COMMENT from Andrew Thompson of Scottish Green Party: The attached newsletter received yesterday from BBSRC is very illuminating, and not unrelated to the thrust of your recent message 'Prof. Detritus and techno-upoopia'.
While we continue to suffer from the current biotech hubris & bias rampant within our main biological science funding stream - BBSRC, I fear that we are in for a whole raft of more techno-fix horror stories, and sadly not all of them will be April Fool stunts.
The stuff about the media training for plant scientists (aka biotech apologists) is really scary (item 4)
NOTE: The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is the main public funding body for the biological sciences in the UK. It is funded from the UK Government's Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), which is headed by the Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Drayson.
Drayson (aka "Lord Smallpox") is a former biotech entrepreneur and head of the BioIndustry Association. whose motto is "Promoting UK Biotechnology".
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6366
The BBSRC has been designed to do exactly the same in close association with industry.
http://ngin.tripod.com/articleBurke.htm
It has a current annual budget of nearly half a billion (GBP).
Among a number of interesting changes noted in the BBSRC newsletter below, Professor David Baulcombe has been appointed to the Council of BBSRC by Lord Drayson. Baulcombe's remit at the BBSRC runs from April 1 (item 2).
Baulcombe, the former head of the Sainbury Laboratory of the John Innes Centre, was the original inspiration for our character 'Prof Bullsh*t'. (see 'Prof Bullsh*t & Associates'
http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/pb.htm
This was after Baulcombe made a series of wildly inaccurate claims about the scientific research on GM, including a claim that US government research had shown that Bt crops brought "enormous environmental benefits", including "an increase in the diversity of insect life, ... a corresponding increase in the diversity of small mammal life and a corresponding increase in the diversity of birds of prey in those areas of the United States [where Bt crops were grown]." (False reports...)
http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/false.htm
All of this, and more beside, turned out to be a complete fiction. What Baulcombe presented as official US research due "to be released shortly" was subsequently shown to have never even existed.
http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/false.htm
Reassurngly, Prof Baulcombe is currently heading up a Royal Society panel investigating the contribution of Biological Approaches to Enhance Food Crop Production.
http://www.bioscienceresource.org/cms/documents/RoyalSocWorkingGroupLetter.pdf
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News from BBSRC - 06 April 2009 [shortened]
BBSRC News and Activity
1. DIUS have announced their preferred candidate to become Chair of BBSRC
Council
2. BBSRC has announced its new Council members
3. The Genome Analysis Centre
4. BBSRC/Science Media Centre
Introduction to the Media for Plant Scientists - Monday 11 May 2009, London
5. 'Funded by BBSRC' stickers
6. Biotechnology Investment Forum - 21 May
7. BBSRC research in the media
8. ERASysBio - 3rd call for collaborative research proposals
9. Enterprise Fellowships - developing commercial potential of research
10. Biotechnology Young Entrepreneurs Scheme competition 2009
11. Post-Doc Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
12. Protein Crystallography and Structure Guided Design - 28-29 May 2009
Other News and Activity
13. Researchers of Tomorrow: Focus group
14. Rothamsted International - African Fellows Programme
15. Research Councils seek feedback regarding their Knowledge Transfer schemes
16. RCUK opportunity to act as an advocate for UK nanoscience
17. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Short-Term award
18. European gut symposium - 9 June 2009
19. Natural Capital Initiative symposium - Valuing our Life Support Systems
BBSRC News and Activity
1. DIUS have announced their preferred candidate to become Chair of BBSRC Council
DIUS have today announced that Professor Sir Tom Blundell FRS, currently Sir William Dunn Professor and Head of School of Biological Sciences at Cambridge University, has been selected as the preferred candidate to become Chair of the BBSRC.
Innovation Universities and Skills Secretary, John Denham has written to the
Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee today inviting them to hold a pre-appointment hearing and to report on Professor Blundell's suitability for the post. This is in line with proposals announced last year to increase democratic scrutiny of key public appointments.
See: http://www.dius.gov.uk/news_and_speeches/announcements/research_council_chairs.a spx
2. BBSRC has announced new Council members
Three new members have been appointed to the Council of BBSRC by Lord Drayson,
Minister for Science and Innovation.
The new members are:
Professor David Baulcombe
Mr Jim Godfrey
Professor Peter Grindrod
The appointments are with effect from 1 April 2009 and are for a period of four years.
One current member of BBSRC Council has been reappointed for a further three years:
Professor Peter Fryer
BBSRC Council is the senior decision making body responsible for determining the
policy, priorities and strategy of BBSRC.
3. The Genome Analysis Centre
BBSRC have announced a new national centre to analyse plant, animal and microbial
genomes.
The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) will be based on the Norwich Research Park and
will provide genome sequencing to underpin advances to improve food security, to protect UK agriculture from exotic animal disease and exploit weaknesses in microbes to develop new ways to kill superbugs. It will also be a centre of excellence in bioinformatics to ensure that the data generated by its genome analysis, and that of other facilities, can be effectively collected and analysed.
TGAC will become operational over the next two months and will be formally opened in June. It will be a BBSRC national centre in partnership with EEDA, Norfolk County Council, South Norfolk Council, Norwich City Council, and the Greater Norwich Development Partnership. BBSRC is providing the majority of the GBP13.5M investment in the Centre and will underwrite its running costs for several years but the partners are all making significant contributions.
For more information, contact BBSRC External Relations.
Contact: Tel: 01793 413299, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
4. BBSRC/Science Media Centre Introduction to the Media for Plant Scientists - Monday 11 May 2009, London
We would like to invite you to our Introduction to the Media for Plant Scientists event on Monday 11 May 2009 at the Science Media Centre from 2pm to 5pm with drinks afterwards.
This event is specifically geared towards plant scientists. Plant science has never been as prominent in the news as it is today. Issues such as GM, pesticides, land and water use and food shortages are hot media topics and are arguably among the most important of our age.
We have some excellent science correspondents in the UK, but the news stories will never be covered as accurately as we want them to be without the direct involvement of scientists. There is much to be encouraged by. The days of 'frankenfoods' are in the past, and plant genetics is being explored in the news much more intelligently [GMW: ie pro-GM claims are being reported a lot less critically]. A recent FSA survey suggests the proportion of the public who express fear of GM science has dropped by nearly half in the last decade. And public awareness of global issues indicates a readiness to consider all kinds of technologies that will help us mitigate, or adapt to, climate change.
What is this event?
A beginner's guide to the media, giving you an insight into the way the news media works. You will get a whistle-stop tour of some of the key issues, hearing from journalists, press officers and other scientists about:
*the deadlines that journalists work to
*the role of the editor
*how journalists find stories
*top tips for dealing with the media
*the role of the press officer
*the importance of engaging with the media
It isn't:
Traditional media training. This session will not prepare you for a confrontation with Paxman or Humphries, and is not skills-based media training; but it will give you a flavour of the media to help you understand its demands and make it easier for you to work with journalists.
Is it for you?
This is only for you if you have not had much/any media experience before - we are
very limited on space so please don't come along if you are already media trained or have lots of experience of dealing with journalists.
This event will be very similar to previous SMC Introduction to the Media days - so please don't come if you have been to the event before.
This session only deals with news journalism so will only be relevant to you if you work on a 'hot' topic that is likely to hit the headlines.
The event will be divided up into sessions with a few tea breaks, and we'll finish off over a glass of wine and the opportunity to network informally with your fellow scientists. I'll get back to you with more information closer to the time.
The event is completely free of charge. However, owing to the size of the lecture
theatre, numbers will be limited so we are keen to give these limited places to
those of you who will benefit most from this event.
Finally - please do not request a place unless you are absolutely sure you can
attend this session and it is definitely in your diary. Places are limited and we
anticipate that the demand for places will be higher than we can accommodate.
If you would like to register for this event and are free on May 11, please send an
e-mail with your name and institutional e-mail address to the following address.
Contact: e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
5. 'Funded by BBSRC' stickers
A new range of the popular 'funded by BBSRC' stickers, featuring the new BBSRC logo, will be available shortly. To request new stickers to replace the old branding or to request new stickers to help acknowledge BBSRC's funding of your research or equipment please contact Katrina Pavelin.
Contact: Katrina Pavelin, Tel: 01793 413329, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For further information about the use of BBSRC's visual identity please contact the External Relations Unit.
Contact: Tel: 01793 413299, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
6. Biotechnology Investment Forum - 21 May
On 21 May 2009, Babraham Bioscience Technologies (BBT) will hold its sixth Biotechnology Investment Forum (BIF) at the Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge.
Babraham's pioneering investment forums have provided new and early-stage biomedical companies, drawn from across the UK and delivering a diverse array of technologies, with an opportunity to pitch their propositions to a forum of VC and Business Angel investor groups with particular interest in biotechnology.
Companies are now invited to submit an expression of interest to present at the
forum, which provides an unrivalled opportunity to meet one-to-one with investors.
Around 15 companies will be selected to pitch to an audience of around 50 investor groups. Companies should be looking for investment between GBP250,000 and GBP5M. For companies who are successfully selected to present there will be a GBP100 registration fee.
For more information contact Jo O'Rourke.
Contact Jo O'Rourke, Tel: 01223 496269, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
7. BBSRC research in the media
The BBSRC Media Office works with, and on behalf of, BBSRC funded researchers to
maintain public support for UK bioscience. We can only do this with help from the BBSRC community, so if you have a story about your BBSRC funded work e.g. a paper accepted, conference talk or expertise on an area of science that is currently on the news agenda, please get in touch and let us know.
The Media Office is currently working on stories from across the BBSRC research
community. These include stories about a robot scientist which is the first machine to discover new scientific knowledge, bowel cancer and stem cells. We are also collaborating with the BBC on developing a science magazine programme.
For more information, see: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/media
Contact: Matt Goode, Tel: 01793 413299, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Nancy
Mendoza, Tel: 01793 413355, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
8. ERASysBio - 3rd call for collaborative research proposals
BBSRC is supporting UK researchers in the third call of the ERA-NET for Systems Biology ERASysBio. The call, 'Systems Biology of Microorganisms 2 - SysMO2', was launched on 20 March 2009 and is open to joint transnational research proposals, with a minimum of three participants from ERASysBio partner countries.
Information on how to apply to SysMO2 can be found at the Systems Biology of
Microorganisms website and on the BBSRC website.
See: http://www.sysmo.net and http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk
9. Enterprise Fellowships: Developing commercial potential of research
BBSRC and The Royal Society of Edinburgh seek proposals to the Enterprise Fellowships Scheme to support researchers who wish to play a key role in the commercialisation of their research. The Fellowships provide salary and formal business training, allowing the Fellows to focus on developing the commercial potential of their research over a 12-month period.
The Fellowships are available to academic staff, research staff and postgraduates with relevant experience employed by a UK Higher Education Institution or a BBSRC-sponsored Research Institute. The business idea may be in any area within BBSRC's remit provided the original research was largely funded through the Research Council.
Next closing date: 5pm on 19 May 2009
Fellowships are expected to start in October 2009.
For more information and application forms, see:
http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/research_fellowships/bbsrc.htm and
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/business/commercialisation/enterprise_fellowships.html
Contact: Dr Simon Cutler, Tel: 01793 413243, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
10. Biotechnology Young Entrepreneurs Scheme competition 2009
The Biotechnology Young Entrepreneurs Scheme aims to raise awareness of the
commercialisation of bioscience research amongst postgraduate and postdoctoral
researchers. Participants compete in teams to develop a hypothetical business idea with the help of expert mentors from the biotechnology sector. The 2009 YES Competition has been launched.
Workshops are held throughout the UK, feeding into a National Final with a prize of GBP1000 for the winning team.
Closing date: 17 June 2009.
For more information and an entry form, see: http://www.biotechnologyYES.co.uk
Contact: Adam Webb, Tel: 01793 413390, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
11. Post-Doc Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
BBSRC continues to sponsor with TSB, and other partners, Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships (KTPs). Each partnership, lasting between 1 and 3 years, employs one or more high-calibre KTP Associates (early-career researchers) to work on an innovative project within a company. Associates are jointly supervised by the participating industrial and academic partners.
Public sector support is delivered through a grant to the academic partner. In addition, a contribution from the participating company fully covers the academic partner's cost of participation.
BBSRC is working with the TSB to promote "Post Doc KTPs", aimed at ongoing partnerships established for example through a CASE or Industrial CASE studentship, which provide the opportunity for the Associate to embed the outcomes of their research project into the partner company.
For more information, see:
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/business/people_information/knowledge_transfer_partnershi ps.html or: http://www.ktponline.org.uk
For information for Post Docs, see: http://www.ktponline.org.uk/graduates/postdocs
Contact: Adam Webb, Tel: 01793 413390, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Other News and Activity
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15. Research Councils seek feedback regarding their Knowledge Transfer schemes
Research Councils UK would like to gather valuable feedback regarding their knowledge transfer activities from their Knowledge Transfer Stakeholders. This will contribute to the continued improvement of Research Council business and/or processes in knowledge transfer.
If you have a Knowledge Transfer role within your organisation whether that be as a researcher, user, facilitator/broker, manager/administrator, professional or sponsor/funder of Knowledge Transfer then we would like to invite you to please take part in this survey.
To access the survey, see: http://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/epsrc/rcuk_kt_consultation
Closing date: June 2009.
16. RCUK opportunity to act as an advocate for UK nanoscience
The opportunity has arisen to recruit a new Strategic Advisor to act as an advocate in the exciting field of nanoscience.
An experienced candidate is sought to take over the reins from the present Senior Strategic Advisor, Professor Richard Jones (University of Sheffield), when he finishes his secondment to the Research Councils in June 2009.
Nanoscience is a rapidly maturing field with the potential to revolutionise society.
Harnessing the possibilities it creates could lead to environmental, healthcare and energy benefits, and major advances in materials, optics and computing. A key challenge for the Nanoscience programme will be to build on previous research and investment to bring together these elements in a coherent, directed way that assists taking basic research through to application.
Coming from a well-established position in industry or academia the successful candidate will have extensive knowledge of nano-related research and exploitation in the UK and worldwide.
An excellent communicator, they will able to share their passion for nanotechnology issues with a wide variety of audiences.
The position is offered through the EPSRC; on behalf of Research Councils UK,
part-time for three years and could be on a secondment basis from your current
employer.
Interviews will be held on 15 May at the Research Council offices in Swindon.
Closing date: 23 April 2009
Contact: Johanne Bunce, Tel: 01793 444406, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.