Forever Keele 13
New research led by Keele University
will explore how lockdowns across the
world due to the Covid-19 outbreak are
impacting the lives of urban animals.
In response to the Covid-19 outbreak
governments across the world have
declared a period of social isolation
resulting in cities and town centres
becoming quieter whilst residential
gardens and outdoor spaces are
getting busier.
There have been reports of animals
already adapting to the reduced
human activity including Kashmiri
goats roaming around Llandudno,
North Wales, troops of monkeys in
Singapore, wild boars in cities across
Europe and Coyotes wandering streets
during daylight in USA.
For urban wildlife, which includes
mammals and birds living alongside
people in cities, the lockdowns will
affect levels of disturbance from
humans and food availability. Lead
researcher Professor Dawn Scott,
an expert in Mammal Ecology
and Conservation, is using this
unprecedented time to try to collect
information and answer the study’s
overarching question: How have
urban animals responded to changes
in human activity during the Covid-19
lockdown?
Keele joins major programme to
help develop antibody tests to track
level of Covid-19 infection in the
community
Keele University has joined a key
national programme to evaluate
pioneering diagnostic tests for the
coronavirus which will help determine
how many people have been infected
with the Covid-19 virus.
Keele is supporting the second
part of the programme called REaltime
Assessment of Community
Transmission (REACT-2), led by
Imperial College London, alongside a
small number of additional specialist
partners. New diagnostic tests will be
trialled using front-line workers in a
temporary testing centre based on the
Keele campus.
The study will help evaluate novel
ways of detecting Covid-19 antigens
and antibodies and assess how well
these tests can be adapted to a home
testing environment without assistance
from a healthcare professional. All
samples will be sent to Imperial
College London for analysis.
OUR CONTRIBUTIONS
Keele staff volunteer at Covid-19
testing ‘mega-lab’
Three members of the Keele University
community have volunteered to join a
team of highly qualified experts driving
the UK’s effort to increase coronavirus
testing at the new Lighthouse Lab
at Alderley Park in Cheshire, led by
Medicines Discovery Catapult.
The Government has opened three
Lighthouse ‘mega-labs’ across
the country. Dr Jade Perry and Dr
John Garcia, researchers at Keele
University, and final year PhD student
Mairead Hyland (pictured above) have
volunteered to help at the Alderley
Park lab, hosted by the Medicines
Discovery Catapult, where they test
tens of thousands of samples for
Covid-19 infection.
In the UK, tests are conducted by
taking a swab of the nose and throat
which are then sent to a lab where
skilled volunteers from across the
scientific community spot signs of the
virus' genetic material.
The three volunteers, normally based
in the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt
Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry, all
have a science background with the
expertise and experience needed for
their new roles and have completed
their training to work in the new labs.
Keele researcher provides vital
public information in the fight
against Covid-19
Keele University has played a key role
in contributing scientific research for
the newly formed ‘Coronavirus: The
Science Explained’ website, launched
by UK Research and Innovation
(UKRI).
The website is set to provide the most
authoritative scientific information
available on the constantly evolving
Coronavirus outbreak. It allows
public access to up-to-date scientific
information on the evidence and
facts about the virus and its control.
The website hosts a number of short
articles, written by leading scientists –
many of whom are currently advising
the government as part of the Scientific
Advisory Group for Emergencies
(SAGE) committee on its approach
to tackling the pandemic, including
Keele’s Professor Clifford Stott.
Professor Stott has contributed to an
article titled “The truth about panic”,
highlighting the research into people’s
reactions to emergencies like the
coronavirus pandemic and how this
can be managed.
Over 270 engineers volunteer to
help solve NHS and healthcare
issues amid pandemic
Engineers from across the world have
united to help solve challenges arising
from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The project, a collaboration between
the Institution of Engineering Designers
and Keele University, enables
engineers and designers to join them
and help tackle some of the biggest
issues affecting the NHS and care
providers. To date, over 270 qualified
engineers from all disciplines across
the world have volunteered their time
and expertise.
The NHS and other care providers
from across the world are suffering
under the pressure of the Covid-19
outbreak. The project called ‘Engineers
for the NHS’ will enable engineers,
designers and institutions to
collaborate on challenges sent directly
from the NHS or other care providers.
Some of the projects the engineers are
working on include creating new visors
for key staff, such as hazmat type
protection which is more appropriate
for surgeons and nurses whilst in the
operating theatre; developing a new
pandemic supply chain for Personal
Protection Equipment (PPE) for times
of crisis; working on the ventilator
challenge; and fore-sighting issues that
people have not yet thought about.
Keele pharmacists make hand
sanitiser to help efforts to tackle
coronavirus
Pharmacy academics from Keele
University put their expertise into
practice to make hand sanitiser to