Behind the Scenes: Chemistry Students Tour Materials Innovation Factory's Open Access Laboratories
Undergraduate and Masters students in Chemistry were invited to take a tour of the Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) laboratories across 3 sessions in November and December, led by former University of Liverpool Chemistry students. The tours were planned as part of a wider agenda from the MIF technical team to increase collaboration with teaching in the Chemistry department, and to elevate the profile of the open access facilities that are available on the MIF ground floor among chemistry students.
The MIF is an £81M facility, that houses a wide range of state-of-the-art analytical equipment and a high concentration of automated formulation and analysis robotics in its Open Access Area (OAA) laboratories. Students were taken around these labs, and given explanations on the analytical equipment, as well as having the opportunity to see the robotics in action.
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“It was so nice to be shown round the awesome labs by such passionate and lovely people! The tour was brilliant, we got to see so many different analytical machines and set ups, and seeing some of the robots in action was very cool too!”
- Jess Downe, 3rd Year student
The high concentration of automated equipment at the MIF allows vast amounts of data to be generated and processed within the facility, via highly customisable workflows. The OAA labs are supported by an experienced technical support team, who provide instrument training, maintenance and technical advice. Aside from the state-of-the-art facilities, the working culture in the MIF promotes collaboration between the world-renowned academic research groups and industrial partners based at the facility. This fosters a relationship between the two to share ideas and collaborate on research projects, accelerating materials innovation.
“We were able to see what jobs are like in chemistry first hand and also see what industrial labs are like. We also had the opportunity to ask people how they got into the industry.”
- Meg O’Neill, 3rd Year student
The tours also gave students the opportunity to talk with PhD and post-doctoral researcher staff currently working in the Rannard and Rosseinsky research groups, and tour the academic research labs on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the MIF.
Attending the sessions gave students an opportunity to view industrial-type laboratories where cutting-edge commercial research takes place, but also to give insight to what an early career in academia may look like. The three sessions were attended to capacity by 60 students across year 2, year 3, and year 4, and were very well received. There are already plans to run these sessions as a regular occurrence for the next academic year, to extend this opportunity to more students in Chemistry, as well as other departments within the schools of Physical and Life sciences.
When asked “what did you like / enjoy about the tours of the open access labs and the academic labs?”
"The opportunity to explore the Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) as an undergraduate has enriched my experience with chemistry at Liverpool. Witnessing the synergy among technician staff, academics, PhD students, and master's students, along with access to cutting-edge analytical machinery provided a glimpse into the potential trajectory of studying chemistry at Liverpool University.
The experience marked a significant departure from our (excellent) teaching labs, allowing us first-hand to experience the realities of working within the field. The guided tours, led by both staff and PhD students, offered insights into diverse career paths within chemistry. Particularly interesting was the communal analytical lab, where each instrument was equipped with a robot, something I had never seen. It was also lovely to speak to the PhD students who had studied at Liverpool from first year and to connect with them about their own experiences.
Thank you so much for bringing exposure to the MIF for undergrads, as these lasting impressions are integral in our future career considerations and motivation within our degree."
- Myla Winter, 2nd Year Chemistry student
If you would like to know more about the MIF and the open access laboratories, more information can be found on the website here:
Materials Innovation Factory - University of Liverpool
Alternatively, any enquiries can be made directly by emailing mifinfo@liverpool.ac.uk