Nicola Mingotti 
Prof Mahesh Tirumkudulu from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay has developed a unique method to measure the viscosity of a drop of liquid based on the fluid mechanics of thin films. A drop of liquid is spread over a substrate by contacting a blade with the drop and moving the blade across the
Large lakes tend to be thermally stratified, with a layer of relatively warm water near the surface, and a deeper layer of colder water underneath. The temperature of the surface water fluctuates over the year, while the temperature of the deeper water remains more stable: hence, the thermal stratification is strongest during the summer, when
A new PhD project, fully funded, is available for a physical scientist, engineer or mathematician to explore the potential of tidal barrages as a means to generate a reliable source of renewable energy. A particular focus of the work will be the impact of the barrage on the flow pattern in the estuary system, including
During the second part of today’s seminar, MPhil student James Sear presented the results of his new experiments on turbulent plumes in a cross-flow. During the last few months, James has been studying what happens when a steady flux of contaminants are released into a river: the contaminants are transported by the current, while being
During the first part of today’s seminar, PhD student Ross Shepherd presented some of his recent work on the injection and storage of CO2 into underground aquifers. Carbon capture and storage will be required as one of many technologies in the global energy transition, and Ross has been studying how to optimise the injection of
Clare Hall PhD student Poorya Shaghaghi has recently been awarded a Mellon bursary by his College. This award is given by Clare Hall to up to four students, based on academic merit. Poorya joined the Institute during Easter term, and is now working under the supervision of professor Woods. His research focusses on the ventilation
On Tuesday 20 May, 60 Year-4 children from our local primary school visited the Earth Sciences department. They explored different volcanic processes and new technologies for the energy transition in the IEEF Flow Labs, and discovered fossils from the chalk sea that covered Cambridge 90 million years ago at the Collections Research Centre.
Professor Ljiljana Fruk has been studying the design principles and biomedical applications of organic and hybrid nanomaterials. These can be used for real-time detection of senescent cells in the body. Large concentrations of senescent cells in an organ might be a precursor to cancer, and so detecting these cells in the body might help early
Parkinson’s disease is linked to the aggregation of the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein (aSyn), but the precise triggers and mechanisms driving this process remain unclear. Local environmental factors, such as ion concentrations, can influence aSyn’s tendency to aggregate. A team of researchers including professor Alex Routh have explored how physiologically relevant ions, mainly Ca2+ and
On Saturday 17 May, alumni from the Department of Earth Sciences visited the Institute and the Bullard Laboratories. Professor Andy Woods presented some of the research which is currently being developed at the Institute, including work on carbon and hydrogen storage, CO2 dissolution in aquifers, and electrolysis. Andy also discussed our recent experiments on the