Question 1

Semper Sanare, Nil Nocere wins the 2026 Davidson Inventors Challenge

Accepted Answer

Semper Sanare, Nil Nocere wins the 2026 Davidson Inventors Challenge
A team of Year 11 students from Cheltenham have taken the top prize at the first-ever in-person Davidson Inventors Challenge final for a project that aims to present a novel, energy-efficient water sterilisation solution.
The winning team of Fergus Mort, Conrad Van Wyk, Mahin Premkumar, Ben Lacey and Bryan Lin representing Pate’s Grammar School saw off three other teams from schools across the UK to secure the prize. The winning team was mentored by Professor Nigel Slater, former Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. 
Four shortlisted teams were invited to present their work at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CEB) in a competition assessed by a panel of academic and industrial judges, including Professor Raffaella Ocone, President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), and Peter Davidson, son of the Challenge’s namesake Professor John Davidson.  
The finalists delivered presentations on their proposed solutions before taking questions from the judging panel, who then withdrew to deliberate. Participants were treated to a congratulatory video message from alumnus Chris McDonald MP, Minister for Industry, followed by reflections on the future of chemical engineering from the IChemE president. The winners were then announced, ahead of an informal reception for finalists, their mentors and industry guests. 
The winning project from Semper Sanare, Nil Nocere (‘Always heal, do no harm’), proposed using a small Venturi pump system to create hydrodynamic cavitation, a state where a drop in pressure creates air pockets in a liquid that then violently implode. This violent implosion, the team proposed, would mechanically destroy any pathogens present in the water. 
They said:
“It feels surreal to be here. Even being selected as one of the four finalists was really unexpected; we’re honoured to be surrounded by so many extremely talented engineers. It’s just a real honour and privilege.” 
Semper Sanare, Nil Nocere &#8211; 2026 Davidson Inventors Challenge winners

The winning team with their teachers in one of the lecture theatres in the department
With the competition having started life in 2020, previous versions have taken place online only, but organisers, finalists and their mentors welcomed the chance to come together at the department. Those unable to attend were still able to watch online with a hybrid option. 
Associate Teaching Professor and DIC Chair, Dr Kamran Yunus, said:
“Seeing these students present today was amazing. Seeing how confident they were in being able to present their ideas and how robust they were in defending their work when they were asked questions was really, really impressive.” 
Dr Kamran Yunus &#8211; Associate Teaching Professor

The judging panel couldn’t choose between the other three finalist teams and so decided to award a joint-second place to the SuSTEMable Squad (Brighton College), Team 7 (Cambridge Maths School) and The Green Guard (Hampton School). The cash prize was generously sponsored by engineering firm Bridges Ltd.  
Hosted by CEB in collaboration with partners including the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), the Challenge is an annual competition that aims to inspire the next generation of innovators to tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems. 
Previous winners of the Davidson Inventors Challenge have focused on practical, sustainability-led ideas – from removing ‘forever chemicals’ from water (2024) and plant-based antibacterial soaps (2023), to a solar water sterilisation system (2022) and a biodegradable face mask made from potato starch (2021). Sutton Grammar School’s H2O Visionaries took the top prize in 2025 with their project to tackle contaminated fresh water sources.

IChemE President Professor Raffaella Ocone gave an inspiring talk

Question 2

Department set to light up curiosity at CamFest

Accepted Answer

Department set to light up curiosity at CamFest
																												
The Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CEB) is set to spark another wave of curious young minds at this year&#8217;s Cambridge Festival, with 11 hands-on activities.
From playful experiments to interactive demonstrations, there will be something for every budding scientist to explore with activities designed to inspire creativity and wonder in children of all ages. The department will open its doors at 10am until 2pm.
A new addition to this year’s festival is the first-ever Cambridge West trail map. Nine departments on the Cambridge West site, including CEB, are coming together to guide visitors around the campus, with each stop offering a chance to collect a star-shaped stamp. Families can explore all the sites, turning the day into a hands-on science adventure while spotting discoveries across the festival.

You can pick up your copy of the Cambridge West Trail at any participating department
Prof Sam Stranks, one of the world’s leading researchers in emerging solar technologies, knows how important it is to show children what’s possible and what a sustainable future could hold.
“Children are being taught about climate change but they are not being told that there are potential technology solutions,” he said. “We need to show our kids that there is a lot of hope.”
Families will be able to put this into practice by building their own berry-powered solar cells in a simple, hands-on demonstration that turns sunlight into electricity.
Prof Ljiljana Fruk, whose work at the smallest scales of nanomedicine is transforming healthcare, will also be taking part. Reflecting on the spark of curiosity that shaped her own path, she said: “I am hoping that, through talking about our research, and using stories to make the science accessible – just as my teachers once did for me – we can reignite that spark of curiosity. And produce some good old dopamine in the process.” Her session, The future of nanomedicine, will explore how medicine and engineering come together at the nanoscale to detect disease, repair damage, and restore health. Her talk will be aimed at teenagers and adults.
Other activities planned on the day:

Build a buzzing ‘brain-gut’ circuit – The Biotechnology Systems Technology (BEST) research group will show how the gut talks to the brain with lights, sounds, and simple electronic circuits.
Green ammonia for the future – The Catalysis and Process Integration (CaPI) research group will demonstrate the explosive power of hydrogen and how ammonia could store clean energy.
Detectives with colour – The Sensor Centre for Doctoral Training MRes students will reveal secrets hidden in everyday liquids using student-built spectrometers.
Suit up for science – The BioNano Engineering group (Fruk Lab) will invite visitors into a mock clean room to turn pencil drawings into live circuits.
Tomorrow’s World in the making – The Fruk Lab will also reimagine today’s Cambridge research as the discoveries of 2125.
Make your own berry solar cell – Visitors will join the Optoelectronic Materials and Device Spectroscopy Group (StranksLab) team to turn sunlight into electricity with a simple DIY solar cell.
Geraldine the Elephant and the science of foam – The Fruk Lab will lead playful chemistry experiments with the lab’s larger-than-life mascot.
The art of eco-conscious colour – Artist-in-residence Diana Scarborough’s exhibition will combine sound, film, and prints to show how bacteria and natural pigments can create sustainable colour.
Build with DNA – The DNA Nanotechnology (Di Michele Lab) research group will offer oversized DNA puzzles and colourful friendship bracelets to explore the building blocks of life.

So, if you haven&#8217;t yet secured your place at CamFest 2026, book your ticket and avoid missing out.

Question 3

PhD student wins international dance competition

Accepted Answer

PhD student wins international dance competition
The department&#8217;s very own Dina Haddad has turned her research into an original song and dance – and won the chemistry category of the 2026 Dance Your PhD competition.

The annual contest, run by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), publishers of Science, challenges researchers to explain their work through dance. Her work focuses on using magnetic nanoparticles to extract cell-free DNA from urine samples, a technique that could enable earlier and less invasive disease detection.
It may not sound like obvious music video material, but Dina’s 6-month songwriting and choreography effort shows that science can be communicated in ways far beyond graphs and journal articles. She is the first UK winner since 2017.
The video, Magnetic Flow, features impressive pole dancing, an original track, and cameo appearances from several familiar CEB faces. Filming and editing were handled by: Naushin Ahmed, Melina Tsilira and Matthew Ellis, vocals by Barney Lewis, Sofia Dartnell and Dina, and the cast included Dina, Abbie Aleksandrova, Mirta Vojnovic, Drew Baker, Anna Pujol, Eve Gordon, Erin Walker, Oriol Colomer, with a cameo by Professor Ljiljana Fruk.

“I was just having some fun with my research,” Dina said, “and look at where it’s gone. I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me bring the video to life.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxZNo6WWGLU

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