Dr Abigail Lowe, Biological Sciences : Botanical and Invertebrate Researcher at the National Botanic Garden of Wales Gardens are important habitats for pollinators, providing flowering resources and nest sites. There is a great deal of public support for growing “pollinator-friendly” plants but, although there are lists of plants that are best for pollinators, they are… Read more »
Case Studies: environment
The development of maritime robotics to study the fine-scale movements of aquatic life (Video)
A 25-minute KESS 2 video case study by Bangor University PhD researcher John Zachary Nash. John Zachary and others involved in this research, including company partner representatives from RS Aqua and H R Wallingford, talk about their exciting fish tracking project which is a cross-disciplinary collaboration in the fields of marine science and electronic engineering. Subtitles are available in Welsh or English through the video settings and a transcript of the video is available below. (Transcript is… Read more »
KESS 2 Alumni Case Study: Dr Rhiannon Chalmers-Brown, Bio-Refining of Steel Manufacturing Co-Production Gases
DR RHIANNON CHALMERS-BROWN : RICE Research Assistant – Low Carbon Bioprocess Analysis I completed my undergraduate degree in Chemistry at USW, I was then encouraged by my research supervisor, Prof Richard Dinsdale, to apply for the KESS 2 scholarship as I had a keen interest in renewable energy and the environmental sector in general. The… Read more »
Innovations in soil health analysis
ROB BROWN INNOVATIONS IN SOIL HEALTH ANALYSIS Soil is a finite and non-renewable resource. It is key to providing a wide range of goods and services such as sustainable food production for a growing population and resilience against climate change. However, increasing the intensity at which we are using soil resources is beginning to cause… Read more »
Developing new chemical and genomic technologies for traceability and quality assurance of edible and industrial vegetable oils
Kirstie Goggin (ESF-funded KESS 2 PhD), was awarded her PhD in an amazing timescale of 3 years 4 months through the KESS 2 Programme, being the first KESS 2 female PhD recipient at USW. KIRSTIE GOGGIN A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE My PhD was about developing new chemical and genetic approaches to improve traceability, transparency and authenticity… Read more »
Welsh scientists are helping to keep our food healthy, safe and sustainable
Much of our food in the UK is sourced via often-complex supply chains involving numerous producers and processors from around the world. Unfortunately this can lead to illicit and/or unethical practices as some food ingredients may be contaminated by adulterants or obtained from undesirable sources. Recent examples include the use or horsemeat instead of beef… Read more »
Turning waste gases into renewable products
Rhiannon Chalmers-Brown has returned to study her PhD at the University of South Wales, having initially studied BSc Chemistry at USW. She was encouraged by her research supervisor Richard Dinsdale to apply for the KESS 2 scholarship, as she has a keen interest in renewable energy and the environmental sector in general. Rhiannon started her… Read more »
Fabrication and modelling of thin-silicon PV cells
Student: Gareth Blayney Company: Pure Wafer International Ltd Academic Supervisor: Dr Owen Guy & Prof Paul Rees Low-cost, Low-carbon and Local! Swansea University, in collaboration with Swansea based Pure Wafer International Limited, have successfully developed a new low-cost solar cell from reclaimed silicon, a by-product of the semiconductor industry. Reclaimed silicon is currently shipped overseas… Read more »
Artificial defence structures as surrogate habitats for natural rocky shores: giving nature a helping hand (Presentation)
The UK’s Marine Policy Statement advises that in addition to avoiding harm to the environment, marine developments should also include “beneficial features” for marine wildlife. However, much remains unknown about the potential for manmade structures to deliver ecological benefits and surrogate for natural rocky shore habitat. Our research investigates the role of coastal defences in providing substrate for marine plants and animals to colonise. It also explores the potential to manipulate structures in order to achieve more beneficial outcomes from coastal defence developments.
Read more »The role of estuarine sediments as a reservoir for pathogenic microorganisms (Presentation)
Anthropogenic activity resulting from agriculture, storm water discharge and sewage treatment has a significant impact upon the transport of human microbial pathogens from catchment to coast. As the global climate changes and storm and flood events become more frequent, it is imperative that we understand how the increased flow of microbial pathogens from land to sea will affect human health and the environment.
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