Newcastle University

The School of Chemistry hosted a public seminar on “Chemical Innovation in the North East” as part of last week’s British Science Association Festival of Science in Newcastle. This event featured presentations by leading scientists from the chemical industry in the North East and focussed on the painstaking research, development and testing that is behind the successful launch of new chemical products.

The first speaker was Dr Victoria Frank of International Paints who demonstrated how a ship’s hull can be protected against the damaging and costly effects of biofilm (aka “slime”!) formation using a new generation of adherent coatings. Dr Greg Lant of Proctor and Gamble explained how enzymes in laundry detergents can be designed to selectively protect against grease and dirt damage. Prof. Grant Burgess of the School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University explained how the ocean provides an extraordinarily fertile source for the discovery of natural chemical products. Dr Graham Eastham of Lucite explained how efficiency gains in the production of methyl methacrylate translate into cost-savings for industry.

Thank you to all speakers, members of the audience and volunteers for their contributions to a successful event. The photograph shows (from left to right ); Dr Nick Walker (Local secretary of organising committee, Newcastle University), Prof. Grant Burgess (School of Marine Sciences, Newcastle University), Dr Victoria Frank (International Paints), Prof. Mike Green (Head of School of Chemistry, Newcastle University), Dr Stephen Ashworth (BSA Festival Recorder for the Royal Society of Chemistry), Dr Graham Eastham (Lucite International).