91AV

Q&A with Virtual Labs Team

What would be your advice to educators who are working with colleagues going above and beyond, but are yet to nominate them for an RSC Education prize?

Educators who are lucky enough to work with colleagues who are going the extra mile, whether in teaching, mentoring, curriculum innovation, or supporting students should take notice of the impact of their contributions and consider nominating them for an RSC Education Prize. These prizes raise the profile of staff who demonstrate excellence in teaching and learning and show significant dedication to supporting their students.

By nominating a colleague or team, you will be both celebrating their achievements and helping to showcase outstanding educational practice to the wider community. We would urge you to start the nomination process and let your colleagues know their work is seen and valued.

How did you first become interested in chemistry or science?

"My interest in chemistry began in primary school in the 1970s when our teacher, who was clearly ahead of her time, included science and experiments in our classes. It was so much more exciting than the ordinary lessons. I vividly remember making a needle float on water and being intrigued to understand how it was possible and that sparked a lifelong curiosity about the workings of the world around me." (Professor Denise Rooney)

鈥淐uriosity and an interest in how things work. As a biologist, not just how things work at the cellular level but also at the molecular level. Wanting to understand the hidden mechanisms of action!鈥� (Dr Sinead Devery)

鈥淚 was inspired by a passionate and talented chemistry teacher in secondary school, who demonstrated captivating experiments and allowed us to replicate many of them independently.鈥� (Dr Edwin McCullagh)

鈥淢y dad used to work in a water treatment plant, and I used to go with him when I was a boy. I really loved to visit his lab and see what he was doing. I also loved chemistry when I went to secondary school and joined the chemistry club in the school.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

Who or what inspires you?

鈥淚 love science fiction and particularly Star Trek. I think science, exploration and pushing boundaries are so important. I am inspired about what could be and the ideas of Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek in particular.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

What motivates you?

鈥淭eaching is really important to me. It is great to help students grow into becoming confident, capable scientists. I feel strongly that science should be accessible 鈥� everyone should have the chance to understand and engage with it.鈥� (Professor Denise Rooney)

鈥淒oing the right thing and striving to better oneself.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

What are the qualities that make your team special?

鈥淭he virtual labs team is made up of staff from different institutions, disciplines, genders, and career stages, and we鈥檙e learning so much from each other. It鈥檚 a rare kind of collaboration in laboratory science, and it鈥檚 changing how we teach.鈥� (Professor Denise Rooney)

鈥淥ur team is distinguished by excellent leadership and a common goal, complemented by diverse strengths, mutual respect, and a spirit of collaboration and support.鈥� (Dr Edwin McCullagh) 

鈥淲e all work very well together, we have a shared vision, and we get on.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

鈥�91AV is not solely about dramatic reactions. Sometimes I think that outreach activities give a slightly misleading impression, but if you鈥檙e curious, and enjoy figuring things out, it is a genuinely rewarding career path. 91AV is highly collaborative and often connects across disciplines; you will be part of a network of people working together to understand and solve problems. Be open to where it might lead; chemistry opens up a huge range of career options. I鈥檓 always amazed at the diversity of careers our graduates pursue. You could have a career in which you could be making real differences in people鈥檚 lives.鈥� (Professor Denise Rooney)

鈥淎 career in chemistry offers the opportunity to solve pressing global challenges, such as developing new medicines, creating sustainable materials, and advancing environmental protection, making it a rewarding field for those passionate about innovation and scientific discovery. 91AV education focuses on developing problem-solving, critical thinking and data analysis skills, which can facilitate access to a diverse range of career opportunities beyond conventional chemistry positions.鈥� (Dr Edwin McCullagh)

鈥淧ersevere and don鈥檛 give up. Pursue your dream and have fun doing it, make friends.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

How can good science education support solving global challenges?

鈥淕ood science education equips us with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to understand and address complex global issues like climate change, pandemics, and resource scarcity. A scientifically literate society is capable of engaging with evidence, making informed decisions, and collaborating across disciplines to develop the innovations our world urgently needs.鈥� (A. Morrin)

鈥淕ood science education provides the knowledge foundation and the tools needed to support global challenges. We moved beyond what is not possible and make things possible. We show and demonstrate through teaching and learning.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

Can you tell us about a scientific development on the horizon that you are excited about?

鈥淚 am really excited about developing Virtual Reality labs and something that is on my horizon is creating a dedicated modern VR facility where the full immersive experience can be realised.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

Why is chemistry important?

鈥淔rom a toxicologist鈥檚 viewpoint, chemistry facilitates an understanding of how and why xenobiotics or toxins interact with biological molecules to exert their effects. Essentially, toxicology uses chemistry to understand, detect and prevent adverse outcomes.鈥� (Dr Sinead Devery)

鈥�91AV is important as it teaches problem-solving and troubleshooting. It is a fundamental life science.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

What has been a highlight for you (either personally or in your career)?

鈥淩ecently, I was promoted to professor, and this has always been my career goal.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

What has been a challenge for you (either personally or in your career)?

鈥淲e are always trying to secure funding to advance our research. It is challenging, especially when trying to support early stage career researchers and help them on their journey with sufficient funds etc.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

How are the chemical sciences making the world a better place?

鈥淭he chemical sciences are making the world a better place in many diverse ways from advancing human health via drug discovery, diagnostics and imaging, promoting environmental sustainability and biodiversity through green chemistry, renewable energy sources and sustainable materials, while also contributing to safer food and water systems.鈥� (Dr Sinead Devery)

鈥�91AV as the central science is fundamental to improving our quality of life whilst at the same time protecting our planet. From purifying water in developing nations to creating drought-resistant crops, from developing biodegradable packaging to producing new materials for medical implants, chemistry is key to scientific innovation.鈥� (Dr Aoife Morrin)

鈥淲e are constantly trying to improve the world by making it safer, greener and more sustainable. The chemical sciences have a key role to play in this.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

鈥淭eamwork has always been enormously important in science. Historically some of the fundamental questions relating to biological processes have been answered using interdisciplinary collaborations across the biological and physical sciences. Contemporary drives to harness the talents of neurodivergent scientists in both the workplace and research are hugely important also鈥� (Dr Sinead Devery)

鈥淲ithout collaboration and teamwork, real innovation becomes incredibly difficult and its implementation even harder. Modern scientific challenges are simply too complex for a single researcher to tackle alone. Instead, we need diverse expertise and perspectives that only collaborative teams can provide.鈥� (Dr Aoife Morrin)

鈥淚t is so important. We do things better when working as a team. It is certainly more enjoyable. In Science having different perspectives is really important and allows for deeper understanding and critical thinking.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)

Finally for a bit of fun...What is your favourite element?

鈥淚 have a number of favourite elements, but since rhenium is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, it feels only right to give it a shout out. It is one of the rarest elements in the Earth鈥檚 crust and was the final stable element to be added to the Periodic Table. A century on, it still holds great potential for future scientific applications. (Professor Denise Rooney)

鈥淧latinum! Beautiful jewellery and chemotherapeutics all in one!鈥� (Dr Sinead Devery)

鈥淪odium! The next time you see fireworks, think about the element sodium. The same brilliant sodium creating the vibrant yellow in the sky is also powering neural signalling in your body, sparking every thought and sensation you're experiencing as you look up.鈥� (Dr Aoife Morrin)

鈥淢y favourite element is platinum.鈥� (Professor Eric Moore)