A new paper published in Nature Physics in July 2026 acknowledges the support of the UPDICE project.

The paper, “Attosecond response of molecules to impulsive ionization”, investigates the response of para-aminophenol molecules following sudden ionisation. Using attosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the researchers resolve ultrafast electronic dynamics with atomic-scale sensitivity, capturing processes occurring on sub-femtosecond and few-femtosecond timescales.

The findings provide new experimental insight into ultrafast charge motion and provide an important benchmark for theoretical models of molecular dynamics following ionisation.

Read the paper: Nature Physics

A new research paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) in July 2026 acknowledges the support of the UPDICE project.

The paper, “Photoinduced Enhancement of Chemical Shift Sensitivity to Local Vibrations”, investigates the ultrafast dynamics of photoexcited 3-fluoropyridine using time-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The research demonstrates how X-ray spectroscopy can reveal changes in the local chemical environment of individual atoms as a molecule responds to light excitation.

The work highlights the potential of advanced X-ray techniques to provide new insights into the fundamental processes that govern molecular dynamics and photochemistry.

Read the paper: Journal of the American Chemical Society

A collection of key documents relating to the UK XFEL project is now publicly available online.

The documents provide an overview of the proposed UK-based next-generation X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL), including the scientific case, project objectives and the latest machine design. They set out the strategic importance of developing access to this capability for UK science and highlight the opportunities it could create for research over the coming decades.

The documents are available to view and download on the UK XFEL website.

View the UK XFEL documents

Professor Helen Fielding has been elected President-elect of the Faraday Community for Physical Chemistry, adding another significant leadership role to her work in the physical chemistry community.

Helen will take up the Presidency in 2027, following her current role as a Council member of the Faraday Community. Her appointment highlights her continued contribution to the wider physical chemistry community, alongside her research and leadership within UPDICE.

The news comes during a busy year for the Community, which has also seen the third Women in Photochemistry meeting held at UCL, bringing together 70 researchers from across the UK, and continued involvement from UPDICE researchers in major national and international conferences and scientific discussions.

UPDICE PI Andrew Orr-Ewing has been elected as an International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Academy was founded in 1780 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Andrew will travel there in October 2026 to attend the induction ceremony for new members. Further details are available at the website of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Congratulations Andrew!

The 3rd Women in Photochemistry meeting took place on Wednesday 4 March at UCL, which saw 70 people attend from around the UK to hear Professor Marsha Lester, Dr Maria Sanz, and Dr Susannah Bourne-Worster (a previous UPDICE postdoctoral researcher) talk about their research and academic pathways. The talks were followed by a lively Q&A session, during which the early career scientists gained valuable insights into topics such as postdoctoral opportunities, grant writing, and work-life experiences in academia. We are very grateful for co-funding from the following: UCL Chemistry, COSMOS, RSC Spectroscopy and Dynamics Group, IOP Molecular Physics Group.

Members of the Bristol and UCL groups are working together on photochemical studies for the UPDICE project using the LIFEtime facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. 

From left to right: Louis Jakobson, Matthew Hall, David Bacon, Emily Ivanova

Two of the three poster prizes awarded at the recent Spectroscopy and Dynamics Group Meeting went to UPDICE group members from the University of Bristol.

The prizes went to Hallam Greene (Orr-Ewing group), whose poster was entitled “Relaxation pathways of near-UV excited 4-nitrocatechol and its methyl ethers in solution”, and William Terry-Wright (Curchod group) for his poster on “The mechanism of photochemical rearrangements of enolates”.

The UPDICE consortium met on the 19th of November at the University of Bristol to review recent progress across Work Packages 2 and 3, and Cross-cutting Activities 1 and 2. Updates for WP2/3 highlighted new laboratory and computational findings on the behaviour of molecules confined within supramolecular assemblies, as well as de novo and natural proteins. Recent publications on indole and tryptophan (CA1) have led to investigations into a wider range of related chromophores. The team presenting CA2 reported progress in time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy using liquid jets and in fluorescence-lifetime measurements of organic solutes in water microdroplets.

Andrew Orr-Ewing, the Leverhulme Chair of Physical Chemistry at the University of Bristol, has been elected as a Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI).

NASI is the oldest Science Academy of India, established in 1930 by a group of world-leading Indian scientists. It is based in Prayagraj, its membership includes scientists, engineers and health professionals, and it promotes science and technology in India.

Andrew is one of only 8 new foreign fellows elected in 2025. His citation is for his significant contributions in ultrafast laser spectroscopy in both gas and liquid phases. This election to NASI reflects the strong ties between Andrew’s group and eminent scientists at several leading institutions in India, including IIT Bombay where Andrew was a Visiting Professor in 2024. Andrew joins School of Chemistry colleague Varinder Aggarwal FRS who was elected as a fellow of NASI in 2024.