Open Spaces

The Eleanor and Guy Dodson building provides state-of-the-art laboratory space for the three main techniques used in Structural Biology: cryo-EM, X-ray diffraction and NMR. Both sample preparation and data collection have very specific temperature and humidity requirements for the various spaces in the building. The tour of the building will include a short description of how these techniques provide structural (3D) information about (biological) samples. 

Time and Location

half-hour tour, 14:00 - 14:30

The E&G Dodson building (Biology I block) 

Find out more about the Eleanor and Guy Dodson building

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Strategically positioned within the Harry Fairhurst Building,the Creativity Lab is a busy and vibrant space firmly embedded within the Library’s digital scholarship offer. Our priority is to provide all staff/students/researchers opportunities to enhance their digital skills  through a comprehensive programme of training and events. The Lab is well-equipped with the very latest in emerging technology and is fast becoming a hub for learning, teaching and knowledge sharing across various networks and areas of digital creativity at the university and beyond. Alongside our teaching programme, the Lab also offers a diverse timetable of open access, wellbeing sessions and 1-2-1 appointments. These touch points allow you to learn about digital technologies autonomously and collaboratively and consider how they can be applied pedagogically, vocationally and for personal development. Furthermore, as part of the Lab package, students and staff can also access a thriving podcast studio as well as utilise state-of-the-art technical equipment through the Lab’s equipment hire service, allowing you time to work on their projects independently. 

Time and Location

Creativity lab, LFA/103 First Floor Harry Fairhurst Building, University Library

Open door drop-in 13:00 - 16:30 (no sign up necessary) 

Find out more about the Creativity Lab

The biology department has extensive controlled environment plant growth facilities, supported by our dedicated team of horticultural technicians.

The facilities are used by a range of research scientists, students for projects and for producing high-quality biomaterials to support teaching. 

• 450m2 of containment greenhouses

• 360m2 of general use greenhouses

• 80m2 of controlled temperature and photoperiod growth room

• 40 programmable controlled environment cabinets

• 0.5ac experimental garden for small plot projects

The controlled environments are used to provide stable and uniform environmental conditions, with the ability to manipulate air temperature, relative humidity, CO2 concentration, photoperiod, light intensity and spectrum.  

The Horticulture Technical team have vast experience of growing a range of biomaterials for research purposes, from model plants such as Arabidopsis up to major agroeconomic crops including rice, wheat, oilseeds as well as a range of biopharmaceutical crops. The team provide a comprehensive service including routine watering, pest and disease identification and control, set up and maintenance of growing facilities and assistance with experimental design and cultural procedures.

Time and Location

Meet at Biology Reception 10 minutes before the tour time, this is a restricted access facility, pre-arranged tours only. 

Tours at 14:30 - 15:00 and 15:30 - 16:00

Find out more about the Plant Growth Facilities

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Our office is the York centre of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Our office is bright, open plan and we have the best views on campus.

SEI connects science and decision-making to develop solutions for a sustainable future for all.

Our work spans climate, water, air and land-use issues, governance, the economy, gender and health. Stakeholder involvement is at the heart of our efforts to build capacity, strengthen institutions and equip partners for long-term change.

Our knowledge and findings are accessible to decision-makers and civil society: as our own open access material, in leading academic journals, and repackaged for effective decision support.

To promote debate and share knowledge we convene decision-makers, academics and practitioners and engage with policy processes, development action and business practice worldwide. 

Time and Location

Stockholm Environment Institute Office - 3rd floor of the Environment building 

Open door drop-in 1:00 - 1:30pm (no sign up necessary) 

Find out more about the Stockholm Enviroment Institute

Tucked between the Environment and the Biology building Palaeohub is an unassuming center for archaeological science. Our open spaces event will take place in the teaching labs at Palaeohub. Here we will showcase some of the diverse bioarchaeological research undertaken in our building. Archaeological science utilises many different scientific approaches including ancient DNA, stable isotope analysis, organic residue analysis and palaeoproteomics to study all aspects of past human societies. 

Palaeohub and BioArCh colleagues will display human and animal remains to showcase the analysis and sampling techniques we use. Microscopes will be set up to examine the tiny bones and teeth of archaeological rats. We will exhibit one of our outreach activities that teaches schoolchildren about coprolites - preserved archaeological faeces - and much more! #WelcometotheBoneZone 

Time and Location

Palaeohub DS/007 and DS/008 

Open door drop-in 1:00 - 4:30pm (no sign up necessary) 

The Audio Lab is a research group within the school of Physics, Engineering and Technology, based in Genesis 6 in the Science Park. Our research covers many aspects of audio and music technology, including acoustics, spatial sound, voice science and networked musical performance. The lab space in our building includes a studio, a 50-channel spherical speaker array and an anechoic chamber, and we’ll tour these spaces on the day as well as listen to some audio demos. 

Time and Location

Genesis 6 - in the Science Park next to the base of the big chimney 

Tours at 13:00 - 16:00

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Please note, this space is not be accessible to persons with mobility issues, and persons using mobility aids 

The Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) is a world leading institute for sustainable chemistry and the use of renewable resources to make chemicals and materials. The GCCE works closely with industry to deliver competitive tailor-made solutions that are more profitable, less wasteful, less damaging to the environment and more socially acceptable. We also provide high quality training and educational material including our flagship MSc course in 'Green Chemistry and Sustainable Industrial Technology'. Join us for activities and discussions about green chemistry, sustainable products, and potential collaborations. 

Time and Location

C/F/106 

13:00 - 14:00, Drop in (no sign up necessary) 

York's SafePod provides a local safe setting for researchers to access sensitive datasets. A SafePod is a small standardised safe setting that provides the physical security and controls for an accredited researcher to access sensitive datasets. Come and take a look inside and we'll tell you a little bit about how you can register for and then book to use the SafePod 

Find out more about the SafePod

Time and Location

Raymond Burton Library, University Library

13:00 - 15:00, drop-in (no sign up necessary) 

See around one of the world's leading science facilties. Over 2000 m^2, £20 million equipment, 30 dedicated technical experts. From the latest million-pound microscopes to mass spectrometers, qPCR's that were used during the pandemic to automate fermenters and numerous other key technologies all in one dedicated building. The only way to understand is to visit!

Time and Location

Biology Main Atrium (inbetween Biology B/K, B/L and B/M blocks)

13:00 - 15:00, Guided Tour

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http://www.york.ac.uk/biology/tf 

Chemistry X-services lab with powder and single-crystal X-ray diffractometers.

Time and Location

Meet in Chemistry reception

13:30 - 14:00, Guided Tour

14:30 -15:00, Guided Tour

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Researchers from the Quantum Communications Hub will be showcasing their work in quantum secure communications in space via satellite. Established in 2014, the Quantum Communications Hub is part of a national network of four UK Technology Hubs led by the Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Oxford and York. The Hubs represent the core investment of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme, which aims to provide a route for the successful translation of quantum science into mainstream technological applications for economic benefit. This Hub’s focus is on quantum secure communications and in particular the development and subsequent commercialisation of applications reliant on Quantum Key Distribution or QKD – a mature quantum technology which provides cryptographic keys to enable ultra-secure encryption of information. The Hub aims to deliver future-proof, practical, secure communications with commercialisation potential, by developing existing prototype quantum secure technologies beyond their current limitations; to thus contribute to the establishment of quantum communications technology industries in the UK; and to feed their future expansion, competitiveness, diversification and sustainability.

For the Open Spaces showcase, our York team – members of the York Centre for Quantum Technologies and QST Group in Physics – will be presenting their work on our Hub’s own space mission, funded by EPSRC. SPOQC (Satellite Platform for Optical Quantum Communications) is the Quantum Communications Hub’s 12u CubeSat, which will be launched in 2025 to demonstrate in-orbit quantum key distribution from space to the Hub Optical Ground Station (HOGS), to be established at the Heriot-Watt campus near Edinburgh, in Scotland. 

Time and Location

ISA reception area, Heslington East campus

13:00 - 16:00, Drop in (no sign up necessary) 

The Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory (WACL) is a collaborative venture between the University of York and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), home to 70 researchers from ten academic groups. Our research focuses on evidence and insight into delivering cleaner air, lower emissions and reduced environmental impacts. We will be opening up our labs to showcase the different techniques we use to understand the air we breathe and gain new insights into atmospheric chemistry. 

Time and Location

Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory, Innovation Way (opposite chemistry) 

14:00 - 16:30, Guided Tour.

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The Chemistry departments Chromatography and Microanalysis service would like to offer you a guided tour of the laboratories that they have and show you the instrumentation and capabilities that they have on offer as part of the service.

The Chromatography Service situated across multiple labs can offer a range of techniques from standard normal/reverse phase HPLC to chiral/prep HPLC as well as walk up GC. Initially created to utilise instruments that were no longer being used for specific research projects. The recycled equipment has been refurbished and added too over the years with both new and refurbished equipment to provide a suite of 12 HPLC’s and 7 GC’s to be available for use by all staff, graduate and project students.

Complementary to the Chromatography service is the Microanalysis service, offering a range of techniques that can quantify nearly every element in the periodic table via Elemental analysis, Ion chromatography and ICP-OES (Inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry).   

Time and Location

Chemistry C/B/130 (Start location of guided tour)

13:30 and 15:30, 30 minute Guided Tour. 

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