THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
ESOF SPECIAL EDITION
At The University of Manchester, we are lighting the beacons of change. This is a place where education became a force for change. Since 1824 our doors have been open to the working classes of Manchester, a city characterised by industrial progress and radical spirit. Here, women fought for equality. Scientists split the atom. A wartime codebreaker shaped the digital lives we now take for granted. Galleries extend into the heart of the community while giant telescopes reach towards the stars. Laboratories produce new technologies that transform the world around us, making manufacturing greener, materials stronger and energy more sustainable. Ideas become actions, and those actions change lives, both on our doorstep and across the globe. People provide the revolutionary spark that drives us. Our researchers seek the answers to the world’s most pressing challenges in every corner of our campus. We further address global problems with Manchester solutions in five specific research beacons – cancer, industrial biotechnology, energy, advanced materials and global inequality. Our students grow into global citizens. Our staff make a difference to society. Our alumni become leaders and carry the flame forward. Through the pages of this publication, The University of Manchester Magazine ESOF Special Edition, we want our people to tell you our story. 1
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Manchester’s mechanical opus A robotic soundtrack to Manchester’s summer of science? Professor Danielle George explains how we all can play a part.
Review Some of our recent developments, milestones and breakthroughs.
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Industrial biotechnology could answer some of society’s biggest questions. Professor Nigel Scrutton explains how.
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A vision of transformation
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Feed, fuel and heal the world
The 2D revolution
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Peer into the past – and future – of Jodrell Bank, our eye into the night sky.
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A journey into the unknown
Manchester is developing advanced materials that are set to change the world.
The biggest campus investment in our history is transforming our campus for students, staff and the public.
Ahead of the curve A remarkable Manchester undergraduate calculates that oil supplies might last longer than we thought.
Cancer medicine – the personal approach Personalised medicine is changing how we treat patients – three of our cancer researchers explain how.
A tale of two continents Professor Paul O’Brien and one of his first protégés look back upon 20 years of work with South Africa’s young scientists.
One globe, a world of solutions An introduction to the new Institute tackling global inequalities
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The spirit of revolution
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elcome to this special edition of The University of Manchester Magazine for EuroScience Open Forum, Manchester 2016. Manchester is hosting this event, Europe's greatest scientific gathering, not only bringing together the world’s science community but also reaching out to an enthralled and inspired public, as the European City of Science. It celebrates ‘science as revolution’ – and where better to celebrate this than Manchester? As Disraeli reportedly said: “What Manchester does today, the rest of the world does tomorrow.” He was speaking at a time when Manchester was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution – building new machines and developing innovative transport infrastructures – and home to individuals and movements that would have a lasting social impact, such as the first trade unions, the Chartists and the suffragettes. The University of Manchester was born out of this revolutionary spirit, a spirit still demonstrated today in our Manchester 2020 vision. The challenge is significant; we are committing to meet demanding targets in the face of pressures including increasingly intense international competition, growing costs, and changing global economies, and in particular the decision from the recent EU referendum for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. I want to reassure you that The University of Manchester is, and will remain, not just a UK, but a global university that embraces staff, students, academic and business partnerships from across the world. As a global university, we know that world-class scholarship and research requires the flexible movement and exchange of staff, students and ideas to facilitate collaboration and partnerships within Europe and beyond. The University of Manchester and the City of Manchester have benefitted enormously from the study, research and investment opportunities afforded by the European Union and other international partnerships over recent years. I am determined to use all the University's networks, contacts and influence to ensure that these continue and are enhanced in the years ahead.
We are approaching these challenges from a strong position and our achievements since our formation in 2004 have been impressive. We have more than doubled our external research and contract income; increased our gift income by tenfold; improved graduate employment; enhanced industrial collaborations – over the past two years we have had more income from UK industry than any other UK university; attracted world-leading scholars and significantly increased the number of students from less privileged backgrounds. Our campus is a vibrant space of glass and steel, alongside beautiful and carefully restored older buildings like The Whitworth and our ever-growing public spaces, thanks to our £1 billion Campus Masterplan. But a university is much more than its campus. We are committed to being a people-oriented organisation, supporting our staff and providing an outstanding experience for our students. We have already improved student satisfaction scores and our 10,000 international students, more than any other UK university, reflect our growing global reputation. The Victoria University of Manchester was one of the first ‘red bricks’, widening a formerly elitist model of higher education to include ordinary people of all backgrounds. This is still true today. Social responsibility is one of our three goals and is manifest in our key activities.
The Works has helped more than 3,500 local people back into work or training; our Queen’s Award-winning School Governor Initiative has seen 438 staff and alumni take up roles at 160 schools; in partnership with our Students’ Union is our award-winning We Get It campaign to raise awareness of, and tackle, all forms of harassment; and we are one of only a handful of universities to be awarded the Race Equality Charter Mark. So, with finite resources we must focus on our strengths if we are to be a great, rather than just good, university. Now more than ever we will need to demonstrate that uniquely Mancunian revolutionary spirit. In teaching, learning and the student experience, we will deliver a new approach, giving our students the chance to take advantage of a range of programmes outside their own degree through a prestigious new award, and enabling them to experience real-world challenges as soon as they join us. World-class research is fundamental as we aspire to be one of the top 25 universities in the world. We now have two Regius Professorships – one given in recognition of the exceptional quality of our advanced materials research and teaching and the other for our world-leading physics and astronomy research and teaching. Among our huge range of research we have identified five research beacons. Each is an area of excellence where we are providing solutions to global challenges: advanced materials, industrial biotechnology, energy, cancer and addressing global inequalities. Put simply, we must demonstrate, with the passion and conviction of those early scholars and inventors, what difference our education makes to our students, and what difference our research and social responsibility work makes to the world. This is Manchester. Here we break convention. We forge revolution. We make a difference. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Manchester
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Manchester’s mechanical opus The city’s scientific and musical heritages are coming together in 2016 – in the shape of a robot orchestra.
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rom five-year-old primary school children to pensioners who’ve been tinkering away in their garages, Manchester is crowd-sourcing an orchestra. An amazing machine built from the city’s imagination, this will not be the symphony ensemble that we are used to seeing on the stage of the Bridgewater Hall, but a gathering of ‘electronic brains’ that will turn everything, from old floppy disk drives and desk fans to the violins and woodwinds of classical music, into a modern melody. In short: a robot orchestra. >>>
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It’s only fitting that a city which has built an international reputation as much on its gamechanging scientific discovery as on its seminal music scene, should combine the two in 2016 as Manchester continues to enjoy a special place under the global scientific spotlight as Britain’s first European City of Science. Professor Danielle George is lifting the curtain on the robot orchestra that she started dreaming up more than a year ago with citizen science innovator Dr Erinma Ochu MBE at the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF). Manchester’s new revolution “I want to show how everyone can discover the secret engineer inside themselves — and build an amazing machine from their imagination,” says Professor George, Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering at the University. “A new musical engineering revolution has begun. I want to showcase the ingenuity, creativity and revolutionary spirit of the people of Manchester and to explore how a city might creatively re-engineer and spread environmental and creative practices through performance. “We’re effectively trying to deliver an engineering project simply via crowd-sourcing; it’s definitely taking me out of my comfort zone. However, that’s a good thing, because that’s when we’re at our most creative. We want to showcase everyone’s work — from five-year-old primary school children working together to the 75-year-old tinkering in their garage — and to celebrate the fantastic failures that allow us to develop our skills and creativity.” Manchester has always been a hotbed of innovation. >>>
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I’d like them to realise that they could use their skills to solve some of the world’s big engineering challenges.
From the very first computer to the splitting of the atom, the city and the University have a proud entwined history of world-firsts and brilliant discoveries. Its designation as European City of Science 2016 offers a unique opportunity to showcase the ground-breaking science and cutting-edge industry of today’s Manchester to citizens across the world who will benefit from its fruits in decades to come. Throughout the year, Manchester is coming alive with science, and people across the city are being encouraged to take part in a dazzling array of exciting experiments and activities, bringing technology and engineering to life. The robot orchestra is a fun and fascinating part of this, not least because it has called on the people who live and work here to build it; to get involved by salvaging and donating unused technology, building the robots and the instruments, writing the code, hosting maker events or even sharing their musical expertise.
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Citizen engineering Professor George, who found her way into living rooms across the nation when she delivered 2014’s televised Royal Institution Christmas lectures, says: “I strongly feel that this citizen engineering project innovates in scientific, industrial and educational practices and fosters citizenship with potentially huge educational benefits. It also encourages environmental care through its use of upcycling electronic waste and coding to ‘make’ music.” Professor George worked with the Royal Institution to find robots that were already in existence to perform the Doctor Who theme as part of her popular Christmas lectures, while her collaborator, Dr Ochu, helped to design the Museum of Science and Industry’s 8
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globally successful citizen science initiatives. Between them, they are a powerful force who can pull off incredible things. Harnessing the innovative spirit of its people will showcase so much of Manchester’s ability, collaboration and imagination. As their ideas and inventions come together in the University’s engineering labs, these ‘electronic brains’ begin to take shape, from a cheap, calculator-size Raspberry Pi computer, often used by kids as a start to coding, to ‘Graphene’, the orchestra’s lead robot – so-named because it is a ‘good conductor’ – designed by engineering giant Siemens. The music The city’s renowned Hallé Orchestra has composed an amazing piece of music for the robots to play, and lots of independent composers are also writing pieces. The organisers are also hoping to bring Manchesterbased artists on board, enabling the orchestra to have a truly local feel. Rehearsals have been taking place to ensure that all of the robots connect to their conductor and perform as a cohesive unit, instead of playing randomly and out of sync. “I’d love this project to get more people tinkering and making, and for them to think about where being involved in such a crazy project can take them,” says Professor George. “If people have lots of fun doing it, I’d like them to realise that they could use their skills to solve some of the world’s big engineering challenges – and that this project will have started them on that journey. So make a robot, make some sounds, work together, get recycling – and make it Manchester!” Words by Joe Paxton. Images by Enna Bartlett, David Oates and David Gennard.
You can visit the website at www.robotorchestra.co.uk to sign up to the mailing list to Discover the story behind the hashtag. receive news and updates.
#robotsarecoming
You can also follow the hashtag #robotsarecoming on Twitter, or follow Professor George @EngineerDG. FEATURE
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11 May - 4 September 2016 Free Entry
Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL manchester.ac.uk/museum Design and art direction: sarah crossland design
Original photography: Paul Cliff
#MMClimateControl
Review Royal seal of approval from the Queen Her Majesty the Queen has honoured The University of Manchester by awarding a Regius Professorship, as part of her 90th birthday celebrations. It has been given in recognition of the exceptional quality of our advanced materials research and teaching, which is regarded as amongst the best in the world. Our inaugural Regius Professor of Materials is Professor Phil Withers. Phil joins our Regius Professor of Physics, Nobel
prizewinner Andre Geim. Our School of Physics and Astronomy was also awarded a Regius Professorship to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2013. Research into advanced materials, one of our five research beacons, has been at the heart of the University since its foundation in 1824, when Manchester’s prosperity was based on the textile industry. Today it brings together eight Schools and more than 150 academic staff, and extends to almost every aspect of the field, leading to the discovery of new materials, materials tailored for demanding environments, and smart and sustainable materials. Manchester’s world-class status as the birthplace of graphene has been reinforced by the establishment of the National Graphene Institute, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre and the £235 million Sir Henry Royce Advanced Materials Institute, being built to play a crucial role in addressing challenges facing society and making advanced materials a catalyst for economic growth in the UK.
University opens Stoller Biomarker Discovery Centre The University of Manchester has opened the Stoller Biomarker Discovery Centre, an £18 million lab complex to discover the clues to individuals’ illnesses. The centre will identify the unique markers of diseases such as cancer or arthritis. These markers will be developed to ensure the right treatment for the
right patient as early as possible. Funded by a philanthropic gift from the Stoller Charitable Trust, the Medical Research Council and in partnership with SCIEX, it will help to industrialise the process of identifying biomarkers – the molecular clues that indicate the presence of a disease or other condition.
By detecting these on a scale never seen before in Europe, University scientists and clinicians will be able to work with health companies and the NHS to produce a greater number of tests and develop new treatments to accelerate the process of curing many of the most serious illnesses faced today. REVIEW
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Health in our hands Greater Manchester’s 2.8 million residents are seeing the devolution of the region’s entire £6 billion health and social care system – and the University is taking a leading role. The move is part of the Greater Manchester Devolution Agreement announced by the Chancellor George Osborne last year, which sees the region get £1 billion worth of powers over transport, housing, planning and policing and its own directly-elected Mayor. The region took control of its health and social care budget in April. To ensure its success, the University and its NHS, healthcare research and industry partners have signed a unique agreement, Health Innovation Manchester. It will speed up the discovery, development and delivery of innovative solutions as we build on our existing expertise and assets to solve a nationwide problem of delays between
research innovation and benefits being realised on the ground. Its early priorities are to: further integrate health data systems to ensure joined-up information to GPs and hospitals and identify new ways of treating diseases; improve the use of personalised medicine, with targeted treatments for those who will benefit most; and enhance new treatment testing so those with the biggest impact are identified and introduced across the whole region as quickly as possible.
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A decade of discovery through innovation Our Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) is celebrating ten years of discovery through innovation – from DNA repair to early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The scientific vision for the MIB emerged as biosciences underwent a dramatic transition to higher levels of quantitative precision. To achieve this necessitated a new approach: an environment that fostered scientific culture with no barriers between disciplines, where team science is key to the creation of new knowledge. As a hub for EU and industry funded programs, the partnerships MIB has forged have been fundamental to its success. 12
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Leading doctoral education in Europe
Home to over 500 researchers and 47 academic groups, it has published more than 2,800 publications in collaboration with partners in over 70 countries.
Professor Luke Georghiou, our Vice-President for Research and Innovation, has been selected to lead the steering committee for the EUA Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE). EUA-CDE is a membership service dedicated to developing and improving doctoral education in Europe. With 850 members and 17 million students enrolled at EUA universities, EUA supports the interests of institutions and the higher education sector. EUA gives members opportunities to share best practice as well as influencing future European policies. Working with the European
Commission and Parliament, EUA ensures universities’ concerns are communicated with key stakeholders. Professor Georghiou will take up his role this autumn.
More tomorrows – in Manchester and beyond Cancer remains one of the major healthcare challenges worldwide. In Greater Manchester alone, around 13,200 people are diagnosed with cancer every year – that’s 36 people affected every day. Cancer is one of the University’s research beacons and a new £28.5 million building will give us another strong foundation as we seek to transform cancer treatment. The building, located in Withington, is home to the Manchester Cancer Research
Centre – a partnership between the University, the Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Cancer Research UK that takes a ‘bench to bedside’ approach to deliver better patient outcomes. Offering outstanding opportunities and a vibrant environment for researchers, clinicians and external partners, the new building will help the University to attract yet more world-class researchers from around the globe.
Zika virus vaccine to be developed in Manchester University of Manchester scientists are working on the creation and development of a Zika virus vaccine based on a derivative of a smallpox vaccine. Dr Tom Blanchard said: “We have seen with Ebola that there is a real need to react quickly to fast spreading diseases. Zika can cause serious illness; it often has no visible symptoms, so a vaccine is one of the best ways we have of combatting it. We’ll be working carefully to deliver a product
which is safe and effective and which can be quickly deployed.” Zika is mainly spread by mosquitoes, though human transmission has been reported. It has been linked to birth defects in pregnant women. A recent and particularly severe outbreak prompted the launch of a £4 million funding initiative. Dr Blanchard and his team expect the results will be delivered within 18 months.
China’s President visits the NGI President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China visited the National Graphene Institute (NGI) as part of his UK state visit, the first visit of any Chinese President to Manchester. During his tour, President Xi saw demonstrations of graphene applications being developed here in collaboration with our global industrial partners. President Xi was welcomed to the University by Professor Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University; Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne; Viscount Hood, the Queen’s Lord-in-waiting; the Chief Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Jim O’Neill; and the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, James Wharton.
He also met Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for isolating graphene’s properties at Manchester. Sir Kostya presented President Xi with a gift of traditional Chinese-style artwork, painted by the scientist himself using graphene paint. The official visit took place on the same day that Chinese electronics giant Huawei, China’s largest mobile phone manufacturer, announced a partnership with the NGI to research graphene and related 2D materials. The NGI now has 50 industrial partners who work collaboratively with academics to accelerate the commercialisation of graphene applications.
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Many of our academics and staff have won awards this year. They include: Professor Danielle George and Marcia Ody, who both received MBEs in the Queen's 90th Birthday honours list; Professors Brian Cox and Phil Withers and Professor Dame Sue Ion, who have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society; Professor Sir Salvador Moncada and Dr Maria Romina Girotti, who were honoured in the Biochemical Society Awards;
Dr Philip Pearce, who won first prize at the ‘SET for Britain’ competition in the House of Commons; Professors Judith Allen and Graeme Black, who were elected to Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences; Professors Shon Lewis, Nigel Bundred, Karina Lovell, Anne Barton and Matt Sutton, who received the National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) prestigious Senior Investigator status;
Professor Katherine West, who was awarded the 2016 Weiss medal by the Association for Radiation Research; Dr David Brough, named Bionow Promising Technologist of the Year; Professors Paul O’Brien and Karen Luker, Dr Amy Hughes and Terry Priest, who were recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.
Professor Ken McPhail; The Northern Powerhouse and Manchester City Region: Devolution, Economy and Governance led by Professor Bruce Tether; and the Globalisation and Responsible Production Network led by Professor Rudolf Sinkovics.
These are just some of the projects that Lord Alliance’s donation has helped, enabling Alliance MBS to continue to enhance its reputation as a leading centre for business and research excellence.
New chapter for our business school Following a transformational donation from Lord Alliance of Manchester and his fellow Trustees of the Alliance Family Foundation, Manchester Business School has become Alliance MBS. The donation of £15 million is being invested both in the School’s new building and to drive forward the School’s research agenda. Together these will enhance the learning experience for all students. The Alliance Manchester Business School Strategic Investment Fund will fund an initiative exploring Business and Human Rights led by 14
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University celebrates a range of honours
Concerns over eCig safety Thousands of electronic cigarette users are risking dangerous levels of lung inflammation, the first study of its kind has revealed. Dr Andrew Higham from The University of Manchester says the vapour which e-smokers inhale contains formaldehyde and acrolein – similar to traditional cigarettes – which could be harmful if taken over the long term. The research will fuel the debate on the safety of e-Cigarettes. There are an estimated 3 million users of electronic cigarettes in the UK. e-Cigarettes are often used to avoid the unwanted effects of traditional cigarettes, such as pulmonary inflammation. Dr Higham said: “Our research shows quite clearly that there are risks associated with long-term use of these devices. “We think that the public needs to be aware of the potential harm these devices may cause which will empower users to make informed decisions.”
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Training the next generation of nuclear experts
Mapping the Universe Scientists from around the world have joined forces to lay the foundations for an experiment of truly astronomical proportions: putting together the biggest map of the Universe ever made. Researchers from the Cosmology Science Working Group of the Square Kilometre
Array (SKA) – which includes scientists at Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics – have worked out how to use the world's largest telescope for the task. When the first phase is completed in 2023, the SKA will have a total collecting area equivalent to 15 football pitches, and will produce more
data in one day than several times the daily traffic of the entire internet. A second phase, due around 2030, will be ten times larger still. Such a huge atlas of the distribution of matter in the Universe will open a new window to investigate the first moments after the Big Bang.
A new academy at Sellafield is set to revolutionise the way the next generation of nuclear experts is trained, by providing them with the specialist education and professional qualifications necessary to deliver the complex and challenging projects associated with decommissioning Europe’s most complex nuclear site. The academy – the brainchild of Sellafield Ltd, to be delivered by the University of Cumbria – will be supported by The University of Manchester, the first academic establishment to introduce higher education associated with project management. Professor Andrew Gale said: “This demonstrates the power of industry, community and higher education collaboration. It aligns well with The University of Manchester’s strategic vision. The partnership is a sustainable way of supporting a ladder of educational opportunity and postgraduate research for industry, the community and our future.”
World’s first bionic eye implant The world’s first implant of a bionic eye has been carried out by a University of Manchester academic. Professor Paulo Stanga led the four-hour operation on pensioner Ray Flynn at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, which
implanted a device to convert video images from a miniature camera installed in his glasses. Mr Flynn, 80, has age-related macular degeneration, a condition which affects over 500,000 people in the UK. The condition impairs central
vision, resulting in people being unable to read or drive and having difficulty recognising faces. Now, thanks to his bionic eye, Mr Flynn can watch his beloved Manchester United on television and do the gardening.
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A journey into the unknown
From the dawn of the Space Age to the world's biggest ever radio satellite, we look at the past and future of space exploration at the University as the world famous Jodrell Bank celebrates 70 years of discovery. Our iconic site is also the amazing setting for the Bluedot Festival, helping celebrate ESOF 2016.
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Rising up out of the foggy expanse of the flat Cheshire countryside, you can’t help but be awe-struck by the mighty Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank. Enormous and imposing: it knows the secrets of the universe. Pulling up to the security barrier at dusk feels like the gateway to a classified area; the eerie moonlight offering a privileged insight into a mysterious world. Jodrell Bank is as indomitable in reputation as it is in stature. Now celebrating its 70th year, Jodrell Bank has been integral to huge, game-changing events in the history of astrophysics and our understanding of the cosmos. >>>
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“It’s all based on a mistake,” Teresa Anderson, Director of the Discovery Centre at Jodrell Bank, reveals, quite on purpose. “Back in 1945, Sir Bernard Lovell came to the site to explore his ideas on cosmic rays but he’d got his maths wrong and the work ended up taking an entirely different direction.”
the way we see the Universe. “Using non-visible radio waves and other ‘invisible’ parts of the spectrum to build up an image of the unknown means we can see things way beyond the capabilities of the human eye. It’s easy to forget but radio astronomy was the birth of modern astrophysics,” says Teresa.
Scientific prowess
As Teresa utters these words, her face does not portray disappointment but gleams with pride and excitement. Getting things wrong in science is ok, it turns out – in fact it is welcomed.
It is clear that Jodrell has been at the forefront of some incredible historical firsts and remains an international leader securing projects such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the world’s largest ever radio telescope, headquartered at Jodrell and made up of an array of thousands of dishes spread out in remote areas across the planet.
The SKA is a huge project. And if you haven’t yet heard of it, you soon will, Teresa announces. “It’s been called the ‘CERN of Astrophysics’ and will be the biggest science project ever known”.
A fascination with the unknown “That mistake triggered a new direction and because of that the telescope has discovered things that were never imagined at the time it was created,” she continues. “That’s the thing about big science – you just don’t know what you’re looking for.” It’s this certainty that we can’t be certain about anything, that drives the success of this place. Jodrell Bank played a key role in the emergence of radio astronomy, which transformed
“The very first thing the Lovell Telescope did marked the dawn of the Space Age - it tracked the carrier rocket for Sputnik 1 – the first ever satellite launched into space.” Jodrell Bank was also responsible for producing the earliest picture of the surface of the moon in 1966 by hacking into signals destined for the Soviet Union from the Luna 9 spacecraft.
Bluedot Festival A stellar programme of music, science, arts, technology, culture, food and film 22-24 July 2016 www.discoverthebluedot.com @bluedotfestival
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Such an illustrious history is only surpassed by the possibilities of its future as the scientific prowess of Jodrell Bank continues to dazzle. These days, it’s the discovery of the double pulsar and the fact it is host to the ground-breaking SKA that define it.
Its aims are quite staggering. “We’ll be able to see the universe in more detail than has ever before been possible and examine fundamental ideas like the origins of the universe, gravity and the beginnings of life.” There’s a striking juxtaposition between these astronomical scientific ambitions and the accessibility of the Discovery Centre at Jodrell Bank. In the café, beside a chalkboard advertising the price of a slice of carrot cake, hang several clocks telling the time on Mars, Jupiter
and – curiously – at the surface of a black hole. Somehow, this extraordinary place manages to marry the normality of tea and cake with the mind-blowing work going on here. But this is precisely what Jodrell Bank is all about: bringing outer space down to earth. Boundless possibilities Public engagement is at the forefront of its strategy. With jam-packed education programmes, public lectures that sell out in hours and music festivals featuring stars of another kind, Jodrell Bank is perfectly placed to offer a bridge to high-level science for all. Looking to the future, the exciting thing, according to Teresa, is that we have no idea what discoveries it will hold. “I’m secretly hoping we find a signal from another planet,” she admits. The SKA technology is certainly capable of it. “It will be able to detect signals the strength of air traffic radar from 30 light years away, which is mind-blowing. If we can detect that, we’ve got a pretty good chance of picking up anything that’s out there.”
Tim O’Brien explains: “Space is big. A light year is the distance that light travels in one year. Since light speed is a phenomenal 300,000 kilometres per second, 30 light years – or 283,821,914,200,000 km – is really a very long way indeed. By comparison, light from the Moon takes only one and a quarter seconds to reach us, and from the Sun, eight minutes.” Jodrell’s Associate Director and Professor of Astrophysics, Tim O’Brien, agrees: “Our Milky Way galaxy is around 100,000 light years across and contains hundreds of billions of stars, the vast majority of which we now know are orbited by planets. The observable Universe contains hundreds of billions of galaxies. Whether any of these thousands of billions of planets harbours life, we don’t yet know, but as our technology improves we steadily get closer to finding out.”
Teresa muses: “There will be lots of things we haven’t even thought of and people will think we’ve been doing it all wrong but that’s great. In science we always want to be proved wrong; it means we’ve discovered new things.”
The possibilities at Jodrell Bank seem as boundless as the universe itself.
For more information visit www.jodrellbank.net @jodrellbank
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What is a light year?
It is this sentiment that resonates, driving away down the pitch-black country lanes, under the all-seeing gaze of the magnificent Lovell Telescope. Words by Susannah Crossland
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Feed, fuel and heal the world
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rofessor Nigel Scrutton, Director of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, talks us through how industrial biotechnology is improving the sustainability of the fuel we buy, the skincare we use and the medicines we take. From beauty products to life-saving medicines, many of the products we consume every day are manufactured on an industrial scale. The production of the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and energy we rely upon can damage the environment – producing waste, draining non-renewable resources such as petroleum and creating greenhouse gas emissions. Industrial biotechnology gives us a way to prepare for and respond to society’s grand challenges. It allows us to use micro-organisms and enzymes to make bio-based products that perform better, are more easily recyclable and derived from renewable resources. It’s revolutionising manufacturing processes so that products are economically viable, environmentally compatible and socially responsible. In the home Industrial biotechnology has developed many of the bio-based products we use in our homes today. Enzymes are used in biological washing detergents to remove stains at lower temperatures. In skincare products they help exfoliation and support the biological processes that have slowed down because of age or sun
damage. Vital materials used in the textile industry – dyes, tanning agents, nylon and polyester – are all produced using biochemicals. At The University of Manchester we’ve engineered bacterial strains to produce flavours and fragrances that are currently sourced from botanicals, some of which contain only minute levels of the target compounds. This could significantly enhance their market value. At the same time, it could also reduce the environmental impact associated with traditional chemical synthesis, or free up land for food production. Biofuels Fill your car today and the fuel you buy will likely contain a small proportion of biofuel. Our experts are bringing commercial production of biofuels one step closer. In collaboration with Imperial College London and the University of Turku we made a significant breakthrough in the development and production of renewable propane, used in heating and transport. We’ve also formed a spinout, C3 Bio-Technologies, to bring bio-propane to the market more quickly. In a complementary project, Professor David Leys worked with Shell to provide a new, cleaner route to the production of alpha-olefins – crucial chemicals in a variety of industries.
everybody is so fortunate. By cutting the cost of pharmaceutical production, industrial biotechnology can help us to address global inequalities in places where access to modern, expensive treatments is a major issue. The University is developing chemical alternatives to finite materials used as catalysts in the manufacture of many high-value products. One example is Professor Nicholas Turner’s collaboration with BASF, which enabled the efficient and environmentally friendly production of organic chemical compounds used to make active pharmaceutical ingredients and fine chemicals to support industrial and academic drug discovery programmes. And Professor Andrew Munro worked with global science-based company, DSM to redesign an enzyme catalyst, enabling it to convert a natural product into the cholesterol-lowering drug pravastatin in a single step. This streamlined method now forms the basis of a patented process for the production of this drug. Industrial biotechnology’s potential is unparalleled. It has the capacity to develop innovative products and processes that can help us to feed, fuel and heal the world. Words by Neil Condron To find out more visit www.mib.manchester.ac.uk
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Global challenges, Manchester solutions 22
Across the world we face challenges that impact upon all of our lives, from poverty to disease, energy supply to sustainability, transport to communication. At The University of Manchester we’re meeting these challenges head-on. With roots in medical and technical education, we were England’s first civic university, furthering the frontiers of knowledge for the good of society.
Today we’re home to unique concentrations and combinations of high-quality, interdisciplinary research activity that are improving lives of people around the world. We’re addressing global inequalities to help bring about a fairer society, and developing advanced materials that can withstand the harshest environments. Our experts are investigating all aspects of cancer so that we can reduce its
profound and devastating impact on so many families. We’re pioneering the energy systems of the future and, through our pioneering work in industrial biotechnology, we’re developing sustainable alternatives to the finite resources used in everyday manufacturing. As the UK’s biggest campus-based university, Manchester has the size and strength to see new ways forward. Bringing
the best minds together from across disciplines and sectors, we find fresh and innovative answers to the world’s biggest questions. These are global challenges. These are Manchester solutions. Find out how our research is advancing knowledge for a better world: www.manchester.ac.uk/beacons 23
2D THE
REVOLUTION
Advanced materials have the potential to revolutionise our lives, from wearable electronics to ultrasensitive sensors. At Manchester, our pioneering work with 2D materials such as graphene has placed us as world leaders with the capability and research power to respond to industry’s needs, creating the materials that they want next.
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n our labs, a revolution is gathering momentum. The two-dimensional (2D) materials in development here have captured the attention and imagination of scientists, researchers and industry around the globe. Sparked by graphene, the possibilities are endless. These advanced materials will help to solve some of the world’s most critical problems in ways not previously thought possible: removing the pollutants from water to provide clean drinking water to millions of people; blocking carbon emissions using a 2D membrane; or making computers faster and quicker by reducing the size of their circuits. They’ll define a new age. At Manchester, we’re busy working with a wide range of partners to bring this age about. We’re researching the materials that can meet industry’s needs,
pushing their applications closer to commercial reality. 2D to order Graphene, the world’s first 2D material, has opened the doors for the exploration of others, shifting the gears of the materials science landscape. Graphene was first isolated here, at The University of Manchester, by Nobel Prize-winning professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov. No other material has the same breadth of application: lightweight aircraft; electric sports cars; flexible mobile devices and targeted drug delivery to name only a few. But research at the University has now evolved from the initial work on simple graphene to new 2D crystals: hexagonal boron nitride, tungsten disulphide, molybdenum disulphide and more.
Each has a range of different properties. For example, hexagonal boron nitride’s electronic reliability and efficiency is ten times greater than graphene’s. Molybdenum disulphide is similar to silicon but is more efficient when used in semiconductors. These tongue-twister materials can all complement graphene’s properties, but no other 2D material alone can perform like graphene does. Graphene was the start of 2D material research and will continue to be its future. But combined with graphene, these materials have the power to reinvent technology, introducing the possibility of superconductors; flexible, transparent lighting; and higher-powered solar cells and LEDs. In years to come we won’t be restricted by the materials that already exist; we’ll be able to finetune new materials with tailored
properties to achieve a specific purpose. Greater than the sum of their parts When graphene and other 2D materials are combined, that’s when their potential comes alive. These combinations are achieved through the creation of heterostructures: stacks of 2D materials made by layering atoms in a precisely chosen sequence to produce certain characteristics. Professors Geim and Novoselov are leading teams of researchers to identify their properties and develop their applications. For physicists, building a heterostructure is surprisingly simple. By layering single sheets of graphene with other 2D crystals, they can create new designer materials that don’t occur naturally and offer specified qualities. Researchers assemble these new materials in sequences >>>
The NGI: National Graphene Institute FEATURE
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relevant to their intended application, in a process similar to stacking Lego bricks. As you might expect with materials so light and thin, fragility is a major consideration. Some of them are so unstable in air and so susceptible to contamination that a researcher’s perfume or aftershave can interfere. These problems too are tackled here at Manchester. A team of researchers led by Dr Roman Gorbachev, a Royal Society research fellow, has developed a tailored fabrication method in order to stabilise materials. Using a glovebox (a sealed chamber in which the environment can be completely controlled), a material can be studied and built without contamination. Dr Gorbachev explains: “This is an important breakthrough in the 26
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area of 2D materials research as it allows us to dramatically increase the variety of materials that we can experiment with using our expanding 2D crystal toolbox.” A beacon of advanced materials research Work on advanced materials forms one of the University’s research beacons. Manchester is world-leading at developing new and existing materials, measuring and exploring these materials to help understand their properties and potential. Building on that knowledge base, Manchester will be home to the £235m Sir Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, which will complement our new, dedicated state-of-the-art facilities – the National Graphene Institute and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre. Today there are over 235 graphene-related
researchers, with over £120m of capital funding contributing to this work. The Royce Institute will accelerate knowledge and applications of advanced materials for the good of industry and the economy. It will be supported by founding partners, the universities of Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial College London. Research will comprise of 14 key areas, including graphene and 2D materials. The new Institute will provide the missing link in the development of materials in the UK, and will allow industrialists and academics to work side by side to produce the expertise of the future. Words by Charlotte Powell For more information visit: www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk @UoMGraphene
Manchester is leading the world in developing new and existing materials, measuring and exploring their properties to help understand their potential
STACKABLE 2D MATERIALS THE ALL ROUNDER Graphene, the world’s first 2D material has a wide breadth of properties from longer lasting batteries, conductive paints, lighter, stronger aircraft to targeted drug delivery.
FILTRATION Hexagonal boron nitride can be used to remove pollution from water. It can absorb oils and solvents but repels water.
SUPER SMALL Tungsten disulphide can be used in computer circuits, dramatically reducing the size to atomic levels.
DESIGNER COMBINATIONS FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS The researchers at the University used graphene and hexagonal boron nitride and then experimented with different transition metals such as tungsten disulphide and molybdenum disulphide in order to create a heterostructure to produce flexible electronics.
WHAT NEXT? In years to come we won’t be restricted by the material we can use. We’ll be able to build combinations of heterostructures with tailored properties, finetuning new materials to achieve a specific purpose for applications.
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The art – and science – of conversation Two talkers, sat down in Manchester Art Gallery, discuss the nature of human consciousness – yet neither are human. Talk, a work by Swedish artist Tove Kjellmark, features robots whose brains are powered by technology developed by Professor Steve Furber and his team in the University’s School of Computer Science. The work is part of The Imitation Game, an exhibition of work inspired by the work of Manchester’s computing pioneer Alan Turing, running as part of the European City of Science 2016 celebrations. www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/manchester/science
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Photo courtesy of Michael Pollard
CAPTURING SCIENCE IN IMAGES
PAST PRESENT AND
A picture is worth a thousand words and captures a moment in time. Manchester is European City of Science throughout 2016 and to celebrate this, The John Rylands Library is sharing a selection of its science collections. From the end of medieval times to the present day, it will be exploring themes of medicine, astronomy, engineering and industry from around the globe. Here we see a piece from the Medieval collection – ‘Tabulae eclipsium’ for the years 1489 – 1491, with diagrams in gold, silver and blue and the text written in a very fine Roman hand. The exhibition ‘Capturing Science: Images Past and Present’ – located in the Historic Reading Room, open daily with free entry – runs until 25 September 2016.
150 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3EH www.manchester.ac.uk/library/rylands @TheJohnRylands
A vision of transformation
P
rogressive minds need a campus to inspire them. Take a look into the £1 billion, ten-year building project transforming The University of Manchester.
Fast-forward to 2022 and one of the largest campus investments ever seen in higher education will be complete; creating the very best environment for our students, staff and wider community.
Imagine you could watch a time-lapse video of The University of Manchester, from our earliest roots to the not-too-distant future.
It will include a new home for engineering, the £350 million Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD). Of such scale, the main building – MECD Hall – at 195 metres long could easily accommodate Manchester’s tallest building, the Beetham Tower, laid sideways.
At the start, you’d see 19th century medical and technical schools, growing into the institutions that would become the Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST, our predecessor universities.
Our vision is to create a sustainable urban university – a beautiful place of fine architecture, civilised city squares, walks and streets that connect all parts of the University and integrate us with the vibrant city that surrounds us. It will be an estate to match our global ambitions and will bring all of our world-changing research, learning and activity onto one site. To find out more about our Campus Masterplan, visit masterplan.manchester.ac.uk Words by Lisa McCarthy
Huge expansion would come as the 1960s speed by. Then, following the merger in 2004, £750 million in new buildings and facilities would appear, cementing our status as the largest single campus of any higher education institution in the UK.
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Ahead of the curve Oil supplies won’t last forever – but they might last longer than we thought, according to astonishing work by an undergraduate.
P
roduction levels of oil increase every year. In 2015 an estimated 97 million barrels were pumped out of the Earth each day. We’re all aware that oil is a finite resource. It’s commonly predicted that the world will enter an oil crisis in the next 20 to 30 years. This would result in a decline in production so rapid that the world would not have enough time to develop new sources of energy, leading to drastic social and economic impacts. However, an undergraduate student from The University of Manchester has made a very different prediction – and it may surprise you. A new take on an old technique Denis Levchenko, who’s in his third year of the Physics (with Theoretical Physics) BSc course, has developed a new method of predicting future levels of oil supply. His technique seems to indicate that we have enough oil supplies to last until 2070 at the very least. Denis’s method uses Hubbert curves, which were developed by American geophysicist M King Hubbert in 1956
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and became the standard technique to predict the future depletion of oil. However, Denis tried something that had never been done before. He included new types of oil and used the curves to match predicted demand, as opposed to supply. The results appear to show that while production of conventional oil may slowly start to go down over the next decade, ‘unconventional’ forms (tight oil and sand oil, which are mined rather than drilled) may last until the 2040s, and shale oil until the 2070s. If more reserves of these are discovered, then oil supplies could even last beyond 2100. “When I started, I originally wanted to discuss whether an oil crisis is inevitable and to survey other potential sources of energy,” says Denis, who hopes to study for a master’s degree after graduation and ultimately work as an academic. “This was really just a small half-semester project, and I didn’t think the work was anything special while I was doing it. “I was stunned to discover that the critical moment may not arrive until 2070 at the very earliest, which would give the world much more time to develop the alternatives.”
Despite its enormous reserves, unconventional oil was ignored by experts until recently as it’s much more expensive to obtain, and therefore hadn’t been widely developed. However, it now accounts for 6% of worldwide total oil production. This is set to rise as depletion of conventional oil will lead to price increases, making development of the new types of oil more economically viable. Real-world impact Professor Albert Zijlstra of the University’s School of Physics and Astronomy, supervised Denis’s project. He’s hugely impressed with his student’s research – and sees it as an example of how undergraduate work can have a real-world impact. “It shows how useful the skills that students learn in physics are, and how they are applicable to areas beyond their discipline,” says Professor Zijlstra. And he has a prediction of his own. “I see a bright future for Denis, in whatever field he chooses.” Words by Joe Paxton Image by Tracey Gibbs
“
I was stunned to discover that the critical moment may not arrive until 2070 at the very earliest, which would give the world much more time to develop the alternatives.
“ DEMAND
[Gb/y]
Shows projected demand for oil, in billion barrels per year.
CONVENTIONAL Expected production of conventional oil, which implies that ‘peak oil’ is about now.
60 50
Graph repurposed from Denis Levchenko, 2016, BSc dissertation, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester.
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TIGHT / SANDS Future projected production of tight oil
SHALE This curve is much steeper than the yellow one, meaning that once shale oil is needed, production would have to increase quickly.
TOTAL
30 20 10 0
2020
2030
2040
2050 t [y]
2060
2070
2080 FEATURE
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Cancer medicine – the personal approach Personalised medicine could revolutionise how we’re treated for illnesses in the future. What does this mean for how we treat cancer, a disease that affects so many?
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o two of us are the same. We may look remarkably like our parents, or make the same lifestyle choices as our friends. But ultimately, we’re individuals. We want to be treated as such.
Cancer treats us as individuals. Our risk of developing many types of the disease is written into our DNA. Each cancer is unique in how it develops and grows, making it difficult to predict which treatment will work for which patient. Personalised, or precision, medicine is all about treating the individual. At The University of Manchester, scientists are busy pioneering new approaches to make this a reality.
They’re developing liquid biopsies to better identify cancer’s biomarkers without the need for surgery. They’re building a bank of living cancer tissue, and taking grafts from patients’ tumours to run realtime experiments in the lab. Using modern DNA sequencing technologies, they’re revealing cancer’s weak spots.
Using modern DNA sequencing technologies, they’re revealing cancer’s weak spots.
Working with partners such as Cancer Research UK and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, our researchers are already improving the lives of people with cancer. Here, three scientists tackling different cancer challenges explain what personalised medicine means to them.
Accelerating drug development Dr Matthew Krebs is a Clinical Senior Lecturer in Experimental Cancer Medicine and Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology. He’s based at The Christie, testing and developing new cancer medicines in phase I clinical trials. There are hundreds of new targeted drugs in development. Our challenge is to match the right drugs to the right patients, based on their molecular profile – in other words, the genetic characteristics of their tumour. Traditionally, in a phase I trial, we’re looking to determine the side-effects of new drugs and the right doses to use. But we’re now also able to look, at this very early stage, at whether a drug benefits patients. We’ve seen remarkable examples in recent years of phase I trials where the
biomarker is known, the drug is highly specific and effective, and efficacy has been borne out early on. Fast-track approvals are now a reality for the most efficacious drugs. In my work, we’re now routinely performing molecular profiling for our patients to look at a series of genes within the cancer that, if faulty, we could treat with an experimental medicine. Our ambition is to bring forward molecular profiling to all patients with cancer at the earlier stages of their disease to provide targeted therapies much sooner. >>>
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Softening chemotherapy’s impact Professor Stephen Taylor is our Leech Professor of Pharmacology, based in our Institute of Cancer Sciences. At the moment everybody gets the same drugs in chemotherapy. Because some won’t respond, they’ll be getting that additional toxicity for no benefit. If all we could do was identify those patients who won’t respond, and recommend that they do not take these drugs, they would be spared that unnecessary toxicity. That in itself would be a big bonus for patients. In my lab, we’re interested in a class of chemotherapy agents that are used extensively
to treat breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. Some tumours will be killed by these drugs, others won’t. Some respond well initially but then develop resistance. In addition, these drugs have side-effects that limit how effectively they can be used. If we can better understand how these drugs kill tumour cells, then hopefully we can do a better job of identifying which patients to treat and which not to treat. That’s really the goal of personalised medicine – understanding the individual and how to treat them.
An open door from the lab to the clinic Winner of the Biochemical Society’s Early Career Research Award for 2016, Dr Maria Romina Girotti works in the Molecular Oncology Lab at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute. Before coming to Manchester, I was working with Professor Richard Marais at the Institute of Cancer Research, London. When he moved here, I wanted to be part of the team, so I decided to move as well. It was an unmissable opportunity but I still had a lot to consider. What clinched it for me was our Institute’s connection with The Christie, just a minute’s walk away. That’s invaluable for us as cancer researchers – if you’re stuck working in the lab and don’t have any involvement with patients,then you don’t
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get a feel for what’s needed from you. We can talk with clinicians who’ll tell us what help they need in order to help them make decisions. We often attend their clinics, where they’ll speak to up to 40 patients. One of my biggest successes has been in the development of new targeted therapies – and patients from The Christie, as well as the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, will be taking part in the first clinical trial to come from my work.
Cancer: the facts Cancer may be one illness, but there are over 200 types
1
The survival rate in the UK today is 50% – in the 1970s it was 25%
The future Personalised medicine is a huge area of potential for research into genetic diseases, not least cancer. With links to charities and to one of Europe’s largest cancer centres – The Christie – the University is well placed to continue at the forefront of this research. And with Greater Manchester taking on responsibility for its own health care budget, the University will be at the heart of innovative work that will benefit the region in personalised medicine, clinical trials and health data systems.
cell is all it takes to cause cancer. Detecting cancer early gives the highest chance of cure
Part of our vision to accelerate ‘made-to-measure’ treatments for patients is the creation of a new research facility, the Centre for Cancer Biomarkers. This new building, which is receiving significant funding from philanthropists who share this vision, will act as a global hub for the progress of biomarker blood tests that will direct the individual treatment plans of the future. Our scientists want personalised medicine to be everybody’s medicine. Words by Neil Condron
Cancer is one of our research beacons – read more at www.manchester.ac.uk/beacons.
More than
330,000
patients are diagnosed with cancer each year – this is forecast to rise to more than 435,000 by 2030
1 in 5
patients who visited The Christie in 2013/14 as an outpatient had taken part in research during their time as a Christie patient
You can read our researchers’ interviews in full at www.manchester.ac.uk/ magazine, and find out more about the Centre for Cancer Biomarkers at www.cancerbiomarkers.manchester.ac.uk. FEATURE
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A tale of two continents
Over the past two decades, Professor Paul O’Brien’s work has helped change the lives of many of South Africa’s young scientists. Here, Professor O’Brien and one of his first protégés look back upon the impact he has made.
O
n a damp afternoon in March, Professor Paul O’Brien visited Buckingham Palace to collect his CBE for his services to science and engineering. But the story begins in a much warmer setting. “In Africa, Paul has really inspired and helped so many scientists,” says Neerish Revaprasadu, SARCHi Chair of Nanotechnology and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Zululand (UNIZULU). “He’s very good at getting the best out of people.” Paul’s tale is one of collaboration across two continents. He and Neerish first met in late 1996, when Paul visited UNIZULU as the UK project leader for a Royal Society programme which had just been set up to support the dawn of democracy in South Africa. The programme aimed to build excellence in teaching and research in historically black universities in Africa, with UNIZULU being one such institution. “I had read about South Africa as a child and always wanted to visit,” says Paul. “But I wouldn’t go until it was democratised”. In April 1994, Paul’s wish came true. South Africa held its first ever general election with universal suffrage and appointed Nelson Mandela as its president, finally marking the end of apartheid in the country. During the late 1970s, Paul had helped to build a new university in the Portuguese city of Aveiro as part of a capacity-building project, an experience which made him optimistic that the Royal Society’s ambitious programme in Africa could work. When Paul was approached in 1996 to lead the Royal Society programme, he jumped at the chance.
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“I was thrown into the deep end,” explains Neerish. “I had never been overseas and I was worried about my ability to succeed. Once I started, I gained immense confidence through Paul’s guidance and supervision. I was able to meet so many aspiring scientists during my stay in London and achieve my true potential.” In 2000, Neerish became the first South African ever to receive a PhD in materials chemistry. “When I returned to South Africa I realised that I was quite unique in my field,” says Neerish proudly. The two have collaborated ever since, with Paul maintaining his strong links with UNIZULU and South Africa. “Having an ongoing collaboration with Paul helped me achieve the SARCHi Chair of Nanotechnology, which is a prestigious programme funded by the National Research Foundation in South Africa. I also became a full professor after ten years in academia,” says Neerish. When Paul joined The University of Manchester in late 1999, he brought with him his strong ties with Africa and Neerish in particular. Many of Neerish’s students at UNIZULU have subsequently visited Manchester to work and study. “I guess one or two more Manchester United fans have also been created,” jokes Paul.
Photo courtesy of the University of Zululand.
At the time of their first meeting Neerish was working as a senior lab technician in the chemistry department at UNIZULU. After immediately impressing Paul, Neerish quickly became the first exchange student to take part in the Royal Society scheme and flew to London in February 1997 to begin studying for a PhD at Imperial College.
The Royal Society programme ran for nearly 12 years in total and brought over £700,000 of funding to South Africa, leading to 12 alumni holding substantive posts in academia or research. “The opportunity changed my life,” says Neerish. “Paul is very well known in South Africa through his work with the Royal Society. He has changed the lives of numerous other students in Africa.” Paul was awarded UNIZULU’s first honorary DSc degree in 2006 after ten years of support work with the university. In addition to his CBE, this year Paul also received the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) prestigious Longstaff Prize, which is awarded triennially to the RSC member who has done the most to advance the science of chemistry. UNIZULU is just one of the success stories from Paul’s collaborative work in Africa. He has since continued his efforts in South Africa, arranging for the Nobel Prize winner Sir Harry Kroto to visit the country, and becoming a founding member and adviser to the South African Nanotechnology Initiative. Following his success with UNIZULU, Paul was invited by the Royal Society to help to establish a similar project in Ghana and Tanzania. More recently, he obtained a new £1.15 million grant from the Royal Society and the Department for International Development for capacity building projects in South Africa, Ghana and Cameroon. Twenty years on from his first meeting with Neerish, Paul’s links with the continent of Africa are stronger than ever. “Paul has done his country proud through his work in the sciences in Africa,” says Neerish. Manchester agrees. Words by Alexander Chilton Images by David Gennard (left), University of Zululand (right).
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One globe, a world of solutions The world is changing rapidly – socially, technologically, environmentally and economically – bringing with it an evolution in the field of international development. A new Institute at the University is bringing together some of the best minds in this area to tackle the inequalities faced by people across the globe. More than one billion people in the world live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1.90 a day. At The University of Manchester there is a very real determination to change that; to shape the policies and global conversations that will improve the lives of the world’s most disadvantaged. That’s why the University has launched a major new centre, the Global Development Institute (GDI). The Institute holds the promotion of social justice – the fight for equality in rights and opportunities – at its heart. It unites the strengths of the former Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM) and the Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI) – research hubs with a history of making a difference to real lives, from
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promoting young people’s well-being in Tanzania to helping Cadbury to launch an initiative to support cocoa growers. Launched in early 2016, the GDI is the largest provider of development studies research and postgraduate education in Europe. It will deliver a step-change in Manchester’s activities and influence in this most challenging field of international development. More than 45 academics and around 100 PhD students are undertaking world-class interdisciplinary research to build on Manchester’s internationally leading reputation for development studies, which has seen the >>>
At the GDI’s heart will be the promotion of social justice and a very real determination to shape policies and global conversations that can improve the lives of the world’s most disadvantaged
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800
million people in the world will go hungry today
29,000 children will die from preventable health care problems
1 billion+ living on less than $1.90 a day
University ranked first for impact and second for quality in the UK Research Excellence Framework. Within the Institute, the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Doctoral College is developing the next generation of researchers, practitioners and policy actors, ensuring Manchester’s place as a home for global thought leaders in the advancement of development theory and practice. But why is it so vital that we refocus our resources at this time? Rapid global change Asian countries are rising as world superpowers, climate change is advancing at a rapid pace and global inequality is increasing in new places and in
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new ways, all of which have a dramatic impact on questions around development and social justice that researchers must critically and rigorously address. Professor Uma Kothari, of the GDI, explains: “Rising inequality has two main dimensions. A contemporary dimension, exemplified by estimates that the top 1% of the world’s population have almost the same economic wealth as the remaining 99%. This situation maintains chronic levels of poverty in an affluent world. It reduces the prospects for economic growth and damages social cohesion, enabling the elite to capture public institutions and policies. “With climate change, spiralling inequality also contains an
intergenerational dimension. Climate change has been created by the world’s rich nations but is disproportionately hitting the poorest. On current trends it will dramatically reduce the well-being and life opportunities of future generations. “Global inequality, global poverty and climate injustice have to be more effectively tackled if humanity is to move towards a more socially just world that is sustainable. “Our ambition with the new GDI is to be the world’s leading academic institute that creates and supports excellent research, achieves high levels of impact and knowledge exchange, and provides top-quality graduate education to secure social justice and sustainable
development within and across nations, particularly for the least advantaged groups.” Crunch time The Institute arrived at a crunch time for global policymakers. In September 2015 leaders at the United Nations agreed a new set of Sustainable Development Goals – 17 goals incorporating health, sustainability, climate change and even peace that set the bar for universal efforts over the next 15 years. The new targets, a replacement for the Millennium Development Goals, formally recognise that change is no longer simply a case of poorer countries catching up – instead, all countries need to adapt their lifestyles, patterns of growth and aspirations.
The University of Manchester research into the social and economic sustainability of cocoa production commissioned by Cadbury led it to switch its supply to fairtrade cocoa and invest £45 million in cocoa growing communities
Traditional notions of developed/ developing and aid givers/recipients are gone; inequality exists across and within nations. To achieve a sustainable and just world, poorer countries will need to increase their use of global resources as much as richer ones will need to dramatically reduce their consumption. Leading academic thinkers will play a vital role in helping politicians and organisations understand how this can be achieved. The GDI joins a long tradition of research at the University in addressing global inequalities, from fields including not only global development but also health care, business, law, social sciences and the arts. The minds contributing to this broad beacon of research help
us to better understand the differences in the experiences and quality of life of men and women around the world. These differences, at their most stark, mean that around 800 million people in the world will go hungry today and 29,000 children will die from preventable health care problems, although we know there are enough resources to go around. Professor David Hulme, Executive Director of the GDI, explains: “Manchester was the crucible for the Industrial Revolution that transformed human well-being, but now threatens human survival. We believe that Manchester should also be the crucible for creating the ideas that shape what comes next – how we achieve sustainable
development and social justice for all of humanity. “Business as usual is not an option. While we’ve seen huge reductions in poverty over the last 20 years, finishing the job, let alone making the gains sustainable, will require seismic social and economic changes right around the world. “The University of Manchester has been at the forefront of development studies for more than 60 years. With the creation of the GDI, we’re aiming to lead critical thinking, teaching and research over the next 60 years and beyond.”
The largest provider of development studies and research in Europe
Words by Deborah Linton Photographs courtesy of Panos For more information visit: www.gdi.manchester.ac.uk gdi@manchester.ac.uk
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Nico Vascellari As winter draws to a close and greenery once again takes hold, Italian artist Nico Vascellari occupies the Whitworth’s Landscape Gallery.
5 February – 18 September 2016
Contacts General enquiries For all general enquiries regarding The University of Manchester Magazine, please contact us using the details below. The University of Manchester Oxford Rd Manchester M13 9PL United Kingdom www.manchester.ac.uk/magazine magazine@manchester.ac.uk @OfficialUoM /TheUniversityOfManchester OfficialUoM Editorial If you would like to contact the Editor or submit a question contact magazine@manchester.ac.uk Distribution If you have a query about distribution contact magazine@manchester.ac.uk
A flaming pathfinder of women’s lib A pioneering engineer, a celebrated racer, a war heroine. Beatrice ‘Tilly’ Shilling was a singular woman of many talents. During and after completing her BSc and MSc in Electrical Engineering at Manchester, Beatrice raced motorcycles, becoming only the second woman to lap the Brooklands circuit at more than 100 mph. She would later race automobiles, but not before her greatest accomplishment. In 1940 Beatrice invented the RAE restrictor, (affectionately named by pilots as ‘Miss Shilling’s orifice’) which eliminated engine cut-out in RAF fighter planes, enabling them to keep pace with the Luftwaffe. It was a crucial moment in the war effort – and an innovation that earned her an OBE.
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Illustration by Jim McDougall See back cover for a larger version of this image. 45