2024 at the University of Bath

January

The year began with the news that Bath spinout company EnsiliTech had been awarded a highly competitive government contract to develop the world's first thermally stable mRNA vaccine.

In its work at the university, the team behind Ensilicated Technologies Ltd (EnsiliTech) has developed ensilication – a technology that allows vaccines and other biological materials to be transported and stored without the use of refrigeration. The aim of the two-year contract, valued at around £1.7million, aims to develop the world's first thermally stable mRNA vaccine.

Meanwhile, as the Post Office Horizon scandal made the news following the release of ITV series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, researchers from Bath analysed hundreds of transcripts from the ongoing public inquiry into the scandal and conducted interviews with sub-postmasters across the UK in an effort to understand why so few victims had spoken out. The study concluded that management failure and misplaced belief in technology explained why the scandal took so long to come to light.

Other research to make the headlines in January included work from our Department of Psychology that investigated the withdrawal symptoms experienced by people taking antidepressants, and the news that an undergraduate student had uncovered the secret science of why carrots curl. Mechanical Engineering student Nguyen Vo-Bui carried out the research as part of his final-year studies, in the limited circumstances of Covid-19 lockdowns of 2021. Without access to labs, Nguyen aimed to identify the geometrical and environmental factors which have the most influence on carrots’ longevity.

In January, the University also announced it was teaming up with the University of Plymouth to address the shortage of pharmacists in the South West. From September 2024, the highly ranked , significantly increasing the opportunities for students to study pharmacy in the South West region.

February

The UK’s first master’s degree course focused on applying skills in AI to engineering and design was launched at Bath in February. The MSc in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering and Design was designed to equip students with skills in applying AI tools responsibly and ethically, combining engineering and design knowledge with data science and machine learning to help solve complex and potentially safety-critical engineering problems.

Research from the School of Management revealed the human consequences of pursuing modern slavery allegations, over supply chain failings, in Leicester’s ‘Boohoo Scandal’ in 2020. Professor Vivek Soundararajan, report author and researcher at the University of Bath’s School of Management, said: that 'Allegations of modern slavery, which were unfounded, obscured the root causes of worker exploitation, including manipulative procurement by fast fashion brands and lack of labour law regulation'.

Also in February it was announced Bath and GW4 researchers had been awarded £4.3million for world-leading research into severe mental illness, while a team from the University were celebrating after winning an international competition where cybathletes race against each other using their brainwaves alone. Taking part in the global CYBATHLON Challenge pilot Owen Collumb – a spinal-injury athlete based in Dublin, Ireland – used technology invented by University of Bath to complete a number of computer game-like challenges.

In engineering research news, we revealed that natural and recycled resources including prefabricated wall panels made from waste wood and insulation made from fungal mycelium are set to be tested by University of Bath researchers in a major European project to explore the building materials of the future

We also played host to hosted a very special football match as former University of Bath footballers reunited for a game to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their monumental victory in the UAU National Championships in 1974.

March

Rare weather conditions made it possible to see the aurora borealis over Bath in March, captivating both students and residents.

In research news, a study from the University highlighted concerns about Netflix's portrayal of pain in adolescent media, revealing that it often trivialises teenagers' experiences of pain. Adolescents watching popular Netflix shows such as Stranger Things and Sex Education or films such as Spiderman:Homecoming, are exposed to an average of 10 incidents of pain every hour. Dr Abbie Jordan of the Department of Psychology and Centre for Pain Research said it was important to 'accurately represent pain experiences' and instead of trivialising the experience, programmes could do more to educate young people about much more common, everyday pain.

During the month, it was found there was no evidence that CBD products reduce chronic pain, and taking them would be a waste of money and potentially harmful to health, according to research. CBD (short for cannabidiol) is one of many chemicals found naturally in the cannabis plant. It’s a popular alternative treatment for pain and is readily available in shops and online in the form of oils, tinctures, vapes, topical creams, edibles (such as gummy bears) and soft drinks.

In March, we discovered the University would get to play a key role in a new consortium to support the development and introduction of zero-emission aviation in the UK. The HyFIVE consortium, led by Marshall and including GKN Aerospace and Parker Meggitt, will make use of the specialised research and development capability at Bath, as well as at partners at the University of Manchester and Cardiff University. The group will develop a world-leading hydrogen fuel system and accompanying supply chain, with the goal of supporting zero-emission aviation in the 2030s.

Research from the School of Management had some advice for social media influencers. A study from Dr Sarah Glozer found that social media influencers who want to be paid money for their content must focus on three key areas to lift themselves out of the gifts-in-kind trap and to protect their pursuit of meaningful work.

The Netflix adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem" from the Hugo Award-winning science fiction novel "The Three-Body Problem" by Chinese author Liu Cixin was released this month. Professor Ventsislav Valev, the Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Bath, was a big fan of the novel and shared some of his thoughts after watching the series.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that Bath would lead a £1.97M project enhancing professional development for Research Technical Professionals. The pioneering project will develop the skills of Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) and support them to work with industrial partners.

April

In April, we were proud to see that The Washing Machine Project, led by Bath alumnus Nav Sawhney, had partnered with the Whirlpool Foundation to deliver 10,000 manual washing machines to underserved communities worldwide. This collaboration will improve the quality of life for approximately 150,000 people in countries such as India, Mexico, Brazil, the Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Sudan. By providing these off-grid, manual washing machines, the project will save significant time for women and girls, reduce water usage, and promote sustainable laundry practices.

We also celebrated the launch of Prothea Technologies, a new spin-out company from the Universities of Bath and Edinburgh, with a mission to enable lung cancer biopsy and treatment in a single visit. The firm seeks to develop a medical device to quickly diagnose lung cancer lesions using a combined endoscope and image-processing system.

Later in April, a joint project by Bath & North East Somerset Council and the University of Bath to reduce carbon emissions in construction by connecting local planning policymakers with academic experts in sustainable construction was one of six innovations proposed by the Key Cities Innovation Network (KCIN) in “Civic Partners in Net Zero”, a collection of peer-reviewed studies detailing innovative ways in which universities are working with their local places to achieve net zero targets.

Internationally, a 20-minute documentary shot on location in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was screened at a UN event calling for improved working conditions in the cobalt industry.

‘Cobalt Rush’, produced by award-winning filmmakers, Roy Maconachie, Professor of Natural Resources and Development at the University of Bath, Simon Wharf from the University’s Media Production team, and Dr Bossissi Nkuba (a specialist in mining governance from the DRC), was screened at UN Headquarters in New York, during the first-ever UN General Assembly Sustainability Week, convened by the President of the General Assembly. The film powerfully tells the story of cobalt extraction from the perspective of artisanal miners at the bottom of the supply chain.

May

A touch screen that can be deformed through finger pressure, becoming softer or stiffer in direct response to force applied by the user, was revealed by computer scientists at the University.

DeformIO – as it has been named – is still a prototype and will require at least a decade of further development before it can be passed on to tech companies to be shaped into a commercial product, however its inventors regard it as ground-breaking technology.

Meanwhile, health research about Bath found that football players in England’s top-tier Women's Super League (WSL) were six times more likely to experience a muscle injury in the days leading up to their period compared to when they were on their period.

June

Music festival season kicked off in the UK with the news that festivals and mass gatherings can empower and inspire people making lifestyle changes for a sustainable future. Research from a vegan festival by Dr Annayah Prosser, from the University of Bath’s School of Management suggested the power of these collective experiences may have been underestimated.

Later in the month, an analysis of leaked documents by the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) at The University of Bath, shows that PMI, the largest transnational tobacco company in the world, and its subsidiary PMJ, secretly funded Kyoto University academics to carry out research on smoking cessation. There is also evidence that PMJ funded a life sciences consultancy, run by a Japanese professor at Tokyo University, to build a network of experts to influence public health policy.

June also saw Dr Simon Freakley, from the University's Institute for Sustainability, be awarded a prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry prize as part of a team developing a more sustainable way of producing nylon. The team '‘Greener route to nylon production’ group awarded the esteemed Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC’s) Environment, Sustainability and Energy Horizon Prize: John Jeyes Prize.

We were also excited to profile a new spinout company leading the charge to a new form of sustainable power by creating a battery that recharges itself when placed in soil. Bactery has developed bacteria-powered batteries – or ‘Bacteries’ – which harvest green energy from soil by taking advantage of natural processes that occur in microorganisms within it.