Research Newsletter - Issue 113: Good News
We are delighted that two DCU Researchers were recently successful in their application to the Research Ireland Research Infrastructure funding call.
PI: Prof. Deborah O’Connell (School of Physical Sciences)
Project Title: Atomic Layer Etch Platform
Prof. Deborah O’Connell obtained €2,893,041 funding for a platform that will establish Ireland’s first facility for atomic etching with real-time diagnostic monitoring, supporting precision manufacturing for next-generation chips, quantum devices and sensors. Prof. O’Connell is Director of the National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology (NCPST) and Full Professor in the School of Physical Sciences.
PI: Prof. Liam Barry (School of Electronic Engineering)
Project Title: Full Spectrum Co-Operative Communications Test Bed Incorporating RF, THz & Optical Transmission
Prof. Liam Barry obtained €1,664,025 funding for infrastructure that will allow researchers to develop and assess high-speed communication systems across radio, terahertz and optical frequencies for data-centre networks, wireless systems, and energy-efficient communications technologies. Prof. Barry is a Professor in the School of Electronic Engineering and Director of the Radio and Optical Communications Laboratory.
Congratulations to all awardees and their DCU Mentors on being awarded Research Ireland Enterprise Fellowships to conduct enterprise-engaged research. This co-funded programme enables researchers to gain experience beyond academic settings through defined research collaborations, while providing enterprise partners with access to academic knowledge and skills relevant to their interests.
Research Ireland Enterprise Fellowship (Placement Stream) Awards:
PI: Dr Ahmed Galib Reza (School of Electronic Engineering)
Project Title: Terabit-per-second free-space optical communications for satellite links
DCU Mentor: Prof. Liam Barry (School of Electronic Engineering).
Enterprise Partner: MBryonics
PI: Dr Grace Colley (School of Biotechnology/Life Sciences Institute)
Project Title: Identification and Prioritisation of Digital Biomarkers as Companion Diagnostics in AstraZeneca’s Key Oncology Therapy Areas
DCU Mentor: Dr Alex Eustace (School of Biotechnology/Life Sciences Institute)
Enterprise Partner: AstraZeneca
Research Ireland Enterprise Fellowship (Partnership Stream) Awards:
PI: Dr Diego Armando Acevedo Guzman (School of Chemical Sciences)
Project Title: Light activation of carbon dots for photodynamic therapy and drug release in pancreatic cancer
DCU Mentor: Prof. Silvia Giordani (School of Chemical Sciences)
Enterprise Partner: Breakthrough Cancer Research
PI: Dr Arnau Cuy Saques (School of Biotechnology/Life Sciences Institute)
Project Title: Determining the functional roles of novel regulatory non-coding mutations on pathogenicity and drug response in breast cancer
DCU Mentor: Dr Alex Eustace (School of Biotechnology/Life Sciences Institute)
Enterprise Partner: Clinical Cancer Research Trust
PI: Dr Shane Murphy (School of Communications/Institute for Research on Genders and Sexualities)
Project Title: MASC UP: Engaging Boys in Tackling the Impact of Masculinity Influencers on Attitudes to Sexual and Gender Based Violence
DCU Mentor: Prof. Debbie Ging (School of Communications/Institute for Research on Genders and Sexualities)
Enterprise Partner: Men's Development Network Ltd
Congratulations to two research teams in DCU which have been successful in securing Prize Phase awards in the National Challenge Fund programme. Funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Fund calls on researchers to identify problems related to Ireland’s Green Transition and Digital Transformation, and work directly with those most affected to solve them. Over €6.9 million in Prize Phase funding is allocated to four research teams across the final two challenge programmes under the National Challenge Fund with DCU participating as Lead and Co-Lead institution in two of the four awarded teams.
Sustainable Communities Challenge Prize Phase Award
Lead PI: Dr Susan Kelleher (School of Chemical Sciences)
Co-PI: Dr Jennifer Gaughran (School of Physical Sciences)
Project Title: PUreTex - Creating Polyurethane Insulation from Recycled Textiles
Coordinating Institution: DCU
The EU burns or buries 60 garbage truckloads of textiles every minute, while globally, less than 1% of clothes are recycled back to clothing. PUreTex takes post-consumer textiles and, through key innovations such as chemical recycling, converts these materials into useful products like polyurethane (PU) foam insulation. Through the team’s collaboration with the Rediscovery Centre, it also aims to promote behavioural change in circular textile design and encourage more sustainable textile use.
Future Food Systems Prize Phase Award
Co-PI: Prof. Enda McGlynn (School of Physical Sciences)
Lead PI: Dr Niall Maloney (Atlantic Technological University)
Project Title: NanoSA - Using Nanostructures for Sustainable Aquaculture
Coordinating Institution: Atlantic Technological University (ATU)
Pathogenic infections are estimated to cost the global salmon aquaculture sector between €1.2–1.7 billion per year. Identifying the cause of infection typically requires sending samples to off‑site laboratories, often located far from farm operations. This leads to significant delays in receiving results and, consequently, delays in initiating effective treatment.
The NanoSA team is developing innovative lateral flow assay technology for the rapid point of care detection of key bacterial and viral pathogens that significantly impact the aquaculture sector. This will empower fish health experts with fast, reliable information, enabling them to make informed disease management decisions on-site, which will improve animal welfare and minimise losses.