Jane Hodgkinson is a Reader in Applied Photonics within the Centre for Engineering Photonics at Cranfield University. Here, she leads activity to develop novel optical sensors and instrumentation for gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). She also chairs the UK Gas Analysis and Sensing Group, a self-funded technology forum that brings together academia, industry and major users of gas, VOC and particle / aerosol sensors. 

What are you working on as part of the Hub?

I am working on the natural synergy between detection and characterisation of aerosols and gas / VOC measurements. We see potential opportunities for optical sensors to help meet measurement challenges in bioaerosol detection. The non-contact, non-intrusive nature of optical measurements means that they can often be deployed without disturbing the sample, or interrupting the sample flow. We use optical spectroscopy in the UV, visible, near and mid IR regions of the spectrum. This technology is sensitive to changes in molecular bonding that can reveal rich information about the contents of a sample.

What is exciting you the most about your current research? 

Our initial research will look at combining optical measurements with aerosol sampling technology to see what we can discover about these important but potentially complex samples. This is exciting as we will be engaging in genuinely curiosity-driven research, and we don’t know where it will lead. Beyond that, creativity is often sparked by bringing people with diverse perspectives together to work on a common aim, making this collaboration so much fun.

What difference do you hope your research will make?

Recently our work has involved the detection of gases or VOCs from biological matrices, notably faeces and breath, for healthcare applications. I am keen to extend our work into applications where similar samples present in the form of aerosols, for example from breath or around sewage works. 

What are you most proud of in your research career?

At Cranfield, we have built a research centre with a reputation for taking optical measurements from the laboratory bench and out into the field. I am always pleased when I see a prototype instrument go from being an idea to a real device, out there making a difference. I’m very proud to be part of this consortium, with a core of researchers with the same philosophy of making clever bits of technology into useful measurement tools.