NHM
The Natural History Museum first opened its doors to the public in 1881, but its origins go back more than 250 years, when physician and collector of natural curiosities, Sir Hans Sloane, left his extensive collection to the nation in1753. Originally Sloane’s specimens formed part of the British Museum, but as other collections were added, including specimens collected by botanist Joseph Banks on his 1768-1771 voyage with Captain James Cook aboard HMS Endeavour, the natural history elements started to need their own home. Sir Richard Owen, Superintendent of the British Museum’s natural history collection, persuaded the Government that a new museum was needed. He had an ambitious plan – to display species in related groups and to exhibit typical specimens with prominent qualities.
The Natural History Museum is a dynamic scientific research institution that has been gathering knowledge about the natural world for over 250 years and is an international leader in the scientific study of the natural world. The Museum’s science mission is to (1) explore the diversity of the natural world and the processes that generate this diversity (2) use the knowledge gained to promote responsible interaction with the natural world. This mission is delivered in part by the collections of over 70 million specimens,and by the generation of new knowledge through research. The Museum’s research tackles today’s issues of biodiversity decline, disease, climate change and environmental pollution. NHM is one of the world’s premier institutions for naming, describing and classifying all life on Earth. Research at the Museum evolves with time and there is now a multidisciplinary research team carrying out work into the understanding of nanoparticle behaviour and possible environmentaland health implications resulting from the development of nanotechnologies. The NanoTeam is led by Dr Eugenia Valsami-Jones and its members come from the Mineralogy and Zoology Departments.
In the Mineralogy Department, Dr Valsami-Jones specializes in mineral reactivity and the application of mineralogy to environmental problems. The NanoTeam members there synthesise, characterize and study the reactivity of a number of metal, metal oxide, metal sulfide and carbon-based nanomaterials.They address research questions on the behaviour of nanoparticles in biological and natural systems and the mechanisms involved in nanoparticles stability and solubility.
In the Zoology Department, Prof. Philip Rainbow (Head of Department) and Dr Sam Luoma have many years research experience on the effect of metals in biota and the environment. Along with externally funded NanoTeam members, they are currently focusing on the bioavailability of nanoparticles to aquatic invertebrates from both water and the diet, and are applying the Biodynamic Model to determine trace metal bioaccumulation.
NaNoRISK at NHM