Category: Research

Plans to create 100 new ‘smart’ cities in India to support the country’s rapidly growing urban population could have a significant detrimental impact on the environment unless greater emphasis is placed on providing new supporting infrastructure and utilities, according to a major new study.

Professor Hugh Byrd, a specialist in urban planning from the University of Lincoln, UK, conducted a detailed analysis of the environmental implications of the planned developments, which would see medium-rise housing (between three and five storeys) replaced with high-rise towers of 40 to 60 storeys.

When announcing its plans in 2015, the Indian government said that this type of development would be sustainable, environmentally friendly and ‘smart’.

Professor Byrd’s latest research suggests that the resulting increase in population density is likely to place significant extra demands on resources, including electricity and water, while simultaneously increasing the output of waste in the form of drainage, solid waste and greenhouse gasses.

The predictions are based on analysis of the Indian government’s exemplar development, Bhendi Bazaar, a 16.5-acre site in Mumbai that has been put forward as a flagship of the proposed new ‘smart’ cities.

The study, led by Professor Byrd, used an ‘extended urban metabolism model’ as a means of analysing the area, providing a basis for measuring flows of resources that are both consumed by and flow from the city. It compared the existing urban form with the proposed form, considering factors such as numbers and heights of buildings, density of dwelling and population, parking provision, open space, landscaping and street frontages.

The analysis was then extrapolated to predict the overall impact on the city if similar developments were to be carried out, as are proposed, across all of the Island City of Mumbai.

The results suggest that in a city such this, where repeated electricity black-outs, water rationing and inadequate waste and sewage treatment are commonplace, increasing population density will have a significant further detrimental effect on the environment.

Professor Hugh Byrd said: “The pursuit of cities to become ‘smart’, ‘world-class’, ‘liveable’, ‘green’ or ‘eco’, has been promoted alongside increased population densities and urban compaction. This planning goal must reach a point where resources are inadequate for the fully functioning metabolism of a city.

“In this case, the results indicate that metabolism does not increase linearly with density but accelerates instead, so the detrimental environmental impact will increase at a greater rate than the population increase.

“While case studies such as Bhendi Bazaar offer an exemplar for the 100 ‘smart’ cities planned by the Indian Government in terms of increased density, improved image and urban regeneration, they do not offer an answer to the problems of providing an adequate infrastructure to support the metabolism of such developments if they were to be significantly replicated.

“On this basis the exemplar development does not support the case for calling the proposals for Mumbai ‘smart’ or ‘sustainable’.”

The study, ‘Density, Energy and Metabolism of a proposed smart city’, is published in the Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs and is available to view online (Doi: 10.25034/ijcua.2017.3648)

For more detailed information about the study, go to http://theconversation.com/smart-or-dumb-the-real-impact-of-indias-proposal-to-build-100-smart-cities-80458

Scientists have produced new, effective and simplified forms of teixobactin – a new generation antibiotic which defeats multi-drug resistant infections such as MRSA – as part of a pioneering research effort to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

The team, led by Dr Ishwar Singh at the University of Lincoln, UK, has pinpointed exactly which amino acid in the newly discovered teixobactin antibiotic makes it so successful at killing off harmful MRSA bacteria, which are resistant to many other antibiotics. The research team has adapted this rare molecule so that it can be easily used in the production of new drugs.

The breakthrough comes after the team successfully produced a number of synthetic derivatives of the highly potent teixobactin – hailed as a ‘game-changer’ in the fight against antimicrobial resistance – and became the first in the world to document its three-dimensional molecular make-up. These developments represent important steps to understanding how the powerful antibiotic functions and which building blocks are needed for it to work effectively.

Their newest study, which directly targets MRSA bacteria, overcomes a further barrier in the race to combat drug resistant bacteria.

Dr Ishwar Singh, a specialist in novel drug design and development from the University of Lincoln’s School of Pharmacy, explained: “The scientific community has found it extremely difficult, time-consuming and expensive to synthetically produce the amino acid, enduracididine, which makes teixobactin so effective at killing a range of pathogens without detectable resistance. Teixobactin was first isolated from soil microorganisms (which do not grow under laboratory conditions) – the natural source of nearly all antibiotics developed since the 1940s – but in order for it to be developed as a potential treatment, several versions must be produced via chemical synthesis to overcome the hurdles of drug development.

“Last year we were successful in producing man-made forms of the antibiotic, but now we have increased its potency against MRSA. The key amino acid, enduracididine, is important for high potency but it has also been a bottleneck in the wider production of powerful teixobactin derivatives and their advancement as new drugs. We have now developed several potent molecules with very similar effects to natural teixobactin, and we believe this takes us a step closer towards the clinic.”

MRSA is a type of bacteria that is resistant to many widely-used antibiotics, which means it is harder to treat than other infections. This ‘superbug’ mainly affects people who are staying in hospital and while they can usually be treated with certain antibiotics, concerns are growing around the world about the rate at which bacteria are developing resistance to existing drugs.

It has been predicted that by 2050 an additional 10 million people will succumb to drug resistant infections each year. The development of new antibiotics which can be used as a last resort when other drugs are ineffective is therefore a crucial area of study for healthcare researchers around the world.

The bacteria against which teixobactin is effective have, thus far, not shown any detectable resistance and given its mechanisms, scientists are also confident that resistance is unlikely to evolve in the future.

Dr Singh is working with colleagues from the School of Life Sciences and the School of Chemistry at the University of Lincoln to develop teixobactin into a viable drug.

Dr Edward Taylor, Reader in Life Sciences at Lincoln, said: “Antimicrobial resistance is spreading faster than the introduction of new antibiotics, which means there are major concerns about a possible health crisis. The recently discovered teixobactin has shown tremendous promise due to its potent activity, particularly against resistant pathogens such as MRSA, which is why it is the focus of important research here at Lincoln and around the world.

“Several other research groups substituted the rare enduracididine amino acid in teixobactin with commercially available building blocks, but the resulting products were much less active than the natural product. Our study aimed to find the most suitable replacement for this rare molecule, and we found that amino acids which have a similar structure and functional group were most effective.”

The group found that three of the molecules they tested showed very promising activity against MRSA bacteria, and their research will now continue as they aim to produce several versions of teixobactin which could eventually become commercially available drugs.

The study is published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal, Chemical Communications, and is available to view online (DOI: 10.1039/C7CC04021K).

The culture and experiences of Eastern Europeans living in Lincolnshire are set to be explored through music in a new community engagement project led by cultural solutions UK and the University of Lincoln, and made possible by National Lottery players.

Funded by a grant of £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), ‘Memory, Migration and Music’ brings together Lincolnshire and Eastern European cultures, exploring the lives of migrants who have lived in Lincolnshire for over a decade and working alongside them to gain a better understanding of their culture and traditions.

Capturing life before and after their arrival, 20 Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian residents will share their stories through a series of recorded oral heritage interviews to be made available to the public at the Lincolnshire Archives, through a downloadable archive, a publication and via the University of Lincoln’s community radio station, Siren FM.

Their stories will reveal the influence and importance of music and culture on their migration journey, providing a window through which to explore the different heritage of British and participating European nationalities.

The project offers participants and their families the opportunity to witness some of Lincolnshire’s own cultural history, with visits to some of the county’s most important museums and heritage sites. It also documents the stories, cultures and experiences they have brought with them on their journeys to their new homeland.

The project is part of a wider initiative called ‘Welcoming Voices’ led by Dr Dominic Symonds from the School of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Lincoln which explores the link between migration and music and aims to capture migrants’ stories and the music that matters to them.

David Lambert, Managing Director of cultural solutions UK, said: “The stories of our new neighbours are important and yet they are relatively unknown to many of us living here in Lincolnshire. By listening to them we not only get a better understanding of the people and their culture, but we also learn a little more about ourselves as well.”

Dr Dominic Symonds added: “Understanding new cultures can be difficult and very often we use shared experiences to help make sense of things. Music, just like food, can help to bring people together and provide an insight into a life that may not be quite as different from our own as we first suspected. This project, made possible by the National Lottery, gives us a chance to find out how different cultures engage with music as part of the experience of migration.”

Jonathan Platt, Head of HLF East Midlands, said: “This project offers a really interesting way of exploring the amazing stories and fascinating heritage of the Eastern European communities in Lincolnshire. We are delighted that money from National Lottery players is being used so creatively.”

As part of International Women’s Day, the University is running a showcase event called Word on the Street. Female third year undergraduate and postgraduate students are invited to come and speak about their dissertation research on Wednesday 8th March.

The event will take place outside the library in three sessions (11.00am to 12.00noon, 2.00pm to 3.00pm, and 4.00pm to 5.00pm). For more info, or to get involved, contact ryemm@lincoln.ac.uk.

The University of Lincoln has been awarded funding to extend Santander’s mandate for internationalisation and innovation, and are pleased to announce a new call dedicated to support for research undertaken by our postgraduate research students.

In 1996 Emilio Botín, Chairman of Santander, decided that the bank should be useful to the communities in which it operates. With the conviction that the University is a vital cornerstone of development and progress, the division began to grow and so did its global outreach; eventually expanding into more than 20 countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Portugal and the UK. So far, Santander Universities has donated over €1 billion in the shape of scholarships, mobility grants, support for special projects and academic and non-academic awards.

There are awards of up to £500 per student available, and the scheme is open to all postgraduate research students. 

Awards are available to postgraduate research students who seek to realise an innovative research project that complements their subject of study and the interests of their respective School or College. Applications should be for projects that have not yet taken place and full costing should be provided as a part of the application. Whilst £500 is the highest level of award available, not all awards will be at this level and applicants are asked to think carefully about the total cost of the project, and where additional funds may be secured if required.

Priority will be given to students who intend to work alongside a Santander Universities Network member and where demonstrable links are made to research and/or academics at Lincoln with a focus on or in the Santander network areas. If you would like further information on Santander Universities please see: http://lncn.eu/arw9

If you would like an application form please email graduateschool@lincoln.ac.uk. Completed forms should be sent to the same email address.

Deadline for applications is Thursday 9th March 2017.

A student from the School of Life Sciences is inviting cat owners to take part in a short research survey, designed to explore how people interpret different cat behaviours.

The research is being conducted by Shannon Etherington, who is in her third year of the Animal Behaviour and Welfare programme. She hopes the study could shed light on how demographic factors can influence cat behaviour interpretation.

The survey consists of 19 questions in total and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. The survey includes four videos of cat behaviour which can be viewed via YouTube, and the survey should therefore be completed on desktop computers or laptops. All participants will remain anonymous.

To complete the survey please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XL8HZKD

If you have any queries about the study, please contact Shannon via email: animalbehaviourstudy@gmail.com

Earlier this year, the University’s School of Fine & Performing Arts launched Lincolnshire Diversity in the Arts, an Arts Council England funded research project exploring rural artistic diversity.

Led by Dr Arya Madhavan and Dr Sreenath Nair, the project has taken theatre as a way of examining the challenges of diversifying arts in rural counties like Lincolnshire, and identifying ways to overcome these challenges.

As part of the project, a survey has now been launched to collect the thoughts and opinions of as many people living in Lincolnshire as possible.

If you can, please spare five minutes to share your thoughts and complete the online survey. All answers will remain anonymous and will contribute to the development of a cultural diversity strategy for the county.

For more information, or to access the online survey, click here.

Are you an undergraduate student at the University of Lincoln? Do you participate in a sport at least twice a week?

If yes, then you are a perfect candidate for a dissertation research project, looking at self-perceptions of university level athletes.

Students are invited to fill out a quick self-perception questionnaire, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete – every response will be greatly appreciated! You may even be chosen to take part in a focus group.

Thank you!

https://lincolnpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_en4PHsC4xa0VsA5