SATNAV Issue 8 by SATNAV

S c i e n c e a n d Te c h n o l o g y N e w s a n d V i e w s M a g a z i n e Issue 8, December 2013

THE HIDDEN WORLD - Q u a n t u m Te l e p o r t a t i o n - Big Cat Extinction at the Hands of Your Pet - The Antibacterial Bacterium - The Invisibly Fast Organism - Research at Birmingham: The IMI - Wireless Elec tricity

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CONTENTS Look out for our new website at the following link: http://students.guild.bham.ac.uk/satnav/

4 6 8 9 9 11 14 15

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News & Views

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Quantum Teleportation Siddharth Trivedi

Big Cat Extinction at the Hands of Your Pet Carl Goldsack

The Antibacterial Bacterium Matthew Tridgett

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So Fast Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Invisible Natasha Alibone

Interview with Ian Henderson Emily Dixon

Wireless Electricity

Toby Kingsman

So long, and thanks for all the fish! Emily Dixon

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December 2013 | 3

News & Views The ABC of smoking Natasha Alibone

The following are three reasons why smoking is so dangerous, and it’s as easy as ABC: Arsenic, Benzene, and Cyanide. Arsenic is an extremely poisonous substance, used in pest termination; benzene is highly flammable, found in gasoline and associated with leukaemia; cyanide is also notoriously poisonous. All three of these unpleasant chemicals are found within cigarette smoke, alongside over 50 known cancer causing substances, termed carcinogens. In recent years, the term ‘secondhand smoke’ has become a major talking point refering to smoke exhaled by the smoker into the environment and that released from the lit end of a cigarette. A health threat in itself as it contains the damaging chemicals outlined above, it is more concerning as the majority of these ‘secondhand’ fumes are invisible to the naked eye. Most studies agree that invisible fumes account for around 80–85% of the total smoke released. Furthermore worryingly, it is believed that this percentage of invisible smoke may also be odourless, making it near impossible for smokers to comprehend the toxins they are releasing into the environment. If you can see the area of contamination from smoking, it is possible to simply avoid this area. If you cannot see or smell these invisible toxins, how can you escape inhaling their dangerous fumes? 

Better vision meant extinction Anna Westland

New comparisons of Neanderthal and ancient Homo sapien skulls have caused scientists at the Natural History Museum to speculate that Neanderthals became extinct because too

much of their brain was taken up with visual processing. Because Neanderthals lived at high latitudes, so experienced darker days than the Homo sapiens in sunny Africa, they evolved larger eyes. Bigger eyes means a bigger occipital lobe, and this means less space in the brain for other processes. Humans on the other hand, used this brain space for social networking, allowing them to live in larger groups. This is thought to have helped them survive when the Neanderthals did not. The theory behind this being that humans had more contacts to help them out in times of need, whereas the less social Neanderthals lived in small groups, so if food was scarce there was no one for them to turn to. While this theory isn’t strong enough on its own to explain the entire extinction of Neanderthals, it was probably another nail in their coffin in an environment that allowed Homo sapiens to get lucky. 

Higgs discovery wins Nobel prize Dan Cross

During the Nobel prize announcements last month, Professors Peter Higgs and Francois Englert were honoured for their independent formulations, in 1964, of what later became known as the Higgs field. At the time of the discovery, the standard model of particle physics was in crisis. Despite being able to accurately predict the existence of multiple species of particles, the theory was unable to explain why the vast majority particles have mass. The theory proposed by Higgs and Englert suggests the existence of a field that particles couple to at varying levels, resulting in them acquiring different masses. In order to confirm the existence of such

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The ISS docked with the Endeavour space shuttle, orbiting at an altitude of approximately 220 miles. – NASA.

a field, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider were configured primarily to observe the decay of the Higgs boson, the particle responsible for coupling to the field. On July 4th 2012, results from both collaborations were presented to a seminar in which the observation of a new particle consistent with a Higgs-like signal. 

Cuts to NASA’s funding Dan Cross

October 1st saw a near complete shutdown of the US federal government, cutting funding to several major institutions. The lapse in funding severely affected operations at NASA, with 97% of the agency’s 18,000 staff deemed non-essential. The remaining staff were assigned to tasks deemed ‘mission critical’ such as ground based monitoring of the International Space Station. A spokesperson said “NASA will be closely

monitoring the impact of an extended shutdown to determine if crew transportation or cargo resupply services are required to mitigate imminent threats to life and property on the ISS or other areas”. While the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Applied Physics Laboratory (JPL & APL) were able to ride out the shutdown thanks to their funding from private contractors, other projects have been put on hold or had their remit reduced. The controllers of the Cassini and LADEE probes, in orbit around Saturn and the Moon, were only able to adjust the trajectories of their craft, rather than performing any scientific analysis. While employees were able to return to work by October 13th, the shutdown and NASA’s reduced federal budget may have more far reaching consequences for the future of space exploration.  December 2013 | 5

Siddharth Trivedi

Quantum Teleportation Quantum Mechanics has helped bring the possibility of teleportation as a means of transport even closer.

ver the past millennia, there has been a rapid change in commonly employed modes of transportation. Movement from one place to another has become relatively quicker and easier and the human race is heavily dependent on such systems. This dependence, in turn, has resulted in many advances in transport technology to further evolve different ways of getting from point A to B. But what is the fastest possible speed of travel? Einstein

How is it done?

So how can we use this information to transfer data or matter? Let’s say Person A has an Object A which is entangled with Person B’s Object B. If Person A wants to teleport Object C (e.g. a photon) to Person B, Person A must provide all the measurements of Object C to Person B for replication. However, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle states that not all aspects of a quantum object can be known at the same time. As can be seen from Figure 2, what Person A can do is make Object C interact with Object A, making them correlated, and measure the half the properties of Object C and send it to Person B. Half the data isn’t enough for Person B to replicate Object C, but, now, due to the entanglement between Object A and B, Object B

was a firm believer that the speed of light was a barrier that could not be broken. But in 1935, he proved himself wrong; with the help of Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen, Albert Einstein theorized a method of faster-than-light (FTL), instantaneous travel known as teleportation, which Einstein referred to as a “spooky action”. Teleportation is the near instantaneous transportation of matter, energy or information from one point in space to another. Most

“… change [in] one of the quantum objects in any way, this change would appear on the other object instantaneously, irrespective of the distance between them. “

is a replica of Object C. Hence, by using half the data from Person A, and using the other half of the data which can be collected from Object B (behaving like Object C), Person B can combine the two sources of information and use the necessary raw materials to create a replica of Object C without making the entanglement of Object A and B unusable in the future. Unfortunately, Person A has to send this information through a more conventional method, making the method to limit at light speed. Fortunately, scientists have found a different method involving entangled particles to be suspended in superposition, allowing 100% of the Object C to be transported at a speed greater than the speed of light (some say 10 000 times greater).

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Diagram explaining Quantum Teleportation (figure 2 in ‘How is it done?’ opposite) - Nathanael Farley

correlate this with sci-fi media, for example in Star Trek. Star Trek most famously represents a teleportation device which allows Captain Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members to descend upon unknown planets in the blink of an eye. But is this really possible in real life? In 1972, a group of U.S. scientists were the first to actually make this happen at a quantum scale. They managed to teleport a photon, the quantum unit of light, over a large distance in FTL speeds over short distances. Today’s scientists are actively working on achieving this feat over greater distances and with greater efficiency. The current record for teleporting a photon sits at 89 miles set by a group of international scientists working in the Canary Islands. Quantum entanglement is widely defined as the interrelation of the properties of two quan-

“Teleportation is the near instantaneous transportation of matter, energy or information from one point in space to another.” tum substances in such a way that if one were to change one of the quantum objects in any way, this change would appear on the other object instantaneously, irrespective of the distance between them. This means that the entangled pairs are somehow connected. The reason as to why this occurs is still a mystery. Over the past century, the impossible has been achieved in the field of transportation. FTL travel might just become a reality in the near future and revolutionise communication and travel altogether. But don’t hold your breath!  December 2013 | 7

Carl Goldsack

Big Cat Extinction at the Hands of Your Pet New research shows that domesticated animal diseases join the ranks with poaching, habitat destruction and exploitation as the next big threat to tiger populations.

more vulnerable to disease. Fears that a virus transmitted by domesticated dogs called the Canine Distemper Virus may well be the final straw for the survival of the Big Cat. In Wildlife Waystation, California, 17 mortalities occurred in Tigers, Lions, leopards and a Panther thought to have contracted the disease. Symptoms of Canine Distemper Virus includes seizures, anorexia, depression, pneumonia and a neurological change that can reduce their natural fear of humans. As in most cases prevention strategies are currently more effective than ones involving a cure. Domestic animals exist in vast numbers surrounding many of the Zoological parks that a lot of the remaining Tigers are found in so careful methods are carried out to avoid passing on the disease. Contracting the disease seems to be via contaminated food or water supplies that have come into contact with an infected dog. At the moment an innactive version of the virus in the form of a vaccine is the best bet to provide immunity to the virus in dogs, and prevent them being a carrier. 

Drifter the Tiger at the Wildlife Waystation, California.

he number of wild tigers (Panthera tigris) has fallen dramatically over the last few decades. The main culprits of the mass decline are habitat loss, climate change and over hunting. The sparse population of the remaining 6 subspecies was around 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, and has since fallen by an estimate of 9600. As a result, key measurements have been taken to ensure the survival of the endangered species. Despite stabilizing the decline, through organisations such as zoos and re-habituation programmes, the species have become extremely fragmented and therefore

Matthew Tridgett

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The Antibacterial Bacterium A remarkable and self-contradictory bacterium could provide us with new methods of medical treatment and help solve the crisis of antibiotic resistance.

dellovibrio bacteriovorus (Bdellovibrio) is a bacterium which is interesting for two reasons: Its antibacterial means of survival and its potential applications. Bdellovibrios predation method loosely resembles that of some viruses, but as this bacte-

“… lab [work] has shown that when Bdello is given to Salmonella-infected chickens, the level of Salmonella is significantly reduced …” rium only targets Gram negative bacterial cells; it cannot prey upon animal cells. Bdellovibrio enters the prey cell, digests it from the inside and multiplies. All the new Bdellovibrio then leave the dead prey cell and start over.

So, why is this good news for us humans? At present, we target infectious bacteria with antibacterial drugs. Over time bacteria often evolve a resistance to our conventional medications, which can lead to strains of bacteria which are resistant to multiple drug types and are therefore difficult to kill when someone is infected. Bdellovibrio, on the other hand, exists in nature, killing a broad range of bacteria which includes many human pathogens. The very fact that Bdellovibrio exists today goes to show that infectious bugs are struggling to evolve a resistance to its antibacterial predation style. If Bdellovibrio is alive in nature, it must be working! Human gut flora naturally contains Bdellovibrio so adding extra should not upset the balance of microbes any more than a conventional course of antibiotics would. No data on human trials yet exists, but one lab has shown that when Bdellovibrio is given to Salmonellainfected chickens, the level of Salmonella is significantly reduced with no adverse side effects. This shows how Bdellovibrio could be used to improve food hygiene and hints at its future as a ‘living antibiotic’. 

Natasha Alibone

So Fast It’s Invisible An unlikely organism challenges the obvious answers for the age old question ‘what’s the fastest living thing on earth?’

ny ideas for the fastest living thing on Earth? Despite popular belief that the answer to this question would probably be a cheetah, it’s time to reveal the secret superstar of speed: Pilobolus crystallinus. This species is in fact, a fungus. P. crystallinus is usually less than 5 cm

in height, comprising of a mycelium (fungal body), sporangiophores (fruiting bodies), and

“… in the first millimetre of flight, the spore cluster reaches speeds of up to 45 mph.” a sporangium, or spore cluster, at the tip of each fruiting body. It is these spore clusters, the smallest part of the fungus, that pack the speediest punch known on this planet; the sporangia achieve mind-blowing acceleration, December 2013 | 9

reaching 0–20 mph in an astonishing two millionths of a second! So how does this small organism develop the physiology enabling it to launch it’s spores so forcefully through the air? The answer is an in-built explosion giving an increased build up of pressure. Underneath each sporangium is a subsporangial vesicle – simply a bubble containing liquid. This bubble continues to fill with fluid, increasing the pressure within the vesicle known as turgor pressure (which pushes against the fungal cell wall). This pressurised liquid then acts as the driving force behind the extreme speed at which sporangia are ejected from the fruiting bodies of the fungus. Eventually, when the vesicle reaches maximum osmotic pressure, it ruptures; this forces the fluid out of the collapsing vesicle, forming a ‘liquid jet’. This

This ingenious method of spreading spores has earned P. crystallinus common names such as “hat-thrower” and “dung cannon”. all happens so incredibly fast that it is literally invisible to us – in the first millimetre of flight, the spore cluster reaches speeds of up to 45 mph. Thus, when captured on film in normal time, the sporangia seem to simply disappear. It is only when footage is slowed down around 10,000 times that we can clearly see these sequential events in motion. You may be questioning why the title of the speediest living thing belongs to a fungus – an organism that can’t run to escape predators nor to chase prey. P. crystallinus is a saprobe; it sources nutrients from dead/decaying organic matter. That

makes the faeces of herbivorous animals a prime location for the fungus. Each sporangium passes through the host’s digestive tract, causing no harm to itself or the animal, and is expelled from the body when the animal defecates. It can then utilise all the nutrients within the dung,

“… the sporangia achieve mind-blowing acceleration, reaching 0-20mph in an astonishing two millionths of a second!” and begin vegetative growth. When the fungus has fully formed, its developed sporangia must enter a new host to restart the life cycle. However, animals avoid grazing in the area surrounding their dung, termed the ‘zone of repugnance’. P. Crystallinus must shoot its spores way out of this zone, allowing it to land on fresh vegetation that a new host will ingest. This requirement presents a problem for P. Crystallinus. The smaller things are, the thicker air seems to them, so it becomes harder to move through. This is the underlying reason why the fungus needs to be the fastest living thing – it compensates for the thickness of the air with extreme speeds. The force produced by the sporangial vesicle bursting makes clearing the zone of repugnance possible, providing enough power to clear a distance of over 2 metres. Furthermore, the sporangia is equipped with a sticky mucilaginous substance to ensure adhesion to vegetation upon landing. This ingenious method of spreading spores has earned P. crystallinus common names such as “hat-thrower” and “dung cannon”. So now when someone asks ‘What’s the fastest living thing?’, you’ll know all about the understated answer – in comparison, it puts the cheetah to shame a little don’t you think? 

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Ian Henderson outside the IMI at the University of Birmingham - Emily Dixon

Research at Birmingham: Ian Henderson

Ian Henderson, a Professor of Microbial Biology in the College of Medical & Dental Sciences, is the Director of the newly established Institute of Microbiology & Infection, the IMI. Opened in December 2012 and located in the School of Biosciences, the institute is one of the biggest centres for microbial research in Europe. SATNAV Co-Editor Emily Dixon talked to him about the Institutes inception. Hi Ian; thanks for agreeing to chat to us today. Firstly, why do you see Microbiology as such an important discipline? Microbiology touches virtually every aspect of life. As such, Microbiology holds the solution to many of the world’s current societal problems. For example, we will continue to see microbiology being exploited to enhance food safety and production, pharmaceutical production and to combat climate change. Also, the importance of Microbiology is reflected by the huge percentage of students at Birmingham who come into contact with some form of Microbiology teaching each year; over 10% of our student body

receive some sort of formal training in aspects of Microbiology. In your opinion, what is the main purpose of the IMI? The institute’s mission is to lead the discipline of Microbiology, both nationally and globally, by promoting excellence in postgraduate training and research, for the ultimate benefit of society. Were you involved in the establishment of the institute—was it a difficult process? There were multiple years invested in the genDecember 2013 | 11

esis of the IMI. The concept was started probably close to 10 years ago, and over the years involved many individuals. However, we really started to get traction with the idea when David Eastwood (Vice Chancellor) started at the university. He was very enthusiastic about creating something that was greater than the sum of its individual parts, which bringing the Microbiologists from campus together could deliver. The IMI is a collaboration between 2 colleges (Biosciences and Medicine & Dentistry), were there any loopholes or issues encountered during it’s creation? In terms of loopholes, the IMI is not a budget holding centre, we don’t hire directly or run undergraduate programmes. We are instead a

“Work smart, you don’t always have to work hard, but you should work smart.” research focused organisation. The IMI has an inward focus for Microbiologists on campus, as a sort of family, to connect with each other and give them an identity. It also gives them a brand for the outside world. The thing that struck home to me before the creation of the IMI, was that people knew there were great individuals here - but there was little appreciation of the fact that the biggest concentration of microbiologists in the UK, especially bacteriologists, could be found here. When looking at Microbiology in its broadest sense, encompassing bacteriology, parasitology, mycology but also virology, we are an enormous group: in the Centre for Human Virology, just up the road, there are another 23 Principal Investigators - that makes a total of over 50 Principal Investigators in the university focused on microbial research.

What would you say is the IMI’s biggest achievement to date? The biggest achievement is primarily getting us together, getting everybody into the one footprint. Importantly, we are also beginning to attract international recognition. This is reflected in the calibre of the people that are agreeing to come and speak here. Recently we’ve had Andrew Jermy, the microbiology editor for Nature, and Pascale Cossart, the authority on Listeria monocytogenes and a member of the National Academies of Sciences in seven different countires. Next March we will be hosting Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer. So it’s clear that we are gaining brand recognition outside of the University and on an international scale. So where would you like the IMI to be in 10 years time? What I really want to create is a place that people recognise as a centre for microbiology. I want to create a bespoke environment to house microbiology researchers, with the appropriate equipment to facilitate world-leading research and a community to achieve it. However, probably our greatest aspiration is a centre of gravity for Microbiology research, such that it becomes the obvious destination for people who want to study and research this discipline to come to. This way we will attract the best of the best students, and the institute will be a place that our peers will aspire to join. How does the IMI benefit students at the university? I think one of the greatest benefits for students is to be able to see the breadth and depth of microbiology in practice. If you look at what we

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do within the IMI, it spans fundamental studies to applied microbiology. This goes right from genomics/gene transcription, protein localisation & secretion, how these proteins interact to put the cell together, to how pathogens interact with the environment and their host, and how the host responds to the pathogen and pathogen components. We are really strong at looking at these attributes, and then exploiting these for societal benefit, e.g. for antimicrobials & vaccinations. We are extremely passionate about supporting our students and helping them to be the best that they can be. After they

“…we are also beginning to attract international recognition. This is reflected in the calibre of the people that … come and speak here.” leave, we want them to be emissaries for Birmingham, the intellectual outposts of the IMI in their chosen career paths. I believe we have already demonstrated our commitment to our students with a successful new Masters course and the success our students and postdoctoral fellows have had in attracting independent research fellowships. How did your career lead you to becoming the director of the IMI? I studied at University College Dublin, with my main interest always being in Medical Microbiology. At the end of my degree, I thought it’d be a good idea to go into industry and so I went to work for Wellcome, continuing in the field of Virology. I was in industry for under a year, until realising I’d need a PhD to be able to conduct my own research - this was a career altering decision for me. I left behind a career in Virol-

ogy to study Bacteriology. Upon presenting at a conference during my PhD, I was approached by someone looking for a postdoc to research into autotransporter proteins. I went over to Baltimore to complete this postdoc. I returned to the UK when I got a lectureship at Queens University, Belfast. After about a year there, I was offered a lectureship here at Birmingham. There was an obvious attraction to coming here, as there were already so many microbiologists. I was always extremely passionate about getting the Microbiology community on campus working together and physically together. I was one of those who pitched the concept of the institute back in around 2003/4. David Eastwood was quite enthusiastic about the idea, so when the institute was created it was perhaps natural that I would apply for the role as Director. To date, though admittedly I am somewhat biased, I think it has been a great success! And finally, do you have any tips for students wishing to pursue a career in research? Work smart, you don’t always have to work hard, but you should work smart. Choose a supervisor that is clearly research active. If you want a career in science you must publish: Publish or perish! as the adage goes. Read and when you’ve finished reading, read some more. Lastly, make sure to network. I think this is a skill that is somewhat underestimated. Networking is extremely important because not only does it expose you and your research to other people, but it also exposes you to other ideas. This is one of the most important facets of the IMI: we have created a cradle for intellectual cross fertilisation by bringing together a body of people to facilitate the exchange of ideas and enhance creativity.  December 2013 | 13

Toby Kingsman

Wireless Electricity

Wired electricity could be a thing of the past as new research into efficient wireless electricity could mean a brighter future for technology

lectricity is central to our entire way of life; virtually everything we use in the 21st century relies on it, from flicking the light switch in the morning to using the latest tablet computer. Yet the way it has been delivered has hardly changed in the past hundred years. We still face the sometimes arduous task of looking for the right lead or cable to plug into the last available socket, which just so happens to be in the most inconvenient place in the room. However the socket in the wall that we are so reliant on, may soon become a thing of the past, as our plugged in world is set to be transformed by the arrival of wireless electricity. The idea of transmitting electricity without power cables is as old as the idea of electricity itself. Indeed, one of the founding fathers of electricity generation, Nikola Tesla, proposed

“… South Korea is attempting to develop a way of wirelessly recharging electric buses and there are plans to embed the technology in the car parks of the future. the idea in the late 1800’s as a way of spreading electricity around the world. He even successfully demonstrated this by running lamps up to 25 miles from his power source. Sadly, the idea never took off commercially, as for one, it was actually cheaper at the time to build miles and miles of copper cables, rather than the aerials needed for Tesla’s idea!

Whilst long range wireless transmission has remained a long term aim, recent developments have meant that short range delivery systems, ideal for use in the home or workplace, have become efficient, as well as affordable. The basic physics behind wireless electricity only involves two coils of wire, and is as follows. The first coil has electric current passed through it, which causes a magnetic field to be generated. This magnetic field then generates an electric current in the second coil, which is a short distance away from the first, which can be used to charge your device. The main problem with this though, was that it was originally a very inefficient process when compared to wired transmission. A recent breakthrough was made however, by MIT researchers in 2005. They demonstrated that by having the coils vibrate at the same resonant frequency, they could increase the efficiency to around 70%, even when the coils were separated by a few metres and no direct line of sight between them. In contrast, a PC cord has about 75% efficiency. One reason in wireless electricity’s favour, is that it is an inherently much safer system, when compared to our current model. Due to the fact that all the coils would be covered and hidden away, the components can be much better pro-

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tected. Containers could be made watertight, protected against explosion and corrosion would be less of an problem. There would also be no chance of an accidental electric shock from touching a live wire.

“Nikola Tesla, proposed the idea [of wireless electricity] in the late 1800’s as a way of spreading electricity around the world.” The uses for this technology are set to be widespread. Already mobiles phones from the likes of Samsung and HTC can be charged wirelessly, but imagine placing transmitter

coils in people’s desks to recharge devices while they work. Or as a replacement for the millions of batteries we use and have to dispose of every year. Medical implants could be safely recharged through the skin, eliminating the chance for infection. Bigger projects need not be exempt either, for example South Korea is attempting to develop a way of wirelessly recharging electric buses and there are plans to embed the technology in the car parks of the future. So as wireless electricity becomes part of our everyday life, it appears that the days of the dreaded red battery level could soon be at an end. 

So long, and thanks for all the fish! Co-Editors Emily Dixon Ollie Wetheril

Secretary/Treasurer Tom Syder Co-Layout Editors Alice Bowe Alina-Ioana Suiu Life Science Editor Fran Childs Physical Science Editor Bethany Johnson Review/Copy Editor Alex Deam Publicity Editors Tushar Painuly Isobel Davis Artists impression of Tesla’s wireless electricity tower – courtesy http://www. clipartillustration.com/

This autumn has been an exciting time for SATNAV; with many new developments already, and more on their way. It’s great to see so many students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, wanting to take part in the magazine. This term we are printing nearly ten times as many copies as ever before – something we couldn’t have achieved without the fantastic response we’ve had from members so far this year. This issue has seen a number of changes, primarily a shiny new look thanks to a newly reinvigorated layout team. We hope you like the new layout as much as we do! Special thanks go to all members who submitted articles, to the committee for their hard work, but also to Nathanael Farley & Dan Cross for their massive contributions. Have a great Christmas, and see you in the new year!  Emily Dixon December 2013 | 15

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SCIENCE!

Enjoy science writing? Want to give it a go? We want to hear from you! Our next issue’s theme is the science and technology behind film, TV and all aspects of the media. To find out more, get in touch with us at satnav@guild.ac.uk Alice Roberts talks science in the media!