SynHiSel in Schools

How do you get 9- and 10-year-olds excited about membrane technology?
By letting them roll up their sleeves and see science in action.
Our team at SynHiSel recently took membrane science out of the lab and into the classroom at Combe Down Primary School.

SynHiSel Programme Manager, Rachel Lewis, and Programme Coordinator, Rebecca Cooper, recently visited Combe Down Primary School to get children thinking about filtration – and how membrane technology is used in the real world.

The Year 5 pupils were quick to dive into the challenge. Faced with bottles of muddy and coloured water, they were asked a simple question: would you drink this? This led to lively discussions about what might be hiding in the mixtures — from dirt and bacteria to tiny plastics — and how scientists and engineers develop ways to make water safe to drink.

Working in small groups, the children used different “membranes” such as mesh and filter paper to separate the mixtures, observing flow speed, filtrate clarity and residue quantity, to determine which membranes were most effective.

Through their experiments, they observed that the smaller the holes (or ‘pores’) in the membrane, the better the results. They discovered that while some membranes could remove larger, visible particles, most were unable to separate dissolved colour from water. Luckily, Rachel and Rebecca had some specialist filter paper from the SynHiSel lab up their lab coat sleeves, which the children used to successfully separate coloured dye from water: amazing!

It was wonderful to witness the children’s curiosity, their quick command of the vocabulary and specialist equipment, their teamwork and general excitement at getting hands-on.

Rachel Lewis said, “The pupils were incredibly engaged and curious — they asked brilliant questions about how our membranes work and what they could be used for. It’s fantastic to see their enthusiasm.”

The visit is part of SynHiSel’s public engagement programme, which aims to develop opportunities for people and communities to discuss, create and participate in research.

The products of membrane-based processes surround us, from clean water to pharmaceuticals and food products, like tea bags and orange juice. And with these products, the impacts of manufacturing also surround us: it’s estimated that chemical separations processes account for 10-15% of global CO2 emissions. The SynHiSel programme team are developing highly selective membrane technologies that could make these processes dramatically more energy-efficient, with the potential to cut CO2 emissions by 100 million tonnes and save £3.5 billion annually.

Our mission? To revolutionise membrane technology for a more sustainable future.

By visiting local schools, we hope to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers to think creatively about how science and technology can solve our most pressing global challenges.