Research highlighted at Chemical Analysis Facility showcase

Monday, 11 April 2011

Chemical Analysis Facility

Cutting edge analytical science was put on display last week when the University held a showcase event to highlight research activities in the £4.5million Chemical Analysis Facility (CAF).

This research platform underpins a very wide range of molecular science across campus, supporting the research of more than 40 academics in the University. An audience of 120 academics, senior management, and other members of the University were entertained with talks that encompassed the biological sciences, organic synthesis, physical chemistry, atmospheric science, metabonomics, earthworm secretions, polymer science and particle levitation.

The event was opened by Professor Christine Williams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation. She said: “The presentations we have seen today illustrate the breadth of excellent research being carried out in Reading in both the life and physical sciences; it is on activities such as these that Reading has built its reputation as a top-performing research-led University.”

Professor Richard Ellis, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences, said in his closing speech: “The University’s investment in research platforms such as the Chemical Analysis Facility is a mark of the importance it attaches to pure and applied scientific research, and today we have seen that this investment is paying off.”

The Chemical Analysis Facility is a University Research Platform that provides a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation for the chemical sciences. Its primary purpose is to enable scientists at the University of Reading to produce the highest quality research in the molecular sciences. It also plays a major role in teaching, training and outreach, and provides analytical services to commercial organisations.

Further information can be obtained from the CAF website or by contacting Professor George Marston - g.marston@reading.ac.uk.