UL's new dean of science, David O'Beirne, talks to Anna Nolan about his plans and ambitions for boosting the university's research profile.
David O'Beirne has taken up his new role as the dean of the college of science at the University of Limerick during what he calls "tough times" for third-level science.
"All the universities are facing the challenge of the drop in interest in science among Leaving Certificate students, and we are competing with each other for them and for research grants," Prof O'Beirne told Science Today.
Among his planned responses to the challenge, one of his most immediate is to undertake some serious strategic planning. He wants to have an outside facilitator analyse the situation in UL. "We need someone detached, and I hope that we can start very soon."
Another of his principal aims is for UL to set up an institute for life sciences similar to the College of Science's multidisciplinary Materials and Surface Science Institute (MSSI), which has already proved successful.
"MSSI is one of our flagships for chemistry and physics, and was set up with funding from PRTLI [Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions] and several other sources," O'Beirne explains. "We are trying to do the same thing for biosciences, because this is one of the areas in the next wave of development."
Funding for science research in UL comes from many different bodies and programmes, including the Fifth and Sixth EU Framework Programmes, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and industry.
SFI recently awarded funding to two science researchers in UL. Prof Martin Caffrey, who comes to UL from Ohio State University in the US, is researching transportation in cell membranes. Prof Noel Buckley, already of UL, is researching coating materials for use in electronics.
As with all science deans, O'Beirne will be putting major effort into obtaining more research funding. "UL has developed to be relevant to industry, but this sometimes means we have problems getting grants for basic research - we have a palette of applied and basic research and I want this to expand."
He has a many-pronged approach to the "tough times" problem. He plans to improve learning support for undergraduate students, particularly those who arrive with just one Leaving Certificate science subject under their belt.
The College of Science has long-established courses in biochemistry, chemistry, environmental science, equine science, food science, physics, science education, and sport and exercise science. It now has several new courses in the health sciences - nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy. Together with Prof Linda Shields, who came to UL from the University of Queensland Australia last year, O'Beirne plans to develop research in this new health area.
His personal research interest is food. He holds a bachelor's and master's degree in agricultural science from University College Dublin, and a doctorate in food science from Cornell University in the US. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology of Ireland.
Before joining UL, he worked in research at the National Food Centre in Dublin. He has been Professor of Food Technology and Head of the Department of Life Sciences in the College of Science at UL for the past eight years. He is also director of the Food Science Research Centre.
His research topics at UL include novel food preservation techniques, in particular those concerned with the safety and quality of "fresh-cut" produce - washed cut vegetables and fruit prepared for eating raw, or for use in cooked meals. These foods are usually sold packaged in a protective modified atmosphere.
He leads a team of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers investigating the effects of modified atmospheres on pathogens, enzymes, plant physiology and chemistry. This research is important for the consumer safety of such foods.