Discover how rural and island communities across Scotland are grappling with a growing housing emergency and why water infrastructure is an often overlooked but essential part of the solution. This thought‑provoking blog explores the challenges facing these communities, the barriers to building new homes, and the urgent need to rethink how water systems support sustainable …
Congratulations to Dr Elizabeth Lawson for having been awarded the Percy Fellowship in the Centre for Rural Economy, at Newcastle University where she will continue with her work on water and the rural economy. The four year position will support her development as an independent researcher, whilst working on a number of national and international …
Dr. Poursat was invited by Markes International to present his research at a masterclass on TD-GC-MS non-targeted analysis held in Bridgend on 21 October 2025. The event gathered both industrial and academic experts, fostering valuable discussions on analytical innovation and cross-sector collaboration. Dr. Poursat showcased the application of VOC profiling for system monitoring within the …
A team led by Prof. Alasdair Clark and Prof. Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay has turned a promising lab invention into a rugged, portable chemical-fingerprinting tool that’s now being put to work with the Faroe Islands Water Authority and at Scottish Water treatment sites. In Tórshavn, our system has already been used by the national testing laboratory to fingerprint diverse real-world samples—from reservoirs and rivers to aquaculture …
Dr. Baptiste Poursat has recently launched a field sampling campaign to uncover the volatile organic compound (VOC) fingerprints of septic systems. This work combines a three months on-site sampling campaign with new advanced analytical methods, including thermal desorption and non-targeted GC–MS analysis, to characterise the wide range of chemicals present in real-world septic environments. The …
A short educational animation commissioned and co-produced by Dr Elizabeth Lawson and Dr Laura Major. Animation produced by Media Coop, Glasgow. The animation is titled “Where does your water come from? Understanding private water supplies in Scotland”, published on YouTube and embedded via the project website. The animation was commissioned via project “Taps Aff! Voicing …