Author Archives: Science Media Centre
launch of Greenfield Report on Women in Science
Baroness Susan Greenfield, accompanied by policy experts, spoke to journalists about her newly published report on the recruitment and retention of women in the fields of science, engineering and technology. read more
the future of GM
Four experts in GM and agriculture research spoke to journalists about the potential application of this technology to problems in health and agriculture, in the UK and in developing countries. read more
vaccine overload – urban myth or real threat?
Experts in vaccines and in child health came to brief journalists on the myths surrounding multiple vaccines, and whether there is real cause for parents to be concerned. read more
IVF blunders – isolated incidents or a regular occurrence?
One of the country’s leading fertility experts spoke to journalists about current and future practice inside the UK’s IVF clinics, in light of recent high-profile mix-ups. read more
the future for biodiversity – threats & opportunities
The Science Media Centre invited two leading experts to discuss the need for human and political action to preserve the Earth’s biodiversity into the future. read more
scientists comment on ethics council report on behavioural genetics
This week the Nuffield Council on Bioethics published their report on ‘Genes and Human Behaviour’ to tackle the contentious ethical issues in this area of research. The report concentrates the influence which genes have on ‘normal’ behaviour, rather than on specific diseases. read more
scientists comment on breakthrough in understanding of malaria
The comments follow the announcement, published in both Nature and Science, that the genomes of both the malaria parasite and the mosquito have been sequenced, raising hopes for the eventual development of a cure for malaria. read more
release of report from ‘MMR lessons’ meeting
The report was published following the ‘MMR: Learning Lessons’ meeting, which was hosted by the Science Media Centre in May 2002. read more
scientists comment on biotechnology and agriculture report
The Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commision (AEBC) published its report “Animals and Biotechnology”, calling for new ground rules for GM and cloned animals in agriculture. read more
scientists react to breakthrough in pig-to-human transplants
PPL Theraputics, the company behind Dolly the Sheep, has successfully cloned the world’s first ‘double knock-out’ pigs. The animals were genetically altered to prevent human rejection of transplanted pig organs. This research has huge implications for cloning, ‘xenotransplantation’ (organ transplants from animals to humans) and research ethics. read more
release of House of Lords animal research report
The Science Media Centre asked experts to comment on the release of the House of Lords’ Select Committee report on the use of animals in scientific procedures. read more
scientists comment on DNA ethics report
The report published by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, recommends a number of significant changes to the way that DNA patents are granted, and proposed that patents involving DNA sequences be allowed only in exceptional circumstances. read more
scientists comment on spending review announcement
Gordon Brown has announced that science education and research will receive a huge boost in government funding. The money will go to refurbishing old laboratories, improving the salaries of junior university scientists, and helping universities to profit from their discoveries. read more
scientists comment on the GCSE science curriculum
These comments follow the publication of a report into science education by the House of Commons’ Science and Technology Committee, which includes scathing criticism for the GCSE science curricula. read more
scientists comment on new stem cell research
The research, published online by Nature, found that adult stem cells could behave more like embryonic stem cells, and that embryonic cells offered a potential route for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. read more
scientists comment on review of MMR vaccine health scare
The article was published in Clinical Evidence, a journal from the BMJ publishing Group, is the most comprehensive review of MMR to date, and shows that there is no scientific evidence linking the MMR vaccine to bowel disease or autism. read more
scientists comment on BBC GM drama
These comments follow the screening of the new BBC drama ‘Fields of Gold’, written by Ronan Bennett and Alan Rusbridger (Editor of The Guardian), at the Science Media Centre. read more
scientists comment on news of GM debate
These follow the Government announcement that there should be a full and informed debate of GM issues, including GM crops. read more
scientists react to Prime Minister’s speech on science
In a speech at the Royal Society, Tony Blair called for an end to the suspicion and mistrust that sometimes surrounds the work of scientists, and highlighted the need for “a robust, engaged dialogue with the public”. read more
scientists comment in anticipation of Prime Minister’s speech
The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is due to speak out against the “anti-science fashion” that is growing in the UK. read more