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The Covid-19 pandemic has arguably brought the work researchers do hurtling into the limelight. Here in Liverpool, our researchers have played a critical role in local, national and global efforts to combat the virus. Join us to hear of the breadth of research going on right here in our very own city. Our host with the most Dr Kevin Hamil will also have a half time quiz to test your knowledge!
Revealing the invisible: real-time motion of virus particles
Professor Eann Patterson
(A.A. Griffith Chair of Structural Materials and Mechanics and Dean of the School of Engineering)
COVID-19 has caused us to worry about the whereabouts of virus particles that are too small to see. You could fit a thousand virus particles across the diameter of a human hair. Virus particles are invisible because their diameter is less than the wavelength of light. They can be imaged using electron microscopes or chemical labelling; but these techniques interfere with the behaviour being observed. We observe the behaviour of particles via light signatures that effectively magnify the particles using the same principles that cause the light patterns on the table around your wine glass.
Next Slide, Please! Using science to tackle coronavirus
Dr Paul Atkinson
(Senior Research Fellow)
The UK government says its response to Covid-19 is 'following the science'. But is it? In this talk Paul looks at how the government uses science, what it gets wrong and what it gets right.
Always read the label: there is no such thing as a completely safe medication!
Dr Dan Carr
(Lecturer in Pharmacology)
The rapid development and global roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations has brought rare, severe medication side-effects into the public consciousness in recent years. For the most of us, taking a medication, such an over-the-counter pain-killer or a prescribed antibiotic, is a safe experience. However, for some, it can cause a severe, even fatal side-effect. So, why do they happen and why can’t pharma companies prevent them? In this talk, Dan will explain how these side-effects occur and how (sometimes) they can be predicted and prevented.
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