This Natural Sciences programme draws together the resources of four key scientific disciplines – chemistry, electronics, physics and mathematics – to delve deep into the hidden world of atoms and molecules. This is a world where a nanometre measures one billionth of a metre: a human hair, by comparison, is about 100,000 nanometres thick. You will be able to draw on the expertise and knowledge of the University of York’s purpose-built JEOL Nanocentre, which is equipped with some of the world’s most sensitive and sophisticated microscopes, enabling researchers to actually see what is happening at the atomic level. Researchers from the JEOL Nanocentre recently became the world’s first scientists to perfect a technique for observing atomic particles as they react: a development that opens up new fields of inquiry in the physical sciences and which also has important implications for the development of new medicines and new energy sources.

The ever expanding applications of nanotechnology are opening up career opportunities in areas as diverse as: Electronics/semiconductor industry Materials science including textiles, polymers and packaging Automotive and aerospace industries Sporting goods Biotechnology Medical fields and pharmaceuticals Environmental monitoring and control Food science including quality control and packaging Forensics University and NHS research Defence and national security Energy capture and storage