Volume 1 - Issue 5
Research and Innovation Services
University of Dublin - Trinity College Dublin
Trinity Research News
Launch of TCD Centre for
Woman in Science and Engineering
Research
TCD Winners at Idea to
Product Global University
Competition
®
Alan Foy (left) and Wesley
Cooper (right) receiving
their trophy from Charles
Shields, entrepreneur and
chairman of the judging
panel at the University of
Austin, Texas (USA).
(left to right) SFI Director
General, Dr Mark Keane;
TCD Prof. Jane Grimson;
Minister for
Enterprise, Trade and
Employment,
Micheál Martin TD; and
Wesley Cooper, TCD
WiSER Director,
School of Statistics and
Ms Caroline Roughneen.
Computer Science, and
Alan Foy, TCD School of Business won the College of Engineering
Section of the Idea to Product® Global University Competition at
the University of Austin, Texas (USA) on 11 November 2006. They
also came second to Imperial College London in the overall
competition.
The Trinity College Dublin Centre for Women in Science and Engineering Research
(WiSER) was launched by Micheál Martin TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and
Employment on 08 November 2006.
Their project, Clear Deal, was sponsored by the TCD
Entrepreneurship Programme at the Trinity Technology and
Enterprise Campus (TTEC). Clear Deal is an automated vision and
Both national and international research shows that women are not progressing up
tracking system designed to monitor the game of blackjack within
the academic career ladder in the areas of science and engineering. At the launch,
strict State of Nevada casino regulations.
Mr Martin noted that: “the under-representation of women in science and
engineering threatens our global competitiveness and requires a coordinated set of
I2P is an international competition for early stage technology-
interventions.” WiSER aims to increase the representation of women in science and
driven projects prior to the business planning stage. This year, 16
engineering research in Ireland.
university teams from nine countries were invited to participate in
TM
the competition.
The WiSER Centre has identified significant activities which, if successful, should
make a lasting impact on women undertaking science and engineering careers in
Ireland. Its programme includes promoting networking opportunities, offering a career
In 2004, campus company Crème won third place for TCD in the
College of Engineering Section of the competition.
and personal development programme for women, and career enhancement
workshops. It will also collect baseline gender statistics on staff in science and
engineering, and review policy in the context of gender mainstreaming.
Centre Director, Caroline Roughneen: “The Centre seeks to develop sustainable
mechanisms and practices to ensure that women can compete in research on an
equal basis using their scientific expertise, knowledge and potential”.
WiSER will also host an international conference to facilitate the exchange of evidencebased best practice on the retention of women researchers in science and engineering
in academia.
Commenting on the importance of the Centre for TCD, the Provost, Dr John Hegarty
stated: “The College is ranked among the world’s leading research universities and, in
order to maintain this ranking, we need to ensure that we can attract and retain the
best talent. We therefore need to offer a working environment in which everyone is
supported to achieve their full potential”.
TCD School of Business Represented at World
Customs Organization Education Series
(left to right) Prof. Clive
Granger, 2003 Nobel
Laureate in Economics, and
Dr Louis Brennan, Trinity
College Dublin School of
Business, contribute to one
of the World Customs
Organization Education
sessions on Globalization
and Interoperability. These
took place in Brussels,
Belgium, from 31 May to 02
June 2006.
Trinity Research News
TCD Protein Research Could Help
Fight Obesity and Diabetes
TCD Receives Funding for
Mitochondrial Research
Richard Porter, Senior Lecturer in the Trinity
College Dublin School of Biochemistry and
Immunology, was recently awarded a Principal
Investigator Grant by Science Foundation
Ireland
to
continue
understanding
the
his
research
efficiency
of
into
energy
transduction in mammals.
Dr Porter’s research focuses on a family of proteins that are known to regulate energy
transduction in mammals, and are thus primary targets for anti-obesity and anti-type
2 diabetes strategies. The proteins in question are termed ‘mitochondrial uncoupling
proteins’ and they can regulate the efficiency with which mitochondria can perform
their energy transducing function.
Researchers in the Trinity College Dublin School of
The principal energy currency of the human body is ATP (adenosine triphosphate),
and the mitochondria are the engines, inside our cells, that produce the majority of
that ATP (~65kg per day). The fuel for the mitochondrial engine comes from the
Biochemistry and Immunology have been awarded €1.2 million
by the European Union Marie Curie Organisation to study how
mitochondria are involved in controlling neurodegeneration.
oxidation of carbohydrates and fats, and the majority of oxygen that we consume is
at the level of the mitochondria as it provides fuel for ATP synthesis. Mitochondrial
uncoupling proteins control the efficiency of coupling between fuel supply and ATP
production.
The award will fund a Transfer of Knowledge research project
called 'Characterisation of Mitochondrial Proteins in Brain' that
will establish a centre for brain mitochondrial research in TCD.
According to Dr Porter: “from a biotechnological point of view, the uncoupling
proteins associated with mitochondria in skeletal muscle are of particular interest.
Because of our large skeletal muscle mass, any drug that can modestly decrease the
coupling efficiency controlled by these uncoupling proteins is a potential anti-obesity
or anti-type 2 diabetic drug”.
Mitochondria supply the majority of ATP to neurons and when
damaged compromise the ability of the neuron to withstand
toxic stress. Dysfunctional mitochondria have been associated
with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease and are
thought to control the cellular ageing process. Co-ordinated by
Dr Gavin Davey, the project will focus on understanding the
different types of mitochondria in the brain using mass
Trinity College Dublin
One of Top 100 Universities in the World
spectrometry
and
imaging
techniques.
In
addition,
computational modelling of mitochondrial functional will be
carried out in conjunction with researchers in TCD's Centre for
Systems Biology (www.systemsbiologyireland.org).
Trinity College Dublin is one of the top 100 universities in the world. It is also in the
top 25 universities in Europe. In the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES)
Five postdoctoral researchers from outside Ireland who are
World University Rankings 2006, TCD has moved up to 78th place in the world
expert in proteomic and imaging will relocate to TCD. They will
rankings, and is the only Irish university in the top 100.
transfer knowledge to the Centre enabling the core activities to
be established. Existing researchers will also visit other
TCD also scored well in a number of the THES subject area rankings. In Science
institutions for research interactions: MRC Dunn Human
and the Social Sciences, it keeps its place in the top 100 in the world, while a leap
Nutrition Unit, UK; European Molecular Biology Laboratory
to 39th place has put TCD into the top 50 universities in the world for research in Arts
(EMBL); University of Siena, Italy; and the Kadar Has University,
and Humanities.
Turkey.
In calculating its rankings, the THES uses a basket of metrics
including peer review (40% of the final score), staff/student
ratio (20%), citations per faculty member (20%), employer
rankings (10%), staff internationalisation (5%) and student
body internationalisation (5%). Subject area rankings are
based primarily on peer review scores, although citation
2
information is included for some areas.
The centre for mitochondrial research builds on the research
interests of Dr Richard Porter (TCD), Prof. Keith Tipton (TCD)
and Dr Caroline Jeffries (RCSI), and will elucidate the role that
mitochondria play in controlling neurodegenerative processes in
the brain.
Trinity Research News
Trinity College Dublin
Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing
Welcome from the Director
of Research and Innovation
Martin Mullins
On behalf of myself, along with the
Dean and Associate Dean of Research,
and my colleagues in Research and
Innovation Services (R&IS), I am
delighted to welcome you the reader to
this edition of Trinity Research News.
At the TILDA launch on 06 November 2006: (left to right) Mr Donal Casey, Irish Life; Prof.
Rose Anne Kenny, TCD; Mr David Went, Irish Life; Mary Harney TD, Minister for Health and
Children; and Dr John Hegarty, TCD Provost.
Rose Anne Kenny, Trinity College Dublin School of Medicine, is leading a large
cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional study of the biological, psychological,
social and economic factors which determine successful ageing in Ireland today.
The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) is a 10-year study of the lives of
10,000 people, and is the most ambitious study of ageing in Ireland to date. It will
begin with a pilot study in early 2007. The full study will commence in 2008.
According to Prof. Kenny, the experience of ageing in Ireland is not a particularly
happy one: “The percentage of older Irish people in receipt of community care
support is among the lowest in the OECD. We need to know how to develop the
best models of care for our older citizens to ensure healthy, happy, financially
secure old age”.
TILDA will drive reform of the Irish health and social services, and lead to new
research and discoveries about the factors which enable successful ageing. It will
contribute to research on new treatments for age-related diseases such as
dementia, heart disease and stroke, and will help to ensure comfortable living
standards for people in old age. It will also try to influence public perceptions on
ageing through a ‘lived life theme’.
Of female children born today, it is estimated that over 50 per cent will live to age
100 or beyond. By 2030, one in five Irish people will be over 65, and the greatest
increase will be in the number over 80, an increase of up to 70 per cent. Ageing
on this scale is unprecedented in Ireland and has significant consequences for
Irish society from an economic, social and policy perspective.
The TILDA Steering Committee comprises Prof. Brendan Whelan, TCD and the
Economic and Social Research Institute; Prof. Kenny, Prof. Charles Normand,
Dr Virpi Timonen and Dr Maryann Valiulis from TCD; Prof. Hannah McGee, Royal
College of Surgeons in Ireland and Prof. Ivan Perry, University College Cork.
TILDA is part-funded by a donation of €4 million from Irish Life. Atlantic
Philanthropies has also contributed funding to the project.
After many years in the United States, I
returned to Ireland to take up the
position of Director of Research and
Innovation in September 2006. I do so
with enormous enthusiasm and a sincere desire to work
collaboratively with the Trinity College Dublin research community to
ensure that the Research and Innovation Office provides a
supportive and exemplary service to researchers. To this end, in
addition to my own outreach efforts, I invite you to share with me
your ideas and suggestions about how the Office may better support
your endeavours in the future.
TCD’s international reputation for excellence in education and
research was further enhanced with the publication in October 2006
of the world rankings of universities by the Times Higher Education
Supplement. Trinity College Dublin was ranked 78th worldwide (the
only Irish university in the top 100), and 25th amongst European
universities. Such high rankings are an outstanding achievement for
the University and a tribute to the calibre and commitment of our
students, academic, administrative and support staff. Within days of
this good news, TCD launched its updated strategic plan, setting
new goals for academic and research excellence, including an
ambition to be among the top 50 universities worldwide. The new
strategic plan also aims to build on national policy aimed at growing
our knowledge-intensive society and economy, enhancing graduate
education and advancing the new ‘Fourth Level Ireland’.
In this edition of Trinity Research News we share with you the
successes of our colleagues across the research community, as
examples of excellence in scholarship, research and innovation.
Trinity College Dublin has set ambitious plans for the future that will
require access to competitive Government funding opportunities in
addition to the launch of a major fundraising campaign. As we move
into the season of spring, we do so with renewed optimism, looking
forward to the successes to come.
Martin Mullins most recently served as Vice President for Technology Licensing
at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. He previously served as Associate
Vice President for Licensing and Director of the Office of Technology Transfer at
Case Western Reserve University, and as Senior Licensing Manager and Interim
Director of the Office of Technology Licensing and Industry Sponsored Research
at the Harvard Medical School. Prior to travelling to the United States in 1993,
he held positions here in Ireland with Eli Lilly & Co., and in BioResearch Ireland.
Mr Mullins holds both a Bachelor’s and Master's degree in biochemistry from
University College Cork.
3
TCD Research
European Committee for
to Conserve Stone Staircase at
Standardization Meeting
Castletown House
Held at TCD
The Trinity College Dublin School of Engineering hosted
a meeting of Technical Committee 51 (TC 51) of the
European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in May
The Trinity College Dublin School of Engineering has received funding
2006 to review standards for building limes.
from the Irish Office of Public Works (OPW) for a one-year project to
investigate the structural behaviour of the cantilevered stone staircase
at Castletown House, Co. Kildare. ‘Properties and structural behaviour
of stone staircases: Castletown House Project’ will be undertaken by
School of Engineering postdoctoral fellow, David Hegarty, under the
direction of Dr Dermot O’Dwyer and Dr Sara Pavía.
Building limes are widely used for both new buildings and
repairs to existing masonry structures. One of the main
objectives of TC 51 is to develop and standardise the
physical testing and analytical methodologies that best
fulfil the quality requirements of air limes and hydraulic
products available in the market. The purpose of the
Castletown House is an Irish national monument, and has been
classified as the most valuable Palladian building in Ireland. It has
structural problems affecting its main staircase, and the overall aim of
this project is to contribute to its preservation. The structural actions
meeting in TCD was to define new products and to make
a number of decisions in order to review and modify both
analytical and physical testing methods included in the
standards for building limes.
by which the landing and stairs in Castletown House carry their selfweight at present will be identified as well the maximum safe load that
the existing landing and stairs can currently carry. Potential repair
techniques and safe load capacity of the landing and stairs post repair
will also be investigated. The microstructural damage of the stone,
and the variation of mechanical properties induced as a result of
loading will also be studied.
The current standards under review were published in
2001, and it took approximately ten years to complete
them. At the Dublin meeting, several analytical methods to
measure the amount of available lime were contrasted and
compared by Dr Schiffner of the European Laboratory for
Lime and Mortar Research. New physical testing methods
and new values of initial flow for natural feebly-hydraulic
A finite element model of the landing and stairs, including factual data,
will be completed together with load-tests of the real structure and a
full-scale landing model. The structural behaviours of the
mathematical and of the full-scale model will be compared with those
of the real structure. Finally, a finite element model incorporating the
proposed structural repairs will be developed and a full-scale landing
model including the repairs built and load-tested.
4
lime were proposed by Dr Sara Pavía, TCD School of
Engineering.
Trinity Research News
Nonprofit Organisations in Ireland
Mapped by TCD Researchers
TCD Lecturer Elected
Academic Director of US
Midwest Finance Association
The Centre for Nonprofit Management (CNM) at the Trinity College Dublin School of
Brian Lucey, Senior Lecturer in
Business has conducted the first mapping of nonprofit organisations in Ireland. The
Finance at the Trinity College
project, which began in 2003, involved a survey of over 24,000 Irish nonprofit
Dublin School of Business and
organisations, and the creation of the first substantial dataset on the Irish nonprofit
Research Associate of the TCD
sector. The preliminary analysis report of the survey, The Hidden Landscape: First Forays
Institute
into Mapping Nonprofit Organisations in Ireland, was launched by TCD Provost, Dr
Integration Studies (IIIS), has
John Hegarty, at the CNM’s inaugural Summer School on 20 June 2006.
been
for
elected
International
Academic
Director of the Midwest Finance
The Hidden Landscape provides, for the first time, basic information on the Irish nonprofit
Association (MFA). He is the
field including core values, functions, size, age and geographical location of nonprofit
first non-USA based academic
organisations. It reveals that the majority of nonprofit organisations are young, with over
to be elected by the members
half of responding organisations established since the mid-1980s. Expenditure among
of the association to its board, and is the only non-US based
responding nonprofit organisations was reported at €2.556bn, amounting to 2.17% of
academic to hold office in any US-based finance association
GNP, with over half (55%) of this sum allocated to staff costs. Contrary to popular
The main activity of the MFA is its annual conference, which takes
:
images of the sector as focused on a service provision role, sector organisations regard
their community building and value expressive roles as most important. The Hidden
place in March each year. The venue for the 56th meeting (2007)
Landscape is the first report from the Mapping Project’s dataset. Further analysis will
is Minneapolis, USA. The MFA is dedicated to developing and
produce more detailed imaging at subsectoral and regional levels.
disseminating information on the finance discipline to members
and other interested individuals. This is done through annual
The theme of the CNM’s 2006 Summer School was the Irish nonprofit sector. It
facilitated comparison between the Irish data and the Dutch and American nonprofit
professional meetings and sponsorship of its official journal, The
Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, which Dr Lucey has
sectors. Guest speakers Prof. Lucas Meijs, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The
previously guest-edited with colleagues in the TCD Business
Netherlands and Prof. Jon Van Til, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA joined with
School and NUI Maynooth. The papers selected were based on
other academics, nonprofit managers, and sector stakeholders in exploring possible
an annual conference on international finance run by the IIIS.
development scenarios for the nonprofit sector in Ireland.
Headquartered in Michigan, USA, the MFA covers over 20 states
The Centre for Nonprofit Management (www.cnm.tcd.ie) supports and develops
in the heartland of the USA, stretching from Colorado to Arkansas
research, education and dialogue about the Third Sector and nonprofit organisations
and from North Dakota to Texas. It is one of five regional academic
by creating and facilitating relationships across disciplines and across sectors. It is an
associations in the USA. The other four are the Southern,
initiative of the TCD School of Business, and was established with support from The
Southwestern, Eastern and Western.
Atlantic Philanthropies.
As academic director, Dr Lucey will work with the practitioner
director to ensure that the MFA’s actions and meetings reflect best
(left to right) Trinity College
Dublin Provost, Dr John
Hegarty (second left) with
practice and advance the frontiers of financial knowledge as well as
ensuring that academic concerns are at the fore of the MFA.
Centre for Nonprofit
Management staff
The IIIS has produced over 90 peer-reviewed international journal
Dr Gemma Donnelly-Cox,
articles since commencing work in mid-2003. It also hosts
Academic Director; Dr Freda
international visitors and runs an annual conference. Dr Lucey is
Donoghue, Senior Research
Fellow; Andrew O’Regan,
coordinator of the IIIS International Financial Integration project.
Programme Director; and
This project examines the issues around international financial
Geraldine Prizeman,
integration such as the spread of panics and crises in currency
Researcher at the launch of
and equity markets, the role of emerging markets and companies
The Hidden Landscape:
First Forays into Mapping
Nonprofit Organisations in
Ireland at the Centre for
in global finance flows, and how multinational corporations and
their financial activities affect international finance.
Nonprofit Management 2006
Summer School.
5
Trinity Research News
TCD Researchers Win SFI Career
Advancement Awards
Prof. Draper is exploring the potential for innovative, metallated
molecular structures in the design of functional and responsive
materials. These incorporate a new type of molecular structure
with novel and exploitable material and spectroscopic
properties. It is hoped that the molecular assembly of such
planar highly-aromatic molecules will produce a new set of
'smart' materials for application in opto-electronics e.g. in
sensor applications and computer storage devices.
Off-set molecular stack
of metal-coordinated
(left to right) Dr Brian Foley and Dr Clair Gardiner, Trinity College Dublin; Dr Pat Fottrell, Science
complexes
Foundation Ireland; Prof. Sylvia Draper, Trinity College Dublin; Michael Ahern TD, Minister of
State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; and Dr Eileen Drew and Dr David
Lloyd, Trinity College Dublin. Picture courtesy of Science Foundation Ireland.
In addition, Prof. Carol O’Sullivan, TCD School of Computer
Three women researchers in Trinity College Dublin have received grants from a
Science and Statistics, is collaborating with UCD awardee,
Science Foundation Ireland Principal Investigator Career Advancement fund of €4.3
Debra Laefer, to extend TCD’s ongoing Virtual Dublin project.
million. This scheme supports researchers at every level who have interrupted their
This interdisciplinary project aims to build an integrated, large-
careers for maternity, adoptive, carer or parental leave, and ensures that they have an
scale urban model, using Light Detection And Ranging
equal opportunity to compete on the basis of their scientific expertise, knowledge
(LiDAR), to optimise urban planning and management.
and potential.
Clair Gardiner, TCD School of Biochemistry & Immunology; Louise Bradley, TCD
School of Physics; and Sylvia Draper, TCD School of Chemistry, received the awards
for research which is innovative and of scientific excellence.
Trinity College Dublin
Innovation Award 2006
Dr Gardiner is investigating how the immune system responds to viral infections and
cancer. She is working on a Natural Killer (NK) cell, a specialised type of white blood
cell. These fight viral infections by recognising and killing infected cells. It is thought
that molecules (receptors) on the surface of NK cells allow them to recognise the
presence of viruses in cells, and Dr Gardiner will investigate these molecules.
Dr Bradley’s research is in the area of nano-scale photonics which underpins
developments in both ICT and biotechnology. It involves semiconductor nanocrystal
quantum dots (NQDs) which are light emitters with enormous potential for future
nano-scale photonic applications. They are relatively easy to produce in solution,
which makes them suitable for simple and cheaper processing in comparison with
the more established semiconductor technologies. They emit light very efficiently
and the colour of the light is easily tuned by changing the size of the crystal. Practical
light-emitting devices require efficient electrical pumping but this is hampered by
an electrically-insulating layer used for stability. One solution is efficient energy
transfer into the nanocrystals, which is also an important process in many bio-sensor
applications. Dr Bradley will investigate techniques for promoting this process and
will apply them to the development of nano-scale light-emitting devices.
Dr Chris Horn, Iona Technologies (2nd right), received the Trinity
College Dublin 2006 Innovation Award. Also pictured (left to right)
Dr Eoin O’Neill, TCD Director of Entrepreneurship; Dr John Hegarty,
TCD Provost; and Prof. Steven Nichols, University of Texas at Austin,
USA.
6
Trinity Research News
TCD Undergraduate Research
Programme
Launched in 2005, the Trinity College Dublin Summer Undergraduate Research
TCD Nursing and
Midwifery Research into
Foetal Heart Rates
Experience (SURE) is a programme offering undergraduate students, typically from
science and engineering, the opportunity to work on exciting research projects in
laboratory environments. SURE came about as a result of the Irish Government’s
plans for a new fourth-level sector, and the need for Irish universities to produce
dynamic and well-rounded graduates ready to contribute to both industry and
research. It was developed by TCD in conjunction with the Institute of Technology
Tallaght.
SURE (www.sure.tcd.ie) aims to give undergraduate students a unique opportunity
to interact with world-class scientists and engineers in a dynamic and innovative
environment. The students learn how a research team operates, gain an
awareness of career options in the field of academic research, and develop
valuable transferable skills such as project management and problem-solving.
Participating researchers can also identify talented young students for further study
and contribution to their research groups and to TCD.
TCD Dean of Graduate Studies Prof. Patrick Prendergast: “The excitement of
research has to be experienced firsthand, and the SURE programme is an excellent
vehicle for undergraduate students to gain exposure not only to cutting-edge
research but also to the real life of the researcher”.
Trinity College Dublin’s School of Nursing and Midwifery has
been awarded over €0.25 million by the Health Research
Board and an equipment grant from the Department of
Health and Children for a randomised trial to compare
different ways of monitoring foetal heart rate during labour.
In 2006, 20 students and supervisors participated in the SURE programme on
research projects in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science and Microelectronics.
As a result of the programme, two students from SURE 2006 and one from SURE
The study will be led by Mr Declan Devane, Prof. Cecily
Begley and Visiting Professor Mike Clarke, and supported
by research assistant Valerie Smith.
2005 are currently making submissions to international scientific journals which
will result in publications.
When a woman is admitted to the labour ward, the baby’s
heart rate is monitored in one of two ways. Either using a
SURE has also developed to include a new international student exchange
placement in 2006 with two leading US universities – University of California, Santa
Barbara and Columbia University, New York – in their ‘Research Experiences for
Undergraduates’ (REU) programmes.
cardiotocograph where the baby's heart rate and the
mother's uterine contractions are recorded electronically on
a paper trace. Or by using intermittent auscultation where
the baby’s heart rate is listened to intermittently using a
foetal stethoscope (Pinard) or a hand-held Doppler
Funded primarily by Science Foundation Ireland, it is hoped that SURE will
continue to offer talented undergraduates the opportunity to experience research
ultrasound device, and by palpating the mother's uterine
contractions by hand.
first hand and also develop to include further projects in a wider range of
disciplines.
The ADCAR Trial will compare these two methods of
monitoring the baby’s heart rate in low-risk women on
admission to the labour ward on caesarean section, obstetric
intervention and neonatal morbidity. The trial will also explore
women’s experiences of foetal monitoring modalities. It will
make a significant contribution to the evidence on the
effectiveness, safety and acceptability of the admission
cardiotocograph, thereby influencing the future care of
pregnant women in Ireland and worldwide.
SURE 2006 Students at the Annual Poster Symposium
7
Trinity Research News
TCD Research
TCD Lecturer Publishes
in the Rain Forests of Jamaica
Encyclopaedia of Psychoanalysis
(left to right) Prof. Michael
Fitzgerald, TCD Marsh
Professor of Child
Psychiatry; Ross Skelton,
TCD Senior Lecturer in
Philosophy and Prof.
William Lyons, Emeritus
Professor of Moral
Philosophy.
Ross Skelton, Trinity College Dublin School of Social Sciences
and Philosophy, has recently produced and edited The Edinburgh
International Encyclopaedia of Psychoanalysis. This is currently
Francis Brearley, Trinity College Dublin School of Natural Sciences, has
the broadest single volume coverage of psychoanalysis available.
initiated a research project on rain forests in Jamaica. On a recent visit, Dr
Brearley was based at Cinchona Botanic Gardens, high in the Blue Mountains.
With over one thousand entries by an array of international
contributors, it encompasses the most important authors,
These mountains have a number of contrasting types of montane rain forest.
practitioners, concepts, movements, schools, debates and
As part of the project, two major types are being compared: ‘mull ridge’, a
controversies in psychoanalysis, past and present, as well as its
common forest type which has reasonably tall trees and a fairly mineral soil,
history and practice in 47 countries worldwide. Objective and
and ‘mor ridge’ which is more localised, has much shorter trees and is rooted
catholic in vision, the Encyclopaedia demonstrates that
in a deep layer of organic humus.
psychoanalysis is a single discipline, greater than any particular
The project aims to examine differences in nitrogen cycling between these
contributors and entries reflect the wide variety of disciplines that
movement, school or individual, including its founder, Freud. Both
two forests by determining differences in nitrogen stable isotopes in the
have contributed to or been influenced by psychoanalysis, such as
leaves, roots and soils. Examining the relative abundance of the stable isotope
feminism, literature, philosophy, art and anthropology. An immense
of nitrogen (15N) compared with ‘normal’ nitrogen (14N) is a powerful research
array of entries by psychoanalysts themselves sit alongside entries
tool which allows a number of inferences to be made about the cycling of
by psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, philosophers,
nitrogen in these ecosystems. Current thinking is that the growth of these
medical researchers, historians, literary critics, anthropologists,
ecosystems is limited by this element.
linguists and other specialists.
Dr Brearley is collaborating with Dr Ed Tanner, University of Cambridge. The
Robert Michels, M.D., Walsh McDermott University Professor of
project is funded by the British Ecological Society with additional funding from
Medicine and Psychiatry at Cornell University: “The book is
the TCD Association and Trust, and the Percy Sladen Memorial Fund.
unique. It will be of great value to students, teachers and
practitioners. As an added reward, it is a pleasure to read”.
Water Technology by TCD Lecturer Translated into Russian
Nick Gray, lecturer in the Trinity College Dublin School
published by Oxford University Press). The new edition forms part
of Natural Sciences and Centre for the Environment,
of Imperial College Press’s Series on Environmental Science and
has just published an extended new edition of Water
Management and has been extended from the original 860 pages
Technology (Elsevier). The text is currently being
to over 1,440 pages. It represents a unique overview of the field,
translated for a new Russian edition to be published in
and is widely used by both professionals and researchers in
2007. The text has been widely adopted for both
wastewater engineering.
undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and this new
translation will be used to develop similar courses in
environmental science and engineering.
Dr Gray is currently working on a new edition of Drinking Water
Quality: Problems and Solutions to be published by Cambridge
University Press in 2007. His publication record makes him one of
8
This follows the publication of a second edition of his research monograph
the best-known authors in the field of environmental engineering
Biology of Wastewater Treatment (Imperial College Press, originally
and science.
Trinity Research News
TCD Dental Hospital Survey on
Oral Health of Special Needs
Children
TCD Dental School
Research into MRSA
The Trinity College Dublin Dental School and Hospital has
received €1.4 million from the Health Research Board to
identify methods of reducing the prevalence of MRSA
infections. It is a joint project with the Royal College of
Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). The research will be led by Prof.
David Coleman and Dr Derek Sullivan, TCD Dental School and
Hospital; along with Prof. Hilary Humphreys, RCSI / Beaumont
Hospital and Dr Robert Cunney, Health Protection Surveillance
Centre.
Opportunistic infections caused by methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA – often referred to in the media
as the ‘Superbug’) continue to be a major problem in the Irish
healthcare
system. This
epidemiology
of MRSA
project will
and
the
investigate the
efficacy
of novel
Trinity College Dublin Dental Hospital has been awarded funding by the
decontamination systems at reducing the incidence of hospital
Health Research Board for a project to survey oral health for children aged
infections. This will be achieved by establishing the levels of
nought to six years with special needs. Developed by the Dental School
environmental contamination of specific hospital wards with
and Hospital in association with Enovation Solutions (Dublin), this project
MRSA. The levels of colonisation of patients with MRSA will
demonstrates the value of using tablet PCs and mobile technology in a
also simultaneously be identified when patients are admitted
clinical setting. It will be led by Prof. June Nunn and Dr Darius Sagheri,
and during their stay in hospital. This will be achieved using
TCD; and Mr David Kerrigan, Enovation.
newly-developed rapid molecular diagnostic techniques and
will allow treatment and management of these patients to be
A number of dentists involved in special needs dental care in selected
initiated immediately.
Health Service Executive primary care settings will use tablet PCs to
enhance data collection and processing. A tablet PC is a notebook-sized
In an attempt to reduce the incidence of infections, improved
mobile computer used to replace a variety of paper forms and
hand hygiene standards will be introduced and strictly
administrative procedures. Patients' data are quickly entered on a tablet
enforced, and the efficacy of the use of vaporised hydrogen
PC, and then validated to improve data integrity. Direct data entry
peroxide as an environmental decontaminant will be
provides the advantages of immediate access to the data for all
investigated.
collaborating parties, and eliminates chances of errors associated with
processing data from paper to electronic format.
The study will be conducted by a postgraduate student and a
postdoctoral research fellow based in the TCD School of Dental
Once collected, the data is encrypted and transmitted securely over the
Science Microbiology Research Unit, and by a research nurse
Vodafone 3G network back to a secure server in the Dental School. This
and postdoctoral research fellow based at Beaumont Hospital.
provides the highest degree of data protection because no patient data
will be stored on a mobile computer or on paper forms while conducting
It is anticipated that by the time this project is completed in
the survey. The new system will allow research teams, for the first time
2010, the development of these novel diagnostic and
ever, to monitor special care children’s specific oral health needs in the
epidemiological techniques will have a significant direct effect
Republic of Ireland, and ensure that they receive the most appropriate
on improving the provision of health care in our hospitals.
dental care.
Prof. Nunn: “The tablet PC, combined with a 3G network card and
Scanning
proprietary software developed for this project, provides an easy-to-use
electron
system for dentists in clinical settings with an ideal interface for data
micrograph of
collection, with the added bonus of features like signature capture, data
MRSA strain.
validation at point of entry, secure data transmission and easier reporting”.
9
Trinity Research News
TCD Study on Declining Numbers of Male
Irish Language
Report by TCD
Psycholinguistics
Lecturer
Primary Teachers
Eileen Drew, Trinity College Dublin School of Statistics and Computer Science, has
published a book on the issue of under-representation of men in primary school
teaching in Ireland. Facing Extinction: Why Men are not Attracted to Primary Teaching
(The Liffey Press) was launched on 20 November 2006 by the former Irish National
Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) General Secretary, Senator Joe O’Toole.
Facing Extinction is the result of a study commissioned by the Primary Education
Committee established by the Minister for Education and Science, who was
concerned at the declining numbers of young men choosing primary teaching as a
career. As part of her research, Prof. Drew sought the views of men and women who
entered the primary teaching profession in Ireland in the last 10 years. She ascertained
their motivations and career development, and the factors which encouraged or
discouraged them from teaching. She also gauged job satisfaction levels.
In her book, Prof. Drew highlights the fact that only 17% of primary teachers in Ireland
John
Harris,
TCD
School
of
Linguistic,
Speech
and
Communication Sciences, is senior author of a major research
report Irish in Primary Schools: Long-term National Trends in
Achievement. The report, published by the Department of
Education and Science (www.education.ie), is based on the most
comprehensive national investigation to date of achievement in the
Irish language at the end of primary school. The other authors of the
report are Mr Patrick Forde, Dr Peter Archer and Ms Mary
O’Gorman, Educational Research Centre, St Patrick’s College; and
Siobhán Nic Fhearaile, Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann.
are men compared with worldwide figures ranging from 1% in Ukraine to 90% in
Chad. A high number of men in primary teaching is generally found in countries where
it is a high status profession.
The positive attractions of teaching, such as shorter working hours, good holidays
and teachers’ unique contribution to society, are offset by lack of career opportunity,
perceived loss of status, and the 24 years it takes to reach the top of the Irish pay
scale. According to Prof. Drew’s findings, young men are not choosing primary
teaching because of the very high standard of Irish required and their fear of false
sexual abuse allegations. Despite this, nine out of 10 of the teachers surveyed would
like to see more men in teaching because it is a rewarding career, and boys and girls
need to see men in a caring role.
At the launch, Senator Joe O'Toole stated that: “the teaching profession should be
reflective of a balanced society. In specific terms, a school must be a microcosm of
society and must present adult role models of authority and leadership reflective of
that community”.
The study examined a range of Irish listening, speaking and reading
skills using a variety of testing methods, and collected information
on teachers’ and parents’ views and practices. The report details a
dramatic decline in Irish listening and speaking skills in ‘ordinary’
mainstream primary schools over a 17-year period. The original
survey, which served as the basis for comparison, was also carried
out by Dr Harris. All-Irish immersion schools, where pupil numbers
grew from 1.1% to 5% of the sixth-grade primary population in the
period examined, succeeded in maintaining generally high
standards of achievement in spoken Irish. Gaeltacht schools also
experienced a decline in achievement in Irish but not on the scale
observed in ordinary mainstream schools. The final chapter of the
report analyses the causes of the decline, educational and
language-revitalisation implications of the findings, and makes
detailed policy recommendations.
Launching the report, Minister for Education and Science, Mary
Hanafin TD, said: “Dr John Harris is the most renowned research
scholar in psycholinguistics in Ireland. I welcome his most recent
10
(left to right) Mr Cathal Kelly, Equality Authority; Prof. Eileen Drew, TCD; Senator
research findings. I thank the author for undertaking the task and
Joe O’Toole; Dr John Hegarty, TCD Provost; Ms Kathy McHugh, INTO Equality
presenting this fine research report".
Committee; and Seamus McLoughlin, Central Policy Unit, Department of
Education and Science.
Trinity Research News
New Research Collaboration between
Ongoing Research Collaboration
TCD CRANN and Hewlett-Packard
between TCD CRANN and Intel
The Trinity College Dublin Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and
Nanodevices (CRANN) and Hewlett-Packard (HP) agreed to a new research
collaboration in May 2006. This was consolidated by a Science Foundation
Ireland (SFI) three-year grant of €1.8 million which will facilitate joint research in
the field of carbon nanotubes composites.
Led by Dr Jonathan Coleman, TCD School of Physics, and Prof. John Boland,
TCD School of Chemistry, the research will be based in both CRANN and the
Department of Chemistry, University College Cork (UCC). It will focus on the
development of a novel carbon nanotube/polymer composite which will
potentially have a unique combination of optical, electrical and mechanical
properties making it suitable for potential applications in flexible electronic
devices including displays, televisions and other consumer electronics.
(left to right) TCD Provost, Dr John Hegarty; Prof. John Boland, TCD and CRANN;
and Mr Jim OHara, Intel Ireland with models of the Adaptive Grid Substrates.
In addition to the SFI award, HP will contribute staff to work directly in CRANN
The Trinity College Dublin Centre for Research on Adaptive
for the lifetime of the project, and will give appropriate access to research and
Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) is collaborating with Intel on
manufacturing facilities in their plant in Leixlip. The project will also have access
the development of the first Adaptive Grid Substrates (AGS).
to expertise from HP research laboratories in Corvallis, USA.
The AGS project is led by Prof. John Boland, TCD School of Chemistry,
This project leverages the world-class scientific capabilities within CRANN, and
Prof. Mike Coey, TCD School of Physics, and Prof. Mike Morris and Dr
represents a significant expansion of the existing research programme. The
Justin Homes, UCC. Intel Ireland has also committed significant
project couples the innovative strengths of the Centre’s scientists with the
resources to this project including researchers-in-residence in CRANN.
technology development capabilities of HP, thus creating a highly-skilled and
The collaboration seeks to marry the best of Intel’s integrated circuit
multidisciplinary research team capable of developing a unique new technology
technology with the nanoscale components and device capabilities at
platform.
CRANN, thus leading to new approaches for fabricating future generations
of computer chips.
SFI Interim Director General Prof. Mark Keane: “this collaboration represents a
unique opportunity for CRANN to exploit their fundamental research skills in a
potentially commercial context. The research outlined in the proposal is extremely
challenging, of significant scientific merit and of great potential commercial
importance. It would appear to be a perfect project to realise a strategic
collaboration between industry and academia, it is clear that neither party in isolation
could hope to achieve the goals outlined in the timeframe required”.
The project was established to enable the semiconductor industry and, in
particular, Intel to understand how nanodevices will impact on future
generations of their silicon chips. The research is motivated by the need
to make increasingly smaller devices, beyond that currently possible using
integrated chip technology. The challenge facing researchers in this field
is the difficulty in characterising large numbers of potential nanoscale
device components in a manner that is compatible with chip
manufacturing technologies. The AGS provides direct electrical
connections to these nanocomponents for electrical testing and also
specially designed relief features that promote ordering of these
components over the entire substrate.
Ultimately it is hoped that the AGS will be developed to allow direct links
between integrated chips and the nanoworld, thereby extending current
technologies and manufacturing processes while at the same time
benefiting from the increased device integration densities afforded by
nanotechnology. The achievement of this project to date is to provide a
foundation for the development of parallel testing of novel nanodevices.
The capability to carry out this testing in a systematic way will provide both
CRANN and Intel with a unique window to the future, and ensure Ireland
is recognised as a world class centre for research.
(left to right) Mr Lionel Alexander, Hewlett Packard Manufacturing Ltd.; Prof. Mark Keane,
Science Foundation Ireland; Prof. John Boland, TCD and CRANN; and Minister for
Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin TD.
CRANN is a Science Foundation Ireland funded Centre for Science and Engineering
Technology, and comprised of partners Trinity College Dublin and University
College Cork. CRANN is affiliated with the Schools of Physics, Chemistry and the
Life Sciences in TCD.
11
TCD Lecturer Chairman of
European Bioenergetics Conference
Richard Porter, Trinity College Dublin School of Biochemistry and Immunology, has
been elected Chairman of the 15th European Bioenergetics Conference 2008 (EBEC
2008).
EBEC is a biannual event. The 14th conference, hosted by Vladimir Skulachev in
Moscow in July 2006, brought together world-class researchers who specialise in
investigating energy transduction in living organisms. It featured the latest discoveries,
at the molecular level, in areas ranging from the plasma membrane of bacteria to the
mitochondrial inner membrane of humans, and from the photoreactive centres of fungi
and bacteria to the photosynthetic reaction centres within thylakoid membranes in
chloroplasts of higher plants. Such reactions are the foundation of life on earth, and
understanding these processes provides a basis for everything from the artificial bio-
TCD Awarded €20 million for
New Clinical Research Centre
harvesting of solar energy to the production of bio-nanomachines.
A proposal led by Dermot Kelleher, Trinity College Dublin School
All papers presented at the conference are published in the leading bioenergetics
journal Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (Bioenergetics). The conference is also famous
for its overt rivalries, heated debates, and quality of its delegates – 450 attended EBEC
2006. Delegates of past conferences include Peter Mitchell who won the 1978 Nobel
of Medicine, for a major clinical research centre has been awarded
€20 million by the Wellcome Trust and the Irish Health Research
Board (HRB). The new centre will be built in 2009 at St James’s
Hospital which is a TCD teaching hospital.
Prize in Chemistry for his Chemisosmotic Theory; Hartmut Michel, 1988 Nobel
Laureate in Chemistry for his crystal structure of the photosynthetic reaction centre of
purple bacteria; and John Walker, 1997 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry for his crystal
structure of the F1-ATP synthase.
The new clinical research centre will provide access to the latest
advances in diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer,
neuropsychiatric disorder and infectious diseases. It will also
connect with new and emerging facilities at other Dublin teaching
EBEC 2008 (www.tcd.ie/Biochemistry/ebec2008/) will be held in TCD from 19 to 24
July 2008. In addition to the core research topics, the conference will also focus on
mitochondrial dysfunction and diseases, particularly in the areas of neurodegeneration,
hospitals through the establishment of a citywide clinical research
network coordinated by the Dublin Molecular Medicine Centre
(DMMC).
diabetes and myopathies (muscular diseases). Research in these
areas is already providing novel targets for treating obesity, diabetes, Parkinson’s
disease and Alzhemier’s disease. EBEC 2008 Chairman, Dr Porter: “I am delighted
and honoured that the International Advisory Committee have awarded the conference
to Trinity College Dublin. This will be the first time that the Conference has been held
in Ireland. For EBEC 2008, there will be a particular emphasis on facilitating
participation from young scientists both from Ireland and around the world.”
Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney TD, commended
Prof. Dermot Kelleher on his outstanding contribution and
achievement in securing the award: “This investment is a major
boost for clinical research and patient care in Ireland, and it will
provide a world-class environment for patient-focused research
with real benefits for health. It will provide a means for clinicians,
the healthcare industry and other key partners to test innovative
therapies, technologies and products, and increase the speed at
which scientific discoveries and innovations can be translated into
improved patient care”.
Prof. Kelleher prepared the proposal in collaboration with senior
researchers from the three Dublin medical schools at TCD, UCD
and RCSI, and their affiliated teaching hospitals. It was
coordinated through the DMMC.
The competition was open to all academic institutions in Britain
At the official handing over of the EBEC Chairmanship in Moscow (left to right) Hartmut
and Ireland. Prof. Kelleher’s proposal was described by the
Michel, Max-Planck Institute Für Biophysik, Frankfurt, Germany (1988 Nobel Laureate
Wellcome Trust’s international scientific advisory committee as
in Chemistry); Richard Porter, Trinity College Dublin (EBEC 2008 Chairman); Guy Brown,
University of Cambridge, UK; Valter Longo, University of Southern California, USA; John
12
outstanding. The award is proof of the international excellence of
Walker, Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, UK (1997 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry);
Irish clinical science, and the resulting research network will create
Inna Severina Skulachev and Vladimir Skulachev (EBEC 2006 Chairman), Moscow State
a new generation of medical scientists.
University, Russian Federation.
Trinity Research News
TCD
Research
Collaboration
with NIBRT
and Organon
Gavin Davey, Trinity College Dublin Institute of Neuroscience, is
leading a major collaborative research project (GlycoSys)
between
the
TCD
Centre
for
Systems
Biology
(www.systemsbiologyireland.org), the Irish National Institute for
Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), and Organon, a
multinational biopharmaceutical company.
In collaboration with Prof. Keith Tipton and Dr Andrew McDonald,
TCD School of Biochemistry and Immunology, a new team of
postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers have commenced
TCD Researchers Capture
Ocean Wave Energy
work on the project. The aim is to utilise established
mathematical and computational techniques in understanding
the complex glycosylation systems in cell cultures, a process
involving the way in which sugar residues are attached to
proteins. Approximately 70% of proteins in the body are
Half of Ireland’s energy requirements could be provided by the west coast if
glycosylated and often the nature of glycosylation will determine
ocean wave energy could be exploited. In 1995, William Kingston of the TCD
the bioactivity of a particular protein. Abnormal glycosylation
School of Business won an award from the Irish Marine Institute to investigate
patterns are present in cancer, as well as some immune-related
the use of rock engineering to produce energy from ‘oscillating water column’
and neurodegenerative disorders.
(OWC) chambers made by tunnelling into cliffs. TCD Professors Charles
Holland (Geology) and John Fitzpatrick (Mechanical and Manufacturing
According to Dr Davey, the team has: “extensive experience in
Engineering); Swedish and American rock engineering experts; UCC’s
applying systems biology approaches to biological problems, and
Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre; and ESB International all contributed
this is a very welcome opportunity to apply this knowledge to
to this research. As a result, the first practical application of this idea is now
bioprocessing systems”.
taking place in the Faeroe Islands.
One of the goals of NIBRT is to integrate the best research
Originally, moored devices were used to capture ocean wave energy but they
resources in Ireland with NIBRT skills and project management
were prone to destruction by exceptional storms. The OWC technique was an
experience, thus demonstrating that NIBRT is the one-stop shop
approach which used wave movements inside chambers built on cliff faces to
for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. This first
drive air turbines to generate electricity. Unfortunately, attempts to do this in
programme is an example of how NIBRT, through its IDA funding,
both Scotland and the Azores also proved vulnerable. However, following Prof.
can greatly expand the collaborative research opportunities for
Kingston’s work on OWC chambers made by tunnelling into cliffs, the Marine
the Irish academic sector and the biotech industry. Through
Institute published a report confirming the potential of this new approach. It
GlycoSys, Organon is committing significant resources to the
showed that it offers ‘a major cost reduction in the construction of OWC
research programme and, in the process, levering NIBRT
chambers over any method which has been used or proposed up to now’.
resources to achieve a very useful collaboration.
Moreover, new Swedish ‘G-Drill’ technology promised to reduce the cost of this
type of construction still further.
GlycoSys is a multi-annual research programme, and will be
reviewed and directed by the programme team on a continual
The current application is a joint venture between British company Wavegen
and SEV, the Faroese local electricity authority.
basis. The programme costs for the collaboration will be shared
by NIBRT and Organon. NIBRT is a collaborative partnership
between TCD, UCD, DCU and IT Sligo, and is funded by IDA
Ireland.
13
Trinity Research News
Book on EU Public Policy by
TCD Research
Staff
Association
Paper on
Contract
Researchers
The
Trinity
Research
TCD Political Science Lecturer
Staff
Association
(TRSA
www.cs.tcd.ie/Alexandre.Bergel/trsa) was established in June
2005 to represent and promote the interests and concerns of the
400 contract-research staff in TCD. It is the first association of its
kind in Ireland. In March 2006, the TRSA undertook a survey of
contract researchers in TCD. Based on the findings of this study,
it prepared a position paper to highlight the concerns of TCD
Raj Chari (www.rajchari.com), Senior Lecturer in Political Science and
researchers and to make recommendations for change. ‘Contract
Director of the Trinity College Dublin Centre for European Studies,
Researchers in Trinity: A Frontline Perspective’ was launched by
has written a critical guide to EU public policy with Dr Sylvia
science expert Leo Enright on 13 October 2006.
Kritzinger, Institute for Advanced Studies, Austria. The book was
launched on 01 November 2006 by Mr Alan Dukes, Director of the
Dr Alison Donnelly, TRSA Chairperson, believes that: “the position
Irish Institute for European Affairs in the European Commission
paper highlights issues of concern to contract researchers such
Offices in Dublin.
as the lack of a career structure, pension provision and secure
employment, as well as poor remuneration and the implications
Entitled Understanding EU Policy Making (Pluto Press/Univ. of
of the Fixed Term Workers Act”.
Michigan Press), this work forms part of a larger project entitled
"Public Policies and Multi-Level Regulatory Structures" co-ordinated
In June 2006, the Irish Government announced its plans to
by Dr Chari in the Institute for International Integration Studies (IIIS)
transform Ireland into a knowledge-based economy by 2013. This
at Trinity College Dublin. It examines what EU policies are about, who
national objective is similarly reflected in the strategic plans of Irish
shapes them, and how they can be theoretically characterised.
third-level institutes, which propose to make Ireland a leading
centre for research. To accomplish this ambitious goal, the
The authors argue that political and economic actors in Europe
government suggests that it will be necessary to create a
prioritise some policies over others. These are defined as ‘1st order’
sustainable system of world-class research teams across all
policies which aim to create a competitive and efficient European
disciplines and to double the annual output of PhDs.
market in the global economy. They include single market,
Unfortunately, however, contract researchers are one of the least
competition, economic, monetary and agricultural policies. In contrast,
well-represented professions in the Irish labour market.
another set of policies which do not form a key part of the EU agenda,
and which domestic leaders most often effectively ignore, are referred
Key to achieving a knowledge-based economy is the creation of
to as ‘2nd order’ policies. These include social, immigration and
attractive research career paths. Without this, leading researchers
common defence policies. The book develops a novel theoretical
from abroad will not be attracted to work in Ireland, greater
perspective referred to as the 'dominant economic class perspective’
numbers of students will be discouraged from fourth-level
in order to theorise EU integration.
education and, more immediately, the current cohort of
researchers will not be retained.
Understanding EU Policy Making is ideal for upper-year
undergraduates and postgraduate students as well as anyone
It is hoped that the TRSA position paper will encourage debate
looking for an incisive critique of the role of corporate capital in the
amongst the TCD community, and lead to similar discussions at
development of EU policy.
government level and at other third-level institutions where
researchers face similar issues.
14
Trinity Research News
Launch of Trinity College Dublin
Long Room Hub
IdentiGEN Enters $80 Billion
American Meat Market
IdentiGEN Ltd., a leading provider of DNA-based solutions to the
agriculture and food industries in Europe, has a new US subsidiary.
This will focus on the North American commercialisation of
IdentiGEN’s proprietary TraceBack™ DNA tracking system which
enables guaranteed verification of the source of meat products
throughout the entire chain of production from the animal of origin to
the consumer’s plate.
The TraceBack system is based on the analysis of individual DNA
samples from each animal, similar to the use of DNA for forensic
identification of humans. It has been successfully commercialised in
Ireland and other countries in Europe since 2000, and consumers
have demonstrated their preference for TraceBack-guaranteed and
branded beef and pork.
Dr Patrick Cunningham, chairman of IdentiGEN: “Our DNA-based
TraceBack system offers producers, packers and retailers the first
At the launch of the TCD Long Room Hub (left to right) Mr Robin Adams, TCD Librarian; Dr
John Hegarty, TCD Provost; Mrs Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Chair of the American Ireland
Fund; and Senator Maurice Hayes, Seanad Éireann.
proven, practical and affordable means to trace the origin of meat
back through the supply chain in the event of a disease outbreak or
for any other concern”.
The Long Room Hub (www.tcd.ie/Library/libraries/lrhub) is a new initiative at Trinity
College Dublin hosted jointly by its Library and Schools. The Hub’s goal is to raise
IdentiGEN is a privately-held
the profile of TCD research and collections in the Arts and Humanities. It aims to
venture-backed
support scholarship and collections in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
which was founded as a spin-
company
by facilitating access to resources; and to ensure that the resulting research
out from the TCD Institute of
outcomes are communicated as widely as possible to scholars, students and
Genetics, and built on a
society.
tradition
of
research
excellence. The company’s
The inauguration of the Hub on 14 June 2006 featured a keynote address by
core area of expertise, genetic
Senator Maurice Hayes, as well as a poster session, a colloquium and presentations
identification, is deployed in a
variety of ways to enhance
on research projects. It was officially launched by Mrs Loretta Brennan Glucksman,
Chair of the American Ireland Fund.
consumer confidence in the safety and quality of food products.
Since the launch, the Hub has been developing its implementation plans, and has
safety and quality of their meat products, while providing supply chain
TraceBack™ has been shown to help reassure consumers about the
just recently inaugurated its Glucksman Lecture Series. This series of public
participants with a powerful technique to differentiate their product
lectures has been named after the American philanthropist Lewis Glucksman, in
offerings.
honour of his unparalleled record in supporting research and learning in the Arts and
Humanities both in TCD and in Ireland.
The technology combines high-throughput, low-cost DNA analysis
with a carefully selected and validated panel of genetic markers,
The first Glucksman lecture was delivered on 01 December 2006 by the American
single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as identifiers. IdentiGEN
historian of science, Prof. Mordechai Feingold. In his lecture on the ‘Humanities in
has also developed proprietary DNA collection and analysis methods
the Age of Science’, Prof. Feingold highlighted some key areas of contention
that simplify the entire process so that the TraceBack system can be
between scientific and humanist culture in the early modern period, and referred to
easily implemented throughout the existing production and supply
their contemporary relevance today. After the lecture, a round table discussion took
infrastructure. The company has also developed proprietary
place with representatives of the Arts, Humanities and Sciences in TCD.
techniques to enable identification of the origin of products
containing meat from multiple animals, such as ground beef.
IdentiGEN is also a major provider of BSE (‘mad cow disease’) and
GMO (genetically-modified organism) testing services in Europe.
15
Trinity Research News
Five New Team Members in Research and Innovation Services
Research and Innovation Services welcomes five new members to the team:
Dervilla Gilmartin, Accountant, will assist in the administration of the Science Foundation Ireland
Overhead Investment Plan. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants, and previously worked in the Financial Services sector.
Davnat Heenan PhD, Intellectual Property Projects Officer, joined in July 2006. Her role is to support
researchers trying to protect and commercialise their research. She was previously a
commercialisation specialist with Enterprise Ireland’s Biotechnology Commercialisation Directorate,
where she was responsible for research projects in biotechnology/chemistry-related fields.
Helen Waugh PhD, Intellectual Property Projects Officer, joined in September 2006 and manages
Research and Innovation Services
intellectual property and commercialisation for engineering, ICT and physics-based technologies.
O’Reilly Institute
She previously conducted research in biomedical engineering and was IP Manager for Heriot-Watt
University of Dublin
University, Edinburgh.
Trinity College
Dublin 2
David Fitzpatrick PhD, Research Support Services Officer, previously worked for The Open
University, and is replacing Anthea Lees while she is on maternity leave. He studied classics at
Phone:
+353 1 896 1155
UCD and the University of Nottingham, and continues to research in his spare time. He contributed
Fax:
+353 1 679 8039
recently to a publication on the fragmentary tragedies of Sophocles.
Email:
[email protected]
Martin Mullins, Director of Research and Innovation, joined in September 2006. He has overall
www.tcd.ie/research_innovation
responsibility for Research and Innovation Services.
The Research Office is located in the O’Reilly
Please note that proposals should be sent
Enquiries regarding intellectual property,
Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2. Entrance is
to the Research Office at least 48 hours
including confidentiality agreements and
through the Hamilton Building. Opening hours are
before applicants need to submit them to
contracts, should be emailed
from 9.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 16.00,
sponsors.
to Dr Margaret Woods
Monday to Friday.
[email protected]
Research and Innovation Services: Contact Details
Name
Academic Officers
Position
Email
Tel: (+353 1)
Prof. Ian Robertson
Dean of Research
[email protected]
896 1634/1398
Dr David Lloyd
Associate Dean of Research
[email protected]
896 2904
Martin Mullins
Director of Research and Innovation
[email protected]
896 1427/1155
Dr Eoin O’Neill*
Director of Entrepreneurship
[email protected]
677 5655
Sarah Lardner
Administrator (a.m. Mon—Thurs)
[email protected]
896 1155
Doris Alexander
Research Development Officer
[email protected]
896 2412
Deirdre Caden
Research Projects Officer
[email protected]
896 8520
Audrey Crosbie
Industry Liaison Manager
[email protected]
896 3839
Executive Officers
16
Dr Jennifer Edmond
Research Projects Officer
[email protected]
896 8563
Dr David Fitzpatrick
Research Support Services Officer
[email protected]
896 8483
Dervilla Gilmartin
Accountant
[email protected]
896 3894
Dr Davnat Heenan
Intellectual Property Projects Officer
[email protected]
896 8517
Dr Oonagh Kinsman
Research Projects Officer
[email protected]
896 8562
Bridget Noone*
Enterprise Executive
[email protected]
677 5655
Maria Treanor
Research Projects Officer
[email protected]
896 2870
Dr Helen Waugh
Intellectual Property Projects Officer
[email protected]
896 3179
Dr Margaret Woods
Technology Transfer Manager
[email protected]
896 2159
* Based in the Trinity Technology and Enterprise Campus, Pearse Street.