u-Care project targeting cancerous cells to be shown at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition
A special form of ultraviolet (UV) that can target cancerous cells with extreme precision could revolutionise healthcare in the future.
The u-Care project, which brings together engineers, physicists, clinicians and biologists, aims to use deep UV light to cut away tumour cells without harming the surrounding healthy tissues. By using optical fibres, like those that carry the internet; to deliver low wavelengths of UV light, they hope to achieve ultraprecision surgery that could ensure complete resection of even the tiniest of tumours.
The team will be sharing their research with the public at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in July, an annual celebration of cutting-edge research taking place across the UK.
Presenting our research at the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition is an amazing opportunity to reach new audiences, talk about our work in-depth and inspire the next generation with this revolutionary research.
This year, 14 flagship exhibits, 40 talks, 30 hands-on activities and more than 250 scientists will inspire over 10,000 visitors, including school groups, families and science enthusiasts, over six days.
The u-Care exhibit, “UV or not UV?”, will allow visitors to try their hand at being a laser physicist by aiming a laser at a target brain, design their own UV reactive wristbands, and marvel at a chandelier made from the ‘drop-offs’ from the optical fibre production process.
Robert Thomson, Professor of Photonics at Heriot-Watt University and u-Care project lead, said: “We urgently need to develop new therapies to target some of the biggest challenges facing medicine today – from the emergence of drug-resistant ‘super-bugs’ to finding ways of performing cellular precision surgery for cancers to improve patient outcomes.
“UV light could provide a solution to these looming public health crises.
“Presenting our research at the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition is an amazing opportunity to reach new audiences, talk about our work in-depth and inspire the next generation with this revolutionary research.”
Funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s “Transformative Healthcare Technologies for 2050” call in 2020, the u-Care project is made up of 35 researchers between Heriot-Watt University and the Universities of Edinburgh and Bath.
Team u-Care will be exhibiting at the Royal Society, Carlton House Terrace, London from Wednesday 3 July until Sunday 7 July, with a special 18+ late evening on Tuesday 2 July.