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Impact and case studies

Explore how collaborative scientific discovery at Research Complex is advancing research, enabling innovation and delivering real-world impact across the life and physical sciences.

Latest impact case studies

Catalysing sustainable fuel production: Investigation details promising methods for converting CO₂ to methanol

Producing methanol from waste CO2 could be a powerful tool in the effort to reduce our carbon emissions. The methanol produced from this process can then itself be...

Boiling Point: New invention to study vapour plumes in metal manufacturing

Scientists from University College London (UCL) and the Central Laser Facility (STFC) have worked together to invent new instrumentation and methods to study vapour plumes during metal additive...

Study finds that material defects help with atmospheric CO₂ capture

A team of chemists from the UK Catalysis Hub and the University of Salford have studied materials at the molecular level to find out how defects in copper...

New methods identify preservation fluids in artefacts without opening them

Research teams have developed a new approach to identifying the chemical composition of preservation fluids in historic jars without opening them.

Supercharging the future: Optimising the sulphur/carbon balance for new batteries

Batteries are a major focus for researchers trying to move away from polluting fossil fuels. From green transport to storing the energy produced by wind turbines, batteries are...

New deep learning model boosts additive manufacturing X-ray analysis

How do faults form in molten pools during 3D printing? Using a database of over 10000 X-ray synchrotron...

Team develops new tool to identify rigid bodies in RNA structures

We are currently witnessing a rapid growth in the number of structures determined using cryogenic Electron microscopy (cryoEM). The Collaborative Computational Project for Electron Cryo-Microscopy, or CCP-EM, specializes...

Advanced laser spectroscopy detects falsified vaccines

An international consortium of multidisciplinary researchers and specialists has developed a new method to counter the problem of COVID-19 vaccine falsification.

Skyrmion Strings: Data Storage’s Quantum Leap!

In the ever-evolving landscape of data storage, researchers are constantly seeking innovative ways to increase storage density and improve efficiency.

Assessment of sodium-sulfur and solid-state battery materials paves way for new research into energy storage

Energy storage has become a vital area of research due to the fast depletion of non-renewable energy resources, together with the unprecedented surge in energy demands. Harvesting energy...
Interaction of F Plasmids could minimise spread of AMR genes in bacterial infections

Interaction of F Plasmids could minimise spread of AMR genes in bacterial infections

Horizontal gene transfer via conjugation plays an extremely important role in bacterial evolution. Bacterial conjugation was first described by Lederberg and Tatum in the 1940s following the discovery...

First paper published by Artemis after upgrade on patterns emerging in quantum materials

Artemis, one of the Central Laser Facility's facilities, has published it's first paper further to its move to Research Complex. Supported by the Science and Technology Facility Council, Artemis...

HarwellXPS collaborates with University of Paris-Saclay in exciting discovery of a compact photoreactor for automated H2 photoproduction

Solar energy is foreseen as a promising solution to the climate crisis. A renewable resource, many technologies harvest solar energy directly for use in homes, businesses, schools and...

Research Complex at Harwell leads new drug discoveries in neglected tropical disease

Throughout the world, hundreds of millions of people suffer from the disease known as schistosomiasis, which is caused by trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma. Out of the three...

X-ray imaging during laser additive manufacturing reveals critical findings to improve industry components

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a form of additive manufacturing (AM) that transforms a 3D digital design into a net-shaped component by selectively fusing powder particles with...

Research into nanobodies from llamas continues to reveal exciting developments in the fight against COVID-19

Key research by a team involving the Research Complex at Harwell into how nanobodies derived from llamas can neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus has revealed further how these nanobodies...

Collaborative study reveals new details on how bacteria transfer DNA to resist antibiotics

Scientists at the Research Complex at Harwell have collaborated in a study published in Nature Microbiology that reveals new details about how bacteria transfer DNA in order to...

Case Study: New study promises reduced wastage and energy consumption in automotive applications

A collaborative study, developed at the Research Complex at Harwell, between University College London (UCL), the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), Diamond Light Source and Ford...

New insights into laser 3D metal printing provide critical guidance in reducing porosity

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing is a laser 3D metal printing technology that is being widely explored in both industry and academia for the production of...

Optimising energy storage materials to improve battery efficiency

Today, 18th February, marks National Battery Day and here at Research Complex, investigators are endeavouring to improve the efficiency, capability and cycle life of electrochemical devices such as...

Mass spectrometry-based methods enable investigations on potential future COVID-19 treatments

Despite the success of vaccination programs throughout the world, COVID-19 remains a threat to human health at the beginning of 2022. The development of safe and efficient small-molecule...

Synchrotron X-ray tomography provides valuable insight for future designs with ductile cast irons

Ductile cast irons (DCIs) are becoming increasingly important for industries working in renewable energy and transportation. They are stronger, tougher and less expensive than gray cast iron, which...

Structure of SapA from the human pathogen Haemophilus influenzae reveals new interactions to help fight against respiratory illness

Efforts led by scientists at the Research Complex at Harwell, Diamond Light Source and University of Oxford have revealed new interactions in the structure of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae...

Brightest ever X-ray shows lung vessels altered by Covid-19

The damage caused by Covid-19 to the lungs’ smallest blood vessels has been intricately captured using high-energy X-rays emitted by a special type of particle accelerator.

Research reveals how bacteria hijacks proteins to transport antibacterial peptides

Bacterial species are under continuous warfare with each other for access to nutrients. To gain an advantage in this struggle, they produce antibacterial compounds that target and kill...

Research Complex, Rosalind Franklin, Diamond Light Source and Oxford University collaborate on high-res imaging which reveals organisational behaviour of chlamydia-causing bacteria

A powerful new imaging technique has helped researchers at Research Complex at Harwell, the Rosalind Franklin Institute, Diamond Light Source and Oxford University shed light on an important...

Unveiling the structural secrets of COVID-19

Research Complex at Harwell provides support in identifying the replication cycle of COVID-19   Research conducted by Central...

Research Complex & Diamond Light Source Achieve Efficient Fragment Screening at XChem Facility

Fragment-Based Drug Discovery (FBDD) is a commonly used strategy for finding lead compounds as part of the drug discovery process. Since its emergence 25 years ago, it has...

Active site in the commercialised gold catalyst identified

This study brought together advanced spectroscopy (EXAFS), microscopy, theory and catalyst synthesis to solve a key problem. The use of gold as a catalyst for acetylene hydrochlorination has...

CLF collaborative study highlights flaws in breast cancer drug

A consortium of scientists from across the UK, including four at the Central Laser Facility (CLF), have used the OCTOPUS imaging facility at the CLF to prove that...

Diamond Light Source particle accelerator ‘freezes time’ to reveal 3D printing secrets

Researchers have used a particle accelerator to ‘freeze time’ during 3D printing, studying a process over milliseconds to help improve safety-critical components.

Interaction across disciplines enriches research

Professor Stan Botchway wears two hats at Research Complex – in addition to his safety goggles. He drives his own research projects and he is also Facility Manager...

Mapping the complete reaction path of a complex photochemical reaction

To date, observing complex photochemical reactions has hitherto offered an incomplete picture, because most spectroscopic techniques are not able to measure key parts of the reaction at these...

ULTRA study could facilitate large-scale screening tests of drugs using 2D-IR spectroscopy

A team of scientists from the University of Strathclyde have used the CLF’s Lifetime laser to retrieve sequence-specific information about DNA-ligand binding. ​Their results provide promising evidence for...

Illuminating the mechanism of photoactivation of a prototypical fluorescent protein

The ultrafast light sources of Ultra at the Central Laser Facility have enabled a group of scientists led by Professor Peter Tonge from Stony Brook University, New York and Professor Steve Meech from the...

Controlling magnetic skyrmion motion without an electric current

Researchers from RCaH and the University of Oxford have used resonant elastic X-ray scattering (REXS) at Diamond for the first demonstration of using a field gradient to control...
New beamline system offers insights into electron behaviour

New beamline system offers insights into electron behaviour

The joint development of a new, miniaturised molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) system on the I05 beamline by the University of Oxford and Createc GmbH (Erligheim, Germany) was the catalyst...

Catalysis Hub goes from strength to strength

The Hub is a UK network of universities involved in catalysis research, whose main aim is to bring the UK community together, through conferences, events and collaborative research...
Exploiting the spintronics potential at the surface of topological insulators

Exploiting the spintronics potential at the surface of topological insulators

The tremendous potential of topological insulators for applications in the next generation of device technology has been known for some years, but finding a way to make use...

Collaboration, not silos

'We have to work together nowadays. No one can know everything.'
Discovery of new allosteric drugs

Discovery of new allosteric drugs

The RCaH crystallisation lab is a pillar of Diamond’s XChem facility. The approach has proved particularly powerful for discovering new allosteric drugging opportunities.

Research Complex spin-off has spin-off benefits

A spin-off company set up by Professor Pavel Matousek, STFC Senior Fellow within STFC’s Central Laser Facility (CLF) , and his colleagues (including Professor Tony Parker, also from...
Archeal virus structure solved

Archeal virus structure solved

Scientists at RCaH have used cryo-EM to solve the structure of thermophilic archeal virus APBV-1.
Super-resolution microscopy at cryogenic temperatures

Super-resolution microscopy at cryogenic temperatures

New methods developed at Octopus are enabling super-resolution microscopy at cryogenic temperatures with unprecedented resolution. This involves the facilities at both RCaH and the Central Laser Facility (CLF).
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