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Policy@Manchester Articles: Science and Engineering
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Large data computer

Too hot to ignore: fixing the infrastructure gap in data centre cooling

Dlzar Al Kez headshotAoife Foley headshot By Dlzar Al Kez and Aoife Foley Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: August 26, 2025

Data centres are rapidly becoming one of the most energy- and water-intensive components of the digital economy, yet their cooling systems remain largely invisible in infrastructure and climate policy. While advanced cooling technologies can significantly reduce energy and resource use, the UK lacks a national framework to guide their adoption or measure their environmental impact. […]

Tagged With: Business Energy & Industry, climate change, Climate Policy, digital, energy, environment, sustainability

Securing the UK’s critical minerals future: building an ethical and resilient supply chain

Maria Sharmina By Maria Sharmina, Xintong Cao and Rosa Cuéllar-Franca Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: August 14, 2025

The global transition to net zero hinges on securing minerals such as lithium and cobalt, which are critical for use in renewable energy technologies. Despite its rich mining heritage and expertise, the UK faces challenges in rebuilding a resilient and ethical critical minerals sector. The UK government has emphasised the importance of securing supplies of […]

Tagged With: CS-AdvancedMaterials, environment, science innovation, sustainability, technology policy, Tyndall Centre

Two researchers, one man and one woman, discuss data on a computer screen in a laboratory.

Why policy support for evolutionary biology is critical in the fight against antimicrobial resistance

Dr William SmithDr Danna GiffordDr Matthew Shepherd By William Smith, Danna Gifford and Matthew Shepherd Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care, Science and Engineering Posted: July 3, 2025

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) looms among the greatest health and economic challenges of the 21st century. AMR causes more than 1 million deaths annually; by 2050, this number is forecast to double, piling over $1 trillion in additional costs onto stretched healthcare systems worldwide. Without urgent action, we risk a future where treating infectious diseases, chemotherapy, […]

Tagged With: biotechnology, CS-Biotechnology, Health & Social Care, infrastructure, innovation, MIB, NHS, SBS, science & engineering

A female scientist in a lab examines a piece of laboratory equipment.

In silico technologies: the future of UK life sciences?

Professor Alejandro Frangi By Alejandro Frangi Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: June 26, 2025

The UK life sciences sector contributes £94 billion to the economy each year, but it faces increasing global competition, alongside internal challenges such as low numbers of NHS clinical trials, and slow regulatory approval processes. Here, Professor Alejandro Frangi outlines how in silico technologies – Artificial Intelligence and other computer-based approaches for virtual product development […]

Tagged With: AI, Biometrics, digital, Health & Social Care, innovation, NHS, NHS Digital, Pankhurst Institute, science & engineering, SHS, technology

Photo of interconnector on beach

Hydrogen: the missing piece in the clean energy puzzle

Aoife Foley headshotDlzar Al Kez headshotFaraedoon Ahmed By Aoife Foley, Dlzar Al Kez and Faraedoon Ahmed Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: March 17, 2025

Hydrogen has been proposed as a clean energy carrier, offering a sustainable and efficient alternative to fossil fuels during the net zero transition. Hydrogen’s significance lies in its production process, which in some cases means that it can be a zero-emission energy source. Hydrogen’s high energy density and versatility allow it to be used in various forms, including […]

Tagged With: #OnHydrogen, carbon reduction, energy, environment, Hydrogen, net zero

two workers with high-viz jackets and blue helmets are stood in a construction site looking at an I-pad

Getting it right: are hydrogen standards good enough?

Profile picture of Dr Chris Jones By Christopher Jones Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Engineering Posted: February 11, 2025

Hydrogen has the potential to be an important industrial feedstock and fuel. There are, however, various ways to produce and use it, leading to diverse supply chains with different environmental implications. Two considerations for the role of hydrogen in a low carbon economy stand out – ensuring that hydrogen production and supply has sufficiently low […]

Tagged With: #OnHydrogen, carbon reduction, climate change, energy, Hydrogen, net zero, science & engineering, sustainability, Tyndall

An illustrated image of multiple model green hydrogen molecules

How green is hydrogen?

Amanda Lea-Langton By Amanda Lea-Langton Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering Posted: January 15, 2025

Development of a low carbon hydrogen-based economy is seen as a major part of achieving net-zero emissions across the world. Hydrogen is a flexible and potentially non-polluting fuel because it only produces water when it is used in fuel cells or burnt. However, the production of hydrogen can have a high carbon footprint depending on […]

Tagged With: #OnHydrogen, carbon reduction, climate change, energy, environment, Hydrogen, MERI, net zero

Industrial chimney pluming out smoke surrounded by an urban landscape of buildings.

Advanced materials addressing health risks from exposure to benzene

Headshot of Martin Schröder.Headshot of Sihai Yang. By Martin Schröder and Sihai Yang Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban, Work Posted: December 2, 2024

Benzene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) with widespread industrial applications, poses severe health risks to humans even at trace levels. Its genotoxic effects, which involve direct damage to cellular DNA and genetic material leading to mutations, are strongly linked to cancer and blood disorders, making its control a critical priority for workplace safety and environmental […]

Tagged With: advanced materials, air quality, cancer, CS-AdvancedMaterials, environment, Health & Safety, innovation, public health, science & engineering, technology, transport, urban

Birds-eye-view of a motorway with travelling cars

A future for autonomous vehicles in the UK? Lessons from the US

By Sam Hind Filed Under: Digital Futures, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban Posted: November 21, 2024

One of the final bills passed by the outgoing Sunak government was the Automated Vehicles Act (2024), designed to make provisions for the possible rollout of autonomous vehicles in the future. If the new Starmer government is to continue this work, then lessons need to be learnt from the US, where the deployment of autonomous […]

Tagged With: AI, digital, Health & Safety, Robotics, SALC, technology, transport

Solar panels, windturbines and a nuclear plant, Borssele, The Netherlands

Can nuclear power work with renewables to achieve net zero?

By Juan Matthews Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: November 18, 2024

Decarbonising electricity in the UK is far from straightforward. Government plans for the nation’s future electricity supply rely heavily on renewables, supported by gas power during periods of low renewable output. In this article, Professor Juan Matthews considers how nuclear energy can provide an alternative to gas power and support a future renewables-heavy grid, and […]

Tagged With: CS-Energy, Dalton, energy, infrastructure, net zero, nuclear

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