Spectroscopic Centre of Excellence
The Focas Institute houses a number of interdisciplinary research groups derived from Science and Engineering. The structure and the philosophy of the institute encourage a dynamic interaction between the groups, optimising resources and pooling expertise.
Interdisciplinary Research Activities in Biospectroscopy and Nanoscience recently received substantial funding under the Irish Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) Cycle 4. Focas is thus active in the National Biophotonics and Imaging Platform, Ireland(NBIPI) and the Integrated NanoScience Platform for Ireland (INSPIRE).
Nanolab
The group concentrates on the study of low dimensional structures such as one-dimensional "wires" and zero-dimensional quantum "dots". As the length scales of such systems shrink, unusual properties arise due to the quantum confinement (squeezing) of electrons on scales approaching the electron wavelength. These properties can have commercial potential in novel device production.
Understanding exactly why such unusual properties arise can help us to engineer new properties that are desirable for modern technologies. The group has ultrahigh vacuum facilities for the growth and analysis of such structures and has cluster computation for the modelling of electronic and optical behaviour.
Physics of Molecular Materials Group
An area which has grown rapidly in recent years is that of the use of organic polymers for light emitting devices. This group is working on the optimisation of such materials for laser applications by studying the fundamental processes of light emission. Ongoing work aims control vibrational relaxation, potentially leading to solid state organic materials with light emitting properties which can surpass those of currently employed materials.
A more recent addition to the fullerene family is carbon nanotubes. Although, potentially of great interest to a diverse range of applications, these materials are relatively impure as grown and are difficult to purify through conventional methods as they are insoluble. A range of novel purification methods are being explored by the group, leading to more precise characterization of their electronic and optical properties .
The group has more recently extended its activities to biological systems, and paticularly biomedical applications of spectroscopy. The work is extended to the examination of the interaction of carbon nanotubes with biological systems to assess compatibility and toxicity.
Material Synthesis and Applications Group (MSA)
The Materials Synthesis and Applications Group brings together expertise in the School of Chemistry as well as Food Science and Environmental Health. It comprises six staff members and runs a range of postgraduate and undergraduate research projects aimed at novel materials development for applications as diverse as molecular recognition, biomimetic chemistry and supramolecular chemistry.
Biomedical and Environmental Sensing
Dr James Walsh / BES microsite
The group consolidates the body of expertise already accumulated in the Institute in the area of air quality monitoring and environmental sensing techniques. Its aims include extending the work on characterisation of the pollutants in the atmosphere, the study of their harmful effects, and developing novel sensing methods.
The group is also involved in trace metal analysis using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy and anodic stripping voltametry. Of particular concern is lead levels in potable water and efforts towards developing a technique for accurate determination of lead in seawater are being made.
The group has considerable expertise in the design construction and testing of biomedical microspectrometer sensor systems. Such systems have applications for monitoring the redox reactions of respiratory pigments in cell extracts and permeabilised cells. Conducting polymers based, for example, on isoindoles, show similar spectral changes upon optical or electrochemical stimulus. Such colour changes can therefore be used for sensor applications. The group will explore the applications of such sensor materials and micro systems for environmental monitoring.
Medical Ultrasound Physics and Technology Group
The Medical Ultrasound Physics and Technology group was established in 2005 and is based in DIT's FOCAS Research Institute and in the School of Physics, room
KE 116 in Kevin Street. The group concentrates on the medical ultrasound physics and technology, disease characterisation using ultrasonic techniques and
performance testing of medical ultrasound equipment.
The current research programs include: disease characterisation in the renal system and the development of contrast resolution phantoms and anthropomorphic
breast phantoms as well as the development of new performance test devices for cardiac ultrasound quality control measurements. Specifically, these projects
focus on the development of in-vitro anatomical experimental systems, which closely mimic human anatomical systems, in order to gain a better understanding
of the disease process, as well as to serve the needs of clinical practitioners and manufacturers of medical imaging equipment and accessories.
Dublin Energy Lab (DEL)
The Dublin Energy Laboratory is a leader in science and engineering energy research in Ireland. It conducts research across a range of disciplines with key efforts organised into two themes of solar energy and building science.
The Lab is located in the Focas Institute of the Dublin Institute of Technology with a staff of 4 employees and 3 PhD students.
Our mission is to maintain our position as a foremost resource for energy related research and development in Ireland, serving the islands institutional, industrial and academic needs. This is achieved through basic and applied research collaborations closely linked with national and international targets for carbon reduction and growth of a knowledge economy.
Read more on our microsite
Centre for Industrial and Engineering Optics (IEO)
This group is affiliated to the Centre for Industrial and Engineering Optics which has a record of research in photopolymer holographic materials and in interferometric techniques for surface metrology and defect detection. These techniques include holographic interferometry, speckle interferometry and white light interferometry. The development of photopolymer holographic recording materials has been a key aim of the group for some years. Considerable progress has recently been made on a novel self-processing holographic recording material developed in the group's laboratories. Diffusion studies and careful modeling of the physical processes are helping to improve understanding of this and similar materials, leading to better control of the material properties. Applications in holographic imaging, diffractive optical elements, and holographic interferometry for surface metrology, have already been demonstrated and published. Currently applications of the IEO material are being investigated in both the production of holographic gratings for spectroscopy, and in holographic data storage and devices.
Development of the material itself is also continuing and a number of projects are under way to improve the ability of the material to record high spatial frequency interference patterns in order to expand its range of applications.
Communications Network Research Institute (CNRI)
The CNRI has origins in the School of Electronic and Communications Engineering.and is headed-up by Mark Davis who is on a research secondment funded by SFI. The research staff complement currently stands at 5 researchers. The CNRI is funded under a SFI Multi-Investigator Award and under an Enterprise Ireland Informatics Initiative project.The CNRI is undertaking research in the area of wireless networks and specifically the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless LAN standards. The main focus of the work is in radio resource management for quality of service (QoS) provisioning. QoS provisioning is a critical element in the delivery of real-time services such as Voice over IP (VoIP) and video streaming over wireless networks.
Radiation & Environmental Science Centre (RESC)
This group specialises in radiobiology and environmental toxicology. An area of research where the group has demonstrated considerable success has been in the development of novel in vitro cultures from human, fish and invertebrates of ecological importance, for employment in radiation and ecotoxicological studies.
The Radiobiology activities investigate the effects of ionising and non-ionising radiation on both mammalian and aquatic species. Non-targeted (non-DNA) effects such as bystander effects , genomic instability and adaptive responses are the main focus. Translational research, involving the correlation of patient radiosensitivity with radiotherapy response and the identification of candidate genes responsible for radiosensitivity, is also conducted.
The Environmental Toxicology effort focuses on establishing the toxic effects of contaminants of environmental concern on established cell lines and primary cell culture systems developed in the centre.
In addition, the Biospectroscopy research has focused on the use of vibrational spectroscopy as a novel screening method for cancer and for the identification of radiation-induced damage to cellular macromolecules.
Centre for Research in Engineering Surface Technology (CREST)
Established under the Enterprise Ireland PAT scheme, the group brings expertise in Surface Coatings Technology (Architectural, Automotive, Medical Devices, Aerospace, Manufacturing etc), Corrosion Control Technology (Materials Selection, Mechanisms), Nanomaterials (Sol-Gel) and engages in consultancy and contract Research (Enterprise Ireland Clients)
It makes use of a range of surface characterisation (SEM, TEM, AFM) as well as analytical techniques (ICP, XRD, GC, EDS, WDS)
The Applied Electrochemistry Group (AEG)
Professor John Cassidy and Dr Tony Betts
The Applied Electrochemistry Group of Dublin Institute of Technology carries out research in electrochemistry with special emphasis being placed on practical aspects of the subject. It is directed by Professor John Cassidy and Dr Tony Betts. Electrochemistry is an important branch of physical chemistry that deals with the chemical action of electricity and/or the production of electricity by chemical reactions. A diverse range of important applications exist. They include:
- Electroanalytical Chemistry which enables chemical species to be identified and quantified, for example with the development and operation of electrochemical sensors.
- Materials Science and Nanotechnology involving materials performance issues such as corrosion prevention and mitigation and development of materials found in devices such electrochromic displays (which change colour upon the imposition of an electrical potential).
- Electrical Energy production (through operation of devices such as batteries, fuel cells and other electrochemical systems) and Solar Energy using light to produce electricity and/or to effect chemical change (through use of semiconductors and photoelectrochemistry).
- Surface Science such as electrodeposition and anodic film alteration (anodising of metals such as aluminium, magnesium and titanium and electropolishing)..
- Environmental Electrochemistry and Green Chemistry encompassing heavy metal remediation, industrial effluent control and the use of novel ionic liquids to replace hazardous chemicals in various processes.
- Organic and Industrial Electrochemistry (electrosynthesis) which provide a means of producing industrially important inorganic and organic chemicals, such as adiponitrile.
- Bioelectrochemistry investigates the effect of electrochemical reactions in often complex biological systems).
TeaPOT
The TeaPOT Research Group is based in the School of Electrical Engineering Systems at the Dublin Institute of Technology. The group was established in May 2007 to consolidate its members' ongoing research into technology that interacts with humans or with the human body - what we call People Orientated Technology (POT). The group's activities include research and teaching in biomedical signal processing, human-computer interfaces, assistive technology, rehabilitation engineering and health informatics. The TeaPOT group are currently involved in collaborations with Enable Ireland, the National Rebabilitation Hospital (NRH), St. James' Hospital, the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) and Age Action Ireland. TeaPOT members are also involved in a number of research iniatives including the HEaRT Iniative and EHRland.
What does the name TeaPOT stand for? Taking the concept of People Oriented Technology as a starting point, we arrived at the (somewhat whimsical) name TeaPOT, a recursive acronym standing for "TeaPOT's Existence Advances People Oriented Technology".
Physics Research Education Group (PERG)
To develop, implement and evaluate pedagogical innovations in physics education and to undertake research that informs all pedagogical developments in order to enhance student learning. In the Physics Education Research Group the main areas of research are the development of new and appropriate teaching and assessment strategies, studies of student learning and understanding, evaluation of the effectiveness of different learning resources and teaching methodologies and the development of learning resources to enhance student learning.
