Solution crystal clear to student

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Oct 7, 2004

Bright spark Emma Rann, 20, who stepped into a student enterprise programme at the last minute, has won praise from a firm for designing gear that will play an important part in its expansion.

Emma, of Chester-le-Street, studies mechanical engineering at Oxford University.

She spent her summer break on a Shell Technology Enterprise Programme placement with Durham Scientific Crystals.

DSC, based at Durham's Mountjoy Research Centre, is a spin-off company set up to commercially exploit cutting edge technology developed within the University. The firm produces crystal wafers of cadmium telluride used in X-ray, gamma ray, infra-red detection and modern medical imaging techniques.

The company, currently a small team with two full-time employees, is working with multi-national companies and poised for significant expansion as it begins to exploit the huge potential of its development in the medical, space and security markets.

Emma's project was to design equipment to clean specialist glassware, used to produce crystals in, without using toxic chemicals.

The result will save the company time and money and reduce hazards and make a considerable environmental impact.

DSC managing director, Dr Arnab Basu, said: "We just did not have the manpower to complete this project. We were delighted when Emma was found as she has all the skills we needed and has done an excellent job. She took the project from conceptual phase to the detailed final design and drawings so we can now have the equipment made to her specification.."