Introduction to the Lab
The UCC Mary Ward Microbeam Laboratory is a new high-spec analytical facility located in the Cooperage building (Room G12A) that offers cross-platform options for surface analyses, including imaging surface structure at the micro- to nano-scale, bulk analysis of sample chemistry, plus chemical imaging.
The lab also provides a service to:
- All academic departments within UCC
- The broader community of scientists working in the earth, environmental, materials, chemical and bio-sciences
- Industry
For access to the instrumentation in the Mary Ward Laboratory, and to learn more about applications, please contact the laboratory Manager Prof. Maria McNamara (maria.mcnamara@ucc.ie) or the laboratory Experimental Officer Peter Chung (peter.chung@ucc.ie).
Laboratory News
03 Sep 2025
COMING SOON! Cork Geological Association lecture by Dr Valentina Rossi
The School of BEES and the Cork Geological Association are delighted to announce the first talk in the Lecture series for the forthcoming academic year, to be delivered by UCC Palaeo Group postdoctoral researcher Dr Valentina Rossi. Valentina will speak about her fossil research, and how cutting-edge microbeam investigation and statistical analyses can help us uncover forgeries. The event is free and open to the general public, but please book your place by emailing Dr Bettie Higgs (b.higgs@ucc.ie). Refreshments served afterwards!
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28 Aug 2025
Registration Closes Friday 14th Nov.
Short Course in Analytical Palaeontology: 24th – 28th Nov 2025 More details available here
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28 Aug 2025
REGISTRATION OPEN! Short Course in Analytical Palaeontology: 24th – 28th Nov 2025
More details available here
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23 Jul 2025
A new Triassic “wonder reptile” challenges ideas of skin and feather evolution
An international team of researchers including UCC palaeontologists have discovered a new species of fossil reptile from the Triassic period that had a large crest made of complex plume-like structures, long before modern-type feathers evolved. This dramatic breakthrough shakes our view of the evolution of skin and feathers in reptiles.
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