Inventors: Dr. Steve Roberts, Dr. Huw Griffiths & Dr. Claire Waluda, British Antarctic Survey Mentor: Brian Corbett Plastic waste is everywhere, even in remote lakes near Antarctica, and is a particularly difficult problem for island nations which rely heavily on tourism. In these cases the … [Read more...]
Saving lives in the developing world by reducing the carbon monoxide emissions from stoves
Inventor: Dr. Steve Marshall, British Antarctic Survey Mentor: Dr. John Mullett Paraffin stoves have been used for cooking in Antarctica since the first expeditions over a century ago. Modern stoves are very similar to those originally used, though they have become lighter and more compact. … [Read more...]
Working with countries in Africa and South America to achieve real-time detection of solar flares and reduce their impact on aviation, maritime and land-based communications
Inventor: Dr. Mark Clilverd, British Antarctic Survey Mentor: Dr. Jessica Ocampos Rapid, real-time detection of solar flares can be accomplished by monitoring atmospheric changes in very low frequency (VLF) radio signal propagation conditions. Solar flares are the first indicator of a sequence … [Read more...]
Circular photosynthesis: Plant-based bioelectrical system hub for off-grid villages
Contact: Paolo Bombelli and Chris Howe, Department of Biochemistry Mentor: Dr. John Mullett There are over a billion people currently living off grid. Until such communities have access to modern energy services, progress to develop their economies and improve their lives will be hampered. The … [Read more...]
Investigating the need for locally-produced, biodegradable wound dressings in the developing world
Contact: Dr. Ljiljana Fruk, Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology Mentor: Dr. Dora Pereira Cellulose is a biodegradable material which has many potential uses. It typically occurs in plants, but can be difficult to extract and purify. Therefore Dr. Fruk’s team focuses on developing bacterial … [Read more...]
Using ApRES to enhance groundwater management in arid and semi-arid regions
Contact: Dr. Keith Nicholls, Dr Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley, British Antarctic Survey, Dr. Mark Muller, geophysicist Mentor : Gino Henry Worldwide, groundwater is the most heavily extracted of all raw materials: with an estimated withdrawal rate of 1000 km3 per year it makes up 26% of all freshwater … [Read more...]
Exploring the potential of a new technique to better control the size of emulsion droplets – in lotions, food, paints, drugs and beyond
Contacts: Dr. Stoyan Smoukov, Active & Intelligent Materials Lab, Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge and University of Sofia Reference: The Emulsion Arrow of Time Emulsions are everywhere, in cosmetic creams and shampoos, in foods such as ice cream and mayonnaise, … [Read more...]
Finding the market potential for a new safer and more efficient production method for ethylene oxide, a key component in the synthesis of many organic chemical products
Contacts: Martin Chan & Dr. John Dennis, Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Dr. Ewa Marek & Dr. Stuart Scott, Engineering Mentor: Dr. Mark Priest, Harrogate Partners The research team have developed a new technique for manufacturing ethylene oxide from ethylene. Ethylene oxide … [Read more...]
Identifying the best markets for a new molecular stapling technique to enhance therapeutic potential
Contacts: Dr. Gonçalo Bernardes, Shuang Sun, Chemistry, Emma Barker, Cambridge Enterprise Mentor: Dr. Simon Pulman-Jones Dr. Gonçalo Bernardes and his team from the Department of Chemistry have developed a novel disulfide-stapling method using two different reagents for peptides & proteins. … [Read more...]
Exploring the potential of self-healing circuits to address e-waste in the developing world
Researcher: Dr. Sanjiv Sambandan, Lecturer, Department of Engineering Mentor: Dr. Jessica Ocampos Electronic printed circuit boards are ubiquitous in a world populated with digital and information technology. With few local recycling options, the aging or failure of these electronic boards … [Read more...]
Investigating the adoption of a new way of dyeing fabric in India
Researchers: Dr James Ajioka & Dr. Orr Yarkoni, Colorifix Mentors: Natsai Audrey Chieza & Daisy Ginsberg Dyeing is a surprisingly dirty business. Whether they are chemically synthesized or naturally sourced, dyes have a profound impact on the environment. Dye production involves either refining … [Read more...]
Identifying the market challenges of using solar photocatalysis to purify water
Researchers: Mike Coto and Dr. Vasant Kumar, Materials Science and Metallurgy Mentor: Dr Ian Willis Ten percent of the world’s population lacks access to clean drinking water. Although governments, development agencies, and non-profit organizations have made significant investments in water … [Read more...]
Investigating the best applications for a freestanding film or easily applied coating of carbon nanomaterials
Contact: Dawid Janas, Cnergytec (& formerly Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy) Mentor: Dr. Julian White Carbon nanomaterials have shown great promise for applications requiring high performance in terms of electrical, thermal, mechanical and optical properties. However, the … [Read more...]
Investigating the market need for the production of hydrogen from biomass
Contact: Dr. Erwin Reisner & David Wakerley, Department of Chemistry Mentor: Dr. Mark Priest, Harrogate Partners The technology is captivatingly simple, allowing the production of pure hydrogen from biomass at room temperature. Using a patented catalyst which is activated by sunlight, … [Read more...]
Early markets for a new family of chemicals – from cosmetics to oil recovery, from inks to paints and beyond…
Contacts: Professor Oren Scherman, Dr. Silvia Vignolini & Dr. Yang Lan, Department of Chemistry, & Dr. Erika Eiser, Department of Physics Mentor: Adrian Swinburne, Quintaxion A vast array of common products rely on a family of chemical particles known as colloids. From ice cream and … [Read more...]
