Science Matters issue 14

LATEST RESEARCH

ACHIEVEMENTS

DATES

SCIENCE MATTERS

NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED SCIENCES

The placement issue

Placement special issue Behind the scenes as our students get a taste of work life

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED SCIENCES

NATIONAL AWARD FOR RHINO PHOTO PRESTIGIOUS PROJECT WITH ROYAL INSTITUTION XXXXXX XXXXXXX

Tenacity paid off for student Rimsha Ahmed who secured a placement at a hospital

Welcome When you’re developing your skills and knowledge for the world of work, there’s nothing quite like getting out there and trying a job out on a placement. This issue of Science Matters has a focus on students who have done just that.

What shines through in the stories of these placements is the students’ pride in making a difference. Whether they are helping to develop new drugs (p4), carrying out blood tests (p6) or studying the effect of a high sugar diet (p8), it is the ability to positively influence people’s lives that is the biggest reward.

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The experiences that our students are having while studying with us are varied and in some cases providing unexpected rewards. For one student, who took up a voluntary role at a wildlife reserve in South Africa, a photo snapped during an exciting encounter with a rhino led to a national photography award (p10).

This issue also demonstrates the wide range of research that takes place within the Department of Applied Sciences, ranging from an early warning system for bad potatoes (p14) to an analysis of what zombies can tell us about language (p19).

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CONTENTS

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How perseverance led to a coveted hospital placement

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Student’s research shows why curbing your sugar intake is a good idea

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Close encounter with a wild rhino wins student a national award

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Science communication research will help Royal Institution revamp the Christmas lectures

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Detector will be able to sniff out spuds with a hidden defect

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Professor writes reserach paper with his son and daughter

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Comedy theatre production brings Apollo 11 mission to life

Science Matters issue 14 Department of Applied Sciences sciencematters@uwe.ac.uk

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Work on small molecules to help solve big problems STUDENT ON PLACEMENT AT A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY HELPS WITH EARLY INVESTIGATIONS OF NEW TREATMENTS

BY: ALEX JOHANSON-BROWN

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n 2018 1.1 billion poundsworth of prescription items were dispensed in the UK. Every medicine currently used within the NHS underwent a long and rigorous research and testing phase. Research like this is undertaken by lab research scientists and Molly Gillett, a thirdyear Biomedical Sciences student, got a first hand insight into this work during a placement year with Glaxo-Smith Klein (GSK).

During her placement, Molly was able to explore how new drugs are trailed and tested, and how individual scientists fit into the larger picture of a multi-national pharmaceutical company.

Pharmaceutical companies such as GSK regularly test new molecules in the hope of discovering a new therapy. Molly was able to work on several potential molecules in her year at the company’s site in Ware, Hertfordshire. She gained an insight into the meticulous process of testing new drugs.

These molecules are of importance as they alter the chemistry of body. These changes can be either be of benefit or have 4

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toxic effects and this is why this variants of the molecules are kind of work is so important. producing the most positive When a pharmacologically active effects, without large scale side molecule is isolated, it needs to effects. be tested to determine whether Molly was also able to go to there might be any side effects in a GSK site at Stevenage to take patients and get an insight into the a look at the work that goes on correct dosage if the drug went to there. One aspect of research a clinical trial. she saw was investigating To help with the testing process, biomarkers - these are used to Molly put samples of blood, plasma determine how the body reacts and tissue through a process to drugs. This type of analysis is named liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy which can test the amount of a drug in a sample. Molly then sent the data she generated through the test to be analysed by experts in pharmacokinetics, the study of how drugs react in the body and toxicokinetics to help determine a drug’s toxicity.

Molly Gillett pictured (left) Overall, the aim at a STEM event was to see which

PHOTO CREDIT: PUBLICDOMAINPICTURES PIXABAY

“Although it is only a small part of a large system, these preliminary trials are vital, as they filter the most promising molecules for future research.” MOLLY GILLETT used in tandem with pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics. Using these approaches together allows a better indication of how the drug reacts in the body.

“Although it is only a small part of a large system, these preliminary trials are vital, as they filter the most

promising molecules for future research,” says Molly.

The types of molecules Molly worked on may ultimately help in the development of new treatments for cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular

disease. The development of new drugs is an everpresent pressure to allow the development of new treatments as well as meeting growing challenges, such as antibiotic resistance. SM sciencematters@uwe.ac.uk

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Persistence securing placement pays off AFTER SEVERAL PHONE CALLS TO HOSPITALS, STUDENT SECURES ROLE IN A BUSY HAEMATOLOGY LAB BY: MORWENNA BUGG

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ith just one in ten hospitals offering training for biomedical scientists, it is hard for students and graduates to secure placements. But biomedical science student Rimsha Ahmed wasn’t fazed by this. In order to meet her personal goal to complete her training before she graduated, Rimsha phoned six hospitals across the country before she was accepted by the Royal Berkshire

Rimsha Ahmed

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Hospital. All her effort paid off and Rimsha was the first student to work in the hospital’s department of blood sciences on a newly launched training scheme.

“Phoning them up was quite nerve wracking because I just didn’t know what to expect.

It took a whole year to find a placement.” says Rimsha.

Rimsha’s role working in the haematology lab was fast paced and incredibly busy. “I would start at 8.30am and blink and it

would be 5pm and time to go home.

“You have to keep track of what you are doing,” says Rimsha. She worked as part of a multidisciplinary team with consultants and nurse practitioners. Her tasks included doing maintenance on the blood analysers to make sure they were working each morning, analysing blood samples, answering the phone to clinicians who were chasing test results, keeping track of stock levels and issuing blood products with supervision.

Working as a trainee biomedical scientist for a year allowed Rimsha to work towards completing her Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) portfolio.

Completing the portfolio will demonstrate that Rimsha meets the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards of proficiency for registration as a biomedical scientist

PHOTO CREDIT: ALLINONEMOVIE PIXABAY

“It’s not just a job in a lab, you have a real person’s blood.”

real person’s blood”.

Around 70% of diagnoses and treatments revolve around lab results. Patients can’t be discharged, given treatment or medication without blood

results. “It made me realise how important my job is.” says Rimsha.

“At some point in life every person will rely on those bloods.”

PHOTO CREDIT: BELOVA59 PIXABAY

“I loved it!” says Rimsha.

“Blood is my area of interest.”

There were three different types of analysers in the lab Rimsha worked in: a full blood count analyser which carries out differential blood cell counts, a coagulation analyser for clotting screens and monitoring patients with bleeding disorders, and a blood group analyser which uses special technology to determine patients’ blood groups to enable the right blood product to be issued to them.

Over 2000 blood samples are analysed in the lab each day. “That’s 2000 lives that need help and care that you’re helping,” says Rimsha. ‘It’s not just a job in a lab, you have a

RIMSHA AHMED

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sciencematters@uwe.ac.uk

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Sugar: a key ingredient for cognitive loss?

HOW A HIGH-FRUCTOSE DIET MAY IMPACT LEARNING AND MEMORY

BY: JACK TUNNICLIFFE

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e tend to think more about our waist when we treat ourselves to a sugary snack, but an ongoing study on brain cells in mice is starting to reveal how a sweettooth may affect our ability to learn and form memories.

A series of studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in America have been piecing together the relationship between fructose and abnormal brain

Chloe Burns is investigating the effects of fructose on the brain

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function in mice. Led by Dr Gretchen Neigh from the Psychoneuroimmunology and Endocrinology laboratory at VCU, researchers found that male mice fed a high-fructose diet exhibited reduced memory and learning in comparison to those with a balanced intake. The high-fructose group showed symptoms of depression and anxiety whilst also underperforming in several stress tests, displaying an effect known as “cognitive rigidity”.

Chloe Burns, a UWE Biomedical Science undergraduate on placement at VCU, advises that high levels of fructose can activate the brain’s immune cells. If unsuppressed, these immune cells cause neuroinflammation and loss of synapses in the mice’s hippocampus

– a region responsible for motivation, learning and memory. “Synaptic loss [in the hippocampus] can lead to impaired cognition,” she went on to explain.

Chloe, who’s family experience with disease led her to pursue biomedical research, is currently a research assistant working in Dr Neigh’s lab and is helping the team carry out their new study.

As this ‘synaptic pruning’ produces observable effects.

Chloe is using microscopic imaging and neuronal reconstruction software to visualise the loss of synapses within the mice’s brains. The software allows her to stitch a series of microscopic snapshots into an interactive 3D model.

By creating detailed maps of the mice’s hippocampus, the team can then pinpoint the extent of synaptic loss caused by fructose-induced immune cells.

Chloe stresses this study is ultimately not just about mice. “With a high-fructose diet being incredibly common in Western lifestyles, it is

PHOTO CREDIT: RICHARD H WEBB, FLICKR

“With a high-fructose diet being incredibly common in Western lifestyles, it is important to understand the detrimental impacts this may have on people”

CHLOE BURNS

important to understand the detrimental impacts this may have on people.” From fast food to fizzy drinks, human diets include increasing quantities of fructose and the long-term results of our dietary choices aren’t always apparent.

As cognitive rigidity isn’t a phenomenon unique to mice; it is important to understand

how diet affects function in the human brain. Lacking the flexibility to adapt and respond to stressors plays a key role in human neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s, and is now being linked with various mental health disorders.

With the average American now consuming 25kg of high-fructose corn syrup from food sources per year,

studies such as these hope to provide a deeper insight on the consequences of indulging.

Although it may be too early to empty your fridge and throw all of your high-fructose food in the bin, research into the long term affects of our diets could indicate whether reducing our sugar intake may also reduce neurological issues later in life. SM sciencematters@uwe.ac.uk

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Rhino photo wins national photography competition SPONTANEOUS PHOTO DURING RHINO HORN TRIMMING ON WILDLIFE RESERVE CAPTURES A DRAMATIC MOMENT BY: MOLLY PENNY

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photograph showing for a month would be a good a rhino’s horn being amount of time to experience removed to prevent what it’s like to be on a it from being killed by poachers working wildlife reserve.” has won a student a national “We chose to go out in June, photography prize. as this is the time of year that Molly Penny, a final they dehorn their rhino. Rhinos year Wildlife Ecology and get their horns Conservation Science student, trimmed annually to help travelled to the Mankwe prevent poaching. It is Wildlife Reserve in South done annually as their horn Africa with friends to help out while the annual dehorning of the rhinos takes place. While she was watching the horn of one of the rhinos, Madolo, being trimmed Molly took a photo to capture the moment.

She entered it into the British Ecological Society’s photography competition and it won the Ecology in Action category.

“Having already been out to the reserve in 2017 as a student, me and a few friends decided we would return as volunteers,” Molly Penny helping out says Molly. “We at a rhino horn trimming decided that going 10

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continually grows and can grow up to 1kg a year which, on the black market, is worth $60,000. Before the day of dehorning, everyone on the reserve is briefed and given a job. Me and my friend, Elz, were breathing monitors. On the day of dehorning, the plan was to try and get as many rhinos done as possible, it ended up being four.”

“The photo was taken during the first horn trimming on a young bull rhino, Madolo.

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen a rhino have its horn trimmed but the first time I was more involved. Me and Elz weren’t as hands on with Madolo, meaning I had plenty of time to take as many photos as I could.

In all honesty, the photo wasn’t in any way planned, but it came out so much better than I could

Molly’s Penny’s awardwinning photo PHOTO CREDIT: MOLLY PENNY

“The photo wasn’t in any way planned, but it came out so much better than I could have ever imagined” MOLLY PENNY have ever imagined.”

“Being able to be so close to rhinos is actually breathtaking.

Having the opportunity to touch their rough skin, is so unforgettable. Me and Elz got to monitor Amahle’s breathing which was out of this world.

Feeling a rhino’s breath on your hand is something else and it is even more special to know what you’re involved in is saving their lives.

“Photography is something which I’ve always loved and to become a wildlife photographer

is an actual dream of mine.”

“I hope my photo makes people think and want to change their views and act.”

You can see Molly’s photo, along with those of the other winners in the competition on The Guardian’s website. SM sciencematters@uwe.ac.uk

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The 200-year-old tradition getting a 21st century makeover STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO MODERNISE THE ROYAL INSTITUTION’S CHRISTMAS LECTURE SERIES FOLLOWING AN 18 MONTH EVALUATION

BY: CHLOE RAIKES he Royal Institution (Ri) of Great Britain is implementing new strategies to engage their audiences as modern technology is changing the way information is viewed online.

An 18-month evaluation, by the Science Communication Unit (SCU), revealed that the Ri’s older audience found some scientific content to be over-

includes the famous BBC4 Christmas science lectures, the Ri’s live science showcase at the national Big Bang Fair, and a Schools Conference where pupils and teachers are invited to the Ri’s headquarters to discuss the topic of the upcoming Christmas Lectures.

The Christmas Lectures consist of three shows centred around one scientific topic, PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL WILKINSON PHOTOGRAHPY

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simplified, and their younger, target, audience required more interactive elements and shorter presentations to fully engage with the lectures and live shows.

The evaluation, led by Senior Research Fellow, Dr Margarida Sardo, aimed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Christmas Lectures series and its associated events.

The year-long programme

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PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL WILKINSON PHOTOGRAHPY

Pedro giving out samples of chocolate

“Following our advice, I now know that the Ri are going to webcast the upcoming Christmas Lectures in DR MARGARIDA SARDO 18 science centres this year” filmed in front of a live audience of young children, and broadcast on BBC4 during the Christmas holidays. The lectures, started in 1825 by Michael Faraday, have been televised since 1966 and have become a Christmas family tradition.

Interviews, social media analyses and online questionnaires were completed by children who attended the live shows, the general public and UWE students.

This feedback was evaluated by the SCU to improve and tailor the Ri’s outreach efforts to their modern tech-savvy audience.

“Young people are consuming video content and are accessing information in a completely different way so just going into the lecture room might not be

enough,” says Dr Sardo.

In 2018 the Ri introduced the live-streaming of the Christmas Lectures into five science centres across the country to target these changing viewing habits and to increase the accessibility of their content.

Dr Sardo, Dr Laura FoggRogers and Dr Hannah Little, who were all involved with the research, now recommend breaking key aspects of the live lectures into smaller, bite-size video clips, ideal for YouTube. The videos could be shared via social media and in classrooms, alongside the school curriculum, to excite and inspire the younger generation.

Further recommendations

include creating companion lectures specifically for adults, moving the broadcasting onto a child-friendly TV channel, and to live-stream, or webcast, to more science centres.

The Ri are already implementing changes as a result of the SCU evaluation.

“Following our advice, I now know that the Ri are going to webcast the upcoming Christmas Lectures in 18 science centres this year,” says Dr Sardo.

Due to the history and wideranging audience, modernising the lectures is a challenge, but one that the Ri are working hard to accomplish. This project was funded by the Royal Institution of Great Britain. SM sciencematters@uwe.ac.uk

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Save our spuds!

WORKING TOWARDS AN EARLY DETECTION SYSTEM FOR A DEFECT MAKES POTATOES INEDIBLE (AND LOTS OF WASTE...)

Words: Tom Llewellyn

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he internal defect blackheart in potatoes is one of the issues contributing to our country’s growing food waste problem.

Now, Associate Professor Robin Thorn is working on an early detection system for the defect, helping to solve our challenges in food waste one spud at a time.

Working alongside colleagues Professor Darren Reynolds and a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate Dr Barbara dos Santos Correia, Dr Thorn has been developing an innovative project.

As the name reveals, blackheart is not a disease – and is not caused pathogens.

It is an internal physiological disorder in which a black

Pictured (L-R) Dr Robin Thorn, Dr Barbara dos Santos Correia, Mark Wilcox (Branston Ltd) and Vidyanath Gururajan (B-Hive Innovations)

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discoloration develops within the centre of the spud, rendering it inedible. The current thinking is that blackheart occurs after potatoes have been harvested and is possibly related to anoxic conditions; in other words, environments with low oxygen levels.

Whilst you may have never opened a spud to see this black discolouration yourself, around 30% of all consumer complaints about potatoes in the UK are linked to blackheart.

Due to there being no external symptoms of the disorder and no way to externally detect the problem, the issue is only identified once the product has been sold

PHOTO CREDIT: KELVIN SKEE, FLICKR

to shoppers and the potato cut open. This results in the whole batch of potatoes having to be recalled and destroyed.

For the vegetable’s growers, the price of one tonne of potatoes can drop more than 10 times if blackheart is present as they will now end up as animal feed rather than making their way to our tables. Over just one year, this problem can cost the food agriculture industry around £10 million in food waste.

Dr Thorn and Professor Reynolds’ previous published research includes a fascinating exploration of the microbial volatiles of infected wounds the compounds formed when bacteria are present in a cut or burn. This research, using state-of-the-art equipment as well as expertise and contacts within the agri-food sector, led

directly to this collaborative project with partners in the agri-food industry.

In the case of blackheart, links were initially formed with B-hive Innovations in Lincolnshire and Branston Ltd through FoodWasteNet, a BBSRC-funded research hub, which then paved the way to the Innovate UK and BBSRC funded KTP project currently running. The aim is to develop an instrument that can help identify the volatile compounds associated with blackheart, in a similar vein to the detection of infected wounds.

“Having previously worked with analytical equipment that can identify specific volatiles, we are now looking to modify current technologies and adapt them for a new solution,” says Dr Thorn.

This approach is being used to target specific compounds produced by the spuds, essentially enabling a tool to ‘smell’ the difference between healthy and unhealthy potatoes.

Scheduled to run until 2021, the project may help develop the first effective method to detect this defect without having to cut the potatoes open. Not only would this aid the reduction of waste within the food-agriculture industry, it could also potentially reduce consumer prices for vegetables as millions of pounds could be saved each year.

Dr Thorn is positive about the future relationship between academia and their industrial partners. “The real-world impact of this research is that it may help to solve one of the causes of food waste”. SM sciencematters@uwe.ac.uk

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Professor publishes research with son and daughter LINKS BETWEEN CELL SIGNALLING, PHYSICS AND NETWORK THEORY PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILY COLLABORATION

Words: Rosie Miles

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aving an academic paper published with one of your children is unusual enough, but Professor John Hancock has had research papers published with both his children.

In one of the studies, published with his daughter Annabel, Professor Hancock, who researches cell signalling within the department, uses network theory to understand biochemical processes in and around cells. Network theory

Annabel Hancock outside Kings Manor at the University of York

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uses graphical representations of things to understand connections between different elements of them. Annabel, who recently completed an MA in Medieval Studies at the University of York, used network theory in her own research. But she convinced her dad it might help with his research too.

So, they wrote a research paper together, now published in the journal Reactive Oxygen Species, which looks at the

potential of network theory to gain new insights into cell signalling processes potentially providing insights into new medical therapies and agricultural treatments.

In the research conducted with his son, Thomas, Professor Hancock investigated the effects of hydrogen gas (H2). This gas is believed to have wide ranging medical benefits, from relieving inflammatory diseases and preventing diabetes to suppressing cancer cell growth and minimising the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Despite there being scientific support for some of these reported effects, how an inert molecule like H2 is interacting with cells to bring about such results is unclear.

Professor Hancock and his son considered whether the answer lies in physics rather than biochemistry. At the time, Thomas was working at CERN, the particle physics lab in Switzerland.

For a molecule to have an

Professor John Hancock (right) with his son Thomas at CERN

effect on a cell, the cell must recognise the presence of that molecule, part of a process known as ‘cell signalling’. Commonly, this involves a chemical reaction between the molecule and the cell, and is associated with reactive compounds like hydrogen peroxide.

Cell signalling controls biological processes, like how the body reacts to pathogens, repairs damaged tissue and regulates temperature. It appears that H2 may play a similar biological function. The problem is, H2 is chemically stable, meaning it doesn’t readily react with other compounds. So, if it isn’t reacting with the cell, how does the cell know it is there?

In a research published in the Reactive Oxygen Species, the Hancocks hypothesise that it could instead be a physical change occurring in the hydrogen molecule that is recognised by the cell.

The scientists note that H2 naturally exists in a combination of two physical states where the electrons are spinning in opposing directions. When H2 interacts with a magnetic field, all the electrons become aligned into the same state, a process known as ‘paramagnetism’.

Small magnetic fields exist within living organisms as a result of electrical activity at the molecular level. These magnetic fields are already known to influence some biological interactions.

The Hancocks propose

that this paramagnetic activity in H2 may be the physical change that is recognised by cells.

Prof Hancock says that H2 is widely used medically. “But it is important to understand how the mechanism works to be in a better position to manipulate it, make it better, easier and more commercially available,” he says. “Currently we are just stabbing in the dark”.

Further investigations are needed to establish if paramagnetism is the mechanism involved.

The research Professor Hancock published with his daughter can be found at https://aimsci.com/ros/index. php/ros/article/view/227 and the research with his son at https://aimsci.com/ros/ index.php/ros/article/view/164 SM sciencematters@uwe.ac.uk

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Destination moon IMMERSIVE, KARAOKE INFUSED STORYTELLING TRANSPORTS AUDIENCES INTO THE UNKNOWN STORIES BEHIND APOLLO 11 MISSION Words: Megan Hicks

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ifty years after Apollo 11 put two men on the Moon, planet Earth continues to celebrate this monumental achievement. To mark the occasion, it became the mission of writer and science communicator Andrew Glester and musician and performer Tom Adams to tell a new side to this story in a rather unusual way.

To bring new light to the 400,000 other people who worked on the Moon Landing, these two Apollo 11 enthusiasts co-created a brand new comedy theatre production which toured the UK during Summer 2019.

The significance of Apollo 11 and the universal focus on the astronauts that persists today is what inspired the narrative and punchlines for the pair in this show, titled The Lesser Sun.’ They combine music, story-telling and real-life scientists into what they call ‘comedy lectures’ to bring the focus onto those who made Apollo 11 possible but are not necessarily in the limelight.

“I don’t actually know what 18

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PHOTO CREDIT: EWANHARNEY

[comedy lecture] means - it’s just a way of trying to explain to people, to set their expectations for what’s to come,” says Andrew, a Lecturer in Science Communication at UWE Bristol.

The title The Lesser Sun was born from gazing up at Luke Jerram’s seven metre diameter Moon installation. This huge replica uses HD imaging from NASA to give audiences a clear view of the lunar surface.

The term was originally used

by Aristotle, Andrew explains: “The lesser sun is a double meaning, it’s Aristotle name for the Moon and, for us, the shining lights of the Apollo missions that don’t shine quite so bright”.

This term captures the importance of everyone behind the scenes, but shows how they are hidden in the shadows of the astronauts within public perception of the mission.

The Lesser Sun 2016 has been taken around the country, at times reaching audiences of 900 during 2019, at Bluedot Festival.

It’s not often you’ll experience 899 other voices chanting ‘Katherine Johnson’ (as the audience comes to appreciate the NASA mathematician whose story partly inspired the recent hit film Hidden Figures).

More shows are lined up for 2020. Watch this space. SM

Zombie insights into language HOW CHARACTERS IN A POPULAR VIDEO GAME CAN REVEAL HOW HUMAN LANGUAGE DEVELOPS

Words: Rhianna Harman

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e generally think of science fiction as being a means of portraying imaginary futuristic concepts, such as advanced technology and space travel. But what if science fiction could help us to better understand the evolution of human language?

Dr Hannah Little, a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at UWE Bristol, has been conducting research and writing articles on this topic, including most recently on what the communication systems of zombies can teach us.

In 2005, an online multiplayer zombie apocalypse game called Urban Dead was created whereby players start the game as a human and become a zombie if they are killed.

However, when a player becomes a zombie their ability to type language is restricted in several ways, for example, all characters except ‘z, h, r, g, b, m, n and a’ are deleted, all vowels except ‘a’ are replaced with ‘r’, and ‘a’ is replaced with ‘hra’. Over time, players have developed several of their own languages to bypass these restrictions by replacing deleted characters with combinations of acceptable

PHOTO CREDIT: DAVAO MACO, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

characters to create words with a shared meaning in order to communicate to each other within the game. Many experiments that involve the use of artificial languages to investigate linguistics usually only involve a small number of participants, whereas the Urban Dead game has provided large-scale data, which may pave a new method of investigating linguistics.

Dr Little says: “The strength of this data is that it appeared spontaneously, and it is a really nice example of how linguists can be using new technology and gaming to gather data in innovative ways that can still be

well controlled”.

Dr Little has also turned her findings into a standup comedy set, which she performed at the British Science Festival back in September last year. Standup comedy about zombie linguistics is certainly a unique selling point.

Dr Little’s next piece of research will focus on some interesting developments in AI, including Facebook shutting down its artificial intelligence robots after they started communicating with each other using a communication system humans do not have. SM

sciencematters@uwe.ac.uk

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SCIENCE MATTERS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY: EDITORS

Andy Ridgway Andrew Glester

All the reporters are students or former students of UWE Bristol’s MSc in Science Communication.

PHOTO CREDIT: PETE LINFORTH, PIXABAY

REPORTERS Alex Johanson-Brown, Morwenna Bugg, Jack Tunnicliffe, Chloe Raikes, Tom Llewellyn, Rhianna Harman, Megan Hicks and Rosie Miles.