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Other London events

A Leap Into the Nano World

Past event - 2016
24 May Doors 7pm
Event 7:30 - 9:30pm
The Rugby Tavern, 19 Great James Street,
London WC1N 3ES
Sold Out!
The atomic force microscope is a powerful microscope capable of imaging materials down to the nanoscale, but are commercially very expensive. Tonight we will hear about a quest to make a microscope for under £100. Continuing on our nanoscale journey, Joseph Ndieyira shows how ultrasensitive stress sensors can be used to aid infection characterisation and treatment more rapidly, resulting in a more effective treatment process.

During the event there will be a pub quiz and special Pint of Science goodies to be won!

This event will be held on the first floor.

How to Build an Atomic Force Microscope for Under £100

Talfan Evans (PhD student)
The story so far of an ambitious open-source project aiming to build a new type of low-cost scanning microscope from hacked and inexpensive parts. In 2011, starting with 30 young scientists from the UK, China and the US, we set out to develop an open-source design for an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), commercially available for upwards of £60000 for under £100, for use as an inexpensive research tool by schools and academic institutions alike. Four years later, the current working prototype can image on the nanometer scale on a materials cost totalling comfortably less than £100.

Stress sensors: rapid infection characterization

Dr Joseph Ndieyira (Senior Research Associate)
Faced with the current shortage of new antibiotics and given that the combined bacterial as well as viral infections remain major causes of death worldwide, there is need to explore new ways to profile pathogens. Mechanical signals can be as important as chemical and electrical signals in biology. Thus, by including mechanical signals in a systems biology description, we could provide rapid diagnostic intelligence centered on to ensure that patients immediately receive most appropriate and timely treatment. More importantly, drug effectiveness and personalised healthcare could be determined.
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