Chemistry - Making an Impact

Department of Chemistry

We are making an impact...

We are unlocking the power of the genome Next-generation DNA sequencing invented by our researchers is being used world-wide to unlock the secrets of the genetic code, driving a revolution in personalised treatments for cancer, complex neurodegenerative, autoimmune and genetic disorders and rare diseases, and leading to life-changing improvements for patients and their loved ones.

We are helping to heal the ozone hole Researchers in our department contributed to the development of the Montreal Protocol, which banned the substances responsible for destroying the ozone layer. Our models of the decline and recovery of the ozone layer before and after the protocol’s introduction have helped chart its effectiveness. A healthier ozone layer means that by 2030 there will be some two million fewer cases of skin cancer each year.

We are combating Alzheimer’s disease Misfolding proteins in our cells can cause devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Type II diabetes. Researchers in our Centre for Misfolding Diseases have made vital advances in our understanding of these disorders, and are developing new ways to halt them. Working with our drug discovery partners, we have created an innovative strategy based on chemical kinetics to enable the selection of candidate drugs, including small molecules and antibodies, that could stop the protein aggregation process that causes Alzheimer’s disease.

Our new Chemistry of Health building will provide state-of-the-art labs for further fundamental research in this field.

We are opening the doors to early diagnosis We are facilitating the early detection and potential treatment of cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s and a range of other hard-to-diagnose diseases. Our research has led to new sequencing technology that spots the changes in genes that mark the onset of these diseases using just a simple blood test.

We are finding sustainable ways to power our planet We are investigating new materials to create more efficient batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors. We have devised innovative methods to study battery systems, and we’ve created an experimental lithiumair battery with a capacity ten times greater than existing batteries. We are developing solar-driven chemistry (also known as artificial photosynthesis) to produce fuels and energy-rich chemicals sustainably from solar energy, water and air.

We are grappling with air pollution Improving air quality means improving public health, and fewer healthcare and environmental costs. We are creating sustainable, low-cost sensors to pave the way for a larger, more cost effective air quality monitoring network in the UK and beyond. Our sensor networks were first deployed at Heathrow Airport and most recently in two of the most polluted cities in the world: Beijing and Dhakar. The results will help authorities understand the best ways to reduce pollution. Our sensors can be overlaid onto Google maps, to show for the first time the detail that a high-density monitoring network can deliver.

We are educating the next generation The Natural Sciences tripos at Cambridge recognises the modern blurring of rigid scientific boundaries and gives students the almost unparalleled opportunity to study a range of scientific disciplines before they specialise in their final year. Their access to the world’s best researchers and teachers, working at the forefront of a variety of fields, crucially enhances their scientific breadth and understanding. We also nurture and stretch our 330 postgraduates, who work hand in hand with our world-class researchers in an intensive one-year MPhil programme or as PhD candidates. Our outreach programmes demonstrate the excitement of chemistry to a whole new generation.

We are exploring, we are creating, we are learning, we are teaching We are the University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry

Make an impact None of our work is possible without the funding we receive, whether as grants from research councils, endowments for research positions and studentships, or philanthropic donations to our facilities like the gifts we have received to complete the Chemistry of Health building and upgrade our laboratories.

Support Chemistry@Cambridge – make an impact To find out more about how to make an impact, contact Head of Department at chemhod@cam.ac.uk www.ch.cam.ac.uk/support-chemistry/ @ChemCambridge

Department of Chemistry