About the Project
The Mary Rose hull was raised in 1982 after spending 437 years under the sea bed and is currently housed in a state-of-the-art museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Whilst buried under the seabed, hydrogen sulfide formed by sulfur-reducing bacteria migrated into the wooden hull and her contents. This reacted with iron ions, from corroded fixtures, to form iron sulfides. Stable in low-oxygen environments, sulfur rapidly oxidises in the presence of iron under atmospheric conditions to form destructive acid. The iron corrosion, coupled to this acid formation, threatens the long term stability of many artefacts retrieved from the Mary Rose hull. A suitable conservation strategy must be determined to prevent these priceless artefacts from being destroyed.
This project will design, develop and produce a multifunctional nanoplatform, based on magnetic nanoparticles, whose surface chemistry has been uniquely tailored with sequestering agents to completely remove harmful species from specific artefacts. While there were over 19,000 artefacts recovered from the Mary Rose, this project will focus on textiles including sail cloth, rope and leather. This project is a unique collaboration between the Corr group at Glasgow chemistry who are experts in nanocomposite design and synthesis, the Quye group at Glasgow Culture and Creative Arts who are experts in the conservation of heritage textiles and Dr Eleanor Schofield, conservation manager at the Mary Rose trust.
Person Specification:
Over the course of this project, you will be trained in all aspects of nanoparticle synthesis and surface functionalisation. You will work closely with other Corr group members working on conservation strategies for wooden artefacts as part of an active research team in our group. You will also be trained in how to fully characterise your materials and examine their effect on textile samples taken from the Mary Rose. You will also spend significant time with the Quye group and liaising with the Mary Rose Trust. Applicants should hold a First Class or Upper Second Class Honours degree or equivalent in Chemistry, Materials Science, Cultural Heritage Science or related disciplines. Any previous experience in archaeological chemistry is advantageous, though not essential. The successful candidate should be highly ambitious, enthusiastic and self-motivated. Good English writing and communication skills are essential. Funding is available to cover research fees, essential consumables, travel costs for project meetings and selected conferences, as well as paying a stipend at the Research Council rate.
Applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Serena Corr with any specific queries ([Email Address Removed])
Funding Notes
Funding is available to cover research fees, essential consumables, travel costs for project meetings and selected conferences, as well as paying a stipend at the Research Council rate.
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