Archive for the ‘Interviews’ Category

Analytical Science Twitter Poster Conference Winners

Following last month’s Analytical Science Twitter Poster Conference we are delighted to introduce the poster prize winners in this blog post. The event was a great success, featuring work from across the analytical sciences, submitted from all over the world. Around 80 posters were presented during the conference, as well as a couple of videos. Around 380 people took part, asking questions and sharing ideas, with Tweets from Europe, USA, Canada, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. The science was excellent, subjects presented included diagnosing diseases using nanotechnology, detecting 3rd hand smoke with HPLC, analysing latent fingerprints and microbial metabolomics among many others.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the event, in particular the Chair and Scientific Committee for dedicating their time and efforts and making the event such a success!

Chair and Organisers, Matt Baker, University of Strathclyde, UK @ChemistryBaker, Royal Society of Chemistry Analyst @analystrsc, Analytical Methods @MethodsRSC and JAAS @JAASNews. Scientific Committee, Carsten Engelhard, Universität Siegen @EngelhrC, Craig Banks, Manchester Metropolitan University @Act_mmu, Damien Arrigan, Curtin University @arri_aus, Jean-Francois Masson, University of Montreal @Masson_chem, Karen Faulds, University of Strathclyde @FauldsKaren, Martin Resano, University of Zaragoza @MartinResano, Nick Stone, University of Exeter @profnickstone, Perdita Barran, The University of Manchester @PerditaB, Raychelle Burks, Doane College @DrRubidium, Renee JiJi, University of Missouri @ReneeJiJi, Richard Dluhy, University of Georgia @radluhy, Roy Goodacre, The University of Manchester @RoyGoodacre

Many congratulations to the four prize winners of the Analytical Science Twitter Poster Conference!

WINNER

Sarah-Jane Richards

@RichardsSJ

Poster: Cholera and Sugars

My PhD research has focussed on the neutralisation and detection of bacteria and toxins. I am particularly interested in the development of rapid, label-free and inexpensive diagnostics, especially methods for low resource settings, such as in less-developed countries. We use carbohydrate functionalised gold nanoparticles as a colourimetric test for detecting bacteria and toxins and have optimised the particle design so that the method gives rapid readouts in biologically relevant (saline) conditions. We have also shown that this method is compatible with a simple mobile phone camera set up, removing the need for a spectrometer, making the system preferable for use in low resource and low expertise environments.

In the future, I aspire to develop these diagnostic methods into kit-type formats in order to facilitate their use by untrained operators. I am also interested in developing a paper based lateral flow assay for toxin detection, which will further improve the viability of the system in low resource environments by significantly reducing the cost. Having just finished by PhD studies, I am in the process of exploring my options for carrying out post-doctoral research, with a future view to starting my own research group.


RUNNER UP

Zoe Ayres

@ZJAyres

Poster: Heavy metal detection in aqueous environments using a novel diamond-based electrochemical sensor

I am really pleased to be selected as a runner up for the #rscanalyticalposter competition, which has been a great opportunity for me to get my research out to a wider audience. Work involves the development of novel diamond-based electrochemical sensors, capitalising on the material and electrochemical properties of freestanding boron doped diamond (BDD) films, including chemical and mechanical inertness, large solvent window, low background currents and the ability to be processed into any geometry electrode. Focus is currently on the development of Electrochemical-X-ray Fluorescence (EC-XRF), with an aim of ultimately detecting trace heavy metals in-situ, at a lake or riverside. Here the BDD functions as both an electrode, to preconcentrate metals from solution onto the electrode surface and X-ray window, to enable unambigious chemical identification of the metals on the surface and quantification by XRF. My research goals are to develop diamond-based sensors for use in real-world applications, whilst my career plans are to stay within analytical chemistry where I would love to be involved in the R&D of new analytical techniques.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank my supervisor Professor Julie Macpherson and Diamond colleagues in the Warwick Electrochemistry and Interfaces group, as well as Element Six for the growth of the BDD X-ray window electrodes used in this project. Thank also go to EPSRC and Element Six for funding my PhD project (EPSRC Case award EP/L505110/1).


RUNNER UP

James Hands

@MrJamesHands

Poster: Illuminating the Future of Cancer Diagnosis via Serum ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy

James is a Chemistry PhD candidate who is developing rapid spectroscopic methodologies for cancer diagnosis in collaboration with clinical partners at Royal Preston NHS Foundation Trust and The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust supported by Brain Tumour North West and the Sydney Driscoll Neuroscience Foundation. His research work has established a robust and highly reproducible diagnostic method for the diagnosis of brain cancer with high sensitivities and specificities using patient sera and ATR-FTIR. James recently developed a stratified diagnostic approach which allows for rapid diagnosis of cancer vs. non-cancer, metastatic cancer vs. organ confined, brain cancer severity and the organ of origin for metastatic disease. This work has resulted in 4 publications and 2 journal front covers. In addition to the 2014 Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies Student Award, he has also been awarded Best Clinical Poster at the British Neuro-oncology Society Annual Meeting 2013 and awarded 2 prizes at the National Health Service (NHS) Research & Innovation Showcase 2013/14 at Royal Preston Hospital, UK. James’ future goals include continuing research in the USA as a postdoctoral researcher in the field of biomedical spectroscopy.


RUNNER UP

Emily-Rose Billinge

@ERBillinge

Poster: Tunable Resistive Pulse Sensing for Bioassays

During my undergraduate degree in neuroscience I was fascinated by the discovery and measurement of biomarkers, especially in relation to making peripheral measurements to analyse the nervous system as, at current, it is very difficult to diagnose disorders of the brain and invasive measurements carry high risk. This led me to take up a PhD researching the development of new technologies and methodologies to be used in bioassays. To do this I anchor a capture probe, termed “aptamers”, to micro and nanoscale beads. Aptamers are sequences of DNA which can bind specific targets in solution, by attaching these to the surface of beads it is possible to have each bead capture the target protein in solution. We then follow and measure this interaction using a nanopore technology allowing us to identify and quantify proteins in solution. The system we use is rapid and is highly portable so it is hoped that one day this could lead towards point-of-care testing in the field.

Following on from this I’d really like a career which involves both scientific measurements and interaction with the public. I also thoroughly enjoy writing and want to improve scientific representation so hopefully in the future I will be able to incorporate this into my future work. For now, however, I’m fairly happy to see where the world takes me with no fixed agenda and enjoy the journey.

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Meet Professor Joseph Wang

Picture of Professor Joe Wang of UCSD

Professor Joe Wang, UCSD

At the Eirelec ’11 meeting in Adare, Republic of Ireland last year, Professor Mike Lyons of Trinity College met Professor Joseph Wang of the University of California, San Diego.  They spoke about Joe’s journey to becoming such a respected scientist, and what he feels about the future for the field of electrochemistry.

Find out about the woman who inspired him and why he thinks it’s an exciting time to be a new researcher

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Meet Professor Pat Unwin: Part 2

Professor Pat Unwin

Professor Pat Unwin, Electrochemistry and Interfaces Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick

Apologies for the wait but here’s the second part of Prof. Mike Lyon’s interview with Prof. Pat Unwin.  You can catch up with the first part here to find out about his love for Allen Bard, Liverpool and The Beatles.

Mike: At the first Eirelec in 1993, there was a perception around that there was a two culture divide in electrochemistry between physical and analytical electrochemists. Do you think that that divide still exists, is it still alive and well?

Pat: One of the appeals of electrochemistry is that it is broad in its application, scope and impact – and it has never been more important. The sub-divisions of the field, such as analytical electrochemistry, physical electrochemistry, bio-electrochemistry, materials electrochemistry, nano electrochemistry, etc. are significant in their own right and so the challenge for us in the “broad church of electrochemistry” is to try and make sure that there are strong links between the different areas, and an interchange of ideas and methods so that the whole remains healthy. I’m not sure there is necessarily a strong divide, because you see that many of the most successful electrochemists are actually working in different camps, and they naturally take ideas from one field into another. It’s also important as electrochemists that we bring in people in from other areas. We’ve been doing that in the Warwick group – over the last few years we’ve had mathematicians and computer scientists coming into the group on joint programmes with other departments and making a big impact, as well as people who have been trained in chemistry.

Mike: What will drive electrochemistry in the next 10 years?

Pat: I don’t really like to make predictions, because one startling development can come from out of the blue and really shape a whole field, and just one person working on their own can come up with something that has huge implications for a field. Some of the biggest developments have come about that way. But there are the general challenges that have been around in electrochemistry, to do with: can we really do single molecule electrochemistry, for example? How small can we go reliably? What happens when you truly go down to the molecular scale and so on? I think there is still a lot to do in terms of pushing the time and space resolution. In terms of instrumentation and techniques, as a community, most of the work is with the same kind of set ups we have used since the 1960’s and 1970’s so maybe that’s something that we need to really think about.

Mike: So are you implying in a way that we are at the stage pre-George Porter in the 1980’s: still at the microsecond or even the nano second scale?

Pat: I’m not sure that there are that many convincing examples of even ten nanosecond electrochemistry actually. And there is still much to do on probing structure-function.

Mike: I was shocked when the continuum electrochemical framework, such as the diffusion equations and all of that, seemed to hold valid.  The predictions of Fick’s diffusion law holds valid at the nanoscale; I thought there would have been a region of space where they would not be valid any more, but judging from a lot of the preliminary work that’s been generated at the moment with very small electrodes, you seem to be getting coherent current voltage curves?

Pat: Well, there are considerable experimental challenges in carrying out electrochemistry at the nanoscale, and ultimately molecular scale. At the moment most characterisation of nanoscale electrodes and electrochemical devices comes from the electrochemical signal itself and there is often little direct evidence of electrode geometry at that scale, which is a real challenge. There are also issues with measuring very small current signals with the appropriate time resolution, in order to see stochastic events. So, there are some interesting measurement challenges for electrochemists and electronic engineers, and we have to think about doing electrochemistry in new ways.

Mike: And finally, Pat, looking back on your career to date, what is, in your opinion, your most successful or most significant discovery?

Pat:  Well I’m actually excited about our current work with scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM); the idea of bringing very small volumes of solution to a surface and being able to make simultaneous electron transfer and ion transfer measurements, and resolve topography at the same time. But actually, as academics, it’s really the people who come out of our labs and groups who are most significant, and what they go on to do.

Mike: Okay, thank you very much Pat for answering these questions.

Pat: Thank you. It has been a pleasure talking with you.

van der Sneppen et al, Analyst, 2010, 135, 133-139

van der Sneppen et al, Analyst, 2010, 135, 133-139

Take a look at Pat’s paper in Analyst from last year:

Following interfacial kinetics in real time using broadband evanescent wave cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy: a comparison of light-emitting diodes and supercontinuum sources
Lineke van der Sneppen, Gus Hancock, Clemens Kaminski, Toni Laurila, Stuart R. Mackenzie, Simon R. T. Neil, Robert Peverall, Grant A. D. Ritchie, Mathias Schnippering and Patrick R. Unwin
Analyst, 2010, 135, 133-139
DOI: 10.1039/B916712A

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Meet Professor Pat Unwin: Part 1

Prof. Pat Unwin

Professor Pat Unwin, Electrochemistry and Interfaces Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick

At the recent Eirelec ’11 meeting, Professor Mike Lyons of Trinity College, Dublin met with Professor Pat Unwin of the University of Warwick to speak about his life as a researcher in electrochemistry.  Read on to find out about Pat’s time as a student in Liverpool, his scientific heroes, his current work and why he uses The Beatles to inspire his students…

Mike: Prof. Patrick Unwin, it’s a great pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to you on behalf of Analyst. I would just like to ask you a couple of questions.  First Pat, could you tell us basically about yourself, your educational background and how you came to be an electrochemist?

Pat: I studied for my B.Sc. at the University of Liverpool and was generally interested in physical chemistry. I primarily went to Liverpool as I thought it was a fascinating city: very different to other English cities and almost like going abroad. As an 18 year-old , I was very interested in politics, and was a big fan of Liverpool culture, from the Beatles to playwrights like Willy Russell and Alan Bleasdale, and – of course – football and excellent pubs!

There were some inspirational people teaching at Liverpool: (now Sir) David King and Nev Richardson in surface science; Richard Compton in electrochemistry; Don Bethell in physical-organic chemistry; and David Cole-Hamilton in inorganic chemistry, among others. I did my final year project with Richard Compton and really enjoyed it. We were working on channel electrodes for mechanistic studies and I had to get to grips with extensive papers from Amatore and Savéant, and learn about hydrodynamic systems, which was a great introduction to electrochemistry as an undergraduate.

What appealed to me was just how broad electrochemistry is, and how interesting it is; how it brings together mathematics, fluids, interfaces, kinetics, thermodynamics. There’s a fantastic range of things one can tackle with electrochemistry and electrochemical principles. From there, I went to study for my D.Phil. at Oxford with Richard Compton and I moved on to work with Allen Bard in Austin, Texas as a SERC-NATO Fellow in 1990.

Mike: Ok, now I suppose I’m going to play devil’s advocate here and ask: who is your electrochemical hero, or perhaps more generally, who is your scientific hero?

Pat: My electrochemical hero has to be Allen Bard – he’s an absolutely fantastic role model as a person and as a scientist, and I learned so much by working with him. My period in Austin was very enjoyable. But, I generally take my inspirations from people and their contributions outside science. I occasionally remind my research group of how the Beatles and George Martin revolutionised music, essentially in the period of a typical Ph.D.! Their music has stood the test of time and they were so creative in developing new ideas and pushing the boundaries. And they did it while having a lot of fun along the way; all essential aspects in science.

Mike: You’ve got very broad interests in electrochemistry, can you tell us a little bit about your research and your current activities?

Pat: A lot of our effort at the moment is going into high resolution flux measurements so that we can really understand structure and function. We are developing new kinds of imaging techniques – largely (but not exclusively) based on electrochemical principles and then applying the techniques and ideas across interfacial science, so we have quite a lot going on concerning ionic crystals where we really want to understand what chemical species and phenomena are important in controlling crystal growth.

We’re also looking at membrane transport, again using basic principles of electrochemistry and diffusion. It’s exciting not least because what we learn in one area we can take into another area. Then we also have programmes looking at sensor systems, particularly developing new forms of carbon electrodes: nanotubes, graphene and diamond. That’s work I’m doing with my colleagues, Julie Macpherson and Mark Newton.

Here again, we are using high resolution electrochemical techniques to map activity. The nanoscale electrochemical imaging techniques we have recently developed allow us to identify active sites on electrode surfaces and give us considerable new insights on the behaviour of new electrode materials.

Mike: I can see where your crystal growth stuff is coming from because that comes back to your work with Richard Compton.

Pat: Yes, we studied dissolution together back in the 1980’s and that – and crystal growth investigations – goes back a long way. What we are trying to do now is apply electrochemical principles rather than techniques. There is still a huge amount to discover in this field about what the active species and processes are and what shapes a final crystal.

Mike: Yes, because soft matter synthesis is very much a black art, and people are trying to make nanoparticles of different shapes at the moment, but there seems to be very little rational basis in deciding what synthetic strategy one would actually adopt, in a particular situation so you’ve got it dead right there.

van der Sneppen et al, Analyst, 2010, 135, 133-139

van der Sneppen et al, Analyst, 2010, 135, 133-139

We’ll be putting up the second part of the interview soon, so watch this space!  In the meantime, do take a look at Pat’s article in Analyst from last year:

Following interfacial kinetics in real time using broadband evanescent wave cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy: a comparison of light-emitting diodes and supercontinuum sources
Lineke van der Sneppen, Gus Hancock, Clemens Kaminski, Toni Laurila, Stuart R. Mackenzie, Simon R. T. Neil, Robert Peverall, Grant A. D. Ritchie, Mathias Schnippering and Patrick R. Unwin
Analyst, 2010, 135, 133-139
DOI: 10.1039/B916712A

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