This summer saw the launch of the first UK National Subject Profile for Higher Education Programmes in Materials. In the first of a series of articles by the team behind it, Tim Bullough, Senior Lecturer in Materials at The University of Liverpool, UK, explores the development of this university discipline.

Gary Price talks to Dr Laura Cohen, the new Chief Executive Designate of the British Ceramic Confederation, about the challenges that lie ahead for the industry and the importance of transferable skills.

A team of UK scientists are developing a non-contact railhead scanning device that can pinpoint minute cracks on a rail line at speeds of 125 miles per hour (mph).

Seabed mining, arctic exploration, and sourcing underdeveloped countries, such as Afghanistan, will help secure future minerals supplies as countries face the squeeze from resource-rich developing nations. That was the message delivered by experts from the British Geological Survey (BGS) at the event, ‘Meeting the mineral commodity challenge’ event, held in London, UK, on 14 October 2008.

Finex 2008, held from 23-24 September 2008, highlighted technological advances in exploration and the financial support that has led to London, UK, regaining its role as one of the world’s great mining capitals.
The skills shortage in the mining industry was also addressed.

Synthetic fused silica (quartz) based microfluidic devices can now be etched deeper and for longer using new photoresist layers. This will enable more effective fluid control and chemical analysis in bioscience and medicine.