University of Warwick

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

The University of Warwick (UoW) is one of the UK’s leading research universities, with 92% of research rated as ‘world leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*) in REF 2021. To enable this, our Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) staff rely on readily available access to both cutting edge and core underpinning technologies, unlocked by supporting technical expertise that helps them maximise the potential of their research. The funds requested in this proposal will provide greatly needed upgrade and enabling technology that will significantly expand the capabilities of recent investments in equipment used across multiple departments, with each underpinned by the expert knowledge required to maximise accessibility and outputs for the technologies. The three items requested in this proposal are: Update of continuous wave X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer including low power bridge to enable reliable, sensitive, accessible and unique measurements hosted by the Spectroscopy Research Technology Platform  2. 3.2 mm solid-state (SS) NMR magic-angle spinning (MAS) probe for use with 500 MHz spectrometers to maximise sensitivity and uptime with recent investments in spectrometers for the SS-NMR facility 3. Double tilt combined cryo and vacuum transfer holder for analysis of battery materials in transmission electron microscopes (TEM) enabling measurements currently not possible, and hosted in the WMG Microscopy Suite These items were selected due to the broad range of EPS research they underpin and their direct alignment with each of the three funding objectives of the call: core equipment that will benefit multiple users; invest to save activities: upgrading and improving existing equipment; and capital investment with substantial and demonstrable benefit to early career researchers (ECR) and doctoral training activities: These items will enable either a longer useful life with enhanced uptime (1,2) or additional capability (3) for existing equipment, meeting invest to save activities: upgrading and improving existing equipment. They will each support and enhance a range of critical research within EPSRC remit such as battery and sustainable energy materials, quantum technologies, manufacturing, electrochemistry, medical diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. This investment will support many groups spanning multiple departments including the Department of Chemistry, Department of Physics, WMG and Warwick Medical School, meeting core equipment that will benefit multiple users. The equipment will also underpin research in EPSRC remit by a wide range of ECRs and PhD students, both in CDTs and industrially funded, thus meeting substantial and demonstrable benefit to early career researchers (ECR) and doctoral training activities. The UoW is committed to ensuring that the equipment requested is effectively managed and maintained, and that usage is maximised to provide value for money. Access will be advertised internally electronically and via the facility webpages, as well as through face-to-face events, to grow and sustain the user base beyond the period of the grant. Access externally with be proactively encouraged to other higher education institutions and industry through Warwick Scientific Services, through the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy Equipment Sharing Fund, hosting industry days, attending tradeshows and with online marketing support.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

The COVID-19 pandemic underlined the continuing threat from emerging novel zoonotic diseases, and the need for better national and global preparedness. Interpersonal contact, and contact tracing, has long been recognised as important in the transmission and control of communicable diseases. However, the notion of "contact" is frequently loosely defined, and we have limited information on the wide variety of interactions that may occur between individuals, particularly in lower-income settings where epidemic/pandemic threats most frequently emerge. As a result, there have been few in-depth assessments of the complex nature of daily interactions or variations across settings. There is also little consensus on interplay between biology (virology) and related cultural, environmental and psychological factors, or the way in which prior historical events help shape contact patterns. To understand this better we need innovative approaches that take a truly inter-disciplinary approach. We focus this interdisciplinary work in trying to better understand and model complex and changing human contacts in a specific high-risk setting - 'wet' and wild animal marketplaces. We reciprocally employ mathematical and geospatial modelling, epidemiology, social psychology, performance, cultural studies and historical perspectives to examine contact patterns across settings and identify likely shifts in both past behaviour and future disease outbreaks. We conduct this work in two distinct yet heterogeneous countries - Ghana and Thailand, distinguished by variations in their daily interactional patterns, population density and migration patterns, consumption of wild animals, and availability of both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical barriers to spread. We first (WP1) conduct large general population surveys in the two countries on their use and activities in markets, with questions partly informed by historical evidence on the societal role of markets and their part in disease transmission and psychological research on risk perception and social interaction. We then (WP2) conduct an observational study in marketplaces noting interaction patterns between customers and traders using a novel interdisciplinary framework for risk analysis. We next employ performance methodologies to better understand the everyday, interpersonal practices of marketplaces by engaging market traders in a variety of role play interactions exploring contact patterns across environments and time, using measures of key disease-risk factors for each scripted interaction (including distance, interpersonal touch, and interaction with surfaces). We additionally interrogate traders daily routines and networks and extend an internationally tested pictogram used to assess proximity and trust. We next (WP3) build on the above to model potential transmission from the market to the wider community. Employing a Bayesian framework we estimate proportions of contact and employ agent-based modelling (ABM) of contagion processes in the markets. We use geospatial patterns of movement to inform novel, feasible and locally acceptable interventions that minimise risks of human-human disease transmission. With guidance from colleagues, cultural studies, psychology and history we use a sub-sample of our market traders to consecutively simulate scenarios of behavioural change and optimise our models, relating this to the attack rates of different pathogens and the trade-off of acceptability of action and risk, as informed by both trader responses and historical evidence on the efficacy of these over time. Finally (WP4) we bring these findings together in a series of dissemination activities in the UK, Ghana and Thailand, engaging with WHO country offices and Ministries of Health, as well as events (such as durbar in Ghana) with key stakeholders, and plan further interdisciplinary programmes of research.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

The circular economy, aiming for zero-waste in plastics, necessitates a multifaceted approach: (i) eliminating the unnecessary use of plastics, (ii) developing innovative designs that are easily recyclable or reusable, and (iii) reintroducing larger quantities of post-consumer (PCR) or post-industrial (PIR) recyclate into high-value products — the latter being the focal point of the PLASTIC proposal. One of the primary reasons plastics currently undergo down-cycling rather than true recycling is the significant variability in the quality of waste streams. This variability arises from differences in degradation levels and contamination though e.g. mixed waste plastics. To establish a circular economy based on closed-loop recycling, where products can be recycled back into the same product or products of similar quality, we must advance intelligent sorting, recycling, and remanufacturing processes. These processes should effectively eliminate the prevailing fluctuations in quality and composition. In the PLASTIC proposal, we intend to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) principles to develop intelligent plastic sorting and mechanical recycling systems. These systems will employ computer algorithms that continually enhance their performance through experience. The developed system will possess the capability to predict the processability and properties of plastic waste with variable quality. It will then utilise this information to make informed decisions regarding the most efficient upgrading and remanufacturing procedures for a given product specification. Our ultimate objective is to maximise the PCR or PIR content in recycled products and minimise the use of virgin polymer in end-products moulded to specification. Through the implementation of intelligent technologies, we aim to optimise the circularity of plastics, contributing to a sustainable and zero-waste future.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

We propose a centre to meet the challenge of integrating history and institutions into UK evidence-based policy. The popular 'what works' approach has achieved much but needs to be augmented with knowledge about the hard-to-measure factors that are influential for practical policy success: social norms, culture, implicit incentives, analytical frames, and intrinsic motivation. Importantly, these factors all have roots in historical circumstances. Our research programme addresses historical roots, the structure of institutions and policy design problems to fill this gap and promote the goal of inclusive growth. Furthermore, while the centre is based in the economics discipline, CAGE from its inception has always taken an interdisciplinary approach. For this phase, theme 1 is a collaboration of economics and history, theme 2 is a collaboration between economics, psychology and anthropology, theme 3 is a collaboration between economics and medical sciences, and theme 4 between economics, statistics and computer science. Each theme uses insights and techniques from data science to empirically test hypotheses. This unique character will be further reinforced by the establishment of an Interdisciplinary Advisory Group (IAG) that will help develop collaborative research initiatives. CAGE's research programme on history and institutions is anchored with a creative set of flagship initiatives such as: the digitisation of 'lost' UK economic history data, the development of a database for analysing information overload, historical firm-level databases for India and the UK, and a series of UK field experiments related to mental health services, council-level environmental partnerships, and micro-level pollution management. These projects will build on CAGE's achievements since 2009 in developing knowledge regarding the history of economic growth, the analysis of well-being, and innovative approaches to policy design. Crucially, CAGE's research team have published at a high level in economics as well as other disciplines, putting them in the position to be an important connector within UK social science. Our capacity-building programme is designed to stimulate the development of new cohorts of researchers and policy practitioners, starting with secondary schools and introducing undergraduates to research tools according to a systematic training plan. This programme will also be targeted towards increasing the socio-economic diversity of the research and policy-making community. At CAGE, we have learned that long-term capacity and co-ordination is built up through high-quality networks. We will continue our successful Media Fellow and Policy Fellow programmes (in partnership with the Government Economic Service (GES)), with a focus on links with data journalists and local policy-makers. In particular, our planned open data resources and policy trials targeted at local councils will help to diffuse rigorous, evidence-based policy-making into new areas where practical guidance has traditionally been scarce.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

In response to the phenomenon of democratic decline, widespread loss of political trust, and failures of governance globally, democratic reform and innovation are of paramount importance. Perhaps the leading theory of democratic reform is what political theorist Hélène Landemore labels "Open Democracy". Open Democracy prioritises participation by citizens, who are given the opportunity to temporarily wield legislative power. The defining institution of Open Democracy is a randomly selected group of citizens serving as a "mini-public" and tasked with deliberating on political issues. The promise of Open Democracy is to empower citizens and place them at the heart of democratic decision-making. Theorists of Open Democracy have not adequately specified, however, how their model can co-exist with the foundational constitutional institutions, such as judicial review, the separation of powers, and bills of rights. Without further detail on the constitutional, legal, and institutional dimensions of Open Democracy, the theory has an unclear future as a model for reform. Our project develops a revised version of Open Democracy that enhances citizen participation without sacrificing the institutions that are necessary for rights protection and effective governance. The project has three inter-related research objectives: 1. To develop a theory of "Open Constitutional Democracy". Our theory seeks to reform democracy by incorporating enhanced public participation while, at the same time, continuing to respect the need to disperse power, ensure political accountability, and secure minority rights. Our theory will specifically reconcile the principles of Open Democracy with the institutions of democratic constitutionalism. 2. To build an innovative and trust-based model of democracy/governance that is in line with our theory of "Open Constitutional Democracy". Our model will be trust-based, with the fostering of the forms of trust that enhance democracy built into our approach to institutional design. While political and constitutional theorists frequently acknowledge the relevance of trust, they do not adequately engage with the scholarship across disciplines on the concept of trust. We will therefore employ this important scholarship to assess: (i) what forms of trust arise in, and are fundamental to, democracy; (ii) how these forms of trust relate to one another; and (iii) how we can and should design an "Open Constitutional Democracy" to foster democracy-enhancing forms of trust. 3. To theorise the role of public education, including the social right to education, in an "Open Constitutional Democracy". Public education is essential to facilitating citizen participation. In developing our theory of "Open Constitutional Democracy", we will therefore assess the relevance and role of public education in democracies, including a robust interpretation of the right to education as critical for democratic flourishing. This project is of relevance to academics, policymakers, NGOs, research networks, and members of the broader public. It will offer research findings at the intersection between constitutional theory/constitutional law and political theory/political science, contributing to the scholarship in various disciplines, including law, political science, and political theory, and providing the basis for future research. This includes the literatures on democracy and democratic decline, deliberative constitutionalism, and participatory judicial review. Owing to its engagement with the scholarship on trust, the project will also contribute to scholarship in this area, specifically in philosophy, sociology, and psychology. By integrating the trust scholarship with the constitutional theory/constitutional law and political theory/political science literatures, it will offer a more nuanced understanding of trust in political relationships. Lastly, the project's findings will provide the basis for policy measures and reforms.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

A recent report by leading scientists worldwide found that the earth is beyond six of the nine critical planetary boundaries, with the climate change indicators now being even further outside the safe operating space than in the last update. In the context of the escalating climate crisis, a flurry of public and private sector programs aimed at the financial sector have been pursued in recent years in order to prepare the sector as well as deliberately using it to intervene in the climate crisis, i.e., "making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions" (Article 2.1(c), Paris Agreement, 2015). The initial FLF project focused on one core challenge in the attempts to change the financial sector in response to the climate crisis: the production and use of knowledge in the form of data, metrics and frameworks. Over the course of three years, the research team documented in detail the actions of a variety of organisations, including institutional investors, asset managers, banks, analytics and data providers, NGOs, investor networks and open-source platforms, and sought to understand how changes at the level of organisations (micro) relate to changes at the level of the industry (macro). The team used a qualitative research approach known as mobile ethnography and employed open-ended interviews, participant observations and close reading of documents as means for collecting data. The extensive fieldwork revealed that even though the knowledge practices produce important insights about the interaction between financial practices and the climate crisis, they are also limited and biased (e.g., not being able to account for emerging markets, just transition or tipping points). What is more, the knowledge being produced is not fully leveraged in the investment, lending and engagement practices of financial institutions. We identified a number of barriers that currently prevent use of climate-related knowledge by investment and lending teams, such as, time horizons, interpretations of fiduciary duty, and doubts about government action on climate change. Hence, it is not surprising that a recent study of 562 of the world's largest private finance institutions concluded that current investment practices fall far short of what is needed to achieve 2030 Paris Agreement goals. One reason for why climate action by financial institutions is falling short is the policy environment in which they operate. Financial policy instruments, such as disclosure regulation or supervision, actively participate in shaping how the financial sector produces and uses climate-related knowledge. The FLF renewal project thus seeks to extend the mobile ethnography to a previously excluded part of the ecosystem of organisations, i.e., financial policy and regulation. Specifically, it will examine how specific policy instruments preformat knowledge practices within private financial organizations and how they thereby facilitate or constrain change in financial practices. In addition, the FLF renewal project will exploit the full impact potential of the research. Impact activities will focus on influencing policymaking and scaling up impact on practice, with the overarching aim of channeling more investments towards low-carbon assets and away from high-carbon assets, as set out in the Paris Agreement. This will be accomplished by co-designing interventions in policy and practice with financial institutions, NGOs, and professional associations. Finally, the FLF renewal project will also reach beyond a management and organization studies perspective on the role of the financial sector in the climate crisis to develop a transdisciplinary understanding of green finance. We will organize a series of workshops bringing together an interdisciplinary community with scholars from management, sociology, geography, anthropology and political economy and produce outputs in the form of edited volumes or special issues.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2025 · 2025-01

This proposal falls within the area of Mathematical Analysis and is in the area of Dynamical Systems and Ergodic Theory. The aim of this proposal is to complete work on statistical properties of partially hyperbolic systems that the PL and his students have carried out over the past three years. In particular, this would make a significant contribution to the development of the area. The most tractable setting is that of compact group extensions of hyperbolic flows.  The most important class of examples are frame flows, which are geometric examples of  SO(d)-extensions of geodesic flows on negatively curved manifolds.  The natural class of examples are based on Gibbs measures for the geodesic flow and Haar measure on the group.    In the 1980s-2000s it was shown that providing the manifold has sectional curvatures close to constant then the frame flow (by Brin, Gromov, Karcher, Burns and the Project Lead:Pollicott).  In the last few years, new progress was made recently by Leflueurve (for which he recently won the annual  junior Brin prize). The situation for the speed of mixing for frame flows has been poorly understood.  In the case of constant curvature metrics and the Haar measures it was shown many years ago using representation theory that the correlation functions tends to zero exponentially fast.   There have been several attempts in recent years to extend the result of variable curvature.  However, there are often technical complications in generalizing the Dolgopyat method to frame flows. (This stems from the use of Markov Poincare sections to the flow.  Certain cancellation arguments require the sections to have the [almost] John Property which is not clearly established).  Moreover, as in the case of hyperbolic flows the study of other Gibbs measures can only be broached when showing superpolynomial mixing. Estimates on the speed of mixing are important because they give quantifiable estimates on the long term behaviour of systems.  Although the present setting represents a specialized class of examples they give insight into problems with more general applications. This research will be of interest to mathematicians in the areas of Dynamical Systems and smooth Ergodic Theory,  particularly where there are applications to statistical properties (including central limit theorems, invariance principles large deviations, etc.).  More generally, there will be interest from Riemannian geometers via the application to frame flows and negatively curved manifolds.  The results will also be useful for people interested in the topology and geometry of manifolds (where, as an example, the speed of mixing for frame flows have found applications in immersing almost geodesic surfaces into closed hyperbolic three manifolds). More broadly, many of the ideas on hyperbolic and partially hyperbolic systems originated in statistical physics and the study of lattice gasses.  A deeper understand of the mixing rates for Gibbs measures would have the prospect of giving back insight into some problems in physics. Furthermore, some of the underpinning ideas in the mathematical analysis (such as the Laplace transform and its poles or resonances) could have applications in the fields of Stochastic Differential Equations or parameter dependence in climate models.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-12

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is one of the most powerful techniques with which to probe the structure and dynamics of molecules and materials at the atomic level. Within the physical and life-sciences communities this advanced analytical technique is widely used to provide valuable insights into challenging systems including pharmaceuticals, battery materials, catalysts and protein complexes. The success of solid-state NMR has been driven in no small part through the continued development of new hardware which continues to bring significant enhancements both of resolution and sensitivity which is facilitating the analysis of ever-smaller samples of ever-increasing complexity. Continued investment in the High-Field Solid-State NMR National Research Facility (NRF) has ensured that the UK remains at the forefront of this field, with access to the latest spectrometers and highest magnetic fields. Critical to the success of these instruments has been the development of magic-angle spinning (MAS) probes. MAS probes enhance the resolution of NMR spectra through the physical rotation of the sample, removing interactions that otherwise leave the spectrum broad and challenging to interpret. The insights into the structure and dynamics that MAS-NMR brings results in part from the development of probes which can study an array of nuclei over a range of temperatures and MAS frequencies. We seek to broaden the capabilities of the NRF, through the addition of three MAS probes, including a: Ultra-fast 0.3 mm MAS probe on the highest field, 1.2 GHz, NMR spectrometer that will allow the study of protons, carbon and nitrogen in samples spinning at the highest available spinning frequencies (>200,000 times per second (Hz)). The rapid spinning and ultra-high fields produce significant reductions in the width of the proton lines, resulting in the unrivalled sensitivity and resolution that is revolutionizing the study of biomolecular solids.  Low temperature 1.3 mm MAS probe for the 850 MHz spectrometer that will allow the study of samples at temperatures as low as 100 K at spinning frequencies up to 40 kHz. This probe will provide enhanced spinning at the lowest temperatures, removing spectral broadening the typically arises as intrinsic motional processes present in the system are “frozen-out”.  This enhanced capability will ensure researchers can conduct studies across the broadest range of temperatures (100 to 1000 K) facilitating the study of temperature-driven structural changes in materials, kinetic properties of reactions, and the dynamic properties of materials and molecules.   Large capacity (4 mm) probe for the 850 MHz instrument allowing the study of two low-gamma nuclei in addition to protons and fluorine. The flexibility to study a broad range of low gamma nuclei, coupled with the larger sample volumes, is valuable for the study of materials – particularly those rich in quadrupolar nuclei – where sensitivity can be enhanced through the study of larger samples, whilst simultaneously benefitting from the improved spectral resolution and sensitivity afforded from the high magnetic field.   The equipment will maximize the capabilities of the high-field systems and specialist infrastructure available at the NRF. Researchers will benefit from the experienced Facility Management Team who can provide the necessary training and support to ensure that these state-of-the-art world class technologies are utilized to their full potential.  The NRF will promote these new capabilities as part of its program of outreach which is seeing a growth and diversification of its user base into new fields of research.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-12

The XMaS National research facility is a synchrotron beamline located at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and sited on the European Photon and Neutron campus in Grenoble, France. The beamline is focused on materials science and provides privileged access to the UK community and their collaborators to undertake world leading research using a broad range of X-ray techniques exploiting a range of sample environments. Research is concentrated on elucidating structure-property relationships which often requires operando and in-situ experiments under technologically relevant conditions. The facility, which includes several off-line laboratories, has been supporting UK users since 1997. Continuous capital investment has resulted in both incremental and transformative changes in both capability and capacity. Such changes are user driven which, when coupled to the flexible configuration of the beamline, allow the facility to rapidly adjust to the demands of the user community. This has been an operational ethos since the very beginning. Here, we are seeking capital funds to support the facility into a sustainable and impactful future. Core capital instrumentation is sought that will: underpin current equipment and previous investments to provide new experimental methodologies and extend sample environments to enable new operando studies of materials. upgrade and improve existing equipment to enhance operational capabilities and efficiencies. provide resilience to mitigate identified risks to capabilities. increase operational efficiency and user throughput. provide new training opportunities for early career researchers. All the investments will directly support the core mission of the facility which is to provide the UK materials community access to state-of-the-art experimental equipment that are directly relevant to the EPSRC research portfolio. Enhancing the core capabilities supports and broadens the user community and provides new opportunities for young researchers. By investing in equipment that supports activities in our offline facilities we maximise the number of users we can support, a critical uplift that is needed to provide mitigation for Diamond users during the upcoming upgrade when the UK community will have significantly reduced access to suitable X-ray facilities.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-12

How cells divide from one to two has fascinated scientists ever since it became clear that cells were the fundamental building blocks for all organisms. Does the force to divide the cell come from within? Or does the division force come from outside the cell? A cell is composed of trillions of molecules. What happens at a molecular scale (1 millionth of a millimeter) and how do collective molecular behaviours power events at a larger scale, such as cell division. Over the last fifty years it is becoming clear that amoeba, fungi, and animals use a structure, termed the contractile actomyosin ring (CAR), that contains molecules highly related to those that power contraction in the muscle. However, how and whether a muscle contraction like mechanism operates during cell division is debated and changes with the advent of new technology. The fission yeast, a simple free living organism has become a very attractive tool to investigate mechanisms of cell division, since like our cells, these cells also possess a CAR that is used for cell division. The genes and proteins controlling cell division have been identified from research into this yeast and these contain counterparts in human. We have pioneered a number experimental approaches in this yeast. Together with high resolution structures of key force producing molecules, we will investigate whether actin-myosin interactions power force generation during cell division, as it does in muscle contraction. Next, we will investigate how tension is created on actin filaments. Tension is key to moving objects. For example, a rope will become tense when pulled only when another object heavier than the rope is attached to it. We will identify the objects that bind our rope (actin filaments) to understand how actin becomes tense. Finally, we will determine what work output results from tense actin filaments. We will focus on whether the tension pulls on cell membranes to effect cell division or whether tension causes extrusion of extracellular matrices needed for cell division. The work will provide an exceptional opportunity to discover cell design principles that are important in basic science, understanding human disease mechanisms, and in the design of synthetic cells for medical and biotechnological purposes. The work will also provide opportunity to train a new generation of interdisciplinary research scholars who may take up employment in academia, industry, and beyond.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-11

The flagellum of trypanosome pathogens is a whip-like appendage responsible for their cellular motility and their ability to infect human and livestock hosts. Flagella harbour a subdomain called the transition zone (TZ). This microscopic junction connects the basal body, a stack of nine microtubule triplets, to the elongated axoneme, the flagellar shaft driving parasite movement. Understanding the molecular choreography within the TZ holds immense potential for combating trypanosome infections and illuminating fundamental processes occurring in many living systems, including humans. Our focus rests on Transition Zone Proteins (TZPs), key drivers of flagellar axoneme assembly. We propose that these largely uncharacterized proteins meticulously guide the transport of building blocks via the intraflagellar transport (IFT) system, a cellular highway shuttling materials between the cell body and the growing flagellum. To elucidate the precise roles of TZPs, we will employ several advanced techniques. Expansion microscopy will "inflate" the TZ landscape, allowing us to pinpoint the nanoscale locations of individual TZPs with unprecedented accuracy, creating a detailed map of their spatial relationships within the complex TZ architecture. Next, we will conduct functional analyses by silencing specific TZPs. This will disrupt the axoneme construction process, akin to removing key workers from a construction site. We will then observe axoneme assembly processes using expansion techniques and time-lapse fluorescent microscopy. Additionally, we will utilise electron tomography to obtain 3D models of the TZ at high resolution, revealing potential defects in its structure that stop axoneme assembly. Beyond their individual roles, TZPs likely interact with each other to coordinate flagellar assembly. To unravel this protein network, we will develop a powerful technique to capture transient interactions and interacting interfaces between proteins. By analysing these interactions, we aim to understand the communication networks that govern flagellar assembly. Deciphering the axoneme construction process and the role of TZPs could lead to numerous breakthrough applications: Novel Antiparasitic Strategies: Identifying the specific functions of TZPs could offer new targets for antiparasitic drugs, potentially leading to more effective treatments for human and livestock diseases affecting large parts of Africa. Ciliopathy Insights: The trypanosome TZ shares striking similarities with human TZs, structures recognised as "hotspots" for a group of genetic disorders known as ciliopathies. Understanding the TZ may provide valuable insights into these complex diseases, paving the way for improved diagnoses and treatment options. Cellular Architectonic Precision: This research deepens our understanding of fundamental cellular assembly mechanisms, with potential implications for diverse fields ranging from medicine to nanotechnology. Our exploration of the trypanosome flagellar TZ transcends parasite control; it delves into the universal language of cellular construction. By deciphering the complexities of TZP function, we aim to unlock a treasure trove of knowledge that will help us understand a fundamental molecular process that has broad relevance

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-11

Trusts are a key tool in wealth management and tax planning. They allow individuals to benefit from wealth without controlling, or often even disclosing, those assets. Trusts can inhibit our understanding of the world by distorting our picture of inequality, and concealing the extent of tax avoidance and evasion. Trusts can also constrain the types of tax policies that are (seen as) possible, and allow the wealthy to evade legal restrictions such as sanctions and divorce rulings. However, they also offer flexibility of ownership, including for minors or other individuals who are unable to manage finances for themselves, which can have societal benefits. Together, this makes it essential to better understand how and why trusts are used in response to tax and regulatory policies, and how reforms could limit the negative implications while retaining the valuable aspects they provide. A major barrier to reform is the lack of quantitative evidence on the scale, use and policy implications of trusts. Policy in this area is therefore excessively reliant on individual anecdotes and consultation responses by interested parties. The lack of robust quantitative evidence makes it impossible for policymakers to reliably model the revenue, distributional and other economic impacts of reforms, creating a powerful force of inertia, limiting change even when there are examples that the status quo is not working. This project will therefore create new evidence on the role of trusts, and other 'split ownership' structures, in the management and preservation of wealth by the wealthy, and develop policy options for reform. The research will address four key questions: (1) Who uses trusts for wealth planning, and how does this affect measurement of inequality? (2) How, and to what extent, are trusts used for tax, secrecy and regulatory avoidance? (3) What are the benefits of trusts, according to their users and providers? (4) How should the taxation and regulation of trusts be reformed? It will do this using a mixture of quantitative data from new administrative sources, recent bank leaks, our own 'scraping' of websites and other textual materials, and primary surveys (quantitative) and interviews (qualitative), to provide a comprehensive insight into how trusts are used. By triangulating across such a wide array of data sources, the project can tackle the full range of questions relating to trusts, using the most appropriate data for each question. Approaches to tackling these questions will be borrowed from a range of academic disciplines, providing a rounded picture of trust users and trust use. This will make the evidence even more valuable in considering the implications of potential policy reforms.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-11

The mass production of technological miniature products requires high-precision mould tools, particularly for medical devices, optics, and microsystems. A significant portion of these components can be manufactured using a highly established manufacturing process: micro-injection moulding. Strict dimensional requirements such as feature size and tolerances make the mould procurement step the costliest investment in micro-injection moulding. This hinders the rapid development of emerging micro-technologies, such as microfluidics, which require multiple design iterations and have prohibitive tooling costs. Development of these micro-featured devices has become crucial especially after the COVID-19 pandemic which boosted the global demand for medical diagnostics. Hence, the establishment of resource and cost-effective prototyping and manufacturing processes for the EU is crucial since this sector is one of the main drivers of innovation, the creation of jobs and societal benefits. For accelerating the development of high added-value, miniature technological products, PROTOMAN will will deliver a "Rapid-PROTOtyping-compatible, soft-micromould- tooled MANufacturing process chain" for making high-precision soft-micro-mould tools from polymers, instead of costly, precision machined metal moulds for micro-injection moulding. The project will use state-of-the-art additive manufacturing and micro-fabrication methods to achieve this goal with an interdisciplinary mindset, combining fields such as manufacturing, optics, microfluidics and life sciences. In the wider context, PROTOMAN process chain will reduce the resources needed for the development of miniature technological products, such as labour, energy and materials. This will potentially shorten the time required for intricate products to enter markets and enable SMEs to test and develop their ideas rapidly, without major investments.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-11

Viral infections including COVID-19 and Monkeypox have led to drastic socioeconomic, educational, political, and cultural impacts worldwide. However, there is still a lack of effective methods for the rapid, broad-spectrum, sustainable control of the transmission of viruses through contaminated public facilities. This project develops new functional surfaces with rapid, broad-spectrum, sustainable antibacterial and antiviral properties based on a novel strategy that perfectly combines micro/nano-structural materials, Cu-bearing materials, and photocatalytic TiO2 materials. The genetic algorithm and finite element method will be used to optimize the designed functional surface. The controllable fabrication of the functional surface will be realized via laser interference cladding and hydrothermal technique, and the process parameter analysis and optimization will be conducted to improve the processing quality and achieve the controllable fabrication of the surface. Antibacterial and antiviral properties and regulation mechanisms of the functional surface will be demonstrated and analyzed. Self-cleaning and durability will be performed to verify the sustainable and long-term applications of the developed functional surface. This research will provide basic theoretical and key generic technical guidance for the development of new antibacterial and antiviral surfaces. This project will bring complementary expertise in optimal design, controllable fabrication, antibacterial and antiviral testing, and theoretical analysis. This combination has placed the team in the best position to achieve the ultimate objectives. The successful implementation of the proposed research will undoubtedly enrich the advanced knowledge, contribute important techniques, and enable the commercial exploitation and practical application of functional surfaces with rapid, broad-spectrum, sustainable antibacterial and antiviral properties to combat virus infectious diseases.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-11

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-11

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-11

The way in which bacteria divide in order to grow is a highly-coordinated process and requires a complex choreography of many proteins, working inside and outside the cell membrane. Many of these proteins have a functional relationship with the synthesis and coordination of the external cell shape determining polymer called peptidoglycan (PG). This polymer provides a structural scaffold for many cellular processes as well as mechanical strength and protection, which requires modification during the process of cell division. A critical point occurs during cell division when the "old" cell wall PG must be degraded to allow separation of newly synthesized cells and this function is provided by a variety of PG hydrolases associated with the cell division FtsE-FtsX protein complex. At Warwick we have recently contributed to a new understanding of how this process occurs in rod shaped, gram negative bacteria. However, the situation in respiratory infection associated, ovoid-shaped gram positive bacterial pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae is unclear at present. Notably there is a direct interaction and functionally essential interaction between FtsEX and a single specific PG hydrolase called PcsB making it an attractive extracellular target to prevent pneumococcal disease. In this proposal we directly address questions concerning a particular essential enzyme and the complex it makes with cell division proteins in Streptococcus pneumoniae. The cell division proteins FtsE and FtsX form a complex together that spans the bacterial membrane and anchors an extracellular enzyme called PcsB that is required for cell division. The binding and hydrolysis of ATP inside the cell by FtsE is transmitted through its membrane anchor partner protein FtsX and results in a major conformational shape change in PcsB outside the cell which controls its ability to cut the peptidoglycan layer and allow cell division. Building on new structural data and models, genetic constructs, biochemical data, assays and international collaboration, the goal of this proposal is to understand the role of PcsB in complex with FtsEX and elucidate the molecular events linking cell division with PG degradative enzymes required for growth and division in S. pneumoniae. Drugs or vaccines that interfere with this process could prevent division and could provide routes to new treatments for pneumococcal and related infectious disease. The research proposed in this grant proposal forms part of an international effort with colleagues in the US and Singapore to combat this problem. The scientific principles that we will reveal may also have application in other, related bacterial species. Our work leading to this application, provides computer simulations, microbiological tools, techniques and biochemical approaches that can now be applied to the key biological questions of how are these proteins controlled, how do they function and how we might interfere with this this process to provide future antimicrobial strategies for human or animal health.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-11

The project 'University-level study abroad in post-Brexit UK' will seek to advance current understanding of the phenomenon of study abroad and to inform relevant policy in the UK. Study abroad is important because it has been linked to positive outcomes for individuals and because it is seen to be of economic and geopolitical significance. The project will use multiple data sources and multiple perspectives. It will tell us who studies abroad and with what benefits, how institutions manage and deliver study abroad, and what is the state of study abroad policy in the UK, Canada, Australia, and at the EU level. This triangulated and rigorous approach is the strength and innovation of this project, and it will allow the project to deliver an authoritative overview of study abroad in the UK with relevance for students, higher education institutions (HEIs), study abroad stakeholders, and the national government. Researching study abroad is timely for the UK. Following Brexit and after leaving Erasmus+, the UK Government has created the Turing Scheme to provide funding for?international opportunities in education and training. In 2022-2023, the Turing Scheme had a budget of £100 million. Funding for the Turing Scheme is confirmed until 2025 and independent outputs from this project will be published in time to contribute to public debates about the future of the scheme and further national policies on study abroad. To understand who studies abroad and with what benefits, this three-year project will use nationally representative longitudinal secondary data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (starting with 2013/14) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset (starting with 2014/15 graduates). With relevance for widening participation efforts, the project will document the socio-economic characteristics of students who go abroad, both before and after Brexit, and how representative these students are of the wider student population. The project will also document the academic and post-graduation outcomes of study abroad participants. It will look at graduation rate, degree classification, employment status, earnings, and wellbeing and if these outcomes vary between those who studied abroad and those who did not. The project will provide a first of its kind overview on the association between study abroad and future earnings among students enrolled at UK HEIs and will make multiple contributions to the international literature on study abroad. Case study data from four anonymous UK universities, one from each nation, will be collected and analysed to understand how institutions manage and deliver study abroad post-Brexit. Students and staff at these institutions will be invited to offer their views on aspects such as widening participation, the student experience, and the Turing Scheme. Supported by interviews and documentary analysis, the project will also deliver an in-depth overview of UK's policy on study and work abroad and compare it with equivalent policies in two peer countries, Australia and Canada, and also with EU-level study abroad policies. This approach will ensure that policy recommendations made throughout this project are context relevant, internationally informed, and feasible. Through the rigorous analysis of longitudinal nationally representative administrative data, analysis of case study data from four universities, and comparative national policy reviews in three countries and at the EU level, this project offers an independent, comprehensive, and impactful approach to understanding study abroad in the UK, with relevance for multiple stakeholders, at a moment of national policy significance.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Meeting emerging science and engineering modelling challenges requires scientists who can master complex theory and simulation techniques, can assimilate data, and can collaborate in multidisciplinary teams with expertise across a range of modelling scales. Securing the UK's position as a world-leading research hub into the future therefore requires a well-integrated pool of researchers with a skillset that is both broad and deep. HetSys is leading the way in addressing these needs by producing students with the tools necessary to meet the challenges of the future through our training programme. We are training the scientists who will develop the next generation of computational models, implemented in reusable software with robust error bars from uncertainty quantification (UQ), and who can learn from experimental and simulated data on an equal footing through advances in 'scientific machine-learning' (SciML). Linking heterogeneous materials models with UQ allows performance to be improved, enabling the technology needed to reach net zero through a step-change in design capability. The ongoing AI revolution has necessitated a redesign of our training programme to enable us to build on what we learnt during the first funding period and deliver our new vision. In particular, changes to our core training enable our students to (i) embed robust and sustainable research software engineering (RSE) in modelling; (ii) quantify modelling uncertainties through enhanced use of statistical methods; and (iii) exploit new trends in scientific machine learning. The research focus of HetSys on new paradigms in the behaviour of heterogeneous materials remains vital for the competitiveness of the UK's high-value manufacturing and automotive industries. Prominent examples of challenges we are addressing include the design of (i) energy materials for future vehicles with reduced carbon footprints; (ii) low dimensional and/or strongly correlated materials for quantum devices; (iii) high entropy alloys for fusion applications; (iv) biomolecules for combatting infectious diseases. Historically, the modelling pattern has focused on just one length- or time-scale; HetSys transforms this landscape by explicitly targeting the multiscale modelling of heterogeneous systems required by industry. The expertise we have accumulated opens up opportunities to capitalise on the transformative combination of mechanistic modelling with data-driven approaches (SciML). This requires a broader combination of disciplinary expertise, provided through our enhanced bespoke training programme. Only a cohort approach can train high-quality computational scientists who can develop and implement new modelling methods in close collaboration with other scientists. The cohesive, interdepartmental cohorts and training programme we are creating lower many of the current barriers to interdisciplinary work and demonstrate our vision for the future of scientific endeavour, where teams of researchers work together to combine their skills and expertise. Only a critical mass of students and a large and highly collaborative team of supervisors makes this targeted and fully inclusive training approach feasible. HetSys supports the delivery of EPSRC's Physical and Mathematical Sciences Powerhouse strategic priority, helping to provide the platform on which research and innovation across the sciences is built.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Delivery of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics to desired organs has become the current challenge of biotechnological applications. Advancements on the chemical synthesis or targeting ligands, formulation of complex lipid systems, and their bioassays are essential to establish new gene therapies. Therefore, the main aim of NATPRIME DN is to establish a multidisciplinary training network on the emerging topic of nanoparticle-based adjuvants to deliver nucleic acid therapeutics (NAT). In the last decade, great efforts have been spent on the development of synthetic strategies for the creation of RNA based therapies/vaccines, and these efforts have been acknowledged by the Nobel committee in 2023. The next important step is targeted delivery, which is to carry NATs to the desired tissue. For this purpose, various nanoassemblies, i.e lipid nanoparticles, polyplexes, liposomes, that are modified with targeting ligands will be utilised to encapsulate NATS. Antibodies, peptides, glycans, and glycopolymers open up greater possibilities in the precise targeting of nanoparticles to desired organs/tissues/cells. The combined molecular toolbox of targeting ligands, charged lipids, helper lipids and PEG-replacement lipids need a high-throughput formulation-screening to ensure increased uptake of such particles in the desired organs. 15 interdisciplinary researchers will be trained on the design, synthesis, and characterisation of such complex targeting ligands, their formulation in nanoparticles, and their utilisation in the nucleic acid based treatments. Last but not least, biophysical understanding of molecular interactions of formulation components will bridge the gap between fundamental and applied research while broadening the horizon of ESRs from an academic lab to good manufacturing practice (GMP) synthesis facilities that can positively impact the well-being of future generations.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

This request represents an agreed contribution towards the costs of Prof Barker at the University of Warwick, at the level of 0.4FTE, that will allow him to carry out the roles of LBNF-DUNE(UK) Spokesperson and Resource Coordinator for the international DUNE project.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

The research proposed for the FLF renewal grant covers and extension of the work originally undertaken in researching and developing new particle detection techniques for neutrinos and then applying them to the exciting study of neutrinos emitted from supernova, particularly those created at the beginning of the universe. These neutrinos are very interesting because they could tell us a lot about the rate and life cycle of star formation and the number of black holes in our universe all the way back to the big bang. The initial award focused on the development of novel calibration hardware for measuring tiny contamination in water, new ultra-fast photo detector technology, advanced data acquisition systems, improved triggering, and analysis algorithms to exploit a brand-new technique of doping water based Cherenkov particle detectors with Gadolinium (Gd). These advances were then to be used on the current world's largest neutrino detector Super-Kamiokande (based in Japan) to help improve the search sensitivity for these extremely rare and ancient supernova neutrino interactions, allowing us to observe them for the first time ever. Whilst this is still underway and we are eagerly looking forward to the results, the developments my group have worked on and the technology of Gd doping have also been employed on a number of other neutrino detectors to great success. These experiments with my help have produced multiple publications and advancements in many areas of science covering both hardware and software. We have also been able to produce a suite of novel synergistic software frameworks and tools to advance the field. The renewal proposes to continue to develop these systems both hardware (in terms of calibration systems and photosensors) and software (for triggering, data acquisition, analysis and particle simulation), as well as bringing the current advances and techniques to the next generation of particle physics detectors that are currently being designed and will be constructed and operated in the renewal period. These experiments are based all over the world from the USA, Europe, Japan and even the UK and aim to be technology test beds for new advances in doping materials and photosensor technology, high precision test beds for making precision particle interaction measurements and in the case of Hyper-k the new world's largest international neutrino experiment, giving us the ability to peer deeper into the universe and study the fundamental properties of the neutrinos themselves. These detectors provide an invaluable opportunity, to develop ground breaking new tools and physics, furthering our understanding. This is particularly the case with the field of supernova neutrinos, where the FLF renewal grant will allow us to ensure that the technology and hardware is developed and in place for people to study them for decades to come and raise the profile of the UKs research excellence internationally as a founding member.

UKRI Gateway to Research · FY 2024 · 2024-09

Globally, the treatment of cancer is a substantial economic burden and the effects of cancer have a detrimental impact on the lives of patients and their families, potentially leading to further physical and mental illnesses. The current clinically used metal-based compounds (e.g. cisplatin, oxaliplatin and carboplatin) work by targeting DNA, however, they do not distinguish between cancerous and normal cells. They lead to adverse side effects, including renal failure, neurotoxicity and nausea. Many of the tumours become resistant to these platinum drugs, therefore, there is an urgent need for new drugs which selectively target and eradicate the cancerous cells, whilst minimising the associated side effects. The PI's recently published work highlighted new vanadium drugs which are more active than the clinically used platinum drugs and more selective for cancerous cells. Importantly, the ligands can be modified to incorporate a wide range of functionalities and allow us to determine structure-activity relationships. Also, the complexation of these ligands with vanadium will use our own literature methods, which will allow effective and efficient establishment of compound libraries. The proposed research will also investigate the drugs' distribution and accumulation within cells, and provide insights to the cellular targets and modes of actions. Furthermore, the drugs' activities will be measured in 3D cell culture models, as their environment is closer in nature to real-life tumours. This will enable the PI to identify more suitable and selective drugs, which can be taken towards clinical trials. Overall, this cheap and straight-forward drug design, coupled with in depth "tumour-like" studies, will provide new alternatives to cost-effective and targeted treatment.