Air pollution projects, tanning lotion study and fintech for first-time buyers

Catch up on news from around the College’s enterprising community before heading off into Easter.

Tanning products: More than what they say on the bottle? 

Thanks to analysis from researchers using the Agilent Measurement Suite at our White City Campus, a BBC special report revealed a number of products found in tanning products that were unidentified on the labels. 

If you don't know what you're taking, you should probably avoid it. Professor Tony Cass Department of Chemistry

Worryingly, as well as discovering that some products contained 100 unlisted ingredients, the researchers also identified that some of the products contained melanotan-2 – a substance that is illegal to be used in tanning products and nasal sprays – and that the products themselves could be linked to skin cancers.  

Professor Tony Cass, researcher on the project, said: "If you don't know what you're taking, you should probably avoid it." The research and investigation has prompted platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to remind users about their content policies, and that they will remove any posts promoting banned substances.    

The Agilent Measurement Suite is a long-term partnership between Imperial and technology company Agilent, providing world-leading analytical equipment for use by Imperial’s specialists and experts for discoveries ranging from wastewater analysis and environmental contamination through to disease diagnosis and detecting chemicals in products, such as this piece of work. 

Nitrogen Dioxide levels sink then soar in zero-emissions zone 

In March 2020, just before the country embarked on the first COVID-19 lockdown, the City of London Corporation created a zero emissions site in the Barbican area on Beech Street, meaning only electric vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists would be able to use the road – the first such scheme in the UK. 

Basically we saw an improvement when the scheme was in place. Louise Mittal Environmental Research Group

However, the scheme ended in September 2021, and unsurprisingly emissions in the area began to creep up again. Researchers from the Environmental Research Group (ERG) at Imperial were commissioned through Imperial Projects  by Clean Cities Campaign to investigate the activity, using air quality data from their network of monitors across London. According to their Londonair.org project, the average level of NO2 recorded at Beech Street is now 42 micrograms per cubic metre - compared to the legal limit, which is an average of 40µg/m3 over the course of a year. Latest World Health Organization guidance suggests a limit of 10µg/m3.

The scheme saw usage of the road plummet to just 10% of pre-scheme levels – partly due to the scheme and partly because of the impact of the lockdown measures – but the evidence was clear, says Louise Mittal from the ERG: “It went down more than other sites in London, then it went back up again when the [zero-emissions] street was removed. Basically we saw an improvement when the scheme was in place.” 

First-time funding for first-time home lenders 

OnLadder, a student startup that participated in the 2021 Venture Catalyst Challenge, have secured £275,000 of funding – including from the co-founder of Monzo – to further develop their innovative mortgage support solution. 

With deposit levels required to make a home purchase increasing as property prices rise, the chances for many first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder are dwindling. Cost of rent and other increases means less money to save for a deposit, and inflation is eroding savings. 

OnLadder’s solution is to fund the deposit, helping provide the first step for home-buyers. The repayment of the deposit loan is secondary to paying the mortgage, and so new homeowners using their service can concentrate their finances on what’s important – i.e. making their monthly payments to the mortgage lender. 

Sustainable futures: Startups’ success and partnerships 

Sustainability at Imperial is a core driving force, and our entrepreneurs are leading the way in their work to implement their ideas and create meaningful impact. 

DASH Rides have signed up to work with St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, helping their mission to tackle staff commuting emissions through DASH’s subscription e-bike platform, supporting the NHS's bold netzero targetwhich even includes how patients get to a hospital. 

VCC 2020 People's Prize winners Treeconomy have continued to make strides since participating in the competition, and have recently been selected to join the Microsoft AI for Environmental Sustainability Accelerator. 

Skincare can be a materials-intensive industry, with a lot of experimenting from customers before they land on the right products – often resulting in a lot of waste. Student-founded app Clear aim to address that through more personalised and individualised skincare experiences – using the same principles behind fitness trackers - and were named as winners of the 2022 L'Oréal Beauty Tech For Good Challenge, giving them access to mentorship from industry insiders to further develop their product.  

Keep up to date with the Enterprise Division

Keep abreast of latest news from the Enterprise Division by subscribing to our monthly newsletter, as well as joining with us on Twitter and Linkedin.