Through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) the 香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage and partnering departments have been successful in 拢900,000 worth of bids for new equipment to bolster research in heritage science, collections and the built environment.
Across recent bids the 香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage has successfully secured 拢900,000 worth of infrastructure investments for our Heritage Science Laboratories. Prepared with departments from across 香港六合彩中特网, the equipment will strengthen the university鈥檚 capabilities for imaging and analysis in a range of research projects covering collections and the built environment.
As part of a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) 拢213M call for world class labs to expand and upgrade existing research infrastructure, the AHRC launched the first UK-wide 拢15M 鈥樷�� fund. Noting that galleries, libraries, archives and museums are the bedrock of our cultural significance, the fund is a landmark investment in heritage science research facilities that drive their success. A collaborative bid from 香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage (ISH), 香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Archaeology (IoA) and 香港六合彩中特网 Culture was successful and has received funding for hyperspectral imaging cameras and portable x-ray fluorescence analysers for collections-focussed imaging and analysis.听
Across 香港六合彩中特网鈥檚 academic departments and collections, the university has world-leading research expertise in x-ray and optical spectroscopic imaging and analysis. This was underpinned by obsolete equipment, with existing hyperspectral imaging and portable x-ray fluorescence instruments no longer supported by the manufacturers. The new equipment will give 香港六合彩中特网 the state-of-the-art facilities needed to drive both the scientific development of heritage imaging and applications in collections.听
From 香港六合彩中特网鈥檚 allocation of UKRI鈥檚 Research England Research Capital Investment Fund (RCIF) to support strategic investment in research equipment, the Institute led three successful bids for FTIR microscopy equipment, a Near Infrared (NIR) Spectroradiometer, and Olfactometric detection equipment. This new apparatus expands and upgrades possibilities for sensory and materials research and teaching across the university, with multiple departments lined-up to take advantage of it.
Find out more about the equipment and intended uses:
Equipment from the UKRI AHRC CapCo fund
Bids prepared by听Professor Adam Gibson (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage, and 香港六合彩中特网 Department for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering) with input from Dr Patrick Quinn (Institute for Archaeology), Simon Cane and Kat Nilsson (香港六合彩中特网 Culture)听and Professor Susan Collins (Slade School of Fine Art)
Hyperspectral imaging cameras
3听based at Heritage Science Laboratory, 香港六合彩中特网 Here East
2听based at 香港六合彩中特网 Culture
Funding received from this bid will enable 香港六合彩中特网 to invest in three new hyperspectral imaging (HSI) cameras from UK supplier ClydeHSI Ltd to upgrade existing imaging capability at ISH. Recently, researchers at ISH used our older HSI system to inspect from the Guildhall Art Gallery before the painting had full conservation treatment. As well as informing the conservation efforts, the hyperspectral images also documented the condition of the painting before conservation. Imaging revealed the under-drawing of the painting in more detail, in particular a section of handwriting. The use of HSI also showed that even though all of the figures have similarly coloured blue eyes in visible light, the spectral profile of the eyes are different, suggesting they were painted with a different pigment.听
Three cameras will be based at ISH (two matching cameras for stereo imaging and a third working at longer infrared wavelengths) and two others will be held in 香港六合彩中特网 Culture for use across 香港六合彩中特网鈥檚 Collections and in the Slade School of Fine Art.听
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Portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) instruments
3听based at 香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Archaeology
1听based at 香港六合彩中特网 Culture
The grant provides three portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) instruments to replace existing equipment in the Institute for Archaeology听(IoA), one of which will be dedicated for shared use, reflecting the high demand for these instruments across 香港六合彩中特网 and from external collaborators. Researchers in IoA have used their existing devices to examine iconic objects including the Terracotta Army, stained glass windows at York Minster, flint tools and early ceramics from Israel and pre-Colonial America. A fourth instrument will be held by 香港六合彩中特网 Culture, dedicated for use by 香港六合彩中特网听Collections.
Equipment funded by 香港六合彩中特网鈥檚 allocation of UKRI鈥檚 Research England Research Capital Investment Fund
FTIR microscopy equipment
FTIR Microscope with accessories for automated chemical mapping in attenuated total reflectance (ATR), transmission and reflectance modes and thermoelectrically cooled mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT) mid- band detector.
Heritage Science Laboratory, Bloomsbury
香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage uses FTIR spectroscopy to understand composition and degradation of materials in nearly all its laboratory-based research projects, corresponding to 拢2.2 million of research income at the Bartlett.听
Previously outsourced to external partners,听this new FTIR microscopy equipment will enable world-leading research and teaching involving complex heritage materials including built heritage and museum artefacts across a number of 香港六合彩中特网 departments, projects and degrees.听
Using FTIR microscopy at partner organisation Tate, we showed that historic plastic objects may have different compositions at their surfaces compared to within their bulk, putting them at risk of damage due to fluctuating humidity.听鈥嬧�嬧�嬧��
Bid prepared by:听Dr. Simon铆 Da Ros (lead, 香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage), Dr. Katherine Curran (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage), Dr. Hector Altamirano (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering), Professor Mark Miodownik (香港六合彩中特网 Mechanical Engineering)
- Use in teaching
The equipment will be used in:
Automated analysis will enable fast acquisition of large data-sets, which will be available for the application of chemometric and machine-learning methods by students. Additionally, chemical images will be valuable as visualisation tools for teaching degradation phenomena.听
- Related research projects
- (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage)
- COMPLEX (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage)
- (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering)
- COMPOSTABLE PLASTIC (香港六合彩中特网 Mechanical Engineering)
- Material Studies Laboratory (香港六合彩中特网 Art History)
- (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage)
Near Infrared (NIR) Spectroradiometer
ASD FieldSpec 4 Hi-Res: High Resolution Spectroradiometer and accessories for measuring reflectance and radiance from 350-2500 nm (visible and shortwave infrared).听
Heritage Science Laboratory, Bloomsbury
NIR spectroscopy has been previously听used by Prof Matija Strlic (香港六合彩中特网 ISH) to investigate the material properties and durability of historic papers and pigments. The equipment enables chemical analysis for many types of materials, including but not limited to the study of plastics by Dr Katherine Curran (香港六合彩中特网 ISH) in听the COMPLEX research project. The equipment听is ideal for non-destructively investigating the physical and chemical characteristics of museum objects, also benefitting the research of Dr H茅lia Mar莽al (History of Art) on the materiality of contemporary art in the context of museum, heritage and conservation practices听
Replacing our existing NIR spectrometers opens up a realm possibility for use in teaching and research across 香港六合彩中特网 and the Institute for Sustainable Heritage. Not only does the new equipment increase our capabilities for analysing different spot sizes, but its portability allows for analysis outside the lab.
The portability of this new equipment opens up wider possible applications in the built environment. Radiance measurements from NIR spectroscopy offer unique functionality for evaluating moisture content in building materials, which is currently being studied by Dr Scott Allan Orr in the context of historic environments and Dr Yasemin Didem Aktas (香港六合彩中特网 Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering and UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings) in her work on understanding building performance.听
Bid prepared by: Dr Miriam Wright (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage, lead), Dr Scott Allan Orr (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage)
- Use in teaching
The equipment will be used in:
Students will benefit from readily-available NIR spectra data for training. The equipment can be used as an introduction to analytical research as it requires relatively little training and is portable (particularly suitable for site- based teaching, e.g. at historic sites).听
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- Related projects
- COMPLEX (香港六合彩中特网 ISH)
- PROT3CT (CEGE, UKCMB)
Olfactometric detection equipment
OEM-2702-18607 PHASER Pro GC Olfactory Port, OEM-2702-18606 PHASER Pro Voicegram Interface Kit, Sepsolve Phaser mounting plate and GC Column听
Heritage Science Laboratory, 香港六合彩中特网 Here East (Stratford)
香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage is a world-leading centre for olfactory heritage with a 拢1.2m research portfolio of projects focussed on smells associated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs)听and to preserve culturally valuable scents. This new equipment will enable us to undertake critical sensory analysis for the EU Horizon 2020 projects Odeurope and APACHE at 香港六合彩中特网. Our olfactory heritage science has captured imaginations and attracted global media attention. As this field is rapidly developing the added equipment will support future research bids for the Institute.听
Beyond heritage applications, the equipment will also support research on:听damp characterisation from the UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings; smell-delivery technologies and post-COVID smell training from 香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Healthcare Engineering; characterising the smell of fabrics from the Centre of Excellence in Human-Computer Interaction (香港六合彩中特网IC); patients acceptance of the smell of medications (香港六合彩中特网 School of Pharmacy); how people interact with their sensory environment from the 香港六合彩中特网 Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geomatic Engineering; and multisensory experiments combining scent and sound from 香港六合彩中特网 IEDE鈥檚 Acoustics Research Group.
Bid prepared by: Dr Cecilia Bembibre (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage), Prof. Matija Strlic (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage), Prof May Cassar (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage), Prof. Hector Altamirano (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering)
- Use in teaching
- Data Science for Cultural Heritage and MSc (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage) - for generating robust sensory datasets to develop predictive models to digitise olfaction and study sensory attributes of artefacts as intangible heritage.听
- Environmental Design and Engineering MSc (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering) - for developing of smell descriptors for damp, leading to new techniques to study moisture.听
- Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering) - for exploring connections between smells and wellbeing, to understand associated emotions.听
- Digital Anthropology MSc (香港六合彩中特网 Anthropology) - to study multisensory VR experiences and develop related olfactory language.听
- Related research projects
Odeuropa (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage)
Heritage Smells! (香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage)
听(香港六合彩中特网 Institute for Sustainable Heritage)
PEARL (香港六合彩中特网 Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering)
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