NSG is a joint subject group of Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry and represent the interests of Neutron Scattering community.

Newsletter

August2016

INTHISISSUE:

NEWS

Dr Kathi Edkins wins BTM Willis prize

SPOTLIGHT

ILL perspective on Brexit and neutron scattering

CONFERENCE REPORTS

Theoretical and Experimental Magnetism / Future Applications of SAS in Soft Matter / Advanced School in Soft Matter

EVENTS

Conference dates for your diary

CONTACT / COMMITTEE

NEWS BTMWILLISPRIZE

Congratulations to Dr Kathi Edkins (DurhamUniversity), winner of the 2016 BTM Willisprize.Theprizeisawardedtoanindividualinrecognition of a single outstanding piece ofwork,oralongertermcoherentbodyofwork,in the application of neutron scattering to asignificant problem in physics, chemistry,materials science, earth science, the lifesciences, or engineering, or alternatively inrecognition of a major development inneutron scattering instrumentation ortechniques

DrKathiEdkinsreceivesBTMWillisprizefromDrIanTucker,chairoftheNeutronScatteringGroup

NSG is a joint subject group of Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry and represent the interests of Neutron Scattering

community.

DrKathiEdkins:Biography

After undergraduate studies inFrankfurt/Main and registration as apharmacist,ImovedtoInnsbruckandintothefieldofpharmaceuticalsolid-stateformyPhD.Following post-doctoral workwith Profs J.W.Steed and J.A.K. Howard CBE FRS in Durhamand T.B. Marder in Würzburg, I joined theDurham University School of Medicine,Pharmacy and Health as a Lecturer inPharmaceuticsin2014.

My research interests lie withinpharmaceutical material science, morespecifically supramolecular pharmaceutics. Iam interested in molecular recognition insolution and the solid state andusing this totailor pharmaceuticalmaterials, aswell as tounderstand the formationof different crystalforms to reveal how these influence thecharacteristicsofdeliveryforms.Iuseneutronand X-ray scattering in combination withspectroscopy to elucidate interactions at themolecular level and combine this knowledgewith an in-depth understanding of themacroscopic behaviour of the material byapplyingsolid-stateanalyticaltechniques.

One dominant strand of my research is theinvestigation of the question ‘is waterstructure important’ exploring the role ofwater in hydrated crystal structures ofpharmaceuticals. Hydrates are a specificallychallenging class of pharmaceuticalmaterialsto deliver to the pharmacological target dueto their low water solubility and, thus, lowbioavailability.Hydratesarethereforeavoidedduringformulationwhereverpossible.Weuseneutron single crystal diffraction, allowing usto get accurate atom positions for all atomsincluding hydrogen, in combination withlattice energy calculations to understand theinteractions of water with the organicmolecules and furthermore explainmacroscopicbehaviourofthepharmaceuticalmaterial.

A second strand of my research deals withsupramolecular gels for drug delivery. Thesegels are based on small organic moleculeswhich undergo an arrested crystallisation togive fibres that subsequently entangle andimmobilise solvent. We are currentlyinvestigating solvent diffusion within thesegels by quasi-elastic neutron scattering(QENS) and 2D NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) inorder toprobe twodifferentdiffusion lengthscales. Understanding the solvent behaviourwithin the novel gels will allow us to tailor-makethegelatortotheapplication.

Bothof these strandswill havean impactonpharmaceuticalindustry,eitherimprovingtheefficiency of new drug compounds reachingthe market or by providing a novel drugdeliveryvehicleinthecaseofthegels.

NSG is a joint subject group of Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry and represent the interests of Neutron Scattering community.

Spotlight:

WhatdoesBrexitmeanforneutronscatteringinUKandEurope?

ThefollowingstatementwaspreparedonbehalfoftheILLfortheHouseofCommonsselectinquiry:"TheInstitutLaue-Langevin(ILL)isaninternationalresearchcentrebasedinGrenoble,France.Attheleadingedgeofneutron science and technology, it operates one of the most intense neutron sources in the world, supportingscienceinareassuchasfundamentalphysics,energystorage,healthandbio-sciences,andtheenvironment.TheILLproducesmorerefereedscientificpublicationsthananyotherneutronresearchcentreintheworld.Itisabout25%fundedbytheUK(throughtheSTFC)andemploysscientificandadministrativestafffromtheUK.Theorganisationisfundedbyanintergovernmentalagreementwhichwassetupin1967;theUKjoinedFranceandGermanyin1973andthecurrentconventionrunsuntil2023.TheimmediatedirectconsequencesofBrexitare,forthemoment,limited;it'sbusinessasusual.However,therearelikelytobeindirectconsequencesfortheorganisationanditsemployeesfromtheUK.Forexample,theimpactofanpotentialeconomicdecline in theUKandconsequentcuts in thebudget forscienceprovidesignificantunknownsabout thesuccessfulnegotiationof futurecontributions fromtheUK, suchas toupgradeprogrammesand to theextensionofthelifetimeoftheinstitute.Also,issuessuchasworkandresidencepermits,visasandthetransferofpensionsareofgreatconcernformanymembersofstafffromtheUK.Suchissuescanpotentiallyhaveanimportantimpactonongoingandfuturescientificcollaborations.”R.A.CampbellinconsultationwithW.G.StirlingandM.Walter

NSG is a joint subject group of Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry and represent the interests of Neutron Scattering community.

Conference Reports

Theoretical and Experimental Magnetism Meeting, 16 – 17 June 2016 Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK Report by F Kruger STFC ISIS / University College London

The14thTheoreticalandExperimentalMagnetismMeeting(TEMM)washeldattheRutherfordAppletonLaboratory,UK from 16-17 June 2016. As in the past this year’s meeting was extremely successful. TEMM has become animportantpartof theUKand internationalscientificcalendars forthose interested inthefieldofmagnetism.Thisyear’stwo-daymeetingwasorganisedbytheISISfacility,theIoPMagnetismandNeutronScatteringgroups,SEPnet,CCPonComputationalMagnetism,PSI,ILL,andtheHubbardTheoryConsortium.The meeting attracted 88 registered participants from nine different countries. The participants includedacademics, senior researchers, post-doctoral fellows and PhD students. There were 24 oral and 6 posterpresentations. Themeeting concludedwith software and instrument updates from the ISIS excitation group andtoursoftheISISfacility.Themeetingpresentedanexcellentopportunitytohearanddiscusswithleadingexpertsfromallovertheworldontopicsofcurrentresearchinmagnetism.Thetopicsincludedlowdimensionalandfrustratedmagnetism,effectsofstrongspin-orbitcoupling,quantumspinliquids,computationalmagnetism,stronglycorrelatedelectronsystems,multiferroics,andskyrmions.

NSG is a joint subject group of Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry and represent the interests of Neutron Scattering community.

14th Oxford School of Neutron Scattering St. Anne's College, University of Oxford 6-18 September 2015 Report by V. García Sakai, STFC ISIS Facility The14thOxfordSchoolofNeutronScatteringwasheldlastSeptember2015welcoming59studentsfromasfarasAustralia.TheyspenttwointensiveweeksattheUniversityofOxfordlearningabouttheneutron,scatteringtheoryandexperiments, aswell aswhereandhow toobtainbeamtime. Students initially attendedgeneral lecturesandtutorials, followedby specialisedonesbasedon their choiceof either softorhard condensedmatter. The schoolorganisers thank the IoP for their sponsorship which helps guarantee educating a new generation of neutronscatterers.

Studentsofthe14thOSNSattendingatouroftheISISNeutronandMuonFacility,UK(September2015)

NSG is a joint subject group of Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry and represent the interests of Neutron Scattering community.

Advanced School in Soft Condensed Matter Homerton College, Cambridge on 3rd – 6th April 2016

Report by Paul Clegg, University of Edinburgh

Studentslearntaboutarangeofspecialisttopicsandpresentedpostersontheirownwork.TheattendeesarePhDstudentsatvariouspointsintheirthesisandaboutonethirdofthemarebasedoutsidetheUK.TheeventbeganontheSundayafternoonwitha coupleof lecturesearlyon, followedbyanetworkingeventand theneveryonehaddinnerandsocialized.WehadfulldaysontheMondayandTuesdaywithahalfdayonWednesdayleadinguptotheconference,SoftandBiologicalPhysics,atthesamevenue.

The lecturers were Karen Edler (Bath, Self assembly), Andrew Parry (Imperial, Confined Fluids), Tom Waigh(Manchester,Micro-rheology)andSimonTitmuss(Edinburgh,Neutronreflectivity).Eachgavethree lecturesandaworkshop on their topic; additionally they were available at other times to answer questions. The studentsappreciatedthevarietyoftopicsandstyles.Outoftheworkshops:TomWaigh’sapproachofaskingthestudentstoeachdreamuptheirownmicro-rheologyexperimentwasespeciallypopular.

Each student presented a poster on their thesis work during a poster session on the Monday afternoon. Thelecturers joined indiscussionsover the student’sworkand,with somedifficulty,decidedon thebestposter.ThisawardwenttoDianaCholakovwhohadpresentedherworkon“Self-shapingdrops”carriedoutatSofiaUniversity,Bulgaria.OntheTuesdayafternoontherewasanopportunityforeveryonetowanderroundCambridge,followedbyapuntingtripanddinnerout.

Throughout theeventHoe-YinKimandDawnStewart from the IoPprovidedagreatdealof support to students,lecturersandorganizers.TheeventcouldnothaverunwithouttheextremelygeneroussupportoftheScienceandTechnology Funding Council (STFC), augmented by contributions from the Liquids and Complex Fluids group, theNeutronScatteringgroupandthePolymerPhysicsgroupoftheIoP.

AndrewParryinactionatHomertonCollege,April2016.

NSG is a joint subject group of Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry and represent the interests of Neutron Scattering community.

Events TheeventslistedmaybeofinteresttoNSGmembers.Pleasecontactthisgroupifyouwouldlikeyoureventtobepublicisedthroughthisnewsletter.

Title&Linkformoreinformation Date LocationNeutrons and Global Challenges I:-EnergyandEnvironmenthttp://www.iop.org/activity/groups/subject/ns/index.html

13Dec2016 IOPLondon

Faraday Joint InterestGroupConference2017-ShowcasingUKPhysicalChemistryhttp://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/chemistry/news/events/faraday2017/

11-13April2017 UniversityofWarwick,Conventry

4thInternationalSoftMatterConference(ISMC2016)http://www.ismc2016.org/

19-21 September2016

ILL,Grenoble

Contact / Committee ChairDrIanTuckerCPhysCSciMInstPUnileverResearchSecretaryDrKatherineThompsonBirkbeckUniversityofLondonTreasurerDrElisabettaCanettaMInstP

OrdinaryMember(s)Prof.DonPaulCPhysFInstPUniversityofWarwickProf.M.JayneLawrenceKing’sCollegeLondonDrEmmaBarneyMInstPUniversityofWarwickDrRichardCampbellInstituteLaueLangevin

Prof.FelixFernandez-Alonso,FRSCScienceandTechnologyFacilitiesCouncilDrRichardThompsonCPhysMInstPDurhamUniversityProf.AnthonyHorsewillCPhysFInstPUniversityofNottingham

IfyouwouldliketogetintouchwithamemberofthecommitteepleaseemailtheScienceSupportOfficeratgroups@iop.org

NewsletterEditor:DrRichardThompson,Pleasee-mailcontributionsforthenextissueto:r.l.thompson@durham.ac.ukTo join the Neutron Scattering Group, please visit either: InstituteofPhysicshttp://physics.iop.org/IOP/Member/RoyalSocietyofChemistryhttp://www.rsc.org/members/join.htmMembersofotherprofessionalbodiesshouldcontactian.tucker@unilever.com