Siobhan Wilkins - Summer STEM Virtual Work Placement Student - Weekly Reports

 

In April SATRO took the unprecedented (and sad) decision to suspend the Research Programme for this year due to COVID-19. We asked all our providers for a 'day in the life of' summaries to give the students a flavour of the many types of roles that are available in the professional environments. 

Following SATRO's hard work to develop an online policy. In May, we reached out to our wonderful providers to propose a virtual solution and to get around any social distancing rules. The response was amazing. We asked for suitable titles that the students could research over the summer and devise a short essay and either a PP or a poster with their findings. 

All students have been asked to provide a weekly update on their experience - please see below to see what Siobhan has been up to so far! 

 Week One

"When we consider the role of catalysts at GCSE and even A level, we rarely look beyond the role of enzymes in biological reactions, the Haber Process and it’s contribution to producing fertilisers to increase food production, and possibly at a push the role of catalysts within organic chemistry. We often gloss over them with the simple acknowledgement that they speed up reactions by lowering the activation energy without being used up themselves and are that they are often transition metals due to their variable oxidation states. Whilst these basic ideas are a useful starting point, I decided to undertake this project on the role of catalysts in the 21st century to improve lives as I wanted to explore their increasing importance particularly for the storage of renewable energy, conversion of carbon dioxide and food production in a climate where we need to focus on making processes financially and environmentally viable in the long term.

I have begun my research initially on areas of science where catalysts are already being used, and the properties of an effective catalyst to give me a grounding to then look at more complex uses that are even more relevant to the 21st century. For example, catalysts need to be able to adsorb reactants strongly enough that catalysis can occur, but not too strongly that they cannot break away afterwards, as well as being cheap and in plentiful supply to make their use beneficial. This has led me to explore new discoveries such as Spinel Oxides, which could help to decrease carbon dioxide emissions by catalysing water electrolysis rather than having to use lots of fossil fuels to provide fuel to extract the hydrogen, and this is something that I intend to focus on in my essay. I have been using a mixture of open access journals on the internet and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s website, as it is easy to navigate by keyword, and I have been able to find the most up to date discoveries in the field of catalysis, which is an essential in this project to maintain a focus on the future uses of catalysts. I also have found a thought-provoking article on transferring the principle of crop rotation to catalysis, and how a rotation of chemical reactions could regenerate the catalyst without having to heat them or use oxygen and hydrogen, which is very relevant to my future aspirations of studying biochemistry at university, as it shows just one of the many interdisciplinary links between Biology and Chemistry.

As I now start to write out my essay and prepare my poster/presentation, one of the main challenges is being selective with the information I choose to discuss, as well as ensuring I only use sources I fully understand, otherwise the way I communicate my ideas will not be authentic and accurate. This is always a challenge in terms of scientific research at this stage, as when searching the internet the breadth of information available isn’t always filtered to the level of knowledge you have, but using the Royal Society of Chemistry has definitely helped resolve this problem to a large extent, as their articles are intended to be accessible for a wider audience rather than university graduates. I am enjoying the research process, particularly having more freedom to explore discoveries that interest me than I would in my studies at school, especially as with an open-ended question like this. Once you start finding information, your whole perspective of the question may change and you may decide to explore a new line of argument, in the same way that I started out thinking about possibly looking at the role of catalysts in mass production of medicines, but now want to focus on applications in ‘green chemistry'." 

- Siobhan Wilkins

Annabel Stork - Summer STEM Virtual Work Placement Student - Weekly Reports

 

In April SATRO took the unprecedented (and sad) decision to suspend the Research Programme for this year due to COVID-19. We asked all our providers for a 'day in the life of' summaries to give the students a flavour of the many types of roles that are available in the professional environments. 

Following SATRO's hard work to develop an online policy. In May, we reached out to our wonderful providers to propose a virtual solution and to get around any social distancing rules. The response was amazing. We asked for suitable titles that the students could research over the summer and devise a short essay and either a PP or a poster with their findings. 

All students have been asked to provide a weekly update on their experience - please see below to see what Annabel has been up to so far! 

 Week One

"I chose to research ‘How will quantum computing change our society?’, one of the physics questions. I chose this title for numerous reasons, one of them being that I my knowledge on quantum computers was relatively limited before I started my research. Another reason being that recently quantum computers have been in the news and there’s lots of stigma about if quantum computers will be able to breach our security, for example banking information. I wanted to know if any of these stigmas were true and if we should be worried. Moreover, the quantum world is deeply fascinating. 

So far my research has been progressing along steadily. At first I found it useful to understand what a quantum computer is and how they work. After securing a basic knowledge of the mechanics behind the machines, I delved into how they could be utilised in society. The internet of course has been exceptionally useful, filled with YouTube videos and articles, although to progress my research further I need to start looking at recently published papers in scientific journals. I have thoroughly enjoyed my research thus far and am looking forward to learning more."

- Annabel Stork 

Bethany Sewell - Summer STEM Virtual Work Placement Student - Weekly Reports

In April SATRO took the unprecedented (and sad) decision to suspend the Research Programme for this year due to COVID-19. We asked all our providers for a 'day in the life of' summaries to give the students a flavour of the many types of roles that are available in the professional environments. 

Following SATRO's hard work to develop an online policy. In May, we reached out to our wonderful providers to propose a virtual solution and to get around any social distancing rules. The response was amazing. We asked for suitable titles that the students could research over the summer and devise a short essay and either a PP or a poster with their findings. 

All students have been asked to provide a weekly update on their experience - please see below to see what Bethany has been up to so far! 

 Week One

"For this project I have chosen the ‘Chemistry’ question which asks for research on how catalysts can help improve our lives in the 21^st century. I was eager to expand my knowledge on this particular topic as I am interested in the past research and how it influences continued research for future generations and how previous discoveries benefit humankind for many years. I am also passionate about chemistry and I am looking to do a science degree at university. Unsure of what degree to do, I thought I would take this opportunity to explore chemistry in detail to aid my decision.

To begin with, I looked at the first catalysts to be created and the different types of catalysts, homogeneous and heterogeneous. After absorbing the basic knowledge, I went on to look at how catalysts have already been benefiting us. For example, platinum, palladium and rhodium act as heterogeneous catalysts for changing poisonous molecules such as carbon monoxide to more harmless molecules such as carbon dioxide and water vapour. Whilst finding heaps of information on catalysts, what I am finding challenging is gaining insight on how they can help improve our lives in the 21^st century, additional to ways that they do already. To help with this I have looked into current research and new research for ideas of potential uses for catalysts. I am excited to continue my research and further strengthen my understanding on catalysts and their uses."

- Bethany Sewell 

Micah Adetola - Summer STEM Virtual Work Placement Student - Weekly Reports

                                         

In April SATRO took the unprecedented (and sad) decision to suspend the Research Programme for this year due to COVID-19. We asked all our providers for a 'day in the life of' summaries to give the students a flavour of the many types of roles that are available in the professional environments. 

Following SATRO's hard work to develop an online policy. In May, we reached out to our wonderful providers to propose a virtual solution and to get around any social distancing rules. The response was amazing. We asked for suitable titles that the students could research over the summer and devise a short essay and either a PP or a poster with their findings. 

All students have been asked to provide a weekly update on their experience - please see below to see what Micah has been up to so far! 

 Week One

"I chose the Chemistry option and have looked into how catalysts can improve our life in the 21st century. This question choice interested me the most because catalysts are essential to life. They are present in detergents, used in industry and even in our bodies in the form of enzymes. I wanted to extend my knowledge further to discover some of the more unconventional uses of catalysts and even see if I could imagine how catalysts may be used to benefit future societies beyond our current generation. I also liked this question as it allows me to draw on biological knowledge despite it being a Chemistry question.

My research has primarily been focused on the present use of catalysts, such as in the well-known Haber process. I have also looked briefly into the historical uses of catalysts. However, most of my research has been centred around the current use of enzymes, especially in healthcare.

I have found it challenging to think outside the box and imagine new uses of catalysts, but I have had some interesting ideas, such as using enzymes to interfere with biological processes to delay human ageing. I would also like to extend my research further to include uses of catalysts in other areas of society, such as in improving the environment."

- Micah Adetola 

Sarah Matthews - Summer STEM Virtual Work Placement Student - Weekly Reports

In April SATRO took the unprecedented (and sad) decision to suspend the Research Programme for this year due to COVID-19. We asked all our providers for a 'day in the life of' summaries to give the students a flavour of the many types of roles that are available in the professional environments. 

Following SATRO's hard work to develop an online policy. In May, we reached out to our wonderful providers to propose a virtual solution and to get around any social distancing rules. The response was amazing. We asked for suitable titles that the students could research over the summer and devise a short essay and either a PP or a poster with their findings. 

All students have been asked to provide a weekly update on their experience - please see below to see what Sarah has been up to so far! 

 Week One

"I have been researching the idea that ordinary items could lead to the next big scientific discovery. I chose this topic as I am very interested in the chemical composition of materials, and how physical properties arise - this topic allows me to research this idea, and extend this further by thinking about instances where these properties could be used. Overall, the task has been going well - I have looked into a broad range of everyday materials and their properties, and how these properties could best be harnessed. Nevertheless, I have found it difficult to decide on a particular material to base my project on, and to think creatively about possible uses."

- Sarah Matthews 

Lola Bell - Summer STEM Virtual Work Placement Student - Weekly Reports

  In April SATRO took the unprecedented (and sad) decision to suspend the Research Programme for this year due to COVID-19. We asked all our providers for a 'day in the life of' summaries to give the students a flavour of the many types of roles that are available in the professional environments. 

Following SATRO's hard work to develop an online policy. In May, we reached out to our wonderful providers to propose a virtual solution and to get around any social distancing rules. The response was amazing. We asked for suitable titles that the students could research over the summer and devise a short essay and either a PP or a poster with their findings. 

All students have been asked to provide a weekly update on their experience - please see below to see what Lola has been up to so far! 

 Week One

"I have been researching a ‘Medicine’ question, which focuses on the role of ordinary items in being the next scientific breakthrough, as well as what it takes for these breakthroughs to happen. I chose this question as I am particularly interested in biochemistry and the molecular basis of disease and thought it would be interesting to research how objects could be manipulated for use in treatments. 

Initially, I have been looking at past discoveries, with a particular interest in the idea of repurposing existing organisms for medical uses, such as Crispr-cas9 stemming from the existing bacterial immune response against viruses or the discovery of Penicillin. This initial research on how these breakthroughs occur is going well, although when thinking of my own idea for a possible use of an existing item, I found it difficult. To help with this, I have been looking at practical problems in medicine that could be targeted with an ordinary object, such as more effective drug delivery systems. This led me to look at a whole variety of areas, from the use of jelly as a vehicle for drugs to  magnetic bacteria being able to deliver molecules to a specific area by an external magnetic control. I have enjoyed the experience so far and am excited to see where the project will take me next." 

- Lola Bell

Daniel Wilcox - Summer STEM Virtual Work Placement Student - Weekly Reports

 In April SATRO took the unprecedented (and sad) decision to suspend the Research Programme for this year due to COVID-19. We asked all our providers for a 'day in the life of' summaries to give the students a flavour of the many types of roles that are available in the professional environments. 

Following SATRO's hard work to develop an online policy. In May, we reached out to our wonderful providers to propose a virtual solution and to get around any social distancing rules. The response was amazing. We asked for suitable titles that the students could research over the summer and devise a short essay and either a PP or a poster with their findings. 

All students have been asked to provide a weekly update on their experience - please see below to see what Daniel has been up to so far! 

 Week One

"So far, I have done lots of research on Moore’s law, transistor’s and their purpose in computers, and other relevant information. I have around 6-7 relevant sources, all found through Google Scholar so they are credible and citable. I have compiled all the notes and information I have gathered in OneNote, as well as made outlines for my document itself as well as the slideshow. Overall, I have done pretty much all the research and planning, and am now preparing to make the slideshow and document itself.

What’s working well: ideas and planning. I know what I want to talk about, have relevant information, and how my final product will look.

What needs more work: actually starting the final product. I’m still trying to figure out how I want to write everything and organise my thoughts directly on page, instead of just a detailed outline.

What influenced question choice: I am very interested in computer science and learning more about the relationship between hardware and software is very interesting to me. (That and I knew Quantum Computing would be popular and thought the judges would get tired of that subject after too many projects)."

- Daniel Wilcox 

Taha Hussain - Summer STEM Virtual Work Placement Student - Weekly Reports

In April SATRO took the unprecedented (and sad) decision to suspend the Research Programme for this year due to COVID-19. We asked all our providers for a 'day in the life of' summaries to give the students a flavour of the many types of roles that are available in the professional environments. 

Following SATRO's hard work to develop an online policy. In May, we reached out to our wonderful providers to propose a virtual solution and to get around any social distancing rules. The response was amazing. We asked for suitable titles that the students could research over the summer and devise a short essay and either a PP or a poster with their findings. 

All students have been asked to provide a weekly update on their experience - please see below to see what Taha has been up to so far! 

 Week One 

"It has been a great experience so far. I have decided to do my research on Silica beads for TL dosimeters over the photon dose range commonly applied in radiotherapy. I have researched into this before so finding research articles was not an issue. My dream job is radiography and so This question that I am doing now is solely influenced by my dream occupation."

- Taha Hussain