Two researchers at the University of Strathclyde have received grants of more than £1.8 million from the Royal Society for their advanced research in nanotechnology and quantum technologies.
Dr Lewis MacKenzie, of the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and Dr Pablo Poggi, of the Department of Physics, have been awarded Royal Society University Research Fellowships (URFs), which aim to support the next generation of research leaders to undertake cutting-edge research. The grants are worth, respectively, £1.87 million and £1.83 million.
Dr MacKenzie will explore ways in which upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), which have potential applications in cancer treatment but are difficult and expensive to produce, can be made more accessible. Dr Poggi will be investigating the development of next-generation quantum technologies through two branches of quantum science – chaos and control.
Anti-cancer
Dr MacKenzie, a Chancellor’s Fellow at Strathclyde, aims to develop an anti-cancer UCNP system capable of targeting drugs to tumours. He will also seek to develop non-invasive sensors for oxygen, for use in biomedical research.
He said: “Some nanoparticles have become ubiquitous, with their use in things like TV screens and COVID-19 test kits. However, UCNPs are under-developed, largely owing to a lack of skills for producing them and the cost of doing so. Yet they have great potential, through their ability to convert invisible near-infrared light into more useful ultraviolet, or visible, light.
We hope to use UCNPs for an anti-cancer system which not only targets tumours but can also be tracked to ensure it has reached the tumours. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy kill healthy cells as well as cancerous cells and we will aim to create a system which could reduce side effects.
Robust control
Dr Poggi’s URF will enable him to research the use of two branches of quantum physics – chaos and control – in the development of quantum computers and related technologies. He will investigate how chaos dynamics can enhance robust control, error mitigation and quantum sensing, as well as how information scrambling can be manipulated to make quantum algorithms more resistant to imperfections – referred to in physics as ‘noise.’
He said:
This award gives us the opportunity to explore some of the most exciting frontiers in quantum science. By bringing together the theories of chaos and control, we aim to open new pathways to more powerful, reliable and practical quantum technologies.
"I am incredibly honoured to receive this Royal Society Fellowship. It represents a transformative opportunity to pursue ambitious, long-term research that bridges fundamental quantum mechanics with practical quantum technologies.”
Dr MacKenzie and Dr Poggi will both establish teams of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in their fellowships, which will both run for eight years.