Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Schools across Nottinghamshire are being invited to take part in a unique science lesson that will give students the opportunity to suggest objects they would like to see go under a powerful microscope that can zoom in to many times smaller than the width of a single human hair.
‘Under the Microscope Live’ is a new outreach initiative being run by the University of Nottingham’s Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre (nmRC). It is giving secondary schools and alternative provisions access to experts who will demonstrate Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) across three interactive in-person and online sessions.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is a powerful tool used to visualise the micro- and nano-structures of materials. It works by using a beam of negatively charged particles, called electrons, to scan the surface of the material, creating high-resolution images that show details as small as a few nanometres. One nanometre is approximately one hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a single human hair.
This engaging project will run across three sessions for pupils aged 15-18, the first is an online session explaining electron microscopy and asking for sample suggestions to be analysed, during the second session scientists will undertake electron microscopy on the suggested samples and explain the structures being shown.
For the final session the school will be presented with a canvas showing an image that was taken during the session, as a lasting memory of the experience.
I have been running various initiatives with SEM technology to show its capability and excite people about science and in the last year have imaged everything from porcupine quills, pollen and tea to shortbread biscuits! We also tried out these sessions at a recent science festival and saw how enthusiastic young people were about seeing the unseen through the incredibly detailed images we can produce. This spurred us on to launch this project more widely.
This initiative will bring the latest imaging technology and techniques into the classroom to show students how exciting science can be and hopefully inspire them to possibly consider science as a career path.
Whether it’s a fizzy sweet, hair from a teacher’s head or something related to a curriculum subject, all suggestions are welcome as long as the objects are solid, easily obtainable and aren’t alive!
Luke continues: “We’re really keen for these sessions to be available to everyone regardless of ability or attainment levels. It is designed to be a fun, engaging and educational session that can also be used to support the curriculum.”
The project is funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Outreach Fund and there are spaces for 10 schools/provisions to take part. The Outreach Fund is for projects that connect communities from all backgrounds with the chemical sciences.
The Royal Society of Chemistry's Outreach Fund provides financial support to members, individuals and organisations to enable them to run chemistry-based engagement activities. Through the Fund we aim to support projects or programmes that engage with school students and public audiences, provide under-represented audiences, communities and places with inspiring chemistry engagement opportunities, and develop the science communication skills of chemists. We are proud to fund this project, which uses electron microscopy to visualise the hidden structures of everyday objects and engage young people with chemistry.
More information and an expression of interest form can be found here: nott.ac/utmlive
Story credits
More information is available from Luke Norman on luke.norman2@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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