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The synthesis of novel 3-substituted pyrrole monomers possessing chiral side groups: A study of their chemical polymerisation and the assessment of their chiral discrimination properties (2003)
Journal Article
de Lacy Costello, B., Ratcliffe, N. M., & Sivanand, P. S. (2003). The synthesis of novel 3-substituted pyrrole monomers possessing chiral side groups: A study of their chemical polymerisation and the assessment of their chiral discrimination properties. Synthetic Metals, 139(1), 43-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0379-6779%2802%2901247-X

Novel 3-substituted pyrrole monomers possessing chiral side groups were synthesised. These compounds were successfully polymerised with ferric salts and the polymer materials fabricated into sensors. The sensors were found to elicit differential chan... Read More about The synthesis of novel 3-substituted pyrrole monomers possessing chiral side groups: A study of their chemical polymerisation and the assessment of their chiral discrimination properties.

Experimental reaction-diffusion chemical processors for robot path planning (2003)
Journal Article
Adamatzky, A., de Lacy Costello, B., Ratcliffe, N. M., & Melhuish, C. (2003). Experimental reaction-diffusion chemical processors for robot path planning. Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, 37(3), 233-249. https://doi.org/10.1023/A%3A1025414424756

In this paper we discuss the experimental implementation of a chemical reaction-diffusion processor for robot motion planning in terms of finding the shortest collision-free path for a robot moving in an arena with obstacles. These reaction-diffusion... Read More about Experimental reaction-diffusion chemical processors for robot path planning.

Thick film organic vapour sensors based on binary mixtures of metal oxides (2003)
Journal Article
Ewen, R. J., de Lacy Costello, B., Ratcliffe, N. M., & Sivanand, P. S. (2003). Thick film organic vapour sensors based on binary mixtures of metal oxides. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 92(1-2), 159-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-4005%2803%2900258-2

Previously, composite sensors incorporating differing proportions of tin dioxide and zinc oxide were reported which exhibited high sensitivity to a range of organic vapours under dry conditions (0% relative humidity, RH). Most importantly, the compos... Read More about Thick film organic vapour sensors based on binary mixtures of metal oxides.

A prototype sensor system for the early detection of microbially linked spoilage in stored wheat grain (2003)
Journal Article
de Lacy Costello, B., Ewen, R., Gunson, H., Ratcliffe, N. M., Sivanand, P., & Spencer-Phillips, P. T. (2003). A prototype sensor system for the early detection of microbially linked spoilage in stored wheat grain. Measurement Science and Technology, 14(4), 397-409. https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/14/4/301

Spencer-Phillips was Co-Investigator, the lead biologist in this HGCA-funded multi-disciplinary work, and co-wrote the paper. The grant was based on his expertise in the microbiology of post-harvest spoilage.

Syntheses and polymerizations of (E)-2-styrylfurans and an investigation of their electrorheological properties (2003)
Journal Article
Ewen, R. J., Teare, G. C., Campbell, S. A., Ratcliffe, N. M., & Smith, J. R. (2003). Syntheses and polymerizations of (E)-2-styrylfurans and an investigation of their electrorheological properties. Smart Materials and Structures, 12(1), 129-138. https://doi.org/10.1088/0964-1726/12/1/315

Novel furan compounds, which incorporate phenyl rings separated by alkene spacers, have been synthesized. Chemical polymerization of these compounds yielded black brittle powders, suspensions of which were found to exhibit significant electrorheologi... Read More about Syntheses and polymerizations of (E)-2-styrylfurans and an investigation of their electrorheological properties.

Detection of helicobacter pylori (2003)
Patent
Ratcliffe, N. M., Teare, C., Dunn, C., Cowell, D., Penault, C., Chambers, P., & Black, M. (2003). Detection of helicobacter pylori. US6509169 B2

A method for detecting Helicobacter pylori in a subject's gastroenteral tract involves measuring a change in resistance of an electronic or electrochemical sensor, notably a polypyrrole film, on exposure to gas from the subject's lungs and/or stomach... Read More about Detection of helicobacter pylori.

A prototype sensor system for the early detection of microbially linked spoilage in stored wheat grain (2003)
Journal Article
Gunson, H., de Lacy Costello, B., Ratcliffe, N. M., Ewen, R. J., Sivanand, P. S., & Spencer-Phillips, P. T. (2003). A prototype sensor system for the early detection of microbially linked spoilage in stored wheat grain. Measurement Science and Technology, 14(4), 397-409. https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/14/4/301

Sensors based on composites of metal oxides were fabricated and tested extensively under high-humidity and high-flow conditions with exposure to vapours reported to increase in the headspace of wheat grain (Triticum aestivum cv Hereward) colonized by... Read More about A prototype sensor system for the early detection of microbially linked spoilage in stored wheat grain.

Sensors for early warning of post-harvest spoilage in potato tubers (2002)
Presentation / Conference
de Lacy Costello, B., Ewen, R., Gunson, H., Ratcliffe, N. M., & Spencer-Phillips, P. T. (2002, November). Sensors for early warning of post-harvest spoilage in potato tubers. Presented at BCPC Conference 2002 - Pests and Diseases, Brighton, UK

Post-harvest spoilage of potato tubers results in approximately 9 million annual loss in the UK alone. In this paper, we report work completed with funding from the British Potato Council to develop an electronic sensor system (e-nose) to enable the... Read More about Sensors for early warning of post-harvest spoilage in potato tubers.

Highly sensitive mixed oxide sensors for the detection of ethanol (2002)
Journal Article
de Lacy Costello, B., Ewen, R., Guernion, N., & Ratcliffe, N. M. (2002). Highly sensitive mixed oxide sensors for the detection of ethanol. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 87(1), 207-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-4005%2802%2900220-4

Sensors consisting of mixtures of tin dioxide and zinc oxide powders in a range of proportions were constructed. Each mixture was applied to an electrode-bearing alumina substrate either as a paste, or by screen printing. The responses of these senso... Read More about Highly sensitive mixed oxide sensors for the detection of ethanol.

Experimental reaction-diffusion pre-processor for shape recognition (2002)
Journal Article
Adamatzky, A., de Lacy Costello, B., & Ratcliffe, N. M. (2002). Experimental reaction-diffusion pre-processor for shape recognition. Physics Letters A, 297(5-6), 344-352. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0375-9601%2802%2900289-X

We have produced an experimental implementation of a massively-parallel reaction-diffusion processor which performs one of the most essential parts of shape recognition - construction of a skeleton. A skeleton is a unique, stable and invariant repres... Read More about Experimental reaction-diffusion pre-processor for shape recognition.

The fabrication and characterisation of a highly sensitive polypyrrole sensor and its electrical responses to amines of differing basicity at high humidities (2002)
Journal Article
Guernion, N., Ewen, R. J., Pihlainen, K., Ratcliffe, N. M., & Teare, G. C. (2002). The fabrication and characterisation of a highly sensitive polypyrrole sensor and its electrical responses to amines of differing basicity at high humidities. Synthetic Metals, 126(2-3), 301-310. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0379-6779%2801%2900572-0

Ammonia is a common feedstock for many chemical processes involving nitrogen compounds. It is a poisonous, colourless gas with a pungent smell and a fairly low odour threshold of approximately 5 ppm. The recommended threshold limit value for human ex... Read More about The fabrication and characterisation of a highly sensitive polypyrrole sensor and its electrical responses to amines of differing basicity at high humidities.

Deposition and characterization by surface plasmon resonance of Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers of three macrocyclic conjugated tetrapyrrole compounds exposed to chlorine gas (2002)
Journal Article
Honeybourne, C. L., Portus, D., Ratcliffe, N. M., Richardson, T., & Ashwell, G. (2002). Deposition and characterization by surface plasmon resonance of Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers of three macrocyclic conjugated tetrapyrrole compounds exposed to chlorine gas. Polish Journal of Chemistry, 76(2-3), 367-376

Conducting polymers as coatings: Electrochemical and density functional theory investigations of the polymerisation (2002)
Journal Article
Smith, J., Cox, P., Ratcliffe, N. M., & Campbell, S. (2002). Conducting polymers as coatings: Electrochemical and density functional theory investigations of the polymerisation. Transactions of the Institute of Metal Finishing, 80(2), 52-55

Electroactive materials such as polypyrrole and polythiophene have many applications including their use as coatings in the metal finishing industry. Electrochemical and density functional theory (DFT) studies of a series of derivatised thiophene mol... Read More about Conducting polymers as coatings: Electrochemical and density functional theory investigations of the polymerisation.

Identifying bacteria in human urine: Current practice and the potential for rapid, near-patient diagnosis by sensing volatile organic compounds (2001)
Journal Article
Howe, R. A., Spencer-Phillips, P. T., Ratcliffe, N. M., Guernion, N., Ratcliffe, N. M., Spencer-Phillips, P. T., & Howe, R. (2001). Identifying bacteria in human urine: Current practice and the potential for rapid, near-patient diagnosis by sensing volatile organic compounds. Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, 39(10), 893-906. https://doi.org/10.1515/CCLM.2001.146

Urinary tract infection (UTI) represents a significant burden for the National Health Service. Extensive research has been directed towards rapid detection of UTI in the last thirty years. A wide range of microbiological and chemical techniques are n... Read More about Identifying bacteria in human urine: Current practice and the potential for rapid, near-patient diagnosis by sensing volatile organic compounds.

The use of a minimal number of vapour sensors for the assessment of food quality (2001)
Book Chapter
de Lacy Costello, B., Ewen, R., Gunson, H., Ratcliffe, N. M., & Spencer-Phillips, P. T. (2001). The use of a minimal number of vapour sensors for the assessment of food quality. In S. Clark, K. Thompson, C. Keevil, & M. Smith (Eds.), Rapid Detection Assays (148-152). Royal Society of Chemistry

The detection of harmful chemicals and microbial pathogens in food and water destined for consumers is of paramount importance the world over and it is vital that new techniques and discoveries are widely disseminated. Bringing together international... Read More about The use of a minimal number of vapour sensors for the assessment of food quality.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of volatile organic compounds from potato tubers inoculated with Phytophthora infestans or Fusarium coeruleum (2001)
Journal Article
Spencer-Phillips, P. T., Ratcliffe, N. M., Jones, P. R., De Lacy Costello, B. P., de Lacy Costello, B., Evans, P., …Spencer-Phillips, P. T. (2001). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of volatile organic compounds from potato tubers inoculated with Phytophthora infestans or Fusarium coeruleum. Plant Pathology, 50(4), 489-496. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3059.2001.00594.x

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) collected from potato tubers inoculated with Phytophthora infestans (late blight), Fusarium coeruleum (dry rot) or sterilized distilled water (as a control) were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (G... Read More about Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of volatile organic compounds from potato tubers inoculated with Phytophthora infestans or Fusarium coeruleum.

Ammonia vapour in the oral cavity as a diagnostic marker for infection with Helicobacter pylori: Preliminary 'proof of principle' pharmacological investigations (2001)
Journal Article
Dun, C., Blac, M., Cowell, D., Penaul, C., Ratcliffe, N. M., Spence, R., & Teare, C. (2001). Ammonia vapour in the oral cavity as a diagnostic marker for infection with Helicobacter pylori: Preliminary 'proof of principle' pharmacological investigations. British Journal of Biomedical Science, 58(2), 66-75

Most current non-invasive tests for Helicobacter pylori depend on the conversion of labelled (13C or 14C) urea to labelled carbon dioxide (13CO2 or 14CO2) and ammonium (NH4+) by the enzyme urease, with the labelled CO2 detected in exhaled air. Despit... Read More about Ammonia vapour in the oral cavity as a diagnostic marker for infection with Helicobacter pylori: Preliminary 'proof of principle' pharmacological investigations.