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The History of the Facility
The Free Radical Research Facility at Daresbury (FRRF@Daresbury) is a leading centre for the study of free radicals and their reactions. Free radicals are widely recognised as playing a critical part in many scientifically, socially and commercially important processes. From human diseases and therapies to photo-degradation of materials and coatings, from chemical pathways in pollution to plant growth, in all these areas there are many instances where there is a need to study and understand radical reactions.
The historic roots of the FRRF@Daresbury lie in the the pioneering radiation chemical work in the 1960's centered around the then Paterson Laboratories at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. The ground-breaking scientific insights of Keene, Baxendale, Swallow and others, coupled with the organising ability and drive of Ebert rapidly established a vigorous research centre. Indeed, the Paterson was one of the laboratories in which the key discovery of the hydrated electron was made early in that decade. Over the years since then, the pulse radiolysis facility continued to be at the forefront of its field, and the techniques developed here for the controlled initiation and study of radiation-induced fast reactions have found remarkably wide application in the study of short-lived free radicals and electronically excited states, particularly many of biomedical importance.
In latter years, the very success in applying pulse radiolysis and related experimental techniques to a far wider range of science than the specific cancer research mission of the Paterson Institute led to the recognition that the location of the Facility was no longer ideal. The decision was therefore taken to close the Facility on the Paterson site and to relocate it to the CLRC Daresbury Laboratory. The new location provides an excellent combination of a vibrant multi-disciplinary scientific environment and the expert technological support essential for these kinds of experimental technique. Operations at the Paterson ceased in mid-2000; commissioning of the FRRF@Daresbury started in the summer of 2001.Today, the FRRF@Daresbury brings together versatile installations for pulse radiolysis and laser flash photolysis together with the collective expertise of a number of locally-based research teams with interests spanning several areas of free radical science. The complete entity of the Facility thus constitutes a powerful resource for the investigation of free radical reactions and processes.
The local core users of the FRRF@Daresbury represent a number of institutions from across the north-west of England and north-east Wales, including scientists the Drug Development Group, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester, Keele University Department of Chemistry, North East Wales Institute Photochemistry and Free Radical Chemistry Research Group, and University of Salford Division of Biological Sciences. Scientists representing these various local user groups, together representatives from teams of more occasional users and Daresbury Laboratory, form a Steering Committee which oversees the scientific activity of the Facility.
In these pages, you can find out more of the research resources of the Facility, see something of its work through our publications list, or find links to other WWW sites relevant to free radical science.
