The Physics of Space, Earth and Life-Science (SEALS) group has the following areas of research:
Nanobiophotonics
We develop microscope systems that use nanodiamond as quantum-enhanced sub-cellular sensors for biological applications. We aim to apply these sensors across a range of different applications, from fundamental biological research to medical applications. Our largest systems use super-resolution techniques and adaptive optics to image deep into samples and at tens of nm resolution. The knowledge gained from these complex imaging systems is used to design “sufficient systems” – custom built microscope that achieve specific measurements for end users with low cost components that do the job cost-efficiently. Successes here include the demonstration of computational super-resolution imaging with 3d printed microscopes. Our collaborators are international – we actively work with groups across the UK, in Japan and in the US and are always excited to collaborate more widely! A fundamental goal of all our research is to develop tools that allow interdisciplinary research that was previously unfeasible to perform.
Academic Staff: Dr Brian Patton
PhD Students: Holly Caplan
Marine Optics and Remote Sensing
The Marine Optics and Remote Sensing (MORSE) groups uses optical sensing and modelling to better understand key aspects of life in the ocean. Our work extends from developing improved ocean colour remote sensing algorithms to better understand the ocean carbon cycle to predicting the impact of artificial light at night on animal behaviour. We operate a range of state of the art in situ optical sensors to measure underwater light fields, remote sensing reflectance and associated inherent optical properties (absorption, attenuation, backscattering) of natural waters. We use radiative transfer simulations to predict diurnal and seasonal variability in light availability for photosynthesis and animal light sensitivity depths. Our work is inherently interdisciplinary, we work with a wide range of national and international partners, and our geographical scope is truly global, with a particularly strong emphasis on impacts of climate change in the Arctic. Our ambition is to support communities, industries and policymakers with data that provides impactful insight to inform future decision making.
Academic Staff: Prof David McKee
Research Staff: Dr Cait McCarry
PhD Students: Ruairidh Wallace, Brynn Presler-Marshall, Adam Hale, Brad Neimann
Soft Matter and Biophysics
The Soft Matter and Biophysics (SMBP) group works at the interdisciplinary intersection of physics, chemistry and biology. Soft condensed matter covers a variety of physical, mostly liquid or gel-like states and systems which are easily deformable. Complex fluids such as liquid crystals, colloidal suspensions, glasses, amphiphilic mixtures, polymeric liquids, foams, gels, granular matter and virtually all biological substances fall into this category. These materials are ubiquitous and share the common feature that their generic physical behaviour occurs at energy scales comparable to thermal energies at room temperature. This is why we call these materials ‘soft’. A particular focus of our research is on simulation of DNA and RNA and complex fluids on mesoscopic time and length scales. These are situated between the microscopic world of atoms and the macroscopic world we live in. Neither fully atomistic descriptions nor continuum models are appropriate to study these systems consistently. The mesoscopic nature of soft matter and its propensity to self-assemble into more complex structures requires specialised, coarse-grained simulation methods that retain only the relevant physical degrees of freedom. We develop these methods using principles from statistical physics and computational fluid dynamics, apply them to open questions in biophysics and fluid dynamics and provide software for research communities.
Academic Staff: Dr Oliver Henrich
Research Staff: Dr Andrea Bonato (Visiting Scholar)
PhD Students: Kierran Fallon, Lewis Russell
Photophysics
The Photophysics Group led by Dr Yu Chen conducts interdisciplinary nanoscience research that bridges fundamental photophysics with healthcare applications. The group addresses key challenges at the biomedical–nanometrology interface, with a focus on the photophysics of noble metal nanoparticles and nanostructures for advanced sensing and imaging, biomolecular aggregation (such as beta-amyloid in Alzheimer’s disease), and silica nanoparticle formation and metrology at the 1–10 nm scale. In particular, the group develops advanced fluorescence-based tools and nanoscale probes for biomedical applications, including RNA nanoprobes for liquid biopsy cancer diagnostics, rapid fluorescence lifetime imaging techniques for single-cell analysis, and near-infrared nanoprobes and metasurfaces for enhanced biomedical sensing and imaging. These efforts aim to enable more precise diagnostics and support the development of next-generation biomedical technologies.
Academic Staff: Dr Yu Chen, Prof David JS Birch (Emeritus Professor)
PhD students: Khadija Yousaf, Sahar Alshammari, Amrutha Sankar, Bowen Wang, Ali Alahmari, Junjie Kuang, Zinuo Li
MRes student: Mamoona Arshad