Session Three

Algae helped make the earth a home for fit for humans. Now they may help protect the planet from our impact – Luke Mackinder, Department of Biology

Algae are removing close to 50 per cent of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, at a rate five times faster than humans are releasing carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. Future Leaders fellow, Professor Luke Mackinder, takes us on a breathtaking journey from the atmosphere to the bottom of the deepest oceans, from global warming to the nanoscale workings of these remarkable photosynthetic microorganisms. Not content with helping tackle climate change, Professor Mackinder tells us how algae could also become crucial allies in raising crop yields by as much as 60 per cent. To do this, researchers in the Mackinder Lab at York - in collaboration with colleagues at Princeton, Cambridge and Edinburgh - are lifting the bonnet on algae to tweak their carbon dioxide concentrator mechanisms in a way that will turbocharge their photosynthetic efficiency.

Eavesdropping on an innovative approach to combating malaria ­– Matthew Thomas, Director of the York Environmental Sustainability Institute

It might seem odd to consult an entomologist on the construction of a new house, or the adaptation of an old one. But not if you live in Africa where 94 per cent of the world’s malaria deaths occur. With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and combining the research skills of epidemiologists, social scientists, economists, and industry partners, entomologist Professor Thomas and his team have been working with householders from 40 villages in central Côte d'Ivoire to evaluate a novel approach to mosquito control. This involves housing improvements to reduce mosquito entry, together with an innovative way to target mosquitoes with insecticide, called the ‘eave tube’. Early findings indicate that these housing modifications could dramatically reduce infection rates, at a time when the impact of existing control tools is under threat. Professor Thomas sees this kind of large scale, collaborative approach to research as core to his role as the new Director of the York Environmental Sustainability Institute, and key to directing the power of research and development to the grand challenges facing our planet today.

Immersed in a good game: why you shouldn’t feel guilty about playing The Legend of Zelda and other digital games – Paul Cairns, Department of Computer Science

Whether it’s the blood drenched streets of Grand Theft Auto, or collecting cats in Neko Atsume – a mobile phone game downloaded ten million times – exploring the diverse cognitive experiences of playing games has become a mission for Professor Paul Cairns. The former pure mathematician – ‘my career took a sideways turn’ – now leads a remarkable team of young researchers at the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (IGGI), getting inside the minds of the more than two billion gamers around the world. Professor Cairns sees the immersive experience of playing games as going beyond the simple pleasure of being lost in a good book, to where players confront the challenge and uncertainty games throw at them to lead to fulfilling and enduring experiences. He will show how IGGI’s smart graduates and postgraduates – it will produce more than a hundred of the latter – are seen as critical to the continuing success of a creative industry that adds close to £6bn to the UK economy and whose products are enriching lives around the world.

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