Research and facilities

• Research and Facilities (RAFT)
• Information Technology (IT)
• Workshop
• Manufacturing Futures Lab (MFL) team - based at UCL East campus

The Research and Facilities Team fulfil 6 major functions:

Research Facilitation

RAFT has a wealth of research experience, with expertise in fermentation, downstream processing, stem cell culture, chemistry and microfluidics. RAFT advise on research & provide supervision for projects. Members of RAFT publish papers in academic journals & one of the team has written a book.

Teaching

RAFT design, manage and run a variety of courses covering research areas as diverse as fermentation, downstream processing, stem cell culture and microfluidics within the department and externally e.g. international courses and technical forums. RAFT also provide support for teaching activities such as practicals, design projects, MBI courses, and outreach events.

Safety

RAFT facilitate safe working in the department by providing safety training and inductions, organising regular lab inspections, administering Safety Committee meetings, managing risk assessments, updating safety policy, and ensuring the department is compliant with legal requirements and UCL safety regulations.

Facilities management

Management of the facilities & laboratories of BK building (including the ACBE) to ensure continuing functionality in the short term & implementing strategies to ensure the facilities remain relevant & functional in the future.

Equipment Management

Management of the department’s vast array of research equipment: Managing & performing maintenance to ensure equipment is kept in working order, providing training on equipment. Providing technical support to facilitate equipment usage for research & teaching.

Procurement

Providing training and support for MyFinance. Management of Stores:  Provision of consumables & PPE for experimental work, management of deliveries and liaising with sales representatives and couriers.

For Departmental IT enquiries please email the team at

• chemeng.systems@ucl.ac.uk 

When contacting the IT team with any issue, please give as much information as possible including the location of equipment and Service Tag or Serial Number and if applicable Network Name marked on the front of all networked PC’s

Workshop

The workshop provides an in-house design and fabrication service for the Departments of Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Physics. Research projects will often require bespoke devices to be built. The workshop technicians work with staff and students to create 3D design drawings for approval and then to use a wide range of CNC machine tools to turn their abstract ideas into fully functioning prototypes.