Images of Research
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Images of Research Welcome to the University of Bath’s showcase of its annual Images of Research competition. The competition forms part of the University’s public engagement programme, which is central to our research mission. Our researchers are involved in a wide range of local, regional, national and international public engagement activities, events and training programmes which enable them to promote their work in many different ways. One of these is the Images of Research competition, which culminates in a public exhibition held in the city of Bath. A new theme is chosen each year, with our researchers challenged to depict relevant research through images. Recent themes have included ‘Impact’, ‘Collaboration and Partnership’, and ‘Research in Your World’. The competition is open to staff and research students. Presented in this publication are a selection of the best images from this competition, giving a snapshot into the lives of our researchers, both current and former. Their work is displayed using just an image and short description, aimed at providing an insight to the wide range of research activity that takes place at the University. This very successful event has proven to be an innovative way to look at academic research in a different light. The images displayed are both beautiful and interesting and I hope that you will find them inspiring.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Jane Millar
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Come rain or shine Researcher: Dr Melina Freitag Mankind has always sought the ability to predict the weather. Large scale accurate weather forecasting, however, has only been possible since the advent of the computer in the 1950s. Chaos theory (with its infamous ‘butterfly effect’) puts limits on how far in advance the weather can be predicted. However, both the accuracy of prediction, and the duration over which forecasts are accurate, have increased over the last 50 years, with three-day forecasts today as accurate as one-day forecasts in the 1970s. In collaboration with the Met Office, our researchers help improve the weather forecast by finding better and faster techniques to solve the mathematical equations that describe the dynamics of the atmosphere.
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Collapse of a dry-stone retaining wall Researcher: Chris Mundell There are over 10,000km of historic dry-stone retaining walls supporting the roads and highways around the UK. Most were built during the industrial revolution and although some continue to provide excellent service, many cause maintenance problems for local authorities. Since 2006 the University’s BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials has been engaged in a research project to develop better assessment methods to assist maintenance engineers. This work has included building and testing, under simulated vehicle loads and ground movements, five full scale dry stone retaining walls. The photo captures the collapse of one wall following these tests.
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Kia Ora frog Researcher: Dr Alan Reid Through this project, researchers are investigating what school children come to understand and treasure about the world and themselves during experiential and environmental learning. Residential trips have given insight to what children regard as discoveries in the incidental learning that happens, and how these – usually in comparison with their school work – might then be regarded as some of their ‘significant life experiences’ that shape their environmental awareness, priorities and practices in later years. This frog was found by a 9-year-old suburban boy ‘bursting for the loo’ after ‘lights out’. He was staying at an isolated residential camp in the pristine native forest of Te Urewera National Park, in New Zealand. The frog is little more than the size of a £2 coin, and would have gone unnoticed if it hadn’t been greeted with wonder, curiosity, and shrieks of delight that woke the slumbering dorm.
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All SET before BANG Researcher: Dr Aki Salo Sport plays a large part in society and athletes’ success can provide a real ‘feel good’ factor for the nation, as TeamGB’s success during London 2012 showed. Researchers at Bath are looking at sprint start techniques to help athletes achieve better success. The small black and yellow sensors on the athlete’s legs and arms send light signals to cameras which automatically detect how the athlete moves out of the starting blocks. Under the blocks, there is a force platform which measures how much force the athlete is able to produce. Finally, an ultrasound scanner strapped on the athlete’s left leg measures how much strain the muscles cause on the Achilles tendon. The athlete has been given the SET command and he is ready to blast out of the blocks when the starting signal is given.
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Ibuprofen crystallisation on skin Researcher: Dr Natalie Belsey The skin is an excellent barrier and one important role is to prevent the entry of substances from the environment into the body. It is therefore challenging to develop pharmaceutical products like Ibuprofen gel, which need to pass through the skin and reach deeper tissue where it is required. Using a specialised microscope, our researchers have recorded this image of Ibuprofen passing through the skin. Because it permeated more slowly than the other ingredient in which it was dissolved, the drug formed crystals on the surface of the skin, hampering its journey. Understanding this process enables improvements in drug formulation, so less medicine is required and it reaches its site of action more quickly.
Š Mr Adam Pickup-Gerlaugh and Dr Julian Moger, University of Exeter and Dr Natalie Belsey, University of Bath Images of Research 7
Building bridges between divided communities Researcher: Dr Mary Hayden Mostar bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina was destroyed in 1993 as the city was ravaged by fighting between Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs. The 2004 reopening of the bridge was deeply symbolic of the peace brought by the 1995 Dayton agreement, though to a city now divided. This photograph arises from Bath’s involvement in a project based in the United World College in Mostar, established to bring together 16-18 year olds from the three communities to live and learn in integrated classrooms and shared residential accommodation. The project has informed policy-makers and others about the benefits and challenges of integrated education in building links between divided societies.
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Catalyst Researcher: Dr Chris Brace This image shows light from an off-camera flash shining through a diesel exhaust catalyst. These devices significantly reduce the pollution emitted by cars, with most pollutants having been reduced by a factor of about 100 since the early 1990s. While this is a huge success story for the automotive industry, there are still great challenges ahead. The central problem today for manufacturers is the requirement for continual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. The catalyst is vital in achieving this, and our researchers, along with Ford Motor Company, are studying the effects of biodiesel on catalyst performance, ensuring diesel cars can keep up with rapidly changing requirements.
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Postcards connecting the world Researchers: Ryan Kelly and Daniel Gooch The rise of social media is often associated with a decline in the use of traditional forms of paper-based correspondence. Yet the power of technology also means that there are opportunities to facilitate the exchange of paper-based media in new and exciting ways. Our researchers are looking at the ‘Postcrossing’ online community’ where members send paper-based postcards to other members around the world. The research seeks to understand what it is about sending a postcard that motivates participation in this community, and it is hoped that by understanding this, new communication tools that incorporate the most treasured elements of digital and traditional correspondence can be designed.
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© Caitlin Woods, University of Durham
Regenerative medicine: from stem cells to human tissue Researchers: Prof Julian Chaudhuri and Dr Richard Forsey Harnessing the power of human stem cells is potentially the most exciting step forward in human medicine. These non-specialist cells can be encouraged to grow into any cell-type in our body, and our researchers are addressing how to turn stem cells into pieces of specialised human tissue. This tissue could be used to repair or replace diseased organs. The image shows four tissue “bioreactors” that enable our researchers to culture human cells © Dr Richard Forsey
in a liquid nutrient stream that flows upwards. Once they have grown enough cells, they can reverse the nutrient flow from top to bottom, compressing the cells and allowing them to form into ‘tissue’. This bioengineering research is one piece in the jigsaw of regenerative medicine that will start to positively improve the lives of patients during the 21st century. Images of Research 11
Male Eurasian Penduline tit Researcher: Dr RenĂŠ van Dijk Penduline tits build elaborate, insulated nests, and here our researchers have captured a male bird in the process of creating its nest. Unlike most bird populations, just one Penduline tit parent is sufficient to care for the offspring and once egg laying has commenced each parent will try to abscond from the nest. As a result, always only one of the parents cares for the offspring and each parent may have up to six partners in a breeding season. Our researchers are investigating the technique used by the Penduline tit to decide on which parent will remain by investigating the behaviour of the birds.
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Slum children in Chennai Researcher: Afifa Raihana Through a series of case studies collected in Bangladesh, our researchers are studying the role of learning about sustainable development in the ready-made garments industry in South Asia. The photograph was taken by Afifa when she visited the University of Madras to give a presentation. During the conference a trip was arranged to an area of slum dwellings, where a local NGO is working with women to develop small business enterprises in embroidery. Afifa said that the contrast between the bright smiles of these young children and the difficulties of their surroundings was unforgettable.
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If only Researchers: Lisa Austin (lead) and Prof Christopher Eccleston (Principal Investigator) ‘If only I could open this thing!’. Researchers at Bath are combining smartphone mobile technology with expert knowledge of what people need when living independently with disability. They have launched a ‘crowdsourcing’’ community app called ‘If Only’ which encourages people with disabilities to share the everyday problems they encounter, with the aim of inspiring innovative design solutions. The goal is to bring together people with disabilities, behavioural scientists, and design innovators, and offer them a challenge to find ways to better design for disabilities.
Smart systems for Rehabilitation and Assisted Living, Professor Chris Eccleston (Centre for Pain Relief and BIME) 14 Images of Research
Great Bustard reintroduction Researcher: John Burnside The Great Bustard has declined throughout Europe and became extinct in the UK in the 1800s. In 2004 a project was started by The Great Bustard Group with the aim of reintroducing this magnificent bird back to the UK. The process of a reintroduction is long and challenging, however through the collaborative work, our researchers were able to provide insights into how to improve the outcomes of the reintroduction using GPS monitoring and speed up the process of establishing a founder population. There is now a small population of Great Bustards on Salisbury Plain and they can be seen flying in the UK skies once more.
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Hidden details Researcher: Dr Richard Burke Turbochargers in vehicle engines recycle exhaust energy, forcing higher air flow through an engine. More air flow means more fuel can be burnt and this makes the engine more powerful. However in a world driven to reduce fuel consumption, turbochargers are not just about increased engine power. Our researchers are exploring the use of this technology with the aim of creating smaller, more efficient engines which won’t reduce the power of the vehicles we rely on - vital in meeting the demands of a challenging economic and environmental climate.
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Fighting fatigue Researchers: Dr James Betts, Abdullah Alghannam and Mark Tweddle Fatigue is integral to our daily lives - we are constantly making decisions to optimally balance the time available to complete our daily tasks with our physical ability to sustain the necessary intensity and duration of activity. The fact that certain exercise intensities cannot be sustained indefinitely is, of course, something of which we are all acutely aware, yet what is remarkable is that this phenomenon remains so poorly understood from a basic science perspective. Our researchers are combining traditional measures of ‘peripheral’ fatigue mechanisms, such as fuel availability in human muscle and blood samples, with contemporary measures of ‘central’ fatigue including brain activity. This will allow researchers to understand fatigue as a complex behaviour as opposed to a simple physical limitation.
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Exploration Researcher: Sarah Sydney A tiny pore in a sample of acrylic bone cement has been stained with blue dye and captured using a microscope. The three different samples show the interior surface of the pore slowly being revealed as the microscope focus is adjusted. These images were created by researchers investigating the mixing characteristics and mechanical properties of bone cement - the grout used in total hip replacements to fix components into the body. Understanding the properties of bone cement will help to ensure components are adequately fixed, giving patients long-term relief from the debilitating effects of osteoarthritis.
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Can small loans make people happier? Researcher: Thanawit Bunsit The women in this image receive funds from a saving group in their village and use them to make fishery products such as dry fish, squid, and crabs. The research team have been studying the group to determine whether microfinance has a positive impact on poverty reduction in rural Thailand. The job allows these women to bring in extra income for their family, and is enough to send their children to school. The scheme also allows women to socialise, make friends and to be part of a community. The result of the study has proven that a small loan of just under ÂŁ400 can have a ripple effect within a community, leading to greater levels of happiness, increased education, and finally to harmony.
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Bio-diesel catalysts Researcher: Daniel Minett Creating environmentally friendly fuels from plant matter is an area of great interest in the global drive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Our researchers are developing catalysts to transform oils and fats, through a reaction with alcohols, into bio-diesel. This is a sustainable fuel that could potentially replace diesel and petrol. The catalyst developed at Bath has a resistance to both water and free fatty acids, potentially allowing it to be used with algal-based fuels which do not damage the rainforest or food sources. This Scanning Electron Microscope image allows researchers to see the catalyst on the surface of a monolith system, technology similar to that used in car exhausts.
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Ghosts Researcher: Dr Gareth Lamb The research team taking part in the flurry of activity pictured is aiming to develop an efficient, environmentally friendly approach to many demanding transformations required by the chemical industry. The group focuses largely on the development of continuous flow reactors, as opposed to traditional batch reactors that are often criticised for being inefficient and wasteful. Researchers within the group are constantly on the search for new materials and catalysts to be incorporated within reactors. Many projects last for several years and involve a high level of dedication and determination around the clock, all the time driven on by the desire to make a positive change to industrial practices that will benefit the economy and the environment.
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Loss of heritage: inevitable or preventable? Researcher: Glavije Amirjamshidi Earthquakes not only have a drastic effect on the lives of people, they also damage the historical buildings and heritage - irreplaceable legacies from past generations. Our researchers are studying methods for preventing such destruction in earthen architecture, focusing on Iran’s Bam Citadel. The oldest and the largest mud brick structure in the world, the Bam Citadel was mostly destroyed during the 2003 earthquake. Through analysing the approaches that were used to revitalise, maintain and conserve this monument, the team searches for possibilities and new techniques that can be used to protect similar structures against the devastating effects of earthquakes.
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Š Recovery Project of Barn’s Cultutal Heritage, Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicafts and Tourism Organisation
Home grown Douglas-fir Researcher: Jonathan Bawcombe Working in collaboration with The Silvanus Trust, a charity seeking to regenerate the woodlands of the South West, our researchers are developing a greater understanding of the properties of the Douglas-fir resource found in the region. Douglas-fir is the most abundant softwood species in the South West, and is valued internationally for use in structural engineering. However, a lack of knowledge regarding its properties has resulted in underutilisation. Through combining an in-depth understanding of the local forestry industry with the results from a comprehensive study of the material, it is hoped that this collaboration will allow the best end use to be made of this sustainable, locally grown resource.
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Bacteriophage: the forgotten cure Researcher: Jessica Bean Bacteriophage are the most abundant biological entities on earth. The natural predators of bacteria, bacteriophage are rapidly becoming the focus of increased worldwide research due to the prolific increase in bacterial resistance to current antibiotics. Bacteriophage are able to infect bacteria and replicate within them, simultaneously killing the bacterium. The bacteriophage pictured specifically infects Staphylococcus aureus, a common pathogenic bacterium found in burn wound infections which can cause serious systemic infections. Our researchers, in collaboration with AmpliPhi Bio Ltd, aim to use these organisms to tackle the antibiotic resistance problem head on, by incorporating bacteriophage into wound dressings.
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Cavitation bubbles: a new path to effective dental treatments Researcher: Timm-Joyce Tiong Most of us at some stage in our lives will experience toothache, and yet dread visiting the dentist. Current inefficiencies in root canal cleaning result in long appointments with the patient feeling uncomfortable. Pictured are cavitation bubble clouds along a dental file, giving out a short burst of light upon collapsing in a liquid medium. Cavitation is crucial in dental cleaning processes as it aids in removing insoluble debris at unreachable areas in the root canal. An in-depth study of the mechanisms of cavitation during the cleaning of dental instruments has provided our researchers with information to create more efficient dental treatments, reducing discomfort in patients suffering from toothache and bringing new hope to dental patients in the near future.
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Ghostly clouds Photographer: Dr Kerry Day Noctilucent clouds such as these photographed over Bath, are only seen at sunset or sunrise when the sun is below the horizon, causing the clouds to be lit from below. Also, they sit over four times higher in the atmosphere than normal clouds. Very little is known about noctilucent clouds, they were first recorded around 100 years ago, a year after the eruption of Krakatoa. Our researchers are observing these clouds with satellite data. It is hoped that observations will aid the understanding of these clouds and whether they can be used as an indicator for climate change.
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Hope and the utopian imagination amongst marginalised young people Researcher: Dr Patrick O’Leary Working with young people (13-18 years) in South Australia’s alternative education schools, our researchers have established a picture of their idea of utopian society, with the aim of challenging common ideas of a sustainable society. The researchers interviewed students, talked with them in class, encouraged them to draw and gave them a camera to take photographs of places, people and things that they associate with hopefulness and the future. Utopias are absent from social sustainability debates and so too are the voices of those referred to as ‘young people on the margins’. Their views offer a different and generational challenge to the more conventional views of sustainable societies, and indicate that we may need to consider the centrality of marginal ideas about hope and the future. Images of Research 27
Enjoying village life Researcher: Dr Susan Upton The North East of Thailand is the poorest region in the country, famous for the mass exodus of youths from villages in order to migrate to Bangkok. Our researchers have followed 35 migrants from the village pictured, collecting their life histories in order to investigate how households increase their wellbeing. They discovered that there is a high level of resource transfer that takes place between generations, as well as there being a complex web of bargains between siblings. The population spends its childhood and retirement in the village, but relies on the migrants for its wellbeing through their use of remittances and investments. This research has an impact on the development of social policy and the creation of a welfare state, demonstrating that policies must respect the importance of the family as a welfare institution.
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Entering the nano world: titanium dioxide nanotubes Researcher: Dr Domenico Regonini An electron microscopy image of the beautiful structure of titanium dioxide nanotubes. These very versatile materials are not only used as a white pigment in paints and food, but also in orthopaedic and dental implants, solar cells and fuel cells. Our researchers are looking to extend the positive impact of titanium dioxide on our economy, environment and society, through focusing on the development of tailored nanostructures and developing a clearer understanding of their properties. Bearing in mind that a nanometre is only one-billionth of a meter, this tiny material packs a big punch!
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Impact Researcher: Karin Mora The simple bouncing of a ball can help give insight into more complicated systems. The ball is released at a certain height, approaches the floor and hits it, at which point the velocity, direction and magnitude change, causing it to fly upwards with less speed. The impact time is so small compared to the whole process that we consider it to be zero. This is called a Piecewise-smooth Dynamical System as the change in velocity is sudden and not continuous. Other examples of this include thermostat heating systems, gear assemblies, car suspensions, pinball machines and models for irregular heartbeats. By studying these mathematical equations our researchers can visualise parts of a whole system, and can understand the limitations of that system and try to improve it.
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It’s more than black and white in design Researcher: Philip Cash Free thinking and adaptability are essential in design. While researchers were discussing a particularly difficult experiment, the light wall behind them gave this intriguing image. The outcome of this discussion was the development of new techniques for improving the uptake and understanding of research in industry. Not only does design research develop new and innovative ways to improve design, creativity and communication - it also draws on many different fields of knowledge, and develops them practically for industrial application.
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Sledge Lima refuel on the sea ice Researcher: Joe Kinrade In the extreme environment of the Antarctic, teamwork is vital. Our researchers spent six weeks with ‘Sledge Lima’ - a British Antarctic Survey expedition party sent out to service remote GPS atmospheric monitoring arrays. The atmosphere above the Antarctic is a vast window from which to view space weather, a spectacular indicator of our planet’s relationship with the Sun. Understanding the impact of space weather on GPS is essential in improving the system’s positioning accuracy, and in predicting and accounting for signal disturbances caused by solar storms.
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Intelligent nanotechnology enabled dressings for burnt children Researcher: Dr Toby Jenkins All the children shown in this image have been burnt by simple hot water scalds - often just from a cup of tea. In such young children, scald burns can require lengthy hospital stays, great distress and the often life-long scarring, psychological trauma and in some cases death. Collaboration between our researchers and the South West Paediatric Burns Centre at Frenchay Hospital is seeking to develop new dressings which detect and respond to infection by pathogenic bacteria. The dressing will treat the infection without the necessity of removing it from the wound and will change colour if the primary action of the dressing fails to arrest infection. Š Dr Amber Young, South West Childrens’ Burns Centre, Frenchay Hospital, North Bristol Images of Research 33
The happy side of placenta Researcher: Dr Marta Madon Our researchers are studying the role of the placenta, pictured, in controlling the growth of the developing foetus. The placenta is the essential source of nutrient exchange from the mother to baby, and acts as a protective barrier keeping unwanted substances from entering the foetal bloodstream. Dysfunction of the placenta can greatly affect the growth of a foetus, with catastrophic consequences. To address the issues associated with growth defects, our researchers are using a range of techniques to recognise the correct patterns of cells within placental tissues and to identify incorrect patterns that might play a role in an abnormal foetal development. In this example, the placenta appears to be smiling back at us.
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Young Pakistani girls in their new school outside of Karachi Researcher: Dr Kelly Teamey Young Pakistani girls peek through the walls of a recently constructed school along the Arabian Sea coast. The Fisherfolk Forum, a local social movement concerned with the rights of fishermen, had recently partnered with international NGO ActionAid to build this primary school in the area to educate the children of fisherfolk families. The underlying aim was to provide further capacity and support for the livelihood of these families as unsustainable fishing practices have been hugely detrimental to their well-being. The work carried out by our researchers investigated the motivations and practices of NGOs providing education activities in Pakistan, specifically focusing on the quality of education provided and the strategic tactics of the NGOs to involve closer collaboration with local communities with the ultimate aim of lessening poverty and inequality. Images of Research 35
Affective commitment in Yeo Valley Researcher: Victoria Gallop The company Yeo Valley Organic is an idyll to work in, the very peak of practising Corporate Social Responsibility with ideal employment conditions. How this affects its employees and the rest of the world is an important example of why research is vital. Not only is it situated in a place as close to heaven as many of us can aspire to, it practises what it preaches with a simple philosophy of aiming to ‘just do the right thing’. The University is working with the company to run workshops aimed at promoting best practice in Corporate Social Responsibility, and to undertake various research programmes in this field.
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© Graham Keating, Yeo Valley Farms (Production) Ltd
Visually displayed feedback on domestic energy use Researcher: Teresa Chiang The UK government is set to install smart meters in all homes by 2019. The in-home displays (IHDs) that come with the meters have the potential to change the way energy use feedback is communicated to householders. This could induce behavioural change by providing real-time or near real-time information on energy consumption. A key requirement for IHDs is that the information they carry must be comprehensible since occupants are usually actively engaged in other domestic tasks. Based on a previous lab experiment which tested three pure display interface designs using numbers, analogue dials (pictured) and emotional faces to present energy consumption information, our researchers took the same design concept into a real-world setting and examined the effects of display design on making energy use visible to occupants by comparing the display designs. Images of Research 37
A small fish with huge roles for developmental biology Researcher: Sarah Colanesi Through examining the black pigment cells in the heads of zebrafish, our researchers are studying the developmental mechanisms that lead from an embryonic stem cell to specific cell types with characteristic structural and functional properties. These cells, so-called melanocytes, are common to all vertebrates and are responsible for the colour patterns of animals. As zebrafish are transparent during their development, the research team can observe cells and tissues directly in the living animal, simply by looking at them through a microscope. By recording 24 hour time-lapses of the migration of embryonic stem cells, the team will be able to correlate the process with key steps in melanocyte development.
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Academy to academie Researchers: Adrian Adams, Ben Rockett and Sean Longhurst It was once said that ‘we are what we repeatedly do’, and to that end the way we see ourselves is shaped largely by the things we do. We are known to others as ‘the musician’, ‘the sports person’ or ‘the artistic one’. Trying to fulfil these expectations can be a consuming experience. So what happens when we see ourselves differently, or as something other than that which we once were? The way we see ourselves is known as our identity and shapes our thoughts and actions. What happens when there © Sean Longhurst
are split thoughts about who we are? Can an identity formed over many years be ‘reworked’ to exist with a new identity? Our researchers are investigating the dynamic nature of identity; exploring the potential for reconciling new and old identities to make who we are today ‘fit’ with who we were before.
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Observation platform at the Victoria Square Development, Belfast Researcher: Dr Steve Lo Victoria Square in Belfast is the biggest and one of the most expensive property developments ever undertaken in Northern Ireland. A key element of the development is a central 35 metre diameter glass dome, however the developers became concerned about the comfort of environmental conditions in the centre. Anecdotal reports noted that the glazed streets leading up to the dome were cold, suffering from higher than expected wind speeds, and that the high-level viewing platform in the central glazed dome became excessively hot during the summer months. Our researchers undertook a full monitoring programme, establishing wind speeds and temperatures at pedestrian height throughout the complex. This information was used to rectify the situation and maintain pedestrian comfort throughout the development. 40 Images of Research
Roadside pollution monitor, Bath Researcher: Dr Ruth Salway Pollution monitors located around the UK record the levels of harmful pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and small particles, in our atmosphere. There is great concern, both at EU policy level and among the general population, over what effect pollution is having on people’s health. However, studying the data is complex for many reasons. How do we estimate pollution in areas where there is no monitor? Pollution monitors are fixed, but people move around - how do the results relate to the experiences of real people? How do we account for the many differences between people? Our researchers are developing statistical models to help overcome these problems and get the best use from the available data, with the aim of reliably answering these important questions.
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Photonic microcell: several lasers in one Researcher: Dr Fetah Benabid A photonic microcell is a photonic device invented by a team at the University of Bath. It consists of a special fibre that contains a few nano-litres of an optically-active gas. When it is powered by a small laser shining a single green colour, the fibre converts the laser into several discrete colours. The device therefore turns one laser into several different ones, including those at wavelengths (colours) that existing lasers fail to address. This opens opportunities for making compact lasers tailored for biomedical applications where there is a strong need for both special wavelengths and for user-friendly lasers.
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The lights are on, but no one’s home Researcher: Dr Katharine Wall Our researchers have constructed BaleHaus@Bath on campus, an innovative building made from straw bales. The project aims to investigate the suitability of prefabricated straw bale panels as a sustainable construction material. The researchers have carried out extensive monitoring and testing, and occupants are simulated within the house using light bulbs. Building with straw bales has the potential to lower carbon emissions from new housing, reduce the energy used for construction, and the impact of occupation as straw is thermally efficient. The research will help enable straw to be used more widely by raising the profile and credibility of straw bale construction.
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The performance of masculinity in capoeira Researcher: Craig Owen Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form and is often referred to as the ‘dance-fight-game’. Capoeira has a male-dominated history that began during the colonial slavery period. Capoeira has now spread from Brazil and is being embraced by increasing numbers of men and women in England. This photograph shows two men playing capoeira in Bath city centre. Our researcher is exploring how discourses of masculinity impact on men’s experiences of dance. Often associated as a woman’s activity, dance is problematic for many English men. How has playing capoeira enabled these men to perform their masculinity?
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Window shutter by day Researcher: Francis Moran A traditional internal window shutter on a historic building in Bath viewed from the inside. Historic buildings in Bath make up 30 per cent of the domestic buildings and account for 40 per cent of CO2 emissions from the city’s homes. The light in this image shows the path for heat loss and air infiltration. Before improvements are made to our built heritage it is vital to understand how these buildings use energy and research is required to identify actions that are likely to achieve the greatest reduction in CO2 emissions. Our researchers are looking at the energy efficiency of historic buildings in Bath with the aim of providing a database of energy use and to develop a model to assess the effect of intervention measures.
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Researcher: Charlie Ranscombe It is essential that in addressing the environmental impact of the motoring industry, manufacturers understand what it is about a car’s aesthetic form that most appeals to consumers. Only by doing this can they address environmental issues without compromising on aesthetics. The size of the automotive industry and the mass-appeal of cars impacts on just about everything we know. From greener propulsion methods to car scrappage schemes, manufacturers will have a better chance at addressing these impacts successfully if they can introduce measures that appeal to the consumer.
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Moving toward sustainable formulations Researcher: Duygu Celebi You met with this biopolymer from the moment you were born - it is the most abundant biopolymer in nature. These are air-dried oxidised cellulose nanofibrils, which do not dissolve in water, yet cannot be seen with the naked eye, leading to clear products. When combined in water with charged molecules such as salt and some surfactants (the cleaning and foaming agents in your shampoos), they form nice clear gels, which are non-toxic. Unlike many other thickening agents, oxidised cellulose is obtained from renewable resources and can be used to reduce the amount of other ingredients used. Researchers at Bath are working with industrial partners to understand the interactions between this material and others in formulated products, such as skin creams.
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Starch spheres Researcher: Emily Holt Nanomaterials are an exciting and useful area of science. They have a lot of potential for novel applications as well as being fundamental to sustainability. Nanotechnology allows a method where reactions can happen and products can be made using fewer resources - which is increasingly important in a world seeking sustainability. Many novel applications for nanotechnology are being investigated and discovered, with applications in catalysis, drug design and delivery, electronics and energy. Each of these will have a significant impact on the way our society functions.
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Reading the love in a face Researcher: Dr Chris Ashwin Humans typically look at the faces of other people every day to work out their mental and emotional states from their facial expressions, and to allow successful social interactions. Our researchers are looking at the mechanisms underlying how we perceive emotions to understand why people with autism have difficulty in doing so, with the aim of using this information to help improve the emotional awareness of autism sufferers.
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Rotting fish and our evolutionary origins
Š Dr Robert Sansom, University of Bath and Professor Mark Purnell, and Dr Sarah Gabbott, University of Leicester
Researcher: Dr Robert Sansom As this primitive fish (Amphioxus) rots away in a laboratory, it sheds important light on our own evolutionary origins. During decay, anatomical pieces of information are found to be lost in such a way as to cause the organism to appear more and more primitive. When the results of these experiments are applied to important fossils thought to represent our earliest ancestors, our understanding of vertebrate origins is transformed. Some fossils are found to represent the decayed remains of potentially more advanced organisms, whilst others are confirmed as links between us and the invertebrate animal kingdom. Only by conducting these rather smelly experiments can our researchers begin to reconstruct the timing and sequence of this fundamental evolutionary event and, by extension, our distant origins as human beings.
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This research was carried out in collaboration with the University of Leicester.
Multiscale folding in nature and manufacturing Researcher: Tim Dodwell Tectonic compression creates many striking patterns in our geological strata, some of which can be reproduced by small scale experiments. This image shows the edge of A5 paper, put into a test machine and squashed. The experiment was conducted by Bath’s composite research unit, which is working with GKN Aerospace to explore the connection between the modelling of geological folds and the formation Š Tim Dodwell and Dr Andrew Rhead
of wrinkles during the manufacture of laminated aerospace composites. During the manufacturing of carbon fibre composites, compressive forces can arise causing the layers to buckle, similar to geological folding. Experiments like those seen here are helping bridge the gap between the two fields.
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The overloaded brain of a community pharmacist? Researcher: Hannah Family The workload of community pharmacists has greatly increased in recent years, leading to concerns that pharmacists may be under detrimental pressure at work. Our researchers are measuring one aspect of work pressure, called mental workload, which relates to how much information the brain processes in each moment. Research in other industries has shown that when mental workload is high, people are more likely to make errors. By identifying whether a high mental workload is related to errors made by pharmacists when preparing medicines, this research will allow changes to be made in working practices, reducing pharmacist errors in the future.
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