, he would have gone up the ladder in a big organisation, and could have ended up managing a spacecraft, for example. But there were few opportunities for research. “It was a dream job at Goddard, but there was a barrier to me scientifically to be honest. I wanted to set up a research group that answer questions like, how the Sun produces explosions and solar flares? How do they affect the Earth when they go off ?” He returned to Ireland in 2006, and first lectured at UCD. Then came the chance to set up a group at TCD, he took it and now he is doing exactly what he wants to do. “I am constantly changed and have the opportunity to pursue my own interests. If you are driven by a question, then as an academic scientist you have the luxury to pursue that question. The travel is the fluff. I travel to Hawaii for meetings, but the stuff that keeps you awake at night, the science paper beside the bed because you don’t understand something – that’s the joy of the discovery of new things.” The advice Peter would give to students considering science is that, aside from the academic life, there are many career options, and many of them are rewarding. A recent astrophysics graduate of his, he said, is now working in a financial trading firm. There is the IT sector, or teaching, or jobs in Ireland growing space industry. He finishes on an optimistic note, from a person that describes himself as ‘an unrelenting optimist”. “I am very optimistic about the future for Ireland. I think we are going to explore new markets, new science and that ultimately that will bring growth and employment back to Ireland. I am very positive about the next five years.”

Peter Gallagher achieved his aim in setting up the Solar Physics Group at TCD,

SCIENCE SPIN Issue 42 Page 43 School Spin

Rock around IrelandPeadar McArdle describes the geology of Ireland. Paperback €15

ColourMargaret Franklin and Tom Kennedy explain all about colour. Paperback €15

SCIENCE SPINWhat’s happening in Irish science? Who is doing the research? What’s happening in Europe and around the world? What’s it like to be a scientist?Answers to these and lots more in Science Spin, all Ireland’s magazine about science, nature and discovery.Great value sub, just €18 for six issues in print, and the on-line digital edition is free.

IDEAL FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY

Order on line www.sciencespin.com

Connecting industry with mathematicsTHE European Science Foundation wants maths to play a more prominent role in innovation. In a report just published, the Foundation recommends setting up a European institute for mathematics. Such an institute would help overcome the fragmentation that currently weakens mathematics research in Europe. The

ESF report argues that a high level institute would also act as a magnet for excellence and innovation. One of the problems with mathematics is that it is not so visible as other sciences, yet, as the report points out, mathematics is the essential ingredient in many consumer products. At present, SMEs find it hard to tap into mathematical expertise, and ESF maintains that having a high profile institute would make it a lot easier to get access to

mathematical talents. In addition, ESF recommend allocating some of the forthcoming Framework 8 funds to applied mathematical projects. In Germany and Sweden support is given to start-ups based on mathematics, and the report suggests that this approach be adopted in other countries of Europe.

The report is available at:www.esf.org/publications

SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 Page 41SCIENCE SPIN Issue 44 Page 40

to the extreme of questioning what the purpose was and even calling it a “total waste of time”. Yet, throughout a few hours of working together, we experienced the advantages of ‘creating’ collectively as a team (instead of locking ourselves in a lab and diving into our own works). More importantly, we came to realise that doing research itself is also an ‘artsy’ activity and our projects are like movies that need to deliver a message and make an impact, albeit big or small, to an audience. From coming up with (sometimes crazy) ideas to putting them into practice, researchers, just like film-makers, have to centralise their ideas around the audience that they are targeting, thus adding values to their works. This simple point, however, is often neglected by doctoral research students. In the real world beyond laboratories, unfortunately, not all products of creativity are given a positive reception even when they are commercially oriented. As a result competent PhDs must be able to present his/her products to the public effectively, and in many cases defend his/her products against the harsh critics. On the second day of the module, science journalist Seán Duke – contributing editor of Science Spin magazine – introduced us to the ‘cruel’ world of journalism and prepared us with strategies on how to make the best of a situation, even a bad one. Seán instructed each of the six teams to create a fictional product that could be presented later in a press conference. One of the teams founded Eco-Plastiks, “a wonderful new indigenous company that manufactures oil-free plastics – Plastastic!” while another team came up with XtraLife as a magical longevity medicine. Each company then wrote a press release and held a press conference while other groups (perfectly) played the role of those journalists with an occupational disease of being doubtful about everything, including the company’s product. The harsh reality certainly did not end when Seán decided to create a fictional crisis for each company to see how we handled the situation. Another press release and disaster press conference had to be conducted, again with the presence of the ‘doubtful journalists’. As one member of Eco-Plastiks said, “Oil price drops down to 10c per barrel

and it is not profitable to make oil-free plastics? That is simply crazy!” And yes, just as crazy as the idea of making oil-free plastics (for now), anything can happen and a PhD student really has to step out of his/her laboratory to be exposed and prepared for any possibilities and benefits they can hold. Next we were challenged with a task to redesign a baby stroller. (You hear it right! Biophysicists, neuroscientists, and the likes were asked to redesign a baby stroller!). Each team was given a specific area to focus on like hygiene and safety issues or style and comfort; to carry out this task, we were first required to perform a rather daunting mission of transporting a “child,” i.e. a 7kg bag of potatoes, on a sample stroller through the streets of Dublin city centre on a wet and not-so-pleasant day. Needless to say, this proved difficult and highlighted many of the set-backs with the modern-day baby stroller, as well as drawing some puzzled looks from passers-by. Upon returning to base, the students’ imagination went wild and the room soon became littered with post-its and white boards filled with radical new baby stroller designs. When it came to presenting the ideas, the students amazed their peers with ground-breaking innovative ideas from Segway-inspired strollers designed to carry mother and baby for the length of the M50, to strollers containing airbags for safety and pin codes to prevent kidnappings. Overall, the task inspired the students to get in touch with their creative sides as well as having a lot of fun.

On to the next exercise, Prof. Suzi Jarvis handed out to her apprentices a mysterious brown envelope marked “Seed Funding” with strict instructions to make as much money as possible within two hours of opening the envelope. All sorts of schemes were drawn up and subsequently scrapped when it was realised that only €5 was the initial fund. One group turned to investing on a card-selling business while another invested the paltry sum into the London Stock Exchange. Yet, some groups thought outside the box and challenged the traditional assumption by not using the seed money at all. Instead of limiting themselves on “What can I do with €5?” they asked the question of how to make money if all they have are themselves and their skills. One group wanted to make use of their “common property” – The Innovation Academy – and ‘sold’ their story of being the guinea pigs in this brand new programme to a science magazine. At the end of the exercise, it was revealed that ‘thinking outside the box’ was indeed the take-home lesson. The students were encouraged to identify problems, challenge assumptions, leverage their limited resources (time and money), and most importantly: be creative. The last two weeks of the Academy comprised of individual projects assigned to each of the six groups. The projects were offered and mentored by institutions and companies with a focus on the Irish economy such as: ESB; Kila; Ceol; Dublin City Council;

Innovation depends on letting the ideas flow to come up with creative solutions which then have to be explained and defended against harsh critics.

Covidien; and Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI). From these projects, each group chose their favourite and then had ten days to explore and exploit the project opportunities. Most teams started their projects with a shotgun approach to ideas, whiteboards were filled during brainstorming sessions with mind maps, diagrams, post-its, and pictures, which were then replaced with printouts and more focused approaches. By the end of the first week, all teams had singled out the most feasible, most innovative and most urgent problem to tackle, and produced a report. A presentation and poster were also prepared for the big launch on Friday the 19th of November, with invitations sent out to the great and good. The launch was also open to the public as it formed part of the Innovation Dublin Festival 2010.

Jessica L. Jones, PhD thesis, “Irish fisheries in the medieval and early modern period: scale and causes of decline” Trinity Long Room Hub, TCD

Jack Prenderville, PhD thesis, “The role of endocannabinoid signaling in hippocampal dependent learning and memory” Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience & Department of Physiology, TCD

Benedikt A. Minke, PhD thesis, “Why do cancerous epithelial cells fail to form organized 3D structures?” Systems Biology Ireland, College of Life Sciences, UCD

Binh H. Q. Dang, PhD thesis, “Development of visible light-active materials for hydrogen production by photo-electrochemical water splitting” SFI-Strategic Research Cluster in Solar Energy Conversion/ School of Chemical & Bioprocess Engineering, UCD

Laura L. Tobin, PhD thesis, “Optoelectronic properties of photovoltaic cells (Dye-sensitised solar cells)” SFI-Strategic Research Cluster in Solar Energy Conversion / School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, UCD

On reflection, positive results are still not guaranteed and no glossy future is promised; yet, there is one thing that is certain and it is the fact that the thirty students are now more than inspired to embark on this new journey. Still with “no wages, bitter

cold,… constant risk and safe return doubtful,” but the distinction lies in their willingness to try and in their belief in the power of creativity and innovation in making a change. That is just what the Innovation Academy had wanted to achieve.

“I was fascinated by atoms and molecules, but realised in college that physics told you more about atoms and that I could use my maths. In chemistry, I found it too abstract. The chemicals in the bottles didn’t help me understand how atoms worked.” That first year in college, as for many people, was a momentous one for Peter. He met the two loves of his life - Physics, and his talented scientist wife Dr Emma Teeling. The love-life is a story for elsewhere, but in terms of physics, Peter realised as soon as he did physics in first year that he wanted to be a physicist. The exam results, and reading the ‘Brief History of Time’ by Stephen Hawkins, lit his fire even further. He read Hawkins, but that wasn’t enough. He devoured books relating to Physics. “I launched into astronomy and astrophysics,” he said. “I took books out even during the summer, and worked through them. I loved physics, I couldn’t put them down.” That kind of passion and commitment would lead him to do great things in coming years.

NASA Peter chose to do a post-grad in opto-electronics at Queen’s University in Belfast (QUB) after graduation. This was a hot area at the time, back in 1996, and he learned about fibre optics, lasers, CCD cameras and the like. It was also a stimulating time to be in Belfast, and he was there for the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. He came first in his class, and was offered a PhD at QUB. The clincher was that the PhD would involve travel and interaction with NASA’s Goodard Flight Centre.

The PhD was in Solar Physics, and involved using NASA’s SOHO spacecraft to make measurements of the Sun’s atmosphere. He worked closely with engineers and scientists based at the SOHO control centre. Then, following the completion of his PhD he was offered a job by NASA at Goddard. A career in NASA beckoned. However, after three years working as a senior scientist with NASA he decided he wanted to come home. Why would he leave what many would consider a dream job and come back to Ireland? “How the hell knows,” he answered (laughing). But, the decision was taken for very clear reasons, and he believes it was best for his career. At NASA, he would have gone up the ladder in a big organisation, and could have ended up managing a spacecraft, for example. But there were few opportunities for research. “It was a dream job at Goddard, but there was a barrier to me scientifically to be honest. I wanted to set up a research group that answer questions like, how the Sun produces explosions and solar flares? How do they affect the Earth when they go off ?” He returned to Ireland in 2006, and first lectured at UCD. Then came the chance to set up a group at TCD, he took it and now he is doing exactly what he wants to do. “I am constantly changed and have the opportunity to pursue my own interests. If you are driven by a question, then as an academic scientist you have the luxury to pursue that question. The travel is the fluff. I travel to Hawaii for meetings, but the stuff that keeps you awake at night, the science paper beside the bed because you don’t understand something – that’s the joy of the discovery of new things.” The advice Peter would give to students considering science is that, aside from the academic life, there are many career options, and many of them are rewarding. A recent astrophysics graduate of his, he said, is now working in a financial trading firm. There is the IT sector, or teaching, or jobs in Ireland growing space industry. He finishes on an optimistic note, from a person that describes himself as ‘an unrelenting optimist”. “I am very optimistic about the future for Ireland. I think we are going to explore new markets, new science and that ultimately that will bring growth and employment back to Ireland. I am very positive about the next five years.”

Peter Gallagher achieved his aim in setting up the Solar Physics Group at TCD,

SCIENCE SPIN Issue 42 Page 43 School Spin

Rock around IrelandPeadar McArdle describes the geology of Ireland. Paperback €15

ColourMargaret Franklin and Tom Kennedy explain all about colour. Paperback €15

SCIENCE SPINWhat’s happening in Irish science? Who is doing the research? What’s happening in Europe and around the world? What’s it like to be a scientist?Answers to these and lots more in Science Spin, all Ireland’s magazine about science, nature and discovery.Great value sub, just €18 for six issues in print, and the on-line digital edition is free.

IDEAL FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY

Order on line www.sciencespin.com

Connecting industry with mathematicsTHE European Science Foundation wants maths to play a more prominent role in innovation. In a report just published, the Foundation recommends setting up a European institute for mathematics. Such an institute would help overcome the fragmentation that currently weakens mathematics research in Europe. The

ESF report argues that a high level institute would also act as a magnet for excellence and innovation. One of the problems with mathematics is that it is not so visible as other sciences, yet, as the report points out, mathematics is the essential ingredient in many consumer products. At present, SMEs find it hard to tap into mathematical expertise, and ESF maintains that having a high profile institute would make it a lot easier to get access to

mathematical talents. In addition, ESF recommend allocating some of the forthcoming Framework 8 funds to applied mathematical projects. In Germany and Sweden support is given to start-ups based on mathematics, and the report suggests that this approach be adopted in other countries of Europe.

The report is available at:www.esf.org/publications


to the extreme of questioning what the purpose was and even calling it a “total waste of time”. Yet, throughout a few hours of working together, we experienced the advantages of ‘creating’ collectively as a team (instead of locking ourselves in a lab and diving into our own works). More importantly, we came to realise that doing research itself is also an ‘artsy’ activity and our projects are like movies that need to deliver a message and make an impact, albeit big or small, to an audience. From coming up with (sometimes crazy) ideas to putting them into practice, researchers, just like film-makers, have to centralise their ideas around the audience that they are targeting, thus adding values to their works. This simple point, however, is often neglected by doctoral research students. In the real world beyond laboratories, unfortunately, not all products of creativity are given a positive reception even when they are commercially oriented. As a result competent PhDs must be able to present his/her products to the public effectively, and in many cases defend his/her products against the harsh critics. On the second day of the module, science journalist Seán Duke – contributing editor of Science Spin magazine – introduced us to the ‘cruel’ world of journalism and prepared us with strategies on how to make the best of a situation, even a bad one. Seán instructed each of the six teams to create a fictional product that could be presented later in a press conference. One of the teams founded Eco-Plastiks, “a wonderful new indigenous company that manufactures oil-free plastics – Plastastic!” while another team came up with XtraLife as a magical longevity medicine. Each company then wrote a press release and held a press conference while other groups (perfectly) played the role of those journalists with an occupational disease of being doubtful about everything, including the company’s product. The harsh reality certainly did not end when Seán decided to create a fictional crisis for each company to see how we handled the situation. Another press release and disaster press conference had to be conducted, again with the presence of the ‘doubtful journalists’. As one member of Eco-Plastiks said, “Oil price drops down to 10c per barrel

and it is not profitable to make oil-free plastics? That is simply crazy!” And yes, just as crazy as the idea of making oil-free plastics (for now), anything can happen and a PhD student really has to step out of his/her laboratory to be exposed and prepared for any possibilities and benefits they can hold. Next we were challenged with a task to redesign a baby stroller. (You hear it right! Biophysicists, neuroscientists, and the likes were asked to redesign a baby stroller!). Each team was given a specific area to focus on like hygiene and safety issues or style and comfort; to carry out this task, we were first required to perform a rather daunting mission of transporting a “child,” i.e. a 7kg bag of potatoes, on a sample stroller through the streets of Dublin city centre on a wet and not-so-pleasant day. Needless to say, this proved difficult and highlighted many of the set-backs with the modern-day baby stroller, as well as drawing some puzzled looks from passers-by. Upon returning to base, the students’ imagination went wild and the room soon became littered with post-its and white boards filled with radical new baby stroller designs. When it came to presenting the ideas, the students amazed their peers with ground-breaking innovative ideas from Segway-inspired strollers designed to carry mother and baby for the length of the M50, to strollers containing airbags for safety and pin codes to prevent kidnappings. Overall, the task inspired the students to get in touch with their creative sides as well as having a lot of fun.

On to the next exercise, Prof. Suzi Jarvis handed out to her apprentices a mysterious brown envelope marked “Seed Funding” with strict instructions to make as much money as possible within two hours of opening the envelope. All sorts of schemes were drawn up and subsequently scrapped when it was realised that only €5 was the initial fund. One group turned to investing on a card-selling business while another invested the paltry sum into the London Stock Exchange. Yet, some groups thought outside the box and challenged the traditional assumption by not using the seed money at all. Instead of limiting themselves on “What can I do with €5?” they asked the question of how to make money if all they have are themselves and their skills. One group wanted to make use of their “common property” – The Innovation Academy – and ‘sold’ their story of being the guinea pigs in this brand new programme to a science magazine. At the end of the exercise, it was revealed that ‘thinking outside the box’ was indeed the take-home lesson. The students were encouraged to identify problems, challenge assumptions, leverage their limited resources (time and money), and most importantly: be creative. The last two weeks of the Academy comprised of individual projects assigned to each of the six groups. The projects were offered and mentored by institutions and companies with a focus on the Irish economy such as: ESB; Kila; Ceol; Dublin City Council;

Innovation depends on letting the ideas flow to come up with creative solutions which then have to be explained and defended against harsh critics.

LIVELINK

LIVELINK

If you ever wondered by carbon is such a remarkable element, science communicator, Jonathan Hare, has produced a short video explaining how

we get diamonds, buckeyballs, nanotubes, and the form that has created such enormous interest recently, graphene.

Jonathan’s video, produced for the Vega Science Trust, is at:http://www.cost.eu/library/videos/Graphene-and-the-Carbon-Revolution

GrapheneGraphene is an amazing

material, transparent, just one atom thick, yet so dense that atoms of helium cannot pass through it, an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, and stronger than any other material. No wonder scientists are excited, yet, as the two researchers who won the 2010 Nobel Prize for their work on this material were able to demonstrate, graphene has always existed, but everyone assumed that it was impossible to isolate. For some time, the two Russian born researchers, Konstantin Novoselov, and Andre Gelm, had been collaborating, first in The Netherlands, and then in the UK, where both are now professors at the University of Manchester. Graphene is a form of carbon, in which the atoms are arranged in a sheet, forming a pattern of hexagonals. If we could see graphene, it would look just like a sheet of chicken wire. Sheets are so thin that three million layers would only stack up to one millimeter. Because the layers are barely held together, it is relatively easy to strip them off, and this is more or less what we all do when drawing with a pencil. We actually write with graphene. Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, suspecting that it might actually be quite easy to strip off thin sheets of graphite, were undoubtedly

Pocket anatomyA software application enabling viewers to navigate around and through the human body has won a major media award. The Galway developers of Pocket Body were presented with with the Special Award for Media in Education at the MEDEA 2010 event in Brussels. The awards attracted 141 entries from 31 European countries with the finalists coming from Belgium, Estonia, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the UK. The award, said Pocket Anatomy CEO and founder, Mark Campbell, is a real honour and a great credit to a talented team. Developing the application involved close collaboration between the company, GMIT graduates, NUIG medical students.


amazed to find that a bit of adhesive tape could do the trick. By repeatedly applying adhesive tape, the scientists stripped away the layers, until they were left with some sheets that were, indeed, just one atom thick. Examination of defraction of light under the microscope, confirmed that they had isolated a truly two-dimensional crystalline material, and although it was made up from billions of carbon atoms, they were locked into stable one-dimensional pattern. The scientists, of course, had not discovered graphene, like diamonds and buckeyballs it is a naturally occurring form of carbon, but what they did reveal is that it is possible to isolate and manipulate this material. Up to then, it was thought that graphene could not be produced in isolation, and if it could, the single atom sheets would be so unstable that they would simply crinkle or roll up. Since the sticky tape success in peeling off microscopically tiny flakes, various other methods of stripping off sheets have been developed and

refined, and using techniques applied to make semiconductors, rolls of up to 70 cm have been produced. The carbon bonds are extremely strong, yet they are flexible enough to allow the network to be stretched by 20 per cent, and because the material is pure, electrons do not have to bounce around as they travel through, so graphene is an excellent conductor.

Electrons travelling though graphene behave as if they have no mass, so they pass along at the speed of light, and for this reason alone, scientists believe that they will be able to study the sort of phenomena that up to now required the use of a large particle accelerator. Among the many potential uses of graphene is as a replacement for silicon. Chips are getting smaller, and as scale goes down, silicon will cease to perform, but graphene has a much lower limit. On a larger scale, graphene is likely to appear in transparent touch screens, and solar panels, and the mechanical properties are likely to lead to tougher, conductive, plastics. As is usually, if not always the case of significant discoveries, Geim and Novoselov did not set out to come up with any practical applications, but were driven by curiosity. Their sense of play is strong, and creative. Before the Nobel, there was the Ig nobel, a tongue-in-cheek award for researchers who come up with seemingly daft ideas that make people laugh first, and then think. By making a frog levitate in a magnetic field, Andre Geim came up with an attention grabbing way to illustrate some basic physics.

Dr Brendan Wilkins, anatomy lecturer supervised third and fourth year medical students, Robyn Concannon, John Duignan, Jacqueline Driscoll, Mark Gurney, and Paula Wrafter in preparing the content. The application can serve as a teaching aid, and provides anatomical content on demand from portable devices. The musculoskeletal anatomy is presented in a series of multi-layered photo-realistic illustrations. The application, which sells for about €8, is available for different platforms, including the Mac iPad, and is available for downloading from the iTune store.


Picture the scenario! You get out of bed and immediately know that all is not well; pains all

over, lethargic, feverish and the immediate desire to get back into bed. Ahhh!! The dreaded flu has struck again! You stay in bed for a few days and gradually recover to full health. So have you ever stopped to think about why you felt bad for a few days, then you get better and usually stay better. And yet presumably you are still being exposed to the virus that caused the flu symptoms in the first place. The answer lies in the world of Immunology, the study of our immune system. So if you want to study or perform research in this area then The Institute of Immunology at NUI Maynooth is the place for you. The Institute is a flagship research and education institute with collaborators stretching across the globe. The Institute is Ireland’s representative to the European Network of Immunology Institutes (ENII). The Institute currently constitutes 7 research groups comprising of ~40 researchers at Principal Investigator, postdoctoral fellow and PhD student level. The research in the Institute relates to the everyday lives of Irish people and ranges from studies on inflammatory diseases that are highly prevalent in Ireland, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and asthma to early clinical studies on new vaccines and to learning how to fight infections.

The Institute of Immunology is a national leader in PhD training and is the lead Institute in the only structured PhD programme in Immunology in Ireland. Directed by Prof. Paul Moynagh (Director, Institute of Immunology), the HRB funded programme represents a partnership of The Institute of Immunology (NUI Maynooth), The School of Biochemistry and Immunology (Trinity College Dublin) and Division of Infection and Immunity (Queens University Belfast). This Tri-Institutional programme contains 25 research groups encapsulating some of the best basic and clinical immunology in Ireland. Industry strongly supports the programme with active participation from companies spanning interests in drug discovery and development, diagnostics, biopharmaceutical/vaccine manufacturing and antibody-based therapeutics and services. HRB has committed funding of €5 million to the programme to support the training of 24 PhD students.

One of the emerging strengths in the Institute of Immunology is in the area of Global Health and the study of diseases that devastate the developing world. To this end the Insitute of Immuniolgy offers the only national MSc programme in Immunology and Global Health. This programme was recently awarded the 2010 Winner of the GradIreland Postgraduate Course

of the Year in Science and Engineering. The MSc programme is targeted at biological and health science graduates who are interested in the major challenges in health and development today and who wish to broaden their understanding of immunology, its importance in global health and the factors that impact on immunological intervention strategies in health and disease. An important component of the course covers emerging and re-emerging diseases including diseases of poverty. This has proved a very popular programme with demand for places on the course increasing year on year.

The Institute of Immunology is also a lead partner in The Combat Diseases of Poverty (CDP) Consortium. Co-led by the Institute of Immunology and the Department of Anthropology at NUIM, the Consortium was awarded major funding from Irish Aid

under the Programme of Strategic Cooperation between Irish Aid and Higher Education and Research Institutes, 2007-2011. CDP constitutes a unique cluster of scientific, academic and NGO professional expertise, along with partners in the private sector, working together to build educational capacities for combating diseases

of poverty, with the initial focus on east Africa. The programme covers trainer training and exchanges between Ireland and East Africa and dissemination of information on global health and development to the broader public.

At the Institute of Immunology our goal is to perform world class research and be an internationally recognised centre for posgraduate education in Immunology. However we also want to integrate with the wider community. If you have an interest in Immunology or in any of our activities call us! We would be delighted to chat.

For more information see http://immunology.nuim.ie/.

http://research.nuim.ie/

The Institute of Immunology, NUI Maynooth

LIVELINK

If you ever wondered by carbon is such a remarkable element, science communicator, Jonathan Hare, has produced a short video explaining how

we get diamonds, buckeyballs, nanotubes, and the form that has created such enormous interest recently, graphene.

Jonathan’s video, produced for the Vega Science Trust, is at:http://www.cost.eu/library/videos/Graphene-and-the-Carbon-Revolution

GrapheneGraphene is an amazing

material, transparent, just one atom thick, yet so dense that atoms of helium cannot pass through it, an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, and stronger than any other material. No wonder scientists are excited, yet, as the two researchers who won the 2010 Nobel Prize for their work on this material were able to demonstrate, graphene has always existed, but everyone assumed that it was impossible to isolate. For some time, the two Russian born researchers, Konstantin Novoselov, and Andre Gelm, had been collaborating, first in The Netherlands, and then in the UK, where both are now professors at the University of Manchester. Graphene is a form of carbon, in which the atoms are arranged in a sheet, forming a pattern of hexagonals. If we could see graphene, it would look just like a sheet of chicken wire. Sheets are so thin that three million layers would only stack up to one millimeter. Because the layers are barely held together, it is relatively easy to strip them off, and this is more or less what we all do when drawing with a pencil. We actually write with graphene. Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, suspecting that it might actually be quite easy to strip off thin sheets of graphite, were undoubtedly

Pocket anatomyA software application enabling viewers to navigate around and through the human body has won a major media award. The Galway developers of Pocket Body were presented with with the Special Award for Media in Education at the MEDEA 2010 event in Brussels. The awards attracted 141 entries from 31 European countries with the finalists coming from Belgium, Estonia, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the UK. The award, said Pocket Anatomy CEO and founder, Mark Campbell, is a real honour and a great credit to a talented team. Developing the application involved close collaboration between the company, GMIT graduates, NUIG medical students.


amazed to find that a bit of adhesive tape could do the trick. By repeatedly applying adhesive tape, the scientists stripped away the layers, until they were left with some sheets that were, indeed, just one atom thick. Examination of defraction of light under the microscope, confirmed that they had isolated a truly two-dimensional crystalline material, and although it was made up from billions of carbon atoms, they were locked into stable one-dimensional pattern. The scientists, of course, had not discovered graphene, like diamonds and buckeyballs it is a naturally occurring form of carbon, but what they did reveal is that it is possible to isolate and manipulate this material. Up to then, it was thought that graphene could not be produced in isolation, and if it could, the single atom sheets would be so unstable that they would simply crinkle or roll up. Since the sticky tape success in peeling off microscopically tiny flakes, various other methods of stripping off sheets have been developed and

refined, and using techniques applied to make semiconductors, rolls of up to 70 cm have been produced. The carbon bonds are extremely strong, yet they are flexible enough to allow the network to be stretched by 20 per cent, and because the material is pure, electrons do not have to bounce around as they travel through, so graphene is an excellent conductor.

Electrons travelling though graphene behave as if they have no mass, so they pass along at the speed of light, and for this reason alone, scientists believe that they will be able to study the sort of phenomena that up to now required the use of a large particle accelerator. Among the many potential uses of graphene is as a replacement for silicon. Chips are getting smaller, and as scale goes down, silicon will cease to perform, but graphene has a much lower limit. On a larger scale, graphene is likely to appear in transparent touch screens, and solar panels, and the mechanical properties are likely to lead to tougher, conductive, plastics. As is usually, if not always the case of significant discoveries, Geim and Novoselov did not set out to come up with any practical applications, but were driven by curiosity. Their sense of play is strong, and creative. Before the Nobel, there was the Ig nobel, a tongue-in-cheek award for researchers who come up with seemingly daft ideas that make people laugh first, and then think. By making a frog levitate in a magnetic field, Andre Geim came up with an attention grabbing way to illustrate some basic physics.

Dr Brendan Wilkins, anatomy lecturer supervised third and fourth year medical students, Robyn Concannon, John Duignan, Jacqueline Driscoll, Mark Gurney, and Paula Wrafter in preparing the content. The application can serve as a teaching aid, and provides anatomical content on demand from portable devices. The musculoskeletal anatomy is presented in a series of multi-layered photo-realistic illustrations. The application, which sells for about €8, is available for different platforms, including the Mac iPad, and is available for downloading from the iTune store.


Picture the scenario! You get out of bed and immediately know that all is not well; pains all

over, lethargic, feverish and the immediate desire to get back into bed. Ahhh!! The dreaded flu has struck again! You stay in bed for a few days and gradually recover to full health. So have you ever stopped to think about why you felt bad for a few days, then you get better and usually stay better. And yet presumably you are still being exposed to the virus that caused the flu symptoms in the first place. The answer lies in the world of Immunology, the study of our immune system. So if you want to study or perform research in this area then The Institute of Immunology at NUI Maynooth is the place for you. The Institute is a flagship research and education institute with collaborators stretching across the globe. The Institute is Ireland’s representative to the European Network of Immunology Institutes (ENII). The Institute currently constitutes 7 research groups comprising of ~40 researchers at Principal Investigator, postdoctoral fellow and PhD student level. The research in the Institute relates to the everyday lives of Irish people and ranges from studies on inflammatory diseases that are highly prevalent in Ireland, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and asthma to early clinical studies on new vaccines and to learning how to fight infections.

The Institute of Immunology is a national leader in PhD training and is the lead Institute in the only structured PhD programme in Immunology in Ireland. Directed by Prof. Paul Moynagh (Director, Institute of Immunology), the HRB funded programme represents a partnership of The Institute of Immunology (NUI Maynooth), The School of Biochemistry and Immunology (Trinity College Dublin) and Division of Infection and Immunity (Queens University Belfast). This Tri-Institutional programme contains 25 research groups encapsulating some of the best basic and clinical immunology in Ireland. Industry strongly supports the programme with active participation from companies spanning interests in drug discovery and development, diagnostics, biopharmaceutical/vaccine manufacturing and antibody-based therapeutics and services. HRB has committed funding of €5 million to the programme to support the training of 24 PhD students.

One of the emerging strengths in the Institute of Immunology is in the area of Global Health and the study of diseases that devastate the developing world. To this end the Insitute of Immuniolgy offers the only national MSc programme in Immunology and Global Health. This programme was recently awarded the 2010 Winner of the GradIreland Postgraduate Course

of the Year in Science and Engineering. The MSc programme is targeted at biological and health science graduates who are interested in the major challenges in health and development today and who wish to broaden their understanding of immunology, its importance in global health and the factors that impact on immunological intervention strategies in health and disease. An important component of the course covers emerging and re-emerging diseases including diseases of poverty. This has proved a very popular programme with demand for places on the course increasing year on year.

The Institute of Immunology is also a lead partner in The Combat Diseases of Poverty (CDP) Consortium. Co-led by the Institute of Immunology and the Department of Anthropology at NUIM, the Consortium was awarded major funding from Irish Aid

under the Programme of Strategic Cooperation between Irish Aid and Higher Education and Research Institutes, 2007-2011. CDP constitutes a unique cluster of scientific, academic and NGO professional expertise, along with partners in the private sector, working together to build educational capacities for combating diseases

of poverty, with the initial focus on east Africa. The programme covers trainer training and exchanges between Ireland and East Africa and dissemination of information on global health and development to the broader public.

At the Institute of Immunology our goal is to perform world class research and be an internationally recognised centre for posgraduate education in Immunology. However we also want to integrate with the wider community. If you have an interest in Immunology or in any of our activities call us! We would be delighted to chat.

For more information see http://immunology.nuim.ie/.

http://research.nuim.ie/

The Institute of Immunology, NUI Maynooth

LIVELINK

Does the softly floral and yet sophisticated and sultry Chanel No.5 perfume make your heart skip a beat? Would you prefer

the rejuvenating and feminine Chanel Chance Eau Tendre, which is bound to leave you on a fruity note? Or is it the purely masculine Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue pour homme with a hint of Mediterranean sensuality that does the job? In essence,what I’m trying to unveil is the mysterious properties of the mere bottled package of scents that takes you to a place far away or makes you more aware of your surroundings. Makes one stride along with their head held high, and a beat to their steps, or brings out the refreshingly unique and young at heart. All this, subsequently begs the question, how can something like smell possibly affect us to such a degree? According to Wikipedia, Olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is the ability of humans and other animals to perceive odours. However, we are often misled, as to how gravely it can affect us. For example, did you know that onion’s and apple’s tastes resemble closely, once nose plugged and blindfolded? Have you ever wondered why food seems flavourless when you’ve caught a cold? It must’ve been your taste bud’s fault, right? Wrong! Once food is inserted into your mouth, odour molecules from that food travel through the passage between your nose and mouth to the olfactory receptor cells. If mucus in your nasal passages becomes too thick, air and odour molecules can’t reach your olfactory receptor cells. Thus, your brain receives no signal identifying the odour, and everything you eat tastes much the same. You can feel the texture and temperature of the food, but no messengers can tell your brain, “This hot, liquid substance is in fact Knorr Chicken soup.” So, who was to blame in the first place, your stuffy nose of course.

As a matter of fact, Seventy to seventy-five percent of what we call taste, is smell. Taste buds allow us to perceive only four basic taste sensations - salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and a fifth

sensation called Umami (savoury). Flavour is the term used for the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. Since the ability to distinguish various foods relies predominantly on the sense of smell, we can conclude that smell not only influences but is an integral part of flavour. Once an odour is experienced along with a flavour, the two become associated; thus, smell influences taste and taste influences smell. For example, vanilla is often associated with something sweet. Smell has also been known to affect people’s moods. When we smell something, we don’t only perceive the sensation of odour itself but we mainly associate it with experiences and emotions. “For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories and it is a pity that we use it so little”- Rachel Carson (American nature writer). Because of the unique way in which our sense of smell delivers stimuli, the incoming aromas first trigger an

emotional response, which is then followed by an analytical recognition. This is the reason why we first respond to the calming effect of lavender before we can identify the specific scent. Pleasant smells such that of freshly baked cookies and cakes in Marks and Spencer are used to encourage customers. I know this for a fact, because of the many times I have foolishly followed my sense of smell, and ended up buying a selection of white chocolate chip cookies, milk chocolate chip cookies, pistachio and almond cookies, toffee and pecan cookies and even more

Wake up and smell the roses, a highly commended essay from the RDS

McWilliams Young Science Writers’ competition.

Burning incense at a temple in Beijing. Wikepedia.

Wake up and smell the rosesBy Ameena Riham

Investing in R&DThe target of investing three per cent of our gross domestic product in R&D is not good enough, claims Dr Craig Barret, chairman of the Irish Technology Leadership Group. The group, established in 2007, is made up of senior company executives from the US and Ireland, and is based in California. The former CeO of Intel, speaking at an innovation seminar at NUI Galway in November, said that without a serious commitment, we cannot expect to keep up with the world’s more business savvy nations. Microsoft, he said, had a research budget of about $8 billion a year, and that is more than the whole of Ireland spends on R&D. Israel is spending five per cent of its GDP on R&D, and as Dr Barret observed the investment is paying off. Compared to less than 40 new companies from europe listed on the US stock exchange (NASDeQ), Israel has 140.

IgniteGRADUATeS who aim to set up a business are being offered professional guidance through IGNITe, a new centre based at University College Cork. A twelve month programme, backed by the Cork enterprise Boards, the Cork Chamber and others is open to all recent graduates from any third level instutution. There are a limited number of places, and the plan is to select just 10 participants every year.

http://ignite.ucc.ie

Sourcing productsAS Dr David Kavanagh from UCD has observed, buying scientific products is not as easy as it could be. his view, based on his own experience as a researcher is that sourcing of lab and scientific supplies is not efficient, and for many products prices are excessively high because there is no real competition. For scientists, he said, this is a serious problem because it reduces the amount of funding available for research. The same sort of economic rules that apply in a supermarket simply do not exist for scientific products.


LINKS Looking for a partner to help with expansion here or abroad, or have you technology that would help an Irish

SME to expand?

Mobility sensorSeNSORS can detect when elderly people fall, but current designs are not efficient and they are intrusive. Visible devices stigmatise users as ‘needy’. To overcome these problems, an unobtrusive wireless fall sensor has been developed at the University of Limerick. The new sensor can accurately differentiate normal activities from genuine falls.

For full information contact Conor Morris, Technology Transfer Officer, University of Limerick.

Tel: 061 234842. email: conor.morris.ie

Food pathogensReSeARCheRS at Athlone’s Institute of Technology have demonstrated that high-intensity pulsed electric fields (PeF) is capable of killing food any pathogens present in high-energy sip feeds and infant formula. The process has been optimised to produce a 5-6 log reduction of a range of food pathogens under different conditions in test feeds. PeF offers an alternative to thermal treatment of food products.

Details from Dr John Rae, Food Research Centre, Teagasc, Dublin 15.

Tel: 01 8059564. email: [email protected]

Herbal drinksReSeARCheRS at UCD would like to share knowledge and expertise with commercial producers of herbal beverages. The researchers have developed production processes that can be used to make safe and healthy drinks.

For more details contact: Kieran Downey at Teagasc Moorepark. email: [email protected]

Notices for inclusion in LINKS are welcome, but they must be brief, to the point, and of genuine interest to Irish SMEs. Email: [email protected]

To solve that problem, Dr Kavanagh has been working on a computerised product discovery engine, and he has been reviewing supply listings. As he explained, the initial focus is on products for the life sciences, and the aim is to provide a one-stop web-based shop window. This has now been launched as Scrazzle.com, and is being run by a NovaUCD campus spin off company, set up by Dr Kavanagh and Paul Phillips. Dr Kavanagh said that further development will bring in specialised services and broaden the coverage into other areas of science.

Andy Pollak at Queen’s University Belfast is Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies, and in a recent issue of the Belfast Telegraph he came across some telling figures. The figures, comparing earnings in the Republic and Northern Ireland, are all in £s Sterling. ROI NI Contributory pension £195 £97 Jobseekers allowance £166 £65 Child benefit, 1st £127 £88 hospital consultant 1st year £156,000+ £74,000 Secondary School Principal £80,500+ £55,800 University professor £100,000+ £60,000


LIVELINK

LIVELINK

[email protected]

LIVELINK

Does the softly floral and yet sophisticated and sultry Chanel No.5 perfume make your heart skip a beat? Would you prefer

the rejuvenating and feminine Chanel Chance Eau Tendre, which is bound to leave you on a fruity note? Or is it the purely masculine Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue pour homme with a hint of Mediterranean sensuality that does the job? In essence,what I’m trying to unveil is the mysterious properties of the mere bottled package of scents that takes you to a place far away or makes you more aware of your surroundings. Makes one stride along with their head held high, and a beat to their steps, or brings out the refreshingly unique and young at heart. All this, subsequently begs the question, how can something like smell possibly affect us to such a degree? According to Wikipedia, Olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is the ability of humans and other animals to perceive odours. However, we are often misled, as to how gravely it can affect us. For example, did you know that onion’s and apple’s tastes resemble closely, once nose plugged and blindfolded? Have you ever wondered why food seems flavourless when you’ve caught a cold? It must’ve been your taste bud’s fault, right? Wrong! Once food is inserted into your mouth, odour molecules from that food travel through the passage between your nose and mouth to the olfactory receptor cells. If mucus in your nasal passages becomes too thick, air and odour molecules can’t reach your olfactory receptor cells. Thus, your brain receives no signal identifying the odour, and everything you eat tastes much the same. You can feel the texture and temperature of the food, but no messengers can tell your brain, “This hot, liquid substance is in fact Knorr Chicken soup.” So, who was to blame in the first place, your stuffy nose of course.

As a matter of fact, Seventy to seventy-five percent of what we call taste, is smell. Taste buds allow us to perceive only four basic taste sensations - salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and a fifth

sensation called Umami (savoury). Flavour is the term used for the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. Since the ability to distinguish various foods relies predominantly on the sense of smell, we can conclude that smell not only influences but is an integral part of flavour. Once an odour is experienced along with a flavour, the two become associated; thus, smell influences taste and taste influences smell. For example, vanilla is often associated with something sweet. Smell has also been known to affect people’s moods. When we smell something, we don’t only perceive the sensation of odour itself but we mainly associate it with experiences and emotions. “For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories and it is a pity that we use it so little”- Rachel Carson (American nature writer). Because of the unique way in which our sense of smell delivers stimuli, the incoming aromas first trigger an

emotional response, which is then followed by an analytical recognition. This is the reason why we first respond to the calming effect of lavender before we can identify the specific scent. Pleasant smells such that of freshly baked cookies and cakes in Marks and Spencer are used to encourage customers. I know this for a fact, because of the many times I have foolishly followed my sense of smell, and ended up buying a selection of white chocolate chip cookies, milk chocolate chip cookies, pistachio and almond cookies, toffee and pecan cookies and even more

Wake up and smell the roses, a highly commended essay from the RDS

McWilliams Young Science Writers’ competition.

Burning incense at a temple in Beijing. Wikepedia.

Wake up and smell the rosesBy Ameena Riham

Investing in R&DThe target of investing three per cent of our gross domestic product in R&D is not good enough, claims Dr Craig Barret, chairman of the Irish Technology Leadership Group. The group, established in 2007, is made up of senior company executives from the US and Ireland, and is based in California. The former CeO of Intel, speaking at an innovation seminar at NUI Galway in November, said that without a serious commitment, we cannot expect to keep up with the world’s more business savvy nations. Microsoft, he said, had a research budget of about $8 billion a year, and that is more than the whole of Ireland spends on R&D. Israel is spending five per cent of its GDP on R&D, and as Dr Barret observed the investment is paying off. Compared to less than 40 new companies from europe listed on the US stock exchange (NASDeQ), Israel has 140.

IgniteGRADUATeS who aim to set up a business are being offered professional guidance through IGNITe, a new centre based at University College Cork. A twelve month programme, backed by the Cork enterprise Boards, the Cork Chamber and others is open to all recent graduates from any third level instutution. There are a limited number of places, and the plan is to select just 10 participants every year.

http://ignite.ucc.ie

Sourcing productsAS Dr David Kavanagh from UCD has observed, buying scientific products is not as easy as it could be. his view, based on his own experience as a researcher is that sourcing of lab and scientific supplies is not efficient, and for many products prices are excessively high because there is no real competition. For scientists, he said, this is a serious problem because it reduces the amount of funding available for research. The same sort of economic rules that apply in a supermarket simply do not exist for scientific products.


LINKS Looking for a partner to help with expansion here or abroad, or have you technology that would help an Irish

SME to expand?

Mobility sensorSeNSORS can detect when elderly people fall, but current designs are not efficient and they are intrusive. Visible devices stigmatise users as ‘needy’. To overcome these problems, an unobtrusive wireless fall sensor has been developed at the University of Limerick. The new sensor can accurately differentiate normal activities from genuine falls.

For full information contact Conor Morris, Technology Transfer Officer, University of Limerick.

Tel: 061 234842. email: conor.morris.ie

Food pathogensReSeARCheRS at Athlone’s Institute of Technology have demonstrated that high-intensity pulsed electric fields (PeF) is capable of killing food any pathogens present in high-energy sip feeds and infant formula. The process has been optimised to produce a 5-6 log reduction of a range of food pathogens under different conditions in test feeds. PeF offers an alternative to thermal treatment of food products.

Details from Dr John Rae, Food Research Centre, Teagasc, Dublin 15.

Tel: 01 8059564. email: [email protected]

Herbal drinksReSeARCheRS at UCD would like to share knowledge and expertise with commercial producers of herbal beverages. The researchers have developed production processes that can be used to make safe and healthy drinks.

For more details contact: Kieran Downey at Teagasc Moorepark. email: [email protected]

Notices for inclusion in LINKS are welcome, but they must be brief, to the point, and of genuine interest to Irish SMEs. Email: [email protected]

To solve that problem, Dr Kavanagh has been working on a computerised product discovery engine, and he has been reviewing supply listings. As he explained, the initial focus is on products for the life sciences, and the aim is to provide a one-stop web-based shop window. This has now been launched as Scrazzle.com, and is being run by a NovaUCD campus spin off company, set up by Dr Kavanagh and Paul Phillips. Dr Kavanagh said that further development will bring in specialised services and broaden the coverage into other areas of science.

Andy Pollak at Queen’s University Belfast is Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies, and in a recent issue of the Belfast Telegraph he came across some telling figures. The figures, comparing earnings in the Republic and Northern Ireland, are all in £s Sterling. ROI NI Contributory pension £195 £97 Jobseekers allowance £166 £65 Child benefit, 1st £127 £88 hospital consultant 1st year £156,000+ £74,000 Secondary School Principal £80,500+ £55,800 University professor £100,000+ £60,000


experiencing déjà vu through smell, hearing and touch. Fact is that the greatly underrated power of human sense of smell is important enough to evoke its own form of déjà vu! Aside from how smell affects taste, moods, dreams and attraction, our insightful study into aromatherapy, the essential link between memories and smells, and an enlightening look at déjà vu in the form of smell, I found it interesting to delve into a highly distinctive portion of the human sense of smell, the absence of it! The human sense of Smell! One of the senses most overlooked, despite being one of the most powerful. Since the olfactory system is in the brain, the sense of smell is closely tied to memory, mood, stress and concentration. Your sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than any other sense. So much so, that with every breath, your sense of smell is at work, even when you’re sleeping. Smells influence our choices in numerous ways. It affects us in our perception of others and attraction to others. It warns us of many hazards such as a gas leaks, poisonous fumes, fire and even spoiled food. It even lets us enjoy innumerable scents such as freshly baked apple pies in the afternoons and the aroma of Domino’s thin crust pepperoni pizza, eaten right out of the box.

With the loss of the sense of smell, you can expect there will be a loss in your sense of taste as well. The experience of changes in how you sense odours, Hyposmia – reduced ability to detect odours, sensing of an odour that isn’t present at all, and Anosmia – inability to detect odours at all, are all what you call smell disorders. Some of the common causes of these include aging, exposure to certain chemicals, sinus infection, a head injury, hormonal disturbances (i.e. pregnancies), dental problems and the intake of certain medications. The Associated Press has even identified certain smell disorders as what researchers believe is one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Having read the above, it is pointless to list out the many benefits of our unparalleled sense of smell. Instead, I implore you, to ‘wake up and smell the roses’ while you can. Later might just be too late!

References: Scent marketing - www.letsgetscented.comwww.wiki.medpedia.com/smell_disordershttp://www.thesoslab.com/facts-part-2.asphttp://www.thesoslab.com/facts-part-1.aspwww.dolcegabbana.comwww.bbc.co.uk/sciencenews.health.com - Heidelberg University researchRachel Herz - The Scent of Desire: Discovering our enigmatic sense of smellInternational Business Times – www.ibtimes.com – Global Industry Analysts Inc. ReportScience.howstuffworks.comDiane Ackerman – A Natural History of the senses

www.britannica.comwww.askmen.comwww.associatedcontent.comwww.senseofsmell.orgwww.scientificamerican.comwww.reachoutmichigan.orgwww.abc.net.auwww.scentsationaltechnologies.comMarks and SpencerThe Perfume shopwww.leeds.ac.uk – University of Leeds researchwww.nidcd.nih.govOxford English Dictionary

Ameena Riham, is a student at Ardscoil Mhuire, Ballinasloe, Co Galway

Her entry, in the 14 to 16 year old Science Report category was Highly Commended.

Incense being used during ceremonies at Varansi, India. Image: Ampersandyslexia.


chocolate chip cookies, and I can assure you that wasn’t the only time that has happened before. Yes! I was a victim of what is known as scent marketing. It is a new way of enforcing a company’s brand identity on the memory of the consumer as not just a logo but an olfactory experience. Smells can trigger certain bad moods too that could lead to migraines and headaches, but some smells can just turn your day right around. For example, sinking into a warm chamomile scented bath. This is also called Aromatherapy. Although we may not realise it, many of us use aromatherapy, whether it is in the form of a scented candle, perfume, scented body lotion or the use of incense. It consists of using the concentrated essences of aromatic plants, called essential oils. When inhaled, the properties of the oil determine what stimulation occurs and in which system – memory, breathing, blood circulation and the endocrine glands. Studies have actually shown marked differences in brain waves and physical activity after people have been exposed to different scents. But, since we start making olfactory memories as a child, just one whiff of a familiar smell, is all it can take, to trigger a very distinct reaction, good or bad. Although olfactory sensitivity generally declines with age, pleasant fragrances have been found to have positive effects on mood in all age groups. Scent experts use physical and emotional reactions along with scientific research to determine the effect of certain smells. The truth of the matter is that the experience of smell in itself is subjective. The global fragrances and perfumes market, projected to reach US $33.6 billion by the year 2012, as stated by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., is striving to cater for the growingly demanding population with a variety of scent- preferences, from fruity, to floral, to musky, to Mediterranean. After all, choice is all the hype now. Echoing a commonly used idiom, one man’s fragrance is another man’s nausea. For example, some of us share a violent dislike for odours generally regarded as pleasantly alluring - lemons, flowers and vanilla, and an unlikely craving for odours generally regarded as an offensive turnoff – petrol, varnish, cigarettes, and even body perspiration. In reality, every single one of us have our own unique odour-identity or “smell fingerprint,” except for identical twins. This is determined by many factors including: our genes, skin type, diet, medicine, mood state and even the weather. So, what do you reckon the chances are that you give off a certain Eau de ‘You’, which is the reason why you appeal or do not appeal to that special someone? Many! Since a women’s sense of smell is keener than a man’s, it doesn’t come as a surprise, that when it comes to women and attractiveness, smell turns out to be the number one physical factor, as well as the most important social factor, aside from pleasantness. It seems men can also tune in to the important scent messages given off by a woman, but they tend to rely

more on their eyes. Nonetheless, all smells have an arousal component – When you smell something favourable or not, that message is sent directly to your brain and into your limbic system, where feeling of pleasure and happiness are derived. Anything you smell directly affects your levels of arousal because of this instant messaging system. Hence, smell is often known as the sense most closely associated with our emotions. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for a one-hit wonder odour, proven to win hearts over, as it relies hugely on each individual’s likes and dislikes. Love at first smell, don’t you think? The association between certain smells and certain emotions may also be because of the memories that bind them together. “Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains; another, a moonlit beach; a third, a family

dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes….Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.” –

Diane Ackerman (“A Natural History of the senses”). Yes, odours do affect people’s mood, work performance and behaviour in a variety of ways. Although, it is not necessarily because of its medicinal values, or soothing qualities, it is also because of its association with a certain event or because of an individual’s past experiences. Smells evoke vivid memories and believe

it or not people recall smells with 65 per cent accuracy after

a year, while the visual recall of photos sinks to about 50 per cent after only three months. If so, is it not worth finding out whether a certain smell can affect you even in your state of sleep, or more specifically, affect your dreams? German researchers from the University of Heidelberg have reported that when people smelled the scent of rotten eggs while sleeping, the nature of their dreams turned decidedly negative, while those who got a whiff of the scent of roses had more positive dreams. “We were able to stimulate the sleeper with high concentrations of positively and negatively smelling odours and measure if the stimuli were incorporated into the dreams and changed the emotional tone of dreams,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Boris Stuck, “We found that the sleeper hardly ever dreamed of smelling something. Nevertheless, the emotional tone of the dream did change depending on the stimulation.” Another aspect of the sense of smell, worth exploring, is called déjà vu. It is a French word that has commonly fallen under the misconception, that it only relates to the already seen, when it in fact, regardless of the contradiction in terms, relates to when a sight, sound, taste or even smell of something makes us think that we’ve experienced it before, although we know that we couldn’t have. It was in November 2006 that University of Leeds researchers reported for the first time the case of a blind person

experiencing déjà vu through smell, hearing and touch. Fact is that the greatly underrated power of human sense of smell is important enough to evoke its own form of déjà vu! Aside from how smell affects taste, moods, dreams and attraction, our insightful study into aromatherapy, the essential link between memories and smells, and an enlightening look at déjà vu in the form of smell, I found it interesting to delve into a highly distinctive portion of the human sense of smell, the absence of it! The human sense of Smell! One of the senses most overlooked, despite being one of the most powerful. Since the olfactory system is in the brain, the sense of smell is closely tied to memory, mood, stress and concentration. Your sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than any other sense. So much so, that with every breath, your sense of smell is at work, even when you’re sleeping. Smells influence our choices in numerous ways. It affects us in our perception of others and attraction to others. It warns us of many hazards such as a gas leaks, poisonous fumes, fire and even spoiled food. It even lets us enjoy innumerable scents such as freshly baked apple pies in the afternoons and the aroma of Domino’s thin crust pepperoni pizza, eaten right out of the box.

With the loss of the sense of smell, you can expect there will be a loss in your sense of taste as well. The experience of changes in how you sense odours, Hyposmia – reduced ability to detect odours, sensing of an odour that isn’t present at all, and Anosmia – inability to detect odours at all, are all what you call smell disorders. Some of the common causes of these include aging, exposure to certain chemicals, sinus infection, a head injury, hormonal disturbances (i.e. pregnancies), dental problems and the intake of certain medications. The Associated Press has even identified certain smell disorders as what researchers believe is one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Having read the above, it is pointless to list out the many benefits of our unparalleled sense of smell. Instead, I implore you, to ‘wake up and smell the roses’ while you can. Later might just be too late!

References: Scent marketing - www.letsgetscented.comwww.wiki.medpedia.com/smell_disordershttp://www.thesoslab.com/facts-part-2.asphttp://www.thesoslab.com/facts-part-1.aspwww.dolcegabbana.comwww.bbc.co.uk/sciencenews.health.com - Heidelberg University researchRachel Herz - The Scent of Desire: Discovering our enigmatic sense of smellInternational Business Times – www.ibtimes.com – Global Industry Analysts Inc. ReportScience.howstuffworks.comDiane Ackerman – A Natural History of the senses

www.britannica.comwww.askmen.comwww.associatedcontent.comwww.senseofsmell.orgwww.scientificamerican.comwww.reachoutmichigan.orgwww.abc.net.auwww.scentsationaltechnologies.comMarks and SpencerThe Perfume shopwww.leeds.ac.uk – University of Leeds researchwww.nidcd.nih.govOxford English Dictionary

Ameena Riham, is a student at Ardscoil Mhuire, Ballinasloe, Co Galway

Her entry, in the 14 to 16 year old Science Report category was Highly Commended.

Incense being used during ceremonies at Varansi, India. Image: Ampersandyslexia.


chocolate chip cookies, and I can assure you that wasn’t the only time that has happened before. Yes! I was a victim of what is known as scent marketing. It is a new way of enforcing a company’s brand identity on the memory of the consumer as not just a logo but an olfactory experience. Smells can trigger certain bad moods too that could lead to migraines and headaches, but some smells can just turn your day right around. For example, sinking into a warm chamomile scented bath. This is also called Aromatherapy. Although we may not realise it, many of us use aromatherapy, whether it is in the form of a scented candle, perfume, scented body lotion or the use of incense. It consists of using the concentrated essences of aromatic plants, called essential oils. When inhaled, the properties of the oil determine what stimulation occurs and in which system – memory, breathing, blood circulation and the endocrine glands. Studies have actually shown marked differences in brain waves and physical activity after people have been exposed to different scents. But, since we start making olfactory memories as a child, just one whiff of a familiar smell, is all it can take, to trigger a very distinct reaction, good or bad. Although olfactory sensitivity generally declines with age, pleasant fragrances have been found to have positive effects on mood in all age groups. Scent experts use physical and emotional reactions along with scientific research to determine the effect of certain smells. The truth of the matter is that the experience of smell in itself is subjective. The global fragrances and perfumes market, projected to reach US $33.6 billion by the year 2012, as stated by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., is striving to cater for the growingly demanding population with a variety of scent- preferences, from fruity, to floral, to musky, to Mediterranean. After all, choice is all the hype now. Echoing a commonly used idiom, one man’s fragrance is another man’s nausea. For example, some of us share a violent dislike for odours generally regarded as pleasantly alluring - lemons, flowers and vanilla, and an unlikely craving for odours generally regarded as an offensive turnoff – petrol, varnish, cigarettes, and even body perspiration. In reality, every single one of us have our own unique odour-identity or “smell fingerprint,” except for identical twins. This is determined by many factors including: our genes, skin type, diet, medicine, mood state and even the weather. So, what do you reckon the chances are that you give off a certain Eau de ‘You’, which is the reason why you appeal or do not appeal to that special someone? Many! Since a women’s sense of smell is keener than a man’s, it doesn’t come as a surprise, that when it comes to women and attractiveness, smell turns out to be the number one physical factor, as well as the most important social factor, aside from pleasantness. It seems men can also tune in to the important scent messages given off by a woman, but they tend to rely

more on their eyes. Nonetheless, all smells have an arousal component – When you smell something favourable or not, that message is sent directly to your brain and into your limbic system, where feeling of pleasure and happiness are derived. Anything you smell directly affects your levels of arousal because of this instant messaging system. Hence, smell is often known as the sense most closely associated with our emotions. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for a one-hit wonder odour, proven to win hearts over, as it relies hugely on each individual’s likes and dislikes. Love at first smell, don’t you think? The association between certain smells and certain emotions may also be because of the memories that bind them together. “Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains; another, a moonlit beach; a third, a family

dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes….Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.” –

Diane Ackerman (“A Natural History of the senses”). Yes, odours do affect people’s mood, work performance and behaviour in a variety of ways. Although, it is not necessarily because of its medicinal values, or soothing qualities, it is also because of its association with a certain event or because of an individual’s past experiences. Smells evoke vivid memories and believe

it or not people recall smells with 65 per cent accuracy after

a year, while the visual recall of photos sinks to about 50 per cent after only three months. If so, is it not worth finding out whether a certain smell can affect you even in your state of sleep, or more specifically, affect your dreams? German researchers from the University of Heidelberg have reported that when people smelled the scent of rotten eggs while sleeping, the nature of their dreams turned decidedly negative, while those who got a whiff of the scent of roses had more positive dreams. “We were able to stimulate the sleeper with high concentrations of positively and negatively smelling odours and measure if the stimuli were incorporated into the dreams and changed the emotional tone of dreams,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Boris Stuck, “We found that the sleeper hardly ever dreamed of smelling something. Nevertheless, the emotional tone of the dream did change depending on the stimulation.” Another aspect of the sense of smell, worth exploring, is called déjà vu. It is a French word that has commonly fallen under the misconception, that it only relates to the already seen, when it in fact, regardless of the contradiction in terms, relates to when a sight, sound, taste or even smell of something makes us think that we’ve experienced it before, although we know that we couldn’t have. It was in November 2006 that University of Leeds researchers reported for the first time the case of a blind person

SPIN

Bubble Reflections by Kim Broderick, Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork. 2nd, Junior Cycle category.

Coloured Transpiration by Katie Riordan, Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork. 1st Junior Cycle category.Image: Coloured Transpiration.

An Eye for Nano Science from Sinead O’Neill, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare. 1st in Senior Cycle, St Finnan’s College.

Science Snaps is a photograpic

competition organised by the Tyndall National Institute at University

College Cork.The competition is

supported by Discover Science & Engineering

and is sponsored by Inspire, the Integrated NanoScience Platform

for Ireland.Science Snaps prizes and exhibitions were

sponsored by DSE, Dell, Bus Éireann and

CPL.


SCIENCESNAPS

Winning photographs The wonder of small

science

Science Leap from Bernard dunne, Naas, Co Kildare, 1st General Public Category.

Sunflower Leaf from daniela maskova, Rathmines, Dublin. 2nd in General Public category.

Cool Crystals by cynthia ebere–anaba, Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork. 2nd Senior Cycle category.

SPIN

SPIN

Bubble Reflections by Kim Broderick, Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork. 2nd, Junior Cycle category.

Coloured Transpiration by Katie Riordan, Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork. 1st Junior Cycle category.Image: Coloured Transpiration.

An Eye for Nano Science from Sinead O’Neill, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare. 1st in Senior Cycle, St Finnan’s College.

Science Snaps is a photograpic

competition organised by the Tyndall National Institute at University

College Cork.The competition is

supported by Discover Science & Engineering

and is sponsored by Inspire, the Integrated NanoScience Platform

for Ireland.Science Snaps prizes and exhibitions were

sponsored by DSE, Dell, Bus Éireann and

CPL.


SCIENCESNAPS

Winning photographs The wonder of small

science

Science Leap from Bernard dunne, Naas, Co Kildare, 1st General Public Category.

Sunflower Leaf from daniela maskova, Rathmines, Dublin. 2nd in General Public category.

Cool Crystals by cynthia ebere–anaba, Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork. 2nd Senior Cycle category.

SPIN


EPA

Learning about our environmentThe Environmental Protection Agency has developed resources for second-level schools. 2020 viSion: A Closer Look at ireland’s environment is a multimedia resource especially developed to help teachers explore the key environmental challenges we now face in Ireland.

Using short clips from Duncan Stewart’s EcoEye TV series as a starting point, various environmental themes can be investigated through comprehension and lesson plans designed specifically for Transition Year, CSPE, Science and Junior Cycle Georgraphy.

As the 2020 Vision resource is primarily web-based, teachers are invited to visit the EPA website: www.epa.ie/education to download the resource in English or Irish.

The website contains the full range of materials, including Irish-language versions of all the comprehensions and lesson plans. It also has a video player to facilitiate viewing the EcoEye clips on-line. The clips are subtitled in English and Irish, and transcripts of their content in both languages can be downloaded from the video player.

There are six key topics in the 2020 Vision resource: Limiting and adapting to climate change Clean air Clean water Protecting soil and biodiversity Sustainable resource use integration and enforcement

Teachers can also request a DVD and CD copy of the 2020 Vision resource:Send name and school contact details to [email protected] or write to EPA Headquarters, Education Unit, PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle Estate, Wexford or call 053 9160642.

Teacher name ..................................................................................................................

Email ..................................................................................................................

School name ..................................................................................................................

School address ..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

Return to: EPA Headquarters, Education Unit, PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle Estate, Wexford.

Co. Clare has an abundance of activities for the science and nature

enthusiast and is a brilliant place for a science, or more specifically, a biology field trip. A three day visit to Co. Clare can provide a jam packed itinerary for a school trip, which can be targeted specifically at science or made cross-curricular. Here are some suggested places to visit:

The BurrenThe Burren, which means “Stoney Place”, is one of the most unique areas of Ireland, both geologically and biologically. It was formed over 340 million years ago, during the Carboniferous Period, at the bottom of a warm, shallow sea. The limestone pavement, for which the Burren is famous, was formed by the calcium rich skeletons of marine organisms that lived in those shallow seas. over the years, through glacial, tectonic, chemical and human influences, the Burren has evolved into what we see today. The result is a wonderfully rich landscape of swirls, tiers, cliffs, caves, hollows and pavements, classical features of a ‘karst’ landscape. over 70 per cent of Ireland’s plant species are found here including 22 of our 27 native orchids and it is awash with mammal life too – including all of Ireland’s seven species of bat. A good place to introduce the history and geology of this wonderful place is the Burren Centre in Kilfenora. open from March to october, the centre has a wonderful exhibition and their website (www.theburrencentre.ie) has downloadable “education packs”. Saying that, the only true way to explore the Burren is to get out and explore the

landscape and its wonderful wildlife on foot. For more information on the Burren visit www.burrenbeo.com.

The Aillwee and Doolin cavesThe geological structure of the Burren lends itself to the formation of wonderful cave complexes and the caves at aillwee and Doolin have been brilliantly adapted as show caves. The visitor tours are excellent and

well suited to a school audience and are a must see when in Clare. Doolin cave is home one of the largest free standing stalactites in the world – The Great Stalactite – and has recently opened a new visitor centre. The caves are open all year round with more information available on their websites: www.aillweecave.ie and www.doolincave.ie.

Birds of prey and educational centreSituated within the aillwee Cave site is the brilliant Burren Birds of Prey and educational Centre. The centre has a huge collection of native birds of prey, from owls, eagles, vultures and hawks, and even organises live flying exhibitions with brilliant displays from golden eagles and peregrine falcons. There is also an excellent gift shop on site — definitely worth a visit. For more information visit their excellent website: www.birdofpreycentre.com

Cliffs of MoherThe Cliffs of Moher are a geological icon and another “must see” when in the Clare area. Five miles long and over seven hundred metres high, the cliffs are one of the most beautiful places in Ireland. The impressive towering cliffs are also home to huge numbers of sea birds, from puffins, guillemots, gannets and shags, all nesting in the cliff face and feeding in the waters below. (Don’t forget to bring your binoculars!) If you’re on a budget, skip the newly constructed centre and simply enjoy the view. For more information visit: www.cliffsofmoher.ie

CoastlineThere is no better place in Ireland to carry out an ecological study than on the Clare coastline. From the majestic Black Head down towards Fanore, you will find a variety of coastal sites perfectly suited to studying the “rocky seashore”. The sand dunes at Fanore are also an excellent place to see ecological succession of plant species, from marram grass to sedges to the parasitic dodder. The coastline has an abundance of plant and animal species and is one of the most amazing areas of coastline in Ireland.

Other attractionsWhile Co. Clare has an abundance of attractions for the science and nature enthusiast, it is also home to many amazing historical and geographical gems. A cross-curricular trip could include a visit to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, the Poulnabrone Dolmen, Caherconnell Stone Fort, Craggaunowen, Lahinch Seaworld or the Brian Boru centre in Killaloe. Co. Clare is an excellent place for a school trip and within easy access from most parts of the country.

FIELD TRIPS

COunTy CLAREScience field trips are a great way to enthuse your pupils about the world of science and nature. We are exceptionally lucky in Ireland to have so many attractions of scientific interest within easy reach and a few short days away can provide a huge range of teaching and learning opportunities. In each issue of School Spin, we will focus on a particular areas of the country, highlighting the scientific attractions accessible within the area. This issue’s suggested field trip activities are all within Co. Clare.

Megalithic remains, such as this one, merge into the stony landscape.

SCHOOL SPIN Issue 44 Page 50


EPA

Learning about our environmentThe Environmental Protection Agency has developed resources for second-level schools. 2020 viSion: A Closer Look at ireland’s environment is a multimedia resource especially developed to help teachers explore the key environmental challenges we now face in Ireland.

Using short clips from Duncan Stewart’s EcoEye TV series as a starting point, various environmental themes can be investigated through comprehension and lesson plans designed specifically for Transition Year, CSPE, Science and Junior Cycle Georgraphy.

As the 2020 Vision resource is primarily web-based, teachers are invited to visit the EPA website: www.epa.ie/education to download the resource in English or Irish.

The website contains the full range of materials, including Irish-language versions of all the comprehensions and lesson plans. It also has a video player to facilitiate viewing the EcoEye clips on-line. The clips are subtitled in English and Irish, and transcripts of their content in both languages can be downloaded from the video player.

There are six key topics in the 2020 Vision resource: Limiting and adapting to climate change Clean air Clean water Protecting soil and biodiversity Sustainable resource use integration and enforcement

Teachers can also request a DVD and CD copy of the 2020 Vision resource:Send name and school contact details to [email protected] or write to EPA Headquarters, Education Unit, PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle Estate, Wexford or call 053 9160642.

Teacher name ..................................................................................................................

Email ..................................................................................................................

School name ..................................................................................................................

School address ..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

Return to: EPA Headquarters, Education Unit, PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle Estate, Wexford.

Co. Clare has an abundance of activities for the science and nature

enthusiast and is a brilliant place for a science, or more specifically, a biology field trip. A three day visit to Co. Clare can provide a jam packed itinerary for a school trip, which can be targeted specifically at science or made cross-curricular. Here are some suggested places to visit:

The BurrenThe Burren, which means “Stoney Place”, is one of the most unique areas of Ireland, both geologically and biologically. It was formed over 340 million years ago, during the Carboniferous Period, at the bottom of a warm, shallow sea. The limestone pavement, for which the Burren is famous, was formed by the calcium rich skeletons of marine organisms that lived in those shallow seas. over the years, through glacial, tectonic, chemical and human influences, the Burren has evolved into what we see today. The result is a wonderfully rich landscape of swirls, tiers, cliffs, caves, hollows and pavements, classical features of a ‘karst’ landscape. over 70 per cent of Ireland’s plant species are found here including 22 of our 27 native orchids and it is awash with mammal life too – including all of Ireland’s seven species of bat. A good place to introduce the history and geology of this wonderful place is the Burren Centre in Kilfenora. open from March to october, the centre has a wonderful exhibition and their website (www.theburrencentre.ie) has downloadable “education packs”. Saying that, the only true way to explore the Burren is to get out and explore the

landscape and its wonderful wildlife on foot. For more information on the Burren visit www.burrenbeo.com.

The Aillwee and Doolin cavesThe geological structure of the Burren lends itself to the formation of wonderful cave complexes and the caves at aillwee and Doolin have been brilliantly adapted as show caves. The visitor tours are excellent and

well suited to a school audience and are a must see when in Clare. Doolin cave is home one of the largest free standing stalactites in the world – The Great Stalactite – and has recently opened a new visitor centre. The caves are open all year round with more information available on their websites: www.aillweecave.ie and www.doolincave.ie.

Birds of prey and educational centreSituated within the aillwee Cave site is the brilliant Burren Birds of Prey and educational Centre. The centre has a huge collection of native birds of prey, from owls, eagles, vultures and hawks, and even organises live flying exhibitions with brilliant displays from golden eagles and peregrine falcons. There is also an excellent gift shop on site — definitely worth a visit. For more information visit their excellent website: www.birdofpreycentre.com

Cliffs of MoherThe Cliffs of Moher are a geological icon and another “must see” when in the Clare area. Five miles long and over seven hundred metres high, the cliffs are one of the most beautiful places in Ireland. The impressive towering cliffs are also home to huge numbers of sea birds, from puffins, guillemots, gannets and shags, all nesting in the cliff face and feeding in the waters below. (Don’t forget to bring your binoculars!) If you’re on a budget, skip the newly constructed centre and simply enjoy the view. For more information visit: www.cliffsofmoher.ie

CoastlineThere is no better place in Ireland to carry out an ecological study than on the Clare coastline. From the majestic Black Head down towards Fanore, you will find a variety of coastal sites perfectly suited to studying the “rocky seashore”. The sand dunes at Fanore are also an excellent place to see ecological succession of plant species, from marram grass to sedges to the parasitic dodder. The coastline has an abundance of plant and animal species and is one of the most amazing areas of coastline in Ireland.

Other attractionsWhile Co. Clare has an abundance of attractions for the science and nature enthusiast, it is also home to many amazing historical and geographical gems. A cross-curricular trip could include a visit to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, the Poulnabrone Dolmen, Caherconnell Stone Fort, Craggaunowen, Lahinch Seaworld or the Brian Boru centre in Killaloe. Co. Clare is an excellent place for a school trip and within easy access from most parts of the country.

FIELD TRIPS

COunTy CLAREScience field trips are a great way to enthuse your pupils about the world of science and nature. We are exceptionally lucky in Ireland to have so many attractions of scientific interest within easy reach and a few short days away can provide a huge range of teaching and learning opportunities. In each issue of School Spin, we will focus on a particular areas of the country, highlighting the scientific attractions accessible within the area. This issue’s suggested field trip activities are all within Co. Clare.

Megalithic remains, such as this one, merge into the stony landscape.

SCHOOL SPIN Issue 44 Page 50


Stem cell researchIn order to fully realise the potential of stem cell therapies, scientists need to carry out experimental research on how these cells grow, divide and differentiate. Programming a stem cell to become a nerve cell, for example, isn’t easy. Scientists don’t know how to trigger stem cells to differentiate into the type of cell needed by the body. So scientists are busy working and testing these cells seeing if they can control the differentiation process more effectively. In order to do this, they need access to stem cells. The easiest way to get stem cells is to get them from four or five day old human embryos – fertilised eggs. As mentioned before, embryonic stem cells are pluripotent so can potentially be changed into any type of cell, making them more important for researchers too. But there are considerable ethical issues surrounding their use. Many individuals, including religious groups, believe that a blastocyst, although only a few days old and consisting of around 100 cells, is technically a living thing and destroying it is ethically and morally wrong. Until recently, scientists in the United States could not receive public funding for embryonic stem cell research, but President Obama lifted this ban last March and has pledged to “vigorously

support” new research in the area. In Ireland it is currently illegal to produce embryonic stem cells and there is currently no legislation governing embryonic stem cell treatments. Many groups, including the Irish Stem Cell Foundation, are calling for its introduction immediately. They believe that proper legislation could accelerate the research in the area and aim to educate Irish patients about stem cell treatments. For discussion: Are the use of embryonic stem cells ethically wrong? Should embryonic stem cell research be government funded? Why hasn’t the Irish government introduced legislation around stem cell research? Should only adult stem cells be used for research? Are there other alternatives?

When does life begin?Central to the debate on the use of embryonic stem cells in the question: when does life begin? Although not yet more than just a tiny ball of cells, pro-life groups think that destroying human life at any stage is wrong.

For discussion: When does life begin? Is a blastocyst living? Is destroying a blastocyst a necessary evil in the quest to cure human disease?

Human cloningSome scientists believe that we could use human cloning technology (somatic cell nuclear transfer) to create cells similar to embryonic stem cells and use these cells as an alternative to creating and subsequently destroying human blastocysts. However, the use of this technology is not without its ethical concerns.

For discussion: Should human cloning technology be used as an alternative to embryonic stem cells? How can human cloning be controlled?

ConclusionIt is clear that stem cells can play a significant role in the future of human medicine but many questions are currently left unanswered. A class discussion is a great way to get pupils interested in this fast moving and controversial area of scientific research.

ResourcesIrish Stem Cell Foundation

www.irishstemcellfoundation.orgStem Cell Schools

www.stemcellschool.org

Hunphrey Jones is a science teacher at St Columba’s College, Dublin.Visit the Frog Blog at http://blog.sccscience.com

SNOWFLAKESWHen not involved in the detection of gravitational waves in space, Kenneth Libbrecht, a professor of physics at Caltech, looks at snowflakes. Although all snowflakes are based on a hexagonal, each crystal has its own distinctive shape. As a mathematician and physicist, Kenneth wonders how snowflakes can show such diversity. In order to find out, he grows ice crystals from water vapour under carefully controlled conditions. Using these synthetic snowflakes Kenneth aims to determine exactly what sort of physical mechanisms are involved in influencing the final shape.

As a result of this work, Kenneth has produced many remarkable photographs showing the amazing diversity of snowflakes. Last October, Kenneth was presented with a special award from the Karolinska Institutet for producing these beautiful images. The Lennart nilsson Award, named after a celebrated Swedish photographer, is presented annually for outstanding work in the medical and scientific field. (TK)

Kenneth Libbrecht has a web site at:www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals

Kenneth Libbrecht on the hunt for snowflakes.


The human body is made up of around 100 trillion cells. Most of these cells

have a specific function – they might be skin cells, bone cells, muscle cells, nerve cells or blood cells – but some have yet to be given a specific role in the body. These are the stem cells. Scientists are keen to learn about how stem cells work, especially how they can be “differentiated” (turned into specific tissues), and hope that many diseases, like diabetes or even Alzheimer’s disease , could be cured as a result of their research. However, there are some significant issues surrounding stem cells and the research on them being carried out.

Types of tissueStem cells are cells in your body which have yet to be “differentiated”, that is they potentially can become any type of body tissue. The four categories of body tissues are epithelial, muscle, nervous or connective. Epithelial tissues serve as protective coverings for different parts of the body including the lining of your gut, the outer layer of cells around your organs and even the outer layers of your skin. Muscle tissue is composed of cells that can “contract”. Some of these cells form the

muscles attached to your skeleton but more are found in your gut and a special type of muscle is found in your heart – this muscle never tires. Nervous tissue cells have the ability to generate and conduct electrical impulses and serve as messengers in your body while connective tissues support the various structures of your body including tendons, ligaments, bone, cartilage and the inner layers of your skin. As mentioned before, stem cells can potentially become any of these types of cells and, thus, could be used to repair any part of your body.

For discussion: Why do scientists want to use stem cells? How could stem cells be used in the body? Where are stem cells made in your body?

Types of stem cells?Stem cells can be classified as either “adult stem cells” or “embryonic stem cells”. Adult or somatic stem cells exist throughout the body after embryonic development and are found inside many different types of tissue. These stem cells have been found in tissues such as the brain, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels,

skeletal muscles, skin, and the liver. They remain in an inactive state for years until activated by disease or tissue injury. Adult stem cells can divide or self-renew indefinitely, enabling them to generate a range of cell types from the originating organ or even regenerate the entire original organ. Adult stem cells are thought to be “mulitpotent”, that is, they have the ability to change into many types of human cells but not all. Embryonic stem cells come from a four or five day old human embryo. At this stage the newly formed organism is nothing more than a ball of cells called a blastocyst, but these cells can still form any type of tissue. Embryonic stem cells are described as “pluripotent”- that is, they are capable of generating any and all cells in the body under the right conditions.

For discussion: Why are “pluripotent” cells so important? Which type of stem cells have more potential in research and medicine? What is a blastocyst? Is it right to fertilise eggs to create stem cells for research?

Stem cell therapyStem cell therapies are currently being used to treat forms of leukaemia or cancer of white blood cells. This involves the injection of bone marrow tissue, or more recently umbilical cord blood stem cells, into the bones of cancer sufferers. The intention is that these new stem cells will then form new blood cells to replace the ones damaged by the cancer. Scientists and medical professionals believe that stem cells could be used to treat a whole range of diseases in the future including heart disease, diabetes, cancers, spinal injuries, deafness, blindness or even replace missing teeth. But there are also some concerns that patients across the world are being sold “bogus” stem cell treatments and that these are not being regulated appropriately.

For discussion: What are the potential uses of stem cell therapies? Why are these treatments currently not being used? Which type of stem cell is best suited to these treatments? When will these therapies become common practice? What “bogus” treatments are currently being offered?

DiScuSSion PoinT

STem CellSThe Future of medicine?

Science teacher, Humphrey Jones, Science Teacher, raises some points for classroom discussion.

Human embryonic stem cell colonies, such as these, have the potential to develop into a whole range of specialised cells. Imaage: ISCF.


Stem cell researchIn order to fully realise the potential of stem cell therapies, scientists need to carry out experimental research on how these cells grow, divide and differentiate. Programming a stem cell to become a nerve cell, for example, isn’t easy. Scientists don’t know how to trigger stem cells to differentiate into the type of cell needed by the body. So scientists are busy working and testing these cells seeing if they can control the differentiation process more effectively. In order to do this, they need access to stem cells. The easiest way to get stem cells is to get them from four or five day old human embryos – fertilised eggs. As mentioned before, embryonic stem cells are pluripotent so can potentially be changed into any type of cell, making them more important for researchers too. But there are considerable ethical issues surrounding their use. Many individuals, including religious groups, believe that a blastocyst, although only a few days old and consisting of around 100 cells, is technically a living thing and destroying it is ethically and morally wrong. Until recently, scientists in the United States could not receive public funding for embryonic stem cell research, but President Obama lifted this ban last March and has pledged to “vigorously

support” new research in the area. In Ireland it is currently illegal to produce embryonic stem cells and there is currently no legislation governing embryonic stem cell treatments. Many groups, including the Irish Stem Cell Foundation, are calling for its introduction immediately. They believe that proper legislation could accelerate the research in the area and aim to educate Irish patients about stem cell treatments. For discussion: Are the use of embryonic stem cells ethically wrong? Should embryonic stem cell research be government funded? Why hasn’t the Irish government introduced legislation around stem cell research? Should only adult stem cells be used for research? Are there other alternatives?

When does life begin?Central to the debate on the use of embryonic stem cells in the question: when does life begin? Although not yet more than just a tiny ball of cells, pro-life groups think that destroying human life at any stage is wrong.

For discussion: When does life begin? Is a blastocyst living? Is destroying a blastocyst a necessary evil in the quest to cure human disease?

Human cloningSome scientists believe that we could use human cloning technology (somatic cell nuclear transfer) to create cells similar to embryonic stem cells and use these cells as an alternative to creating and subsequently destroying human blastocysts. However, the use of this technology is not without its ethical concerns.

For discussion: Should human cloning technology be used as an alternative to embryonic stem cells? How can human cloning be controlled?

ConclusionIt is clear that stem cells can play a significant role in the future of human medicine but many questions are currently left unanswered. A class discussion is a great way to get pupils interested in this fast moving and controversial area of scientific research.

ResourcesIrish Stem Cell Foundation

www.irishstemcellfoundation.orgStem Cell Schools

www.stemcellschool.org

Hunphrey Jones is a science teacher at St Columba’s College, Dublin.Visit the Frog Blog at http://blog.sccscience.com

SNOWFLAKESWHen not involved in the detection of gravitational waves in space, Kenneth Libbrecht, a professor of physics at Caltech, looks at snowflakes. Although all snowflakes are based on a hexagonal, each crystal has its own distinctive shape. As a mathematician and physicist, Kenneth wonders how snowflakes can show such diversity. In order to find out, he grows ice crystals from water vapour under carefully controlled conditions. Using these synthetic snowflakes Kenneth aims to determine exactly what sort of physical mechanisms are involved in influencing the final shape.

As a result of this work, Kenneth has produced many remarkable photographs showing the amazing diversity of snowflakes. Last October, Kenneth was presented with a special award from the Karolinska Institutet for producing these beautiful images. The Lennart nilsson Award, named after a celebrated Swedish photographer, is presented annually for outstanding work in the medical and scientific field. (TK)

Kenneth Libbrecht has a web site at:www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals

Kenneth Libbrecht on the hunt for snowflakes.


The human body is made up of around 100 trillion cells. Most of these cells

have a specific function – they might be skin cells, bone cells, muscle cells, nerve cells or blood cells – but some have yet to be given a specific role in the body. These are the stem cells. Scientists are keen to learn about how stem cells work, especially how they can be “differentiated” (turned into specific tissues), and hope that many diseases, like diabetes or even Alzheimer’s disease , could be cured as a result of their research. However, there are some significant issues surrounding stem cells and the research on them being carried out.

Types of tissueStem cells are cells in your body which have yet to be “differentiated”, that is they potentially can become any type of body tissue. The four categories of body tissues are epithelial, muscle, nervous or connective. Epithelial tissues serve as protective coverings for different parts of the body including the lining of your gut, the outer layer of cells around your organs and even the outer layers of your skin. Muscle tissue is composed of cells that can “contract”. Some of these cells form the

muscles attached to your skeleton but more are found in your gut and a special type of muscle is found in your heart – this muscle never tires. Nervous tissue cells have the ability to generate and conduct electrical impulses and serve as messengers in your body while connective tissues support the various structures of your body including tendons, ligaments, bone, cartilage and the inner layers of your skin. As mentioned before, stem cells can potentially become any of these types of cells and, thus, could be used to repair any part of your body.

For discussion: Why do scientists want to use stem cells? How could stem cells be used in the body? Where are stem cells made in your body?

Types of stem cells?Stem cells can be classified as either “adult stem cells” or “embryonic stem cells”. Adult or somatic stem cells exist throughout the body after embryonic development and are found inside many different types of tissue. These stem cells have been found in tissues such as the brain, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels,

skeletal muscles, skin, and the liver. They remain in an inactive state for years until activated by disease or tissue injury. Adult stem cells can divide or self-renew indefinitely, enabling them to generate a range of cell types from the originating organ or even regenerate the entire original organ. Adult stem cells are thought to be “mulitpotent”, that is, they have the ability to change into many types of human cells but not all. Embryonic stem cells come from a four or five day old human embryo. At this stage the newly formed organism is nothing more than a ball of cells called a blastocyst, but these cells can still form any type of tissue. Embryonic stem cells are described as “pluripotent”- that is, they are capable of generating any and all cells in the body under the right conditions.

For discussion: Why are “pluripotent” cells so important? Which type of stem cells have more potential in research and medicine? What is a blastocyst? Is it right to fertilise eggs to create stem cells for research?

Stem cell therapyStem cell therapies are currently being used to treat forms of leukaemia or cancer of white blood cells. This involves the injection of bone marrow tissue, or more recently umbilical cord blood stem cells, into the bones of cancer sufferers. The intention is that these new stem cells will then form new blood cells to replace the ones damaged by the cancer. Scientists and medical professionals believe that stem cells could be used to treat a whole range of diseases in the future including heart disease, diabetes, cancers, spinal injuries, deafness, blindness or even replace missing teeth. But there are also some concerns that patients across the world are being sold “bogus” stem cell treatments and that these are not being regulated appropriately.

For discussion: What are the potential uses of stem cell therapies? Why are these treatments currently not being used? Which type of stem cell is best suited to these treatments? When will these therapies become common practice? What “bogus” treatments are currently being offered?

DiScuSSion PoinT

STem CellSThe Future of medicine?

Science teacher, Humphrey Jones, Science Teacher, raises some points for classroom discussion.

Human embryonic stem cell colonies, such as these, have the potential to develop into a whole range of specialised cells. Imaage: ISCF.

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Coniferous trees exude resin, and anyone who has chopped wood will be familiar with the sticky but fragrant substance. from earliest times, insects have been trapped in resin, and when fossilized as amber, their form, in amazing detail, can be preserved for millions of years. one of the advantages of amber is that it is transparent, so, unlike sedimentary rocks, the fossils are visible in depth. According to Prof Jes rust, a palaentologist at the university of Bonn who specializes in amber, many of these insect fossils are actually hollow. The inside is long gone, and what we see, he describes as like “insect photo wallpaper.” However, not all amber fossils are hollow, and in a paper published in the scientific journal PNAS, Dr Rust together with colleagues from india and us, report that a big deposit of well preserved insects has been found in northwest india. The scientists describe the lumps of amber as resembling herbal cough drops, and not alone are the bodies intact and entire, but they can be extracted. As the scientists explain, the polymerization of resin is incomplete, so it can be dissolved in a solvent, releasing the 50 million year old insects for closer examination. The find, from India’s Gujarat province, is regarded as one of the largest in the world, and so far it has yielded more

than 700 fossils representing 55 different genera. Most of the fossils are of insects, but there are also spiders, mites and plant fragments. Apart from casting light on insect life of 50 million years ago, the fossils indicate that when the indian sub-continent broke away from east Africa about 160 million years ago, it did not drift along in total isolation. if the sub-continent had been isolated for about 100 million years, plants and animals would have evolved into different and quite distinctive species. As the amber fossils show, this is not

the case, the insects are similar to those found in europe and Central America. it is thought that long chains of volcanic islands served to keep up the old connections. The resin came from extensive forests of Dipterocarpaceae.

This family of trees is thought to have been at its height 25 million years ago, but the extensive finds of resin suggest that this date should be pushed back by another 25 million years. The Dipterocarpaceae family is still very much with us, with about 500 species, mainly sub-tropical, and prominent today in the indo-Malayan region.

A 53 million years old coccid with peculiar eyes, Scanning microscope image from University of Bonn,

Dr Frauke Stebner from the University of Bonn holding up a piece of amber

with a tiny embedded insect.


Discover Science and Engineering (DSE) has announced a record participation in Science Week 2010 as over 115,000 people attended events across the country. Science Week Ireland 2010 was also one of the most successful Science Weeks to date with over 505 events taking place throughout the week, a 12% increase from 449 events in 2009.

Peter Brabazon, Programme Director, Discover Science and Engineering, said, “Science Week 2010 has been a great success and it’s fantastic to see the rise in popularity this year with 505 events taking place, an increase of 12% since 2009. The increased student numbers and record attendance at Science Week also points to the growing popularity of science, technology, engineering and maths among young people. I would like to thank everyone who got involved with Science Week this year which wouldn’t be possible without the enthusiasm and support of the volunteers and partners.”

Coinciding with Science Week, a HEA report on CAO acceptance figures was also released. The figures were positive for science, computing and engineering courses, with computing and engineering acceptance rates remaining stable. Science acceptances increased in 2009/10 to 10.3% of all acceptances and have remained stable in 2010/11 at 10.2%. This is the highest rate of acceptance in 10 years.

The final official Science Week event took place on Saturday 21st November as the Galway Science and Technology Exhibition took place in the Bailey Allen Hall NUI Galway. The event was opened by Maire Geoghan-Quinn, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, and featured 3-D Tours of the Universe, science entertainment shows and workshops for students.

The winners of two national competitions which took place during Science Week – Science Snaps and Science Raps – were also announced. Science Snaps, a national photography

competition, had three categories – general public, senior cycle and junior cycle. Bernard Dunne came first in the General Public category for his image ‘Science Leaps’. First place in the Senior Cycle Category went to Sinead O’Neill, a student of St. Flannan’s College, Ennis Co. Clare, for her image ‘An Eye for Nano Science’. Katie Riordan, a student of Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork, was awarded first place in the Junior Cycle Category for her image ‘Coloured Transpiration’. A gallery of all of the photo entries can be seen at www.pix.ie/go/sciencesnaps.

Hosted by Discover Science and Engineering and the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), University College Cork, Science Raps challenged students to unleash their inner rapper and express themselves and their thoughts about science and technology through rap music. Students were asked to compose and video a rap on this

year’s Science Week theme, ‘Our Place in Space.’

Rory O’Connor from Fermoy, Co. Cork was awarded first place in the over 17 category for his creative rap entitled “E=MC2”. The first prize in the 16 and under category went to Catherine Finn from Clondalkin, Co. Dublin for her effort “The Universal Rap” which struck a chord with judges for her clever use of rap music to express her thoughts about science. All of the Science Raps entries can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/user/Pharmabiotic The aim of Science Week is to promote the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in our everyday lives and to demonstrate the

importance of these disciplines to the future development of Irish society and the economy.

Science Week Ireland is organised by Discover Science & Engineering, the Government’s integrated programme for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) awareness and promotion. Further information on Science Week is available on

www.scienceweek.ie

7 - 14 NOVEMBER 2010

Oscar Higgins, Ryanna Amelio, and Steven McCabe entering the spirit of Science Week.

RECORD PARTICIPATION AS OVER 115,000 PEOPLE ATTEND EVENTS AS PART OF SCIENCE WEEK IRELAND 2010

LIVELINK

Coniferous trees exude resin, and anyone who has chopped wood will be familiar with the sticky but fragrant substance. from earliest times, insects have been trapped in resin, and when fossilized as amber, their form, in amazing detail, can be preserved for millions of years. one of the advantages of amber is that it is transparent, so, unlike sedimentary rocks, the fossils are visible in depth. According to Prof Jes rust, a palaentologist at the university of Bonn who specializes in amber, many of these insect fossils are actually hollow. The inside is long gone, and what we see, he describes as like “insect photo wallpaper.” However, not all amber fossils are hollow, and in a paper published in the scientific journal PNAS, Dr Rust together with colleagues from india and us, report that a big deposit of well preserved insects has been found in northwest india. The scientists describe the lumps of amber as resembling herbal cough drops, and not alone are the bodies intact and entire, but they can be extracted. As the scientists explain, the polymerization of resin is incomplete, so it can be dissolved in a solvent, releasing the 50 million year old insects for closer examination. The find, from India’s Gujarat province, is regarded as one of the largest in the world, and so far it has yielded more

than 700 fossils representing 55 different genera. Most of the fossils are of insects, but there are also spiders, mites and plant fragments. Apart from casting light on insect life of 50 million years ago, the fossils indicate that when the indian sub-continent broke away from east Africa about 160 million years ago, it did not drift along in total isolation. if the sub-continent had been isolated for about 100 million years, plants and animals would have evolved into different and quite distinctive species. As the amber fossils show, this is not

the case, the insects are similar to those found in europe and Central America. it is thought that long chains of volcanic islands served to keep up the old connections. The resin came from extensive forests of Dipterocarpaceae.

This family of trees is thought to have been at its height 25 million years ago, but the extensive finds of resin suggest that this date should be pushed back by another 25 million years. The Dipterocarpaceae family is still very much with us, with about 500 species, mainly sub-tropical, and prominent today in the indo-Malayan region.

A 53 million years old coccid with peculiar eyes, Scanning microscope image from University of Bonn,

Dr Frauke Stebner from the University of Bonn holding up a piece of amber

with a tiny embedded insect.


Discover Science and Engineering (DSE) has announced a record participation in Science Week 2010 as over 115,000 people attended events across the country. Science Week Ireland 2010 was also one of the most successful Science Weeks to date with over 505 events taking place throughout the week, a 12% increase from 449 events in 2009.

Peter Brabazon, Programme Director, Discover Science and Engineering, said, “Science Week 2010 has been a great success and it’s fantastic to see the rise in popularity this year with 505 events taking place, an increase of 12% since 2009. The increased student numbers and record attendance at Science Week also points to the growing popularity of science, technology, engineering and maths among young people. I would like to thank everyone who got involved with Science Week this year which wouldn’t be possible without the enthusiasm and support of the volunteers and partners.”

Coinciding with Science Week, a HEA report on CAO acceptance figures was also released. The figures were positive for science, computing and engineering courses, with computing and engineering acceptance rates remaining stable. Science acceptances increased in 2009/10 to 10.3% of all acceptances and have remained stable in 2010/11 at 10.2%. This is the highest rate of acceptance in 10 years.

The final official Science Week event took place on Saturday 21st November as the Galway Science and Technology Exhibition took place in the Bailey Allen Hall NUI Galway. The event was opened by Maire Geoghan-Quinn, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, and featured 3-D Tours of the Universe, science entertainment shows and workshops for students.

The winners of two national competitions which took place during Science Week – Science Snaps and Science Raps – were also announced. Science Snaps, a national photography

competition, had three categories – general public, senior cycle and junior cycle. Bernard Dunne came first in the General Public category for his image ‘Science Leaps’. First place in the Senior Cycle Category went to Sinead O’Neill, a student of St. Flannan’s College, Ennis Co. Clare, for her image ‘An Eye for Nano Science’. Katie Riordan, a student of Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork, was awarded first place in the Junior Cycle Category for her image ‘Coloured Transpiration’. A gallery of all of the photo entries can be seen at www.pix.ie/go/sciencesnaps.

Hosted by Discover Science and Engineering and the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), University College Cork, Science Raps challenged students to unleash their inner rapper and express themselves and their thoughts about science and technology through rap music. Students were asked to compose and video a rap on this

year’s Science Week theme, ‘Our Place in Space.’

Rory O’Connor from Fermoy, Co. Cork was awarded first place in the over 17 category for his creative rap entitled “E=MC2”. The first prize in the 16 and under category went to Catherine Finn from Clondalkin, Co. Dublin for her effort “The Universal Rap” which struck a chord with judges for her clever use of rap music to express her thoughts about science. All of the Science Raps entries can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/user/Pharmabiotic The aim of Science Week is to promote the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in our everyday lives and to demonstrate the

importance of these disciplines to the future development of Irish society and the economy.

Science Week Ireland is organised by Discover Science & Engineering, the Government’s integrated programme for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) awareness and promotion. Further information on Science Week is available on

www.scienceweek.ie

7 - 14 NOVEMBER 2010

Oscar Higgins, Ryanna Amelio, and Steven McCabe entering the spirit of Science Week.

RECORD PARTICIPATION AS OVER 115,000 PEOPLE ATTEND EVENTS AS PART OF SCIENCE WEEK IRELAND 2010

Have you heard that Science Spin has gone digital? WOW!

So now I can read it on my computer?

Yep...ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

All you need to do

is go on the Science

Spin website

www.sciencespin.com

and register. IN REAL PRINT AT YOUR LOCAL NEWSAGENT FOR JUST €3 A COPY.

On subscription for just €18 for six a yearand ....A DIGITAL PAGE TURNER FOR FREE!

SCIENCE SPIN is the only magazine giving extensive coverage to all aspects of science from an Irish perspective. SCIENCE SPIN is a magazine for everyone, not just scientists, and now that all our content is available 24/7 on the web, readers from Balbriggan to Beijing can see what’s going on right now in Irish science.

Visit www.sciencespin.com and register for your digital alerts now.

What is it? Speaking Science is an intensive one day communications training workshop for scientists and it aims to help you to tell your stories. If you need to explain what you are doing or if you need talk to the press, this is the course for you.

Who should attend? This course is aimed at staff scientists based in academia, public bodies or industry and 4th level students, MSc and PhD candidates who need to develop a wide range of career development skills. The ability to communicate clearly is one of the most important of these skills.

Who presents it? Seán Duke, Contributing Editor, Science Spin magazine. Seán has fifteen years experience as a science writer and editor. He is also the creator and presenter of Ireland’s only weekly radio science slot on 103.2 Dublin City FM.

Seán began the Speaking Science initiative in 2008 in response to the need for scientists to acquire better communication skills. Until now Speaking Science has only been available as an in-house course.

Group Course: Speaking Science is ideal for groups of up to ten people and can be held at your own premises, alleviating the need for traveling. To book or for more information and a copy of the course content, simply email [email protected] or call Alan Doherty direct on 01 284 2909.

Calling all scientists!Speaking ScienceOne Day WorkshopCommunications trainingJust for you!

For more information email [email protected] LIVELINK

Have you heard that Science Spin has gone digital? WOW!

So now I can read it on my computer?

Yep...ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

All you need to do

is go on the Science

Spin website

www.sciencespin.com

and register. IN REAL PRINT AT YOUR LOCAL NEWSAGENT FOR JUST €3 A COPY.

On subscription for just €18 for six a yearand ....A DIGITAL PAGE TURNER FOR FREE!

SCIENCE SPIN is the only magazine giving extensive coverage to all aspects of science from an Irish perspective. SCIENCE SPIN is a magazine for everyone, not just scientists, and now that all our content is available 24/7 on the web, readers from Balbriggan to Beijing can see what’s going on right now in Irish science.

Visit www.sciencespin.com and register for your digital alerts now.

What is it? Speaking Science is an intensive one day communications training workshop for scientists and it aims to help you to tell your stories. If you need to explain what you are doing or if you need talk to the press, this is the course for you.

Who should attend? This course is aimed at staff scientists based in academia, public bodies or industry and 4th level students, MSc and PhD candidates who need to develop a wide range of career development skills. The ability to communicate clearly is one of the most important of these skills.

Who presents it? Seán Duke, Contributing Editor, Science Spin magazine. Seán has fifteen years experience as a science writer and editor. He is also the creator and presenter of Ireland’s only weekly radio science slot on 103.2 Dublin City FM.

Seán began the Speaking Science initiative in 2008 in response to the need for scientists to acquire better communication skills. Until now Speaking Science has only been available as an in-house course.

Group Course: Speaking Science is ideal for groups of up to ten people and can be held at your own premises, alleviating the need for traveling. To book or for more information and a copy of the course content, simply email [email protected] or call Alan Doherty direct on 01 284 2909.

Calling all scientists!Speaking ScienceOne Day WorkshopCommunications trainingJust for you!

LIVELINK

Connecting to the futureHow is science meeting the great global challenges? Dublin City of Science 2012 will tell you.

Dublin, the home of cutting edge research and world-class universities, will welcome world-leading scientists and innovators to a year-long programme of science-themed events. And you are invited to join in!

Throughout the year you'll find activities and exhibitions that bring the science of tomorrow into your life today.

Get connected today: www.dublinscience2012.ie

Follow us on:Twitter.com/dubscience2012#dub2012

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Documents

Science Spin 44