The magic of blood: shining light on chemistry, physics and bioengineering

该项目旨在促进EPSRC资助的研究的作用，特别是在生命科学接口方面。将涵盖三个领域。最初的重点将放在与血液的化学和物理有关的问题上。血液是一种参与氧气运输和宿主防御疾病的液体。然而，它的颜色和磁性使它可以被广泛的物理技术所利用。一个关键的故事将是将血液的光学特性用作医学和体育领域的探针，这也是目前由PI资助的EPSRC的两项目的。对血液本身进行生物工程，以制造一种更安全、更持久的输血替代品/所谓的血液替代品/也将成为特色。在体育运动中使用非法药物是一个有争议且不断发展的媒体故事。它提供了一个理想的环境，在其中化学和物理的基本思想可以传达给广大观众。此外，EPSRC还为体育科学领域提供了大量资助，部分是为了响应2012年伦敦奥运会的申办，但并非全部。这些都是媒体的沃土，我很有兴趣利用我建立的任何联系，帮助其他EPSRC科学家在我的直接研究领域之外的发展。众所周知，环境污染物一氧化氮在正常身体机能和疾病中起着关键作用。一氧化氮的影响范围从杀死细菌到控制阴茎勃起（伟哥作用于一氧化氮途径）。PI的研究兴趣是一氧化氮的化学和生物学，包括开发数学和计算模型来描述它对大脑和肌肉功能的影响。总体战略将利用体育和医学对大众媒体的可销售性，将其作为特洛伊木马来解释支撑当前研究的化学和物理原理。策略首先是利用当前和未来的书籍项目（血液、运动中的药物、一氧化氮）来创建一个简介，并据此为电视和广播纪录片提出建议。特别是对于电视作品，创造令人回味的视觉图像是关键，项目的重要组成部分将是拍摄研究（化学，物理或体育），制作可用于宣传节目的品尝磁带。将跟进媒体对已经制作的作品的进一步回应，我将积极回应这些领域的印刷媒体报道。因此，项目将具有相当大的灵活性。例如，如果一个关于血液或体育科学的电视或广播纪录片系列被委托，那么在那一年启动一个关于一氧化氮的书籍写作项目将会适得其反。

Areas to be coveredThis project aims to promote the role of research funded by EPSRC, particularly that at the Life Science Interface. Three areas will be covered. 1 The initial focus will be on issues relating to the chemistry and physics of blood. Blood is a fluid involved in oxygen transport and host defence against disease. However, its colour and magnetic properties makes it accessible to a wide range of physical techniques. A key story will be the use of the optical properties of blood as a probe in medicine and sport, the purpose of two current EPSRC grants by the PI. Bioengineering the blood itself to make a safer and more long-lasting alternative to blood transfusions / so-called blood substitutes / will also be featured. 2 The use of illegal drugs in sport is a contentious and continually evolving media story. It provides an ideal environment within which basic ideas of chemistry and physics can be communicated to a mass audience. Furthermore EPSRC funds a large number of grants in sports science, partly, but not entirely, in response to the London 2012 Olympics bid. These are fertile ground for the media and I would be interesting in assisting other EPSRC scientists in developments outside my immediate research area, using any contacts I have built up. 3 The environmental pollutant nitric oxide is now known to play a key role in normal bodily functions, as well as disease. Nitric oxide's influence ranges from killing bacteria to controlling penile erections (Viagra acts on the nitric oxide pathway). The PI has research interests in the chemistry and biology of nitric oxide, including developing mathematical and computational models to describe its effects on brain and muscle function. StrategyThe overall strategy will make use of the saleability of sport and medicine to the mass media, using these as Trojan Horses to explain chemical and physical principles underpinning current research. TacticsThe tactics will first be to use current and future book projects (blood, drugs in sport, nitric oxide) to create a profile against which to launch proposals for television and radio documentaries. Especially for TV work, it is key to create evocative visual images and an important part of the project will be filming studies (in chemistry, physics or sport), creating taster tapes that can be used to pitch programs.Further media responses to work already produced will be followed up and I will reactively respond to print media stories in these areas. Because of this, considerable flexibility will be built into the project. So for example if a TV or radio documentary series was commissioned about blood or sports science it would be counter-productive to initiate a book writing project on nitric oxide in that year.