The selections for this years Beaufort Interns have begun their 3 month work placements in DCU. There was a huge intererst in students for this year's programme.

Tony Blake from DCU, will carry out his research project for Prof. Noel O’Connor and Prof. Alan Smeation. Tony’s project is entitled, A Visual Sensing Platform for Environmental Monitoring. This years second Beaufort scholar
is Lucinda Doyle, also from DCU. Lucinda will carry out her project under the supervision of Prof. Brett Paull. Her project is entitled Development of a high sensitivity on-chip detection cell for environmental analysis.

The Beaufort Internship Programme provides students with first-hand experience of a multidisciplinary research environment at the National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR) at Dublin City University.  It aims to excite a lasting interest in science and technology and increase awareness of environmental research. The Programme is open to undergraduate science & engineering students from third-level institutions.

Projects are carried out in NCSR laboratories for a period of three months during the summer period.  The programme develops new opportunities in areas such as biosensors, analytical science, remote sensing, high speed separations, optical sensors and biochip platforms.  Students are supervised by Beaufort Principal Investigators and are assigned mentors to support their research projects.  As well as promoting the development of the students’ research skills, the programme also equips them with transferable skills such as communications, project design and teamwork.  The Programme culminates with a half-day symposium at which the students make an oral and poster presentation on their research project to NCSR researchers (faculty, postdoctoral and postgraduate).  NCSR Undergraduate Hamilton students also present their research projects at the annual Hamilton/Beaufort Symposium.  For further information on last year’s Hamilton/Beaufort Symposium click here.

DCU researchers who are carrying out work as part of the Marine Institute (MI) funded Beaufort Research Awards, visited MI facilities, Co. Galway, on the 27th April. The purpose of the visit was to provide these researchers with an overview of the laboratory facilities, equipment, expertise and other resources available to them from the MI. The visit also allowed NCSR researchers to gain an insight into to how the technologies being developed as part of their projects can be integrated into, and used to enhance existing MI monitoring systems.

On arrival at the Oranmore facility, the group were met by members of the oceanographics network, the shellfish microbiology lab, senior chemists and members of the SmartBay project team. The NCSR researchers involved in early stage work were subsequently brought on a tour of MI labs. During this tour, NCSR researchers were given the opportunity to view the research methods and equipment used by MI. The tour also allowed these researchers to
explore how the research methods they are developing in DCU can be utilised by colleagues in the MI. NCSR researchers at the later stages of their PhD’s have developed technologies that are ready to be deployed into the marine
environment. To this end, both NCSR researchers and MI personnel will begin to work closely in order to deploy such systems in the future. The MI has experienced personnel, and equipment to make this possible while the NCSR team is in a position to provide improvements to existing systems, along with technology that would be useful for monitoring the MI systems currently deployed.

Following a very comprehensive day of talks at the Oranmore facility at Galway Bay, the NCSR team visited the MI facilities in Parkmore where larger equipment such as buoys are stored and maintained. Here the group was given an insight into how the buoys can be used for deployment of systems and also of the problems that occur with marine deployments, such as biofouling, power and “marinisation” (ensuring systems are sufficiently water-tight and robust for
the marine environment). Overall the day was a great success with DCU and MI researchers set to work closely together in the future.

The Beaufort Symposium took place in the NCSR on the 19th August and was held in conjunction with the Hamilton Undergraduate Research Scholarship Programme, a scholarship programme also established in the NCSR. During the symposium each of the students delivered excellent presentations describing the research projects they had carried out over the duration of the programmes.

Mary O'Sullivan studies Physics in Dublin City University and carried out her internship under the supervision of Prof. Colette McDonagh and Dr. Rob Copperwhite. Mary's project was enttiled 'Characterisation of Photocurable Sol-gel Materials for Microfluidic Applications'.

Christina Doherty studies Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science in Dublin City University and was under the supervision of Prof. Dermot Diamond and Dr. Yuliya Shakalisava for her project. Christina's project was entitled 'Development of Novel Methods for the Determination of Microbiological Contamination of Water.'

Jonathan Collins studies Athletic Training & Therapy in Dublin City University and carried out his internship under the supervision of Dr. Fiona Regan and Mr. Timothy O'Sullivan. Jonathan's project was entitled 'Testing the performance of sensors in a marine environment.'

Throughout the programme each student attended a number of workshops that equiped them with skills such as communications, project design and teamwork. Each year the scholarships culminates with a symposium where each student presents their work through an oral presentation and an academic poster.

The NCSR would like to congratulate each of the students on the successful work carried out by each of the during the summer. We would like to thank the students' supervisors. We would also like to thank Dr. Aoife MacCormac, Ms. Emma O'Brien and the BDI E&O team for all of their assistance throughout the programme.

The Beaufort Symposium took place in the NCSR on the 4th September. The symposium is held in conjunction with an existing NCSR undergraduate scholarship programme, the Hamilton Undergraduate Scholarship programme, as both programmes were run in tandem. During this event, each of the scholars presented the research they carryed out during the ten weeks of the programme by giving clear and informative presentations.

The first to speak was Beaufort Internship student, Manika Poply, who described a series of tests she ran on a number of water samples taken from various water sources throughout Ireland, as part of her project entitled, Coliform Detection in Irish Waters. This study demonstrated shocking levels of contamination from coliforms in Irish waters and the need for constant monitoring of water using methods that will provide immediate results.

Following on from this, the two Hamilton Scholars described their research projects also. Gerard Tobin, who's project was entitled Development and Characteristics of Photocurable Sol-Gel Materials for Photonic Applications, carried out his research for Prof. Colette McDonagh and Dr. Mohamed Oubaha. John Gallagher spent the duration of his scholarship under the supervision of Dr. Ciaran Fagan and Noeleen Loughran while carrying out his research project entitled, Cultivation, Analysis and Peroxide of Recombinant Horesradish Peroxidase.

The event concluded with each of the students being presented with their Hamilton/Beaufort certificates. The scholars’ posters were on display and there was an opportunity for the scholars to answer questions regarding their research. The NCSR would like to congratulate each of the students on the successful research they carried during the summer. We would also like to thank the students supervisors and particularly the BDI Education and Outreach team, for all their assistance.