Advanced Processing Technology Research Centre

APT Photo Competition

APT are happy to announce the winners of our first Research Photo Competition. The competition was open to all APT members including PIs, postdocs, postgrads and research staff. The prizes consisted of €300 for 1st, €200 for 2nd and €100 for 3rd place. Competition entries included: a high resolution image and a document, which included an image title and maximum half page image description. The entries were independently judged and the winners chosen based 50% on the image and 50% on the description of what the image is and how it was achieved.

Cian Hughes, a Ph.D. student in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (supervisor Prof. Dermot Brabazon) was chosen as the winner of the competition with his photo entitled “Forest of Gold”. The image shows microscopic, tree-like features made of nanostructured gold. It was created using scanning electron microscopy as part of Cian’s research into new ways of making biosensors. The tiny golden “trees” in the image are useful for this because their high surface area is ideal for making more sensitive sensors. The structures themselves were grown directly on their glass backing from a condensing cloud of ionised gold atoms produced using a common industrial laser in normal, atmospheric conditions. As a result they are cheap to produce, and could be a significant step towards making the benefits of modern nanotechnology affordable to the average person.

Second place was awarded to Paul O’Neill, for his photo entitled “Buckminsterfullerene-fluidics” and third place went to Sean Kelly for his photo entitled “’Aurora’ on demand”.

Many congratulations to all our winners and also many thanks to everyone who submitted an entry, it was a tough decision and we hope you’ll try again next year.

1st Place - Forest of Gold
This image shows microscopic, tree-like features made of nanostructured gold. It was created using scanning electron microscopy as part of our research into new ways of making biosensors. The tiny golden "trees" in the image are useful for this because their high surface area is ideal for making more sensitive sensors. The structures themselves were grown directly on their glass backing from a condensing cloud of ionised gold atoms produced using a common industrial laser in normal, atmospheric conditions. As a result they are cheap to produce, and could be a significant step towards making the benefits of modern nanotechnology affordable to the average person.
2nd Place - : Buckminsterfullerene-fluidics
A two-dimensional milli-fluidic rendering of a spherical C60 fullerene molecule 3D printed via Mask Projection micro-Stereolithography (MPμSL). This milli-fluidic chip (dimensions 21 x 30 x 4 mm) was 3D printed using an Asiga Pico +27 (Asiga, Anaheim Hills CA) with Formlabs clear resin and then cleaned and sonicated in 2-propanol for ~15 minutes. The channels were subsequently filled with a solution of Fluorescein (Sigma Aldrich) and ultrapure water for imaging. This image was taken using an Inspex HD 1080p VESA digital microscope (Ash Technologies, Kildare, Ireland) with 357 nm UV lamp attachment. Channels range in size from 200 μm inside the buckyball to 2500 μm at the outlet.
3rd Place - ‘Aurora’ on demand
Peering through the port hole of a vacuum chamber the crimson hues of a Nitrogen plasma illuminate the metallic vessel. High in the atmosphere this spectacular light show comes in the form of the famous aurora or northern lights, an often illusive natural phenomenon. In our DCU laboratories however, the schedule is much more predictable. An ionised gas or plasma (shown in the above photo) is generated in a Nitrogen filled chamber using our state of the art electronic equipment at the low pressures found naturally in the upper atmosphere. Laboratory based plasma's have a wide and expanding importance in our modern world which includes integrated circuit fabrication, fusion energy, space propulsion and medicine.