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The Journal of theParliamentary andScientific Committee

www.scienceinparliament.org.uk

This is not an officialpublication of the House ofCommons or the House ofLords. It has not been approvedby either House or its Committees.All-Party Groups are informal groups ofmembers of both Houses with a commoninterest in particular issues. The views expressedin this Journal are those of the Group. This Journal isfunded by the members of the Parliamentary and ScientificCommittee.

Environmental threats: Origins, consequences and amelioration

Extreme Threats

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Mike Tipton, Professor of Human & Applied Physiology

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The G L Brown Lecture takes place each year at a variety of locations across the UK.

G L Brown Lecture 2015

16.00 on Friday 16 October 2015 followed by a drinks reception

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Contact [email protected] for more information and to book your place

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 2015 1

INNOVATION HUBS 2Professor Sa’ad Medhat

INCENTIVE PRIZES AND THE ADVANCEMENT OFSCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 3Paul Ridout

ECOLOGY MATTERS 6Ben Connor

150 YEARS OF THE STATE VETERINARY SERVICE 8Dr Alison Wilson

FOOD AND THE FUTURE 10Veronica Vaccari

THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM INSTITUTE FORAEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY 12Professor Hervé Morvan

THE FUTURE OF ROAD TRANSPORT 14Addresses to the P&SC by Lord Borwick, Rob Wallis andSteve Yianni

THE BIG DATA OPPORTUNITY 20Hetan Shah

BIG DATA IN NEUROSCIENCE 22Professor Mark Stokes and Nicholas Myers

THE COLD TIME BOMB 25Professor Martin Freer and Professor Toby Peters

SCIENCE AND THE NEW PARLIAMENT 27Parliamentary Links Day 2015

GALLIUM NITRIDE FOR SAVING LIVES, ENERGY, CARBON EMISSIONS AND MONEY! 30Address to the P&SC by Professor Sir Colin Humphreys

NANOTECHNOLOGY 32Addresses to the P&SC by Professor Andrew Fisher,Professor Milo Shaffer and Professor Alex Orlov

COMBATING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE 38Dr Lindsay R Chura, Elizabeth Hogben and Stefania Di Mauro-Nava

PROFESSOR JOHN BLEBY 39

HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECT COMMITTEES 40

HOUSE OF LORDS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYSELECT COMMITTEE 43

PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY 44

HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY SCIENCE ANDENVIRONMENT SECTION 46

SCIENCE DIRECTORY 47

SCIENCE DIARY 56

Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman, Parliamentary andScientific Committee

CONTENTS

The Journal of the Parliamentary andScientific Committee.The Parliamentary and ScientificCommittee is an All-PartyParliamentary Group of members ofboth Houses of Parliament and Britishmembers of the European Parliament,representatives of scientific andtechnical institutions, industrialorganisations and universities.


Science in Parliament has two mainobjectives:1. to inform the scientific and industrial

communities of activities withinParliament of a scientific nature andof the progress of relevantlegislation;

2. to keep Members of Parliamentabreast of scientific affairs.

The covers of this issue are sponsored by NEF: The Innovation Institute, The Physiological Society, The University of Nottingham and The Royal Society of Biology.

Welcome to my first editorialas the new Chair of the P&SC. Iam looking forward to this newrole enormously.

I have two thanks to give.

First to my predecessor,Andrew Miller, who did such asuperb job in running it for fiveyears. I am sure he is nowenjoying the peace and quietafter the hurly burly ofWestminster.

Second to our President, RonOxburgh, for providing thecontinuity (and the last Editorial)during the odd inter regnumwhich occurs betweenparliaments.

Parliament may have vanishedfor a few weeks, but the worldof science never sleeps.

It was great to see the launchof the MRC Innovation Fund –an initiative of my colleague,George Freeman. We shall becommissioning contributions toSiP from some of the winners indue course.

Some topics which have beencovered either in DiscussionMeetings or in these pages willnot lie down. We have recentlywitnessed renewed controversyabout neonicotinoids and GMinsects.

It is excellent that MPs havehad a chance to quiz some ofthe top scientists in these fields.

Our programme for theAutumn commences with“Patient Safety” in October.

I am looking forward to seeingnew faces in the audience.

Science in Parliament Vol 72 No 3 September 20152

INNOVATION HUBS – A STRUCTURED PLATFORM FORSUSTAINABLE GROWTH

Professor Sa’ad MedhatCEO, NEF: The Innovation Institute

Having such a capability givesthe freedom to public or privatesector organisations to developan ethos of entrepreneurshipand the ability to experimentwith different choices.

Market responsiveness,changing technologies andtrends, tighter budgets andshifting economic conditionshave all acted as stimuli fororganisations to innovate toconsider alternative approachesto drive performance. Innovationhappens not only in a productor a service but also in the wayin which organisations designand conduct their business tomaintain competitive positioning.

The drive for innovationrequires openness to collaborateand the freedom to be creative.However, organisational rigidityand bureaucracy often inhibitthe innovation process. Having astructured approach thatcontains risk whilst providing achannel to experiment out ofthe business norms, providesgreater opportunity to securequick wins. One structuredapproach is the formation of anInnovation Hub.

INNOVATION HUBSAn Innovation Hub presents a

compelling platform forharnessing capability, focusinginvestment and stimulatingenterprise. The key to successful

innovation hub development isto cluster the organisation’scapability around new andemerging economic areas ofgrowth. Clustering deliversconstructive alignment betweena business strategy and theinnovation focus, thus improvingspeed of response andenhancing the quality of newofferings for the organisation.Innovation hubs can be physicalor virtual and their structure andcharacteristics are determined bystrategic goals. They can beimplemented at a regional or

city level, or as part of acompany, a college or a publicsector organisation to providethe vital knowledge exchangeenvironment that stimulatescreativity and acceleratesinnovation. Hubs can be formedas an autonomous single unit oras a network of distributed butinterconnected thematic entities.

In education, innovation hubsoffer a natural fit with furthereducation colleges in that theybuild upon the relationship thata college has with local businessand industry, and provide ameans of collaborativeengagement to developcommercial solutions, underpineducational provision andextend outreach and civic

Achieving growth that generates economic value and social benefitrequires a structured approach that binds an organisation’s strengthand aspiration with that of its stakeholders and partners, thuscreating an innovation capability that is scalable and sustainable.

... innovation requires openness to collaborateand the freedom to be creative ...

activities. Examples of innovationhubs in education include TyneMetropolitan College whofocused on providing solutionsin Engineering Systems andDesign; Havering College builttheir Hub on the strength oftheir healthcare expertise andPlymouth University centredtheir Innovation Hubs ondeveloping local enterprisecapital in eco-environment,health and life sciences anddigital and media creativesectors. In business, innovationhubs can be used to leverage

broad base IP and identifypossible solutions to challenges,thereby enabling faster marketresponse. Pharmaceutical andFMCG businesses often use thenotion of open innovationdelivered through innovationhubs to access different expertperspectives to support creativeproblem-solving. An example ofan Innovation Hub approach inbusiness has been thecollaborative laboratory or‘Collaboratory’ in DuPont. Bothvirtual and physical, theCollaboratory which brings aknowledge base of some ninethousand experts in the fields ofscience, engineering andtechnology, is founded on theprecepts of collaboration and co-


INCENTIVE PRIZES AND THEADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCEAND TECHNOLOGY

During the18th century, theBritish government offered morethan £100,000 in prize moneyto anyone who could come upwith simple and practicalmethods for measuringlongitude to assist maritimenavigation. In 1927, there wasthe $25,000 Orteig Prize, for thefirst non-stop transatlantic flight.

In 2004, the $10 million AnsariXPRIZE was awarded to the firstnon-governmental organizationto launch the equivalent of athree-person crew into spacetwice within two weeks. Morerecently the Longitude Prize hasbeen launched which offers a£10m prize to address theproblem of global antibiotic

resistance. In July 2015, the $2mWendy Schmidt Ocean HealthXPRIZE was awarded to theteams who could improve theaccuracy and affordability ofocean pH sensor technology.

Incentive prizes, which offerlarge cash rewards to motivatethe attainment of targets in

Paul RidoutOcean Scientific International Ltd.(OSIL)

... hubs provide a robust mechanism for competitive collaboration ...

creation. Through the use of liveconferencing, design thinkingand ideation, solutions tochallenges are being discoveredand DuPont’s innovationpipeline is flowing.

Three determinantscharacterise the modus operandiof innovation hubs, they:

• act as a catalyst for drivingorganisational change

• create the basis for amultiplication factor forgrowth

• become an instrument forattracting capital investment

In addition, there is a directcorrelation betweendevelopment of a hub and theincrease in the level of learningdevelopment. Such activitieslead to instilling a highperforming culture thatstrengthens the organisation’sreadiness to innovation andbuilds its knowledge base.

Organisations which createinnovation hubs have the abilityto mobilise innovation initiativesquickly and can optimise thetime taken to create new valuefor their end users andthemselves.

HUBS LEADERSHIP &GOVERNANCE

Hubs provide an effectivevehicle for shaping the dynamicsof go-to-market solutions. Theirprimary focus on innovationmake the measurement of theirtangible and intangibleoutcomes more readilyidentifiable.

However, the key to successfor innovation hubs is the abilityof organisational leadersembarking upon suchdevelopment, to take on both agoverning and an empowering

P&L. However, this approachmay not necessarily render thebest returns. Alternatively,adopting a partnership modelfor investment with stakeholders(eg supply chain, customers),

role. Whilst maintaining a futurefocus on managing aninnovation portfolio, a hubleader should also embraceimpact-driven operationalaccountability that fosterspartnership development todrive co-creation and informsthe decision-making processeswithin a hub’s ecosystem.

INVESTING ININNOVATION

Different investment models ininnovation hubs could beconsidered. The simplest is toprovide a separate budget forhub development with its own

could potentially extend theopportunities and benefits.

In fact, hubs provide a robustmechanism for competitivecollaboration. Again, pharmacompanies tend to do this wellin tackling issues during drugdevelopment or a clinical trialstage. Such models can offer ascaffold structure for any sectorto consider.

A third option for investment inhubs could be to employ anaggregator concept, where theparticipation of manystakeholders, particularly smalland medium size enterprises, isencouraged. Universities andcolleges could adopt such amodel as it naturally lends itselfto a wider collaborativeinnovation development.

There is a wide range of high-value incentive prizes on offer forthe development of technologies to help solve some of today’sscientific challenges. The intellectual value of such prizes may bemuch wider than the original challenge. Details of the recentlyawarded Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE demonstratessome of these benefits.


Electrical Interference Testing and Ozone Testing

scientific research anddevelopment, have increased inpopularity in the last decade. It isargued that this type of fundingcould effectively solve a widerange of today’s sciencechallenges. Although incentiveprizes have long been used and

may have led to valuablediscoveries and inventions, littleempirical evidence has beenaround to understand howprizes work.

In his book, ‘TechnologicalInnovation and Prize Incentives’,Luciano Kay (University ofCalifornia Santa Barbara) seeksto understand the effect of suchprizes on innovation. Some ofthe key points in his findings arethat prizes can induce new R&Dactivities, re-direct ongoingindustry projects and that welldesigned prizes induceinnovation over and above whatwould have occurred anyway. Inaddition, prizes may inducetechnological breakthroughs.However, according to Dr Kay,there are significant fundingrequirements, by the entrants, inorder to carry out the projectsand bad economic conditionsmay slow down (or in somecases, halt) R&D activities to findsolutions to the prize challenge.

In this article, I seek tounderstand more of theprocesses and effects ofincentive prizes by focusing on arecently awarded prize from theUSA-based charity, XPRIZE. TheXPRIZE philosophy is toincentivise a solution to aproblem with challenges that areaudacious, but achievable andtied to objective, measurablegoals. Groups of experts identifyareas of scientific andtechnological need and then

... generate breakthroughs in

clean energy ...

seek to find sponsors forindividual projects. One of their‘Grand Challenges’ includesEnergy and Environment, whichhas a goal to generatebreakthroughs in clean energy,climate change, energydistribution/storage, energy

place in July 2015. PrizeSponsor, Wendy Schmidt has akeen interest in the marineenvironment. As President ofThe Schmidt Family Foundation,she works to advance thedevelopment of renewableenergy and the wiser use ofnatural resources. In 2009,Wendy and her husband EricSchmidt created the SchmidtOcean Institute (SOI) and in

accuracy purse, based onperformance, and the $1Maffordability purse, based on costand usability. In April 2015, 14semi-finalist teams werenarrowed down to the fivefinalist teams, representing fourcountries (Table 1). Theyembarked on a one week deepsea trial to assess ocean pH

... higher levels ofacidity in

the oceans ...

efficiency/use, and waterresource management.Previously awarded prizes in thisarea have included a project toinspire innovative methods toimprove cleanup at sea followingoil-spill incidents.

The latest award has been theWendy Schmidt Ocean HealthXPRIZE, which was launched inSeptember 2013. This was a 22-month competition to developaccurate and affordable pHsensors to detect oceanacidification. Rising levels ofatmospheric carbon are resultingin higher levels of acidity in theoceans, impacting the health ofshellfish, fisheries, coral reefs,

values throughout the watercolumn at Station Aloha, a 110square mile region in the PacificOcean, located approximately100 miles off the northern shoreof Oahu. During this six-dayperiod, sensors were putthrough rigorous performancetests focused on accuracy andprecision, while battling real-world pressure scenarios inwater depths of up to 3,000meters. To reach this point,teams had to successfully puttheir sensors through a three-month test in controlledlaboratory conditions at theMonterey Bay AquariumResearch Institute (Autumn2014), followed by a month-long performance test in acoastal environment at theSeattle Aquarium in February2015.

On July 20th 2015 XPRIZEannounced the first-place winnerof both prize purses as SunburstSensors, a small company ofchemists and engineers fromMissoula, Montana, led by CEOand co-owner, James Beck, anengineer who graduated at MITand University of Washington.They won the $750,000 grandprize in both the affordability andaccuracy categories, earningthem a total of $1.5M. SunburstSensors co-owner, ProfessorMichael DeGrandpre, is aProfessor of Chemistry at theUniversity of Montana, where hepioneered the development ofan autonomous alkalinity sensor,in collaboration with Dr ReggieSpaulding from Sunburst.However, the competition’srequirements were quitedifferent from the sensors theywere already producing with

other ecosystems and our verysurvival (a topic previouslycovered by the P&SC). Whileocean acidification is welldocumented in a few temperateocean waters, little is known inhigh latitudes, coastal areas andthe deep sea. Most pH sensortechnologies are too costly,imprecise, or unstable, to allowfor sufficient knowledge andcoverage on the state of oceanacidification.

Over 70 teams from aroundthe world expressed an interestin competing when registrationopened and the final award took

2012 they launched theresearch vessel, Falkor, as amobile platform to advanceocean exploration.

Teams participating in theWendy Schmidt Ocean HealthXPRIZE competed for twoavailable prize purses: the $1M

Competition Phase 4 Testing

Competition Phase 4 Testing – Hawaii


emphasis on fast sampling rates,deep-water operation, accuracyand affordability. The companyconcentrated on their previouslydeveloped commercial sensorsto create the two winningsensors: the i-SAMI (“i” forinexpensive) and the t-SAMI (“t”for titanium). The teamcollaborated with Woods HoleOceanographic Institution(WHOI) for development andtesting of the t-SAMI deep-waterinstrument.

The second place prize inaffordability was awarded to ANBSensors from Cambridge,England, and the second placeprize in accuracy was awarded toTeam DuraFET from Plymouth,Minnesota and Monterey Bay,California. Each team won$250,000. During the course ofthe competition ANB Sensorsformed their own start-upcompany and have beenworking on the secondgeneration of their competitionentry for market. Team DuraFET

Award Ceremony, New York

... a keen interest in the marine environment ...

Team Finalists for the 2015 Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPrize

• ANB Sensors (Cambridge, England), a team of scientists and researchers from theSchlumberger Gould Research Center with expertise in lasers, chemistry, fluid mechanics andgeophysics.

• HpHS (Yokosuka, Japan), a team of research scientists and engineers from the Kimoto ElectricCo., Ltd. and Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).

• Sunburst Sensors (Missoula, Mont, US), a team of mechanical engineers from SunburstSensors, LLC, a company focused on the development of chemical sensors for marine andfreshwater applications.

• Team Durafet (Plymouth, Minn, US), a team comprising representatives from Sea-BirdScientific, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), Scripps Institution ofOceanography at the University of California, San Diego and Honeywell Aerospace AdvancedTechnology group.

• Team XYLEM (Bergen, Norway/Beverly, Mass, US), a team representing two Xylemcompanies, Aanderaa Data Instruments in Norway and YSI in the U.S., with extensive work incommercializing high performance and reliable optical chemical sensors used in oceanography.

has donated their award moneyto the international ARGOprogram – a program that isdeploying sensors in the global

The winner of both 1st prizecategories, Sunburst Sensors, is asmall company mostly workingin a different market area and

focus on stimulatingtechnological innovation, but thisis just the start of the process.The Ocean Health XPRIZE goal isalso to raise awareness of oceanacidification and its potentialimpacts and there are a largenumber of post prize activitiesbeing planned in this regard”.

suffer when working ontechnology to operate in theocean, including high pressure,corrosion etc.

An example of innovation from‘out-of-the-box’ thinkers was theSmartphin project. Environmentalfilm maker, Andrew Stern, andengineer/surfer, BenjaminThompson, teamed up toproduce a sensor system whichis embedded in the fin of anormal surfboard. Originally fortemperature and salinity theydeveloped the technology toinclude pH in order to compete

the waters outside theirworkplace to compare data withthe fixed sensors located on theSIO pier.

The XPRIZE competition aimedto drive industry forward toproduce the capability to providemeaningful data needed to takeaction and produce results. In awider context the prize hoped to:

• Provide tools for the study andmonitoring of oceanacidification’s impacts

• Catalyze ocean acidificationresearch

• Increase development of theocean services industry – data,information and forecasting

• Inspire innovations in oceansensing technology to monitorthe health of the ocean

• Create both tools and supportfor policymakers and publicofficials

• Inspire the public to engage insolving ocean acidification

XPRIZE plans to launch threemore ocean-based prizes in thenext five years as part of theXPRIZE Ocean Initiative. The goalof this initiative is to launchimpactful prizes and inspire otheractions that put us on anunstoppable path towardshealthy, valued and understoodoceans.

It remains to be seen howmany of these will be achievedbut evidence to date isencouraging.

oceans to improve ourunderstanding of the baselinestate and any changes.

Professor Ralph Rayner, aBritish marine scientist who wasa scientific advisor for the XPRIZEcommented, “It is true that theprizes generally have an initial

located about as far from theocean as you can get in the US.In that respect, the prize certainlystimulated transfer of technologyfrom one market to another.Many of the problems they hadto overcome revolved aroundthe usual issues that all of us

for the XPRIZE. They made it tothe semi-finals but progressdoesn’t stop there. Starting inNovember, 50 researchers fromthe Scripps Institution ofOceanography (SIO) will bescrewing Smartphin prototypesinto their boards and taking to


part of sustainable economicgrowth, yet this has beenconsistently undervalued. TheUK National EcosystemAssessment placed the value ofthese goods and services atmany billions of pounds1.Ecologists working alongsideeconomists in the NaturalCapital Committee have set outan innovative framework for

In the UK, ecologists are ableto build on a long history ofenvironmental data collection,which in turn has contributed tothe country’s pre-eminence inenvironmental science. The UKhosts centres of world-leadingecological science, but thesemust be integrated into nationalpolicy development, andimplemented at the local level inorder to maximise the benefitsof our natural resource andensure its long termsustainability. Ecology will becentral to the Government’s 25year strategies to restorebiodiversity, eradicate bovine TBand improve farming – allcommitments made in theConservative Party manifesto.Ecology also has a role to play inassessing the effectiveness ofthese policies. This is critical as

we face a world which is likelyto change significantly throughclimate change, technologicaladvances, and geopoliticalpressures.

THE VALUE OF

ECOLOGY….

… TO THE ECONOMY

Protecting and enhancing ournatural capital, from which wederive benefits such as food,timber, and water, is an essential

... world-leadingecological science...

ECOLOGY MATTERS

Ben ConnorPolicy Officer, British Ecological Society

Ecological science is an integral part of finding a way to live wellin a world with more people and pressure on our naturalresources. Through studying the interactions of living organismswith each other and the environment, we are able to predict theimpact of human activity on our natural world and understandhow the environment supports our society. Ecology is notenvironmentalism, but it does have both global and localresonance; it can provide insight into international climatechange and localised flooding, endangered species and ourgarden wildlife.

corporations to take account oftheir natural capital, and presenta series of potentialenvironmental investments thatoffer good economic returns.This is an important step in thesustainable management of ournatural resource by businessand government alike.

Bumblebee – ©Dave Goulson ©David Bird

Fishing – ©David Bird

BRITISH ECOLOGICALSOCIETYThe British Ecological Societywas founded in 1913, and hasover 5,000 members. As anindependent, authoritative bodyand the leading voice forecologists in the UK, the Societyis committed to ensuring thatpolicymakers have access to thebest available scientificevidence.

Contact us at [email protected]


... enhancing our natural capital ...

... halting the loss of biodiversity ...

The economic value of insectpollinators to the UK economyhas been estimated at £690million a year 2, yet thesepopulations are in decline.Ecologists contribute to thewealth of knowledge needed tosafeguard this vital service,providing information on

Good health can also bringeconomic savings; NaturalEngland have estimated that£2.1billion worth of mental andphysical health costs could beaverted each year if everyhousehold in the country wereprovided with equitable accessto good quality green space 6.

effective and resilient to externalpressures.

The systematic review ofecological evidence provides abasis from which to developpolicies; ecologists working inCambridge and Bangor areleading this approach, analysingevidence to assess the effects of

ecological research and ensuringthat policy is informed by thelatest scientific evidence is crucialif we are to tackle thesechallenges effectively.

influential factors such as thespill-over of viruses fromcommercial to wild pollinatorspecies 3, the role of naturalhabitats on pollination services4,the impacts of climate changeon pollinators such asbumblebees 5 and more.

Application of this knowledgenot only provides a lifeline forthese species, but brings longterm economic prosperity, aswell as avoiding costs for bothbusiness and the public purse.

… TO SOCIETY

The relationship betweenmental and physical wellbeingand the natural environment isincreasingly well understood,

…TO THEENVIRONMENT

Species and habitats haveintrinsic value that should not beunderestimated, and areessential for maintaining thebenefits we derive from theenvironment. However the UK isexperiencing reductions in allaspects of biodiversity: 60% ofspecies have declined over thelast 50 years and 31% havedeclined strongly 7.

The Making Space for Naturereport, led by former BritishEcological Society PresidentProfessor Sir John Lawton, calledfor a new approach to natureconservation underpinned by

conservation interventions, the

impact of invasive species and

more.

Ecologists also work to

evaluate policies once they are

implemented. Recent evidence

has emerged that the EU Birds

Directive has had a positive

impact on target species,

from the role of microbialbiodiversity to the importance oflocal green spaces. Ecologists areworking with health professionalsto advance this understanding,identify gaps in our knowledgeand find out more about therelationship between differenttypes of natural environmentsand their influence on healthand wellbeing.

Ecological research allows us

to understand the underlying

causes of biodiversity loss and

ensure that our conservation

strategies are efficient, cost

The relationship between

people and the environment is

at the heart of many of the

most important challenges of

the 21st century. Investing in

ecological science to meet thetarget of halting the loss ofbiodiversity by 2020.

including the avocet, marshharrier and corncrake.

References

1 UK National Ecosystem Assessment(2011) The UK National EcosystemAssessment: Synthesis of the KeyFindings. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge.

2 Centre for Food Security (2015)Sustainable Pollination Services for UKCrops. University of Reading

3 Manley et al. (2015) Emerging viraldisease risk to pollinating insects:ecological, evolutionary andanthropogenic factors. J. AppliedEcology.

4 Carvalheiro et al. (2010) Pollinationservices decline with distance fromnatural habitat even in biodiversity- richareas. J. Applied Ecology.

5 Kerr et al. (2015) Climate changeimpacts on bumblebees convergeacross continents. Science.

6 Natural England (2009) Our NaturalHealth Service: The role of the naturalenvironment in maintaining healthylives. Natural England, Sheffield

7 Burns et al. (2013) State of Nature. TheState of Nature Partnership

Starfish

Hoverfly Puffin – ©Cheryl Pilbeam


ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARSOF THE STATE VETERINARYSERVICE 1865 – 2015

slaughter or quarantine ofaffected animals and theircontacts, one of the approachesthat continues to this day.

Two widespread endemicdiseases, bovine tuberculosis(bTB) and brucellosis remainedan issue for both animal andhuman health. Controlling thesewas more difficult as signs didnot appear until the disease wasadvanced, so veterinarysurgeons looked to developbetter diagnostic methods.

This need for better diagnosticsupport had first beenrecognised in 1894 during an

outbreak of swine fever. At thattime dead animals were takento the Royal Veterinary Collegeat Camden Town for postmortem examination. However,the Board of Agriculture decidedto set up its own diagnosticservice for animal diseaseeradication schemes. TheVeterinary Laboratory Service(VLS) was established in abasement at 4 Whitehall Placeand, over the next decade,samples from diseased pigswere transported to the centreof London for examination.

veterinary medicine. His time inpost saw the passing of theTuberculosis Order 1925, whichfor the first time linked thespread of disease in humanswith the consumption ofuntreated milk and led to bTBtesting in cattle herds.

The importance of theveterinary profession in fullfillinga public service was furtherrecognised in 1919 when thenewly established Ministry ofAgriculture had veterinaryexpertise at its core in its newDiseases of Animal Division. Byunifying the provision of stateveterinary medicine andproviding leadership to theprofession, a significant step hadbeen taken in controlling animaldiseases.

During the 1930s demand forveterinary services increased asfarmers and the governmentsought to eliminate bTB andimprove the health of thenation's farm animals in order tosafeguard agriculture and foodproduction2. During that timevarious Acts and schemes wereintroduced including:

• the Milk Act 1934, whichintroduced the notion of an‘attested herd’ (ie certified asbeing free from disease)whereby milk guaranteed asdisease-free attracted apremium;

• the Attested Herds Scheme1935, which enabled farmersto apply for official bTB testingand, in the absence ofreactors, to be entered into theRegister of Attested Herds;

• the Agriculture Act 1937 sawthe Ministry’s Animal HealthDivision take over theVeterinary Investigation Service(VIS), under the control of the

In 1905, under ChiefVeterinary Officer Sir StewartStockman, the VLS expanded itsremit and started to researchanimal diseases. In 1917 thisresearch was transferred to thenewly opened Central VeterinaryLaboratory (CVL) at a site nearWeybridge1. The CVL was oneof the first purpose-built stateveterinary laboratories in theworld and is now an integralpart of the Animal and PlantHealth Agency (APHA).

Sir Stewart’s appointmentbrought about significantchanges in the development of

The State Veterinary Servicewas created in 1865 when theGovernment established theVeterinary Department of thePrivy Council to tackle adevastating epidemic of cattleplague (Rinderpest), a highlyinfectious viral disease whichcaused the loss of around400,000 animals. For the firsttime, veterinary medicine wasseen as nationally important andattempts to control disease,although effective locally,needed national co-ordinationand standardisation.

By 1900 the nation hadsuffered numerous seriousoutbreaks of infectious livestockdiseases including sheep pox,cattle plague, swine fever, footand mouth disease and bovinepleuro-pneumonia. The policyfor eliminating these diseaseswas to place restrictions on theimportation and movement oflivestock, and the compulsory

Dr Alison Wilson MCIPRSenior Press Officer, Animal andPlant Health Agency (APHA)

Sir Stewart Stockman


CVL Director at Weybridge. Thisfunction, previously carried outby local authorities, wasresponsible for livestockdisease surveillance in theregions, encompassing bothanimal health and the safety ofmeat and milk intended forhuman consumption.

• a system of financialcompensation for farmers’losses through compulsoryslaughter policies, providing anincentive to them to abide bygovernment regulations andfacilitate the work of stateveterinary surgeons.

This culminated in theestablishment in 1938 of the

State Veterinary Service (SVS), aspart of the Animal HealthDivision of the Ministry ofAgriculture and Fisheries (MAF),under Sir Daniel Cabot, theChief Veterinary Officer 3.

World War II furtheremphasised the important roleof the SVS as the Governmentsought to boost food productionin Britain. Following the war, the1947 and 1957 Agriculture Actswere introduced to increasefood production and agriculturalsystems became more intensive.

During the 1960s, the SVSwas heavily involved ineradicating bTB and brucellosis.However, pockets of bTBpersisted in the South West;complete eradication hascontinued to pose a challenge.

Government vets and scientistsalso played a key role inidentifying and investigatingemerging diseases in wildlife. In1971, the regional VIS laboratory

close collaboration withscientists from Weybridge andled, in 2010, to licensing of thefirst tuberculosis vaccine forbadgers (BadgerBCG) which isin regular use in parts of thecountry.

Government vets also played avery significant role in enforcinganimal welfare legislation,providing an excellent and muchappreciated service to the publicin relation to safeguardinganimal welfare standards.

The VIS continued to workclosely with CVL to facilitateinvestigation into outbreaks ofdisease. Issues identified by theVIS often led to further researchby the laboratory. For example,CVL characterised the first caseof bovine spongiformencephalopathy (BSE) in 1986and, from the epidemiologicalinformation provided by the VIS,identified a link between thedisease and feed containing a

The SVS became an Agency ofthe Department for Food,Environment and Rural Affairs(Defra) in 2005 and changed itsname to Animal Health in 2007following mergers with the EggMarketing Inspectorate, DairyHygiene Inspectorate andWildlife Licensing andRegistration Service in line withrecommendations made by theHampton Review.

References

1 Bradley R 2000 veterinary research atthe central veterinary laboratory,Weybridge, with special reference toscrapie and bovine spongiformencephalopathy, Rev. sci. tech. Off. Int.Epiz., 19(3), 819-830

2 Floud F. L. C.1927 The Ministry ofAgriculture and Fisheries. London, UK:G.P. Putmans

3 Gardiner A. 2010 Small animal practicein British veterinary medicine, 1920–1965. Manchester, UK: ManchesterUniversity Press.

in Starcross identified the firstcase of Mycobacterium bovis inbadgers and found that badgerswere a significant reservoir ofthe disease.

The wild badger population atWoodchester Park inGloucestershire has beenintensively studied bygovernment scientists since1975. This is the only long-termstudy of TB epidemiology in awild badger population. Thecapture, examination andsampling of individual animalsthroughout their lifetimes hasyielded a unique database andfundamental insights into badgerecology and TB dynamics. Thisresearch has benefited from

scrapie-like agent in ruminant-derived meat and bone meal.

There followed a period ofsignificant change as CivilService reforms transformed thedelivery of central governmentservices. In 1990, CVL becameone of the government’s firstexecutive agencies, followed bythe merger of CVL and VIS toform the Veterinary LaboratoriesAgency (VLA) in recognition ofthe links between them. Thisbrought together a nationalnetwork of laboratories providingveterinary surveillance, research,laboratory services and specialistadvice to MAFF, privateveterinarians and the agriculturalindustry. The VLA wasresponsible for many significantdevelopments in animal diseaserecognition, diagnosis,surveillance and monitoring,providing MAFF with scientificevidence to aid policydevelopment. This workextended to zoonotic diseasessuch as salmonella, workingclosely with public health bodiesto protect human health.

In 2009, Defra created theAnimal Health and VeterinaryLaboratories Agency (AHVLA) aspart of a review of its arms-length bodies. The new Agencybrought together a wide rangeof field services, wildlife andveterinary expertise and scientificcapabilities in order to make thedelivery of these importantservices and the ability torespond to disease outbreaksmore resilient in the economicclimate at that time.

In 2014 the Animal and PlantHealth Agency (APHA) wasformed by merging the AHVLAwith those Defra Inspectoratescovering plant, seed and beehealth, creating a singleorganisation responsible forsafeguarding animal and planthealth.

Over the course of 150 years,the constant theme has beenthe promotion of better animalhealth and the detection ofthreats to the national livestockpopulation. Vets have workedtirelessly to achieve this aim, andwill continue to do so for aslong as there are animals at risk.


FOOD AND THE FUTURE

Veronica VaccariConsulate General Milan

With the planet’s populationdue to hit 9 billion by 2050, theFAO estimate that global foodproduction will have to increaseby 70%. At the same time,climate change and resultingweather extremes could meanthat current food productionsystems will not function well by2050. It is hard to predict whatwill happen at a local level butclimate change has the potentialto put millions of people at riskof food shortage, through flood,drought, and other extremeweather events, and throughchanges in invasive pests anddiseases.

When it comes to keeping us properly fed, we can’t just thinkabout our next meal - we need to keep in mind how we managefood supply in the long-term.

As part of the Grown in BritainGREAT week on Agri-Tech, theScience and Innovation Network(SIN) and the Met Office hosteda BIS-funded seminar on 10 Julyin the UK Pavilion at Milan Expo(part of the series of worldExpos that take place every fiveyears).

... global food production will have to increase by 70% ...

Andrew Jackson, Head of theFCO’s Science, Innovation andClimate Department, headed upa high-level panel of fourspeakers looking at weather andclimate impact on food supplyand security: Kirsty Lewis(Climate Security Team Leader,

science and industry could worktogether to support the Agri-Techsector in the context of long-term climate risks, including:

• considering potential climateimpacts on food security,availability and malnutrition, inorder to help policy makers

Resources, Royal BotanicGardens, Kew), Tania OsejoCarrillo (Climate ChangeAdaptation Consultant, TheWorld Food Programme).

While debating links betweenclimate and weather, foodsecurity and malnutrition,panellists considered how

build resilience and reduce thethreat of future hunger;

• use of weather forecasts,early warning and horizonscanning to prepare better forweather and climate shocks in

order to support agriculture andsupply chains;

• use of big data to managecrop health and control plantdisease and invasive species;

• building resilience of theagricultural economy to theeffects of climate change.

Met Office), Shaun Hobbs

(Global Director, Knowledge

Bank, the Centre for Biosciences

and Agriculture International

(CABI)), Aaron Davis (Senior

Research Leader, Plant

The panel members and SIN Italy team in the bee-hive shaped UK Pavilion


world using an interactive map.

An exhibition was set up under

the bee-hive shaped UK Pavilion

and proved very popular: there

was strong and sustained public

engagement with hundreds of

visitors watching the videos

explaining the climate change in

the European Commission (JRC

and EFSA), UKTI, a visiting

delegation from Columbia, and

the Expo Scientific Committee.

Also in attendance were a

BIS/UKTI funded UK-Turkey Agri-

Tech delegation, visiting the

Expo and aiming to forge UK-

UK to address the globalchallenge of feeding the planet.

The “Food and the Future”event was financed by BISthrough its Global PartnershipFund and is part of the “Grownin Britain” SIN Programme whichaims at maximising theinternational Science andInnovation opportunities linkedto the World Expo Milan 2015.

The Science and InnovationNetwork (SIN) is funded by theUK Foreign and CommonwealthOffice (FCO) and Departmentfor Business, Innovation andSkills (BIS). SIN has nearly 90officers in 28 countries aroundthe world, working across theentire UK science andinnovation landscape to deliverinternational collaborations inscience and innovation. SINaims to ensure UK researchershave the opportunity to workwith the best in the world, touse the best facilities, toleverage research andinnovation funding and toensure science and innovationsupports UK growth throughinternational outreach. Thesecollaborations encourage newideas, inform policy and helpdrive further innovation.

Participating organisationsbrought different perspectivesand case studies to thediscussions. Kew described howthey are using climate modellingto find ways to help Ethiopiancoffee farmers avoid crop failure;the Met Office presented their‘Human Dynamics of ClimateChange’ model (including via anexhibition open to the generalpublic); and CABI focused ontheir work to increase ormaintain crop yields in the faceof climate change, by usingmodelling and Big Data toimprove management of pestsand diseases.

The panel debate providedinsights into how technologyand innovation could improve

illustrate some of the impacts ofclimate and population changein the context of a globalised

... the UK has pioneered developments in thelivestock sector for centuries. ...

... World-leading UK Agri-Tech research institutions ...

the competitiveness of the Agri-Tech sector whilst alsoaddressing global food security.With agriculture so dependenton weather, the panelconcluded that there was morewe can do to support resiliencein this sector:

“Through science and industryworking together to meet thechallenges of growing morefood in a sustainable way, wecan build food security and alsohelp our agricultural industrycompete in the global race”

Leading British and Italianresearch centres and universitiesattended the event, alongside

Turkey Agri-Tech collaborationsas part of the UK-Turkey Year ofScience and Innovation.

The day was rounded off withMet Office-led sessions on the‘Human Dynamics of ClimateChange’. These aimed to

the “seminar suite” of thePavilion.

The UK is home to world-classagricultural research in areassuch as plant and animalbreeding, remote sensing,meteorological prediction anddata exploitation. From geneticsto grazing, the UK haspioneered developments in thelivestock sector for centuries.The challenge now is tocontinue to provide safe,nutritious food that is affordableand accessible to all. The UK’sAgri-Tech strengths should helpus to ensure better cropproductivity and yields, withreduced input andenvironmental impact. World-leading UK Agri-Tech researchinstitutions, innovative farmersand food manufacturers cameto Milan to attend the Agri-TechGREAT Week and the “Food andthe Future” seminar, helping the

The seminar debate in the UK Pavilion conference room

The exhibition set up in the UK Pavilion


Recent UK Government policyhas sought to protect anddevelop the UK aerospacesector. In 2010 the Government,working closely with the UKaerospace industry, establishedthe Aerospace GrowthPartnership (AGP) as a way oftackling barriers to growth,boosting exports and increasingthe number of high value jobsin the UK. In 2013, building onthe success of the AGP, theAerospace Technology Institute(ATI) was launched to sustainand grow the UK’sinternationally competitiveaerospace sector throughinvestment in technologies

THE UNIVERSITY OFNOTTINGHAM INSTITUTE FORAEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY:Pioneering UK aerospaceinnovation & skills

Professor Hervé Morvan,Director of The University ofNottingham Institute for AerospaceTechnology and the University Leadfor the Aerospace & TransportResearch Priority Area

Nottingham established theInstitute of AerospaceTechnology (IAT) in 2009. Theremit of the IAT is to integrate,develop and promote theUniversity’s substantialaerospace research portfolio,enabling the University to bettersupport the sector bycontributing to knowledgeexchange and innovation anddriving investment in keynational infrastructure and skillsdevelopment.

Since its establishment, the IAThas been instrumental in thegrowth of Nottingham’saerospace research portfolio

technological research focusedon underpinning technologiesbased around five key strategicareas:

• Aero Engines and PropulsionResearchers at Nottingham are

carrying out cutting edgeresearch to improve engineperformance and efficiency. TheUniversity is home to two Rolls-Royce University TechnologyCentres and one of the UK’sSynthetic Biology ResearchCentres which is carrying outinnovative research into biofuels.

• Aerospace ManufacturingNottingham has substantial

expertise in aerospacemanufacturing across a broadrange of areas, including additivemanufacturing, machining,process control and optimisation.The University is home to theAirbus Centre for AerospaceManufacturing and two EPSRCCentres for InnovativeManufacturing in Compositesand Additive Manufacturing. Inaddition, the University was alsoa founding partner of theManufacturing TechnologyCentre (MTC).

• Aerospace Materials andStructuresScientists and engineers at

Nottingham work closely withleading aerospace equipmentmanufacturers to develop andanalyse next-generation materialsdesigned to produce lighter,safer, more fuel efficient aircraft.The University is home to theEPSRC Nottingham

The global aerospace marketis buoyant. Over the next 20years, the original equipmentmarket is forecast to exceed$5trn globally, with servicesexceeding over $2trn. It ispredicted that by 2033, 57,000new fixed wing aircraft and40,000 new helicopters willbe required.

The UK is at the forefront ofthese developments and ishome to the largest aerospacesector in Europe and the secondlargest in the world; employingmore than 230,000 peopleacross over 3000 companies,including Rolls-Royce, Airbus,Agusta Westland and GKN; anda vast network of small andmedium size enterprises. It is ahigh value-added, research anddevelopment intensive sector,where investment has resultedin substantial benefits, anchoringoutputs and jobs for decades tocome.

consistent with aircraft updates,new aircraft and the sector’sstrengths. The ATI has securedover £2.1bn in R&D funding tosupport the sector and, since itsestablishment, has funded inexcess of 140 projects UK wide.

Aware of these opportunities inthe UK and related opportunitiesin Europe, and building on astrong aerospace researchheritage, The University of

from £35m in 2010 to over£75m in 2015 and has assistedin positioning Nottingham asone of the leading aerospaceUniversities in Europe, linkingresearch excellence withinnovative developments forindustry. The IAT works closelywith a range of national andinternational aerospace industryand research partners to addressglobal challenges and drive thedevelopment of innovative

The Aerospace Technology Centre on The University of Nottingham’sInnovation Park.


Nanotechnology andNanoscience Centre (NNNC)and also a key member of theUK Research Centre in Non-Destructive Evaluation.

• Aerospace OperationsAs the aviation industry grows,

there are increased challengesaround capacity, sustainability,passenger comfort, safety,supply chains and security.Nottingham is home to a rangeof high profile centres andinstitutes with a focus onaddressing these challenges.These include: the Nottingham

supports the recruitment ofworld-class students to theUniversity’s other undergraduate,postgraduate and CPD coursesthat have alignment with theaerospace industry. The Institutehas also been successful ingaining funding from theEuropean Commission’s MarieSkłodowska-Curie actions tolaunch two multi-disciplinaryPhD programmes: INNOVATEand INNOVATIVE, whichcollectively provide 37 PhDstudentships related toaerospace research.

The IAT is also committed todeveloping and promoting inter-disciplinary aerospace researchand is currently working tointegrate its exciting research onaerospace with the innovativeresearch taking place across theUniversity on transport. In doingthis, the IAT is working closelywith groups such as the ImpetusPartnership and the TransportSystems Catapult to shareknowledge and developcollaborative projects across anewly created UniversityAerospace and TransportResearch Priority Area.

Building on these strategicinterventions, The University ofNottingham is advancing itsposition as one of the leadingAerospace Universities in Europeby continuing to develop itsEuropean and UK researchportfolio and further expandingits portfolio of fundamentalscience research to ensure thatthe UK aerospace sectorcontinues to push theboundaries in terms of researchinnovation.

For further information on theInstitute of AerospaceTechnology contact:[email protected]

You can also visit:www.nottingham.ac.uk/aerospace or follow us onTwitter at: @UoNAerospace

was the only University to beawarded Associate Partnerstatus in its own right in CleanSky and is currently a CorePartner in the €4.2bn Clean Sky2 programme. Through thisfunding, researchers from theUniversity are working with aseries of UK and EuropeanAerospace companies todevelop a range of exciting nextgeneration technologies such asthe Helicopter ElectroMechanical Actuation System(HEMAS, see image), GreenTaxiing Motor and Electric StarterGenerator Motor.

research funding and wasrecently a partner in a successfulfunding proposal to the ATI withlocal SME Romax.

Leading InnovationThe Institute sits at the

interface between university,industrial partners, governmentand funding bodies: acting asthe bridge between academicexcellence and industry,accelerating knowledge transferand the exploitation of research,and supporting technologicalinnovation for the sector. Toassist in driving collaborationbetween academia and industry,the Institute has been successfulin securing funding to facilitatethe development ofinfrastructure and facilities. Theseinclude a £5.1m AerospaceTechnology Centre (ATC), basedon The University of

Geospatial Institute, theNottingham TransportationEngineering Centre, the Centrefor Risk and ReliabilityEngineering and the AutomatedScheduling, Optimisation andPlanning Research Group.

• More Electric AircraftThe development of more

electric aircraft is a key priorityfor the future of the aerospacesector. Home to the largestpower electronics researchgroup in the world and theGeorge Green Institute forElectromagnetics Research,Nottingham is at the cuttingedge of this, with internationallyrenowned expertise in powermanagement, control anddistribution, electrical machinesand electromagnetic protection.

A Research Leader in EuropeAcross these strategic areas,

the University has beensuccessful in securing fundingfor a suite of research projects.These include a number ofprojects funded through theEU’s Clean Sky Joint TechnologyInitiative; a major EuropeanAerospace Programme thatbrings together industry,academia and research centresto deliver next generationtechnologies for loweringpollution and safeguarding theleading position of the sector.The University of Nottingham

Working with the ATI to DriveForward Aerospace Researchin the UK

Nottingham’s IAT has alsosecured substantial funding fromthe ATI. This includesinfrastructure funding toestablish a nationaltransmissions testing facility toresearch and develop futureaircraft large engine, rotorcraft,industrial and gas turbinetransmissions. Through fundingfrom the ATI, the IAT has alsodeveloped a series ofcollaborative projects andstrategic partnerships with globalaviation leaders such as Rolls-Royce.

Supporting and Working withSMEs

As well as working with leadingnational and internationalaerospace companies, the IAT isalso committed to supportingSmall and Medium-sizedEnterprises (SMEs) and is amember of The University ofNottingham’s Ingenuity Network.This extensive business supportnetwork is part funded by theEuropean Union and aims totransfer knowledge andexpertise from the Universityinto local and regional small andmedium sized businesses. TheIAT has also worked closely withSMEs to facilitate access to UKand European aerospace

Nottingham’s Innovation Park.The ATC is a research andknowledge transfer hub, whichprovides state of the art facilitiesand support for thedevelopment of large scaledemonstrations.

Improving Education & SkillsThe IAT sees skills

development as a key priority forthe sector and will be supportingthe launch of a new AerospaceEngineering undergraduateprogramme during 2016-17. TheIAT is also home to theUniversity’s MSc AerospaceTechnologies course and

... researchers from the University are working with a series of UK and European

Aerospace companies ...

Electromechanical actuator forhelicopters developed inpartnership with Liebherr Groupand Airbus Group Innovations ondisplay on the Clean Sky booth atthe Paris Airshow in June 2015


ELECTRIC CARS

Lord BorwickHouse of Lords

FUTURE OF ROAD TRANSPORTMeeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on Tuesday 16th June

Modec van in London ©Modec

When I sold out of thatbusiness in 2003 I started anew electric delivery vehiclebusiness called Modec and Ialso become chairman of abattery company called Oxis.

mileage before they startearning their living in London,meaning a hybrid is a bettersolution for their vehicles’ needs than a pure electricvehicle.

So if we want to see our roadnetwork covered with electriccars, then we need furtherimprovements in technology.

But the development ofelectric vehicles is nothing new. Iwas the Chief Executive ofManganese Bronze Holdings for14 years, where we madeLondon black cabs. We madethe TX1 London taxi – the newstandard London Taxi – dieselpowered, with the idea ofconverting it to electric later.

The key to the success of theTX1 London Taxi was itswheelchair accessibility, butactually this provided spaceunderneath the flat floor,needed for the wheelchair, forsiting batteries. However, my firstpriority was to make the taxidrivers rich by making a greattaxi, but what I did not focus onwas that rich drivers wouldmove out to the suburbs. Theeffect of this was that manydrivers have a lot of dead

The Modec van, however, wasa pure electric delivery vehiclewith a two tonne load and a100-mile range, which workedon the basis that there is norange anxiety among thedelivery companies. FedEx andUPS were two of our biggestcustomers for the Modec van.They can plan their routes withgreat accuracy and so they knowhow many miles their driverswould be doing every day. UPSwarned us that in America,

Cars represent freedom. You have the right to get into your carfor any reason at any time and go where you want, subject onlyto cost. An electric car with no charge will take away thatfreedom from you, and many consumers will resent that.

driving on the right hand side,they would do ten times asmany right hand turns as lefthand turns and we shoulddesign the steering systemaccordingly. This of course had


an impact on the range of thevehicles.

This question of range anxietyfor vehicles has a long history.Indeed, electric vehicles were farmore common than petrol onesat the end of the 19th century.In 1905 if you compared thevery common electric vehicleswith the awkward and dirtypetrol ones, the driver with therange anxiety would have beenthe man wanting to buy petrol.

At the start of the 20th centurymost people would havepredicted that electric vehicleswould be far more commonthan the internal combustionengine vehicles by the start ofthe 21st century. Petrol anddiesel cars clearly took over formany decades but as politicians– and consumers – becomemore conscious of theenvironmental impact of thecombustion engine, a lot ofresources were ploughed intothe development of a new waveof electric cars, including varioustypes of hybrids.

The first effective one of thesewas the Toyota Prius, and thecompany made two brilliantmoves when introducing this carwhich are lessons to remember.The first was to ensure that the

one point where the drivercannot see them, but that is theplace where they feed theirfumes into the faces of bicyclistsand children on the pavement.Exhaust is, of course, poisonous,and this poison comes in manyforms; no longer filled with lead,but it is the diesel particulatesthat we should worry aboutmost.

Over the last ten years therehas been constant and justified

means that a 20-pump petrolstation beside the road has thepower output of a modernnuclear power station. Electricityat 30 megawatts would need a300 mm wide cable and be farmore dangerous.

In the long term, the future ofelectric vehicles depends on thefuture of batteries. Right now,they come in two major types –the stationary and the moveable.The stationary batteries includepumped storage, the marvelloussystem we have in Dinorwig inNorth Wales. The obviousmoveable battery is in yourmobile phone. It is lithium ion,the major type of batteriesdeveloped in the UK in the late1980s and early 1990s.

In the lithium ion battery,power density and energydensity improved rapidly. Butnew technologies develop mostquickly at the start of their lives,and the law of diminishingreturns is now starting to apply.So we have to look at otherchemistries to make our futureelectric vehicles. The twochemistries that immediatelycome to mind are lithiumsulphide and lithium titanate.

There are five features of abattery that must be optimised.The first is the speed ofdischarge, essentially the poweroutput of the battery. Thesecond is the speed of thecharge. The third feature is thenumber of charge cycles I cando. All the pure electric carcompanies have agreed thatthey need a minimum of 1,000charge discharge cycles. Thefourth feature is the temperaturestability and how itsperformance varies in tropical orarctic conditions. The finalfeature to look at is how close tothe capacity edges you can getwithout ruining the longevity ofthe battery.

Of course, all of this makes itharder to produce and test anew battery. If I were to inventbrilliant new battery chemistrytomorrow, I cannot start selling itfor at least three years. Withpave testing, where you rattlethe suspension of a car on asingle mile of cobbles, this isequivalent to 100 miles of use.But nobody has yet developed arobust and accepted“accelerated cycling” testalgorithm for batteries.

Having said all that, some greatwork has been done on lithiumtitanate and there are apparentlyseveral manufacturersprototyping vehicles with a 300mile range, quite enough toabolish range anxiety and enableelectric vehicles to take theirplace in the market.

But the rewards for whoevercracks it will be huge. Lowspeeds make an electric car theperfect car for a teenager orelderly driver. And for ateenager, the electric car is cool.It is new technology that can bemarketed at an environmentallyaware young audience –another piece of the latest kit togo with their smart phones andtablets. Electric cars will, in time,be the new vehicles of freedom.

the car pool lanes on Californianfreeways. A second hand Priuswith one of these stickers on thewindow was worth about$2,000 more at five years old.Perhaps the lesson here in theUK is to allow electric cars intobus lanes.

To achieve success in thelonger term, the electric carreally has to beat normal petrolor diesel engine vehicles, sostudying the competition isimportant. For instance, a featureof all internal combustionengines is their exhaust pipe,which are made as attractive aspossible with chromium platingand placed low down at theback of the vehicle. This is the

of the car, where the driverwould see it and feel pressurisedto do something about it.

The bottom line of the internalcombustion engine is that it isvery, very complex and has hadmillions of engineers workingmany hours to improve it. Eachone may have many thousandsof components. The electricmotor would probably only havethree components and notrequire any maintenance. Sowhy has it not conquered theworld? The answer is becausepetrol and diesel are very hard tobeat. When you pour petrol intoyour car at the petrol pump youare transferring energy at a rateof about 30 megawatts. That

vehicle had a different bodyshape so that it was distinctive; itenabled the driver to boastvisually that he was doingsomething better – and possiblymore virtuous – than otherdrivers. (Honda, on the otherhand, made their first hybrid inthe same body shell as theirsmall saloon and consequentlysold very few of them.) Thelesson is that it is useless to begood unless everybody knows it– ask any two year old.

The second brilliant move byToyota was ensuring that thePrius was allowed to travel in

attention to carbon dioxide, buta single minded pressure onreducing CO2 meant new carsused diesel. This then led tomore particulates in the air.

As the efficiency of dieselengines improved, PM2.5sincreased (particulate matterless than 2.5 microns in size)and only later did we discoverthat these particulates bypassthe throat and go right downinto the lungs where they cancause most damage. Ifsomebody wants to clean upthe air we could do worse thanput the exhaust pipe at the front

... the electric car really has to beat normal petrol or diesel engine vehicles ...

... the future of electric vehicles depends onthe future of batteries ...


and services with far-reachingimplications.

REALISING THE VISIONOF AUTOMATEDVEHICLES

In 2010, Google announcedthat they had been testing self-driving cars on the road, gainingsubstantial media attention. TRLhas been evaluating automateddriving for many decades,starting in the 1950s with a ‘self-steering’ Standard Vanguard.TRL’s system used two coilsmounted symmetrically acrossthe front bumper to detectoffset of the vehicle from anelectric cable buried in thecentre of the lane under theroad surface. This technologywas adapted to a Citroën DS,Ford Cortina Mk II and even aDaimler single-decker bus.Coupled with a rudimentarycruise control system, thesevehicles were able to drivethemselves; initially around TRL’stest track. Plans for on-roadtesting were ultimately still-born.Technology has progressedsignificantly. The implications forlegislation, economic impact anddriver behaviour have beenresearched by TRL in manydimensions.

In 2014, Innovate UK launchedthe ‘Introducing Driverless Carsto UK Roads’ competition. Thiswas not in order to fund thedevelopment of newtechnologies, but to consider thewider implications of automatedvehicle deployment. TRL’sreputation for independent,trusted and technology-agnosticresearch allowed us to developand lead the successfully fundedGATEway (GreenwichAutomated TransportEnvironment) project. GATEwayincludes eleven organisations,

each bringing specialistknowledge and capability to theproject. It is supported by anadvisory group, chaired by LordBorwick, and includes more thantwenty organisations, eachfeeding diverse insights intostudy design and theinterpretation of results.

GATEway has six primary aims:

1. Demonstrate automatedvehicles safely and effectively inpublic environments.

2. Understand legal, societal andtechnical barriers toimplementation.

3. Inspire industry, governmentand the wider public to engagewith automated vehicles.

4. Generate valuable, exploitableknowledge of the systemsrequired for effectivemanagement of automatedtransport.

5. Create a long-term test bedfor future automated transportsystem evaluation.

6. Position UK plc at theforefront of global industry,encouraging inward investmentand job creation.

In achieving these, the projectmust demonstrate and evaluateautomated vehicles. This will beachieved in three public trials.Firstly, testing electric, driverlessshuttles each capable of carryingup to 10 passengers and

operating as a service on theGreenwich peninsula; secondly,automated valet parking toimprove parking space and timeefficiency and thirdly, the use ofautomated, low noise and zeroemission vehicles for urbancollection/delivery. Further, wewill address cybersecurity issuesand conduct off-streetsimulations and trials, gainingdeeper knowledge about publicperceptions, driver behaviourand attitudes towardsautomated vehicles.

CREATING FUTUREMOBILITY

Beyond the GATEway project,TRL worked with Ricardo on afeasibility study for the

Department for Transportlooking into platooning of truckson highways, potentially leadingto on-road trials. We are alsoresearching the deployment ofultra-low-emission vehicles(ULEVs) where battery rangeremains a challenge. TRL isleading another consortium onbehalf of Highways England toconduct a feasibility study intodynamic wireless power transfer.This concept would enable avehicle to charge its batteriesinductively while the vehicle isdriving at motorway speeds,dramatically increasing vehiclerange and the viability of large,commercial ULEVs.

AUTOMATED VEHICLES

Rob WallisChief Executive, TransportResearch Laboratory (TRL)

Professor Nick ReedTRL Academy Director

FUTURE OF ROAD TRANSPORT

INTRODUCTIONTRL, the UK’s Transport

Research Laboratory, wascreated in 1933, originally aspart of UK Government, andprivatised in 1996.

A world-leader in creating thefuture of transport, our heritageincludes major contributions tothe UK’s transport infrastructureand international projectssupporting established andemerging markets in developingtransport solutions. Our in-depthsector experience provides theinsight to recognise anapproaching revolution intransport and mobility, driven byacceleration in the developmentof connected and automatedvehicles and triggering safer,more efficient journeys but alsodramatic, broader changes in themovement of people, goods


Working with the EuropeanCommission, vehiclemanufacturers and theautomotive supply chain, wesystematically reviewed morethan fifty vehicle safety systemssuch as autonomous emergencybraking, lane departure warningsystems and alcohol ignitioninterlocks, providing evidence tosupport possible changes inlegislation. We are also engagedin the push for harmonisation of

safer urban cycling behaviours tohelp TfL drive the Mayor’s visionto double cycling in London by2020.

AN APPROACHINGREVOLUTION

There are divergent expertopinions on how road transportwill change in the next ten years,with new business modelschallenging the establishedmobility sector.

necessity for smart infrastructure,including fixed/dynamic wirelesscharging? Will businesses adoptautomated ULEV vehicles,optimised for smooth and safefreight journeys through urbancentres, using wireless powertechnologies?

These new emergingtechnologies createopportunities for the UK and forindustry, but acceleration is

What are some inspiringimplications of this revolution? Afew observations:

1. The UK Driving Test is 80years old; TRL plays a major rolein its ongoing development.How will this evolve as vehiclesbecome automated? Will itbecome obsolete?

2. Can roadside infrastructure beremoved – supplanted by in-vehicle information displays and

b) Google has been trialling itsdriverless cars for some time,with over 1.7 million milescovered on Californian publicroads. This in itself isrevolutionary but is just onedimension of profoundadvances in artificially intelligentsystem development.

c) Tesla is pushing electric carcapabilities, investing heavily inbattery technologies, includingits planned ‘Gigafactory’ inNevada. They will apply an over-the-air update to existing Teslavehicles to enable automateddriving on highways.

global crashworthinessstandards, linked to our heritagein developing these standardsover many decades andfounding the EuroNCAP protocolin 1996.

Air quality has an increasinglyhigh priority. TRL has pledgedsupport to the United Nations-sponsored Urban ElectricMobility Initiative, which aims toachieve 30% of urban vehiclesas ULEVs by 2030, with ananticipated multi-trillion dollarbenefit to the global economythrough reduced fuel costs andimproved public health. Atangible example of where TRLis seeking to make anenvironmental difference in theUK is the integration of real-timeair quality satellite data into ourworld-leading SCOOT trafficmanagement and signaloptimisation software, workingwith the University of Leicester,the European Space Agency,and relevant Local Authorities.

In the push for improvedpublic health, we should notforget that walking and cyclinghave health benefits –automated vehicles should notdiscourage these activities. Wehave undertaken research into

Considering vehicle automation,will we see:

a) driver assistance systemsevolve leading to a proliferationof partially automated vehicles,with a driver still present and noprospect of full automation formany years? Established vehiclemanufacturers are pursuing thismodel.

b) or mass adoption of fullyautomated and driverlessvehicles, especially in urbanareas, bringing major marketdisruption by non-traditionalplayers such as Google, Uber orTesla? Mass changes in vehicleownership models mayinfluence public transport,deliveries and manufacturingwith significant re-shaping of theemployment market.

Considering ULEVs, will we see:

a) a revolution in propulsion – abreakthrough in batterytechnology or the developmentof practical fuel cell EVs enablingvehicle range that matches orexceeds that of vehicles withcombustion engines.

b) improvements in batterytechnology while traditionalcombustion-engine vehiclesremain dominant – driving the

required to remain relevant andcompetitive. The US providesexamples:

a) Uber emerged in five years tohave millions of clients,operating in 300 cities globally.While their business model iscausing friction in establishedmarkets, Uber is now investingin automated vehicles toenhance their service radically.

automated driving? Does thewindscreen become a viewinggallery rather than giving thedriver a critical view of the roadahead?

3. How will automated vehiclesoperate amongst manuallydriven vehicles? Will they actaggressively to optimise journey-time (for a fee?) or passively tomaximise comfort and networkefficiency? Will they exacerbateroad rage?

4. Road vehicles are developedto withstand crashes (causedmostly by driver error). Reducedcrash risk and differences incrash types might prompt a re-think into the design, materials,weight and cost of suchvehicles.

5. How will technologydevelopers make decisionsabout codifying driving style andethics into software? How willautomated vehicles makeinstant, safety critical decisions?

TRL actively supports the UKand industry to participate andshape this revolution in theglobal transport and mobilitymarketplace. It is pleasing to seefurther UK Governmentinvestment and related activity invehicle automation andconnectivity to support advancesin journey safety and efficiencyand stimulating a hugelysignificant market opportunity.

TRL Autonomous driving 1962

... reduced fuel costs and improved public health ...


Steve YianniChief ExecutiveTransport Systems Catapult

THE FUTURE OF ROADS ANDCITIES

The Transport Systems Catapultis helping the UK secure asmuch of this market as possibleby supporting business, creatingjobs and driving economicgrowth. With a clear emphasison collaboration we are bringingtogether diverse organisationsacross different modes oftransport, breaking down barriersand providing a unique platformfor meeting the world’s mostpressing transport challenges.

The common goal is todevelop future transport systemsthat will make;

• Travelling an end to end, usercentric experience

• A positive impact on ourcarbon footprint

• Travel safer and quicker makingassets more productive

• The UK generate a larger shareof the economic opportunitiesavailable

• Our transport systems moreresilient

• Improvements to mobility forall areas of society

Intelligent Mobility is abouttaking a different approach tothe challenges that have

traditionally beset the transportsector, whether it be congestion,pollution or the lack of "joinedup" thinking between thedifferent modes of transport. Itgoes further than that, however,by also helping the transportindustry to address widersocietal trends including agrowing and ageing globalpopulation, climate change, therapid depletion of our traditionalenergy resources, the shift awayfrom personal cars to mobility asa service and increasingurbanisation.

In order to meet thesechallenges, Intelligent Mobilityhas to cut across and go beyondthe traditional transport sector.Intelligent Mobility thereforefocuses on new and emergingtechnologies that make itpossible to achieve more forless.

SMART AS STANDARDThe business demand for co-

location of like-mindedorganisations and peoplepresents significant challengesfor those in charge of cityplanning and infrastructure.Technological advances in areas

FUTURE OF ROAD TRANSPORT

One example of this is howthe Transport Systems Catapultis working collaboratively withMilton Keynes on thesechallenges. Whilst the city hasexperienced great economicsuccess, the challenge ofsupporting sustainable growthwithout exceeding the capacityof the infrastructure, andensuring achievement of keycarbon reduction targets, is amajor one.

such as augmented-reality and3D printing could soon rendersome of our journeys anddeliveries as unnecessary butthe smooth movement of thegrowing numbers of peoplearound the world’s alreadycongested cities won’t be solvedby technology alone. It is howwe deploy technology that willdetermine which cities prevail.Transport should be regarded asa key enabler to cities becomingsmart and by overcomingbarriers such as businessmodels and attitudes to change,we can start to unlock thepotential of such technologies.

... shift away frompersonal cars ...

INTELLIGENT MOBILITY:AN ECONOMICOPPORTUNITY

Britain has a long history oftransport innovation: from theshipbuilders who paved the wayfor globalisation, to the railwaysthat underpinned the industrialrevolution. We pioneered theera of modern aviation, theairline industry, air traffic controland even the development ofradar. Britain is still a worldleader in transport innovation,and the Transport SystemsCatapult is positioning the UK atthe forefront of the nextrevolution in how we movepeople and goods around theworld.

Encompassing everything fromautonomous vehicles toseamless journey systems andmulti-modal modelling software,Intelligent Mobility usesemerging technologies to enablethe smarter, greener and moreefficient movement of peopleand goods around the world.Intelligent Mobility is a fastgrowing sector with the globalmarket estimated to be worth£900 billion a year by 2025.


To help address thesechallenges, the collaborativeinitiative MK:Smart (partlyfunded by HEFCE) is developinginnovative solutions to supporteconomic growth in MiltonKeynes. Central to the project isthe creation of a state-of-the-art‘MK Data Hub’ which willsupport the acquisition andmanagement of vast amounts ofdata relevant to city systemsfrom a variety of data sources.These include data about energyand water consumption,transport usage, data acquiredthrough satellite technology,social and economic datasets,and crowd-sourced data.Building on the capabilityprovided by the MK Data Hub,the project will innovate in theareas of transport, energy andwater management, tackling keydemand issues. Similar projectsare under way across the UKwhich collectively will start tounlock new business modelsand enable innovativetechnologies to emerge.

Many projects are informed byand feed into the TransportSystems Catapult’s datavisualisation programme, whichby deploying and visualising dataholds huge potential forIntelligent Mobility. Thisenhanced use of data is onlypossible because of theexplosion in digital connectivityand as this paves the way fortransport connectivity. TheTransport Systems Catapult isunique in its approach,identifying the barriers that holdback modelling and visualisationtrue potential. High on its hit listis the ‘silo approach’, where keyindividuals, departments andorganisations fail to sharevaluable information with eachother, thus mitigating thepotential of data modelling. By2020, the market for data,modelling and analytical tools

and techniques is set to grow to£60 billion from £15 billion in2014. The market size,comprising modelling, simulationand augmented reality, is some£125 billion. The UK is aninternational leader and has astrong professional servicesindustry. The Transport SystemsCatapult’s work is aboutequipping the industry tomaintain this world leadingstatus.

REALISING THEBENEFITS

As champions of IntelligentMobility, the Transport Systems

Catapult and its partners aretaking advantage ofdevelopments in webconnectivity, integrated systems,state of the art modelling andvisualisation, and the emergingInternet of Things to changehow we think about themovement of people andgoods.

The LUTZ Pathfinderprogramme, managed by theTransport Systems Catapult onbehalf of the UK AutomotiveCouncil, will trial three self-driving pods on the pavementsof Milton Keynes, with a focuson ‘last mile’ journeys. Theadvent of autonomous vehiclesis expected to change how weperceive car ownership. Insteadof seeing the car as a statussymbol, people are likely toregard it as an on-demandservice which mustaccommodate our schedules inan efficient, safe and eco-

... IntroducingDriverless Cars ...

... save over 2,500 lives annually ...

friendly manner. If vehicles canbe made to run entirely withouthuman drivers, automationcould also offer a new lease ofmobility to those who cannotcurrently drive, whether onaccount of age, disability orsimply because they do not owna car.

save over 2,500 lives annuallyand prevent more than 25,000serious accidents in the UKalone.

Studies undertaken by theDepartment of Transporthighlight a significant reductionin the number of 17 to 20 yearolds obtaining a driving licencewith data showing a peak at48% in 1993 and a steady fallto 31% by 2011. The data for21 to 29 year olds is a similarproportion from 75% to 63%over the same period. Thegrowing popularity of usagerather than ownership will seenew business models begin toemerge, with the diversificationof the traditional carmanufacturer potentially movingtowards the operation of modelssuch as fleet management ofautonomous vehicles and carsharing clubs.

Recent improvements in routeplanning software that considermultiple transport modes is anexample of the first steps beingtaken towards overcoming someof the challenges to mobilitybecoming a service, but there isstill a long way to go. Part of ourremit at the Transport SystemsCatapult is to overcome the silothinking that has typicallydogged the transport sector andencourage collaboration amongall transport providers andmodes.

Proof of the UK’s willingness toinvest in this area can be seenin the three projects exploringthese technologies as part of theGovernment’s ‘Introducing

Driverless Cars to UK Roads’competition announced inDecember 2014. These threeprogrammes already represent apublic private partnershipinvestment of £40m. In March2015, the Governmentannounced the creation of a

£200m investment (halffinanced by the State and halfby industry) to enhance thedevelopment of driverless cartechnology and the systemsrequired to improve and adoptthe technology.

Connected cars also take awaythe element of human fallibility,which is estimated to be at leastpartly responsible for more than90 per cent of road trafficaccidents. A study from KPMG,commissioned by The Society ofMotor Manufacturers andTraders predicted that connectedand autonomous vehicles would

As we progress closer toIntelligent Mobility, the benefitswill become increasingly clear.Reduced congestion, fewer carrelated deaths, an easingpressure on our naturalresources and more flexiblejourneys to name a few. Amyriad of opportunities arethere to overcome some of thebarriers and challenges thatstand in the way and theTransport Systems Catapult looksforward to helping technologyand society to catch up.


THE BIG DATA OPPORTUNITY

There is considerable interestin data and how they canimprove policy, prosperity andeven our democracy. There isparticular talk of ‘big data’. It is aterm that is not well defined –perhaps better seen as ‘moodword’ which indicates theubiquity of data and our growinginterest in them. Big data hintsat the rise of digital data whichcome from our phones, oursupermarket purchases, andsoon (with the emergence ofthe internet of things) ourfridges and other householddevices. We know we are in anera of big data through theexplosion of data visualisation;the increased linking of datasets,interest in new types of datasuch as digital or administrativedata; the rise of new ways ofanalysing data such as machinelearning; and technologicalchange which means we cangather and store more data thanwe ever dreamt possible.

The opportunities from greaterusage of data for better policyare limitless. In health we willsee the rise of personalisedmedicines, as well as improvedmethodologies for clinical trials.Better local data could lead to‘smarter cities’ which canmonitor transport needs orimprove energy usage throughreal time data. The Foreign Officeis already experimenting withanalysis of social media data tofind key influencers who can actas bridges between communities

in troubled hotspots. The Officefor National Statistics is triallinghow to use administrative data(the data we give togovernment for other nonstatistical purposes – eg applyingfor a driving licence) tosupplement and perhaps evensupplant the traditionaldecennial census in order toprovide more real timeinformation about the societywe live in.

TAKING DATASERIOUSLY IN POLICY

To make the most of the bigdata opportunity, evidence mustbe taken more seriously inpolicy formulation andevaluation. Making policy whenresources are tight is difficult butdecision makers should take intoaccount the probable quantifiedconsequences of alternatives.

The Government has madewelcome investment into the‘What Works’ centres, which linkacademics with policymakers tocast evidential light on keyissues. The Behavioural InsightsTeam or ‘nudge unit’ hasfocused on the small changesthat can make a big difference,such as what letter wordingfrom the tax man leads to morepeople paying their taxes. Tobuild on this, Governmentshould publish the data andevidence that underpin any new

Hetan ShahExecutive Director, the RoyalStatistical Society@HetanShah

What steam was to the 19th century, and oil has been to the20th, data are to the 21st. They are the driver of prosperity, therevolutionary resource that is transforming the nature of socialand economic activity, the capability that differentiates successfulfrom unsuccessful societies.

policies it announces, andshould also commit to regularand long term evaluation ofpolicies. Where we lack the datato inform choices betweenoptions in important policyareas, we should invest ingetting it.

DATA SHARING Greater data sharing between

government departments forstatistics and research purposes

would provide opportunities fora range of public services andpolicy areas ranging from ‘smartcities’ to better healthcare. Oneoption would be to follow theCanadian model and allow theOffice for National Statisticsaccess for statistical purposes toall major public and privatesector datasets – which arealready regulated and controlled– to focus not on us asindividuals, but on how societyis changing as a whole.Increasingly important data areheld by the private sector – egthink of what aggregatingeveryone’s mobile phone dataor supermarket loyalty card datacould help tell us about oursociety’s lifestyle, movements,dietary habits etc. These newdata sources can provide morereal time evidence than waspreviously possible. Ourresearch1 with Ipsos MORIsuggests that the public supportsdata sharing if it is done for thepublic good by organisations

... the driver of prosperity ...

... Government should publish the data andevidence that underpin any new policies ...


... important data are held by the private sector ...

... skills shortages are a pressing issue for the UK’s data industries ...

... Open data can be a rich source of innovationat relatively little cost ...

trusted to safeguard privacy andconfidentiality. Safeguardsshould be built into any sharingof personal data at the outsetincluding anonymisation of thedata (as far as is possible), legalpenalties for misuse, access onlyto accredited researchers whereappropriate, and gate-keepingaccess to big linked data sets sothat personal identities areprotected, as in the UK’sAdministrative Data ResearchCentres. There needs to be

more to open these up. And infuture if public entities areprivatised, their underlying datashould not be lost to the publicgood which is sadly whathappened to the Royal Mail’sPostcode Address File.

PRIVATE SECTOR DATA The private sector has an

important role to play in sharingand opening their data.Companies should beencouraged to share data with

‘data economy’ that we inhabitwe need to skill up the nation.More and more people – egteachers, nurses, will have tohandle data to do their jobs. Butas a nation we don’t have theskills. Our research2 inassociation with Nesta andCreative Skillset supports thatskills shortages are a pressingissue for the UK’s data industries.In part this will need to beaddressed in our educationsystem. We should ensure thatall young people learn to handleand interpret real data usingtechnology, and should trainteachers from primary schoolthrough to university lecturers toencourage data literacy from anearly age. Basic data handlingand quantitative skills should bean integral part of the taughtcurriculum across most A levelsubjects. The Nuffield

UK probably needs to take across-cutting interest in dataanalytics so that action on thisissue is properly co-ordinated.We also have to ensure anappropriate balance betweencapital and revenue spending onscience – big data is not justabout high powered computers,but highly skilled analysts whocan understand the data. Andwe have to ensure that alluniversities retain their dataanalytics capabilities. It is goodto see the new Alan TuringInstitute as a home for datascience, but for good science alluniversities need to retain astrong data analytics andstatistical unit, both for thestrength of UK innovation in thisfield, and as a service to supportother scientific disciplines.Otherwise we will continue tohear about the ‘reproducibility

more detailed reporting of caseswhere personal data is sharedwith companies, as this is thearea on which the public mostwant reassurance.

OPEN DATA We can also make

considerable gains through the‘open data’ agenda which seeksto make data more open,accessible and reusable. Thebest known examples comefrom transport data – forexample, Transport for Londonhas made its transport dataopen, and as a result companieshave made apps which tell youwhen your next bus is due. Aswell as making society moreconvenient, this is economicallyproductive as it reduces time

researchers for researchpurposes, to share the data theyhold about individuals withthose individuals, and to publishopen data for everyone, for thepublic good. More and moreimportant data is being held byprivate companies and much ofthem are not commerciallysensitive. If they were releasedas open data we would knowmore about the country we livein – eg the location ofsupermarkets, ATMs, post boxesand water company boundaries.I would also like to see therigour shown around officialstatistics in the public sector, andfinancial statements in theprivate sector, extended to othercrucial information sources, suchas the clinical trials reported by

that might otherwise be wasted.Open data can be a rich sourceof innovation at relatively littlecost – particularly if it iseffectively marked with standardcodes for geography, time andother attributes. Geospatial datasuch as postcode address filesare the core reference dataupon which society depends,and also act as a catalyst torelease economic value fromother open datasets.Government has made someprogress in this area but can do

pharmaceutical companies. Andas we move to a wider range ofpublic service providers, schoolsand hospitals and other publicservices provided by privateproviders should adhere to thesame data standards andtransparency as those in thepublic sector, so that we areable to monitor services acrossthe board.

SKILLS FOR THE DATAECONOMY

To prepare for the increasing

Foundation found in 2010 thatacross 24 countries, England,Wales and Northern Ireland hadthe lowest level of participationin the study of any kind ofmathematics post-16. This has asevere impact on highereducation and employment.Recent rises in A LevelMathematics participation arewelcome, but widerimprovements are needed. Weshould also put resources intomaking sure that new A levelsand AS levels, as well as newCore Maths qualificationsfor those who do not wish totake A level mathematics, deliverappropriate statistical skills.

As well as improvingeveryone’s skills to a basic level,we need to ensure we have thehigher level skills for dataanalysis that will give our topcompanies and universities theedge that they need. As a recentreport 3 by Nesta andUniversities UK indicated, toachieve this Research Councils

crisis’ where advances in ourscience and research base aretoo limited due to a lack ofcollaboration on the underlyingdata.

There is also a wide range ofpublic service professions forwhich data skills are increasinglyimportant, including ingovernment. Politicians,policymakers and otherprofessionals in the public sectorshould be given basic training indata handling and statistics. Toaddress these needs andfollowing our pre-election‘Parliament Counts’ campaign,the Royal Statistical Society isglad to offer workshops for MPsand their staff on basic statisticalconcepts.

References

1 http://www.statslife.org.uk/news/1672-new-rss-research-finds-data-trust-deficit-with-lessons-for-policymakers

2 http://www.statslife.org.uk/files/model-workers-report.pdf

3 http://www.nesta.org.uk/publications/analytic-britain-securing-right-skills-data-driven-economy


healthy volunteers and/orpatients with neurological orpsychiatric disorders. Data banksalso exist for maps of brainactivity patterns, collected acrossdozens of facilities and hundredsof individual brains using non-invasive functional imaging (egfunctional magnetic resonanceimaging: fMRI). However,

studies scanning the humangenome for variations thatincrease the risk of Alzheimer’sdisease already involvethousands of individuals.Similarly, the compilation ofbrain scans from patients withAlzheimer’s disease into anopenly accessible database hasspurred a wealth of discovery

Professor Mark StokesHead of Attention Group, OxfordCentre for Human Brain Activity,Department of Psychiatry, Universityof Oxford

Nicholas MyersResearch Associate, St John’sCollege, Oxford University

... reward researchers who share their data ...

We have entered the Age ofBig Data. Every day, the worldgenerates over two exabytes ofinformation (that’s two million 1-TB hard drives, or a video inDVD quality that runs for100,000 years1). From onlinemarketing to particle physics,scientific as well as economicprogress critically depends onaggregating, and understanding,Big Data. The same is true forthe burgeoning field ofneuroscience. Understandinghow the brain works is withoutdoubt one of the most complexchallenges facing science today.Thousands of laboratoriesaround the world are pushingthe boundaries of this excitingfrontier, generating vast amountsof valuable information eachyear. While the 20th century wasmarked by ever-improvingtechniques for measuring thebrain, the next big leap inneuroscience will be driven byimproved methods foraggregating, sharing, andunderstanding Big Data. Such acollective endeavour will dependon the support of sciencefunders, who will need toencourage and rewardresearchers who share their data

BIG DATA IN NEUROSCIENCE:Improving efficiency, efficacy, andtransparency in clinical and basic research

openly. Success in this new eraof neuroscience will haveimplications for understandingand treating brain-relateddisorders, from autism toAlzheimer’s disease.

What does big data inneuroscience look like?Frequently, it consists of vastarchives of brain images from

unprecedented scale that couldnever be reached without datasharing. Aggregating datatherefore promises benefitsbeyond its constituent parts.

A major advantage is that largesample sizes make discoveryeasier. The evidence is simplyclearer for generating robustconclusions. For instance,

arguably the most valuable datato neuroscience come fromindividual brain cells that canonly be recorded during rareneurosurgical procedures, or inresearch animals. Individual labslack the resources to generateenough of this kind of data forrigorous scientific analysis. Thefull potential of such informationcan only be realised by sharingresearch output across labs andbetween institutes. A recentexample is a project thatprovides anonymized brainscans from over 500 volunteerswith autism2. Compared toindividual studies (which wouldtypically test only 20 to 30individuals), this database allowsfine-grained research at an

(over 400 research articles havemade use of the database3).However, data sharing is equallyimportant for basic research,where small sample sizes stillpose a fundamental problem4.More refined theories of brainfunction will require validationon larger amounts of data. Aswith the self-correcting nature ofwebsites like Wikipedia,openness inherent to thecollective process will also helpeliminate errors that inevitablycreep into the scientific literature,and will help prevent outrightfraud. By increasing the reliabilityof published research, datasharing can increase trust andreduce wasteful follow-upstudies that are based on falseleads.

Furthermore, by making dataavailable online, funders ofresearch can save money thatwould otherwise be spentcollecting redundant data. Oneneuroscience sharing platformalone is estimated to havesaved funders 35 million $US(over 166 studies that usedtheir shared data5). In additionto saving money, data sharingalso democratizes the business

... Understanding how the brain works...


of doing science: valuableresources are no longer underlock and key, but can beaccessed by researchers,laboratories, or countries thatcould otherwise not afford totest their theories. The diversityof a broader collective ofscientific minds could help usfind new directions and ways ofthinking.

There is also an additionalethical dimension whenconsidering data acquired fromexperimental animals. Animalmodels make a unique andirreplaceable contribution toneuroscience, but we have agreater responsibility to sharethese data, because theirmaximal re-use will increase thevalue of each animal life that islost in the name of science 6.Secure storage and accessibilityof animal data will ensure thatthey not fall victim to theotherwise inevitable loss of dataover time.

Given these benefits, it may besurprising that the majority ofdata in biology, and inneuroscience in particular, arenot shared publicly. Data sharing

available data. Furthermore,group identification is possibleeven with anonymized data, andcould lead to groupdiscrimination based on sharedneurological properties 7. Futurestudies must consider ethicalsolutions that are pragmatic butrespect individual privacy rights.One solution is to appoint adata steward. This custodian

... group discrimination based on sharedneurological properties ...

track who accesses the shareddata, and for what purpose, butalso act as a consultant oncorrect and incorrect uses ofparticular data sets.

There is a related issue ofintellectual property. Who ownsthe data, and the discoveriesthat arise from them? Datagenerators currently lack anincentive to share: as long astheir valuable data are keptprivate, they keep exclusiveaccess without fear of another

benefits from shared data areawarded to all data generators isin urgent need of discussion.

Funding in neuroscience needsto start taking a Big Dataperspective. Breaking up fundsinto too many small projects,without a strategy to aggregatethose data sets properly andmake them accessible, iswasteful and will slow downscientific discovery. Byappointing stewards tocoordinate and encourage datasharing, and by explicitlyrewarding individual researchersand departments for sharing,funders and public policy canhelp effect a cultural shift inneuroscience, creating an openresearch community that ismore than the sum of its parts.

References

1. The Four V's of Big Data.www.ibmbigdatahub.com/infographic/four-vs-big-data

2. Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange.fcon_1000.projects.nitrc.org/indi/abide/

3. ADNI Publications.adni.loni.usc.edu/news-publications/publications

4. Button, K. S. et al. Power failure: whysmall sample size undermines thereliability of neuroscience. Nat. Rev.Neurosci. 14, 365–376 (2013).

5. Stretching NIH Research DollarsFurther. www.hhs.gov/idealab/projects-item/stretching-nih-research-dollars/

6. National Centre for the Replacement,Refinement & Reduction of Animalsin Research. www.nc3rs.org.uk

7. Mittelstadt, B. D. & Floridi, L. TheEthics of Big Data: Current andForeseeable Issues in BiomedicalContexts. Sci Eng Ethics1–39 (2015).

... Animal models make a unique and irreplaceable contribution ...

would be entrusted with theshared data, and grant access toit on a case-by-case basis,ensuring that data are notmined excessively or fornefarious reasons, and that theyremain as anonymous aspossible.

A bigger challenge may bechanging the mind-set ofresearchers to adopt a culture ofopen data. At the moment,many researchers mistrustothers’ use of their data, andsuspect that a researcher whowas not involved in the initialmeasurements might not knowhow to analyse their datacorrectly8. This issue cannot beresolved over night, but onceagain, trained stewards couldhelp build trust in appropriateuse. For instance, they could

these incentives are so new thatthey lack an agreed-upon value(and don’t ensure tenure orfurther grants). Moreover,universities can also raise issuesof intellectual property, especiallywhen financial rewards from thetranslation of basic researchfindings into drugs or therapiesare at stake10. How future

8. Rathi, V. et al. Sharing of clinical trialdata among trialists: a cross sectionalsurvey.BMJ 345, e7570–e7570(2012).

9. Incentives and culture change fordata access.www.wellcome.ac.uk/About-us/Policy/Spotlight-issues/Data-sharing/EAGDA/WTP056496.htm

10. Check Hayden, E. Alzheimer's datalawsuit is sign of growing tensions.Nature 523,265–265 (2015).

lab publishing similar results first.In a system that rewards noveldiscoveries, not data sharing, it isnot surprising that someresearchers feel reluctant tochange their ways. This problemhas been recognized byfunders9, and incentives for datasharing have appeared (such asspecialized data publications thatcan be cited by users). However,

... Who owns the data ...

platforms are still the exceptionto the rule, and only coverparticular areas (such asAlzheimer’s disease). There is anumber of hurdles holding backdata sharing in the mainstream.

Privacy is an issue for humanstudies. Often there is no explicitconsent from participants toshare data, and obtainingconsent retroactively is notfeasible. Moreover, whiledatabases typically strip scans ofany information that links themwith an individual, there is noguarantee that they could not beidentified in the future bycomparison with other publicly

Artificial Fiction Brain

THECOLDTIMEBOMBUP TO 50% OF GLOBAL FOOD IS WASTED BECAUSE FOOD PERISHES WHILE 1 IN 8 GO HUNGRY

GLOBAL URBAN POPULATION WILL GROW TO 6BILLION BY 2050 AIR POLLUTION CURRENTLY

CAUSES 1.2 MILLION PREMATURE DEATHS IN CHINA EACH YEAR AND 600,000 IN INDIA

DEMAND FOR COOLING IN ALL ITS FORMS IS ACCELERATING. THESE ARE THE PROBLEMS, WE HAVE THE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS... WWW.BIRMINGHAM.AC.UK/DOINGCOLDSMARTER

TIME TO RETHINK COLD ENERGY



The supply chain is under pressure. Currently up to 50% of foodperishes or is thrown away, when it could be used to feed the onein eight going to bed hungry every night. In emerging anddeveloping economies, this is largely because produce cannot bekept at sufficient temperature en route to market.

From field to fork, the cold chain – the movement of fruit,vegetables and meat via a ‘chain’ of refrigerated transport andstorage – is extensive and complex. The journey is problematic andfleets are challenged, particularly in developing countries wherereaching rural communities without adequate infrastructure iscomplicated.

Closer to home, the increase in ‘doorstep delivery’ services hasextended the chain and seen a surge in smaller refrigeratedtransport vehicles and cold storage facilities.

The provision of cold energy, or cooling, is integral to modernsociety; without it, the supply of medicine and data, as well as food,would simply break down. It is also essential to domestic and retailcomfort through air conditioning solutions and modern server spacefor rapid and widespread internet provision.

local environment and uponclimate change. The energyrequired to deliver cooling issignificant and highly polluting. Ifrefrigerant usage trends continue,for example, Hydrofluorocarbons(HFCs) will be responsible fornearly half of all globalgreenhouse gas emissions by2050.

Furthermore, an estimated 200million tonnes of perishable foodis wasted in developing countrieseach year, the production forwhich contributes around 3.3billion tonnes of carbonemissions. The delivery vehiclesand storage facilities are alsosignificant polluters withrefrigeration units consuming upto 20% of a refrigerated vehicle'sdiesel but emitting up to sixtimes as much Nitrogen oxides(NO and NO2) as a moderntruck engine.

While ambitious targets toreduce carbon emissions by80% in the UK and the new USClimate Change plan announcedby President Obama earlier thisyear show that developedcountries are taking sustainabilityseriously, statistics around coldshow this area cannot beignored.

OUT OF CONTROLThe need for cooling provision

in many forms will rise with thegrowth of global populations andthe escalating demands of thenew middle classes.

70% of food consumed in theUK is chilled or frozen to storeand the demand forcommodities is expected to riseby around 30% over the comingdecade. Food security is aproblem in the developing worldnow but if cold is not addressedproperly the food crisis will cometo Britain’s door too. This putshuge pressure on energyprovision and could have ruinouseffects on the environment.

THE COLD TIME BOMB

Professor Martin FreerDirector, Birmingham EnergyInstitute

Professor Toby PetersVisiting Professor of Power and ColdEconomy at the University ofBirmingham and CEO of theDearman Engine Company

800 million peoplein the world areunder nourished andthe UN Food andAgricultureOrganizationestimates that by2050 feeding theglobal populationwill require a 70%increase in foodproduction.

A rapid growth in new middle classes across the world, includingan anticipated increase to 3 billion in Asia in the next five years,means the demand for cold energy to provide the luxury comfortsof air conditioning, modern technology and healthcare is soaring,from Starbucks to the latest Apple i-product.

If this ever-increasing need is met using existing fossil fuelledtechnologies then that would add to the pressure upon theenvironment, both adding to dangerous air pollution andcontributing to climate change.

HEATING THE PLANETThe rapid growth in urban populations is having a dramatically

worsening impact on the environment. As urban populations growand people become more affluent, so their patterns of consumptionchange and their demand for cold in particular will increase.

This has the potential to have a very significant impact upon the


While current technologies are capable of improving the cold chainand overcoming some of the challenges, the environmental impactwould be severe. Air pollution currently causes nearly 1.2 millionpremature deaths in China and 600,000 in India. The impacts ofclimate change are familiar but the role of cold and cooling is, as yet,still ignored.

A COLD ECONOMYExperts at the University of Birmingham say addressing cold

demand and energy consumption is essential to delivering oncarbon reduction targets and planning energy systems for the future.

Furthermore they have recognised that the process of ‘doing coldsmarter’, including providing new clean cold technologies andproviding the expertise required to integrate them could lead to thefoundation of a ‘cold economy’. The UK has a unique opportunity tolead this emerging global sector.

The Cold Economy has the potential to include far more than justa collection of energy efficient technologies. Importantly, it couldinvolve a systems analysis and cover many aspects of efficiency,including the recycling of waste cold and utilisation of ‘wrong time’energy – such as excess wind power generated at night whendemand is low – to provide, through novel forms of energy storageand low-carbon, zero-emission cooling and power.

Professor Martin Freer, Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute,said: ‘A systems approach to energy that looks at integrating thedifferent aspects of generation, storage and use is vital to future-proofing our lifestyles – from food to data and modern technology.’

New technologies for sustainable cooling, including alternatives torefrigerators, delivery vehicles and storage options are gainingtraction with a number of SMEs developing innovative new productsand prototypes. For example, creative entrepreneurs are pioneeringnew technology for utilising the most simple power of water forcooling with extensive medical, food and domestic applications aswell as the properties of liquid air to pave the way for zero-emissiontransport refrigeration and other liquid coolants which couldrevolutionise data cooling.

Professor Freer said: ‘The UK has enormous talent and expertisein energy solutions manufacturing and technology innovation but itis being stifled. We can achieve the country’s ambitious carbonreduction targets but only if we invest in these sustainableinnovations – the government must take cold seriously instead offocusing solely on heating.

‘There is significant opportunity for the UK to grow new businessand generate jobs but time is ticking and if we don’t act now,economic giants such as China and India will get there before us.’

SOLUTIONSA policy commission titled

‘Doing Cold Smarter’ led by theBirmingham Energy Institute atthe University of Birminghamand independently chaired byLord Teverson, Liberal DemocratSpokesperson for Transport andformer Member of the EuropeanParliament, was launched earlierthis year to produce a roadmapfor the UK to navigate thecomplexity of cold energyprovision and provide directionfor investment in sustainablesolutions. The commission,which is made up of academicresearchers and industry experts,is researching new ways ofproviding cold in a sustainableway, specifically through asystem level approach, as well asexploring the economicopportunities this new clean coldindustry could present.

This commission will alsodemonstrate ways the UK couldbecome a global leader in thedevelopment of new coldenergy systems and thetechnical, economic, researchand skills issues around ‘cold’.

Lord Teverson said: ‘Cold is avital part of energy policy for thefuture, but has been littleexplored. The demand forcooling is rising globally, and ifwe fill this urgent need withexisting technologies it wouldhave a detrimental effect, notonly on the environment, butalso for our energy supply.

‘There’s significant opportunityin the UK to develop a neweconomic hub of innovativemanufacturing and technology,as well as positioning ourselvesas leaders in this field on theworld stage. This will generatejobs and important economicbenefits for our country as wellas essential carbon reductions.’

The global energy storagemarket is set to grow by 8% perannum, rising to be worth £35billion by 2020. For cooling andrefrigeration this means £14.6billion. Anticipated growth of the

global energy demand over thenext 25 years presents significantopportunity for innovation in thefield and export of technologyand knowledge.

Around 14% (almost £5.2billioneach year) of Britain’s electricitygoes to cooling, yet comparedwith transport and heat, cold andcooling has received littleattention in the internationalenergy debate.

Toby Peters, Visiting Professorof Power and Cold Economy atthe University of Birminghamand CEO of the Dearman EngineCompany said: ‘The next 10years of development in thereconfiguration of the UK’senergy landscape and the rapidbuilding out of the energyinfrastructure in emergingmarkets requires an acceleratedadoption of a variety of novelenergy technologies. Thesetechnologies will be a radicaldeparture from the traditionalmethodologies and couldprovide sustainable solutions tocooling. There is an excitingopportunity for the UK toembrace these new businessand export opportunitiesspurring innovation andgenerating tens of thousands ofjobs.’

With urban populationsgrowing at pace and theincreased demands of newmiddle classes for energyintensive luxuries, this is a criticaltime for transformation of theglobal energy system. Time isrunning out for changing thecourse of food security andenvironmental crises, as well asthe UK opportunity to boosteconomic growth in this area.

28 OCTOBER 2015The commission will report onits findings at a launch eventon 28 October 2015 andpresent a roadmap for policy.For further information aboutthe commission and to getinvolved, visitwww.birmingham.ac.uk/doingcoldsmarter


PARLIAMENTARY LINKS DAY 2015SCIENCE AND THE NEW PARLIAMENT

The Attlee Suite was once again filled to capacity with MPs, Peers, scientists andengineers – it was standing room only from the very start – for this year’s ParliamentaryLinks Day at the House of Commons on the theme of Science and the New Parliament.

There was a stellar array of speakers and for connoisseurs of Twitter this year’s #LinksDay2015was trending by 10.30am and reached #5 – a new record!

The Speaker of the House Rt Hon John Bercow MP – a steadfast supporter of science duringhis Speakership – launched the event as he had done throughout the last Parliament.

“The Society is to be congratulated for its initiative and leadership in organisingtoday’s event on behalf of the wider science and engineering community”Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons

“I would like tocongratulate the (Royal)Society of Biology for itsvision in organising thisevent which I know haslong been anestablished fixture in theannual Parliamentarycalendar.”Rt Hon David Cameron MPPrime Minister

Links Day remains the largestannual science event of its kindon the Parliamentary calendarand this year was sponsored ona bipartisan basis by the newly-elected Chair of theParliamentary and ScientificCommittee Stephen MetcalfeMP and Shadow Minister ChiOnwurah MP (whom theSpeaker later allowed to put


Links Day into the Hansardrecord on the floor of theHouse).

Organised by the Royal Societyof Biology on behalf of thescience and engineeringcommunity Links Day promoteslinks and understandingbetween the worlds of Science,Parliament and Government.

This year’s format included amixture of keynote speechesand panel discussions. Thespeakers explored theimportance of effectivelyengaging Parliament andGovernment and concentratedon the value of Science in botha national and internationalcontext.

“Many of the key globalissues that we face –whether they involveHealth, Global ClimateChange, Food Security,the Environment orAccess to Water – have ascientific aspect to them.None can be addressedor solved withoutscientific advice.”

Rt Hon Harriet Harman MPLeader of the Opposition

The political contributions toLinks Day were made by JoJohnson MP, the newly-appointed Minister forUniversities and Science, NicolaBlackwood MP, the newly-elected Chair of the House ofCommons Science &Technology Select Committee,and by the Earl of Selborne,Chair of the House of LordsSelect Committee on Scienceand Technology.

In his Keynote address theMinister of State for Universitiesand Science, Jo Johnson MP,said that developingcollaboration between academiaand business will be among hismain priorities during thisParliament.

The Minister addressed over200 MPs and representativesfrom the science communityand, in one of his firstappearances since beingappointed to the role in May,Johnson admitted that he was'no science buff at school' buthad been 'putting in the hardyards' to visit the UK’s wealth of

A SELECTION OF TWEETS CAPTURED ON THE STORIFY ABOUT LINKS DAY

BSI Resources Parliamentary Links -British Society for Immunology

The Society of Biology demonstrated itsheft in bringing together a heavyweightset of panellists and speakers for thislatest Parliamentary Links Day

Joanna Barstow @DrJoVianInnovate or regress - Speaker of the Housesupporting development of science facilitiesin schools #LinksDay2015

BES Policy Team @BESPolicy A new Parliament offers newopportunities...exciting time for the scientificcommunity says Stephen Metcalfe MP#LinksDay2015

Jenna Stevens-Smith @J_DoubleS Great to hear @ChiOnwurah address#linksday2015 a female engineer on #NWED#womeninengineering

CaSE @sciencecampaign “I welcome the strong cross-party commitment toscience” says @JoJohnsonMP #linksday2015

RSB @RoyalSocBio .@JoJohnsonMP ‘We want to make Britain thebest place in the world to do science’#LinksDay2015

Jane MacArthur @Jane_MacArthur “Chinese science spending is overtaking Europeanscience spending, likely to overtake US spendingin 2019.” @LiamByrneMP #LinksDay2015


science and engineering centresand get to grips with his brief.

He welcomed the fact thatthere was strong cross partyconsensus for investment inscience and said that scienceran through the Conservativeparty’s manifesto – which hehelped to write – 'like through astick of rock'.

The Minister reiterated theGovernment’s commitment toinvesting £6.9bn in scienceinfrastructure capital by2020/21, and set out three'themes' that he said will bepriorities for his Department.These include the accelerationof collaboration betweenuniversities and businesses,'making the most' of the UK’s

scientific expertise and output,and ensuring the UK nurturesthe best scientific talent in theworld and continues to inspireothers into science andengineering careers.

The Panels were both chairedby Stephen Metcalfe MP andthey discussed the national andinternational value of science tothe UK. These debates (andacross Twitter) were livelyquestion and answer sessions.

The contributors on the firstPanel were Rt Hon Liam ByrneMP (Shadow Science Minister),

Naomi Weir (Acting Director ofthe Campaign for Science &Engineering), Clare Viney fromthe Royal Society of Chemistry,Sarah Hartwell-Naguib (Head ofthe Science and EnvironmentSection, House of CommonsLibrary) and Dr Luke Alphey ofthe Pirbright Institute.

The contributors on StephenMetcalfe’s second Panel wereDame Jocelyn Bell Burnell(President of the Royal Societyof Edinburgh), Dr James Larkin(Royal Marsden Hospital), Dr Hetan Shah (CEO of theRoyal Statistical Society), Dr Chris

Tyler (Director of theParliamentary Office of Scienceand Technology) and ChrisWhitty (Chief Scientific Adviser atthe Department for InternationalDevelopment).

Sir Venki Ramakrishnan FRS,Nobel Laureate and incomingPresident of the Royal Society,gave the closing speech at theevent. He addressed severalissues that hinder growth inscience and engineering but atthe same time acknowledgedthe achievements that UKresearch has made and calledfor improved immigration and

education policies that wouldencourage an influx of scientistsinto the country. Sir Venkihighlighted how science iscrucial to maintain the advancedsociety status that Great Britainhas, enabling us to help not justourselves, but other citizens ofthe world too. This advancementis, however, limited by the salaryelement of the UK immigrationsystem, and the turmoil in theEU that may discriminate againstoverseas research scientists.

This year’s Links Day madeanother welcome and uniquecontribution to the debate aboutthe role of science and well andtruly launched Science in theNew Parliament.

Further details aboutParliamentary Links Day areavailable at: http://blog.rsb.org.uk/links-day-2015-keynote-speakers/

“Arriving at the Links Day, I was immediately struck byhow well attended the event was by both scientistsand parliamentarians… Parliamentary Links Day wasfilled with inspirational speeches that instilled hope inthe future of science in the UK.””

Arikana Massiah, Society Champion and pre-registration ClinicalMicrobiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust

“This House congratulates the (Royal) Society ofBiology…. and welcomes the continuing contributionthat Parliamentary Links Day makes to strengtheningthe dialogue between Parliament and the science andengineering community.”

Early Day Motion 141Tabled 17 June 2015


LIGHTBritish Science Week Seminar on Thursday 19th March

Gallium nitride for saving lives, energy, carbonemissions and money!

Professor Sir Colin HumphreysDepartment of Materials Scienceand MetallurgyUniversity of Cambridge

SUMMARYGallium nitride and its alloys

make up an amazing family ofnew materials which could save25% of all the electricity we useand 25% of carbon emissionsfrom power stations. This is notscientific hype: it is alreadystarting to happen. Galliumnitride also has the potential toprovide clean water, savingmillions of lives in thedeveloping world, and to enabletotally secure communications.In addition, optimized galliumnitride Light Emitting Diodes(LEDs) will increase productivityat work and performance inschools, and improve the healthof us all. Finally, our galliumnitride research is already beingexploited in the UK wherePlessey is manufacturing LEDsand creating jobs in Plymouth,an unemployment black spot.The UK is at the forefront of thisoutstanding developingtechnology.

WHAT IS GALLIUMNITRIDE?

Gallium nitride and its alloyscan emit light over a wide rangeof colours – from the infra-red(IR) to the ultra-violet (UV),including all the colours ofvisible light. Already thesematerials are widely used inLEDs that are part of oureveryday lives: from blu-ray DVDplayers through to bicycle lights,from replacement LED lightbulbs to back-lighting of ourcomputer and TV screens.Cambridge and Manchesterhave been collaborating on

gallium nitride research for overten years. Our research has ledto lower-cost LEDs that are nowbeing manufactured in the UK.Plessey sold 2 million LEDsbased on our research in 2014and plans to sell many more in2015.

ENERGY SAVINGS FROMGALLIUM NITRIDE LEDS

The Department of Energy(DoE) in the US has stated thatby 2025 gallium nitride LEDscould reduce the global amountof electricity used for lighting by50%. In the UK, lighting usesabout one-fifth of all electricity.LEDs are poised to reduce thisfigure by 50%. Lighting will then

use 10% of all electricity, thussaving 10% of electricity. Thisamounts to an annual saving ofover £2 billion per year inelectricity costs. If this electricitycomes from fossil-fueled powerstations, as most does, LEDlighting will save 10% of carbonemissions from these.

Commercially availablereplacement LED light bulbs are

already six times more efficientthan incandescent light bulbsand 50% more efficient thanso-called low-energy compactfluorescent lamps (CFLs). In thelaboratory there are LEDs whichare even more efficient, andthese will become commercially

available in the next few years. Ifwe replaced all our lighting inthe UK with LEDs we couldclose (or not build) eight large(1 GW) power stations.

WHAT IS PREVENTINGTHE WIDESPREAD USEOF LED LIGHTING INOUR HOMES ANDOFFICES?

The main problem is cost.Low-power LEDs, for exampleused in toys, are very cheap; buthigh-power LEDs for lighting aroom are expensive. I recentlypaid £15 for a replacement60W equivalent LED light bulb.Not many people will pay this,even though the LED bulbrapidly repays for its cost inlower electricity bills. Allcommercial gallium nitride LEDsare grown on sapphire or siliconcarbide wafers, both veryexpensive. My research group


has pioneered the growth ofgallium nitride LEDs on siliconwafers, which are muchcheaper. We patented ourtechnology and set up twocompanies in 2010 and 2011 toexploit it. The UK companyPlessey acquired bothcompanies in 2012, hired post-docs from my research group totransfer the technology and arenow manufacturing low-costgallium nitride LEDs on silicon attheir factory in Plymouth, Devon.This is the first manufacture ofLEDs in the UK and the firstcommercially available LEDs onsilicon in the world. Plessey areselling the LED chips to othercompanies to put into lightbulbsand other products. So this willenable cost reductions in LEDlighting and accelerate itswidespread adoption, thussaving the UK over £2 billionper year in electricity costs.

THE IMPORTANCE OFPEAK ELECTRICITY

Peak UK electricity demand in2014 was on 3 January at 6pm.In general, electricity demand ishighest on winter evenings. The

electricity supply must matchthis peak demand or else thelights go out (and governmentsrisk not being re-elected!).

There is often high pressureweather in winter, which resultsin weak winds, and so windturbines often make a tinysupply to peak demand. Bydefinition, solar power makeszero contribution to peak energydemand, because the sun is notshining on a winter’s evening. Sowind and solar energy cannotbe relied upon to contribute toour peak electricity demands.On the other hand, LED lightingmakes a major contribution toreducing peak electricitydemand on winter evenings,

... close eight large (1 GW) power stations ...

when lights are switched on, soit is a much more effective wayof making this peak demandthan wind and solar power.

A COMPARISON OFLEDS, WIND AND SOLAR

The US Department of Energyhas recently made an interestingforecast comparing electricitysavings from LEDs, wind andsolar. The DoE predicts that ifLED costs continue to comedown and the efficiencycontinues to increase, LEDs willhave 90% of the US lightingmarket by 2030. LEDs will thensave twice the electricitygenerated by wind and twentytimes the electricity generatedby solar. The annual USelectricity savings due to LEDs in

2030 is estimated to be $40billion. And there are nosubsidies for LEDs.

TUNABLE WHITE LEDSNearly all the LED replacement

light bulbs sold today aregallium nitride blue LEDs coatedwith phosphor materials, thecombination producing whitelight. If we could eliminate thephosphors and produce whitelight by mixing blue, green andred LEDs within a single lightbulb we would save another5% of electricity, so that LEDswould save a total of 15% of allelectricity, equivalent to savingthe UK over £3 billion per year.We would also have colourtunable white lighting, so that

you could choose to havereddish white light for aromantic dinner, for example.More of this later!

ENERGY SAVINGS FROMGALLIUM NITRIDEPOWER ELECTRONICS

Gallium nitride not only has alow electricity consumption for

the phosphors we can save a

further 5% of electricity. If we

replace silicon power electronic

devices with gallium nitride ones

we could save another 10%. So

an astonishing 25% of the total

electricity we consume can

potentially be saved usinggallium nitride devices. Inaddition, we could save up to25% of carbon emissions frompower stations. Unlike solar andwind power, these savings willbe made at times of peakelectricity demand.

... save up to 25% of carbon emissions frompower stations ...

lighting, it also has forelectronics. Power electronicdevices are very widely used, forexample in chargers for mobilephones and laptops, in electriccars and in IT server farms. Allthese power electronic devicesare made from silicon. However,gallium nitride power electronicdevices are 40% more efficientthan those made from silicon. Ifwe replaced the silicon devicesby gallium nitride ones wewould save 10% of all theelectricity we use.

ENERGY SAVINGS FROMGALLIUM NITRIDE

Gallium nitride devices cansave us 10% of electricity usingexisting LEDs. If we eliminate

LIGHT AND OUR HEALTHLife has developed over

millions of years in naturallighting: sunlight. There isincreasing evidence that sunlightis good for our health (if over-exposure is avoided). Forexample 90% of the vitamin Din our bodies comes fromsunlight on our skin and only10% comes from food. Two-thirds of the UK are “severelylacking” in vitamin D, leading toa weak immune system(enabling colds, coughs andworse), fatigue, broken bones,headaches, etc. Vitamin D is alsobelieved to protect againstcertain cancers (eg breast,prostate) by preventing theoverproduction of cells. Withtunable LED lighting we will beable to mimic sunlight indoorsand hence produce vitamin Dindoors. We will also be able tominimize or eliminate SeasonalAffective Disorder (SAD), whichaffects over 3 million people inthe UK.

IMPROVINGPRODUCTIVITY AT WORKAND IN SCHOOLS

There is clear evidence thatgood quality lighting reducesabsences due to illness fromschools and improves examperformance. It also increasesproductivity at work. OptimisedLED lighting in schools andworkplaces should be agovernment priority to improveproductivity and performance.


Nanotechnology is driven by acollision of science andtechniques drawn from differentdisciplines, which has uncoverednew fundamental behaviours ofmatter and new opportunitiesfor practical applications. Modernsemiconductor integrated circuitsare carved, “top-down”, atincreasingly short length scales,underpinning the continuousimprovement in electronics overrecent decades (‘Moore’s law’).At the same time, chemists havelearnt how to build increasinglylarge, well-defined structuresfrom “the bottom up”. Theseworlds intersect at thenanoscale, where dimensionsare measured in nanometres(billionths of a metre); it is thesame lengthscale on which

much of the complex machineryof living systems operates.Within this range, the physicallaws governing the behaviour ofmatter begin to switch fromclassical to quantum mechanical,and become subtly dependenton size. The concepts,knowledge, and tools fromdifferent disciplines, includingelectronic engineering, materialsscience, chemistry, physics,biochemistry, and medicine arebeing exchanged anddeveloped, creating newopportunities in which scienceand technology are synergistic:new science leads to newtechnologies, which in turnenable further scientificdevelopments.

THE LONDON CENTREFOR NANOTECHNOLOGY

Almost ten years ago UCL andImperial College Londondecided to create a joint LondonCentre for Nanotechnology(LCN) using funding from theHEFCE Science ResearchInfrastructure Fund, recognizingthe very widespread importancethat now attaches to the abilityto control matter in thenanometre range. The LCNconcept involves makingavailable to the widest possiblerange of researchers a full set oftools for making andcharacterizing nanostructures,enabling them to carry outleading fundamental researchand to target applications in

NANOTECHNOLOGY – what is it and what is it for?

Professor Milo ShafferImperial College London

Co-Directors, London Centrefor Nanotechnology

Professor Andrew Fisher University College London

NANOTECHNOLOGYMeeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on Tuesday 14th July

WATER PURIFICATIONThe earth’s atmosphere

prevents deep ultra-violetradiation from reaching us, solife on earth has developed inthe absence of deep-UV light,and it has no defence against it.Deep-UV light damages thenucleic acid in both DNA and

emitting deep-UV light. Atpresent the intensity of the lightis not sufficient to purify flowingwater, so more research isneeded. However, there is theclear potential to save literallymillions of lives in thedeveloping world by using thisgallium nitride technology, which

researching transmitting thesame information using lightfrom LEDs, thus overcoming thepotential WiFi crisis.

manufacturing and job creation.Optimised LED lighting canimprove the health of us all. TheUK is at the forefront of thisamazing new material.

CONCLUSIONSGallium nitride is a key

material for saving 25% ofelectricity and carbon emissions.It can also save millions of lives,provide secure communicationsand augment WiFi. It canimprove productivity at work andin schools. It can help UK

nitride single photon sources tocreate pairs of entangledphotons for totally securecommunications. For example,mobile phone conversationscould then be totally secure. Inaddition, in about five years timeWiFi radio frequency bands willbecome saturated. We are

RNA and stops all bacteria andviruses from reproducing:effectively killing them. Byadding aluminium to galliumnitride we can produce LEDs

... Optimised LEDlighting in schools ...

... stops all bacteria and viruses from

reproducing ...

could be powered by solar cells.It would also be more efficientthan chlorination in thedeveloped world.

SECURECOMMUNICATIONS ANDLIFI

We are researching gallium


information technology,healthcare and the environment.

By combining two of the UK’sstrongest research universitiesthe LCN provides a large, high-quality and exceptionally diverseresearch community that cantake full advantage of thesenanoscale tools, which havebecome pervasive in currentscience and technology. Theinstitutions have great strengthsacross the physical andbiological sciences, as well as inengineering, and in biomedicine– the location in centralLondon, close to Europe’slargest concentration ofspecialist medical care, gives itunmatched opportunities forresearch with the healthcaresector and for technologytransfer. This large researchcommunity makes it possible toinvest in a broader range ofequipment than would bepossible for for a singleuniversity.

LOCAL VERSUSNATIONAL FACILITIES

An important part of the LCNphilosophy is that nanoscalefabrication tools should beavailable as locally as possible,so that they can become part ofthe everyday researchprogramme for the participatinggroups. Even in London traffic,UCL and Imperial are closeenough that it is easy to travelfrom one to the other!

Other facilities involve majorinfrastructure that cannot beprovided even in a multi-institution collaboration such asthe LCN. Particularly importantare neutron and X-ray scattering,which involve wavelengthswhich match the separationbetween atoms. Thisinfrastructure is best provided asa national facility, and LCNresearchers are large users ofthe UK’s ISIS neutron facilityand Diamond X-ray synchrotron.

The LCN team also worksclosely with a range of otherinterdisciplinary initiatives inLondon, including the ThomasYoung Centre for the Theoryand Simulation of Materials, aleading platform for advancingthe performance of materials,and the Centre for PlasticElectronics, focused on thedevelopment of cheap, largearea devices such as solar cellsand displays.

NANOSCALE TOOLS Core fabrication facilities in

nanotechnology rely on boththe high performance cleanroom environments needed fordetailed photo- and electronlithography, scribing nanoscalepatterns on the surface of amaterial, and the wet labsrequired for (bio)chemicalsynthesis and analysis. Some ofthe most interestingopportunities arise from theintegration of these approaches,requiring adjacent coordinatedfacilities. Characterization of theresulting structures has oftenbeen a limiting step. The LCN,with support from theEngineering and PhysicalSciences Research Council(EPSRC), installed the UK’s firstTitan monochromated,aberration-corrected electronmicroscope, giving access to anorder of magnitudeimprovement in resolution.Over the last decade,revolutionary developments inelectron microscopy haveallowed imaging even ofindividual atoms. In addition,electron spectroscopy canreveal the chemical identity ofthe atoms or resolve functionalproperties of nanostructures.

Similarly, again supported byEPSRC, the LCN installed theUK’s first neon ion microscope,providing unprecedentedcombined ability to mill

nanostructures and to image the results.

Future infrastructuredevelopments may targetemerging themes inautomated/instrumented roboticexperimentation, three (ormore) dimensionalimaging/visualisation at differentlengthscales, and environmentalcharacterisation under “realistic”conditions. It is essential tocontinue to invest in state of theart equipment, to remaininternationally competitive, andto exploit the latest technologicalopportunities.

Direct imaging of the plasmonresonance associated with a metal“nano-bow tie”, using the Titanelectron microscope; suchstructures are useful formanipulating light on scales shorterthan its own wavelength, forsensing, high resolution imaging,and photonics, courtesy of ProfStefan Maier

Image of a 20 nm nanopore ion-milled into a membrane, designedto assist the sequencing ofindividual strands of DNA. Theconcentric ‘bull-eye’ patternconcentrates light to control thetemperature at the pore. CourtesyDr Josh Edel.

EXAMPLESNanoscience and

nanotechnology now play anintegral role in many fields, andin many potential applications.These range from improved highperformance electronics, aimingto beat the limitations ofMoore’s law, to thedevelopment of moreenvironmentally-friendlychemical processes and energysources, and the advancementof new therapies based onnanomedicine. A few examplesfollow.

Catalysts

Catalysts are now playing anincreasingly important role in theremoval of pollutants fromvehicle exhausts in catalyticconvertors. The activecomponents of many catalystsare nanoparticles, and it isbecoming clear that theireffectiveness depends criticallyon how much the atoms are‘strained’ or distorted from theirideal geometries. It has beendifficult or impossible todetermine this strain untilrecently but now Prof IanRobinson, in a joint project withJohnson Matthey, has shownhow the information fromscattered X-rays can be cleverlycombined to produce a strainimage of a single particle. Analternative strategy includesnanoparticles catalysts within thefuel itself to improve fuelefficiency and reduce sootformation; the effect of suchparticles on the vehicle exhaustand their potential impact onhuman health is being studiedusing advanced imaging tools,such as Titan, in a collaborativeproject with the USEnvironmental ProtectionAgency, led by Prof Terry Tetley.

Scanning probes

One of the most powerfultools in probing the nanoscaleworld has been the scanning


probe microscope, in which amicroscopic tip ‘feels’ thestructure under investigation as itscans across it. LCN researchershave been particularlyprominent in developing thistechnique; in one notableexample Dr Bart Hoogenboomand his colleagues were able toimage “nanodrills” at work, builtby individual proteins thatbacteria produce to kill livingcells That advance relied onpushing the technique to detectthe weak forces that operate insoft biological environment.Another variant involvesdetecting the electrical currentthrough an atom or molecule,rather than the force. Using thisapproach, Dr Cyrus Hirjibehedinand his colleagues have beenable to demonstrate a single-molecule magnetic sensor inwhich the electrical current is upto 60 times more sensitive to amagnetic field than hadpreviously been expected.

Nanoscale devices forquantum technologies

Ultimately, we would like to beable to create devices thatfunction entirely according to themicroscopic laws of quantummechanics. It has been knownfor many years that these lawsdetermine the behaviour of

individual atoms and molecules,but whole devices operating onquantum principles have newproperties – they can processinformation in new ways, and

Schematic of a magnetic molecule (centre) on a surface. Themagnetization of the molecule interacts with local magnetic fields and alsowith electrons emitted by the scanning probe microscope tip, therebyaffecting the current and forming a sensitive magnetic field sensor.Courtesy Dr Cyrus Hirjibehedin, image by Tobias Gill

can perform some importanttasks (for example, breakinglarge whole numbers into theirfactors – a critical task inattacking the security of present-day cryptography) much moreefficiently than any ‘normal’computer. The UK NationalQuantum Technologyprogramme has recently startedsome important projects to bringquantum technologies to short-term application, but in the longterm many researchers believethat the scalability possessed bynanoscale solid-state systemswill win out over competingapproaches. In this context, anespecially important recentdemonstration came from theLCN’s Prof John Morton andcolleagues, who showed thatfragile quantum information canbe preserved in silicon (thesame material used in

conventional electronics) forunprecedentedly long timesfrom seconds to several hours

i-sense: Early detection ofinfectious disease

Globally, infectious diseasessuch as influenza, Ebola, MRSAand HIV rank among the gravestthreats to human health,alongside global warming andterrorism. Nanotechnology offersthe possibility of sensitive andspecific, cheap, disposablediagnostics that will widenaccess to testing in thecommunity and the developingworld. At the LCN, ProfessorRachel McKendry directs i-sense,the EPSRC InterdisciplinaryResearch Collaboration in EarlyWarning Sensing Systems forInfectious Diseases. This multi-partner centre aims to detectdisease much earlier thanbefore by linking web data, suchas social media posts, withnano-enabled, mobile phone-connected diagnostic tests.Patients will benefit by gainingfaster access to treatment, theNHS and global healthcareproviders will benefit fromtargeted care and antibioticstewardship, and populationswill benefit from the reducedspread of infection.

THE NANOTECHNOLOGYWORKFORCE

What kinds of people aredriving this work forward? Aquick survey of the current LCNworkforce revealsrepresentatives from France,Italy, Germany, Sweden, TheNetherlands, Israel, Russia, India,Japan, China and Kenya as wellas the United States, Canada,Australia and of course the UK.This mix is not atypical of fast-moving areas of science andtechnology, but underlines howimportant it is for UK universitiesto be able to appoint peoplewith the very best skillsinternationally, in order tocompete in the global

Image of an individual nanoparticle, the colour coding the strain of theatoms. Courtesy Professor Ian Robinson and Rachel O'Malley (JohnsonMatthey).


Image illustrating the concept of the i-sense project. Low-cost diagnostic tests, relying on nanotechnology andintegrated with mobile phones, form part of a multi-scale approach including monitoring of web posts and socialmedia. Courtesy of Prof Rachel McKendry and Kailey Nolan.

marketplace for ideas. It isessential to be able to accessthe best talent at every levelfrom students, throughresearchers, to experiencedacademics and industrialists.Policies that encourage, forexample, PhD students to stayin the UK and start newbusinesses here exploiting theirknowledge, rather than insistingthat they leave the countryimmediately, would bebeneficial.

For such an international field itis also especially important toensure that the UK is able totake part in internationalcollaborative research projects.In particular, the UK benefitsdisproportionately from EUfunding; any withdrawal fromthe EU science frameworkwould have a devastating impacton UK science, both in loss ofrevenue and loss ofopportunities for internationalcollaborations, most of whichalso involve companies or end-users. Many of the schemes(such as the European ResearchCouncil Fellowships) bringsignificant international prestigeas well as opportunity, which

helps the UK to attract the besttalent.

SAFETYAs nanotechnology moves

forward into commercialization, itis critical to ensure that potentialimpacts on human health andthe environment are taken intoaccount. The field in the UKbenefited from a landmark RoyalSociety and Royal Academy ofEngineering report in 2004entitled Nanoscience andnanotechnologies: opportunitiesand uncertainties, whichprovided an early and widelyrespected analysis. It served bothto promote an awareness ofsafety and ethical issues withinthe field, and to reassure thoseoutside it that early andsomewhat sensational warningsof the risks from ‘grey goo’nanotechnologies wereoverstated. The report concludedthat many nanotechnologies donot raise any particular concernsbeyond conventional industrialmanufacturing, for example,when small structures are buriedwithin larger electronic devices.The safety of the manufacturingprocess and the life cycle fate ofthe product must be considered,

but conventional approaches aregenerally appropriate. In certaincases, however, there is a chancethat discrete, engineerednanoparticles might be released,either accidentally or deliberately,leading to human orenvironmental exposure. In thesecases, the fate of thenanoparticles must beconsidered carefully. Atmosphericpollution, for example by dieselsoot, is one very prominentexample of nanoparticle release;other nanoparticles occur in verymuch smaller quantities.However, the fate and influenceof these particles need to beconsidered on a case by casebasis. Considerable research todate has shown that thebehaviour is very dependent onthe composition, size, and use ofthe nanoparticles. In some cases,there is no immediate concern,while in others suitableprecautions relating to exposureshould be employed. Particularcare will be needed innanomedical applications, wherenanomaterials are directlyadministered to humans,although rigorous testing can beanticipated.

THE FUTURE ANDCOMMERCIALIZATION

Nanostructured componentswill increasingly appear as crucialenabling elements integrated incomplete functional systems fora wide range of applications.Improvements in cost-effectivenanomanufacturing willaccelerate implementation. Thecombination of nanostructureswith other components willincreasingly create “hierarchicalsystems” operating over a rangeof lengthscales. It is worthhighlighting that biology isespecially adept at buildingfunctional materials specified atevery possible lengthscale. We,on the other hand, are good atatomic scale manipulationthrough chemistry, and micron-scale manipulation throughengineering, but very unskilled inthe intervening nanoscale.Famously, Richard Feynmanannounced that there was“plenty of room at the bottom”,but we may now consider thatthere is still “plenty of room inthe middle” to integrate top-down and bottom-upapproaches, to deliver newtechnologies with economic andsocietal benefits.

New materials andmanufacturing technologiestypically have long developmentcycles. Initial enthusiasmsometimes wanes too quickly forthe development of realtechnologies, and manyopportunities are lost in “thevalley of death” between initialpromise and ultimate delivery.Unfortunately, the UK generallyhas a poor record in making themost of its own intellectualachievements. It is critical thatgovernment, industrial, andventure-driven R&D investmenttakes a sufficiently long term viewthat the new opportunities aremanifested within the UK.


In the US there has been verylittle controversy related tofunding of this emerging field.The US NationalNanotechnology Initiative (NNI),a coordinating organization for20 Federal departments andindependent Agencies, wasgiven over $21 billion since itsinception in 2001. The budgetrequest for the coming year was$1.5 billion, in line with theprevious budget proposals. Thisinitiative has gained strongsupport from three Presidentialadministrations, resulting intechnological advances in solar

electronics, to develop newscience and commercialapplications. The NNI hasrecognized the importance ofblue sky research, with almost35% of the budget dedicated tosuch fundamental research. ThePolicy makers in the US haverecognized that skewing researchfunding too much towardsapplied research can potentiallyundermine all the futurebreakthroughs enablingcommercial applications ofnanotechnology.

Despite the enormouspotential for nanotechnology toimprove our wellbeing, there arestill questions about safety ofnanoparticles to humans and theenvironment. In relation to safetythere are two aspects toconsider. Firstly, contrary topopular beliefs, nanotechnologycan solve many environmentalproblems. For example,nanoparticles can reduceenvironmental contamination,produce energy in a cleaner way

Professor Alex OrlovAssistant Professor of MaterialScience and Engineering, StateUniversity of New York, Stony Brook

energy conversion,nanomanufacturing and sensors.It is not a coincidence that thetechnological competitiveness ofthe US economy is stronglylinked to research andcommercialization ofnanotechnology.

The late John Marburger, ChiefScience Adviser to PresidentBush, stated that NNI was oneof the least controversialsciences and technologyprograms for budgetappropriations. This is notsurprising, given that thisinitiative facilitates investmentinto research infrastructure,education and applied/fundamental research. It hasenabled many disciplines,ranging from medicine to

... NNI has recognized the importance of blue sky research ...

Reproduced from Orlov, A. Catal. Sci. Technol., 2015, 5, 2504. withpermission from the the Royal Society of Chemistry

Transforming our lives withNanotechnology in safe andresponsible way

NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology is very exciting field. From revolutionizingmedical applications to producing the most efficient electronicdevices, it is already transforming our daily lives.


and make conventionalmaterials less harmful. In 2009the OECD organized one of thefirst meetings on the topic, tooffer an alternative view totoxicology driven perception ofnanomaterials. This meetingoffered a glimpse of theemerging field, calledenvironmental nanotechnology,aimed at improving humanhealth and the environment.Nanoparticles can also enhanceecological health indirectly byfacilitating clean energyproduction. We have created anew generation of nanoparticles,which can produce clean sourceof energy from water usingsunlight. The product of thisreaction, hydrogen gas, can thenbe used to power fuel cells toproduce electricity. We have alsodemonstrated how to use

the UK Government has a longstanding Hazardous SubstancesAdvisory Committee (HSAC)advising DEFRA on toxicityaspects of nanotechnology.

Being a member of thiscommittee for almost seven

pathways to incorporatequalitative information andaccounting for such externalitiesas public perception andregulation is a daunting task fortraditionally trained scientists andengineers working in academicenvironment. Transcending

are already saving millions oflives by delivering clean drinkingwater.

The second aspect of safety ofnanoparticles is as following.Despite the promise ofnanotechnology it is foolish todismiss toxicity aspects. Thereare credible scientific reports ontoxicity of nanoparticles. In fact

conducting risk assessment ofnanotechnology and forcommunicating theseassessments to general publicand policy makers. Whereasscientists and engineers alwaystry to quantify risk factors, giventhe incomplete informationavailable for most of newnanomaterials, it is often achallenging task. Finding

nanoparticles to clean water andair pollution, both on a smallscale and on urban scale. Thisapproach is currently beingutilized in a recent commercialdevelopment by the UScompany called PURETi, whichcoats urban surfaces with self-cleaning and air purifying nano-coatings. In addition tonanoparticles, nanotechnologycan also create suchnanostructures as nanopores inmembranes. These membranes

years gave me a number ofunique insights into theinterdisciplinary aspects of thesafety nanoparticles. One of themost important nuggets, whichcame out of numerousdiscussions at this committee,was that scientists working onapplications of nanotechnologyshould collaborate withtoxicologists, economists,environmental and socialscientists. All these disciplinesare incredibly important for

interdisciplinary boundaries isthe only way to advancenanotechnology withoutharming public andenvironment.

It can be argued that thetoxicity of some nanomaterialsdoes not necessarily mean thatthey have to be removed fromthe market. Environmentalhealth professionals know thateven the most hazardousmaterials present zero risks if weare not exposed to them. This

concept can be used to guidenew product development,whereby exposure to potentiallyhazardous materials can beeliminated during production,use and disposal ofnanomaterials containingproducts. However, if existingmanufacturing practices do notprovide adequate protection,they have to be changed or theproduct has to be redesigned. Ifnano-enabled products aredesigned responsibly, it ispossible to reduce risksassociated with exposure tonanoparticles to negligible levelswhile taking advantage of theirextraordinary properties. Wehave demonstrated a newapproach to evaluation of safetyof products containing carbonnanotubes. It is often assumedthat nanoparticles encapsulatedin polymers are safe. Wedemonstrated that under certainconditions this assumptionmight not be true. In fact thereare some scenarios of thesematerials’ exposure to sunlight,moisture and abrasion wherecarbon nanotubes mightbecome detached from thepolymers holding them inside.Given numerous reports oftoxicity of carbon nanotubes thequestion then becomes whetherto remove these from themarket or to reformulate themto improve their safety. Recentwork offered several pathwaysof making nanomaterials morestable and thereby safer to use.The first pathway is to substitutemore harmful nanomaterialswith the less harmful one. Thesecond pathway is to redesignthe entire nanomaterialscontaining product to make itmore resilient towardsenvironmental degradation. Incase of polymers this can beachieved by adding various UVstabilizers and by making carbonnanotubes more compatiblewith polymer matrices.

We can be certain that theingenuity of researchers in thisarea will ensure that the safedevelopment of nanotechnologywill bring multiple benefits forall.

... the safe development of nanotechnology will bring multiple benefits for all. ...


COMBATING ANTIMICROBIALRESISTANCE: A Coordinated Global Response by theUK Science and Innovation Network

Dr Lindsay R Chura

Elizabeth Hogben

Stefania Di Mauro-Nava

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)is a global threat that has beenreferred to in the same terms asterrorism and climate change.The ability for doctors toprescribe antibiotics to combatinfection has been part ofmodern medicine since Scottishbiologist Sir Alexander Flemingdiscovered penicillin in 1928.However, widespread andsometimes unregulated use ofantibiotics in both humans andlivestock has led to the growingproblem of antimicrobialresistance. “Superbugs” knowno borders; thereforecoordinated international actionis vital.

Lord Jim O’Neill, Chairman ofthe Review on AMR,commissioned by the PrimeMinister in 2014, suggests thatwithout action, AMR could costsome 2-3.5% of global GDPand cause 10 million moredeaths by 2050. The UK isleading on global efforts toprevent, detect, and controlillnesses and deaths caused byantibiotic-resistant bacteria. TheUK’s international engagementto tackle AMR is acomprehensive cross-government effort, with theDepartment of Health, Foreignand Commonwealth Office,Department for InternationalDevelopment, Department forEnvironment, Food and RuralAffairs, Department for Business,Innovation and Skills and othersworking in partnership todevelop and deliver coordinated

action. An international cross-Whitehall steering group onAMR has been established andplays a key role in guidingactivities across governmentdepartments.

The Chief Medical Officer,Dame Sally Davies, has led a UKgovernment push to raise globalawareness and galvanise action.Significant progress has beenmade in 2015 with the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO)adopting an AMR Global ActionPlan in May followed by the UNFood and AgricultureOrganisation and WorldOrganisation for Animal Healthadopting resolutions expandingaction into agriculture andanimal health spheres. TheGlobal Health Security Agenda(GHSA) is an importantmechanism for deliveringinternational engagement onAMR with the UK as a leading

partner on the AMR actionpackage. GHSA was launched bythe United States in February2014 to advance a world safeand secure from infectiousdisease threats and to bringtogether nations to make new,concrete commitments, and toelevate global health security toa national leaders-level priority.The G7 endorsed the GHSA inJune 2014.

New international partnerships:The UK Science and InnovationNetwork (SIN), based in 28countries, is playing a key,supporting role in the UKGovernment’s international

campaign for global action onAMR. SIN India co-organised aworkshop on Open Innovation inDrug Discovery and AMR inSeptember 2014. SIN Japan co-organised a workshop inNovember 2014 to discussresearch collaboration ondiagnostics and drug discovery,and a network for researchcollaboration is being establishedon animal health. SIN USworked with Chatham House toorganise a “One Health”Colloquium in December 2014to examine direct and indirectbenefits and risks to humanhealth posed by livestock. InFebruary 2015, the teamorganised a symposium at the

American Association for theAdvancement of Scienceconference in California involvingthe CMO and other UK experts.SIN US also supported a recentvisit by Lord O’Neill in June2015, where highlights includedengagement with the UnitedNations, a keynote presentationat the Biotechnology IndustryOrganization convention (theworld’s largest gathering of thebiotechnology industry) as well

... coordinated international action is vital ...

... raise global awareness ...


as a range of high-levelmeetings in Washington.

Promoting innovation: Thenetwork works closely with UKTIto ensure that opportunities aremaximized to showcaseinnovative technologies from theUK. SIN has been working withNesta to promote the LongitudePrize, a £10 million UK-ledchallenge to find a cost-effective,accurate, rapid and easy-to-usepoint of care test kit forbacterial Infections.

Building capacity: SIN is wellplaced to support efforts to

... network for research collaboration ...

boost capacity. SIN helpedsupport development of the firstCommonwealth laboratory AMRregional twinning workshop inTrinidad and Tobago. SIN Chinaran a series of collaborative

emphasis on wider engagementin BRIC countries, particularly asChina prepares to host the G20.

Galvanising global action: TheWHO Global Action Plan wasratified in May 2015 on AMR

level 2016 meeting on AMR atthe United Nations.

AMR is a global health andeconomic issue which cannotbe solved by any one countryacting alone. Action is needed todrive forward the developmentof more refined diagnostics,surveillance and infection controlmethods. Governments aroundthe world must act collectively toaddress the growing threatposed by AMR, taking intoaccount both the human andanimal dimensions of thiscomplex challenge.

research workshops onquantitative microbial risk whichresulted in the UK Institute forFood Research conducting riskassessment training for theChinese Centre for DiseaseControl and Prevention. SIN willcontinue to place a big

and represented a landmarkmoment in global health. SIN isworking in a number of areas tofurther progress and willcontinue to support the UK’sinternational engagement onAMR, including throughadvancing work towards a high-

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee is sorry torecord the recent death of Professor John Bleby.

He had been a loyal and supportive member of the P&SC formore than 30 years. He was a member of the SteeringCommittee, and later was elected to the Council.

He joined Sir Gerard Vaughan in Westminster Publishing whichpublished Science in Parliament between 1989 and 1998.

He represented the Research Defence Society (nowUnderstanding Animal Research) on the Parliamentary andScientific Committee for many years.

He was also one of the small team of Parliamentary andScientific Committee members who went to Washington tolearn about the Office of Technology Assessment. This factfinding mission then led to the establishment of theParliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST).

During the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 he volunteeredas a Ministry vet and spent six months in Cumbria.

He also went on one of the Parliamentary and ScientificCommittee delegations to China.

PROFESSOR JOHN BLEBY1932-2015


HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECTCOMMITTEES 2015

The Chairs of all the House of Commons Select Committees were elected by a secret ballot of the House ofCommons on Thursday 18th June.

BUSINESS INNOVATION AND SKILLSCOMMITTEEThe Business, Innovation and Skills Committee isappointed by the House of Commons to examinethe administration, expenditure and policy of theDepartment for Business, Innovation and Skills(BIS) and its associated public bodies, includingthe Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Mr Iain Wright (Labour, Hartlepool) was electedChair. Other members of the Committee, formallyappointed on Wednesday 8 July, are: PaulBlomfield (Labour, Sheffield Central); RichardFuller (Conservative, Bedford); Peter Kyle (Labour,Hove); Amanda Milling (Conservative, CannockChase); Amanda Solloway (Conservative, DerbyNorth); Jo Stevens (Labour, Cardiff Central);Michelle Thomson (Scottish National Party,Edinburgh West); Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative,Rochester and Strood); Craig Tracey(Conservative, North Warwickshire); Chris White(Conservative, Warwick and Leamington).

INQUIRYOn 20 July the Committee announced an Inquiryinto the Government’s Productivity Plan, exploringwhether the Productivity Plan addresses the maincauses of low productivity in the UK and whetherit is likely to achieve its desired results. TheProductivity Plan covers a wide range of areas,including the tax regime for businesses, skills,science and innovation, digital infrastructure,investment and trade. Written evidence wassought, to be submitted by 10 September.

Contact: Business, Innovation and SkillsCommittee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Telephone: 020 7219 5777;Email: [email protected]

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EDUCATION COMMITTEEThe Education Committee monitors the policy,administration and spending of the Departmentfor Education and its associated arms’ lengthbodies, including Ofsted.

Mr Neil Carmichael (Conservative, Stroud) waselected Chair. Other members of the Committee,formally appointed on Thursday 6 July, are: LucyAllan (Conservative, Telford); Ian Austin (Labour,

Dudley N); Michelle Donelan (Conservative,Chippenham); Marion Fellows (Scottish NationalParty, Motherwell and Wishaw); Suella Fernandes(Conservative, Fareham); Lucy Frazer(Conservative, SE Cambridgeshire); Kate Hollern(Labour, Blackburn); Ian Mearns (Labour,Gateshead); Caroline Nokes (Conservative,Romsey and Southampton N); Kate Osamor(Labour Co-op, Edmonton).

INQUIRIESThe work of Ofsted

On 16 July the Committee announced an inquiryinto the work of Ofsted and called for writtenevidence (to be submitted by Tuesday 1 September) ahead of a one-off evidencesession with Sir Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty'sChief Inspector, to be held on Wednesday 16September.

Regional Schools Commissioners

On 20 July the Committee announced an inquiryinto The role of Regional Schools Commissioners.The Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs)were appointed in 2014 to work with schoolleaders to promote and monitor academies andfree schools. This inquiry explores the expandingrole of RSCs, their resources, impact andaccountability.

Contact: Education Committee, House ofCommons, London SW1A 0AA.

Telephone: 020 7219 1376; Email: [email protected]

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ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGECOMMITTEEThe Committee is appointed by the House ofCommons to examine the expenditure,administration and policy of the Department ofEnergy and Climate Change (DECC) and itsassociated public bodies.

Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party,Na h-Eileanan an Iar) was elected Chair. Othermembers, appointed 8 July, are: Rt Hon AlistairCarmichael (Liberal Democrats, Orkney andShetland); Glyn Davies (Conservative,Montgomeryshire); James Heappey


(Conservative, Wells); Ian Lavery (Labour, Wansbeck); Melanie Onn(Labour, Great Grimsby); Matthew Pennycook (Labour, Greenwichand Woolwich); Dr Poulter (Conservative, Central Suffolk and NorthIpswich): Antoinette Sandbach (Conservative, Eddisbury); JulianSturdy (Conservative, York Outer); Dr Alan Whitehead (Labour,Southampton Test).

INQUIRIESDECC priorities 2015

On 15 July the Committee announced an inquiry into DECCpriorities 2015 and on Tuesday 21 July held a one-off evidencesession with the Secretary of State looking at the Department'spriorities and objectives for 2015 and for this Parliament. Theevidence is published on the website.

ECC priorities for holding Government to account

On 16 July the Committee announced an enquiry looking to gatherviews on which areas of DECC’s policies will require particularscrutiny over the years to come to inform the Committee’s futurework programme and its priorities for holding Government toaccount.

Contact: Energy and Climate Change Committee, House ofCommons, London SW1A 0AA


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ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRSCOMMITTEEThe Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) isappointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure,administration and policy of the Department for Environment, Foodand Rural Affairs (Defra) and its associated public bodies.

Mr Neil Parish (Conservative, Tiverton and Honiton) was electedChair. Other members (appointed on 8 July) are: Sarah Champion(Labour, Rotherham); Chris Davies (Conservative, Brecon andRadnorshire); Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour, Poplar and Limehouse); HarryHarpham (Labour, Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough); SimonHart (Conservative, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire);Dr Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party, Caithness, Sutherlandand Easter Ross); Rebecca Pow (Conservative, Taunton Deane);Margaret Ritchie (Social Democratic & Labour Party, South Down);David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party, Upper Bann); RishiSunak (Conservative, Richmond).

INQUIRIESThe 2015 EFRA Committee is appealing to the public to tell it whatkey issues should be addressed this Parliament.

Tweet them @CommonsEFRA using #EFRAtopics – or send 100words via email to [email protected] with the subject line:EFRA Topics.

Contact: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee,House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Telephone: 020 72195774/3262; Email: [email protected]

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ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT COMMITTEEThe remit of the Environmental Audit Committee is to consider theextent to which the policies and programmes of governmentdepartments and non-departmental public bodies contribute toenvironmental protection and sustainable development, and toaudit their performance against sustainable development andenvironmental protection targets.

Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour, Ogmore) was elected Chair. Theremaining members of the Committee were appointed on Monday20 July 2015: Peter Aldous (Conservative, Waveney); CarolineAnsell (Conservative, Eastbourne); Jo Churchill (Conservative, BurySt Edmunds) Zac Goldsmith (Conservative, Richmond Park);Margaret Greenwood (Labour, Wirral West); Luke Hall(Conservative, Thornbury and Yate); Carolyn Harris (Labour,Swansea East); Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative, North Devon);Mr Peter Lilley (Conservative, Hitchin and Harpenden); CarolineLucas (Green Party, Brighton Pavilion): Holly Lynch (Labour, Halifax):John Mc Nally (Scottish National Party, Falkirk); Rebecca Pow(Conservative, Taunton Deane); Jeff Smith (Labour, ManchesterWithington); Rory Stewart (Conservative, Penrith and The Border).

INQUIRIESThe Government’s approach to sustainable development

On 21 July the Committee announced an inquiry into theGovernment’s approach to sustainable development. TheCommittee will be exploring what impact the new Government’sfiscal and legislative agenda will have on sustainable development.It will be looking to establish themes for its work during theParliament and measures against which the Government’s successcan be judged.

The Airports Commission report: Carbon emissions, air qualityand noise

On 23 July the Committee announced an inquiry into the AirportsCommission report and the implications for Governmentcommitments on carbon emissions, air quality and noise should theAirport Commission's recommendation of a third runway atHeathrow Airport be adopted.

Contact: Environmental Audit Committee, House of Commons,London SW1A 0AA.


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HEALTH COMMITTEEThe Health Committee is appointed by the House of Commons toexamine the policy, administration and expenditure oftheDepartment of Health and its associated bodies

Dr Sarah Wollaston was elected Chair. The remaining members ofthe Committee, who were elected by the House on Wednesday 8July, are: Dr James Davies (Conservative, Vale of Clwyd); AndreaJenkyns (Conservative, Morley and Outwood); Liz McInnes (Labour,Heywood and Middleton); Rachael Maskell (Labour Co-op, YorkCentral); Andrew Percy (Conservative, Brigg and Goole); PaulaSherriff (Labour, Dewsbury); Emily Thornberry (Labour, IslingtonSouth and Finsbury); Maggie Throup (Conservative, Erewash);Helen Whately (Conservative, Faversham and Mid Kent); DrPhilippa Whitford (Scottish National Party, Central Ayrshire).


INQUIRIESCurrent issues in NHS England

On 14 July the Committee announced an inquiry into Currentissues in NHS England. It will review the current performance of theNHS and examine how NHS England is planning to implement thevision outlined in the Five Year Forward view.

On 21 July the Committee took evidence from NHS England’sChief Executive Simon Stevens, Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Directorand Jane Cummings, the Chief Nursing Officer for England. Theevidence is published on the Committee’s website.

Primary care

On 30 July the Committee announced an inquiry into challengesaffecting primary care services in England. It will consider whetherthe Department of Health and its arms' length bodies have theplans and policies in place now to ensure that high quality care isconsistently available to patients at the point of need.

Contact: Health Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA


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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYThe Science and Technology Committee exists to ensure thatGovernment policy and decision-making are based on goodscientific and engineering advice and evidence. The Science andTechnology Committee is unusual amongst departmental selectcommittees in that it scrutinises the Government Office for Science(GO-Science), which is a “semi-autonomous organisation” basedwithin the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).GO-Science “supports the Government Chief Scientific Adviser andworks to ensure that Government policy and decision-making isunderpinned by robust scientific evidence”. The committeetherefore has a similarly broad remit and can examine the activitiesof departments where they have implications for, or made use of,science, engineering, technology and research.

Nicola Blackwood (Conservative, Oxford West and Abingdon) waselected as Chair. The other members, appointed on 13 July, are:Victoria Borwick (Conservative, Kensington); Jim Dowd (Labour,Lewisham West and Penge); Chris Green (Conservative, BoltonWest); Dr Tania Mathias (Conservative, Twickenham); Liz McInnes(Labour, Heywood and Middleton); Carol Monaghan (ScottishNational Party, Glasgow North West); Graham Stringer (Labour,Blackley and Broughton); Derek Thomas (Conservative, St Ives);Matt Warman (Conservative, Boston and Skegness); DanielZeichner (Labour, Cambridge).

INQUIRIESThe Science Budget

On 10 July the Committee announced an inquiry into the ScienceBudget, ahead of the Spending Review. The deadline for writtensubmission was Wednesday 26 August 2015.

On 15 July the Committee took evidence from Jo Johnson MP,Minister of State for Universities and Science, Gareth Davies,Director General, Knowledge and Innovation, and Philippa Lloyd,Director General, People and Strategy, Department for Business,

Innovation and Skills; Sir Paul Nurse, President, The Royal Society,Professor Richard Parker, Chair, Research and SecondmentsCommittee, Royal Academy of Engineering, Lord Stern of Brentford,President, British Academy, and Professor Sir John Tooke, President,Academy of Medical Sciences. The oral evidence is published onthe Committee’s website.

Science in emergencies

On 20 July the Science and Technology Committee announced aninquiry into science in emergencies after the Ebola outbreak,examining what lessons have been drawn concerning the use ofscientific advice in the UK for similar disease outbreak emergenciesin future.

The Big Data Dilemma

On 24 July the Committee announced an inquiry into opportunitiesand risks of big data. The committee will look at whether theGovernment is doing enough to ensure that UK entrepreneurs canbenefit from the data revolution, and at data protection and privacyissues.

Contact: Science and Technology Committee, House of Commons,London SW1A 0AA

Telephone: 020 7219 2793; Fax: 020 7219 0896; Email: [email protected]

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TRANSPORT COMMITTEEThe Transport Committee examines the expenditure, administrationand policy of the Department of Transport and its associated publicbodies.

Mrs Louise Ellman (Labour, Liverpool, Riverside) was elected Chair.The remaining members of the Committee, appointed on 8 July,are: Robert Flello (Labour, Stoke-on-Trent South); Mary Glindon(Labour, North Tyneside); Karl McCartney (Conservative, Lincoln);Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party, GlasgowSouth); Mark Menzies (Conservative, Fylde); Huw Merriman(Conservative, Bexhill and Battle); Will Quince (Conservative,Colchester); Iain Stewart (Conservative, Milton Keynes South);Graham Stringer (Labour, Blackley and Broughton); Martin Vickers(Conservative, Cleethorpes).

INQUIRYThe Department for Transport and rail policy

On 14 July the Committee announced an inquiry into theDepartment of Transport and rail policy, and took evidence from theSecretary of State on Monday 20 July. The evidence is on theCommittee’s website.

Contact: Transport Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

Telephone: 020 7219 3266; Email: [email protected];Twitter: @CommonsTrans


HOUSE OF LORDS SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY SELECT COMMITTEEThe members of the Committee (appointed 8 June 2015) are: the Earl of Selborne (Chairman), Lord Cameron ofDillington, Lord Fox, Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield, Lord Hunt of Chesterton, Lord Kakkar, Baroness Manningham-Buller,Lord Maxton, the Duke of Montrose, Baroness Morgan of Huyton, Baroness Neville-Jones, Lord Peston, Viscount Ridleyand Lord Vallance of Tummel.

GM Insects

In July 2015, the Committee launched aninquiry into GM Insects. Written submissionswere sought by 18 September and oralevidence will be taken in the autumn. TheCommittee intends to report before the end ofthe year.

The Relationship between EU Membershipand the effectiveness of Science, Researchand Innovation in the UK

In July 2015, the Committee agreed to conductan inquiry into the relationship between EUMembership and the effectiveness of science,research and innovation in the UK. A Call forEvidence will be issued in September and oralevidence will proceed later this year.

The Dowling Review

On 7 July 2015, the Committee held an oralevidence session on the Dowling Review,hearing from Professor Dame Ann Dowling DBE,FRS, FREng, President of the Royal Academy ofEngineering and Dr Hayaatun Sillem, Director ofProgrammes and Fellowship, the Royal Academyof Engineering. The transcript is available on theCommittee’s website.

Nuclear Fusion

On 21 July 2015, the Committee held an oralevidence session on the topic of nuclear fusion.The Committee heard from: Professor StevenCowley FRS, FREng, Chief Executive Officer, UKAtomic Energy Authority, Professor of Physics atImperial College London and Head of theEURATOM/Culham Centre for Fusion Energy

(CCFE) Fusion Association; Dr David Kingham,Chief Executive Officer, Tokamak Energy; and DrSharon Ellis, Deputy Director, Research CouncilsUnit, Department for Business, Innovation andSkills. The transcript is available on theCommittee’s website.

The Resilience of the Electricity System

In July 2014, the Committee launched aninquiry into the resilience of electricityinfrastructure. Responses to the Call for Evidencewere invited by late September 2014. Theinquiry focused on the resilience of the UK’selectricity infrastructure to peaks in demand andsudden shocks. It was interested in the resilienceof the system both in the short term (to 2020)and in the medium term (to 2030) as electricitygeneration is decarbonised. Oral evidence wastaken across the autumn and concluded in lateJanuary 2015. The Committee reported on 12March 2015. A Government response waspublished in June 2015. A debate in theChamber on the report and the Governmentresponse is being sought.

FURTHER INFORMATIONThe reports, Government responses, written andoral evidence to the Committee’s inquiriesmentioned above, as well as the Calls forEvidence and other documents can be found onthe Committee’s website. Further informationabout the work of the Committee can beobtained from Chris Clarke, Committee Clerk,[email protected] or 020 7219 4963.The Committee Office email address [email protected].


PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (POST)

RECENT POST PUBLICATIONS Sugar and HealthMay 2015 POSTnote 493

Sugars can be added to food and drinks oroccur naturally in fruit, vegetables and milk. Ahigh sugar diet increases the risk of tooth decayand weight gain, and high consumption ofsugar-sweetened drinks is associated with type2 diabetes. This paper describes trends in sugarconsumption in the UK, the public healthimplications and outlines policy options.

UK Broadband Infrastructure

May 2015 POSTnote 494

The growing use of smart phones and dataintensive services (such as video streaming),has increased demand for both fixed andmobile internet. This POSTnote looks at patternsin broadband access and use, and the technicaland policy challenges of enhancing UKbroadband infrastructure to meet future needs.

Obesity Treatments

June 2015 POSTnote 495

A quarter of adults in the UK are clinically obeseand therefore at an increased risk of developingchronic diseases. NHS advice is to eat fewercalories and take more exercise to lose weight.Increasingly, drug treatments and surgery arebeing considered as a means to lose weight forextremely obese people who have had difficultyin adhering to lifestyle changes. This briefingdiscusses the current methods used to manageand treat obesity.

Trends in Transport


Transport is a key driver of economic growth. Itlinks people to their workplaces and connectsbusinesses. It also affects health, theenvironment and societal wellbeing. ThisPOSTnote looks at why transport is changing,outlines current trends across and withintransport sectors and considers the planning oftransport networks.

Regulation of Synthetic Biology


Synthetic biology can be defined as the designand engineering of novel biologically-based

parts, devices and systems or the redesign ofexisting biological systems. It may deliverpotential benefits across a wide range ofapplications. However, some future applicationsmay raise social and ethical issues andchallenge current regulatory systems. ThisPOSTnote examines the potential benefits andchallenges.

Trends in Political Participation


Over the last fifty years in the UK, some aspectsof participation in formal politics havedecreased, such as political party membership.But new forms of participation, such as onlineactivism, have emerged, which may becomeincreasingly important, especially for youngerpeople. This POSTnote discusses trends inpolitical participation, with a focus on newforms, drivers of these trends and how UKdemocratic institutions are responding.

Novel Food Production


Food production systems worldwide may haveto adapt radically to meet the rising globaldemand for food. Emerging approaches in thefood sector include controlled-environmentfarming, alternative animal feeds, edible insects,and lab-cultured meat. This POSTnote considersthese new technologies and summarises theirrespective advantages and limitations.

Towards 2020 and Beyond


This note focuses on policy drivers leadingtowards 2020 and beyond. It looks at therelationship between UK policy and thefollowing drivers: people (demographics),technological change, climate change, resourcesecurity and sustainability, inequality, andgovernance issues.

CURRENT WORKBiological Sciences – Minimum Age of CriminalResponsibility, Health of Military Personnel, Anti-Ebola Treatments, Trends in Crime and Justice,Forensic Linguistics and Phonetics, CognitiveBiases in Court, 100,000 Genomes


Environment and Energy – Herbicide Resistance, Soils, EcosystemServices & Food Security, Managing the UK Plutonium Stockpile,Offshore Mining, Trends in the Environment, Future of NaturalGas, Precision Agriculture, Trends in Energy, Trends in Agriculture

Physical sciences and IT – Commercial Space Activities, Trends inICT, Automation in Military Operations

Social Sciences – Preventing extremism, Trends in Education

CONFERENCES AND SEMINARSWhat Went Wrong With the Polls?

On June 10th, POST hosted a working breakfast for MPs, Peersand their staff on what may have gone wrong with pre-electionpolls, why the exit polls succeeded where other polls failed, andwhere election polling goes from here. We also asked whetherpolling data affected the way the campaigns were run, or eventhe result itself. The speakers included: Lord Finkelstein, Timesjournalist and peer; Professor John Curtice, Professor of Politics atthe University of Strathclyde and President of the British PollingCouncil; Professor David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor of thePublic Understanding of Risk, University of Cambridge; PennyYoung, Librarian and Director General of Information Services atthe House of Commons; Professor David Firth, Professor at theUniversity of Warwick’s Department of Statistics and exit pollster;and Ben Page, Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI.

Waking Up to UK Futures

On 23rd June, POST hosted a working breakfast for MPs, Peersand their staff to discuss five areas that are the focus of the UKGovernment’s futures work, Robotics and Autonomous Systems,Internet of Things, Financial Technologies, Cities and the Future ofAgeing. It was chaired by Lord Peter Hennessy. The speakersincluded: Professor David Lane, Professor of AutonomousSystems Engineering at the Ocean Systems Laboratory Heriot-Watt University; Mr Stephen Pattison, Head of GovernmentRelations, ARM Holdings; Dr Louise Beaumont, Head of PublicAffairs and Marketing for GLI Finance; Professor Sir Alan Wilson,Professor of Urban and Regional Systems in the Centre forAdvanced Spatial Analysis at University College London; ProfessorSarah Harper, Professor of Gerontology at the University ofOxford, Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing andSenior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford;Jessica Bland, Principal Researcher in the Policy and Researchteam, NESTA; and Josef Hargrave, Head of coordination anddelivery of global and regional foresight activities, ARUP.

Valuing our Life Support Systems Report Launch

On 25th June, POST hosted a seminar to launch the NaturalCapital Initiative’s ‘Valuing our Life Support Systems’ summitreport summarising the findings of the 2014 meeting and itsrecommendations for future activity. It was chaired by BarryGardiner MP. The speakers included: Professor Rosie Hails, Chairof the Natural Capital Initiative, Science Director for Biodiversityand Ecosystem Science at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology(CEH); Professor Mike Acreman, Science Area Lead on NaturalCapital at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and visitingProfessor at University College London; Will Evison, AssistantDirector and Environmental Economist, PwC; Professor BillSutherland, President of the British Ecological Society and Miriam

Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology at the University ofCambridge; and, Dr Ruth Waters, Head of Profession for theEcosystem Approach in Natural England.

Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States

On 30th June, POST, in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust,hosted a seminar exploring the medical, legal and ethicalchallenges associated with the care of patients in vegetative andminimally conscious states. Medical advances mean thatincreasing numbers of people survive trauma, stroke, periods oflow oxygenation and severe brain infections. Some, however, areleft with substantially reduced consciousness in either a vegetativeor minimally conscious state. It was chaired by Dr Sarah Bunnand the speakers were: Paul Woodgate, Humanities & SocialScience Research Funding at the Wellcome Trust; Judy Taylor, Co-Founder and Trustee of Brain Injury is BIG; Professor LynneTurner-Stokes, Professor of Rehabilitation at King’s College Londonand Chair of the Royal College of Physicians’ Guidelinesdevelopment Group for prolonged Disorders of Consciousness;Professor David Menon, Head of Division of Anaesthesia,University of Cambridge and Honorary Consultant, NeurosciencesCritical Care Unit, Addenbrooke’s Hospital; and the HonourableMr Justice Baker, Family Division Liaison Judge for the WesternCircuit, Royal Courts of Justice.

Future of Natural Gas

On 16th July POST hosted a working breakfast for MPs, Peers andtheir staff to discuss the future of UK natural gas production, gasuse in the electricity, heat and transport sectors and the gasdistribution network. It was chaired by Lord Oxburgh. Thespeakers included: Peter Mather, Vice President Europe and Headof UK, BP; Francis Egan, CEO, Cuadrilla; Ben Caldecott, Director ofStranded Assets Programme, Oxford University; Prof Jim Watson,Research Director, UK Energy Research Centre; Amy Clemitshaw,Head of Fossil Fuel and CCS Policy, Department of Energy andClimate Change; Jo Coleman, Strategy Development Director,Energy Technologies Institute; Mark Lewis, Low Carbon EconomyManager, Tees Valley Unlimited and Dr Paul Dodds, Lecturer,University College London.

STAFF, FELLOWS AND INTERNS AT POSTFellows

Klara Wanelik, University of Oxford, Natural Environment ResearchCouncil

Helen Snell, University of Aberdeen, Natural EnvironmentResearch Council

Jonathan Carruthers, Rothamsted Research, Biotechnology andBiological Sciences Research Council

Claire Mawditt, Epidemiology and Public Health, University CollegeLondon, Economic and Social Research Council

Samuel Murison, Social Science, Health and Medicine, King'sCollege London, Masters intern

Daniel Slade, Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool,Economic and Social Research Council

Elo Luik, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University ofOxford, Economic and Social Research Council

Claire Louise Carter, Science Policy Research Unit, University ofSussex, Economic and Social Research Council


David Neale, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge,Economic and Social Research Council

Wybo Wiersma, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford,Economic and Social Research Council

Leila Jameel, Department of Experimental Biology, UniversityCollege London, Economic and Social Research Council

Sarah Foxen, Department of Modern Languages, University ofExeter, Arts and Humanities Research Council

Sophie Stammers, Department of Philosophy, King’s CollegeLondon, Arts and Humanities Research Council

Ruth Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Biotechnology andBiological Sciences Research Council

Lorna Christie, University of Glasgow, Engineering and PhysicalSciences Research Council

Harry Beeson, University of Cambridge, Engineering and PhysicalSciences Research Council

Karla-Luise Herpoldt, Imperial College London, Royal Society ofChemistry

Joshua Rogers, University of Durham, Nuffield Foundation

Abby Casey, Imperial College London, Engineering and PhysicalSciences Research Council

HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARYSCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTSECTION

Scientists and other staff in theScience and Environment Sectionprovide confidential, bespokebriefing to Members and theiroffices on a daily basis. They alsoprovide support to CommonsSelect Committees, and producelonger notes and research paperswhich can be accessed on line athttp://www.parliament.uk/topics/topical-issues.htm

Summaries of new and recentlyupdated briefings are opposite.

For further information contact: Sarah Hartwell-NaguibHead of Section Tel: 020 7219 1665email:[email protected]

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Reforming the Electronic CommunicationsCode26.5.15 | CBP-7203

The Electronic Communications Code, whichfacilitates the installation and maintenance ofelectronic communications networks, has longbeen considered in need of reform.

In early 2015 the Coalition Government tabled anamendment to the Infrastructure Bill (now theInfrastructure Act 2015) which would havesubstantially reformed the Code along the lines ofthe Law Commission’s recommendations. Theamendment was later dropped amid criticismfrom stakeholders. A nine-week consultation onreforms to the Code then followed, and closedon 30 April 2015.

In the Productivity Plan published after thesummer 2015 Budget, the ConservativeGovernment announced that it planned tointroduce legislation in the first session of the(2015-20) Parliament to reform the ElectronicCommunications Code. This briefing paper looksat attempts to reform the ElectronicCommunications Code, including the CoalitionGovernment's withdrawn amendment to theInfrastructure Bill in early 2015, and thesubsequent consultation on Code reforms.

New Psychoactive Substances4.6.15 | CBP-7215

New Psychoactive substances (commonlyreferred to as 'legal highs') are a relatively newchallenge in drugs policy. This briefing covers the

background to these substances, policies to targetthem, the current legislative framework and theNew Psychoactive Substances Bill, recentlyannounced in the Queen's Speech.

New psychoactive substances (NPS) aredesigned to mimic the effects of a range oftraditional controlled drugs and, in contrast totraditional illicit drug use, their use is increasing.They can be a challenge to control under existingdrugs legislation and new versions of substancesdevelop at a swift rate to attempt to avoid thecurrent controls. As a result of this, new policiesto target them have been introduced. Theseinclude Temporary class drug orders and the useof alternative legislation.

This Briefing paper provides a background toNPS, including problems of definition, speed ofdevelopment and prevalence of use and theirassociated harms. It provides an overview ofcurrent legislation in this area, the considerationsof a Government appointed expert panel reviewand the new Bill.

Food Waste10.6.15 | SN07045

Food poverty, and a rise in food bank use, hasrecently brought the issue of food waste toParliament’s attention.

The House of Commons Environment, Food andRural Affairs Committee’s report, Food security:demand, consumption and waste (January 2015)called for Defra to appoint a Food Security Co-ordinator to spur a step change in theredistribution of surplus food to those in need.


The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger and Food Povertysuggested in its December 2014 Feeding Britain report that re-distributing and using surplus food would be the ‘next bigbreakthrough’ in eliminating hunger in the UK. It also called forthe creation of a new, national network of the food industry, foodbanks and government working to match food needs toresources at local level.

The House of Lords EU Committee report on EU food waste,Counting the Cost of Food Waste (April 2014) highlighted a needto maintain momentum on EU food waste reduction and obtainmore accurate data.

It is estimated that the UK produces 15 million tonnes of foodwaste annually – UK households produce almost half of this.Avoidable household food waste has reduced by 21% since2007 but the average UK household still throws away theequivalent of six meals per week.

This note describes further the scale and implications of foodwaste, and sets out industry and other responses to tackle it.

Support for Science19.6.15 | CBP-7237

Public funding for research comes from a mix of devolved (egHigher Education Funding Council for England) and UK (egResearch Councils) institutions. Bodies like Innovate UK have aspecific focus on industrial research. Within these broadframeworks, grants are awarded on a competitive basis.

Successive governments have sought to protect the sciencebudget – both in terms of recurring and capital costs. The latterare increasingly being linked to earmarked projects, a recent onebeing the Alan Turing Institute based at the British Library. Thenon-capital science budget, held by the Department for Business,Innovation and Skills, currently stands at £4.6 billion per annum.The Conservative Party Manifesto 2015 provides an outline of thenew Government’s general policy commitments in this area.

Planning for Onshore wind22.6.15 | SN04370

In England the planning process for onshore wind developmentsvaries according to size. The former Government temporarilyexpanded the planning appeals recovery criteria to allow theSecretary of State to take the final decision on onshore windappeals. This expired in April 2015. The new Government has notyet said whether it plans to renew this power.

This note sets out planning policy for onshore wind development,controls in place, rules on separation distances, possiblecommunity benefits and new Government proposals for change.It applies to England only.

Shale Gas and Fracking25.6.15 | SN06073

Shale gas is extracted from solid rock using a process calledhydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’. The Royal Society and RoyalAcademy of Engineering have reviewed the risks associated withfracking. They concluded that the health, safety andenvironmental risks can be managed effectively in the UK byimplementing and enforcing best operational practice. However,

they made several recommendations including calling for moreresearch on the carbon footprint of shale gas extraction. In theUK, drilling for shale gas is at only the exploratory phase. But therapid development of shale gas resources in North America hastransformed the world gas-market outlook.

The regulatory regime for fracking in the UK is covered in thisnote along with comment on environmental concerns. It alsocovers the new access provisions and debate on fracking duringthe Infrastructure Bill’s passage through Parliament.

The UK 4G spectrum auction and mobile coverage20.7.15 | SN06383

Ofcom auctioned radio spectrum needed for 4G mobile devicesin 2013, raising £2.34 billion (less than Treasury forecasts). Thisbriefing summarises the details of the auction, potentialinterference with digital television and future plans for the 700MHz lot of spectrum.

ACTIVITIESIn addition to providing bespoke briefings for MPs, and publishingbriefing papers such as those highlighted above, the section hasprepared debate packs, containing briefing and supporting pressand parliamentary material, for debates on: Air pollution inLondon; Effect of Gypsies and Travellers on local communities;Opposition Day debate on Climate Change; Food Waste; Accessto drugs for ultra-rare diseases; Superfast Broadband Rollout;Science and research in the UK and regional economies; Shalegas; Coastal flood risk; and Sentencing for cruelty to domesticpets.

The Section bid farewell to Michael Everett who competed a sixmonth secondment to the section, and welcomed a newmember of the team, Sara Priestley, formerly a specialist workingfor the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

During the election dissolution the whole SES team visited theRSPB reserve in Sandy, Bedfordshire, and had a series of briefingswith policy advisers there. Some of the team took up the chanceto visit businesses as part of a placement scheme run by theIndustry and Parliament Trust. David Hough, Sara Priestley and EdWhite visited the University of Lancaster and heard about thelatest developments in research into energy, environment andclimate change policies and issues being undertaken by theUniversity.

A number of the team have participated in stakeholderengagements arranged by committee staff with Imperial College,University of London, the Environment Agency and the NationalFarmers Union. David Hough and Grahame Danby took part inoutreach events designed to help academic institutions tounderstand the workings of Parliament and how to communicateresearch findings to MPs through engagement with the Libraryand Select Committees.


SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Economic andSocial ResearchCouncilContact: Jacky Clake, Head of Communications,Economic and Social Research Council,Polaris House, North Star Avenue,Swindon SN2 1UJTel: 01793 413117E-mail: [email protected]: www.esrc.ac.uk

The ESRC is the UK’s largest organisation forfunding research on economic and social issues andis committed to supporting the very best researchwith wide-ranging impact. Social sciencecontributes to greater knowledge andunderstanding of the many challenges our societyfaces today and by ensuring that ESRC-fundedresearch makes the biggest possible impact, ourresearch shapes public policies and makes business,voluntary bodies and other organisations moreeffective, as well as shaping wider society. We alsodevelop and train the UK’s future social scientists.

Biotechnologyand BiologicalSciences Research Council(BBSRC)Contact: Matt GoodeAssociate Director, Communications &External RelationsBBSRC, Polaris House, North Star AvenueSwindon SN2 1UH. Tel: 01793 413299E-mail: [email protected]: www.bbsrc.ac.uk

BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research,innovation and training on behalf of the UK public.Our aim is to further scientific knowledge topromote economic growth, wealth and job creationand to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.BBSRC research is helping society to meet majorchallenges, including food security, green energyand healthier lifespans and underpins important UKeconomic sectors, such as farming, food, industrialbiotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Contact: Sarah Crew, Parliamentary Relations Manager, EPSRC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1ETTel: 01793 444570E-mail: [email protected]:www.epsrc.ac.uk

EPSRC is the UK’s main agency for funding researchand training in engineering and physical sciences,investing around £800m a year in research andpostgraduate training, to help the nation handle thenext generation of technological change.

The areas covered range from informationtechnology to structural engineering, andmathematics to materials science. This researchforms the basis for future economic development inthe UK and improvements for everyone’s health,lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside otherResearch Councils with responsibility for other areasof research.

MedicalResearchCouncilContact: Sophie Broster-JamesPublic Affairs ManagerOne Kemble Street, London WC2B 4AN.Tel: 020 7395 2275E-mail: [email protected]: www.mrc.ac.uk

Over the past century, the MRC has been at the forefrontof scientific discovery to improve human health. Foundedin 1913 to tackle tuberculosis, the MRC now investstaxpayers’ money in the highest quality medical researchacross every area of health. Thirty-one MRC-fundedresearchers have won Nobel prizes in a wide range ofdisciplines, and MRC scientists have been behind suchdiverse discoveries as vitamins, the structure of DNA andthe link between smoking and cancer, as well asachievements such as pioneering the use of randomisedcontrolled trials, the invention of MRI scanning, and thedevelopment of therapeutic antibodies. We also workclosely with the UK’s Health Departments, the NHS,medical research charities and industry to ensure ourresearch achieves maximum impact as well as being ofexcellent scientific quality.

NaturalEnvironmentResearch CouncilContact: Andy JonesGovernment and ParliamentCommunications ManagerNERC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue,Swindon, SN2 1EUTel: 01793 444238Mobile: 07867553053Email: [email protected]: www.nerc.ac.ukNERC is the UK’s leading public funder of environmentalscience. We invest £330 million each year in cutting-edgeresearch, postgraduate training and innovation inuniversities and research centres.Our scientists study the physical, chemical and biologicalprocesses on which our planet and life itself depends –from pole to pole, from the deep Earth and oceans to theatmosphere and space.We partner with business, government, the public and thewider research community to shape the environmentalresearch and innovation agenda. Our science providesknowledge, skills and technology that deliver sustainableeconomic growth and public wellbeing.

Contact: Natalie BealingHead of Stakeholder EngagementSTFC Rutherford Appleton LaboratoryHarwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QXTel: 01235 445484 E-mail: [email protected]

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is oneof Europe’s largest multidisciplinary researchorganisations undertaking and supporting a broadrange of research across the physical, life andcomputational sciences. We operate world class,large-scale research facilities in the UK and Europeand provide strategic advice to the UK Governmenton their development. We partner in two of the UK’sScience and Innovation Campuses. We also manageinternational research projects in support of a broadcross-section of the UK research community,particularly in the fields of astronomy, nuclear physicsand particle physics.

Research Councils UKContact: Alexandra SaxonHead of RCUK Strategy Unit Research Councils UKPolaris HouseNorth Star AvenueSwindon SN2 1ET

Tel: 01793 444592E-mail: [email protected]: www.rcuk.ac.uk

Each year the Research Councils invest around £3 billion in research covering the full spectrum of academicdisciplines from the medical and biological sciences to astronomy, physics, chemistry and engineering, socialsciences, economics, environmental sciences and the arts and humanities.

Research Councils UK is the strategic partnerships of the seven Research Councils. It aims to:

• increase the collective visibility, leadership and influence of the Research Councils for the benefit of theUK;

• lead in shaping the overall portfolio of research funded by the Research Councils to maximise theexcellence and impact of UK research, and help to ensure that the UK gets the best value for money fromits investment;

• ensure joined-up operations between the Research Councils to achieve its goals and improve services tothe communities it sponsors and works with.

Contact: Jonathan BrüünChief ExecutiveBritish Pharmacological SocietyThe Schild Plot, 16 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2PTTel: : 020 7239 0171Fax: 020 7417 0114Email: [email protected]: www.bps.ac.uk

The British Pharmacological Society is a charity with amission to promote and advance the whole spectrum ofpharmacology. It is the primary UK learned societyconcerned with drugs and the way they work, and leads theway in the research and application of pharmacologyaround the world.

Founded in 1931, the Society champions pharmacology inall its forms, across academia, industry, regulatory agenciesand the health service. With over 3,500 members from over60 countries worldwide, the Society is a friendly andcollaborative community. Enquiries about the discovery,development and application of drugs are welcome.

49

Contact: Gabriele ButkuteScience Policy AssistantBiochemical SocietyCharles Darwin House12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JUTel: +44 (0)20 7685 2401Email: [email protected]: www.biochemistry.org

The Biochemical Society works to support the advancementof the molecular biosciences; facilitating the circulation ofknowledge and supporting innovation, raising awareness ofthe importance of our discipline in addressing societal grandchallenges.We achieve our mission by:• Supporting the next generation of biochemists• Bringing together molecular bioscientists; fostering

connections and providing a platform for collaborationand networking

• Promoting and sharing knowledge through meetings,publications and public engagement

• Highlighting the role of molecular biosciences ininterdisciplinary and translational research, whilesupporting the fundamental science that underpinsapplied studies

The BritishEcologicalSocietyContact: Jackie Caine, Policy ManagerBritish Ecological Society12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JUEmail: [email protected]: 020 7685 2510Website: www.BritishEcologicalSociety.orgEcology & Policy Bloghttp://britishecologicalsociety.org/blog/Twitter: @BESPolicy

The British Ecological Society’s mission is to generate,communicate and promote ecological solutions. TheSociety has over 5,000 members worldwide, publishes fiveinternationally renowned scientific journals and organisesthe largest scientific meeting for ecologists in Europe.Through its grants, the BES supports ecologists indeveloping countries, public engagement and research.The BES informs and advises Parliament and Governmenton ecological issues and is committed to ensuring thatpolicy-makers have access to the best available evidence.The BES welcomes requests for assistance fromparliamentarians.

AMPS

Contact:Tony Harding07895 162 896 for all queries whether formembership or assistance.Branch Office Address:Merchant Quay,Salford Quays, SalfordM50 3SG.

Website: www.amps-tradeunion.com

We are a Trades Union for Management andProfessional Staff working in the pharmaceutical,chemical and allied industries.

We have produced a training programme funded bythe EU on diversity and helping women managersremain in the workplace after a career break. Thistraining programme is aimed at both men and womenand is intended to address the shortfall in qualifiedpersonnel in the chemical and allied industries.

We are experts in performance based and field relatedissues and are affiliated to our counterparts in EUProfessional Management Unions.

BritishNutritionFoundationContact: Professor Judy Buttriss,Director GeneralImperial House 6th Floor15-19 KingswayLondon WC2B 6UNTel: +44(0) 20 7557 7930Email: [email protected]

Websites: www.nutrition.org.ukwww.foodafactoflife.org.uk

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), aregistered charity, delivers impartial, authoritativeand evidence-based information on food andnutrition. Its core purpose is to make nutritionscience accessible to all, working with anextensive network of contacts across academia,education and the food chain, and through BNFwork programmes focussing on education inschools and nutrition science communication.

BritishIn VitroDiagnostics Association(BIVDA)Contact: Doris-Ann Williams MBEChief ExecutiveBritish In Vitro Diagnostics AssociationDevonshire House164 – 168 Westminster Bridge RoadLondon SE1 7RW

Tel: 0845 6188224Email: [email protected]

BIVDA is the UK industry association representingcompanies who manufacture and/or distribute thediagnostics tests and equipment to diagnose,monitor and manage disease largely through the NHSpathology services. Increasingly diagnostics are usedoutside the laboratory in community settings and alsoto identify those patients who would benefit fromspecific drug treatment particularly for cancer.

SCIENCE DIRECTORYAIRTO

Contact: Professor Richard Brook OBE FREng AIRTO Ltd: Association of InnovationResearch & Technology Organisations Limitedc/o National Physical LaboratoryHampton Road, TeddingtonMiddlesex TW11 0LWTel: 020 8943 6600E-mail: [email protected]: @airtoinnovationWebsite: www.airto.co.uk

AIRTO – Association of Innovation, Research & TechnologyOrganisations – is the foremost membership body for theUK’s innovation, research and technology sector,representing 80% of organisations in the sector.

AIRTO’s members deliver vital innovation and knowledgetransfer services which include applied and collaborativeR&D, (frequently in conjunction with universities),consultancy, technology validation and testing, incubationof commercialisation opportunities and early stagefinancing. AIRTO members have a combined turnover ofover £5.5bn from clients both at home and outside the UK,and employ over 47,000 scientists, technologists andengineers.

Associationof the BritishPharmaceuticalIndustryContact: Audrey YvernaultHead of Policy and Public Affairs7th Floor, Southside, 105 Victoria Street,London SW1E 6QTTel: 020 7747 7136Email: [email protected]: www.abpi.org.uk

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)represents innovative research-based biopharmaceuticalcompanies, large, medium and small, leading an exciting new eraof biosciences in the UK. Our industry, a major contributor to theeconomy of the UK, brings life-saving and life-enhancingmedicines to patients. Our members are researching anddeveloping over two-thirds of the current medicines pipeline,ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of helping patientsprevent and overcome diseases. Topics we focus on include:

• All aspects of the research and development of medicinesincluding clinical research and licensing

• Stratified medicine

• Vaccines, biosimilars, small and large molecules, cell therapyand regenerative medicine

Contact: Dr Matt Norton3 Riverside, Granta ParkCambridge, CB21 6ADTel: 01223 824575E-mail: [email protected] Website:http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/

Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leadingdementia research charity. Currently, we support132 projects worth over £26.4m and havecommitted over £60m to research since the charitybegan. As research specialists, we fund pioneeringresearch at leading universities across the UK andthe globe with the goal of defeating dementia. Ourexpertise brings together leading dementiascientists to share ideas and understanding. Wework with people with dementia to reflect theirconcerns and firmly believe that science holds thekey to defeating dementia.



SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Mrs Tracey GuiseChief Executive OfficerBritish Society for Antimicrobial ChemotherapyGriffin House | 53 Regent Place | BirminghamB1 3NJwww.bsac.org.uk | www.antibiotic-action.comwww.e-opat.com | www.nas-pps.com|www.appg-on-antibiotics.comwww.bsacsurv.org

The BSAC is an inter-professional organisation with overforty years of experience and achievement in antibioticeducation, research and leadership. The Society has anactive international membership and:

• Is dedicated to saving lives through the effective use anddevelopment of antibiotics, now and in the future.

• Communicates effectively about antibiotics and antibioticusage via workshops, professional guidelines and its ownhigh impact international journal, the Journal ofAntimicrobial Chemotherapy.

• Is home to the UK-led global initiative Antibiotic Action

• Serves as secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Groupon Antibiotics

TheBritishPsychologicalSocietyContact: Tanja SiggsPolicy Advisor - LegislationThe British Psychological SocietySt Andrews House48 Princess Road EastLeicester LE1 7DRTel: 0116 252 9526Email: [email protected]: www.bps.org.uk

The British Psychological Society is an organisationof 50,000 members governed by Royal Charter. Itmaintains the Register of Chartered Psychologists,publishes books, 11 primary science Journals andorganises conferences. Requests for informationabout psychology and psychologists fromparliamentarians are very welcome.

BrunelUniversityLondonContact: Geoff RodgersBrunel University LondonKingston LaneUxbridge UB8 3PHTel: 01895 265609Fax: 01895 269740E-mail: [email protected]: www.brunel.ac.ukBrunel University London is an international research active universitywith 3 leading research institutes:Institute of Energy Futures: Led by Professor Savvas Tassou, the mainthemes of the Institute are Advanced Engines and Biofuels, EnergyEfficient and Sustainable Technologies, Smart Power Networks, andResource Efficient Future Cities.Institute of Materials and Manufacturing: The main themes of researchare Design for Sustainable Manufacturing, Liquid Metal Engineering,Materials Characterisation and Processing, Micro-Nano Manufacturing,and Structural Integrity. The Institute is led by Professor Luiz Wrobel.Institute of Environment, Health and Societies: Professor SusanJobling leads this pioneering research institute whose themes are Healthand Environment, Healthy Ageing, Health Economics Synthetic Biology,Biomedical Engineering and Healthcare Technologies, and SocialSciences and Health.Brunel University London offers a wide range of expertise andknowledge, and prides itself on having academic excellence at the coreof its offer, and was ranked in the recent REF as 33rd in the UK forResearch Power (average quality rating by number of submissions) anddescribed by The Times Higher Education as one of the real winners ofthe REF 2014.

CavendishLaboratoryContact: Departmental Administrator, The Cavendish Laboratory, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.E-mail: glw33.cam.ac.ukhttp://www.phy.cam.ac.uk

The Cavendish Laboratory houses the Department of Physicsof the University of Cambridge.

The research programme covers the breadth ofcontemporary physics

Extreme Universe: Astrophysics, cosmology and highenergy physics

Quantum Universe: Cold atoms, condensed matter theory,scientific computing, quantum matter and semiconductorphysics

Materials Universe: Optoelectronics, nanophotonics,detector physics, thin film magnetism, surface physics andthe Winton programme for the physics of sustainability

Biological Universe: Physics of medicine, biologicalsystems and soft matter

The Laboratory has world-wide collaborations with otheruniversities and industry

Contact: Jo Revill, CEOVintage House37 Albert EmbankmentLondon SE1 7TL.Tel: 020 3031 9800Fax: 020 7582 2882E-mail: [email protected]: www.immunology.org

The BSI is one of the oldest, largest and most activeimmunology societies in the world. We have over5,000 members who work in all areas ofimmunology, including research and clinicalpractice.

The BSI runs major scientific meetings, educationprogrammes and events for all ages. Wedisseminate top quality scientific research throughour journals and meetings and we are committed tobringing the wonders and achievements ofimmunology to as many audiences as possible.

CliftonScientificTrustContact: Dr Eric Albone MBEClifton Scientific Trust 49 Northumberland Road, Bristol BS6 7BATel: 0117 924 7664 Fax: 0117 924 7664E-mail: [email protected]: www.clifton-scientific.org

Science for Citizenship and Employability,Science for Life, Science for Real

We build grass-roots partnerships between school andthe wider world of professional science and itsapplications

• for young people of all ages and abilities

• experiencing science as a creative, questioning,human activity

• bringing school science added meaning andnotivation, from primary to post-16

• locally, nationally, internationally (currentlybetween Britain and Japan; also the Ukraine)

Clifton Scientific Trust Ltd is registered charity 1086933

The Council for the Mathematical SciencesContact: Lindsay WalshDe Morgan House57-58 Russell SquareLondon WC1B 4HSTel: 020 7637 3686Fax: 020 7323 3655Email: [email protected]: www.cms.ac.uk

The Council for the Mathematical Sciences is anauthoritative and objective body that works to develop,influence and respond to UK policy issues affectingmathematical sciences in higher education andresearch, and therefore the UK economy and society by:• providing expert advice;• engaging with government, funding agencies and

other decision makers; • raising public awareness; and• facilitating communication between the

mathematical sciences community and otherstakeholders

British Society of Soil Science

Contact: Ian Brown

LR8, Vincent Building, Cranfield University,

Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL

Tel: 01234 752983

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.soils.org.uk

The British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) or "BScubed" as it is fondly known was founded in1947 by a number of eminent British soilscientists. It was formed with the aims: toadvance the study of soil; to be open tomembership from all those with an interest inthe study and uses of soil; and to issue anannual publication.

Contact: Dr Christopher FlowerJosaron House5-7 John Princes StreetLondon W1G 0JNTel: 020 7491 8891E-mail: [email protected]: www.ctpa.org.uk &www.thefactsabout.co.uk

CTPA is the UK trade association representingmanufacturers of cosmetic products andsuppliers to the cosmetic products industry.‘Cosmetic products’ are legally defined andsubject to stringent EU safety laws. CTPA is theauthoritative public voice of a vibrant andresponsible UK industry trusted to act for theconsumer; ensuring the science behindcosmetics is fully understood.

Contact: Sophia Griffiths5 Cambridge Court210 Shepherds Bush RoadLondon W6 7NJTel: 020 7603 6316E-mail: [email protected]: www.ifst.org

IFST is the independent qualifying body for foodprofessionals in Europe. Membership is drawn fromall over the world from backgrounds includingindustry, universities, government, research anddevelopment and food law enforcement.

IFST’s activities focus on disseminating knowledgerelating to food science and technology andpromoting its application. Another importantelement of our work is to promote and upholdstandards amongst food professionals.

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GAMBICAAssociation Ltd

Contact: Dr Graeme PhilpBroadwall House21 BroadwallLondon SE1 9PLTel: 020 7642 8080 Fax: 020 7642 8096E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.gambica.org.uk

GAMBICA Association is the UK trade association

for instrumentation, control, automation and

laboratory technology. The association seeks to

promote the successful development of the industry

and assist its member companies through a broad

range of services, including technical policy and

standards, commercial issues, market data and

export services.

TheGeologicalSocietyContact: Nic BilhamDirector of Policy and CommunicationsBurlington HousePiccadillyLondon W1J 0BGTel: 020 7434 9944Fax: 020 7439 8975E-mail: [email protected]: www.geolsoc.org.uk

The Geological Society is the national learned andprofessional body for Earth sciences, with 11,500Fellows (members) worldwide. The Fellowshipencompasses those working in industry, academiaand government, with a wide range of perspectivesand views on policy-relevant science, and theSociety is a leading communicator of this science togovernment bodies and other non-technicalaudiences.

Glass and GlazingFederation Contact: James Lee54 Ayres StreetLondon SE1 1EUTel: 020 7939 9100Fax: 0870 042 4266E-mail: [email protected]: www.ggf.org.uk

The GGF is the main representative organisation forcompanies involved in all aspects of themanufacture of flat glass and products and servicesfor all types of glazing, in commercial and domesticsectors.

Members include companies that manufacture andinstall energy efficient windows, in homes andcommercial buildings, the performance glass usedin every type of building from houses to high-risetower blocks and the components that are used tomanufacture every type of glazing.

Fera

Contact: Director of ScienceFera Science Ltd. (Fera)Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZTel: 01904 462000E-mail: [email protected]: www.fera.co.uk

Fera provides expert analytical and professionalservices to governments, agrichemical companies,food retailers, manufacturers and farmers tofacilitate safety, productivity and quality across theagrifood supply chain in a sustainable andenvironmentally compatible way.

Fera uses its world leading scientific expertise toprovide robust evidence, rigorous analysis andprofessional advice to governments, internationalbodies and companies worldwide. Our foodintegrity, plant health, agri-tech and agri-informatics services ensure that our customers haveaccess to leading edge science, technology andexpertise.

First Group

Contact: Mac Andrade50 Eastbourne TerracePaddingtonLondon W2 6LGTel: 07715 038 436E-mail: [email protected]: www.firstgroup.com

FirstGroup is the leading transport operator in the

UK and North America.

Our services help create strong, vibrant and

sustainable local economies and our opportunity is

to be the provider of choice for our customers and

communities. During the last year around 2.5 billion

people relied on us to get to work, to education, to

visit family and friends and much more.

SCIENCE DIRECTORYEli Lilly andCompanyLtdContact: Thom Thorp, Senior Director,Corporate AffairsTel: 01256 315000Fax: 01256 775858Eli Lilly and Company Ltd, Lilly HousePriestley Road, Basingstoke, Hants,RG24 9NLEmail. [email protected]: www.lilly.co.uk

Lilly UK is the UK affiliate of a major Americanpharmaceutical manufacturer, Eli Lilly and Companyof Indianapolis. This affiliate is one of the UK’s toppharmaceutical companies with significantinvestment in science and technology including aneuroscience research and development centre andbulk biotechnology manufacturing operations.

Lilly medicines treat schizophrenia, diabetes, cancer,osteoporosis, attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder, erectile dysfunction, depression, bipolardisorder, heart disease and many other diseases.

Tamzin CaffreyHead of CommunicationsEngineeringUK5th Floor, Woolgate Exchange25 Basinghall Street, London EC2V 5HATel: 020 3206 0444Fax: 020 3206 0401E-mail: [email protected]: www.EngineeringUK.com

EngineeringUK is an independent organisation thatpromotes the vital role of engineers, engineeringand technology in our society. EngineeringUKpartners business and industry, Government and thewider science and technology community:producing evidence on the state of engineering;sharing knowledge within engineering, andinspiring young people to choose a career inengineering, matching employers’ demand forskills.

Energy InstituteContact: Louise Kingham OBE FEI Chief Executive61 New Cavendish StreetLondon W1G 7ARTel: 020 7467 7100Email: [email protected]: www.energyinst.org

The Energy Institute (EI) is the chartered professional bodyfor the energy sector, supporting over 20,000 individualsand 250 companies worldwide. The EI provides learningand networking opportunities, professional recognitionand technical and scientific knowledge resources onenergy in all its forms and applications.

The EI’s purpose is to develop and disseminateknowledge, skills and good practice towards a safe,secure and sustainable energy system. It addresses thedepth and breadth of the energy sector and informspolicy by providing a platform for debate andscientifically-sound information.

A registered charity, the EI serves society withindependence, professionalism and a wealth of expertisein all energy matters.



SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Contact: Rosemary Cook CBE (CEO)Fairmount House, 230 Tadcaster Road,York, YO24 1ESTel: 01904 610821 Fax: 01904 612279E-mail: [email protected]: www.ipem.ac.uk

IPEM is a registered, incorporated charity for theadvancement, in the public interest, of physics andengineering applied to medicine and biology. Itsmembers are medical physicists, clinical and bio-engineers, and clinical technologists. It organisestraining and CPD for them, and provides opportunitiesfor the dissemination of knowledge throughpublications and scientific meetings. IPEM is licensed bythe Science Council to award CSci, RSci and RSciTech,and by the Engineering Council to award CEng, IEngand EngTech.

Institute ofPhysics andEngineeringin Medicine

The Institution of Chemical Engineers

With over 42,000 members in 120 countries, IChemE is the global membership organisation for chemical engineers. A not for profit organisation, we serve the public interest by building and sustaining an active professional community and promoting the development, understanding and application of chemical engineering worldwide.

Alana Collis, Technical policy manager+44 (0) 1788 [email protected]

Kuala Lumpur | London | Melbourne | Rugby | Singapore | Wellington

Institutionof Civil EngineersContact: Alex Green-Wilkes, Public Affairs Manager,One Great George Street, Westminster,London SW1P 3AA, UKTel: 020 7665 2109E-mail: [email protected]: www.ice.org.uk

Established in 1818 and with over 86,000

members in 167 countries worldwide, ICE is a

leading source of expertise in infrastructure and

engineering policy and is widely seen as the

independent voice of infrastructure. ICE provides

advice to all political parties and works with

industry to ensure that civil engineering and

construction remain major contributors to the

UK economy.

Institution ofEngineeringDesigners

Contact: Libby MeyrickCourtleighWestbury LeighWestburyWiltshire BA13 3TATel: 01373 822801Fax: 01373 858085E-mail: [email protected]: www.ied.org.uk

The only professional membership body solely forthose working in engineering and technologicalproduct design. Engineering Council and CharteredEnvironmentalist registration for suitably qualifiedmembers. Membership includes experts on a widerange of engineering and product designdisciplines, all of whom practise, manage oreducate in design. New for 2015: Chartership forProduct Designers (CTPD).

Institution ofMechanicalEngineersContact: Richard Campbell1 Birdcage WalkLondon SW1H 9JJTel: 020 7973 1293E-mail: [email protected]: www.imeche.org

The Institution provides politicians and civil servants

with information, expertise and advice on a diverse

range of subjects, focusing on manufacturing,

energy, environment, transport and education

policy. We regularly publish policy statements and

host political briefings and policy events to establish

a working relationship between the engineering

profession and parliament.

Contact: Paul DaviesIET,Michael Faraday House,Six Hills Way,Stevenage,SG1 2AYTel: +44(0) 1438 765687Email: [email protected]: www.theiet.org

The IET is a world leading professional organisation,sharing and advancing knowledge to promotescience, engineering and technology across theworld. Dating back to 1871, the IET has over163,000 members in 127 countries with offices inEurope, North America, and Asia-Pacific.

Contact: Alex Connor76 Portland Place, London W1B 1NTTel: 020 7470 4819E-mail: [email protected]: www.iop.org

The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society.We are a charitable organisation with a worldwidemembership of more than 50,000, workingtogether to advance physics education, researchand application.

We engage with policymakers and the generalpublic to develop awareness and understanding ofthe value of physics and, through IOP Publishing,we are world leaders in professional scientificcommunications.

In September 2013, we launched our firstfundraising campaign. Our campaign, OpportunityPhysics, offers you the chance to support the workthat we do.

Visit us at www.iop.org, follow us@physicsnews

Institute ofMarine Engineering,Science andTechnology (IMarEST)Contact: Bev MackenzieInstitute of Marine Engineering, Scienceand Technology (IMarEST), Aldgate House,33 Aldgate High Street, London, EC3N 1EN

Tel: +44(0) 20 7382 2600Fax: +44(0) 20 7382 2667E-mail: [email protected]: www.imarest.org

Established in London in 1889, the IMarEST is aleading international membership body and learnedsociety for marine professionals, with over 15,000members worldwide. The IMarEST has an extensivemarine network of 50 international branches,affiliations with major marine societies around theworld, representation on the key marine technicalcommittees and non-governmental status at theInternational Maritime Organization (IMO) as wellas other intergovernmental organisations.

Contact: Mr Peter Martindale,CEO and SecretaryThe Institute of Measurement and Control87 Gower Street, London WC1E 6AFTel: +44 (0) 20 73874949Fax: +44 (0) 20 73888431E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.instmc.org.ukReg Charity number: 269815

The Institute of Measurement and Control provides aforum for personal contact amongst practiioners,publishes learned papers and is a professionalexamining and qualifying organisation able to conferthe titles EurIng, CEng, IEng, EngTech; Companies andUniversities may apply to become Companions.Headquartered in London, the Institute has a strongregional base with 15 UK, 1 Hong Kong and 1 MalaysiaLocal Section, a bilateral agreement with the ChinaInstrument Society and other major international links.

53

NationalPhysicalLaboratoryContact: Fiona AutyNational Physical LaboratoryHampton Road, TeddingtonMiddlesex TW11 0LWTel: 020 8977 3222Website: www.npl.co.uk/contact-us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the UnitedKingdom’s national measurement institute, aninternationally respected and independent centre ofexcellence in research, development andknowledge transfer in measurement and materialsscience. For more than a century, NPL hasdeveloped and maintained the nation’s primarymeasurement standards - the heart of aninfrastructure designed to ensure accuracy,consistency and innovation in physicalmeasurement.

Marine BiologicalAssociation

Contact: Dr Matthew FrostMarine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PBTel: 07848028388Fax: 01752 633102E-mail: [email protected]: mba.ac.uk

Since 1884 the Marine Biological Association hasbeen delivering its mission ‘to promote scientificresearch into all aspects of life in the sea, includingthe environment on which it depends, and todisseminate to the public the knowledge gained.’The MBA represents its members in providing aclear independent voice to government on behalfof the marine biological community. It also has anextensive research programme and a long history asan expert provider of advice for the benefit of policymakers and wider society.

Met Office

Contact: Dr Matt HuddlestonMet Office127 Clerkenwell RoadLondon EC1R 5LP.Tel: 020 7204 7469E-mail: [email protected]: www.metoffice.gov.uk

The Met Office doesn’t just forecast the weather ontelevision. Our forecasts and warnings protect UKcommunities and infrastructure from severeweather and environmental hazards every day –they save lives and money. Our Climate Programmedelivers evidence to underpin Government policythrough the Met Office Hadley Centre. Our MobileMeteorological Unit supports the Armed Forcesaround the world. We build capacity overseas insupport of international development. All of thisbuilt on world-class environmental science.

NaturalHistoryMuseumContact: John JacksonHead of Science Policy and CommunicationNatural History MuseumCromwell Road, London SW7 5BDTel: +44 (0)20 7942 5257E-mail: [email protected]: www.nhm.ac.uk

We challenge the way people think about the natural world– its past, present and future

We use our unique collection and unrivalled expertise totackle the biggest challenges facing the world today.

We are leaders in the scientific understanding of the originof our planet, life on it and can predict the impact of futurechange.

We study the diversity of life and the delicate balance ofecosystems to ensure the survival of our planet.

We help enable food security, eradicate disease and manageresource scarcity.

We inspire people to engage with science to solve majorsocietal challenges.

Advancing the science of nature

NEF: The InnovationInstituteContact: Vicki Chen29 Harley StreetLondon W1G 9QRTel: 0208 786 3677Fax: 0208 271 3620E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.thenef.org.uk

The Innovation Institute aims to drive innovation and growthin science, technology and engineering to achieve growth,prosperity and wellbeing in the UK. Our partners, clients andstakeholders include: � Businesses� Education providers � Government bodiesNew Engineering Foundation, our charitable arm, focusses onSciTech skills development. NEF work in vocational trainingand further education is supported by a Panel drawn from keyindustries.Our Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange is aprofessional body and a “do tank”, led by the InnovationCouncil to support the role of innovation in society.

Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7ALTel: 01604 735500Fax: 01604 716502E-mail: [email protected]: www.northampton.ac.uk

The University of Northampton is a Top 50 UK

University*. We are committed to science education

through initial teacher training, a STEM

Ambassador network which works within the

community and teaching and research to doctoral

level. We are an Ashoka U ‘Changemaker Campus’

status university recognising our commitment to

social innovation and entrepreneurship.

(*Guardian University Guide 2015)

SCIENCE DIRECTORYLGCQueens Road, TeddingtonMiddlesex, TW11 0LYTel: +44 (0)20 8943 7000 Fax: +44 (0)20 8943 2767E-mail: [email protected]: www.lgcgroup.com

LGC is an international science-based company andmarket leader in the provision of analytical, forensicand diagnostic services and reference standards tocustomers in the public and private sectors.

Under the Government Chemist function, LGCfulfils specific statutory duties as the referee analystand provides advice for Government and the wideranalytical community on the implications ofanalytical chemistry for matters of policy, standardsand regulation. LGC is also the UK’s designatedNational Measurement Institute for chemical andbiochemical analysis.

With headquarters in Teddington, South WestLondon, LGC has 36 laboratories and centres acrossEurope and at sites in China, Brazil, India, SouthAfrica and the US.

Contact: Dr Elizabeth Rollinson, Executive SecretaryThe Linnean Society of LondonBurlington House, Piccadilly,London W1J 0BFTel: 020 7434 4479 ext 12E-mail: [email protected]: www.linnean.org

As the world’s oldest biological society, the LinneanSociety of London is an essential forum and meetingpoint for those interested in natural history. The Societyholds regular public events, publishes three peer-reviewed journals, promotes the study of the naturalworld with several educational initiatives and is home toa world famous library and collection of natural historyspecimens. The Society’s Fellows have a considerablerange of biological expertise that can be harnessed toinform and advise on scientific and public policy issues.

A Forum for Natural History

Contact: Anna Lucuk,

Director of Corporate Communication,

L’Oreal UK & Ireland

255 Hammersmith Road, London W6 8AZ

Tel: 0208 762 4374

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.loreal.co.uk

L’Oréal employs more than 3,800 researchersworld-wide and dedicates over €850 million eachyear to research and innovation in the field ofhealthy skin and hair. The company supportswomen in science research through the L’OréalUNESCO For Women In Science Programme andengages young people with science through theL’Oréal Young Scientist Centre at the RoyalInstitution. L’Oréal also collaborates with a vastnumber of institutions in the UK and globally.



SCIENCE DIRECTORY

Contact: Saranjit SihotaDirector of External AffairsHodgkin Huxley House30 Farringdon LaneLondon EC1R 3AWTel: +44 (0) 20 7269 5728E-mail: [email protected]: www.physoc.org

Physiology is the science of how molecules, cells andorgans work in the body. Representing over 3000life scientists, The Physiological Society supportsscientific research through its grants schemes,conferences and its three open access journals.

The Society also supports the teaching of physiologyin schools and universities, and works to promote anunderstanding of physiology amongst policy-makersand the general public.

Prospect

Contact: Sue Ferns, Director of Communications and Research,New Prospect House8 Leake St, London SE1 7NNTel: 020 7902 6639 Fax: 020 7902 6637E-mail: [email protected]

Prospect is an independent, thriving and forward-looking trade union with 117,000 members acrossthe private and public sectors and a diverse range ofoccupations. We represent scientists, technologistsand other professions in the civil service, researchcouncils and private sector.

Prospect’s collective voice champions the interests ofthe engineering and scientific community to keyopinion-formers and policy makers. Withnegotiating rights with over 300 employers, we seekto secure a better life at work by putting members’pay, conditions and careers first.

Contact: Dr Andrew Muirc/o STFC Innovations LtdHarwell Campus Oxford OX11 0QXTel: 0121 710 1990E-mail: [email protected]: www.rainbowseedfund.com

The Rainbow Seed Fund is a £24m, early-stageventure capital fund dedicated to kick-startingpromising technology companies emerging fromthe UK science base. The Fund is backed by ten UKpublicly-funded research organisations and theDepartment of Business, Innovation and Skills andholds investments in some of the UK’s mostinnovative companies in areas as diverse as novelantibiotics, research into Alzheimer’s disease,“green” chemicals and airport security. The Fund ismanaged by Midven, a specialist venture capitalcompany. We are prepared to invest early and helpbuild a proposition to attract additional investmentand get to market.

Contact: Helen WilkinsonDallam Court, Dallam LaneWarrington, WA2 7LTTel: 01925 41 3984E-mail: [email protected]: www.risksol.co.uk

Risk Solutions helps our clients make better decisions ina complex and uncertain world. Using traditional qualitative and quantitative methods,combined with cutting-edge participative approaches,we work with clients from across the public and privatesectors, their stakeholders and customers, to bring adepth of understanding of the issues and to developconsensus about how to tackle them.Our small, highly motivated and client focused teamdelivers:• policy design, appraisal and decision support• risk assessment and risk based strategies and plans• evaluation, assurance and organisational review, and• training, coaching and guidance.

Contact: Juniour BlakeExternal Relations ManagerRoyal Academy of Engineering 3 Carlton House TerraceLondon SW1Y 5DGTel: 020 7766 0600E-mail: [email protected]: www.raeng.org.uk

As the UK’s national academy for engineering, webring together the most successful and talentedengineers for a shared purpose: to advance andpromote excellence in engineering. We have fourstrategic challenges: drive faster and more balancedeconomic growth; foster better education and skills;lead the profession; and promote engineering at theheart of society.

Contact: Office of the Science DirectorateRoyal Botanic Gardens, KewRichmond, Surrey, TW9 3ABTel: 020 8332 5050/5248Email: [email protected]: www.kew.org

RBG Kew is a centre of global scientific expertise in plant andfungal diversity, conservation, and sustainable use, housed intwo world-class gardens. Our scientific vision is to documentand understand global plant and fungal diversity and its uses,bringing authoritative expertise to bear on the criticalchallenges facing humanity today.Kew’s strategic priorities for science are:

1. To document and conduct research into global plant andfungal diversity and its uses for humanity.

2. To curate and provide data-rich evidence from Kew’sunrivalled collections as a global asset for scientificresearch.

3. To disseminate our scientific knowledge of plants andfungi, maximising its impact in science, education,conservation policy and management.

These priorities enable us to curate, use, enhance, exploreand share Kew’s global resource, providing robust data and astrong evidence base for our UK and global stakeholders.Kew is a non-departmental government body with exemptcharitable status, partially funded by Defra.

Royal BotanicGardens, Kew

Contact: Dr Gail CardewDirector of Science and EducationThe Royal Institution21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BSTel: 020 7409 2992 Fax: 020 7670 2920E-mail: [email protected]: www.rigb.org,www.richannel.orgTwitter: ri_science

The Royal Institution (Ri) has been at the forefront ofpublic engagement with science for over 200 yearsand our purpose is to encourage people to thinkfurther about the wonders of science. We run publicevents and the famous CHRISTMAS LECTURES®, anational programme of Masterclasses for youngpeople in mathematics, engineering and computerscience, educational activities at the L’Oréal YoungScientist Centre and policy discussions with sciencestudents. And through the Ri Channel we share thestories behind cutting-edge science with peoplearound the world.

PHARMAQ LtdContact: Dr Benjamin P North PHARMAQ Ltd Unit 15 Sandleheath Industrial Estate FordingbridgeHants SP6 1PA. Tel: 01425 656081 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.pharmaq.no

PHARMAQ is the only global pharmaceutical companywith a primary focus on aquaculture. Our mission is toprovide environmentally sound, safe and efficacious healthproducts to the global aquaculture industry throughtargeted research and the commitment of dedicatedpeople. We have a product portfolio that includes over 20fish vaccines along with specialist feed additives,anaesthetics, antibiotics, sea lice treatments and biocidedisinfectants. Through our sister company, PHARMAQAnalytiq, we also offer a range of diagnostics services thatcan be used to help safeguard fish welfare and improveproductivity.

Contact: Alex MilesDeputy Director, External Relations (Public Affairs)University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RDE-mail: [email protected]: 07917115197Twitter: @AlextoMileswww.nottingham.ac.uk

With 43,000 students and campuses inNottingham, China and Malaysia, The University ofNottingham is ‘the nearest Britain has to a trulyglobal university’. With more than 97 per cent ofresearch at the University recognised internationallyaccording to the Research Excellence Framework2014, the University is ranked in the top 1% of theworld’s universities by the QS World UniversityRankings.

55

Society of MaritimeIndustriesContact: John MurraySociety of Maritime Industries28-29 Threadneedle Street,London EC2R 8AYTel: 020 7628 2555 Fax: 020 7638 4376E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.maritimeindustries.org

The Society of Maritime Industries is the voice of the

UK’s maritime engineering and business sector

promoting and supporting companies which

design, build, refit and modernise ships, and supply

equipment and services for all types of commercial

and naval ships, ports and terminals infrastructure,

offshore oil & gas, maritime security & safety,

marine science and technology and marine

renewable energy.

RoyalSociety ofBiologyContact: Dr Stephen BennDirector of Parliamentary AffairsSociety of Biology Charles Darwin House12 Roger StreetLondon WC1N 2JUTel: 020 7685 2550E-mail: [email protected]: www.rsb.org.uk

The Royal Society of Biology is a single unified voice,representing a diverse membership of individuals,learned societies and other organisations. We arecommitted to ensuring that we provide Governmentand other policy makers – including funders ofbiological education and research – with a distinct pointof access to authoritative, independent, and evidence-based opinion, representative of the widest range ofbioscience disciplines. Our vision is of a world thatunderstands the true value of biology and how it cancontribute to improving life for all.

Society of CosmeticScientists

Contact: Gem Bektas,Secretary GeneralSociety of Cosmetic ScientistsSuite 109 Christchurch House40 Upper George StreetLuton Bedfordshire LU1 2RSTel: 01582 726661Fax: 01582 405217E-mail: [email protected]: www.scs.org.uk

Advancing the science of cosmetics is the primaryobjective of the SCS. Cosmetic science covers a widerange of disciplines from organic and physicalchemistry to biology and photo-biology, dermatology,microbiology, physical sciences and psychology.

Members are scientists and the SCS helps themprogress their careers and the science of cosmeticsethically and responsibly. Services include publications,educational courses and scientific meetings.

SCI

Contact: Reshna RadivenSCI14-15 Belgrave SquareLondon SW1X 8PS

Tel: 020 7598 1500E-mail: [email protected]: www.soci.org

SCI is an inclusive, multi-disciplinary forumconnecting scientists and business people toadvance the commercial application of chemistryand related sciences for public benefit. SCI is opento all to join and share information, ideas,innovations and research. Members can networkwith specialists from sectors as diverse as food andbio-renewables, water, waste and environment,energy, materials, manufacturing and health.

Contact: Dariel BurdassDeputy Chief ExecutiveSociety for General MicrobiologyCharles Darwin House12 Roger Street, LondonWC1N 2JUE-mail: [email protected]: www.sgm.ac.uk

The Society for General Microbiology is the largestlearned microbiological society in Europe with aworldwide membership based in universities, industry,hospitals, research institutes and schools. The Societypublishes key academic journals, organisesinternational scientific conferences and provides aninternational forum for communication amongmicrobiologists. The Society promotes theunderstanding of microbiology to a diverse range ofstakeholders, including policy-makers, students,teachers, journalists and the wider public, through acomprehensive framework of communication activitiesand resources.

Society for UnderwaterTechnology

Society for Underwater TechnologyContact: David Liddle, BusinessDevelopment Executive1 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1 BRTel: 020 3440 5535Fax: 020 3440 5980E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sut.org

The SUT is a multidisciplinary learned society thatbrings together individuals and organisations with acommon interest in underwater technology, oceanscience, and offshore/subsea engineering. Thesociety was founded in 1966 and has membersfrom over 40 countries, including engineers,scientists, other professionals and students workingin these areas.

SCIENCE DIRECTORYThe Royal SocietyContact: Becky PurvisHead of Public AffairsThe Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House TerraceLondon SW1Y 5AG.Tel: 020 7451 2261 Email: [email protected]: www.royalsociety.org

The Royal Society is the UK academy of science

comprising 1400 outstanding individuals

representing the sciences, engineering and

medicine. It has had a hand in some of the most

innovative and life-changing discoveries in scientific

history. Through its Fellowship and permanent staff,

it seeks to ensure that its contribution to shaping

the future of science in the UK and beyond has a

deep and enduring impact.

Contact: Clare VineyExecutive Director, Communications, Policy and CampaignsRoyal Society of Chemistry, Thomas GrahamHouse (290), Science Park, Milton Road,Cambridge, CB4 0WFTel 020 7440 2267Email [email protected] Website: www.rsc.org

The Royal Society of Chemistry is the world’s leadingchemistry community, advancing excellence in thechemical sciences. With over 50,000 members and aknowledge business that spans the globe, we are theUK’s professional body for chemical scientists; a not-for-profit organisation with 170 years of history andan international vision of the future. We promote,support and celebrate chemistry. We work to shapethe future of the chemical sciences – for the benefitof science and humanity.

Society forAppliedMicrobiologyContact: Lucy HarperSociety for Applied MicrobiologyBedford Heights, Brickhill DriveBedford MK41 7PHTel: 01234 326661Fax: 01234 326678E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sfam.org.uk

SfAM is a UK organization, serving microbiologistsinternationally. It works to advance, for the benefit ofthe public, the science of microbiology in its applicationto the environment, human and animal health,agriculture, and industry. With Wiley-Blackwell, SfAMpublishes five internationally acclaimed journals. Valuefor money and a modern, innovative and progressiveoutlook are its core principles. A friendly society, SfAMvalues integrity, honesty, and respect, and seeks topromote excellence and professionalism and to inspireyoung microbiologists.



Published by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, 3 Birdcage Walk, London SW1H 9JJ. Published four times a year. The 2015 subscripton rate is £80. Single numbers £20. ISSN 0263-6271All enquiries, including those from members wishing to take the front or back covers, advertise in the journal or appear in the directory to Mrs Annabel Lloyd, Tel 020 7222 7085. Copyright ©2014 by Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. Allrights reserved. None of the articles in this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission ofthe copyright owner. Type/layout by VAL Design Services and printed by Premier Print Group.

Tuesday 8 DecemberDronesBreakfast meeting (Invitation only)_____________________________________Royal Society of BiologyBiology Week 2015Parliamentary LaunchWednesday 14 October 20157pm Churchill RoomHouse of Commons_____________________________________

THE ROYAL SOCIETYDetails of all events can be found atwww.royalsociety.org/events_____________________________________

PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE OFSCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYFor details of events organised by POST visithttp://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/bicameral/post/post-events/

SCIENCE DIARY

OFFICERS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY& SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

President: The Lord Oxburgh KBE FRSChairman: Mr Stephen Metcalfe MPDeputy Chairman: Mr Tom Blenkinsop MPHon Treasurer: The Lord Willis of KnaresboroughVice-Presidents: Mr Paul Ridout

Mr Philip Greenish CBEDr Stephen BennMr Atti EmeczProfessor Ian Haines

3 Birdcage WalkLondon SW1H 9JJT: 020 7222 7085F: 020 7222 7189

www.scienceinparliament.org.ukEditor: Professor Alan MalcolmEditorial Assistant: Annabel Lloyd


Dr Guy HemburyProfessor Colin Seabrook MBEMs Doris-Ann Williams MBEProfessor Francesca Medda

Advisory Panel: Mr David YoudanDr David DentDr Rebecca Purvis

Secretariat: Professor Alan MalcolmMrs Karen Smith

THE PARLIAMENTARY ANDSCIENTIFIC COMMITTEETel: 020 7222 7085office@scienceinparliament.org.ukwww.scienceinparliament.org.uk

Tuesday 13 October 17.30Patient SafetyDiscussion meeting

Tuesday 3 November 17.30SoilDiscussion meeting

Tuesday 17 NovemberAnnual Lunch (invitation only)Guest of Honour: Sir Paul Nurse PRSPresident, Royal Society

Wednesday 18 NovemberBreakfast meeting (invitation only)

SCIENCE DIRECTORYUniversitiesFederation for Animal WelfareContact: Dr Robert HubrechtChief Executive and Scientific DirectorThe Old School, Brewhouse HillWheathampstead, Herts. AL4 8AN.Tel: 01582 831818. Fax: 01582 831414.Email: [email protected]: www.ufaw.org.uk Registered in England Charity No: 207996

UFAW, the international animal welfare sciencesociety, is an independent scientific and educationalcharity. It works to improve animal lives by:

• supporting animal welfare research

• educating and raising awareness of welfareissues in the UK and overseas

• producing the quarterly scientific journal AnimalWelfare and other high-quality publications onanimal care and welfare

• providing advice to government departmentsand other concerned bodies.

Contact: Chris EadyThe Welding Institute, Granta Park, GreatAbington, Cambridge, CB21 6AL

Tel: 01223 899614Fax:01223 894219E-mail: [email protected]: www.twi-global.com

The Welding Institute is the leading institution providingengineering solutions and knowledge transfer in allaspects of manufacturing, fabrication and whole-lifeintegrity management.

Industrial membership provides access to innovativeproblem-solving from one of the world’s foremostindependent research and technology organisations.

Non-Corporate services include membership andregistration, education, training and certification forinternationally recognised professional developmentand personnel competence assurance.

TWI provides Members and stakeholders withauthoritative and impartial expert advice, knowhowand safety assurance through engineering, materialsand joining technologies.

STEMNET

Contact: Kirsten Bodley, Chief Executive5th Floor, Woolgate Exchange 25 Basinghall StreetLondon EC2V 5HATel: 020 3206 0450E-mail: [email protected]: www.stemnet.org.uk

STEMNET is an independent charity which enables youngpeople to meet inspiring role models, understand real worldapplications of STEM and experience practical activities thatbring learning and career opportunities to life. We do thisthrough three core programmes:• STEM Ambassadors - We run the UK network of STEM

Ambassadors: over 30,000 inspiring volunteers • STEM Clubs Programme - We provide free, expert advice

and support to all schools which have set up or plan todevelop a STEM Club

• Schools’ STEM Advisory Network (SSAN) - We deliver freeimpartial advice to teachers and use our business links andpartnerships to enhance the STEM curriculum in secondaryschools in the UK

THE ROYAL INSTITUTIONDetails of future events can be found atwww.rigb.orgBooking is essential. For more informationand to book visit www.rigb.orgThere is a charge for tickets. Members go free._____________________________________

THE INSTITUTION OFMECHANICAL ENGINEERSFor details of events visit:www.imeche.org/events_____________________________________

THE LINNEAN SOCIETY OFLONDONFor details visit: www.linnean.org _____________________________________More information on P&SC members’events can be found at: www.scienceinparliament.org.uk/members-news

Aerospace research with industrial impactThe Institute for Aerospace Technology delivers world-leading aerospace research with translational impact.

In partnership with global industry leaders including Rolls-Royce and Airbus, the Institute’s 350 researchers are developing cutting-edge technologies that will transform all aspects of air travel.

nottingham.ac.uk/aerospace@UoNAerospace

Inside: IAT Director Professor Hervé Morvan on the University’s role in supporting the development of the UK aerospace sector.

Stephen Metcalfe M

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Wednesday 14 O

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SVP to events@

rsb.org.uk

sip sept 2015 - coverc8b67... · the journal of the sip science in parliament september 2015...

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