York chemists' 'marvellous' Supermolecules exhibit at the Royal Society
Posted on 27 June 2005
The exhibition, which runs from 4 to 7 July at the Royal Society in London, is open to the public as well as organised visits by secondary schools from across the country.
Titled 'The Marvel of Supermolecules', the exhibit being staged by the University's Department of Chemistry features four research groups led by Dr Victor Chechik on Nanoparticles, Professor John Goodby on Liquid Crystals, Dr David Smith on Branched Molecules and Professor Paul Walton who will be focusing on Enzyme Mimicry.
York's is the only chemistry exhibit at the event and will demonstrate some of the Department's cutting edge science in an accessible way. It will focus on how scientists prepare large molecules that are simply too big to be assembled by conventional chemical synthesis. Instead they use self-assembly - instructing small molecules to assemble spontaneously into large functional structures.
Using a range of visual aids, including models to demonstrate how molecules can assemble into larger particles, and a microscope and video display to show how liquid crystals react to light and heat, the York chemists will show four examples of how molecules are built. They will investigate DNA samples and use slime to demonstrate how branched molecules are employed to make gels.
We are using a visual approach to make accurate science more accessible
Dr Victor Chechik
Dr Victor Chechik said: "We are trying to engage the public by making our exhibit as interactive as possible. Although chemistry is usually very difficult to present because it involves chemical language which can scare people off, the science being presented here will be explained in a very visual fashion.
"We are using a visual approach to make accurate science more accessible. It is high-level research being demonstrated in a very simple way."
The event is expected to attract 4,500 visitors of all ages. The York exhibit will appeal to chemists and non-chemists alike.
Lord May of Oxford, President of the Royal Society and an Honorary Graduate of the University of York, said: "York's exhibit is a great example of the continually excellent standard of research we have on display every year. The exhibition is a chance for the public to find out more about some of the fascinating science being carried out in the UK right now. Meeting researchers face-to-face lets people experience the excitement and enthusiasm that come with working at the forefront of scientific research."
For further details on the exhibition, visit the Royal Society website at http://royalsociety.org/
Notes to editors:
- Sponsors of the York chemistry exhibit will be the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC); the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, the University of York and the Wellcome Trust.
- The Department of Chemistry at the University of York has an excellent reputation for teaching and research. In the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise the department was awarded a 5 rating. It is led by Royal Society of Chemistry prize-winners in all three branches of physical, organic and inorganic chemistry. It has 46 full-time members of staff, more than 380 undergraduate students, 150 graduates and 90 research fellows.
- Dr David Smith won a Royal Society of Chemistry Higher Education Teaching Award last year. The RSC described him as: "A lecturer with great commitment and enthusiasm whose teaching skills and innovations in the lecture theatre and laboratory have had a notable impact on the success of undergraduates, and the motivation of schoolteachers and their students."