Below is a selection of research projects that have been completed by our graduates:

Third year

• Palaeoecology of extinct planktonic colonies
• Three-Dimensional Tensor Field Visualisation
• Models and tools for the facilitation of inter-institutional Science Education research.
• An ultrasound radar simulator
• Development of an absorption spectrophotometer for magnetic field studies on steady state enzyme kinetics
• Tracking Systems for Humans and Animals

Fourth Year:

• Pliocene Palaeoclimate on the Antarctic Peninsula deduced from bivalve morphology and geochemistry.
  

Palaeoecology of extinct planktonic colonies

Student: John

Supervisors: Jan Zalasiewicz, Andrea Snelling, Mark Williams (Geology Dept.).

The oceans of the early Palaeozoic Era, some 400-500 million years ago, differed from modern oceans in a number of fundamental aspects. Firstly, the bottom waters were frequently devoid of oxygen and hence lacked multicellular animal and plant communities, reflecting a time in the Earth's history when the carbon cycle operated differently to today's. However, the sediments that accumulated on these stagnant sea floors preserve parts of a planktonic ecosystem that thrived in the surface waters, the members of which drifted to the sea floor after death. The most striking constituent of this ancient planktonic community is a group of organisms, the graptolites, that have no counterpart in the plankton of today. The graptolites were highly organised, colonial animals thought to be related to the living pterobranchs (that live, though, attached to the sea floor), that evolved rapidly and seemingly 'built' their own skeletons, much as termites or wasps build their nests today.

Our knowledge of the ecology of these enigmatic organisms is slight, as they are only preserved as death assemblages divorced from their original living habitat. However, detailed study of their relation to the enclosing rock strata can yield clues to their lifestyles, such as tantalising glimpses of predation and community structure.

Three-Dimensional Tensor Field Visualisation

Student: Sean

Supervisor: Dr. M.R. Horsfield (Medical Physics Department, LRI)

Magnetic resonance imaging often uses injectable contrast agent to enhance the appearance of a particular tissue - known as dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). An analysis of the time course of signal enhancement can lead to a better understanding of the type of disease within a tissue. However, such an analysis requires measurement of the rate at which contrast agent enters the tissue (the 'input function'). This is difficult to measure accurately. I am working on this project at the Leicester Royal Infirmary to develop a model-based approach to measuring the input function, such that assessing the input function will be reduced to one of model parameter estimation. This has the potential to improve the reliability of the technique.

Models and tools for the facilitation of inter-institutional Science Education research.

Student: Divaker

Supervisor: Dr. T. Barker

This proposal is set in the context of a research project funded by the Higher Education Academy to examine the role of Science for Sustainability (SfS). The Sustainable Development (SD) agenda provides both a globally pressing concern for humanity and a potential means of interesting more students in Science and particularly Physics. The SfS project sets out to examine the SD agenda for its relevance to Science education and to develop appropriate sample curricula materials in collaboration with partners. These partners currently include the African Virtual University in Nairobi, Kenya who, in turn collaborate with partners all over Africa and potentially include the Science Learning Centres and Institute of Physics. Hence for the project to work a communications and organisational infrastructure is required which can work 'at a distance' such as those provided by current Content Management Systems (CMS) incorporating Weblogs, Wikis and Discussion Boards.

So in this project I am examining such inter-institutional collaboration, looking at issues relevant to educational research. These issues may include the appropriate analysis of social as well as technological needs, for instance, thus deriving models for collaboration is such inter-institutional Science Education research projects. This rationale is currently being explored in the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development as well as forming the basis for international conferences which I shall be in a position to contribute to.

An ultrasound radar simulator

Student: Dan

Supervisor: Dr. T.K. Yeoman

Radar systems have a wide variety of uses in industry and commerce, as well as environmental and geo-science and space exploration. Ultrasound has with a frequency of tens of kHz and a wavelength of order one cm, Such a wavelength is similar to those used in a number of radar systems, although the frequency and wave speed are very different. Ultrasound can thus be used to simulate the operation of radar systems in the laboratory.

In this project I am constructing and testing a simple ultrasound radar simulator using both individual transducers and a phased array of transducers to form the transmitted and received beams. I shall investigate the use of continuous wave, pulsed and chirped transmitted signals. I shall be able to assess and optimise the performance of the radar in beamforming and steering, and in the location, identification, and tracking of objects.

Development of an absorption spectrophotometer for magnetic field studies on steady state enzyme kinetics.

Student: Geoff

Project Supervisor : Dr. Jonny Woodward (Chemistry)

This project is based in the Magnetic Field Laboratory in the Department of Chemistry, where We the effect of weak magnetic fields on the horseradish peroxidise catalyzed reduction of hydrogen peroxide with the enolate hydrolysis product of 2-methyl-1-(trimethylsilyloxy)-1-propene as reductant, has recently been investigated using a stopped flow technique. Measurements are currently being undertaking of magnetic field effects on the vitamin B12 ethanolamine ammonia lyase system and there is an increasing need to make detailed studies under steady-state enzyme cycling conditions.

To achieve these measurements I am constructing a dedicated instrument to allow the sensitive detection of oscillating magnetic fields on the spectrophotometric signal generated by this and other enzyme reaction systems.

Tracking Systems for Humans and Animals

Student: Sally

Supervisor: Prof. M. Sims

In a number of experiments the position and status of animals or humans are required. Examples in the context of space research include astronauts in a space station, animals in a test facility. Although complicated tracking techniques have been proposed simple positioning techniques using fluorescent type markers (e.g. quantum dots) are possible.

In this project I am examining various position and location methods, particularly the use of fluorescent markers such as quantum dots. I am deriving a conceptual design of such a system and computer modelling its performance.

Pliocene Palaeoclimate on the Anarctic Peninsula deduced from bivalve morphology and geochemistry

Student: Daniel

Supervisors: Dr M Williams and Dr J Zalasiewicz

Growth increment analysis of seven specimens of the Pliocene, Antarctic bivalve Zygochlamys andersonii was combined with geochemical data from the external calcite layer of a single specimen in order to determine a correlation between palaeo-temperature and rate growth, and to provide palaeoclimate data to be fed into the PRISM and ISODYN projects. The growth increments of these seven specimens of Zygochlamys andersonii indicate that the growth of these shells is cyclical. Geochemical analysis of the main Cockburn Island Specimen suggests that growth was seasonal, seeming to coincide with the annual break up of the sea ice around James Ross Island and is therefore likely to have begun in late spring. This is substantiated by the fact that the growth of the main Cockburn Island Specimen appears to be initiated once ambient sea temperatures reach above -1°C. The δ13C profile of this shell shows that the initiation of growth is followed by a decrease to lighter δ13C values indicating a highly productive environment conducive to that of late spring environment around James Ross Island. Due to the correlation of growth increment deposition to δ18O derived temperatures it is probable that with additional geochemistry data from a number of other Z. andersonii specimens we will be able to link growth to palaeo-temperature more strongly, and ultimately go some way to producing a palaeo-thermometer based upon the deposition of growth increments. This study provides the basis for the use of Z. andersonii in high-resolution ecological studies and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.