First USW Network meeting

Dr Clare Selden, of the Department of Medicine, and project coordinator Miss TiJesunimi Abiola, of the Faculty of Life Sciences, organised the meeting in conjunction with Professor Terence Coakley from Cardiff University, which will be held in Bristol on 7 October 2004.

USW is a form of wave technology that is used to look at cells anatomically, which gives it great potential to support discovery and innovation across the life sciences. USW technology can be used to examine the movement and behaviour of cells, and it also has the potential to affect cell behaviour, for example promoting cell adhesion for wound healing. As USW technology advances, it could be used to direct cells, or vectors to particular sites in the body for a whole host of clinical applications.

Because of the nature of USW, different scientific disciplines need to work together crossing traditional boundaries to fully develop and exploit the technology. The basis of USW technology itself is in theoretical physics. Engineers and physicists are needed to design and build effective USW devices. Cellular biologists use the technique to examine cells, while biomedical researchers can pinpoint its potential clinical applications.

Miss Abiola explained: "Without a network, no structure would exist for scientists from different disciplines to exchange their expertise about USW. But thanks to the EPSRC-funded USW Network, we've been able to develop an effective way of broadcasting information and getting scientists to work together. Our website already sends out an e-newsletter and regular news updates, and we can host web chats for USW specialists. Our scientific meeting in Bristol is a natural extension of what we have already achieved." 

Scientists, both national and international, from a number of disciplines will lecture at the Bristol meeting, including Professor John Gregory, of UCL's Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

To find out more about the USW Network, use the link below.

Link: USW network