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The Great British Research and R&D Show: Britain’s Top Younger Scientists, Engineers and Technologists flock to the House of Commons to display and communicate their latest discoveries.

March 27, 2001

About 250 of Britain’s top younger scientists, engineers and technologists descended on the House of Commons on Monday, 19 March for its Annual Reception for them – the third in a series which began in 1999. Robert Jackson M.P. was host for the lunch-time event while Dr Brian Iddon was host for the evening part. They came from all parts of the UK and from many parts of the science, engineering and technology spectrum – a very wide range of UK research and R&D was represented through the Posters displayed. Most of them were from the university sector, though there were representatives of PSRE Institutes and of Industry too.

Organiser Dr Eric Wharton of SET for BRITAIN said that this Reception had three aims: encouraging younger researchers from different disciplines to interact and network with each, presenting a panorama at the House of the best in UK research and R&D, and initiating greater dialogue with MPs and Parliamentarians both at Westminster and back at home base. It was also a major and unique contribution by Britain’s younger researchers to the eighth National Week of Science, Engineering and Technology being held over16 to 25 March. Guest speaker Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of Save British Science (SBS) said that it was important for scientists not only to communicate with each other but with people whose knowledge of science was lower. Chairman of the Poster Judges, Dr Bernard Langley, commented that the standard of work in the many Posters was extremely high and involved many fascinating and topical areas: this made judging of the Posters extremely difficult.

Winner of the 2001 Westminster Medal and £250 Prize (awarded at the lunchtime Reception) was Chris Danks of the Central Science Laboratory in York for his work on developing on-site test kits for the detection of damaging plant virus diseases of major arable and horticultural crops (using technology similar to that in home pregnancy tests). This award runner-up £100 Poster Prizes (see overleaf) are sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline plc.

Winner of the 2001 De Montfort Medal and £250 Prize (awarded at the evening Reception) was Dr Piotr Dudek of UMIST for his work on developing “vision chips” – microelectronic circuits that combine image sensing and processing, which allows new applications in areas such as robotics, industrial inspection, security and surveillance, medicine or self-driven vehicles. This award was sponsored by the Post Office with runner-up £100 Poster Prizes (see overleaf) sponsored by CLRC, PPARC and SBS.

The Receptions were sponsored in part by GlaxoSmithKline plc, EPSRC, PPARC and the Post Office.   Thanks are extended to Robert Jackson M.P. and Dr Brian Iddon M.P. for hosting the Receptions. Further details from Dr Eric Wharton: T 01235 832335 F 01235 820686   E eric@eric-wharton.freeserve.co.uk

SET for BRITAIN is a private organisation nurturing, encouraging and promoting younger scientists, engineers and technologists – the “engine-room” of UK Research and R&D – and their substantial contributions made to UK plc.                                                                                                 P.T.O.





Winners of the Awards at the Reception at the House of Commons on Monday, 19 March 2001

The Westminster Medal and Prize and the Westminster Poster Prizes (sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline plc)

The 2001 Westminster Medal and £250 Prize:
Chris Danks of Central Science Laboratory, York for work on “Pregnancy Testing, Potatoes and Tomatoes: The Development of On-Site Test Kits for the Detection of damaging Plant Virus Diseases of major Arable and Horticultural Crops”
Higher Scientific Officer. T 01904 462331 F 01904 462111 E c.danks@csl.gov.uk
The Westminster Poster Prizes (£100 each):
Hussain Mulla of Glenfield Hospital and De Montfort University, Leicester for work on “Chemists and Pharmacists stick together like Drugs to Plastics”
Part-time Research Student.   T 0116 2502578   F 0116 256 3323   E hussain.mulla@uhl-tr.nhs.uk
Aditi Shankardass of Sheffield University for work on “Brain Imaging identifies a Brain Process impaired in Dyslexia”
Research Student.   T 0114 222 6502 F 0114 270 6515   E a.shankardass@sheffield.ac.uk
Dr Stephen Webster of National Physical Laboratory, Teddington for work on “Keeping Time with a Single Atom”
PSRE Scientist.   T 020 8943 6322   F 020 8943 2945   E stephen.webster@npl.co.uk



The De Montfort Medal and Prize and the De Montfort Poster Prizes (sponsored by the Post Office and CLRC, PPARC, SBS respectively)

The 2001 De Montfort Medal and £250 Prize:
Dr Piotr Dudek of UMIST for work on “Vision Chips with Programmable Analogue Processors”
Research Associate.   T 0161 200 4721   F 0161 200 8946   E p.dudek@umist.ac.uk
The De Montfort Poster Prizes (£100 each):
Dr Andy Alderson of Bolton Institute for work on “Auxetic Materials: Expanding Materials and Applications” (CLRC Poster Prize)
Senior Research Fellow.   T 01204 903513   F 01204 381107   E aa1@bolton.ac.uk
Philip Hands of Durham University for work on “Quantum-Tunnelling Conductive Metal-Polymer Composites” (PPARC Prize)
CASE Research Student with Peratech.   T 0191 374 7466   F 0191 374 3848
E p.j.w.hands@durham.ac.uk
Tanya Stathers of Natural Resources Institute, Greenwich University for work on “Diatomaceous Earths: Using the Past to Protect the Future” (SBS Prize)
Younger Lecturer.   T 01634 883734   F 01634 883567   E t.e.stathers@gre.ac.uk


Explanation of work in more general terms:
Chris Danks: Technology used in home pregnancy kits being used in on-site kits to test for damaging plant virus diseases of major crops. Hussain Mulla: Investigating how drugs given to critically-ill patients “stick” to (plastic) high technology life supports systems thus reducing the prescribed dose.
Aditi Shankardass: Identifying the specific brain process which is impaired in dyslexic children. Dr Stephen Webster: Developing the next generation of atomic clock to meet the ever increasing demands for precise timing and synchronization and with improvements by up to a factor of 100. Dr Piotr Dudek: Developing low-cost “vision chips” i.e. microelectronic circuits that can see - with applications in robotics, industrial inspection, security and surveillance, medicine, self-driven vehicles, etc. Dr Andy Alderson: Investigating materials that expand when “stretched” with potential applications in many areas such as energy absorption components, personal and sports protective equipment, filters and drug release materials. Philip Hands: Looking at “smart” materials with
Peratech especially QTCs which can be woven into fabrics or coated on to virtually any surface, enabling new and exciting “touch-sensitive” technologies such as wearable electronics. Tanya Stathers: Usind diatomaceous earths (phytoplankton fossils) to successfully control storage insect pests in maize, sorghum and cowpeas in Zimbabwe.


British Medical Journal (BMJ)