Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to news of the death of Fred Sanger
Dr Frederick Sanger, a Cambridge scientist whose work pioneered research into the human genome and won him two Nobel prizes, died aged 95. read more
One Medicine – learning from animals as patients
Learning from animals as patients – an approach called ‘Comparative medicine’ or ‘One Medicine’ – is one of the big new trends in science and is being pioneered at universities throughout the UK and supported by medical research funders. The SMC invited four of the leading pioneers in this area to brief journalists about how the approach is now being applied to the big challenges of our time including ageing cancer and heart disease. read more
expert reaction to new study suggesting global warming has not ‘slowed down’ as much as we thought
A study in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society suggested that the global surface temperature record since 1998, which show a ‘pause’ or ‘hiatus’ in warming, have not taken account of rising temperatures in the Arctic.
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tin hats on: we’re discussing breastfeeding
This is a blogpost by Tom Sheldon, Senior Press Officer at the SMC. This week the SMC ran a … read more
expert reaction to HFEA change of policy on multiple births
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority decided that from January 2014, IVF clinics will no longer be subject to a condition on their licence that they keep their multiple births rate below the HFEA target. read more
expert reaction to the WMO provisional State of the Climate report
The World Meteorological Organization’s provisional annual statement on the Status of the Global Climate stated that 2013 is currently on course to be among the top ten warmest years since modern records began. read more
expert reaction to expansion of dog breeding facility being rejected
B&K Universal, who breed dogs for research, have had plans for expansion of their premises in East Yorkshire rejected. read more
is big bad?
Intensive farming has a bad name with plenty of assumptions about poor animal welfare and putting commercial gain above environmental damage. The SMC invited leading experts to brief journalists on the views of agricultural scientists and vets on this controversial area. read more
expert reaction to launch of feasibility study paying mothers to breastfeed
The SMC hosted the launch of a feasibility study to assess whether giving shopping vouchers to mothers who start and continue breastfeeding from the birth of their child could raise breastfeeding rates. read more
paying mothers to breastfeed
Despite numerous attempts to encourage new mothers to breastfeed their babies, rates remain stubbornly low in parts of the UK. A feasibility study is starting in which shopping vouchers will be issued to mothers who start and continue breastfeeding from the birth of their child. read more
expert reaction to corrections to IPCC’s AR5 summary for policymakers
The IPCC revised estimates of historical greenhouse gas emissions from their AR5 summary for policymakers, but said the errors did not affect overall conclusions. read more
fish discards
Approximately half the fish caught in marine fisheries are thrown back into the sea because they are un-marketable or over-quota. The reformed European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) now intends to ban the practice by 2019. This has been hailed by campaigners as a triumph. But what does the science say? read more
**SMC website has been inactive for 2 weeks**
This is due to a change to our IT systems. We will update with activity from the previous weeks from now on. Apologies for the radio silence. read more
expert reaction to typhoon Haiyan
Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest recorded typhoon to make landfall, caused huge destruction in the Philippines. read more
expert reaction to polio emergence in Syria and the risk in Europe
Two infectious disease experts warned in The Lancet that a new outbreak of polio in Syria might endanger neighbouring regions, including Europe. read more
expert reaction to Independent splash on CRISPR
The front page of the Independent newspaper lead on CRISPR, a technique that allows precise editing of DNA. read more
media launch of PGP-UK
The UK has a strong track record in genomics, most notably as a major contributor to the sequencing of the genome by the Human Genome Project in 2000 and the ongoing 1000 Genomes Project. A new addition to this landscape will arrive in the UK with the launch of the open access UK Personal Genome Project (PGP-UK). read more
expert reaction to launch of PGP-UK
The SMC hosted the press launch of the open access UK Personal Genome Project (PGP-UK); a new addition to the UK’s … read more
expert reaction to new study on cancer and IVF
Research in the New England Journal of Medicine found no extra cancer risk among children born after assisted conception. read more
expert reaction to new paper on aerosols and climate
Natural aerosols, such as emissions from volcanoes or plants, may contribute more uncertainty than previously thought to estimates of how … read more