Imaging case studies

Understanding catalytic filter devices for automotive emissions control

Particulate matter (PM) pollution remains a major public health concern. The installation of particulate filters on the exhaust of road vehicles with combustion engines has been critical in capturing PM before they pollute the environment. 

However, the deposits cause the permeability of the filter to change continuously, and over time, without remediation, it can lead to excessive back-pressure from the exhaust, lowering the fuel efficiency of the engine and increasing greenhouse emissions.

Assessing Active Virosomes to deliver vaccines against Chikungunya disease

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans via infected mosquitos and has been classed as a category B priority pathogen.

Although many cases are mild, the virus can cause chronic disease and long-term debilitating joint pain in patients.

Since 2004, chikungunya has spread rapidly and has been identified in over 60 countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. There is currently no vaccine or specific drug against the virus.

Understanding the journey of the active pharmaceutical ingredients

Many patients suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes, schizophrenia and acromegaly are required to administer treatments subcutaneously or intramuscularly using injections. 

Whilst the efficacy of these treatments has been well documented, the absorption mechanisms, the impact of different formulations and their delivery, is not yet fully understood.

Exploring the effects of soil management practices to improve agricultural productivity

With global food demands growing, maximising crop yield is of critical importance. Soil structure is one of the most important environmental factors affecting root architectural development and consequently plant yield.

Despite the criticism associated with prolonged use, tillage improves the structure of soils for good early root establishment as it breaks down large clumps of soil into smaller aggregates and individual particles to ensure good seed-soil contact in the seedbed as well as an ideal pore network for root growth. To ensure the best possible plant yield, in addition to having the optimum tillage, other soil management practices need to promote optimal root growth.

Protecting the environment whilst maintaining efficient engine performance

Poor air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions are at the forefront of public discussion, as well as being high on the agenda of worldwide policy makers. Many industries are embracing rapid changes in response, as is especially visible in the automotive sector, with the introduction of technologies such as gasoline particulate filters (GPFs). GPFs are positioned in a vehicle’s exhaust system and filter fine particulate matter (PM) produced by the engine. Recent legislation in places such as China, India and Europe will drive the adoption of GPFs on the majority of new gasoline, and hybrid electric, vehicles.

Whilst GPFs benefit public health and the environment by filtering out PM, they can also become gradually blocked by collected material. Captured carbonaceous particles (e.g. soot) can routinely oxidize away; however, inorganic PM (e.g. ash) typically remains in the filter for life, slowly blocking it and potentially reducing the fuel economy and power of the vehicle. Inorganic PM is predominantly derived from engine oil additive chemistry, which plays an important role in improving fuel economy, performance, and engine lifetime.

Evaluating the long-term risk from radioactive particles at Fukushima

In March 2011 a major earthquake hit Japan’s East coast.  Although the six nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) were robust enough to survive the seismic effects, the subsequent 15 metre tsunami had devastating effects, causing a power failure and loss of core cooling. Rising heat within the reactor cores caused the fuel rods to overheat and partially melt down, and radioactive material was released into the surrounding area.

Optimising the conditions for additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM), was originally used for creating prototypes, but is now being adopted to create fully functional products. This method of manufacturing allows us to create complex shapes, to exact measurements. It works by fusing together metallic, ceramic or other powders into detailed 3D shapes, layer by layer, using laser light. During traditional manufacturing routes, like casting or forging, microstructures are formed over seconds to minutes. During AM, the intense laser heating melts and solidifies the materials in milliseconds, forming very different microstructures.

Understanding the failure mechanisms of electrospun fibres

The process of electrospinning has been around for many years. It was originally used for the development of textiles; however in the last 5-10 years, this method has been used for more innovative applications.

Electrospinning uses electric forces to draw charged threads of polymer solutions or polymer melts to create fibres with diameters of a few micrometres. It enables the generation of constructs with large surface areas and a fibrous morphology that closely resemble the macromolecular structure of many tissue matrices; it therefore provides a good structure for cell attachment, tissue regeneration, and even drug delivery.

Pfizer - Visualising coating integrity for bead drug products

Drug products in the pharmaceutical industry are commonly prepared in the form of discrete multi-particulate units. Bead products are a vehicle used in the development of controlled release drugs and are prepared by coating an inert spherical core with multiple layers, including that of the active ingredient. Components in each applied layer can have a significant impact on how the drug will be released and porosity of the layers is a critical feature related to observed dissolution behaviour. However accurate and highly resolved measurement of the physical integrity of these layers is a significant challenge in the development of advanced multi-particulate dosage forms. 

Personalising alendronate therapy when treating Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that affects 200 million people worldwide and contributes to 8.9 million fractures annually. The condition causes a loss of bone mass and structure which in turn leads to bones becoming weak and breaking, usually during a trip or fall. The disease is prevalent in people over 55, and in particular women, due to the loss of oestrogen hormone during the menopause. Osteoporosis is becoming increasingly prevalent in men who receive cancer therapies which supress testosterone levels. Bisphosphonates are a family of medicines which are commonly prescribed to treat osteoporosis. The most common types are alendronate and zoledronate which aim to strengthen osteoporotic bones by slowing down the activity of bone cells.

Setting the foundation for new anti-malaria drugs

Malaria is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases of humans and affects 216 million people worldwide. Many years of research have been dedicated to finding the most effective and affordable drugs to prevent infection, which have to date been very successful.  Most recently the challenge has been the growth in resistance to existing treatments, which has driven further research into a new generation of anti-malarial drugs.

Chemical tomography: world first in catalysis research

In the chemical industry and industrial research, catalysis plays a vital role. Catalysts are in constant development to fulfil economic, political and environmental demands. Gaining valuable new information about the atomicnanoscale chemical structure, coupled with information about the micro-distribution of such species, has applications across a wide range of disciplines such as materials, biomedical, environmental, and geophysical sciences.

Understanding the microstructure of ice cream

The quality of ice cream is considered to depend on the size of constituent air cells and ice crystals, the smaller and rounder the better. Product quality and shelf life can be strongly affected by the temperature variations that can commonly occur during storage and distribution, including by the end consumer.

Look but don’t touch; non-invasive analysis of ILW containment

Uranium (U) metal, attached to Magnox cladding and removed from spent fuel prior to reprocessing, is a key component of the UK’s intermediate level waste (ILW). It is encapsulated in grout and sealed within stainless steel canisters in preparation for interim storage and eventual disposal. Understanding corrosion processes that may occur in these U-containing waste canisters is critical to ensuring the safe long term containment of this ILW (>100 years).