Studying the past and the future under one roof
The University of Bradford's Analytical Centre's multi-disciplinary facility is exposing the secrets of 2000 year old mummies and contributing to the search for life signatures on Mars.
The Analytical Centre is a centralised facility at the University of Bradford housing £4.5 million of high end analytical equipment including nuclear magnetic resonance, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal methods (calorimetry, gravimetry and mechanical analysis), UV and fluorescence spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR and Raman), chromatography and mass spectrometry.
The Analytical Centre regularly with archaeologists, chemists, pharmacists, and biomedical scientists; but also with chemical engineers and polymer engineers. Work ranges from determining markers from drug use from the hair of 2000 year old mummies to generating Raman data in support of the ExoMars mission that launches in 2020.
Just a few months ago, staff from the Analytical Centre started a collaborative project with Southwell Archaeology, Reverend Cannon Nigel Coats of Southwell Minster, and the Heritage Lottery Fund to preserve medieval frescoes and carvings. Using portable Raman spectroscopy the Analytical Centre are avoiding removal of precious pieces of the artwork by analysing the pigments in situ to determine the original colours and guilds used.
The Analytical Centre offers routine testing services and project-based studies for companies who don’t have the resources or equipment to carry out these services in-house. The Centre’s main commercial users come from the chemistry sector including pharmaceutical, speciality chemical, and health and personal care, but they work with all sorts of companies from local SME’s to blue chip companies.
Anyone wishing to use the Analytical Centre should contact Dr Richard Telford.