EPSRC Core Equipment 2020 - Lancaster University

在该资金呼吁下寻求的两件装置是i）：细胞分选器装置和ii）图形处理单元（GPU）i）细胞分选器提供从复杂的异质混合物（例如血液或材料科学中具有来自复杂颗粒混合物的特定性质的非生物颗粒的同质群体）中单独分选和分离细胞和颗粒的能力。该装置已成为几个广泛研究领域的基本元件或使能技术。该装置的新奇之处在于，迄今为止，实现这些类型的分离的手段是复杂的，技术上是困难的，实际上往往是其本身的主要研究目标。然而，该设备相对简单和快速地促进了现有技术的分选能力，并且不需要高级用户技能来操作设备。该设备的简单使用将允许非专业用户访问该技术，从而开辟了许多新研究项目的可能性。因此，通常不具备生物分离技术背景的物理学家和工程师将能够利用他们的专业技术和兴趣来制备用于研究的细胞类型。例如，作为无菌医疗保健材料开发基础的特定人工亚细胞相互作用将通过这种能力大大实现。因此，这项技术将大大扩大潜在用户群的可能性，对EPSRC的广泛研究人员具有价值，提高他们的研究效率和生产力，并更有效地利用工作人员的时间。ii）图形处理单元（GPU）将增强大学在许多研究领域进行计算要求高的研究的能力。他们需要解决与人工智能（AI），机器学习和数据科学相关的计算要求高的任务。这些领域是当前UKRI战略优先事项的核心支柱，对于在可信赖的网络安全环境中发展英国世界领先的数据驱动型经济和数字社会至关重要。有发展中的每一个这些在所有院系在兰开斯特（见例如。https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/dsi/），在EPSRC的数字经济优先事项（以及其他事项）中具有明显的影响。

The two pieces of apparatus sought under this funding call are i): Cell Sorter apparatus and ii) A Graphical Processing Unit (GPU).i) The Cell Sorter provides the capability to sort and separate cells and particles individually from complex heterogeneous mixtures such as blood or a homogeneous population of non-biological particles in materials science with specific properties from complex particulate mixtures. The apparatus has become an essential element or enabling technology for several broad research areas. The novelty of the apparatus is that hitherto the means to achieve these kinds of separation were complex and technically difficult and actually often were the main research goals in their own right. This apparatus however, facilitates relatively simply and quickly and without requirements for advanced user skills to operate the equipment, state of the art sorting capability. The simplicity of use of the apparatus will allow non-specialist users to access the technology and so open up the possibilities of a number of new research projects. Thus physicists and engineers who would not normally have the background in biological separation techniques will be able to prepare cell types for study using their specialist techniques and interests. As an example specific artificial subtratum-cell interactions that underlie the development of sterile healthcare materials will be greatly enabled by such capabilities. This technology, therefore, will greatly expand the possibilities of the potential user base and so be of value to a wide range of EPSRC researchers improving their research efficiency and productivity and making more effective use of staff time. ii) Graphical Processing Units (GPU) will enhance the university's capacity for computationally demanding research in many research areas. They are required to address the computationally demanding tasks associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Data Science. These areas are central pillars of the current UKRI Strategic Priorities that are critical to the development of the UK's world-leading data-driven economy, digital society within a trusted cyber-secure environment. There are developments in each of these in all faculties at Lancaster (see eg. https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/dsi/ ) with clear impacts in the Digital Economy priority (among others) at EPSRC.