University

27 Jan 09

Science and Innovation minister, Lord Paul Drayson of Kensington, recently visited Oxford University to meet with researchers and students, see the latest facilities and unveil the new NMR Spectrometer at the Department of Chemistry.

Lord Drayson visited the University on Friday 23 January to take part in a question and answer session with more than one hundred academics and students from the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences and Medical Sciences divisions. He was particularly interested in finding out what more could be done in the current economic climate around research and innovation. Other topics included how to encourage science researchers to go into business and public engagement, and how to encourage more school students to take up science subjects.

Lord Drayson unveils the new NMR Spectrometer at Chemistry.

Lord Drayson also took part in a roundtable discussion with heads of departments from the two divisions, which was chaired by Oxford's Regius Chair of Medicine, Sir John Bell.

As part of the visit Lord Drayson was given a tour of the Chemistry Research Laboratory by the Chairman of Chemistry, Professor Steve Davies, and unveiled the new Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometer at the Department of Chemistry.

Whilst there are existing instruments that produce larger and more powerful magnetic fields the new NMR Spectrometer has the greatest detection sensitivity of any NMR Spectrometer in Oxford. It will enable researchers to explore more complex molecular structures with greater accuracy and investigate tiny quantities of material; a feature that is especially important for finding molecules of biomedical significance. The instrument will be focused on supporting research activities at the interface between chemistry and biology within the Department of Chemistry and beyond.

Professor Steve Davies said: ‘It was great that the Science Minister, during his visit to discuss science strategy with Oxford academics, took the time to visit the Chemistry Department’s state of the art research building and launch the highly sophisticated NMR 700MHz machine which is enabling exciting new research projects at the interface of chemistry and life sciences.’

Lord Drayson also visited Isis Innovation, the University's technology transfer company. At Isis he was introduced to two new spin-out companies formed in December 2009, smart metering company Intelligent Sustainable Energy and organ transplantation specialist Organox. He also received an update from Oxitec, a 2002 spin-out developing effective and environment-friendly techniques to control insect pests, and an introduction to a new a lightweight electric motors project, important for hybrid vehicles and renewable energy applications. 

Lord Drayson has responsibility for developing and delivering policy that will contribute to world-class research in the UK and the conversion of science into wealth through innovation.

Photo: Karl Harrison