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With advancements in technology rapidly broadening our understanding of science, where did it all begin and where will it take us in the future?
Please note that this event takes places on the first floor and is not accessible for those with impaired mobility.
Please note that this event takes places on the first floor and is not accessible for those with impaired mobility.
Ancient DNA and migratory origins in the British Isles
As DNA sequencing techniques have progressed, it has become possible to directly analyse genomes from the past. These snapshots of past humans help to conclusively answer questions such as: are we descendants of the first occupiers of the islands? Were the influx of new lifeways such as farming and, later, metallurgy, accompanied by large migrations of newcomers, or were these practices taken up by the earlier inhabitants? Which genetic variations have been a matter of life and death in the past?
It’s all in the pee: And we aren’t tasting it anymore!
Personalised medicine aims to get the right treatments to the right patient groups, moving away from ‘one size fits all.’ The metabolite composition of biofluids like urine and blood are being used to detect early stages of disease and categorise patients into treatment groups. I will discuss how medicine has progressed from tasting urine to the state of the art techniques now used.
Making a polymeric heart valve – why and how?
The aortic valve allows blood to flow out of the heart when it contracts, but prevents it flowing back in when the heart refills with blood. The only effective treatment for severe valve disease is replacement. Prosthetic heart valves are life-saving, but current models are imperfect. Could a polymeric prosthetic valve provide a better option in the future?
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