Kenedi-Anderson Talks with Dr Graham Bruce (University of St Andrews)

By measuring the light scattered by everyday objects, we can uncover hidden details about their composition—and assess whether they are safe to consume, use, or even touch. In this talk, we’ll explore how spectroscopic sensing is helping tackle three different challenges. First, we’ll look at how whisky and other alcoholic drinks can be authenticated through sealed packaging, addressing a counterfeiting problem that costs EU governments an estimated €1.2 billion annually in lost revenue. Next, we’ll travel to Ghana, where we’re using portable spectroscopy to detect substandard and falsified medicines—an issue affecting 10.5% of pharmaceuticals in low- and middle-income countries, and up to 80% in parts of West Africa. Finally, we’ll delve into the world of Victorian bookbinding, where vivid green book covers can be revealed to contain toxic pigments. Hundreds of thousands of these books have been withdrawn from public access as a precaution, but now our efforts have created an instrument to screen these books and return non-toxic ones to circulation. Through these examples, we’ll see how light-based sensing techniques can illuminate hidden risks and help protect public health, heritage, and consumer trust.

Dr Graham Bruce is a senior researcher and laboratory manager at the University of St Andrews. A graduate of St Andrews (MPhys 2007, PhD 2012), his main expertise is harnessing light for measurement applications. He has applied this to a variety of topics over two decades, including developing techniques for Quantum Technologies, in Biophotonics investigations such as assessing the health of developing embryos, and applied spectroscopy projects,s including whisky authentication and detecting toxic pigments in old books. His work has been recognised by major awards, including STEM for Britain and the Museums and Heritage Awards.

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