For more details about News items, please contact the School of Chemistry, or the Communications and Marketing Unit of the University.
Hon Lam has been awarded one of the 2011 Astra Zeneca Excellence in Chemistry Awards.
These awards are given to young researchers who have made outstanding contributions to the art of organic chemistry. Only two awards are given for each region: Europe, Asia, North America. A fantastic achievement - well done Hon!
29th November 2011
Colin Pulham has won the University's 2011 Tam Dalyell Prize for Excellence in Engaging the Public with Science. The prize is in recognition of Colin's excellent work in bringing science to a wider audience. He has given talks and demonstrations close to home and across the globe, highlighting how chemistry benefits us in our daily lives.
As part fo the prize Colin will give the University's Christmas lecture on Tuesday the 6th of December. You can book tickets to the event now.
28th November 2011
Polly Arnold has recently been awarded a visiting lectureship prize by the national science council of Taiwan, which includes a lecture tour of Taiwan. Well done Polly!
25th November 2011
The Spectroscopy in a Suitcase scheme is an outreach activity which gives school students the chance to learn about spectroscopy through hands-on experience. As well as covering the principles of spectroscopic techniques, the activities use real-life contexts to demonstrate the applications of spectroscopy.
Spectroscopy in a Suitcase(SIAS) has now arrived in Scotland. To highlight its arrival, Nicholle Bell the SIAS Coordinator for Scotland and a PhD student in the School of Chemistry took along the IR spectrometer to the 'Science and the Parliament' at Our Dynamic Earth to showcase the scheme. Here is a photo of her explaining to Prof David Phillips, the President of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Mr John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government how to identify a mystery whisky using the IR spectrometer.
For more information about the scheme, please visit RSC pages or contact Nicholle Bell
9th November 2011
The School recently ran a video competition for Halloween. The winning entry from Georg Silber can be seen on YouTube.
31st October 2011
Alumni from our class of 1971 recently attended a reunion at the School. 13 alumni were given a tour of the School and met with our staff, both new and old.
Research by Neil Robertson involving dyes that can be used as solar cells could bring electricity to over a billion people currently without access to power grids.
The new solar cells could be added to clothing, small items like laptops or phones and even buildings.
Speaking abotu the advantages of the hew technology, Neil says: "It doesn't require huge investment in infrastructure and you end up with a product that is lightweight and robust and can be distributed quickly."
More info is available at the Scotsman website and the Sun.
16th September 2011
Congratulations to Mark Bradley who has been awarded the Chencellor's Award for Research. The award was given in recognition of the platform Mark's group has developed for the fabrication of polymer microarrays, consisting of thousands of polymers on a single microscope slide.
The Research award seeks to honour a researcher who has enhanced the reputation of the University through a significant contribution to the progress of research within their discipline.
Mark will receive his award at a dinner at Holyrood Palace in September. Well done Mark!
17th August 2011
A venture to transform the way university researchers collaborate and assist Scotland's chemical sciences sector in competing on the global stage has been hailed as a resounding success in an independent review.
The ScotCHEM research pooling initiative brings together seven universities, industry body Chemical Sciences Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council, to enhance Scotland's capacity to deliver innovative and influential chemistry research and to enable joint access to facilities.
An independent review of its activity by BiGGAR Economics for the Funding Council found that the quality of chemistry research in Scotland is now significantly higher than previously, and that the chemistry departments involved are more attractive to internationally leading researchers.
In addition, the report estimated that the chemistry research pooling exercise enabled the participating institutions to secure £42 million of additional competitive research funding between 2005/06 and 2009/10.
ScotCHEM now plans to build on its success with the formation of an International Graduate School that will combine world-leading research training with industry and international experience. The objectives are to increase the number of chemistry postgraduate researchers able to contribute as leaders of tomorrow in areas central to economic growth, including manufacturing, health and life sciences, energy and food and drink.
2nd August 2011
Congratulations to Anne-Frédérique Pécharman from Polly Arnold's and Jason Love's group who won a poster prize at the XIX EuCheMS Conference on Organometallic Chemistry in Toulouse.
26th July 2011
Congratulations to Guy Jones from Polly Arnold's and Jason Love's group who won a prize for the best talk at the Universities of Scotland Inorganic Chemistry conference in Glasgow.
26th July 2011
|
Lilian and Hamish McNab on holiday in Canada with their children Fergus and Shona |
Hamish McNab's widow, Lilian, has pledged to keep his memory alive, and to raise money for research into the disease that claimed his life.
Her challenge: to complete a heptathlon in the Scottish Masters on August 20 and 21 and raise £1,000 for Bowel & Cancer Research. The fact that she's 50 years old is no barrier to what she calls "giving athletics a whirl".
"I've had a go at hurdles for the first time in a few decades, and I've collected a few bruises in the high jump. My target is to finish and I'm happy that I'll have a reasonable crack at it," said Lilian, who lives with her two children Fergus, 18, and Shona, 14. She started training in May for seven events in two days: hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, javelin, long jump and 800m.
Hamish, Professor of Heterocyclic Chemistry at Edinburgh University, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2008 and died in November 2010 at the age of 60.
Lilian says: "He would have thought this was just another instance of me being slightly mad in my attitude to exercise and taking on more than I really ought. He would also have appreciated that I see it as an opportunity to raise awareness and get some money for research. His belief in research showed in his dedication to writing papers throughout his illness and his participation in clinical trials right up to the end - that's why making a contribution to ongoing vital research seems the best way to remember him."
She hopes to hit her £1,000 fundraising target by getting lots of people to donate a little. "Our kids don't believe I know 1,000 people - I'm hoping to prove them wrong!," she said.
Anyone who wants to sponsor Lilian can do so at www.justgiving.com/Hamish-McNab
25th July 2011
Items belonging to Jospeh Black have been discovered in an archaeological dig at Old College. The finds include laboratory equipment and chemicals. More information and a video are available on the University website.
29th June 2011
The School of Chemistry held our graduation on Monday the 27th of June. We have a page showing some of the images taken on the day. See if you can spot anyone you recognise!
28th June 2011
A case study from Chemistry, headed by Neil Robertson, entitled 'Luminescent materials for solar energy' has been selected to appear in the Universities UK Big Ideas for the Future report. Many congratulations to all involved!
Congratulations to Stella and David Rankin on their Silver Gilt Medal at Chelsea Flower Show! Their house and garden and their winning display were featured on the BBC2 Chelsea Flower Show report on Wednesday evening.
30th May 2011
The Scottish Funding Council is to invest £2 million to support and expand the Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS). Activities have been underway since April to outline the remit and structure of SCCS. The first SCCS advisory board meeting attended by Scottish Government and industry representatives was held in May and chaired by Scottish Funding Council. The award will support an expanded number of academic partners involved in SCCS.
26th May 2011
Congratulations to Miriam Kaatz from Andy Mount's group, who won the best poster prize at yesterday's ScotCHEM Spirit studentship meeting at St. Andrew's.
26th May 2011
Hon Lam has won the RSC Hickinbottom award. The award is given for contributions to any area of organic chemistry by someone under the age of 35. Congratulations Hon!
23rd May 2011
The winners of the Images of Chemistry competition have just been announced. See the Images of Chemistry 2011 page for full details.
Nicola Bell: To a Keck Clip. I chose this short film as I think the keck clip is an example of how a simple idea can improve the way we do synthesis (or chemistry in general).
5th May 2011
Polly Arnold has been appointed as the Technical University Munich - Institute for Advanced Study Hans Fischer Senior Fellow for 2012.
This highly competitive fellowship is awarded to renowned international senior scientists to develop innovative, high-risk research areas and establish intensive international collaborations. Well done Polly.
28th March 2011
A new device to improve the storage capacity of mobile devices has been developed by Professor Eleanor Campbell, in conjunction with researchers from Konkuk University and Seoul National University in Korea. The findings are published in Nature Communications.
The new devices uses carbon nanotubes, and a mechanical arm to charge an electrode. This allows the device to operate at high speeds, which has been a problem for carbon nanotube-based approaches in the past. Phones, MP3 players and cameras should all be able to take advantage of this breakthrough.
Eleanor describes the technology: "This is a novel approach to designing memory storage devices. With this device you have much faster switching on and off which you do not have with conventional memory storage devices."
Read the article in Nature Communications.
28th March 2011
Lesley Yellowlees has been confirmed as the new RSC president-elect. She will take on the mantle in the summer and be the RSC president for 2012-2013. She is the first woman to be elected to the post. Lesley was recently Head of School and we wish her every success in her new role.
The Presidency lasts two years and from July this year she will officially be President-Elect, working with current President Professor David Phillips, of Imperial College, London.
Talking about her new role Lesley said: "I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to become the next President of the Royal Society of Chemistry. The RSC has been in the vanguard of promoting the relevance of the chemical sciences and I plan to work with all members of the society to increase our influence and importance."
Read the RSC press release here.
25th March 2011
Along with four other Schools in the College of Science and Engineering, The School of Chemistry has introduced an Integrated Foundation Programme (IFP).
This has been designed for international students whose school leaving qualifications do not meet the current admissions requirements for direct entry to relevant undergraduate programmes, and who can demonstrate via an entrance test, evidence of excellence in their chosen areas of study. Through this programme Edinburgh's Chemistry degrees are now accessible to students from around the globe.
The IFP is an alternative first year of the School's BSc(Hons) degrees during which students will study chemistry alongside other first year entrants with support tailored to their needs. A course on Academic English for International Students delivered by the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC), and designed specifically for Science and Engineering students, will also be provided in both semesters.
Unlike many other foundation programmes, this new and innovative programme does not mean an extra year of study. After successful completion of the first year, students will enter the second year of study with other students who have taken the standard first year.
The IFP is available for entry for the 2011/12 academic year and is open for applications through UCAS now (course code F101). Further details are available at the College of Science and Engineering website.
25th March 2011
Sarah Holliday has won the 2011 Salters' Prize. This continues our excellent record of success with this prestigious prize. Sarah also won the speaker prize at the 2nd Scottish Undergraduate Research Symposium 2011. Congratulations on both awards Sarah!
25th March 2011
Murray Low has been voted the University's best Director of Studies by students. The award was confirmed at the EUSA Teaching Awards. Well done Murray!
24th March 2011
After two consecutive years of being runner up in the Edinburgh University Students Association (EUSA) Teaching Awards for Best Department, the School finally won the Award outright against stiff competition. The Award was presented in an Oscars-style ceremony on Wed. 23rd March.
This a tribute to all of the hard work and commitment from academic and support staff, postgraduate students, and postdoctoral researchers who all contribute to the delivery of teaching in the School. We should also like to thank our undergraduate students who nominated us for the Award. You can see the award online.
One of the student comments accompanying the nomination: "Chemistry is an incredibly organised department, providing quick and helpful information on all accounts. The staff in the chemistry department are among the most helpful I've had, taking plenty of time to ensure students have help and support at every turn."
This achievement was augmented by the award of Best Director of Studies to Dr Murray Low. A great night for the School!
24th March 2011
A research paper by Dr Andrew Alexander in the School of Chemistry co-authored with colleague Prof. Peter Rakitzis at IESL-FORTH has been chosen as one of Journal of Chemical Physics Editors' Choice for 2010. The journal is published by the American Institute of Physics.
"The Editors at The Journal of Chemical Physics facilitate publication of the most innovative and influential articles in the field of Chemical Physics each year. In this collection, the Editors have selected a few of the many notable JCP articles published in 2010 that present ground-breaking research.
These seminal articles are freely available online until the end of August 2011."
22nd March 2011
The BBC Big Screen on Lothian Road, Edinburgh is showing our short film 'The Hidden World of Molecules' featuring the work of Matthew Farrow and Philip Camp.
As well as regularly playing out, the film can be seen on Wednesdays at 1800, Fridays at 1230 and Saturdays at 1200.
17th March 2011
Sarah Thomas, who is undertaking our first Post-Graduate Development Scholarship in Public Engagement, showcased her new workshop at the fabulous Dunbar Science Festival yesterday. Sarah's workshop is based on her research designing a specific molecule which indicates the presence of cancer proteins in the blood. This will enable the early detection of cancer using a blood test. Sarah's research is funded by Cancer Research UK.
The Development Scholarship enables Sarah to develop additional skills which complement and enhance her research.
14th March 2011
Callum Campbell and Lewis Fenton, two intrepid chemistry undergraduates, braved the cold, blustery weather on Friday to entertain Arts and Humanities students with chemistry demonstrations. This is one of a series of Campus Chemistry activities scheduled for National Science and Engineering Week to celebrate International Year of Chemistry.
14th March 2011
We are launching the Images of Chemistry competition 2011. We are on the hunt for images that reflect and capture all aspects of Chemistry and Chemists in the Joseph Black Building and beyond, with a focus this year on Research Activities!
The Images of Chemistry 2011 page has all the details
7th March 2011
A group led by Mark Bradley has found a way to deliver cancer treatment that could prove more effective than current chemotherapy. The research is still in the early stages but the group has shown that using tiny particles of palladium could allow drugs to be targetted at specific cells.
It is hoped this could lead to a reduction in the harmful side-effects of current cancer treatments, such as hair loss, sickness and weakened immunity.
Mark said: "This technique potentially gives us the ability to deliver drugs to exactly where they are needed, for example in targeting cancerous tumours."
The study, published in Nature Chemistry, was carried out in collaboration with the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. It was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Royal Society, the Government of Malaysia and the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Read more about Mark's research on the BBC website
18th February 2011
The number of MChem students undertaking a 12 month Industrial Placement, or taking part in an international exchange, during the penultimate (4th) year of their degrees will exceed 50 for the first time in 2011/12. More students in this group will spend their year overseas than remain in the UK; another first for the School of Chemistry.
Industrial Placement hosts include a wide range of high profile companies and research institutes in the UK (e.g. GSK, Astra Zeneca, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Syngenta, Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory), mainland Europe (UCB Celltech, SKF, Procter & Gamble), The USA (GSK, Dupont, Wrigley, Cytec, The Los Alamos and Argonne National Laboratories), Singapore (GSK, Syngenta, Institute for Chemical & Engineering Sciences) and Japan (NTT Basic Research Laboratories). Students on the international exchanges will be spending their year with partner universities in Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea where they will join chemistry, or in some cases physics, research groups and undertake 12 month projects. These opportunities are open to all MChem students in the School through competitive selection processes.
 |
 |
Aerial view of the Los Alamos National Laboratory,
New Mexico, USA which hosts student placements. |
GlaxoSmithKline is a long-standing host for Industrial
Placements in the UK, Singapore and the USA. |
For all of these students the year away will be an assessed component of their degree contributing 20% to degree program assessment overall. The diversity of experience provided by these opportunities contributes substantially to students' personal and scientific development, and subsequent employability. On their return to Edinburgh for their final year many students identify the experience as the most enjoyable and beneficial period of their education, and it is not uncommon for students to progress to a career with their industrial placement host.
 |
 |
Hong Kong University main building; the destination for
four students in 2011/12. |
Edinburgh students (front row) on Exchange at Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore. |
A few quotes from returning students in response to the question "What have you gained from your placement?"
Further information about these programs is available by contacting Dr. Philip Bailey.
2nd February 2011
Mark Bradley's research group has developed a polymer that speeds up blood clotting and can be added to bandages. The breakthrough could be a great boost in treating battlefield injuries where blood loss is of great concern. The polymers could eventually be added to conventional plasters.
Mark and his team used high-throughput techniques to create thousands of polymers. They added blood to these polymers to identify those that most quickly caused coagulation.
Read about the story in the Scotland on Sunday.
31st January 2011
A molecular model of sodium chloride created by Professor Alexander Crum Brown has gone on display at the School of Chemistry. The model is made from balls of wool and knitting needles and was the first to be built, using an approach that will be familiar to current chemists and school pupils alike.
The model is on display to mark the International Year of Chemistry.
In the 21st century chemists use computer graphics, molecular movies and 3-D animations to visualise the hidden world of molecules. We use very powerful processors such as those found in games consoles to simulate interactions between hundreds of thousands of molecules. This gives chemists unique insights into the 3-D structure, properties and behaviour of molecules.
In the School of Chemistry Dr Philip Camp and Dr Carole Morrison are heavily involved in this type of research.
The story was reported in many daily newspapers and also appears on the BBC website.
28th January 2011
Published by Chemistry
webmaster.
School of Chemistry, Joseph Black Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, Scotland
EH9 3JJ.
Tel : +44 (0)131 650 7546, Fax : +44 (0)131 650 6453.
Last modified:
Wednesday, 06-Mar-2013 14:00:34 GMT
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all material is copyright © The University
of Edinburgh.
Privacy Policy
