Staff

For enquiries on applying for beamtime, or further information regarding an application for beamtime on I22, please contact Nick Terrill, Andy Smith or the User Office.

Lathika Gopalan Dakshayani - Supervised by Gleb Yakubov, Stefan Baier (RWTH Aachen), and Nick Terrill

Lathika's project aims to develop sustainable foods by structuring food biopolymers from plant sources into protein-polysaccharide complexes with defined molecular and micro-structure. This will be achieved using a combination of extensional shear flow (fibre-spinning and extrusion) and enzymatic cross-linking with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The project addresses the transformation of unstructured plant proteins into texturized meat-mimicking fibres using high molecular weight plant polysaccharides. The principle is based on the emergence of liquid crystalline ordering in plant polysaccharides under extensional flow, which is then imparted onto the protein phase and locked in place through enzymatic cross-linking. Collaborating with Motif FoodWorks the project will leverage advances in synthetic biology and biotechnology to develop a novel enzyme platform targeting specific reaction kinetics and thermal sensitivity of HRP, enabling the scaled-up production of texturized protein-based food materials for future plant-based meat analogues.

Mostafa Soroor - Supervised by Nik Kapur, Arwen Tyler and Nick Terrill

Mostafa's project has two symbiotic elements – the design of robust microfluidic tools for beamline applications and an exemplar study drawing on these tools to assess structural changes in biomolecules. The design of the fluidic devices will form the core of the work and throughout we will consider wider applications with the community to shape the final set of tools. The designs will be robust and remain accessible to the community. By the end of Mostafa's project the aim is create reusable chips and provide manufacturing routes allowing for replacement parts to be built. Integration of the microfluidic chip into EPICS and GDA will exploit the newly established I22 Sample Environment Development Lab, important for knowledge transfer.

Sophie Ray - Supervised by Hamish Yeung and Andy Smith

Sophie's project is to

Mark Newell - Steve Armes, Oleksandr Mykhaylyk, Peixun Li, Yao Chen and Nick Terrill

Marks project is to developm state-of-the-art block copolymer self-assembly systems, which will significantly advance material science. He is utilising the new USAXS (Ultra-Small Angle X-Ray Scattering) capabilities at I22, allowing for more precise structural analysis. Additionally, Mark will create new machine-learning algorithms to improve data interpretation and predictive modelling. He will also devise innovative syntheses of deuterated vinyl monomers, which are crucial for various applications. Finally, the project also includes cutting-edge Rheo/SAXS/SANS studies to gain deeper insights into the properties and behaviours of complex materials

Marc Malfois (Beamline Scientist) - Now Beamline Responsible for the NCD Beamline at ALBA

Jennifer Hiller Bardsley (PDRA/Senior Support Scientist) - Now Global Head of Science, British Council

Sarah Rogers (PDRA/Senior Support Scientist) - Now Large Scale Structures and Engineering Division Head at ISIS-STFC

Claire Pizzey (Senior Support Scientist) - Now Deputy Head of the Industrial Liaison group at Diamond

Jonathan Rawle (PDRA) - Now a Beamline Scientist on I07 at Diamond

Paul Staniec (PDRA) - Now working at Culham, Oxfordshire  

Josh White - University of Southampton (2024) - ​Soft-templated 3D nanostructured semiconductors

Jonathan Guild - University of Sheffield (2024) Advanced online monitoring of particle synthesis using in-situ small-angle x-ray scattering.

Tayyaba Rabnawaz - University of Surrey (2024) - Nanostructure surveys of natural and biomimetic dental tissues by 3D SAXS tensor tomography. Currently a postdoc at QMUL.

Lisa Allen - University College London (2024) - Understanding structure evolution in supported metal nanoparticles used in emission control; translating observations made on model catalysts to real world applications. Now working with Johnson Matthey.

Cate O'Brien, University of Sheffield (2021) developed millifluidic sample environments to study micro and macroscopic changes during polymer processing. Cate is currently working for Dolmite Microfluidics as a Microfluidic-based laboratory scientist.

Eleonore Mason, Univeristy of Bath (2019) - Nanomaterials for Membrane Protein Biology.

Andrew McCluskey, University of Bath (2019) - Delivered user-friendly software that can use coarse-grained modelling techniques to develop models for soft matter systems. Andrew has now joined the ESS to work as an Instrument Data Scientist after a period at Diamond producing software for the thin film community as a Data Analysis Scientist (Reflectivity)

Glen Smales, University College London (2018) - Hierarchically structured microporous materials from a variety of source materials. Glen is currently an instrument scientist at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und prüfung in Berlin

Sam Richardson, University of Reading (2016) - Hard And Soft Nanomaterial Films. Sam moved to Satavia as a Data Scientist.

Li Xi, Queen Mary University of London (2016) - Multiscale Structure and Mechanics of Bone in Glucocorticoid Induced Osteoporosis. Li is currently at  currently at Beijing Institute of Technology, China.

Gudrun Lotze, Reading University (2013) - HATSAXS - A Versatile High Throughput System for Solution SAXS. Gudrun worked at the ESRF as a PDRA on ID02 and is now at MAX IV in Lund

Angelo Karunaratne, Queen Mary University of London (2012) - Analysis of Alterations in Matrix Quality at Nanoscale in Metabolic Bone Diseases Using Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction. After working in the Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College as a PDRA Angelo is currently back in Sri Lanka at the University of Moratuwa

Nesrine Chakroun, Kings College University of London (2011) - Early Steps of Prion Protein Oligomerization by Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Small-Angle X-ray Scattering. After continuing her studies as a PDRA in the Department of Biochemical Engineering at University College London Nesrine has recently recently joined the UCL Department of Biochemical Engineering as a post-doc at the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Emergent Macromolecular Therapies.

Gemma Newby, Reading University (2010) - Rheo-SAS from Soft Materials. After working at the ESRF Gemma is currently a staff Scientist at Xenocs

Twilight Barnardo, Aberystwyth University (2010) - Time Resolved Anomalous Small Angle X-Ray Scattering of the Sol–Gel Process. 

Lois Davidson, University of Leeds (2007) - The Formation and Transformation of Schwertmannite: Kinetics and the Effects of Toxic Trace Contaminants. Lois currently leads the International ESIA and Social Sustainability Team for AECOM.