These findings have the potential to accelerate the discovery of novel, more efficient cryoprotectants - and may also allow for the repurposing of molecules already known to slow or stop ice growth.

Professor Matthew Gibson, from Swagֱ�� Institute of Biotechnology at Swagֱ��, added: “My team has spent more than a decade studying how ice-binding proteins, found in polar fish, can interact with ice crystals, and we’ve been developing new molecules and materials that mimic their activity. This has been a slow process, but collaborating with Professor Sosso has revolutionized our approach. The results of the computer model were astonishing, identifying active molecules I never would have chosen, even with my years of expertise. This truly demonstrates the power of machine learning.”

The full paper can be read .

The framework combines dimension reduction techniques and a new explainable clustering algorithm called CLASSIX, developed by mathematicians at Swagֱ��. This enables the quick identification of groups of viral genomes that might present a risk in the future from huge volumes of data.

, presented this week in the journal PNAS, could support traditional methods of tracking viral evolution, such as phylogenetic analysis, which currently require extensive manual curation.

Like many other RNA viruses, COVID-19 has a high mutation rate and short time between generations meaning it evolves extremely rapidly. This means identifying new strains that are likely to be problematic in the future requires considerable effort.

Currently, there are almost 16 million sequences available on the GISAID database (the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data), which provides access to genomic data of influenza viruses.

Mapping the evolution and history of all COVID-19 genomes from this data is currently done using extremely large amounts of computer and human time.

The described method allows automation of such tasks. The researchers processed 5.7 million high-coverage sequences in only one to two days on a standard modern laptop; this would not be possible for existing methods, putting identification of concerning pathogen strains in the hands of more researchers due to reduced resource needs.

, Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Swagֱ��, said: “The unprecedented amount of genetic data generated during the pandemic demands improvements to our methods to analyse it thoroughly. The data is continuing to grow rapidly but without showing a benefit to curating this data, there is a risk that it will be removed or deleted.

“We know that human expert time is limited, so our approach should not replace the work of humans all together but work alongside them to enable the job to be done much quicker and free our experts for other vital developments.”

The proposed method works by breaking down genetic sequences of the COVID-19 virus into smaller “words” (called 3-mers) represented as numbers by counting them. Then, it groups similar sequences together based on their word patterns using machine learning techniques.

, Professor of Applied Mathematics at Swagֱ��, said: “The clustering algorithm CLASSIX we developed is much less computationally demanding than traditional methods and is fully explainable, meaning that it provides textual and visual explanations of the computed clusters.”

Roberto Cahuantzi added: “Our analysis serves as a proof of concept, demonstrating the potential use of machine learning methods as an alert tool for the early discovery of emerging major variants without relying on the need to generate phylogenies.

“Whilst phylogenetics remains the ‘gold standard’ for understanding the viral ancestry, these machine learning methods can accommodate several orders of magnitude more sequences than the current phylogenetic methods and at a low computational cost.”

The centre, led Dr Mauricio A Álvarez, will train the next generation of AI researchers to develop AI methods designed to accelerate new scientific discoveries – specifically in the fields of astronomy, engineering biology and material science.

The University will be working in partnership with The University of Cambridge, and is one of 12 Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) based at 16 universities, announced by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) today (31 October).

The investment by UKRI aims to ensure that the UK continues to have the skills needed to seize the potential of the AI era, and to nurture the British tech talent that will push the AI revolution forwards. 

£117 million in total has been awarded to the 12 CDTs and builds on the previous UKRI investment of £100 million in 2018.

Doctoral students at Swagֱ�� will be provided with a foundation in Machine Learning and AI and an in-depth understanding of the implications of its application to solve real-world problems.

The programme will also cover the areas of responsible AI and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Dr Mauricio A Álvarez, Senior Lecturer in Machine Learning at Swagֱ��, said: "We are delighted to be awarded funding for this new AI CDT. Swagֱ�� is investing heavily in AI research and translation, and the CDT will complement other significant efforts in research through our AI Fundamentals Centre at the University and innovation via the Turing Innovation Catalyst. Our partnership with Cambridge will also enable us to educate experts capable of generalising and translating nationally to stimulate the development and adoption of AI technology in high-potential, lower AI-maturity sectors.

“Modern science depends on a variety of complex systems, both in terms of the facilities that we use and the processes that we model. AI has the potential to help us understand these systems better, as well as to make them more efficient.

“The AI methods we will develop will apply to a wide range of challenges in complex systems, from transport systems to sports teams. We are partnering with a diverse pool of industry collaborators to address these challenges jointly."

Dr Julia Handl, Professor in Decision Sciences at Swagֱ��, said: “This CDT is a fantastic opportunity to bring together researchers from a wide spectrum of disciplines, from across all three of Swagֱ��’s Faculties, to ensure we can develop innovative solutions that are appropriate to the complexity and uncertainty of real-world systems. The involvement of the Faculty of Humanities is crucial in ensuring such systems are effective and inclusive in supporting human decision makers, and in delivering the centre’s cross-cutting theme of increasing business productivity, supported by collaboration with the Productivity Institute, the Masood Enterprise Centre and a range of industry partners.”

UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said: “The UK is in a strong position to harness the power of AI to transform many aspects of our lives for the better. Crucial to this endeavour is nurturing the talented people and teams we need to apply AI to a broad spectrum of challenges, from healthy aging to sustainable agriculture, ensuring its responsible and trustworthy adoption. UKRI is investing £117 million in Centres for Doctoral Training to develop the talented researchers and innovators we need for success.”

Dr Kedar Pandya, Executive Director, Cross-Council Programmes at UKRI, said: “This £117 million investment, will involve multiple business and institutional partners for the Centres of Doctoral Training. These include well-known brands such as IBM, Astra Zeneca, and Google, as well as small to medium sized enterprises that are innovating in the AI field. A further £110 million has been leveraged from all partners in the form of cash or in-kind contributions such as use of facilities, resources or expertise.”

The first cohort of UKRI AI CDT students will start in the 2024/2025 academic year, recruitment for which will begin shortly.

Dr Kathryn Hentges and her team hope the two-year project, funded by a grant from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), will provide patients and clinicians with new knowledge on the causes of congenital heart diseases and provide families with options in reproductive choices.

Dr Hentges added that longer term she hoped the research could pave the way to future screening for these genes, and empower families with knowledge about the underlying causes of congenital heart conditions.

This project is also another step towards understanding how the heart can develop incorrectly and ultimately help to inform future research that it is hoped could eventually prevent heart defects in babies from happening at all.

Each day in the UK around 13 babies are diagnosed with congenital heart disease and some children will need one or more procedures to help their hearts function normally.

The grant of £140,951 is the latest BHF grant awarded to Dr Hentges and will build on her earlier work to better understand which specific genes cause heart defects.

Previous research by the team used machine learning to predict which genes are likely to be involved in the development of the heart. The new grant will allow the team to further analyse these genes using AI to find out if they are the same genes as those found with mutations in congenital heart disease.

“I’ve always had an interest in understanding the causes of birth defects in general and particularly why new gene mutations cause children to be born with these defects,” said Dr Hentges.

“In this research we are focusing specifically on the heart to understand if we can link particular genes which have a role in development to those that cause congenital heart defects.

“This project will help speed up the process to achieve a genetic diagnosis for people with congenital heart defects, because it will identify the genes that are the most likely to cause these defects.

“We hope it will be able to give people an understanding of why something has happened to them that makes then different, and we also hope it will give peace of mind to parents that it is nothing they did in pregnancy that has caused the harm.

“Speaking to clinicians I know this is a huge issue –parents often have a lot of guilt when children are born with congenital disease, a feeling that they must have done something wrong.

“So I think it will help a lot of people, helping parents know they didn’t do anything wrong as well as giving them a specific diagnosis so that in future they will understand the course of the disease progression and make sure they get the best care for their child as they grow up.”

BHF Research Advisor Dr Tian Yu said: “Today, thanks to research, more than eight out of 10 babies born with a congenital heart defect in the UK survive to adulthood. However, we don’t always know why their hearts haven’t developed properly, and understanding this better could improve the way we diagnose and treat these conditions.

“This research could help parents better understand why and how these defects occur and help them work with medical experts to ensure they can get the best care for their children as they grow up.”

The Swagֱ�� will be based at the engineering and materials facilities at Swagֱ�� which will provide a state-of-the-art home for industry-leading research in AI-powered devices and be an “interface between robotics, autonomy and AI”.

Swagֱ�� has built a modern reputation of excellence in AI and robotics, partly based on the legacy of seminal thought leadership begun in this field in Swagֱ�� by legendary codebreaker Alan Turing (1). The creation of the new Swagֱ�� centre also follows robotics and AI being identified by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as the most critical drivers for 21^st century economies (2).

To mark the opening of the new robotics centre, the Swagֱ�� group will host its first conference on Wednesday, Nov 23. Topics under discussion will include applications of robotics in extreme environments.

For the past decade, a specialist Swagֱ�� team led by Professor Barry Lennox has designed robots to work safely in nuclear decommissioning sites in the UK. A ground-breaking robot called Lyra that has been developed by Professor Lennox’s team - and recently deployed at the Dounreay site in Scotland, the “ – has been listed in .

Other world-leading Swagֱ�� applications include foldable drones to characterise subterranean mines or for the inspection of offshore wind turbines. And Swagֱ�� leads on designing the verification technologies to ensure that we can trust these robots when working autonomously in hazardous conditions.

A conference highlight will be a joint talk by robotics expert Dr Andy Weightman and theologian Dr Scott Midson which is expected to put a spotlight on ‘posthumanism’ – a future world where humans won’t be the only highly intelligent decision-makers.

Dr Weightman, who researches home-based rehabilitation robotics for people with neurological impairment, and Dr Midson, who researches theological and philosophical critiques of posthumanism, will discuss how interdisciplinary research can help with the special challenges of rehabilitation robotics – and, ultimately, what it means to be human “in the face of the promises and challenges of human enhancement through robotic and autonomous machines”.

Delegates will also have a chance to observe a series of robots and autonomous machines being demoed at the conference.

Angelo Cangelosi, Professor of Machine Learning and Robotics at Swagֱ��, said the University offers a world-leading position in the field of autonomous systems – a technology that will be an integral part of our future world. 

Professor Cangelosi, co-Director of the Swagֱ�� , said: “We are delighted to host our inaugural conference which will provide a special showcase for our diverse academic expertise to design robotics for a variety of real world applications.

"Our research and innovation team are at the interface between robotics, autonomy and AI – and their knowledge is drawn from across the University's disciplines, including biological and medical sciences – as well the humanities and even theology. 

“This rich diversity offers Swagֱ�� a distinctive approach to designing robots and autonomous systems for real world applications, especially when combined with our novel use of AI-based knowledge.”

Swagֱ��’s Centre for Robotics and AI will aim to: 

·       design control systems with a focus on bio-inspired solutions to mechatronics, eg the use of biomimetic sensors, actuators and robot platforms; 

·       develop new software engineering and AI methodologies for verification in autonomous systems, with the aim to design trustworthy autonomous systems; 

·       research human-robot interaction, with a pioneering focus on the use of brain-inspired approaches to robot control, learning and interaction; and 

·       research the ethics and human-centred robotics issues, for the understanding of the impact of the use of robots and autonomous systems with individuals and society.

‘Hot robotic’ systems were originally designed to work in radioactive environments found in decommissioned nuclear reactors - but future assignments for this type of super machine will include deployment in nuclear fusion power, the offshore energy sector, agriculture and even outer space.

As part of an ambitious R&D programme to maintain UK leadership in robotic technologies, Swagֱ�� experts are applying AI technologies to ‘hot robotics’ as they will increasingly need to act independently of human operators as they enter a range of danger zones to carry out highly complex tasks.    

Swagֱ��’s expertise in AI and robotic technologies will be showcased on June 14 as part of a symposium that will put a spotlight on the National Nuclear User Facility Hot Robotics programme Register here:

An important challenge in the nuclear industry is to improve robot autonomy so that the technology can be used to deliver safer, faster and cheaper decommissioning of legacy power stations and other radioactive facilities at sites such as Sellafield and Dounreay.

To support this challenge, the Robotics and AI Collaboration (RAICo) has been established in Cumbria as a joint research programme between Swagֱ��, the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA), Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the National Nuclear Laboratory. The aim is to develop advanced robotic and AI solutions and transferring these to sites across the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s estate in the UK.

In addition to supporting the nuclear decommissioning industry, RAICo will also provide a pilot for the development and application of sophisticated robotic systems in other sectors – a recent  estimates that the total UK market size for autonomous robotic systems will reach almost £3.5 billion by 2030. 

Academic engagement into RAICo is being led by Professor Barry Lennox and his team at Swagֱ��. This group leads the (Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear) hub and are also part of the Swagֱ�� Robotics and AI Centre.

“The inclusion of AI is because the goal is to develop automated systems that can operate much more efficiently than if they were operated by people,” explained Barry Lennox.

“Within RAICo we are looking at how to improve the operation of remote manipulation and inspection systems. We’re helping Sellafield and other nuclear end-users to develop the next generation of remote surveying and handling equipment so they can improve their operations.”

Professor Lennox explained that Swagֱ�� is a world-leader in designing and developing autonomous systems through the application of AI technologies like machine learning to significantly improve robotic systems.

The Swagֱ��-led RAIN group has built up their expertise after pioneering a series of resilient robotic systems to carry out work in many of the UK’s decommissioned nuclear power stations – doing work that is too dangerous for humans.

Professor Lennox explained: “The prefix ‘hot’ was introduced because we were interested in deploying the robots into active environments - but we’re now looking to expand the hot so it can refer to more general applications, including the space, agriculture and offshore sectors. Many of the challenges are similar, although the robots may end up looking a bit different.”

Enhancing the AI capability of these machines is the next big challenge for his team, added Professor Lennox. “AI introduces lots of additional problems related to ensuring that the AI will do what we expect it to do and not cause damage or risk the safety of humans.”

Expanding beyond nuclear decommissioning, the Swagֱ��-led RAIN team are also establishing joint programmes of work with the UK Atomic Energy Authority to support them in the development of robotic systems for nuclear fusion reactors.

Rob Buckingham, Director UK Atomic Energy Authority and head of their Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) centre, said: “The next generation of robotics will be essential for the delivery of fusion power and, recognising this, we intend to collaborate widely with the best, such as the robotics research group at Swagֱ��.

“Working with Swagֱ�� on the RAIN programme has reaped huge rewards for both parties so let’s do more.”

Finally, Swagֱ�� researchers have been advising UK policy-makers and energy sector leaders on the safe development of robotic and autonomous systems for work in harsh environments.

  and have recently outlined recommendations in their ‘, calling for greater transparency and easier verification in autonomous decision-making processes, particularly for systems used in situations where there is a risk to human wellbeing. 

 

Lynda McIntosh, Research Communications and Marketing Manager, and Vicky Taylor-Plane, Corporate Communications Manager, updated together on the REF communications plan and the Research Impact Showcase. This was followed by an update from Enna Bartlett, Biotechnology Beacon Communications and Marketing Manager, who presented on current activity in the Biotechnology Beacon. We then heard from Phil Wallace, Research Platforms Team (Digital Futures and Sustainable Futures) Communications and Engagement Coordinator, who updated on the and the North West Partnership for Security and Trust.

Sarah Barton, Research Platforms Team ( and Sustainable Futures) Strategy and Operations Manager, updated on DF/SF activity, including the development of major University, the ‘Digital Tools and Climate Responses’, the ‘Humans In The Loop: The Future of Design and Digital Manufacturing’, the Sustainable Futures, and the Advances in Data Science and AI.
Anne-Marie Nugnes, Creative Swagֱ�� Manager, also shared updates on activity, including news on the postponement of the Creative Swagֱ�� launch events to Autumn, the recruitment of a new intern, the planning of the platform’s seminar series, and plans to appoint focus area leads for each of the research themes.

 Ad hoc updates were provided by Terri Lucas, Civic Engagement Manager, on the Engaging with Policymakers for the Arts and Humanities event; Leda Channer, Communications and Engagement Coordinator, on activity; Sabina Hawthornthwaite, Faculty Research Strategy Coordinator, on the Centre for Robotics and AI launch; and Matthew Harrison, IDSAI Manager, on the upcoming Turing Fellow ‘Spotlight’.

The next meeting of the network will take place on 19^th May 2022 and will include updates from Professor Mike Shaver, Sustainable Futures Director, Professor John McAuliffe, Creative Swagֱ�� Director, and Professor Chris Taylor, Digital Futures Director (TBC).

Sign up to receive updates,, and activity.

About the network:

This network brings together over 100 colleagues from across the University in PS interdisciplinary research roles, including Institute and Centre Managers, Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange staff, and Beacons, Faculty and Corporate Communications and Marketing colleagues. The group meets every two months to hear updates from colleagues and discuss synergies and ways of working together across interdisciplinary activity at UoM. For more information, please contact Peter Kane.

The seminar will take place on Wednesday 16^th March 2022 from 13:00 – 14:15 (registration from 12:45) and will take place at Alliance Swagֱ�� Busines School, Penthouse room 10.007. A light lunch and refreshments will be provided.

The event is co-hosted with the at the Alliance Swagֱ�� Business School as part of their FinTech Seminar Series and is part of Digital Futures’s wider .

Attendees can register to attend the seminar on . In the event of further restrictions, this event will be held as an online seminar. Registrants will be contacted with visitor guidance nearer the time.

About the talk

Technological and data analytic advances over the past few decades have fundamentally changed the way in which we work. Each has driven the other forward with larger datasets requiring technological innovation and technological innovation resulting in the creation of more data. New and continually developing skillsets have emerged and recognition of the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration is rising.

Even so there is a strong direction towards the automation of tasks and replacement of apparently fallible human intelligence with artificial intelligence wherever possible. But what are we losing as we run at pace down this path? What about automation bias? What about the loss of expertise and its development? What about autonomy and engagement? What about starting with the people, seeing them at the heart of knowledge work and leveraging human intelligence to design in a way that engages our thinking?

This has been the approach of Wendy Jephson first as Co-Founder of Sybenetix, then as Head of Research & Ideation for Market Technology at Nasdaq, including her work at Nasdaq on detecting and preventing financial crime, and now as Founder of LetsThink. This talk will discuss the approach with examples of the journey so far.

About the speaker

Wendy Jephson is Founding CEO of LetsThink, a new start-up which produces domain specific technology designed specifically to support complex analytic thinking. They specialise in engaged intelligence, enabling their clients to think brilliantly.

Dual qualified as a commercial lawyer and Business Psychologist with domain expertise in healthcare and financial services, this is her second start up. As Co-Founder of Sybenetix, Wendy was instrumental in the original vision, growth phase and acquisition of her first company by Nasdaq. At Nasdaq she was Head of Research & Ideation and led a unique team of experts that combined behavioural science, financial domain knowledge, and advanced analytics to bring diverse thinking and cross-industry experience to designing and delivering technology to solve some of the biggest challenges facing financial services.

Recognised as a leader in her field, Wendy regularly delivers keynotes to Regulators, Buy and Sell-side organisations, Regulators and leading universities around the world on topics as diverse as AI, Surveillance, Technology Design, Cognitive Engineering, Organisational Resilience and Conduct and Culture. Wendy also have previously sat as a Board member for the Copenhagen, Helsinki, Iceland and Oslo Nasdaq Exchanges and currently acts as an Advisor to AIR, the Alliance for Innovative Regulation and Chairs the Advisory Board of UCL’s Doctoral Research Programme, Ecobrain.