London Group Spring Events 2021

Synopsis

Please note that registration for these events is via Eventbrite - links below.

All three online events begin at 18:15.

Tuesday 23rd February 2021 – Dr Alex Archibald
COVID-19 and its impacts on the atmosphere: A glimpse into the future?

The atmosphere is an incredibly complex part of the Earth and host to an immense amount of interesting chemistry. Through this complex chemistry, the atmosphere protects our skins from the harmful radiation of the sun and provides the planet with the vital components for life. But right now, the atmosphere faces some huge challenges. The Climate Crisis and Air Pollution affect every single person on the planet. The recent lockdowns associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a dramatic change in our everyday life and in this talk I will review some of what we know on the impacts that this has had on air pollution and climate change.

Tuesday 2nd March 2021 – Dr Ella Gilbert
Reasons to be cheerful (part III): Climate optimism for troubled times

Are you feeling dejected, dismayed and depressed by the scale and pace of climate change? Do you feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge it presents? If so, you are not alone. 

Climate change is the biggest test of our times, altering every corner of the planet we call home. From the vast ice sheets at the faraway poles to the dense rainforests and empty deserts in the tropics and even down to the birds and bumblebees on your very doorstep, climate change affects us all, no matter where we live. To tackle this problem will require a gargantuan effort from all sectors of society, the economy and from across political divides.

It may seem an impossible undertaking, but there is hope.

In this talk, Dr Ella Gilbert, Antarctic climate scientist and veteran environmental campaigner, will give you reason for optimism. She will take you through what needs to be done to tackle the problem, and give you examples of how people are already finding solutions. Whether its grassroots campaigners, young people demanding change, or new tech start-ups finding creative answers to difficult questions, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful.

Thursday 11th March 2021 – Jolanta Beinarovica
Recombinant spider silk materials for novel antimicrobial biomaterials using click chemistry

Spider silk is known for its excellent mechanical properties – it is tougher than high tensile strength steel and bulletproof Kevlar. However, cannibalistic and territorial nature of spiders prevents industrial levels of silk farming to obtain enough material for biomedical applications. Using synthetic biology, we can produce recombinant spider silk at a scale. This talk will discuss recombinant silk production and use of click chemistry to imbue silk with properties it would not ordinarily have.

Jolanta Beinarovica, PhD student at the University of Nottingham (School of Chemistry/Biodiscovery Institute).

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