The Mole

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Editor
Karen J Ogilvie
Deputy editor
Paul MacLellan
Assistant editor
David Sait
ChemNet content
Francine Atkinson
Production
Scott Ollington, Emma Sargent
and Lizzy Brown
Publisher
Bibiana Campos-Seijo
The Mole is published six times
a year by the Royal Society of
Chemistry, Thomas Graham
House, Cambridge, CB4 0WF.
01223 420066; eic@rsc.org
www.rsc.org/TheMole
The Royal Society of Chemistry,
2014. ISSN: 2049-2634
Copying is permitted within
schools and colleges.
Glyphosate
The weedkiller keeping
gardens under control
Crystals
and
chirality
The handedness
of molecules
Public
engagement star
The chemist on a quest to
enthuse the public
Explosive
detection
An alternative approach to
detecting bombs
Science and art
The winners of the Bill
Bryson Prize
... FOR ANYONE INSPIRED TO DIG DEEPER INTO CHEMISTRY ISSUE 05 | SEPTEMBER 2014
In this issue
Today, if we want to pass on any information,
technology abounds we can print it, photocopy
it, send it by post, or via the internet, to any number
of people anywhere in the world. Its easy. But this
hasnt always been the case and it is fascinating to
stop and think how stories such as the Gospels in the
Bible, written nearly 2000 years ago, ever came to
be so widely read given the lack of any technological
prowess. But they were. In medieval times, monks
in monasteries around the world would borrow
manuscripts from other libraries and meticulously
copy them word-for-word so that they had their own
copy before returning it or passing on theoriginal.
The Lindisfarne Gospels and the Durham Gospels
are examples of such works. These books tell the
stories of the four evangelists Mark, John, Luke
and Matthew, and are beautifully illustrated with
vibrant colours. Palaeography, which looks at the
writing style and wording used in ancient scripts,
suggests that these manuscripts were produced
by monks in the north-east of England in the 8th
century, in Anglo-Saxon times. The Lindisfarne
Gospels are thought to be the work of Eadfrith,
Bishop of Lindisfarne, over a period of about five
years from 715721AD. The Durham Gospels were
written around 10years earlier, and from which the
Lindisfarne Gospels are believed to have beencopied.
But palaeography tells us nothing about the materials
and technology the monks used to produce them.
Some information can be gained by simply looking at
the manuscripts they were written on parchment
from the skins of goats, sheep or calves. Investigative
work in the 1950s on the Lindisfarne Gospels, using
optical microscopy to compare samples made up
from the few available recipe books, suggested the
presence of some 13pigments but was by no means
conclusive. A more detailed scientific analysis of the
materials on the manuscripts wasneeded.
A chance encounter
In the summer of 2013, the Lindisfarne Gospels and
a selection of other medieval books, dating from the
early 700s to 1105, were put on display in the Palace
Green Library at Durham University, UK. As chance
would have it, one of the sponsors of the exhibition
was an ex-Durham chemistry graduate who was
keen to talk to someone in the chemistry department
about using spectroscopy to shed some light on the
pigments that had been used in the manuscripts.
So spectroscopist AndyBeeby was called to discuss
thepossibilities.
Around 20 years ago, RobinClark, professor of
chemistry at University College London, had shown
that Raman spectroscopy could be used to investigate
the pigments in medieval manuscripts, including
the Lindisfarne Gospels. However, the books in the
Durham collection had never been studied from
a scientific perspective. Knowing of Robins work
A page from the Lindisfarne Gospels
Kathryn Roberts looks at how modern spectroscopy
lets us discover the secrets of 1500-year-old
manuscripts without leaving the library
The monks tales

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2 | The Mole | September 2014 www.rsc.org/TheMole
Historian Richard
Gameson (left) and Andy
Beeby (right) inspect
a manuscript using a
Raman spectrometer
Chandrasekhara Raman
in this area meant that we could certainly look at
these books with Raman spectroscopy. We had the
instrumentation, explains Andy. So I said Bring your
books to the department and we will look atthem.
But these books are priceless and cannot be simply
moved anywhere. Andy quickly realised that any
analytical instrument used to study them would need
to be moved to the books. Furthermore, there are
strict rules when it comes to investigating medieval
manuscripts: you cannot take a sample nor leave
a mark any technique used would have to be
non-invasive, non-damaging andnon-sampling.
Last May, with a Raman spectrometer moved to
the Palace Green Library, Andy and two research
chemists from his group, KateNicholson and
AndrewDuckworth, started analysing the pigments in
a range of manuscripts from the Durhamcollection.
Raman spectroscopy
So what is Raman spectroscopy and what
makes it such a good technique for studying
medievalmanuscripts?
In 1921, Indian scientist ChandrasekharaRaman was
on a sea voyage to Europe when he noticed the
beautiful blue opalescence of the Mediterranean
Sea. He reasoned that the light scattered by the
water molecules might be responsible for the colour,
and the study of light scattering became his and his
student KariamanickamKrishnans main research
focus from then on, and for which they received the
Nobel prize for physics in 1930. The phenomenon is
called Ramanscattering.
Andy explains the phenomenon: In Raman
spectroscopy, we shine a pure, single colour of light
[from a laser] on the material in question, in our case
a page, and the light scatters it bounces off the
molecules in the sample. Most of the light bounces
off with exactly the same energy and hence the same
colour. But a tiny fraction, about one in a million of
the photons bouncing off the molecules comes off
at a slightly different frequency: they have lost some
of their energy to the molecules and therefore have a
slightly different colour. By looking at the difference
Raman spectroscopy can
be used to reveal the
chemical composition of a
substance beneath the
surface of a solid. Find out
more with this article from
Education in Chemistry:
http://rsc.li/1pM7Mu0
know?
Did you
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September 2014 | The Mole | 3 www.rsc.org/TheMole
Raman spectroscopy
has shown that this
illumination from
Symeon's book from
Durham contains
red lead, vermilion,
lazurite, orpiment
and a green pigment,
probably verdigris
between the light that goes in and the light that comes
back, he says, you can work out the vibrational
spectra of the molecules and therefore identify
thesubstance.
Andy likens Raman spectroscopy to going into a sweet
shop that has no prices on the sweets; if you buy the
same sweet each time (the substance) and pay with a
1 (the single wavelength of light) each time, you can
work out the cost (the energy) of the sweet by the
change you are given. It tells me, in price terms, what
energy I have given to the molecule, and by knowing
this I can obtain its molecularfingerprint.
Every molecule has a unique Raman fingerprint,
says TonyParker at the Science and Technology
Facilities CouncilRutherford Appleton Laboratory
near Oxford, UK. Inorganic pigments and symmetrical
molecules that are easily polarisable [by light] are
particularly strong Raman scatterers. Add to this that
the technique can be used remotely away from the
sample and it is clear why the technique is ideal for
studying these medievalmanuscripts.
Inorganic pigments
Using Raman spectroscopy, Robin Clark was able to
identify the inorganic pigments used in the Lindisfarne
Gospels. Robin confirmed the use of orpiment
(As
2
S
3
) for yellow; minium, red lead (Pb
3
O
4
) for the
orange and reds; and vergaut, a mixture of indigo
(blue) and orpiment, as one of two green pigments,
the other being the copper-based verdigris. White
areas were either plain parchment, chalk (CaCO
3
) or
white lead (2PbCO
3
Pb(OH)
2
) the latter two were
found in the pink and beige areas. The gold used
on the manuscripts did not give the characteristic
Raman spectra for the common imitators of gold,
such as orpiment, pararealgar (As
4
S
4
), Naples yellow
(Pb
2
Sb
2
O
7
), or mosaic gold (SnS
2
), so he concluded
that the monks probably used metallicgold.
Significantly, Robin was also able to debunk a myth
arising from earlier investigations, that the blue
pigment was lazurite (Na
8
[Al
6
Si
6
O
24
]S
n
) from the
mineral lapis lazuli. He showed, unequivocally, that the
blue is indigo (C
16
H
10
N
2
O
2
), an extract from the woad
plant, Isatistinctoria.
Durham findings
In the manuscripts they studied, the Durham chemists
found extensive use of orpiment, a pigment that was
not found in Britain. Andy speculates that it came from
Italy because it is found mostly near volcanic outlets
and the monks were known to go on pilgrimages to
Rome and come back with pigments andbooks.
The chemists also found red lead in the orange
and red hues on the manuscripts. Again, this is not
surprising, says Andy. Weardale, inland from Durham,
was mined extensively for lead during Roman times.
But here the lead is present as lead sulfide galena
so the monks would have had to process this to make
the pigment. In the process, other oxides would
have been formed, and indeed the chemists have
also identified mixtures of red lead and massicot
(PbO) in the orange and reds on the manuscripts. The
deep and vibrant green pigment used in the Durham
Gospels was confirmed to be the copper-based
verdigris; vergaut was not present in these books,
which pre-dated the LindisfarneGospels.
That the monks understood some chemistry is
again reflected in the fact that the pigments they
used, such as red lead, didnt fade with time. This
pigment in other ancient manuscripts is well known
for going grey or black, particularly when used close
to orpiment, owing to the formation of black lead
sulfide. The monks must have been aware of this, so
they used techniques that allowed the two to be used
together. We can only speculate on how they did
this, but modern artists suggest coating the pigment
particles with barriers of proteinaceous gum to stop
the reaction, explainsAndy.
Studies on a later book, which describes the history
of the founding of Durham written by a monk
called Symeon, showed evidence of a new range of
pigments, including deep red vermilion (HgS) and
a deep blue, which was confirmed to be lazurite.
Symeon probably came to Durham with the Normans
when they invaded, and brought with him his own
toolbox of pigments, which included lapis lazuli and
vermilion. The only known source of lapis lazuli at that
time was the Badakhshan mines in Afghanistan, so its
use implies the existence of a remarkable trade route
from Afghanistan, through Europe, toNorthumbria.
The project has recently snowballed, says Andy, and
we have had the privilege to look at many other books,
including ones produced on the continent in the early
1400s. We are seeing changes in the use of pigments
with time and location, and this is allowing us to piece
together the story of the technology of illumination
in the UK from the 600s to this later date. This will help
historians to better understand the documents and
their historicalconnections.
Find out more
In a video interview for
Chemistry World, Durham
Universitys Kate Nicholson
describes her work using
Raman spectroscopy to
investigate ancient pigments
in the Durham Gospels:
http://rsc.li/1irsNtK
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www.rsc.org/TheMole 4 | The Mole | September 2014
Ground elder is my nemesis. No matter how much
time I spend weeding this thug of a plant, it always
comes back. So Im driven to reach for the Roundup.
Im in good company for Roundup is the worlds
bestselling weedkiller.
Roundups active ingredient is glyphosate. Its
herbicidal activity was discovered by John
Franz in 1970 while working for US agricultural
biotechnology company Monsanto. The chemical
itself was discovered 20 years earlier by Swiss chemist,
HenriMartin.
Glyphosates weed-killing activity only came to light
when Monsanto scientists were testing different
compounds as potential water-softening agents. Two
molecules closely related to glyphosate were found to
have some herbicidal activity against perennial weeds
so Franz then synthesised derivatives of those two
compounds and quickly discovered glyphosate to be a
potent herbicide.
Revolutionising agriculture
The discovery of glyphosate had an incredible effect
on the agricultural community, allowing farmers, as
well as anyone with a garden, to easily and effectively
control the growth of weeds. A huge number of
glyphosate-containing herbicides are now available.
In fact, there are over 750 products containing
glyphosate for sale in the US. Its used in all sorts of
places agriculture, forestry, lawns and gardens,
even products for controlling aquatic plants contain
glyphosate. It is also used extensively in controversial
programmes to eradicate drug producing plants
such as coca, opium poppies and marijuana. As a
non-selective weedkiller, it will kill any plant it touches,
and many gardeners will tell you how they have
noticed mysterious yellow footprints across their lawn,
only to realise they must have accidentally picked up
weedkiller on their shoes.
Glyphosate imparts its lethal effect on plants by
inhibiting an enzyme called EPSP synthase. This
enzyme is central to the penultimate step in the
shikimate pathway, a mechanism plants use to create
proteins. A third of plant matter is estimated to consist
of compounds derived from shikimate, so it is easy to
see why interfering with this vital process is a death
sentence to plants.
The shikimate pathway is present in plants and
bacteria but absent in mammals, meaning humans can
safely use glyphosate and eat plants that have been
treated with it. Having said that, it is toxic in acute high
doses, so it is still important to take the necessary
precautions detailed on the bottle.
Developing resistance
Monsanto have since created glyphosate-resistant
crops, so-called Roundup-Ready varieties of
commercial crops, by inserting a gene derived
from a petunia that produces large amounts of
EPSP synthase into plants like soybeans, cotton,
canola and corn. The modified crops can produce
enough EPSP synthase to overcome the inhibition
that glyphosate causes, allowing farmers to spray
Roundup directly on their fields, thus destroying every
weed and plant except their Roundup-Ready crop.
Since glyphosate-resistant crops offer the promise of
a cheaper and simpler weed management process,
farmers have adopted these crops at such an alarming
rate that they now cover over tens of millions of
acresworldwide.
So glyphosate and engineered crops have allowed
for a dramatic change in farming practices, but not
without some concerns. Very few studies have tested
whether cross-pollination between glyphosate-
resistant crops and their weedy relatives may result in
super weeds, which could become rampant in a field
of otherwise monocultured GM crops. Research is
also underway to ascertain the effect of glyphosate
on human health, as although its toxicity is well
known, there is some concern about disruption of
particular hormone systems. And, as with anything
that can change our landscape so dramatically,
research is ongoing into the true impact on the
widerenvironment.
Jennifer Newton reveals her arch enemy and the
compound that helps her fight it
Glyphosate
Magnificent molecules
The fastest growing plant
in the world is a species of
bamboo. It can grow up to
91 cm per day!
Did you
know?
Glyphosate
(N-(phosphonomethyl)
glycine)
OH
P
HN
OH
O
O OH

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September 2014 | The Mole | 5 www.rsc.org/TheMole
Crystals and chirality
Avogadro's lab
The first inkling of the existence of a molecular
property called chirality came in 1832 when French
scientist Jean-BaptisteBiot observed that solutions of
tartaric acid crystals were able to rotate the plane of
polarised light. Tartaric acid is responsible for some of
the tartness in wine and its crystals can sometimes be
found on winecorks.
Then in 1847 French chemist LouisPasteur noted the
difference in optical activity between two chemically
identical compounds: tartaric acid, which was optically
active, and paratartaric acid (also known as racemic
tartaric acid), which was not. An optically active
material is able to rotate the plane of polarisedlight.
Although the compounds were chemically identical
the difference in optical activity convinced Louis that
there was a difference between them. When he made
crystals of paratartaric acid and examined them under
a microscope he found that he could distinguish two
types of crystal, one the mirror image of the other. This
way of assessing crystals was not unusual before the
invention of x-ray crystallography in the early1900s.
By painstakingly sorting the crystals manually Louis
was able to show that paratartaric acid was a mixture
of two forms of tartaric acid. A solution of one rotates
the plane of polarised light in one direction and a
solution of the other rotates the plane of polarised
light in the other. The only difference between the
molecules that make up the two different crystals is
that one is the mirror image of the other just like our
hands. Molecules that have this property are called
chiral (from the Greek word forhand).
Try it yourself
Table sugar (sucrose) is also optically active. If
polarised light is shone through a solution of sucrose
the plane of polarisation will be rotated clockwise. It
is possible to demonstrate this at home using lenses
removed from a pair of readily available polarised
sunglasses, a torch and a drinkingglass.
Polarised lenses are able to block out one of the
planes of light emitted by the sun or light bulbs. If you
place a liberated lens in front of the torch beam it will
become polarised. If you then rotate the second lens
slowly in front of the stationary first lens, you will find
the point when the amount of light making its way
through both the lenses is minimised (the top lens
looks very dark). At this point the two filters are at 90
to each other and the polarisers are said to be crossed.
If you keep rotating, you will see that more light is able
to travel through the second lensagain.
Next take a solution of sucrose in a drinking glass
and put it between the lenses ensuring the lenses
are position where cross polarisation was achieved.
You will see that some of the light is able to travel
through the second lens again. This is because the
optically active sucrose has rotated the lights plane
of polarisation. If you now turn the second lens once
more, you will be able to find the point where the
light travelling through the lenses is again minimised.
You can take photographs of this phenomenon by
using a polarising filter on the camera as your second
lens (see photo sugar solution on left, pure water
onright).
The size of the rotation depends on the amount of
material the light passes through so it is best to use
a very concentrated solution of sucrose. Glucose (or
dextrose) and fructose (fruit sugar) are also optically
active but fructose rotates the plane of polarisation
anti-clockwiseinstead.
In recognition of the
2014 International Year
of Crystallography, the
RSCs global experiment is
aimed at finding the best
conditions for growing
the biggest crystals.
Follow the instructions
to grow your own
crystals, analyse the data
and share your results:
http://rsc.li/1u5VQCQ
Global
experiment
StephenAshworth explores the handedness
of table sugar
A polarising lense lets
through only one plane
of light (left). Two
crossed lenses let only
a small amount of the
light through (centre). A
sucrose solution placed
between the lenses rotates
the plane of the polarised
light so that some light can
pass through the second
lense (right).

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6 | The Mole | September 2014 www.rsc.org/TheMole
A new microchip for identifying microbes
could one day be used to seek out alien life.
JasonWoolfordinvestigates
Close encounters of the fatty acidkind
Cutting-edge chemistry
A new strategy for analysing fatty acids could
eventually play a role in determining whether or not life
exists on otherworlds.
Its an exciting time in our search for life beyond
Earth. New exoplanets are discovered almost daily
by the Kepler space observatory. The Cassini mission
to Saturn and the Mars Exploration Rovers have
transformed our understanding of the solar system.
Finding at least simple microscopic life seems only a
matter of time and clues to recognise extraterrestrial
microorganisms may come by identifying fatty acids
from their cellmembranes.
Detecting microorganisms
PeterWillis and a team of researchers at NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, US, have
developed a microchip analyser that distinguishes
a broad range of fatty acids by the length of their
carbon chains. Peter says that this is an important
advance because different microorganisms have
cell membranes with different carbon chain length
signatures. Fatty acids in algae, for example, tend to be
around 2022carbon atoms long, whereas bacterial
fatty acids are typically 1618carbons in length. So
by measuring these molecules in an unknown sample
we can gain information about what organisms
were present, even if the sample is very old and the
organisms are no longeralive.
MichaelBreadmore, an electroseparation expert
at the University of Tasmania, Australia, notes that
this is the first method to separate fatty acids up
to 30carbon atoms long on a microchip. He adds
the key to thisbeing useful lies in the simplicity of
preparing the sample. Full implementation in the
field will allowexciting new ways to study microbes,
particularly in extremeconditions.
Life in the deep
For this particular study Peter says he was inspired
bythe great icy moons of Enceladus and Europa,
worlds that may hide vast oceans of liquid water.
He explains that someday well search for the signs
of life in these underwater worlds and we will need
newanalytical methods to doso.
To this end, Peter teamed up with colleague
KevinHand, a leading planetary scientist,
whoprovided samples from a deep-sea mission
tothe Snake Pit hydrothermal system in the
Atlanticaspractice for Europa. Morgan Cable,
a postdoctoral fellow in the NASA JPL team,
analysedthe samples and found fatty acids
that were 12, 18, 20 and 22 carbon atoms long,
which they attributed to gram-negative bacteria
(12 and 18) andphototrophic microplankton
(20and22).
Ultimately, the team at the JPL aim to improve their
system to tell different saturated acids apart and
directly measure biological molecules in the field for
the next generation of robotic rovers hunting out alien
life in our own backyard andbeyond.
Find out more
Whats it like to be a space
scientist? Its becoming more and
more common to find chemists
and biologists working at NASA,
says SamKounaves, an affiliate
scientist at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory: http://rsc.li/NjLRKq
Fatty acids are long
molecules with a
hydrocarbon chain and a
carboxylic acid group at
one end. Some of them,
like linoleic acid, are
essential for our health.
They are found in naturally
occuring fats andoils.
Did you
know?
Collecting samples
from the Snake Pit
hydrothermal vent

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September 2014 | The Mole | 7 www.rsc.org/TheMole
Find out more
Learn more about graphene,
its discovery and future
applications with this
YouTube video
http://youtu.be/ZzBLsjkNqVc
New test grabs bacteria by thethroat
Strep throat spotted inseconds
Scientists have developed a non-invasive
mass spectrometry-based diagnostic
technique that can diagnose strep throat in
less than 10seconds.
Almost all of us will experience a sore
throat at some point in our lives, and a
number of these sore throats (~30%) will
be caused by infections with Streptococci
bacteria. Streptococcal tonsillitis, which is
usually caused by Streptococcus pyogenes
bacteria, is commonly known in the US
as strep throat and can be treated with
antibiotics if successfully diagnosed.
Although the vast majority of strep throat
cases resolve themselves within a few
days, Streptococcal infections can lead
to serious complications, such as an
inflammatory disease called rheumatic
fever that can result in heart failure and
even death. Children and the elderly are particularly
susceptible to complications, so for these individuals,
the rapid diagnosis and treatment of strep throat can
belife-saving.
Current diagnosis
At the moment, strep throat is diagnosed through a
rapid antigen detection test, which provides results
within 1520 minutes. However, the false positive
rates for such tests are high and training is essential for
reliable results. As such, simpler and even more rapid
tests areneeded.
Inspired by his own experiences of strep throat as a
child, Alan Jarmusch, along with colleagues at Purdue
University, US and the University of Turin, Italy, has
developed a simple test that can spot Streptococcus
pyogenes within seconds. The system is based on
touch spray ionisation-mass spectrometry. A swab is
taken of the patients throat before a voltage generates
ions from the sample, some of which will be derived
from molecules unique to the bacteria. The sample
is then run through a mass spectrometer and pattern
recognition software is used to identify whether peaks
representative of Streptococcus pyogenes specific
molecules are present in the resultingspectrum.
Non-invasive sampling
Touch spray ionisation-mass spectrometry has been
used in a diagnostic setting before, but the sampling
probes have typically been metallic and sharp,
and not at all suitable for sampling the soft tissues
in someones throat. As such, the real challenge
was to develop a mass spectrometry-friendly
swab that could be used to sample the patients
throat in a non-invasive manner, while also being
compatible with standard mass spectrometry
equipment. The team has achieved this, and in doing
so have developed a system with the potential to
non-invasively diagnose a wide range of different
diseases, that may have even wider-reaching
applications in drug testing andforensics.
It is a striking application of ambient ionisation
mass spectrometry, says RichardZare, a chemical
analysis expert at Stanford University, US. As mass
spectrometers become miniaturised and more
affordable, we can look forward to many more uses
of ambient ionisation mass spectrometry as a medical
tool to diagnose diseasestates.
Alan and his co-workers now plan to extend the
methodology to incorporate additionalbacteria.
Touch spray mass
spectrometry can detect
strep throat causing
bacteria directly from
medicalswabs
A new technique based
on mass spectrometry
could diagnose cases of
Streptococcal tonsillitis in
less than 10 seconds

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8 | The Mole | September 2014 www.rsc.org/TheMole
Find out more
Learn more about nuclear
magnetic resonance
spectroscopy and how it can
be used to identify mystery
molecules with SpectraSchool:
http://rsc.li/1vHNuHP
A team at the University
of Colorado, US, has
developed plants that
change colour in the
presence of explosives:
http://bit.ly/1yvW4W6
Did you
know?
Jonathan Hare explores an alternativeapproach
for detecting bombs called nuclear quadrupole
resonance
Explosive detection
Trade secrets
The threat posed by terrorist explosive devices
and landmines are an unfortunate fact of life in
many areas of the world. Explosive devices can be
disguised inside everyday objects such as bags, shoes
and even underwear. Security staff at airports and
other vulnerable public places therefore depend on
specialised scientific techniques to detect explosives
and keep the public safe. The standard detection set-up
is an x-ray machine for luggage and a walk-through
metal detector. In some places, items of concern can
also be swabbed and rapidly analysed using a portable
mass spectrometry machine. Handheld metal detectors
are normally used when searching for landmines but
they are no use if the devices dont contain metal. They
also suffer from frequent false positives, setting off
an alarm every time they encounter metallic rubbish.
However, an interesting technique called nuclear
quadrupole resonance (NQR) is showing promise in
tackling some of theseissues.
Magnets and radio waves
NQR is related to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
a standard analytical technique in the chemistry
lab. The principle of NMR is that certain nuclei (for
example
1
H and
13
C) can have one of two different
energy states in a static magnetic field. If you apply
a radio frequency signal to a nucleus it will absorb
energy when the frequency of the radio wave exactly
matches the gap between its energy states this is
known as the resonance frequency. The frequency of
radio waves that are absorbed depends on the type
of nuclei present and the environment around it. This
allows the structure of the molecule to bedetermined.
NQR makes use of something called the quadrupole
moment of the nuclei and generally detects different
nuclei from NMR. In this technique the energy of the
nuclei are split by an electric field gradient created
by the electrons within the molecule, and therefore
an external magnetic field is not required. This allows
these instruments to be simpler andsmaller.
The prototype NQR detectors that have been
developed work by bringing a radio oscillator coil near
to the ground and scanning back and forth exactly
like you would with a metal detector. At the same
time the oscillator is scanning across the frequencies
looking for a resonance frequency it recognises.
When the coil passes over something that contains say
14
N (for example in TNT and many other explosives)
or perhaps
35
Cl (for example in potassium chlorate,
which can be used to make explosives), energy will
be absorbed from the coil. The equipment detects
the change and indicates which nuclei are present.
However, NQR is not without its problems, and issues
with selectivity, sensitivity and speed have prevented
these detectors achieving widespread use sofar.
In the news
In recent years there has been significant media
interest in a bogus bomb detector, which its UK
manufacturers claimed worked on NQR principles.
Thousands of these handheld devices have been
sold to the military around the world for many years.
In 2009 concerns about the device appeared in the
media, and in 2013 the manufacturers founder was
imprisoned for 10 years for fraud. The fact that he got
away with selling these devices for so long highlights
the need for good science education and science
common sense at all levels ofsociety.
A fake bomb detection
device (right), claimed
to be based on nuclear
quadrupole resonance
technology, in use in Iraq

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September 2014 | The Mole | 9 www.rsc.org/TheMole
NinaNotman meets the chemist on a
quest to enthuse the public about the
role of science in todays world
Chemist and public
engagementstar
Andrew Holding
By day AndrewHolding is a postdoctoral researcher
with the charity Cancer Research UK. But at night he
sheds his lab coat and safety specs, and picks up a
mic as he turns his attention to a multitude of public
engagementactivities.
In the lab
It was during his final year research project for an
undergraduate chemistry degree at the University of
Oxford, that Andrew was reintroduced to the joys of
biology. A subject he hadnt studied since GCSE. I
was looking at using modified bacteria to carry out
a process that is very hard to do industrially: convert
methane to methanol, hesays.
Andrew then moved to Cambridge to study for a PhD
on the biosynthesis of antibiotics. Due to concerns
about antibacterial resistance, scientists hope that
improving their understanding of these pathways will
eventually enable the production of antibiotics that are
effective againstMRSA.
After finishing his PhD, Andrew moved to the Medical
Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology,
still in Cambridge, to develop methods for analysing
the structure of protein complexes, again with the end
purpose of developing newantibiotics.
In 2013, Andrew moved back to the University of
Cambridge to carry out postdoctoral research within
the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute. He is
now focused on beating oestrogen-receptor-positive
breast cancer, which makes up 70% of breast cancer
cases in the UK. The oestrogen receptors drive the
growth and proliferation of the tumour, and it this
process that Andrew is aiming to better understand.
The drug Tamoxifen is already used to block these
receptors, but improved treatment options for this
disease are stillneeded.
In the pub
It was during his PhD that Andrew was introduced
to the joys of public engagement while helping out
with the Salters Festivals of Chemistry. And he found
he missed these activities when he started his first
postdoc, so started looking around for opportunities
to do his ownthing.
There was an event called Sceptics in the Pub in
London that had some really interesting speakers, he
explains. Andrew decided to set up a similar event in
Cambridge. Sceptics in the Pub, Cambridge, meets
once a month and has had a wide range of speakers,
all talking on topics that come under the loose
umbrella of critical thinking. Examples include electric
cars, autism and the paranormal. There is a 45minute
talk followed by a questions and answerssession.
Next, Andrew set up a Cambridge branch of Bright
Club, which hosts scientific stand-up comedy nights.
At these events, again held in a pub, researchers get
up behind the mic and entertain audiences about
theirresearch.
To reach a wider audience than the 100 or so that
come to each of these events, Andrew now records
the talks and turns them into podcasts. You can
engage a lot more people this way, he says 10times
more according to the downloadstatistics.
Podcasts, blogs and festivals
Since starting to run these events, Andrews public
engagement role has ballooned. He has appeared on
a number of other podcasts and radio shows, and has
had articles published on the Guardian blog. He is also
involved in the Cambridge Festival of Ideas, an annual
two week long public engagement festival. This
year Andrew will host a panel session discussing the
links between science fiction and scientific research,
a topic than he has hosted radio shows on in the
past. Science fiction author AlastairReynolds who
has a science PhD and astrobiologist and author
LewisDartnell will be the other stars of theshow.
Andrew is also keen to engage with a younger
audience and regularly visits schools to give
scientific talks to
students studying
for their GCSEs and
A-levels. These
talks put science in a
historical context, he
explains. He says doing
this helps students
learn that science is
an organic process,
and scientists dont
always find the correct
answer to a question
or problem the first
timearound.
Andrew has set
up science-based
comedy nights as
well as other public
engagementprojects
Pathway to
success
2013present
Postdoctoral researcher,
Cancer Research UK
Cambridge Institute, University
of Cambridge,UK
20092013
Postdoctoral researcher,
MRC Laboratory of Molecular
Biology,Cambridge
20052009
PhD in chemical biology,
University ofCambridge
20012005
MChem, University of
Oxford,UK
2001
A-levels in chemistry, physics,
maths and furthermaths
175
Faces of Chemistry
Celebrating diversity in
science, 175 Faces of
Chemistry recognises
scientists who have achieved
excellence in their field:
http://rsc.li/1eTr4Je

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www.rsc.org/TheMole
Dates for
your diary
10 | The Mole | September 2014
UCAS clinic & chemistry
of fireworks talk
20 September 17:45
Birmingham, UK
Take a tour of the University
of Birmingham and talk about
chemistry at university; the
courses, career paths and
applicationprocess.
http://rsc.li/ucas-clinic

Inky business
16 October 13:3016:30
Broadstairs, Kent, UK
Visit the Fuji facility to find
out about the research,
development and
manufacturing expertise
involved in producing
printinginks.
http://rsc.li/inky-business

Tetley tour and tea
tasting
22 October 13:0015:00
Greenford, UK
Learn about the chemistry of
tea and how it is produced. See
over a 1000 different teas from
around the world and learn
how the taste of tea differs
with a tasting session.
http://rsc.li/tetley-tea-tour

Chemistry in space
8 November 10:0013:00
The National Space Centre,
Leicester, UK
Explore the chemistry of
comets, examine the isotopic
abundance of oxygen and
investigate what other
molecules might be out there
to help answer the question
if aliens arrived at our planet,
what would they make of our
chemistry?
http://rsc.li/chemistry-in-
space
The winners of the BillBryson Prize 2014 talk to
FrancineAtkinson about how they depicted the
art in science and the science inart
Science and art
The Royal Society of Chemistrys BillBryson Prize is an
annual competition that recognises and encourages
science communication by challenging students aged
518 to think creatively about science. This years
task was to submit a piece of work in response to the
question Where is the science in art? or Where is the
art inscience?
Entries came in a variety of formats including videos,
podcasts, cartoons and even some songs and poems.
This year saw the highest ever number of entries, with
over 500 imaginative and informative entries from
primary, secondary and international schools. The
RSC prize is just about the most enjoyable thing I do
all year, but it gets harder and harder to select the
winners because the entries are so uniformly clever
and entertaining and inspired. This years were no
exception, said BillBryson.
The winning entries were divided into four
categories: Overall Winner, Secondary Schools
Winner, PrimarySchools Winner and International
SchoolsWinner.
Overall Winner
17-year-old Bryn Brunnstrom from St Pauls School in
London, UK, was the overall winner. Bryn produced a
short film combining animation, in which the subjects
were drawn with a marker pen in front of our eyes, with
narration. He says that science and art are often seen as
being in conflict with each other, so when he saw the
subject of the competition, he felt that it was the perfect
opportunity to explain the connection betweenthem.
Ive loved biology for almost as long as I can remember,
but I also really love art, said Bryn, who is thinking
about pursuing a career in evolutionary biology or
animation. He felt that presenting his ideas in a film
would be an interesting way to get his points across.
The competition offered a great deal of freedom.
To take advantage of this, I felt I had to try to create
something that went beyond the essays or lectures that
have previously been entered. Bryn admits that filming
the video was a challenge. Drawing with a marker
pen meant that if I messed anything up, that was it; I
had to start all over again. The scene where I drew the
two halves of the brain must have been reshot at least
fortytimes.
His advice for next years entrants is to try to come
up with something original. This is a multimedia
competition; youre free to express your ideas in any
way that you want, so you have to take advantage of
thisfreedom.
Secondary Schools Winner
The secondary schools winning entry came from a
group of boys, all aged 13, from The Hawthorns School
in Surrey, UK: MichaelClarke, GeorgeParrington,
JackTalbot and PaulRandall. Their interest in science
and photography inspired their MIScience photobook
entry, featuring photographs and descriptions of
ChemNet
Michael, George, Jack and Paul from The Hawthorns School created a photobook of experiments
September 2014 | The Mole | 11 www.rsc.org/TheMole
Where is the art in
science?
Take a look at the overall
winner of the Bill Bryson Prize
2014 Bryns narrated
animation is on YouTube:
http://bit.ly/1nOUk4p
their experiments. We have been taking photos of
our experiments since the beginning of the year and
when we heard about the competition, we knew it was
something we would be interested in, theysaid.
They had initially decided to make a film, but after
researching previous entrants and seeing that a lot
of them were films, they thought that a photobook
would be a unique idea. The boys spent more
than 30hours carrying out and photographing
experiments. We trialled many experiments that we
had high hopes for but they didnt turn out so well,
they said, but they did add that researching and
trialling more experiments was great fun. Any excuse
to get hands on and create explosions! Their biggest
challenge was taking the photographs. Getting the
photos was the hardest part, because the beauty
only lasted a second and so it was hard to capture,
saidGeorge.
Of the competition, the boys said: Our aim was to
get shortlisted and we had great fun throughout the
whole process so winning is just an addedbonus.
Primary Schools Winner
The primary school prizewinners were SiennaSomers
(aged 8), her brother Zack (aged 5) and best friend
MillyMills (aged 9), from Wellow School in Hampshire,
UK. They produced a comic style photobook based on
theirexperiments.
The lava lamp was my favourite because I could use
it for parties and it was fun to watch, said Sienna. The
children enjoy doing experiments at school and at home.
Mum has shown us plenty of experiments, said Sienna.
One of our favourites was how to make a volcano erupt
by using vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. Zack added: I
really like doing science. I remember making coca cola
spray all over the garden just by adding mints.
For the competition, the children wanted to produce
something that was original and fun. Milly likes art and
I like to act, so we decided a photo comic book based
on our experiments would be a good way of showing
people what we did and what happened, said Sienna.
We wanted to make other children like science more,
too, added Milly.
Their advice for next years entrants is to be creative,
have fun and try to think of something different.
We didnt think we were going to win, said Sienna,
but we tried our best and are thrilled to have won
thecompetition.
International Schools Winner
The international prizewinner was 18-year-old
MuresanVlad, who has just graduated from
Transylvania College, The Cambridge International
School in Cluj, Romania. He enjoys traditional arts,
such as painting and drawing, and hopes to become
an illustrator for books or digitalmedia.
His entry was a poster featuring anatomical drawings
and paintings of the human arm and shoulder,
which was inspired by the work of Leonardo da
Vinci. His works on the human body, both artistic
and anatomical, were my starting point. I tried to
transform and re-illustrate these ideas from my own
perspective and encompass other aspects of da Vincis
work, such as the backwards typewriting, to build my
entry, he said. Science is needed to understand the
shapes and structures of living organisms, while art
is always needed to illustrate such components for a
betterunderstanding.
Muresan found that the most interesting part of his
creation was the research he conducted to help him to
understand and expand his knowledge of the anatomy
of the human body. However, the hardest part was
re-shaping and reflecting on my own ideas, giving
them life and transforming them so that I was happy
with the level of anatomical detail and the finalpiece.
His decision to enter the competition was
spontaneous but deciding what to submit was difficult.
Muresans advice for future entrants is to just give it
a go. Use it as a unique opportunity to develop skills
and to try something new.
The Bill Bryson Prize
encourages students to
explore the creative side
of science
Muresan's painting was
inspired by the anatomical
drawings of Leonardo da
Vinci
50 of vouchers to be won
Chemical acrostic
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Complete the grid (contributed by Simon Cotton) by answering the
seven clues to find the answer in the shaded box. This will spell out
the name of an unreactive gaseous element.
July acrostic
solution and
winner
The winner was
David Maskill from
West Yorkshire, UK.
H E L I U M
C A L C I U M
S U L F U R
T U N G S T E N
N I C K E L
C U R I U M
O S M I U M
1. Catalyst for hydrogenating vegetable oils.
2. Actinide often suggested as an alternative nuclear fuel.
3. Group 3 element added to increase the strength of aluminium
and magnesium alloys.
4. Metal that forms green and blue compounds.
5. When liquefied, this element is widely used as a cryogenic
refrigerant.
6. Magnetic transition metal element.
7. Transition metal found in red blood cells.
July wordsearch solution and winner
The winner was Tom McClure from Amersham, UK. The word was DIAGNOSE.
Submit your answers online at
http://bit.ly/TM514ans
by Monday 13 October.
A correct answer for each puzzle, chosen at
random, will win a 25 Amazon voucher.
Puzzles
Wordsearch
Find the 30 words/expressions associated with mercury hidden in this
grid (contributed by BertNeary). Words read in any direction, but are
always in a straight line. Some letters may be used more than once.
When you have found all the words, use the remaining letters to make
a 10-letter word. Find out more about mercury and its toxic effects in
The Mole, July 2013 (http://rsc.li/TM0413).
R E T A W N I E L B U L O S N I C
M I N A M A T A T R E A T Y R S O
I E L B A T C I D O I R E P T M M
N S E M U F Y R U C R E M C R E P
A E S E U S S I H T L A E H E R O
M H F O I L Y F I S H F A Y M C U
A S N I A H C D O O F L E T O U N
T I A G E M U I N E L E S I R R D
A F I N N O I T S E G N I C S Y O
D D N I C T L U F M R A H I L S F
I R M K S U O R E G N A D X A E M
S O O A I N S Y M P T O M O O L E
E W S H O M E T A L A N U T C E R
A S N S O C I A L I M P A C T N C
S F I S H L A S R E M O I H T I U
E O I M M U N E S Y S T E M V D R
P E S L E V E L E R U S O P X E Y
COAL INSOLUBLE IN WATER SEA
COMPOUND OF MERCURY INSOMNIA SELENIUM
DANGEROUS MERCURY FUMES SOCIAL IMPACT
EXPOSURE LEVELS MERCURY SELENIDE SHAKING
FISH METAL SWORDFISH
FOOD CHAIN MINAMATA DISEASE SYMPTOM
HARMFUL MINAMATA TREATY THIOMERSAL
HEALTH ISSUES OILY FISH TOXICITY
IMMUNE SYSTEM PERIODIC TABLE TREMORS
INGESTION POISONOUS EFFECTS TUNA
Another clue
For clue six: oxides of this
metal have been used
for centuries to produce
brilliant blue glazes for
pottery and glass.
Find out more about
the chemistry of
pottery, and how clay
extracted from the earth
becomes a colourful
pot, with this article from
Education in Chemistry:
http://rsc.li/EiC412p17

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