Oxford Sparks Big Questions

Dr Sonia Trigueros explains how she is using nanotechnologies to create targeted drug delivery systems. Chemotherapy is a particularly harmful treatment, with patients losing their hair and suffering from infections due to damage to their immune systems. By using the unique properties of cancer cells, they can be used to deliver targeted therapy at a much reduced dose.

Dr Sylvia MacLain talks about how water creates a problem when researching biology. Structures can be studied when they are in solid form, but approximately 60% of our bodies are made of water. Proteins, essential for life, are especially problematic as their entire function is related to their structure, which is different in solution. This means that no-one has yet been able to work out how they fold into ordered structures.

Professors Pedro Ferreira and Alan Barr explain what scale means to them, from particle physics to the visible universe. At the subatomic level, gravity has a surprisingly large effect and particles are so small that they have no size. But at the level of the universe, the speed of light is the only sensible measurement.

Drs Suzannah Williams and Dagan Wells explore the secrets and processes behind human fertilisation. Sperm and eggs must face huge challenges before they even meet. After fertilisation, they go on to form a small ball of cells with huge potential.

Professor Alex Halliday explains how planets form from nothing but an area of space full of dust. Tiny differences between the elements that make up meteorites can give you an idea of how old they are and which part of the solar system they came from.

Professor Jo Dunkley explains how we can look back in time at the light from the early Universe. This ultra-cold light can be used to create a picture from soon after the Big Bang. With no stars or galaxies, the image formed shows a universe that was just starting to grow the features we see today.