All hands to the pump

Ever wondered why humans are so good at gripping/manipulating objects and sensing surface conditions through touch? This talk will explain some fundamentals related to the friction at play and how this affects our gripping and perception abilities. It will go on to explain how this can be optimised for certain conditions (e.g. rock climbing) and what challenges arise in other situations (e.g. wearing surgical gloves).

We've all heard that antibiotic resistance is on the rise and that without urgent action we may run out of effective drugs to treat illnesses. This talk looks at how insufficient dosage or over usage of antibiotics can lead to a resistance in pathogens which will then thrive in our bodies and lead to recurring infection. Come and learn about how drug underdose or overdose allow bacteria to flush out the medication using "efflux pumps" so that it becomes ineffective.

In the 21st century we are discovering more promising new drugs than ever before, but most of them don’t make it into patients or are too expensive to use! What if there were new ways to use the drugs that we already know are safe and affordable? Come and find out the surprising ways in which scientists in Sheffield and beyond are turning drug development on its head by discovering completely new uses for drugs that have been around for years, you might be taking some of them already!