Download a pdf here - Diamond Light Source

InsideDiamond News from the UK synchrotron Winter 2013

Green Energy From Bugs A Male Contraceptive Pill Nanotech Innovations

Winter 2013

Inside Diamond | News from the synchrotron

D

iamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron science facility. It’s shaped like a huge ring, and functions like a giant microscope. Diamond speeds up electrons to near light speeds, producing a light 10 billion times brighter than the sun. These bright beams are then directed off into laboratories known as ‘beamlines’. Here scientists use the light to study everything from viruses and vaccines to fossils and jet engines. Diamond is one of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world, and its pioneering capabilities are helping to keep the UK at the forefront of scientific research. Our magazine, Inside Diamond, brings you research highlights and thoughtprovoking insights, showcasing the wonders that lie within the walls of the synchrotron.

2

And So It Begins… Welcome to the first edition of Inside Diamond, the magazine that brings you a selection of spectacular research from the synchrotron. The inaugural issue features tales of wood-eating bugs that could save the world, the next generation of teeny-weeny gadgets, and a young scientist studying alien rocks from Mars. The UK’s synchrotron supports a vast range of fundamental and applied research, and a part of all work mentioned was carried out at Diamond. The UK synchrotron is a world class facility at the forefront of scientific progress. Approximately 7,500 researchers and members of the public visit Diamond every year, and the facility has led to almost 3000 research papers being published. Inside Diamond was set up to bring the awe-inspiring work that takes place at Diamond to the public; in doing so it looks to engage and inspire the scientist that lives inside us all. Front cover image: A glass sculpture of EV71 which causes hand, foot and mouth disease. The structure was solved at Diamond in 2012, opening up new possibilities for treatment.

8 10

contents

4-5

Gribble and Green Energy

6-7

Martian Meteorites

8-9

Oral Contraception: A Guy Thing?

10-11 Young People and Science 12-14 Nanotech Innovations 15

18

Investigating Bones

16-17 Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine 17

Scientist in the Spotlight

18-19 How it Works: Diffraction 20-21 Light Reading Stories 22

Diamond Dialogue

23

Infographic Synchrotron

3

Winter 2013


Little Gribble Saves the Day

T

he search for sustainable energy is one of the most pressing scientific needs of our time. The burning of fossil fuels currently releases approximately 21 billion tonnes of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year; this is far more than can be safely absorbed. Increased levels of CO2 cause the average temperature of the Earth to rise, creating global warming.

Wood-eating water bug may help scientists to develop green energy

4

But the gribble contains a powerful, newly discovered enzyme able to transform waste into sugars more efficiently. And, like the gribble, this particular enzyme is able to survive in salty environments. In the past, scientists have tried using enzymes from fungi, but there is a need for enzymes that are better able to withstand the aggressive chemical environments used in industrial processes. The highly acidic gribble enzymes may be just what scientists are looking for. The research team leader Professor McQueen-Mason explains, “The robust nature of the enzymes makes it compatible for use in conjunction with sea water, which would lower the costs of processing. Lowering the cost of enzymes is seen as critical for making biofuels from woody materials cost effective.” Rather than trying to use the poor gribble itself, the team from University of York, University of Portsmouth, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have transferred the genetic blueprint of this particular enzyme to an industrial microbe, capable of producing it in large quantities.

The majority of climate scientists agree that something needs to be done to reduce our fossil fuel consumption and, for a number of years, scientists have been engaged in a race to develop cleaner forms of energy. But now, using Diamond’s synchrotron light, a team of researchers have located a possible source of sustainable and environmentally-friendly fuel, and it comes in the form of the wood-eating gribble. The gribble is a tiny crustacean. They live in the sea, and nest in shipwrecks and driftwood. Their favourite snack is wood, and they’re notorious for munching away on boats and destroying seaside piers. However, the gribble may be able to provide a new way of powering our cars, offices and homes. Inside the gribble, there is a special enzyme that helps the creatures digest their woody meals. Enzymes are a type of protein inside living things that serve as a catalyst, transforming one substance into another. For some time, scientists have been looking into ways of using enzymes to convert biomass such as wood, paper and straw into liquid fuel. We currently use enzymes in a range of products and processes, such as making paper or washing our clothes with detergent. However, the process of developing enough enzymes to break down the scrap waste into sugars for fuel has thus far proved prohibitively expensive.

Using biochemical analysis and X-ray imaging on Diamond’s life science beamlines, the team were able to pinpoint the enzyme, determine its structure, and watch it in action as it digested wood. Dr. John McGeehan, a structural biologist from the team, recalls the process of researching the valuable gribble enzyme: “Once we succeeded in the tricky task of making crystals of the enzyme, we transported them to Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron science facility…

“The Diamond synchrotron produced such good data that we could visualise the position of every single atom in the enzyme” The BBSRC-funded research into the powerful gribble enzyme could well be the first step in developing an entirely new source of sustainable, environmentallyfriendly fuels. With this technique, it could be possible to recycle unused paper, wood and straw from the agricultural and timber industries, and harness the hidden energy. So the little gribble should be proud; this humble water bug could help to transform our world and herald a new cleaner, greener dawn. Images courtesy of Prof Simon McQueen-Mason and Dr Simon Cragg

5

Winter 2013


The Young Scientist and her Rocks from Mars

I

t’s pretty cool to be considered one of the leading experts on Martian meteorites at the tender age of 26, and Natasha Stephen can certainly lay claim to the title.

Having studied geology at Royal Holloway University of London, Natasha researched Icelandic volcanoes for her masters degree and then planetary sciences for her PhD. For Natasha, it’s not little green men that get her excited, but rocks from space.

6

However, despite the pioneering technology behind the missions to Mars, the alien rocks remain something of a mystery to Earthling scientists. Researchers have samples of Martian rocks to scrutinise – there are currently 69 Martian meteorites in storage – however the data they gather is tricky to analyse because there’s little to compare it to. But Natasha wants to change that. Her life’s work is more than just meteorites; Natasha’s ambition is to chronicle every type of rock and mineral found on Mars.

Natasha has specialised in Martian meteorites for the past 4 years, and these days she’s the lady you call when you’ve got a rock from the red planet. But Natasha is not just a Mars aficionado; she’s a charterer of worlds. The young doctor is using B22-MIRIAM, Diamond’s infrared microspectroscopy beamline, to chronicle Mars’ many hard rocks and their minerals; in doing so, she is discovering parts of the red planet that no-one has ever explored before.

Currently, planetary scientists compare their alien samples to the library of Earth rocks but, as Natasha points out, the similarities are limited: “A Hawaiian lava is not the same as an Icelandic lava, so why would either of them be the same as a Martian lava?”, she asks. “And Martian meteorites are essentially just igneous rocks from Mars, similar to the lavas here on Earth.”

Our planet is made up of hundreds of different kinds of rocks and minerals, and we have a pretty comprehensive idea of what those rocks are because we have many complete libraries and databases of all of Earth’s strata. If curious scientists want to learn more about an intriguing igneous rock or a suspicious sedimentary specimen, they can refer to the library and track it down. But no such reference for Martian rocks exists, yet.

Instead, Natasha wants to build up a new library of the materials that make up Mars. She hopes that the library will help further our understanding of the alien planet. “The largest canyon and largest volcano in the solar system are both on Mars, but at the moment we don’t quite know how they formed.” She continues, “There are still a lot of unanswered questions about Mars and it isn’t all about the search for life on another planet, but it is important that we keep challenging ourselves and what we understand about the world(s) around us.”

We now know more about the red planet than ever before. Satellites, spacecrafts and rovers have all set off for our planetary neighbour in search of data on its physical nature; soon the ESA EXOMars Rover will be launched onto Mars’ surface, where it will drill down into the planet in an effort to uncover what the fourth planet from the sun is really made of.

Natasha’s curiosity is helping to formulate what will undoubtedly be a vital reference source for scientists of the future. Her Martian library is emblematic of how far planetary science has come and how far it has yet to go. But for Natasha, it’s all in a day’s work. She may not get to clock out by 5pm or even by midnight, but each day (and night) at the synchrotron brings her closer to uncovering the secrets of our solar system.

“The largest canyon and largest volcano in the solar system are both on Mars, but at the moment we don’t quite know how they formed”

7

Winter 2013


A leap forwards in the search for a male contraceptive pill

T

his is a story all about the racy subject of contraception. The female contraceptive pill has a history that dates back over half a century. The first pill approved by the US Food and Drug Administration came to market in 1957; and around sixty years later, about 100 million women worldwide now take the contraceptive pill. Generations of women have been empowered to take control of their fertility.

8

Oral Contraception: A Guy Thing?

However, the search for a male alternative has thus far proved fruitless. The reason that the science behind the pill doesn’t work for men is that a male pill would need to target many millions of sperm rather than just one egg. Scientists have also had problems because a lot of drugs may contain the right elements, but they aren’t able to transfer from the blood to the testes, and so they fail to have a contraceptive effect. Currently, the only drugs in clinical trials are contraceptives that counteract testosterone hormones, and it’s not always a good idea to mess around with hormones if you can help it. But now, an international collaboration of scientists have used one of Diamond’s life science beamlines, I03, to develop a potential male contraceptive pill that works by targeting the specific protein responsible for sperm-cell production. The pill inhibits the aptlynamed sperm-generating protein, bromodomain, whilst leaving the testosterone hormones untouched. This could be a really important step forward for male contraceptive science. If it makes it to market, the male pill could reduce the rate of unplanned pregnancies, and thus have significant socio-economic effects on a global scale.

The pill uses a small-molecule inhibitor with the catchy name of JQ1. Once ingested, JQ1 effectively moves from the blood to the testes and inhibits bromodomain proteins. Mice treated with JQ1 were found to have a reduced sperm count, and their existing sperm were found to be less mobile and of lower quality. Despite this effect, their hormone levels remained normal. The effects of JQ1 were also found to be completely reversible. When the mice stopped being treated, their sperm count and quality returned to normal. Mating behaviours weren’t affected, suggesting that libido isn’t reduced by the male pill. And there didn’t appear to be any obvious effects in offspring produced during treatment or afterwards. So, what does this mean? Well, if these studies are anything to go by, we may eventually have a male contraceptive pill akin to the female version, which can cross from the blood into the testes, impair sperm generation, and produce a completely reversible contraceptive effect. There are always things to consider when scientists are on the cusp of a discovery such as this. More research needs to be done into the long-term effects and the impact of JQ1 on different species. JQ1 is not selective at this stage, meaning that it needs to be refined so that the right proteins are affected. The research is still quite early on, but it’s certainly a significant step forward in the quest to develop the elusive male contraceptive pill. If nothing else, we certainly now know what proteins to target to control fertility. So look out bromodomain, science is on to you.

9

Winter 2013


Inspiring the next generation of scientists

10

11

T

here’s no question about it: science hasn’t always been perceived as all that glamorous, particularly amongst young people. But science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects now appear to be experiencing a renaissance, as charities, government initiatives and facilities like Diamond work to bring STEM back into the spotlight.

whom being nerdy is kind of cool. You can see it in pop culture – science is just more friendly and visible now.” Joe posits that the emergence of a more technologydriven culture has augmented interest in science: “Think about the amount of things people are exposed to on a daily basis, from gadgets to medications, people are beginning to see all these things that are born out of science.”

In 2006, young people’s interest in science appeared to be at a low point. Entries for A level physics had halved since the 1980s, and chemistry and maths were also failing to attract the same numbers of young people. But the figures now seem to be improving. Since that low in 2006, the numbers of students doing A level science and maths have risen steadily, and STEM subjects now account for nearly 30% of all A level entries. So is geek becoming more chic amongst young people? And if so, what can organisations like Diamond do to support the next generation of budding scientists?

Charities, government and industry have all worked hard to strengthen young people’s affinity towards the sciences; and policy initiatives, education programmes and publicity campaigns have all helped further uptake. So where does Diamond come in? With 3000 researchers working on everything from health and medicine to technology and engineering, the synchrotron is perfectly placed to demonstrate the breadth of scientific career pathways, and to showcase what can be achieved through research.

Joseph Lyons is winner of Diamond’s 2013 Young Investigator of the Year Award – the annual prize for young researchers who have made an outstanding contribution to science. Joe contends that science is in the midst of a cultural revival: “We’re getting to a generation for

It remains challenging to convey the relevance of science to pupils. According to a recent report by the Wellcome Trust, 40% of students still have problems making direct links between the science they learn at school and how this applies to everyday life. Students also struggle to identify the potential careers that a science education

could lead to. In its engagement activities with young people, Diamond seeks to end this disconnect between students being exposed to and enjoying science and their considering it a viable and important career option. Diamond’s programme of AS and A level visits invites physics, biology and chemistry students inside the synchrotron. When they visit, students have the chance to explore the particle accelerator, to meet people who work at the forefront of cutting edge research, and to see firsthand the work that goes on in the STEM industry and how that work changes the world we live in. Another of Diamond’s initiatives invites undergraduate students to spend a summer working at the synchrotron on real scientific research projects. Daniel Greenwood was one of these students; he worked with a team from I02, one of Diamond’s life sciences beamlines, over the summer. For Daniel, it’s the practical experience of working at a scientific facility that’s so important: “It just makes such a difference. When you’re looking at an exam question on how you characterise a protein, you don’t want to have to remember flashcards and strange words. It’s much better to be able to look back to when you did that experiment, the room you were in, the machines you used. It just makes it so much clearer and more vivid.”

Laura Holland, Public Engagement Manager at Diamond, agrees that hands-on experience is key to inspiring the next generation: “There’s a team of researchers and technicians behind every new discovery at the synchrotron, and we want to show young people that scientific progress depends on these people. It’s important to demonstrate how an interest in science can translate into a career, and we need to highlight the practical consequences of research. Vaccines, nanotechnology, jet planes - that’s what Diamond can offer: it’s science in action.” Ultimately, science is only as good as the scientists behind it. That’s why it’s so important to invest in the next generation of STEM professionals. From antibiotics to iPods, we owe most of the benefits of modern life to science. If we want progress to continue, we need to foster scientific curiosity in young minds. At Diamond, we aim to reach out to bright young people and help them realise that they are scientists.

To find out more about our outreach and education activities please contact [email protected] or visit our website on www.diamond.ac.uk/education

Winter 2013


Diamond in Action: Nanotech Innovations

T

here’s no doubt about it, Diamond Light Source is as high-tech as it comes. The facility is over five times the footprint of St. Paul’s Cathedral; it fires electrons at near light speeds, and produces one of the brightest lights in the solar system. Diamond’s cutting-edge machinery is helping scientists to investigate nanomaterials and develop pioneering new technologies. By allowing scientists to study novel materials atom-by-atom, Diamond is paving the way towards the development of new and advanced nanotechnologies.

Energy-Efficient Tech First identified thousands of years ago, electricity is now fundamental to our everyday lives. The entire world runs on an electric current. But using all this juice has an impact, both on our pockets and the environment.

12

So scientists are using Diamond to try to drastically reduce the amount of electricity we use to power our technology. What if you only had to charge your phone once a month, or if every PC in every office around the world could work without being plugged into the mains? Every time you click on a website, watch a movie on your laptop or listen to a song on your phone, the gadget is reading a binary code. Technology uses magnets to track the series of 1s and 0s and translate them into an action, such as opening up Facebook or firing off a tweet. But this little magnet needs a lot of power to function; that’s why you have to charge your tech and top up the battery. Scientists believe that there may be ways to reduce the amount of electricity those little tracking magnets use. Diamond’s nanoscience beamline, I06, produces a very precise, narrow beam; this allows scientists to focus the light into a space only a few microns wide. Using a technique called nano-spectroscopy, scientists can look into important materials and examine the different layers that make up a substance on an atomic level. With nano-spectroscopy, scientists are looking to uncover more about magnetic materials and what makes the magnets in our gadgets work. By studying the properties of these tiny magnets, the teams at Diamond hope to develop more efficient materials that require less electrical power to read and write the binary code. Discovering the hidden properties of different materials is the key to developing technology that is more energy efficient. We may not be able to wave goodbye to power-hungry technology any time soon but, by uncovering new ways to power our phones and computers, synchrotron light could be the spark that sets off the next generation of energy-efficient gadgets.

An image showing the magnetic profile of a nanotech sample produced using the PhotoEmission Electron Microscope (PEEM) on beamline I06. The colour box and arrows indicate the direction of the magnetisation.

Teeny-Weeny Devices You only have to look at a photo of someone using a mobile phone from the 80’s to know that consumer electronics have become a lot smaller over the years. We can’t get enough of little gadgets but, at the same time, we expect our tech to be capable of storing more than ever before. Moore’s Law suggests that technology will halve in size every 2 years. The challenge for scientists is to figure out how to make technology that is capable of storing more with less space. But there may be a new player in the mini-gadgetry game. Some materials respond to magnetism, some respond to electricity; multiferroics are a type of material which respond to both. This means that they can be used to develop devices which exploit both magnetism and electric charge, so that they run faster and on less power. Spintronic thin films are a branch of multiferroic materials. The phrase ‘spintronic’ is shorthand for ‘spin transport electronics’. They work like this: when an electron passes through an electronic device, the movement of charges generates heat and uses a lot of power. What spintronic technology does is to exploit both the electronic charge and the magnetic spin of the electron. So by exploiting the electric and magnetic charge of electrons, devices fitted with spintronic thin films can potentially harness more power from less charge. The futuristic films require much less space to operate than existing nanotechnology, and so could make it possible to develop gadgets that are much smaller, more energy efficient, and faster. At Diamond, scientists are using the I16 beamline, which specialises in materials and magnetism, to investigate the forces between atoms in multiferroic materials and how these forces lead to subtle patterns of magnetism and electronic charge. By altering the material qualities of the spintronic thin films and other multiferroics, researchers hope to develop the devices to be as high-performing and miniaturised as possible. The progress being made in this field means that we can potentially expect our consumer electronics to continue getting tinier and tinier, and Diamond is at the forefront of this cutting-edge research; now that’s no small feat.

13

Diamond in Action:

Winter 2013


Really Rechargeable Batteries

14

I

t’s surprising how much we rely on battery power. Everything from our phones to our cameras depends on little power sources called lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Released in the early 1990’s, LIBs are now ubiquitous, and are used to power consumer electronics, hand tools and electric vehicles. They also have important roles in medicine, defence and even space exploration. Because of the variety of ways in which LIBs are currently used, improvements to the batteries could have substantial and far-reaching effects. Scientists at Diamond are using synchrotron light to investigate ways of developing the materials inside the batteries so that they are more durable, cheaper, safer and able to store more energy. With the capabilities on I07, Diamond’s high-resolution X-ray diffraction beamline, scientists can investigate the structure of materials in different conditions, including high heat. They’re able to look inside the material to see how it is affected by a changing environment and how it could be developed to be more effective. Scientists working on LIBs are using I07 to investigate the deterioration of batteries over time as a result of charging. The nanotech experts also want to analyse the structural stability of the batteries under changing temperatures. Ever seen that label warning you not to let your laptop get too hot? Or have you bought tech that stopped holding a charge after a year or two? Well those things may one day be a thing of the past. By adding ions to the material inside LIBs, scientists hope to make them more stable, more efficient, and able to charge faster. This could have a significant impact both on the everyday convenience of having really rechargeable consumer electronics, but also in the wider field of renewable energy. Electric cars that charge quickly and stay running for longer could make environmentally friendly transport a much more popular option for commuters. It goes to show how far-reaching research carried out at Diamond can be. Who knows, perhaps one day we’ll even have the synchrotron running on battery power!

Dem Bones, Dem Bones A new method of measuring bone quality has important implications for medical treatments.

L

ike many things in life, bones aren’t perfect. Sometimes, if you’re clumsy, prone to a scuffle, or a keen BASE jumper, bones break. We know this much, but it’s important to advance our understanding of how and when bones break. This knowledge can help us to develop treatments for damaged bones and counteract the effects of bone-related diseases with targeted therapies. The toughness of bone and its resistance to fractures is a key indicator of the bone’s quality. Bones which are damaged or depleted in some way as a result of poor nutrition or disease will break more easily than good quality bones. However, bone plays by its own rules. Because of its complex structure, it fractures at different points and in different ways to other, similar materials. It’s particularly difficult to gauge the fracture resistance, and thus bone quality, of smaller bones. These very small bone samples could give an insight into the toughness of bone in individual patients. But it’s really hard to measure such small samples, so our knowledge of the fracture resistance of bones is limited to what can be studied in the laboratory. This has important implications because generally we use small animals, rats and mice mostly, to study the effects of various things – injuries, diseases, treatments or genetic abnormalities – on bone quality. But as mice and rat bones are so small, the impact can be difficult to measure. With this problem in mind, a team of scientists with a bone to pick have used the imaging capabilities of Diamond’s I13 beamline to develop a new method of observing and measuring the cracking process that occurs when a small bone breaks. The team from the University of Southampton looked at the way in which the bone whitens around the epicentre of a crack. If you’ve ever bent a ruler in half really hard, you will have noticed a whitening effect around the centre of the ruler just before it cracked. This whiteness is thought to be caused by light reflecting on microcracks in the material. These microcracks occur around

the damage zone as the strain increases; they’re a toughening mechanism designed to relieve some of the pressure on the main crack. The team pinned down the relationship between whitening and cracking, proving that, in smaller samples, whitening of the bone is not just the result of a toughening mechanism, but also a sign of deeper damage below the surface. The team also showed that whitening can be used to track and measure this damage, meaning that it can provide a tool to measure bone toughness. Once they had all of this, they developed a frightfully clever computer-aided methodology to measure the toughness of small bones based on the whitening effect.

SRµCT imaging of the whitening (damage) areas of a partially failed bone specimen (Image courtesy of Orestis Katsamenis and Philipp Thurner, adapted from their paper in PLOS One: A Novel Videography Method for Generating Crack-Extension Resistance Curves in Small Bone Samples)

Theoretically, this methodology could even be used to measure the quality of other, similar materials. In a world where everything is getting smaller, this means that, in the future, the findings could have important industrial applications, providing engineers with a tool to accurately assess toughness on even smaller scales. But in the meantime, we now have a new method of measuring the quality of small bone samples; and that’s something that is really important to biomedical research into the effects and treatment of diseases such as osteoporosis. It’s also pretty handy if you just happen to be a bit clumsy and familiar with broken bones. So if you ever do find yourself in a cast after a nasty fall, take comfort in the knowledge that science is looking out for you, and always looking for ways to get you back on your feet.

15

Winter 2013


Scientist in the Spotlight

Curiosity Killed the Virus: The Story Behind the New Vaccine for Foot-And-Mouth Disease

Claire Murray, Support Scientist on I11

By Professor Dave Stuart

1. How did you first become interested in science? I studied chemistry at school, and that’s where I first discovered atoms and molecules. The whole world is made up of tiny particles, and I was amazed that the lead in my pencil and the diamond stone in my mother’s ring were the same atom ordered in different ways – carbon!

16

V

irtually every great scientific discovery, from the theory of gravity to the invention of antibiotics, has emerged out of one simple principle: curiosity.

Together with a collaboration of scientists from various UK institutions, we have developed a new methodology for producing a vaccine which is safer, and potentially more economical and more effective. We still have a long way to go before the vaccine reaches the market, but the signs from early clinical trials are very promising. The vaccine is targeted at foot-andmouth disease (FMDV); a plague of livestock that is endemic throughout much of the world, costs $5 billion a year, and causes much suffering in poor countries. However, the methodology may well transfer to other, similar viruses that affect humans, such as polio, meaning that it could provide a potent new tool in global disease control. This discovery is the culmination of decades of research. I began looking at FMDV in 1985, at a time when research into the structure of viruses was seen by many as neither plausible nor useful. I was put in touch with a collection of virologists at the Wellcome Foundation. One man in particular, Professor Fred Brown, became formative to my approach to virus research. He maintained, despite widespread scepticism from the science community, that identifying virus structures was fundamental to

combating their effects. Brown worked according to a simple scientific principle: with understanding comes power.

developed the pioneering vaccine methodology at Pirbright, Oxford University, Reading University, and the UK’s synchrotron, Diamond Light Source.

Spurred by this support, we continued with the work until, in 1989, we solved the structure of FMDV. There is a unique feeling that accompanies being the first person to ever lay eyes on something like that. But the joy of discovery was tinged with disappointment. Research into FMDV vaccine was cut back.

It wasn’t always a certainty that we would be successful. Scientists sometimes spend their entire lives researching one particular area; only to find that nothing practical emerges from it. But without that thirst for understanding that drives all science, we would be without many of the world’s great discoveries.

We had so many ideas to explore, but we didn’t have the resources or the technology to pursue them. So our FMDV research was essentially put on hold. Meanwhile, I began looking into the structures of other viruses, including the proteins of HIV, EV71 and bluetongue virus. This pause in progress came to a swift end following the 2001 outbreak, when FMDV encroached again upon the shores of Great Britain. The vaccine we have today is a UK-led discovery; the result of an initiative that was borne out of the 2001 crisis. Funding from Defra, the Wellcome Trust, BBSRC, MRC and the STFC allowed us to bring together some of the best in UK virus research to help combat the disease. A collaborative group of scientists and agencies, assembled by Dr. Bryan Charleston, Head of Livestock Viral Disease Programme at the Pirbright institute,

It is deeply satisfying when we are able to use scientific knowledge to better people’s lives, and it is my sincere hope that the vaccine will eventually help improve things on a global scale. I would be overjoyed to see something we contributed to making a difference in the world. However, there is still plenty of work to be done. There are myriad elements of nature that we are yet to understand. For instance, we know that antibodies protect against viruses, but we’re still not quite sure how they do it. If we look closely at that process, if we can figure it out, then perhaps we can develop ways to improve the immune response or disable the virus. Fred Brown was right back in the 1980s; understanding is the key to power. This vaccine is not the end for me or for any of us involved in the research. We’re still scientists, and so we’re still curious. I don’t think that will ever change. Originally published in Huffington Post UK, 27th March 2013.

2. Your research area is physical science. Why do you find this so fascinating? I use X-rays to look at atoms and molecules in a powder, and to study how their structure changes when we heat, cool or squeeze the powdered sample. This is fascinating because it allows us to recreate conditions in the earth’s crust or replicate the formation of space dust and to understand how these processes happen. 3. Who is your scientific hero and why? Ernest Rutherford: he won the Nobel Prize in 1908 for his chemistry on radioactive substances. He was the first to theorise that an atom’s charge is concentrated in a very small nucleus. This was a fundamental discovery at the time, and it made everyone think differently about the structure of atoms. 4. What advice would you give to young people who are interested in a career in science? Be curious! Science only happens because we ask questions. There is an incredible amount of information online and in libraries about science, and you can do lots of interesting reading there. I would also recommend visiting places like science museums, natural history museums and coming to see us at Diamond. We love science and want to share that with you! 5. If you hadn’t been a scientist what else would you want to be? I think I would probably be a baker.

17

How it Works


S

cientists at Diamond use lots of different techniques to carry out their research. Diffraction is a natural phenomenon and an important tool that helps scientists unravel the atomic structure of our world.

What is it?

Diffraction 18

You encounter diffraction every day. In fact, you’re probably experiencing its effects right now. The murmur of background noise, the levels of heat or light in a room – all of these are related to diffraction. Think of waves on the ocean; they behave in the same way as light and sound. When water waves hit an object like a rock or a boat, their trajectory is changed and they disperse in a different pattern. The same is true of light and sound waves. You can have a covert natter at work or school because the sound from your conversation bounces off walls and is spread out as it hits surrounding objects. This causes the waves to become distorted so that they reach others as a murmur of blurred sound. And it’s not just sound; light and heat are also affected by diffraction. We don’t tend to install radiators or lamps behind TVs or fridges because the objects will interfere with the waves, leaving your room rather cold and dark.

The History Once you understand the process of diffraction, it seems quite clear. But it took a while for scientists to work out what was going on. Wave diffraction was first observed in the 17th century, but it wasn’t until 1803, when Thomas Young performed an experiment to observe waves diffracting through two slits, that the phenomenon began to be more fully understood.

The Technique If you shine a bright light at an object, it produces a diffraction pattern as it leaves the sample. This is because the light bounces off each atom inside the object, creating a unique arrangement of light and dark spots. This pattern can then be used to identify the atomic structure of the object itself. Some samples can be tricky to study using diffraction. That’s why scientists use a technique called crystallography to freeze their samples into ice-like crystals. If it’s crystallised first, then almost anything – from virus structures to ancient fossils – can be studied using diffraction. Knowing the structure of diseases is the first step in creating better treatments. Identifying the structural composition of water samples can provide insights into pollution levels and climate change. Understanding the atomic nature of samples is vital to all areas of modern research, and that’s why diffraction is such an important scientific technique.

Diffraction at Diamond Diamond Light Source is a valuable tool for scientists who want to determine the atomic structure of crystallised samples. The bright beams of synchrotron light can pass through objects such as DNA, viruses, industrial materials, and chemical solutions, and produce a diffraction pattern that provides a clear indication of the sample’s structure. Our scientists use diffraction to develop stronger materials for cars and aeroplanes, to identify the impact of climate change, and to develop new and more effective drugs for disease. Diffraction is an essential technique in modern science, and its discovery has led to some of the most significant scientific advances in history. The simple practice of shining a light on samples to determine their structure has helped scientists to illuminate some of the most complex and beautiful aspects of our world. Image courtesy of King’s College London

Young’s nifty diagram of wave diffraction was to have vital significance; in 1952, Rosalind Franklin and Raymond Gosling used diffraction to produce the image of DNA that Watson and Crick would later use to solve the structure. Since the 20th century, diffraction has been a cornerstone of modern science, permeating virtually every aspect of research.

19

Winter 2013


Winning story of the junior category by Lexi Tyack (Year 7 - Our Lady’s Abingdon)

At Diamond, we produce a light brighter than the sun that allows scientists to make amazing discoveries. We invited people to come up with a fictional science story inspired by Diamond. These are the winning stories from younger authors in the Key Stage 3 and 4 categories.

Winning story by Christy Flora Au (Year 10 - Headington School)

I

‘Lambelasma, That is My Name’

am very old, 462 million years old, in fact. Many would say I am dead, a fossil, and to the naked eye, I might seem to be. Being that old and dried and pressurised under so many layers of rock and sand, sometimes I really doubted about my existence. How can I be if nobody knew I ever was? My world was so small and isolated from the rest of the world; I didn’t even have a name! In human terms, I was depressed. That was, until the day I was found.

20

It was quite a normal day to begin with. The sun was blazing away and I was, as always, shifting around slightly, trying to get more comfortable with all this rock pressed up against me. Yet there was something off, some sense of anticipation was humming in the air; the sand particles nearest to me were talking with tones an octave above their usual gravelly rasping voices, and so excited were they, their words were blending into one another. They usually moaned about how passersby would stomp down hard on their little delicate ‘frames’, which is quite entertaining at first but gets irritating after the first hour. The occasional squawk from a bird above, the soft giggling from the breeze, and the distant squeaking of the sand was enough to slowly lull me to sleep. That is, until it happened. “Boys!” I woke with a start, hearing the incoming stampede of feet. All right then, time to brace up. Holding myself as steady as possible, I waited for the downward force that would surely have scraped off some more of my already depleted outer shell, but it never came. Instead I felt a tickling sensation on my rear end that made me burst out laughing. The sand particles nearer to the surface were laughing as well, “They are brushing off your bottom!” Very soon I felt a few tentative rays of sunlight lick at my exposed shell, more giggling and guffawing could be heard around me from the broken rock pieces and sand particles as my backside was revealed to the world to see. From above, a collective gasp went around with more than one “it’s beautiful.” What was so beautiful about my derrière? “I have a feeling that it’s a rugose coral.” “Can’t slice it though, too small, too rare.” “X-ray tomography?” “Diamond Light Source?” “What do you think?” “Yes, brilliant. Let me clear it with above.” Now, mind you, this made no sense to me at all. I was a tiny little existence packed in a rock, who was called Ordovician by the way, and sand particles that groveled in gravelly voices everyday! I didn’t know about any of this stuff! All I knew was that I was removed from the ground, my bottom still on show, with only Ordovician for company, cries of “bon voyage” and sand-made confetti following us along the way. Things went hazy after that, for we were put into a place with no light at all. It was scary. I remember being taken out again and snapping sounds were aimed at my

butt, the tickler thingy was used on me as well. Then it was back into the darkness and strange noises that echoed in my surroundings. Emerging once again into the dim light, my nerves calmed as the cacophony of sounds vibrated through Ordovician and then through me. I didn’t know what that place was, I don’t even know now, but the many sounds just calmed me and made me smile and sigh, well, until some sand particles left behind started squealing because of my sudden movement. There wasn’t the scorching heat of the sun, nor were there the grumblings and mumblings of the environment I was used to. Instead, I heard the controlled, continuous blips that echoed through the air from time to time. I felt two warm objects, not like the scorching heat of the sun or of clumped sand, but of lukewarm rain, carry me up and up and across wherever I was. Entering another world of sound, the blips were soon accompanied by the occasional note of rushing air, reminding me of the balmy breeze on a summer’s day. Whooshes and whizzes and other sounds I couldn’t describe enchanted me, along with the low baritone voices, high soprano melodies and their coexisting thud-thud-thuds that emitted from the species that once stood upon my fragile shell, but now were caring for me so tenderly. “All ready!” “Let’s find this baby’s name now, shall we?” This was the point where things started to sink in. I couldn’t help but get excited by the future they had planned for me, they were giving me a name! I wriggled around in happiness, my joy ringing in my ears, blocking out sudden squeals from the sand particles and from Ordovician, who grumbled at my movement. The warm objects that cuddled me carefully set me down on a cold surface, making Ordovician grumble even more. I can’t lie, I was a little scared then for the melodies and the baritones slowly faded away, muffled and quiet. What did they want to do with me? Am I going to get my name? Then, a humming sound slowly increased in volume, clattering my shell and clattering Ordovician. It grew and grew and grew, the humming separating into their own strains of tune, each playing their own little game, prodding and poking at me in a whimsical and half-hearted way. I felt like laughing, I’d never felt anything like this before. My thoughts were jumbled as the intensity of the sound washed over me, the shrieking of the sand particles unheard over the din, when suddenly, suddenly I was blinded by such a powerful force of light. It pierced through the dense Ordovician and the annoying little grains that lay on the surface. It ripped through the cavernous space filled with the hypnotizing humming, before finally, finally it reached me. It saw me. It saw me. From far away, I heard a shout of baritones and soprano melodies accompanied with their thudthud-thuds. “It’s a Lambelasma! Look at the beautiful coral patterns!” they cried. And I cried, and laughed and sighed as well. For I was Lambelasma, that was my name.

A Paranormal Experience

I

It’s been three days. Three long drawn-out days. Mum hasn’t told me anything. Well, nothing that I didn’t already know. You see, I was there, at the Diamond Light Source, the day Dad disappeared.

just disappeared. You see I knew that, somehow, he had been transported into the 4th dimension. I also knew that his top secret mission had been to find a way to enter the 4th dimension.

Dad’s a scientist working at the Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire. I know he’s been working on a top secret matter. Nobody I know has ever heard of Diamond Light Source so Dad always has to explain what it’s about. He says “Diamond generates brilliant beams of light which are used for academic and industry research and development.” At that point I can see people’s eye glaze over as he is about to launch a really boring lecture on the 2000 researchers who are using the beam over a range of scientific disciplines! What he doesn’t tell them –and what I know – is that they also use the beam to explore paranormal disciplines. Yes – paranormal – you know – “ghosties and ghoulies and long leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night”!

Once it was apparent that he had simply “disappeared” the Government agents were all over the facility and the building was put into complete “shut down.” Mum’s been holed up in the study with the agents and Alfie and I have been pretty much ignored.

You have to understand that as long as I can remember Dad has been interested in “paranormal” activity. Whenever Mum, Dad, my younger brother Alfie and I went on holiday we would always end up in the dank dungeons of a castle. Dad reckoned he could always sense “the other side” but Mum said the only thing she could sense was the need for a cup tea and a cream scone.

So I went to the facility, dressed in black, cycling through the back country lanes, in the middle of the night. The break in was easier than I expected. The laboratories are alarmed but I had watched Dad often enough to know the code- 012345. Simple as. Dad might be a top rate scientist but he wasn’t very creative. I sneaked down the corridor towards the lab.

There were also some old “strange but true” family stories that were dusted off on a regular basis. My Grandfather was a great believer in mysterious happenings. He had been an air traffic controller back in the Second World War. He always maintained that he had once been in contact with a military aircraft that simply “disappeared” – even as he spoke to the pilot over the radio. He claimed the pilot started to shout and scream in a terror. The voice of the pilot became softer and softer even though he was shrieking for help; the dot on the radar that was tracking the plane became fainter and fainter until it simply disappeared. The aircraft and crew were never seen again. It was recorded as “Lost at Sea” during combat but Grandpa said he knew better. He said they had entered the “4th dimension

The mirror was still where Dad had pulled it to. No-one had moved anything. I was the only person to have worked out what had happened. I felt scared, suddenly the world seemed enormous and I felt tiny. I was a tiny cog in a giant mechanism that had been working for eternity. Everyone knew their place on planet earth. If anything went wrong I could destroy that perfect world that we are all so familiar with. I took a deep breath.

There was also the story of the Vicar walking with the parishioner on a snowy day. It was Christmas morning and the two were tramping through a snowy field in the early morning winter darkness. As the Vicar and the parishioner walked together the parishioners voice began to get softer and softer until it simply faded away. Complete silence surrounded the vicar – too early even for the morning bird song. As it was dark the Vicar had only been able to sense his companion next to him as they tramped through the fields. He reportedly said that they seemed to enter a patch of deep velvety black shadow and the next thing he know his companion had gone. As the dawn light crept across the sky the Vicar could see two trails of footprints behind him showing the path they had followed. As he looked down beside him he could see his companions’ tracks stop. He looked back and was horrified to see the footprints almost melt back into the snow. It was as if the parishioner had never existed. Ahead and all around him the snow lay completely smooth. Nothing had disturbed the white blanket. Grandpa claimed the companion had also entered the “4th dimension.” I told you I was there the day Dad disappeared. It happened to be the day when Diamond Light Source organises an Open Day. You can meet the scientists and have a tour of the synchrotron itself. I should explain the synchrotron is this a huge scientific machine designed to produce very intense beams, called synchrotron light. I said Dad was working on something “top secret.” Well I had guessed that it was serious business because very occasionally we had sombre looking, dark suited men, turn up on the doorstep. Dad always immediately hustled them into his study and you could hear the low murmur of voices as they discussed something Dad had discovered. I knew they were Secret Service Government agents. Not because they looked liked James Bond, which would have been fabulous, but actually because of the complete opposite. They were “Mr Grey” - completely forgettable. You couldn’t remember them the second they left the house and that was the key to their success. I had also gleaned from a snippet of overheard conversation that Dad was working on some sort of experiment to do with national security. That Open Day visit was one where Dad was supposed to be demonstrating the synchrotron. I should add that my Dad is easily recognisable as he’s very tall with bright red hair which is long and crazy. His hair needs quite a bit of grooming and as he knew many of the visitors would want to talk to him he nipped into his laboratory to put more hair wax in. I followed him sneakily as his lab is normally out of bounds because of the secrecy of his work. The room was small and cramped. Equipment was piled on the tables. I loved wandering around looking at all the names - diffractometers, long trace profilometers and spectrometers. It really was another world. Dad’s lab is right next to the beam room (as I call it). When I last saw Dad that day he was looking in the mirror. He had pulled it around to the window that overlooked the room where the synchrotron machine was housed was so that he could see his reflection more clearly. I noticed that a beam line seemed to be reflected in the mirror. Dad peered intently into the mirror and I heard him murmuring to himself about a mirrored box he could see in the mirror’s reflection, seemingly lying in the room behind him. I went to the toilet then and when I returned he had gone - disappeared - and still gone. I knew he hadn’t

After he had been away 3 days I realised that I had to help him return. The only way to find out how to help him was to go back to the lab. I crept out of bed and as I slipped down the stairs I heard the troubled breathing of Mum and Alfie. I felt bad. What if they woke in the morning to find me gone too? For a minute I considered going back. I pushed that thought away. I had to find out what had happened to Dad.

I looked into the mirror and I could see a mirrored box within the reflection. My reflection stared at me with unnerving eyes. I looked up and, to my horror I noticed that the reflection of me hadn’t done so – it remained motionless in the mirror. I screamed. A hole in the mirror opened. I reached in and picked up the mirrored box within the reflection - the room closed in on me and the beam line swirled around me. The mirror grew and I shrank. With another deep breath I stepped completely through and found myself not in the lab but at my kitchen table! Dad was opposite me. Had it had all been a dream? But then I spoilt it by looking to my right. Sitting there was none other than me - staring at me. “What?” I said,”How is this possible?”“It’s not” the other me replied “You’re not” “Lauren!” cried a voice. “DAD!” I screamed. It had to be him. Just had to be. He told me everything. It turns out that the 4th dimension is actually what you see in a mirror so in everyday life you see it, the 4th dimension. When Dad and I came through it was because the beams were so intense that they actually managed to split the particles. The opening had appeared as the mirrored box. The splitting of the particles had opened a door through the dimensions. The Government had known there was a 4th dimension and wanted Dad to find a way in. What nobody realised is that the 4th dimension is an exact replica of our dimension. So not only was there another Me, there is also another Dad, and Mum and Alfie. It was all very mixed up. Because Mum is in the 3rd dimension there isn’t two of her. But I’m in the 4th dimension meaning there won’t be a me in the 3rd. Dad now had the answers to his questions. We could now return. But although we could make sense of the 4th dimension we couldn’t work out how to get back. Despite the bizarre familiarity of this world we needed – and wanted - to get back to our dimension. Our replica family had also had to keep us hidden. As equally as the 3rd dimension was interested in the “4th” dimension those in charge of the “4” dimension would be very interested in us. We all thought long and hard until replica Dad burst out “Wait! We could send you back the way you got here”. “Huh? Oh yeah! I forgot. How could I do that?”Dad laughed. Getting in the Diamond Light Source without causing attention wasn’t easy. We had to run down corridors when there was no-one there or look down as people walked by so they couldn’t see that we were all the same. But finally we reached the lab. The mirror was standing in the lab. A feeling of fear crept over me. “Dad, I’m scared” I squeaked. “You did it once. I know you can do it again” he reassured me. I was ready, ready for anything. I had Dad now. That was all that mattered. Holding hands we braced ourselves for the horrible feeling of isolation and suffocation as we travelled through parallel worlds. We were back home. Mum and Alfie cried with relief. Dad met again with the Government agents. I grabbed Dad to be alone with him for a moment as I wanted to talk to him. “I don’t think we should tell anyone about it” I said. “Don’t worry” said Dad,” we know enough and we also know that we should respect the people of the “4th” dimension.” Dad said that they ceased using the Diamond Light Source for paranormal research. There was enough to discover and research in our own world. It was as if it had never happened, as if the 4th dimension had never existed.

21

Diamond Dialogue

Winter 2013

22


Explore the Synchrotron:

Have you ever wondered what the big silver doughnut looks like on the inside? Or wanted to know how scientists conduct their most hightech research? The Inside Diamond open days are an opportunity to take a rare glimpse inside the synchrotron and find out more about the fascinating UK science facility that attracts researchers from all over the world.

Facts and Figures

“Great” Billy, 10. “Enlightening” Simon, 51. “Wonderful tour. Makes us proud the UK still has and does world class science.”

Diamond is like a very powerful mircoscope. It harnesses the power of electrons to produce bright light that scientists use to carry out experiments

Diamond’s light is…

We have an open day lined up for Saturday 11th January. The open days are an exciting event, featuring a short introduction to Diamond and a tour of the machine. Please visit www.diamond.ac.uk to register.

and 100 billion times brighter than a hospital X-ray machine

10 billion times brighter than the sun

Diamond Captured

Over 3000 researchers use Diamond’s facilities

Health and Medicine

Diamond is one of the UK’s most impressive structures, but here’s a side of the synchrotron you wouldn’t normally see: ering the onsible for ste ring magnet, resp rage sto d on A sextupole am Di around the electron beam

An im a diseas ge of h an e synchro virus (EV71 d-foot-and-m ) prod outh tron be uced am by the

What is diamond?

k

The synchrotron at dus

The number of times Diamond’s electrons could travel around Earth in a second

Diamond is jointly funded by the UK Government and the Wellcome Trust

Competition Would you like to win a VIP tour of the synchrotron for you and four friends at our next open day in January? We’re looking for feedback on our inaugural issue of Inside Diamond. Send us your thoughts, good or bad, brief or comprehensive, for the chance to be entered into a prize draw. The deadline for entries is the 20th December 2013, and the winner will be contacted shortly after. Please send feedback to [email protected]

£

Historical Objects

Industrial Materials

7.5

Engineering

23

Diamond supports research into…

The Environment

New technology

and more…

Diamond’s circumference is twice as long as The Shard The footprint of St.Paul’s Cathedral could fit inside Diamond

5 times

Contact information Diamond Light Source Ltd Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK www.diamond.ac.uk

Funded by:

Head of Communications: Isabelle Boscaro-Clarke Tel: +44 (0) 1235 778130 E-mail: [email protected] Press and PR Officer: Mary Cruse Tel: +44 (0) 1235 778548 E-mail: [email protected]

please insert FSC logo here

Printed using vegetable oil based inks and chemical free processing Please recycle