Inspiring the next generation of engineers to tackle pandemics

Disease transmission is usually thought of as a medical challenge, but Covid-19 has demonstrated just how important engineering is in understanding the routes of infection and mitigating risks in our homes, schools, workplaces and social settings.

The science of virus transmission and engineering responses such as masks and ventilation feature in this years Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures, where IMechE Fellow Professor Cath Noakes from the University of Leeds is one of the guest lecturers.

The Christmas Lectures are tailored for a younger audience to inspire them about science and technology. 

Some of the UK’s most eminent scientists have been involved in the Christmas Lectures since their inception in 1825 including Michael Faraday and Sir David Attenborough

This years format will see Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, deliver three lecturers about the way science responded to the pandemic, and how the major research effort it sparked will transform society.

For each of the lectures, Professor Van-Tam will be joined by two guest lecturers, each of whom has played a key role in the UK’s response to the pandemic and will lead an on-screen exploration into their area of scientific expertise. 

The lecture featuring Professor Noakes is titled the Perfect Storm and will be screened on Wednesday, 29 December at 8pm on BBC Four. The other expert for that lecture is Julia Gog, Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of Cambridge. 

The role of fluid dynamics

During the lecture Professor Noakes will look at the physics of transmission, considering how viruses are transported between people and how human behaviour and the indoor environment influences the risk of exposure.

Professor Noakes said “Transmission occurs through aerosols and droplets that carry virus, and strategies such as keeping our distance, wearing masks and having effective building ventilation are important to control the spread.”

“We can use the principles of fluid dynamics, commonly applied across engineering, to understand the behaviour of these aerosols and droplets, and use this to design the most effective strategies to manage risk”.

Engineering pandemic response

Engineers worldwide have been involved in supporting the pandemic response through developing new technologies such as air cleaning devices and working to assess and improve buildings to reduce exposure to viruses carried in the air.

This includes the IMechE Covid-19 Task Force which has brought together members from across the Institutions special interest groups and regions to provide expert knowledge on engineering solutions.

The group have developed a manual to support engineering solutions,  contributed to the Royal Academy of Engineering report on Infection Resilient Environments and deliver a successful course to train engineers in infection control principles for buildings.

Mark Jackson, Chair and Sponsor IMechE Pandemic Infection Control Solutions - Task Force at Institution of Mechanical Engineers said “We need some practical solutions to allow us to live in a world where we are faced with disease that arises from us not having clean air. The work that Professor Noakes brings to the team allows us as Engineers to use science to create safer indoor living spaces”

An infection resilient future

The pandemic has shown that buildings play an important role in transmission of respiratory diseases but they are also a major contributor to carbon emissions through their heating and ventilation systems. Developing new approaches to enable buildings to be energy efficient and healthy for their occupants is an important challenge that needs to be urgently addressed.

Professor Noakes said “It is important that the next generation of engineers understand the importance of buildings for health as well as ensuring that they are sustainable. We will only achieve this if engineers work across disciplines to ensure that technology approaches address biological challenges and interface effectively with human behaviour”

“I hope that this years Christmas lecture will give young people an insight into the wider roles that engineers can play and inspire them to think creatively about some of the big questions in society”.

The Christmas lectures will be broadcast at 8pm on BBC Four on: Tuesday 28 December, Wednesday 29 December and Thursday 30 December. Professor Noakes’ lecture is on the Wednesday. The lectures will also be available on BBC iPlayer.