What it does: CHAP's Phenotyping and Soil Health Facility at Cranfield University will demonstrate at a pilot scale how soil properties can be altered by tillage techniques in soil-crop systems to test the effects of soil condition on, for example: agrochemical dynamics; nutrient and water use; crop establishment; root and canopy development and crop yield; soil health and degradation; soil-borne diseases; weed control; and crop genotype × soil interactions. Research/innovation goals and...

The Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa (CCAP) is a unique phylogenetically diverse Biological Resource Centre (BRC), holding exemplar strains from most lineages of the eukaryotic tree of life. It is physically located in a purpose-built, spacious and well-equipped modern facility, and acts as a depository for ex situ conservation of around 3000 strains of marine, terrestrial and freshwater algae; cyanobacteria; protozoa and algal pathogens. These diverse organisms underpin biological...

DANUBIUS-RI is a proposal for a distributed research infrastructure dedicated to interdisciplinary research on River-Sea systems. The vision is to provide tools to integrate environmental research and education spanning the freshwater to marine continuum. In so doing the RI aims to: protect the key ecosystem services provided by river to sea systems; develop opportunities for Knowledge Exchange; and enhance environmental policy development, regulation and management. At present these aims...

Data science - Intelligent and effective use of data

From mapping the spread of disease to monitoring climate change, data holds the key to solving some of the world's biggest challenges. It also promises to deliver improved productivity, helping companies streamline their processes, make improvements and maximise their output. Dependable decisions rely on understanding the provenance and reliability of data.

Our data scientists are working to help organisations analyse and use data...

Our primary aim is to provide users with seamless and flexible access to a wide range of data resources to facilitate high quality social and economic research and education. All of our activities stem from this aim. Our key activities are: * selecting the right data to maximise use and subsequent impact. This will be achieved through the implementation of a Collections Development Policy. * ingesting to ensure data quality and long-term preservation (as appropriate). This will be...

The core NMR facility houses 15 NMR research spectrometers which support a broad range of chemical sciences research across the department, the wider university and beyond. It comprises both solution-phase and solid-state instruments with operating frequencies up to 700 MHz with a broad range of multinuclear and high-sensitivity cryogenic detection probes. It seeks to provide the broadest range of NMR solutions to many research areas including synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry...

The Geography laboratories are located in the West and Arthur Holmes buildings at Lower Mountjoy and contain an extensive suite of analytical and geotechnical instruments which are overseen and supported by a team of dedicated technical staff. Over the last few years £1.5 million has been invested in new, cutting-edge equipment in the Geography Laboratories. Our laboratories facilitate world class research. They are also used extensively in teaching, specifically undergraduate practical...

Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron light facility. It works like a giant microscope, harnessing the power of electrons to produce bright light that scientists can use to study anything from fossils to jet engines and from viruses to vaccines. The machine accelerates electrons to near the speed of light which then give off light 10 billion times brighter than the sun. These bright beams are then directed off into laboratories/experimental stations known as ‘beamlines’. Here...

Things Connected has established several city-wide and regional Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) deployments based on LoRaWAN and Sigfox technologies, with associated IT infrastructure. These facilities, with associated innovation programmes, enable innovation and experimentation with the technology, at scale, for academic and UK business, to enable the development of new LPWAN based solutions and explore their benefits with potential adopters through trial activities and pilots. We believe...

Dimensional metrology - providing expertise and capability in length and angle measurement

Measurement of 'length' includes distance, displacement, position, dimensions, size, area, volume and surface texture. It is a fundamental requirement in most engineering and manufacturing industries and a critical part in many science experiments and facilities. Together with measurement of angles, NPL's expertise in dimensional measurement covers over 12 orders of magnitude. From our highest...