Operation Ouch! - Take 2

Following on from her appearance last year, Dr Kelly BéruBé from the School of Biosciences, has once again featured in the popular BBC children's science series, Operation Ouch! The series is designed to communicate incredible facts about the human body to younger viewers.

In episode 6 of the series, the presenter of the show, Dr Chris van Tulleken, visits the University to learn about the impacts of inhaling air pollution, such as diesel exhaust particles, into the respiratory system and the role played by mucous and phlegm to protect against lung injury and related disease exacerbations.

Dr BéruBé, who is the Director of the Lung & Particle Research Group in the School of Biosciences, shows that by examining the different types of particles captured onto filters from the ambient air, the effects on lung health can be estimated. The episode is designed to teach children that the human lung consists of many different cells types and when exposed to the ambient air we breathe, has mechanisms in place to protect itself from foreign detritus.

Dr BéruBé's husband, Dr Tim Jones, who is based in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences acted as a technical advisor for the BBC assisting with content on scanning electron microscopy and capture of air pollution particles.

Watch the episode on the Operation Ouch web-site