THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD HOW SELF-REPAIRING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY BRISTOL CHEMISTS ... · · 2017-12-12HOW SELF-REPAIRING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY BRISTOL CHEMISTS COULD CHANGE THE

Issue 4 // Autumn 2015bristol.ac.uk/chemistry

THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD HOW SELF-REPAIRING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY BRISTOL CHEMISTS COULD CHANGE THE WORLD

DIAL A MOLECULE: HOW SYNTHESISING A MOLECULE JUST GOT EASIERLIFE IN CHEMISTRY: TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE SCHOOL

02 Chemistry Explored // Issue 4

WelcomeWelcome to the autumn issue of Chemistry Explored. This summer saw us say goodbye to students who graduated in July and headed off to

pursue their goals after completing their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees with us. You can read about some of the careers that chemistry leads to in this edition.

As well as celebrating academic success, we’ve attracted widespread media attention. Research carried out into advanced composite materials leading to the development of self-healing technology had a huge amount of press coverage, which you can read more about in this edition.

We’ve also welcomed Professor Jonathan Clayden who has recently joined us from Manchester. We’re delighted that Jonathan has chosen to move to Bristol and there will be a feature about him and his research group in the next edition.

As ever, we hope the magazine gives you a taste of life here at Bristol.

Professor Nick NormanHead of the School of Chemistry

News2015 Science Alive 03Thornbury Festival, latest from Tyntesfield 04I’m a scientist, get me out of here! 05Summer in the labs, Fresh ideas for first years 06

FeaturesMolecules made easy 07Generation next 08Technology, heal thyself 10 Life in Chemistry 12 Climbing for charity 14 Infographic 15Life through a lens 16

University of Bristol School of ChemistryCantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK Tel +44 (0)117 928 8201 Web bris.ac.uk/chemistry

Email [email protected]

To find out more about our courses and programmes, visit: bris.ac.uk/study

Chemistry Explored is produced in association with Immediate Media Branded Content, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN Tel +44 (0)117 927 9009 Web immediatecontent.co.uk

Production Editor Steve O’Brien Art Editor Elaine Knight-Roberts Editorial Director Dan Linstead Group Art Editor Will Slater Account Manager Clair Atkins With thanks to Varinder Aggarwal, Thomas Farrugia, Adele Faulkner, Tim Harrison, Dominic Palubiski, Selena Power, Jenny Slaughter, David Smith, Duncan Wass, Colin Western, Clare Westlake, George Whitcombe, Isabel WiltshireFreelance Writer & Communications Consultant Aliya Mughal Photography Bhagesh Sachania Cover Getty Images

Unless otherwise indicated, copyright in this publication belongs to the University of Bristol. Views expressed in Chemistry Explored do not necessarily reflect those of the University. The Editor reserves the right to edit contributions received. While care is taken to ensure accuracy of information, this cannot be guaranteed. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons.

Also in this issue…

We want to hear from you! If you’ve anything you want to tell us about your experiences at Bristol University, or if you have any thoughts about Chemistry Explored, then please email us at [email protected].

YOUR SAY

UPDATE

Chemistry Explored // Issue 4 03

updateThe latest news from the School of Chemistry

Bringing science to life

Bristol’s outreach team delivered 26 20-minute lectures as part of the 2015 Science Alive series

Experimentation and an enthusiasm for discovery are some of the hallmarks of good science. The School of Chemistry managed to harness both on a record-breaking scale when it involved over 4,000 people in a public demonstration in Hong Kong.

The event, which took place under a giant pink inflatable canopy in Hong Kong Museum, was led by Tim Harrison, Chemistry’s globe-trotting Director of Outreach and Science Communicator in Residence. It was part of the 2015 Science Alive series of events, hosted during March as part of Hong Kong’s SciFest, which aims to elevate public interest in the relevance of science and technology to everyday life.

Over the course of just two days, Bristol’s outreach team delivered 26 20-minute lectures, featuring demonstrations on atmospheric chemistry. The lectures were attended by over 3,500 members of the public. On top of that, 900 young students were given the chance to take part in a series of practical chemistry sessions.

Assisting Tim were an able team of Chemistry’s finest, including PhD student James Fothergill and Outreach Teaching Assistant Dr Alison Rivett, as well as eight first-year undergraduate scientists from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Professor Nick Norman, Head of the School of Chemistry, said: “This is yet another example of the outstanding work of the award-winning outreach team at Bristol. They can be rightly proud of their achievements and I am certain that all the students who attended will have been delighted with their experience.”

Science Alive 2015 was sponsored by the British Council, the Hong Kong Leisure and Services Department, Hong Kong Science Museum, the HKSAR Education Bureau, HKedCity and the Croucher Foundation.

The Bristol team was supported by a portfolio of Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) grants held by the School of Chemistry’s Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group.

The School of Chemistry’s Bristol ChemLabS is a UK Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Since 2005, it has seen a large-scale refurbishment of Chemistry’s teaching laboratories and the development of the Dynamic Laboratory Manual (DLM) – a fully interactive online learning resource which has transformed students’ experience of chemistry as a practical science.

Bristol ChemLabS

“THIS IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF THE AWARD-WINNING OUTREACH TEAM AT BRISTOL”

Left: Chemistry’s Director of Outreach and Science Communicator in Residence, Tim Harrison, brings science to China; Above: Some local girls get stuck in at Hong Kong’s SciFest


UPDATE

Dinosaurs, drugs and essential oilsJuly’s Thornbury Science Festival was a big success for Bristol

Science on tour

Visitors at this year’s Thornbury Science Festival got a taste of the eclectic scope of science at Bristol, thanks to talks hosted by our staff and students.

The festival, which took place in July, featured a tour of chemistry through the ages, as delivered by Chemistry’s Director of Outreach, Tim Harrison, and ChemLabS Teacher Chris Holland.

Also providing a window into the history of science were Dr Jenny

Slaughter and Isabel Wiltshire, who talked about their work with the National Trust, analysing Victorian medicines discovered at the local Tyntesfield House.

Chemistry’s Dr Natalie Fey gave a practical demonstration for visitors eager to try their hands at creating perfume using plant extracts and essential oils, while Earth Science’s researcher Ryan Marek gave a presentation on Bristol’s famous Dinosaur Project.

There was also a talk on the scientific fight against cancer courtesy of Chris Paraskeva, Professor of Experimental Oncology, as well as Science Question Time, a Q&A with Bristol’s Emeritus Professor Gareth Williams (Medicine and Dentistry), Professor Dudley Shallcross (Chemistry), Dr Annela Seddon (Physics) and the University of Bath’s Emeritus Professor Jonathan Slack (Developmental Biology).

WHEN HISTORY AND CHEMISTRY COLLIDE

I am now a little over halfway through a summer vacation project to analyse the contents of a medicine cabinet that was discovered five years ago by the National Trust at Tyntesfield House.

I spent the first couple of weeks focused on the historical research, whilst trying to get to grips with

how historical research is done. The research took me into the workings of Victorian pharmacies, quack medicine and the many varied ways people used to cure themselves.

It’s been interesting to learn about the different kinds of treatment that used to be used – homemade herbal

concoctions, pharmaceutical cures and proprietary medicine, also known as secret remedies or nostrums.

I’ve been working with my supervisor, Dr Jenny Slaughter, and Chemistry’s Safety Officer, Tony Rodgers, to sample some of the 100 bottles that were found. We visited Tyntesfield when

the cabinet was opened to the public, which meant that we got to share our findings with visitors.

The next stage, currently underway with the help of a fellow student Dominic Palubiski, involves analysing the contents and comparing them with modern samples.

Chemistry student Isabel Wiltshire rounds up the latest discoveries from Tyntesfield House, where she and colleagues from the School of Chemistry have been helping to unlock the medicinal mysteries of the Victorian era

UPDATE

Chemistry Explored // Issue1 05Chemistry Explored // Issue 4 05

PhD student Adele Faulkner has been awarded a postdoctoral research fellowship by the Leverhulme Trust to spend a year at the University of Groningen

in the Netherlands.Adele started off in John Bower’s

research group, developing catalytic methods for the construction of novel and complex molecules. These processes are of particular interest to many chemical industries, which earned her research sponsorship from the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

Adele’s new fellowship will see her developing her research to focus on developing light driven catalysts to facilitate complex chemical transformations.

FROM BRISTOL TO THE NETHERLANDS

Dr Colin Western’s work in developing a system to track undergraduate student progress has earned him a University Teaching Award for Education.

The Marks, Absences and Feedback system (MAF) allows students to take online tests before entering the laboratory, helping them to understand the material and perform experiments safely. It is also used to collect marks during practical sessions, assists students with write-ups, and ensures that everyone involved in lab work – from staff to tutors to students themselves – can efficiently monitor progress.

MAF has proved so effective that it is now used widely across the Science and Medical Faculties.

Test success

I enjoy telling people about what I do. There’s something very satisfying about connecting with an audience of non-scientists. It’s also a great way of condensing key concepts and eliminating the jargon.

My research involves fabricating and testing thin, enzymatically active films that are composed of proteins that have had polymers electrostatically grafted onto them.

Over the past year I’ve participated in Research Tapas (as part of Bristol Bright Night), the FameLabs Bristol Heat, and 3MT. In each case, the challenge is to explain my thesis in under five minutes. In June I also took part in ‘I’m a scientist, get me out of here!’, an online programme where scientists chat with

school pupils about their research and the experience of doing science.

The students vote for their favourite speaker until only one scientist is left standing – who then wins £500 to develop an outreach project. But it’s more about the actual activity, and the students’ questions definitely had me thinking about why I do my research, which is always a good thing.

Watch Thomas’s talk on Protein Power – Using Nature’s Nanoscale Assembly Lines at tinyurl.com/nm4eplk

Would you like to take part in an outreach activity? Visit Bristol’s Centre for Public Engagement for details: bristol.ac.uk/public-engagement

I’M A SCIENTIST, GET ME OUT OF HERE!Thomas Farrugia is a PhD student in the School of Chemistry and a recent finalist in the University of Bristol’s Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT). Here he explains what it takes to be a science communicator

UPDATE


SUMMER IN THE LABSThe summer wasn’t just about the sun for two Chemistry students…

Dominic Palubiski, MSci, third year “I’m responsible for collating the results used in the teaching labs. With my Masters project looming closer, I relish this opportunity to learn about different analytical tools and conduct experiments in a quiet lab.

“This summer I helped a friend out with her summer project which involved testing samples of Victorian medicines [you can read more about the work at Tyntesfield on page 04]. Preliminary research tells me one of the mixtures has over 50 compounds, so it’s too early to report any results. However I can say it’s been a very interesting summer.”

George Whitcombe, MSci, third year“The summer presents a recurring challenge of finding something constructive to do. This often means internships, café work or research placements. This year I was employed in the teaching labs to run a series of multicomponent reactions to help find the best operating conditions for a new experiment.

“My job was to help synthesise the chemical tert-butyl isocyanide, which meant reading the literature followed by trial and error. The next step will involve testing a large batch of the substance, my first ever large-scale reaction. Overall, an exciting opportunity.”

New starters in the School of Chemistry this year will be among the first to benefit from a course designed to equip them with the skills to succeed at university and beyond.

‘Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry’ is a new course that will be part of all first-year undergraduate degrees from autumn 2015. It will be taught in a series of weekly workshops, giving students hands-on practice in things like ChemDraw, processing NMR spectra, and database searching.

Writing techniques, skills records and CV preparation will also be taught by staff from other parts of the University, including the Centre for English Language and the Careers Service.

Students will also get an insight into some of the groundbreaking research underway in Chemistry, with a series of ‘showcase lectures’ on subjects such as geochemistry and self-healing composites.

Dr Chris Adams, director of the course, says: “We hope to inspire our

undergraduates at an early stage by exposing them to some of the exciting research that goes on here.”

Not only will first years learn from lecturers from multiple disciplines, they will gain the benefit of other students’ experiences via Peer Assisted Study Skills (PASS). This scheme has already proved successful in other parts of the University and sees second and third year students working with first years, guiding them through issues related to their studies and university life in general.

FRESH IDEAS FOR FIRST YEARSA series of weekly workshops aims to help new students


INNOVATION

For many synthetic chemists, the ultimate challenge is to develop a comprehensive library of transformational methods and techniques that would allow them to synthesise any molecule from commonly available starting materials with absolute efficiency.

This is what’s known as the ‘dial-a-molecule’ concept – where synthesising a molecule is as easy as dialling a telephone number.

Professor Varinder Aggarwal FRS and his research team have been making headway, producing chiral carbon chains using methods that resemble the modern automated assembly lines that have revolutionised manufacturing.

Nature already uses highly sophisticated methods to synthesise organic molecules. Chemists have applied these approaches to form C-N bonds to produce peptides and P-O bonds to form small pieces of DNA. However, it has not been possible to apply these methods to produce the C-C bonds that form the backbone of organic

molecules - until now.Varinder’s methods allow chains

to be built up with the right stereochemical relationships, as either linear or helical conformations.

In one synthesis, his group transformed a simple boronic ester into the long chain biologically active molecule, hydroxyphthioceranic acid, which is a key component in the cell wall of the bacterium which causes tuberculosis.

The efficiency of a traditional chemical synthesis drops with each step as product is lost with side reactions and in purification. Varinder’s synthesis involved a total

MOLECULES MADE EASYThink synthesising a molecule is difficult? Not any more, it seems…

Will synthesising a molecule one day be as easy as dialling a phone number?

Marvellous molecules

“NATURE ALREADY USES HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED ITERATIVE METHODS TO SYNTHESISE ORGANIC MOLECULES”

of 16 steps, but just four purifications, reducing the cost of both the materials and resources used.

The target molecule contains 39 carbon atoms, 32 in the backbone chain and seven in the side groups. Full control over the growth of the chain and the orientation

of the newly-introduced side groups was achieved simply by controlling the sequence in which the reagents were added.

As a result, in a joint project with the Gates Foundation, the synthesis is now being scaled up to explore the possibility of creating a vaccine for tuberculosis.

One of the best ways to represent the 3D structure of organic molecules such as hydroxyphthioceranic acid is to draw out the main carbon backbone as a zigzag chain, with the various side groups coming off it. Rather than write out every atom in full, or illustrate the many hydrogen

atoms, only the bonds are illustrated.

Unless indicated, every atom represented is a carbon atom. Most of these are tetrahedrally coordinated. For these atoms, two of the bonds lie in the plane. The two remaining bonds that come out of the plane are then represented by

either wedged or dashed lines according to the symmetry.

Don’t be deceived by the simplicity of the illustration – the backbone of the molecule is flexible, the diagram only shows the structural and spatial relationships between the atoms and not the shape of the molecule.

EMPLOYMENT


One of the core requirements for any job is experience. This

is particularly important for academically qualified, ambitious scientists who are keen to use their knowledge to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing society and business. For those who have climbed the first rung of the ladder, gaining their

undergraduate degree, the next step is invariably a PhD. But it takes more than laboratory skills and academic rigour to make it to the next step.

Doing a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Bristol, whether as a member of one of the many Centres for Doctoral Training or by following a more traditional route, provides an invaluable

opportunity for students to gain a wide range of research-based and transferable skills which will serve them well for their future endeavours.

As the following stories show, it’s a route that is helping to launch the careers of the next generation of scientists...

KATIE MASKILL Senior Scientist, AstraZenecaSince completing her PhD last year, Katie has been working at the global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in Process Chemistry. It was thanks to her time at Bristol that she gained a foot in the door, based on a three-month research project investigating how to use light to form complex drug-like molecules.

“I worked in three completely different fields during my initial lab placements so became familiar with a range of techniques and met lots of people. A lot of the activities I took part in during the initial seven-month training period made for great examples in my capabilities interview and came in handy when applying for my current job. I also gained a lot of experience in giving presentations which is still a fairly regular activity for me.“I am really enjoying my job and have already been given lots of responsibility – from interviewing new graduates for future roles within the company to supervising. In the future I would like to be leading a project. I love being in the lab so I hope to still be doing practical chemistry.”

Katie Maskill

Generation nextHow lectures and labs are the breeding ground for industry leaders…


EMPLOYMENT

LIAM BALL

Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry,

University of Nottingham

Liam completed his MSci Chemistry degree before joining the Centre

in 2009. After finishing his PhD in 2013, he moved to Edinburgh to

work as a Research Assistant. Since July this year, he has been working

as an Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry at Nottingham.

In 2016, he will get the chance to work in Nottingham’s new Carbon

Neutral Laboratories.

“There were regular opportunities for public speaking during the

training period of my PhD at Bristol, which really helped develop my

confidence. Having two PhD supervisors also allowed me to draw on

a wealth of experience and advice in planning my career.

“The professional network I was able to develop amongst my

cohort, the groups I visited on my RBS placement and the affiliated

industrialists has become increasingly important, as has the experience

I gained in scientific writing, presentation and teaching.”

SIMON CAROBENETrainee Patent Attorney, Greaves Brewster LLPSimon joined the School of Chemistry in 2009 after graduating from Cardiff University. His PhD research project focused on the total synthesis and determination of the biosynthetic pathway of an antibiotic that is active against the superbug MRSA. Last year, after a brief stint working in contract research, Simon joined Greaves Brewster LLP assisting in patent drafting and prosecution.

“The CDT sent us on an Innovation and Enterprise course in the first year, where I met an intellectual property solicitor and learned from an early stage in my PhD that I wanted to become a patent attorney. Later on we were sent on a course at a local patent firm, which allowed me to gain an insight into what a patent attorney does on a day-to-day basis. The wide range of chemistry I was exposed to in the CDT has proved invaluable in my career so far, as we work with clients in a whole host of different fields from pharmaceuticals to catalysis, materials science and biotechnology.”

Simon Carobene

Liam Ball

INNOVATION


Self-repairing aeroplane wings, mobile phones that automatically reseal a cracked screen, cycle

helmets that self-heal after taking a knock – is this the stuff of science fiction or science fact? Reports that scientists had invented a radical new material that might enable some of these technology breakthroughs attracted widespread media attention earlier this summer. At the heart of the story was three years’ worth of research carried out at the School of Chemistry. We spoke to the lead researcher, Duncan Wass, Professor of Catalysis, and asked him to explain how it all began and what it means for the future.

How did the research come about?It came about through a conversation with my colleagues in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Professor Ian Bond and Dr Richard Trask. Carbon fibre-reinforced composite materials are now widely used in applications ranging from aeroplanes to wind turbines to cars and sports equipment. They are amazing materials, extremely stiff but very light. But they do have some problems in that if they are damaged, it can be difficult to detect and repair that damage compared to conventional materials. We took our inspiration from the human body – for instance, if we cut our finger, then we have evolved mechanisms so that

eventually the cut will heal. The challenge we faced was working out how to design chemistry that will give similar self-healing functionality to man-made composite structures.

How does your technology work?The composite materials we are investigating consist of carbon fibres glued together with a cross-linked polymer. We embed tiny microspheres, a few microns across, into this material. These microspheres have a hard outer shell and a liquid centre containing an epoxy-based monomer healing agent. We also embed a catalyst that acts as a trigger for polymerisation/hardening of the monomer. When the material gets damaged, cracks will rupture the microspheres and release the monomer, which for the first time comes into contact with the catalyst, causing polymerisation – literally gluing the cracks back together.

This sounds like quite a radical step forward in science. Is it as innovative as it sounds?Healing technologies for all sorts of materials, from polymers to composites to concrete, is a growing area of research.

Previous work has demonstrated the concept of self-healing but used prohibitively expensive ruthenium-based catalysts that were not robust in real applications. We have developed much cheaper catalysts based on aluminium that are much more robust and can give 100% recovery of the healed material in our tests.

Why all the media interest in this now?I gave an interview to the Independent on Sunday prior to presenting our work at a Royal Society conference. They ran with the story on their front page, leading to further interviews on radio and TV, and further articles in the national and local press.

Are you surprised at the level of interest?It’s clearly a research project that has struck a chord with the general public. I think that’s because everyone can appreciate the problem we are trying to solve. It’s also been interesting - and frustrating – how these stories can get a life of their

Technology that fixes itself – it this the future? Professor of Catalysis, Duncan Wass, explains all to Aliya Mughal

Technology, heal thyself

“HEALING TECHNOLOGIES FOR ALL SORTS OF MATERIALS, FROM POLYMERS TO COMPOSITES TO CONCRETE, IS A GROWING AREA OF RESEARCH”


The self-healing technology works in a similar way to the biological process of blood clotting. The chemical compound created by Bristol scientists involves adding tiny, hollow microspheres to carbon fibre composite materials such as those used to make aeroplane wings and cycle helmets. When damage occurs to the carbon material, these microspheres break and release a liquid healing agent, which seeps into the cracks. The liquid then reacts with an in-built catalyst that triggers a chemical reaction which causes the liquid to harden and seal the cracks.

INNOVATION

Technology, heal thyself

own! On the whole, the science has been accurately reported but the possible applications can get over-hyped. That said, it’s reassuring that the public do have an appetite for stories about science.

So can we expect to see self-healing aeroplanes any time soon?That is some way off, not least because of the stringent safety aspects in aerospace applications. But in other areas, especially more consumer goods such as bicycle frames or helmets, we could be seeing this come to market in the next few years.

Vein and gain

ADMISSIONS


Life in ChemistryThe School of Chemistry has long been a place of discovery, innovation and experimentation, nurturing the ambitions of thousands of students and researchers over the years. Here, Professorial Teaching Fellow and Deputy Head of School David Smith takes a virtual tour…

Lectures with a differenceAs a lecturer, there is something rather special about lecturing to an audience of over 200 keen and excited new students who represent some of the very best chemists of their generation.

There are four lecture theatres in the School and most first years will grow familiar with Lecture Theatre 1, where a periodic table donated by the Royal Society of Chemistry forms the backdrop to demonstrations and presentations.

As academics, we take pride in guiding students through their degrees in a way that suits people’s different learning styles. Some students like to sit

and listen in lectures, while others like to take comprehensive notes. Starting this academic year, all of our lectures will be recorded and published online automatically. The idea is that students can replay lectures in their own time, revisiting difficult concepts until they fully understand without fear of falling behind.

Here to helpAt university, asking questions is considered a strength, not a weakness. First-year tutorials give students a chance to get to know their personal tutors and discuss ideas in groups of up to five students. In the second term, pairs of groups are combined to ensure that, as the

course develops, tutorials are taken by a subject expert.

In subsequent years, tutorials are replaced by workshops run by several members of staff working together – one lecturer may help a group unpick a challenging subject, while another works with students who want to extend their understanding.

Lab ratsWe are very proud of our undergraduate practical laboratories – they’ve been equipped to a research-grade standard, giving our students the best training.

Practicals are supported by our Dynamic Laboratory Manual, an online


resource of background material, video and interactive simulations that help students to prepare before they enter the lab.

The DLM also means that long write-ups are a thing of the past and instead, our focus is on helping students reach a much higher level of understanding. As a result, we can assess them while they perform experiments and help them review their results. Not only is this more efficient, it’s more enjoyable for staff and students.

Social science Studying chemistry is a social as well as an academic experience. We have a world-class reputation for our research and teaching, but our students contribute so

much more – they work hard and play hard!

We have a superb library, with good stocks of essential course books and more specialised research texts. However, we aim to challenge our students and having places to work with friends is just as important as having quiet study space. Research For many students, the final-year project is the highlight of their studies. The projects for students on four-year MSci and three-year BSc programmes are rather different. Our integrated masters programmes are intended for students who want to go on to use their chemical knowledge,

understanding and skills in their career. For these students, their research project takes half of their final year.

The focus for students on our bachelors’ programmes is often in developing transferable skills that employers in all sectors, including those outside chemistry, value so highly. Some bachelors’ students choose to work on conventional chemistry research projects, but others opt to work on more innovative projects.

Our education projects, in which students work in local primary and secondary schools, are especially popular because they help students to develop superb communication and organisational skills.

ADMISSIONS

INSIDE VIEW

It’s not often I’ve found myself sitting opposite someone who’s climbed one of the world’s tallest mountains. Standing

at a whopping 5,895m high, Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro is a challenge to test even the bravest adventurer, let alone a first-time climber with a fierce hatred of tents. But, two years on, Selena Power is surprisingly blasé about her visit to Tanzania’s most famous wonder. “For me, the camping was worse than the walking,” she laughs. “Anyone who knows me knows I don’t do camping. Ever!”

It’s a glorious, sun-dappled July day and I’m meeting Selena, who works as the School of Chemistry’s Student Undergraduate Administrator, for a coffee and a nibble in the Hawthorns. She’s been at the University for over 25 years now, joining Chemistry in 2010. It was during her time here that her husband, Rob, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. Selena was helped through his illness by the charity Hammer Out, and in appreciation, she volunteered to do some fundraising for them.

Have you ever thought about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, they asked her. “I didn’t even know where it was,” she laughs. “When I got home, I Googled it and realised, ‘I’m going to Africa!’”

And so, in September 2013, Selena conquered Africa’s highest mountain and raised nearly £8,000 for the charity.

“It took four-and-a-half days to get up, and one-and-a-half days to get down,” she says. “It was incredibly tough. More so mentally than physically. But as I said,

climbing all day, I didn’t mind that, but I’d be starting to feel almost sick knowing that we were going to be stopping to pitch up the tent!”

And Selena has obviously caught the fundraising bug. Immediately after Kilimanjaro she signed up for even more walks and climbs, and is due next year to hike “85 miles in just over 24 hours” for the Isle of Wight Challenge. While that would make most of us baulk, she remains impressively laid-back about the whole thing. “It’s just walking,” she shrugs. “How hard can that be?!”

If you would like to donate money towards Selena’s Isle of Wight Challenge, go to: justgiving.com/Selena-Power3

Climbing for charityWhat was the thing that Student Undergraduate Administrator Selena Power feared more than climbing the 5,895m high Mount Kilimanjaro? Steve O’Brien finds out…

“I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHERE MOUNT KILIMANJARO WAS. WHEN I GOT HOME, I GOOGLED IT AND REALISED, ‘I’M GOING TO AFRICA!’”



in numbersCHEMISTRYVital statistics for the School’s 2014-15 academic year

4.13%

680 undergraduate students,

equivalent to

202 postgraduate research students,

equivalent to

91%

9%

are home students from the UK and Continental Europe and

are from outside Europe

hours of practical sessions

of the total in the University

hours of lectures

676

873

474workshops for second and

third-year students in inorganic, organic, physical, analytical,

computational and environmental chemistry

867tutorials for first-year students

8.68%of the total in the University

If you’ve anything you want to tell us about your experiences at Bristol University, or if you have any thoughts about Chemistry Explored, then please email us at [email protected].

YOUR SAY

Curly Conducting Confetti by the Faul Research Group: A polarised light microscope picture of a liquid crystal. The molecules spontaneously ‘self-assemble’ into an organised structure without any outside influence. The arrangement they form changes according to their chemical structure and composition.

A Rainbow Revealed by the Faul Research Group: As polarised light shines through this liquid crystal under the microscope it is twisted and turned. The molecules have arranged themselves into an organised structure, but different parts of the sample are orientated in different directions.

Light Source by Ben MillsThis photograph shows the sun setting behind Cabot Tower, with the Synthetic Chemistry Building in the foreground. The sun is a star and (almost) the ultimate origin of the matter and energy we use to make new substances in the School of Chemistry. It’s like seeing the entire process from Big Bang to finished product in one shot.

Life through a lensChem@rt is a University of Bristol initiative that brings chemistry into the classroom and stimulates literacy and creativity. Here are a small selection of the stunning images created by our scientists…

Documents

THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD HOW SELF-REPAIRING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY BRISTOL CHEMISTS ... · · 2017-12-12HOW SELF-REPAIRING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY BRISTOL CHEMISTS COULD CHANGE THE