Friday 17th September
‘Stem Cells in Medicine: Hype or Hope’ was one of the sessions covered by Sciencewise-ERC team today, on the final day of the British Science Festival. The session proved popular with over thirty attendees eager to hear the talk presented by University of Birmingham speakers Dr Philip Newsome, Professor Jon Frampton and Professor Tony Smith from the School of Dentistry.
Professor Jon Frampton from the Institute of Biomedical Research, kicked off proceedings with an overview of stem cell research, covering what stem cells actually are, different types of stem cell and the good and bad properties associated with each. i.e. repair and generation of healthy new cells to replace diseased or damaged tissue versus cancer dissemination through the formation of tumours and other diseases such as cystic fibrosis caused by cell over-activity.
Dr Philip Newsome, Senior Lecturer in Hepatology at the University went on to cover the potential uses stem cells may have in future as well as outlining the limitations of current research. The talk included exciting breakthroughs that have already been achieved and the encouraging implications such research has for the future of medicine and human health in general. Breakthroughs touched upon included corneal grafting, bone marrow generation and replacement cartilage for damaged joints.
During his talk Professor Newsome was careful to point out the need for accurate communication on current developments in stem cell research, in order to prevent misconceptions being formed in regards to what is and is not currently possible using stem cell treatments.
Professor Frampton explored this issue of accurate media coverage and communication in greater depth citing past instances in which findings in stem cell research had been sensationalised or grossly exaggerated resulting in unmerited negative/positive public perceptions of new research.
The final talk was given by Professor Tony Smith on ‘Dental Stem Cells’. Focussing on teeth and their importance when it comes to maintaining good nutrition, Professor Smith discussed the current treatments available today to prevent decay and the possible advances early studies indicate stem cells may yield.
The speakers were keen to understand public views on stem cell research and in particular, what channels of communication were best to communicate to people about ongoing developments. Speakers asked members of the public to form small groups and discuss the issues they had just heard about, and formulate key questions to ask in the final debate session during the last half hour.
Issues discussed amongst attendees included the future implications of stem cell research, with many voicing opinions on how far reaching the research should be and whether it could become available on the NHS in the near future.
The last half hour of the session was lively with audience members eagerly posing questions to speakers on how soon treatments can become available on a large-scale, how will researchers obtain future funding for innovation in this area and how far away are we from the next big breakthrough?
A key point that came up frequently throughout the entire session was where members of the public can access impartial, reliable information on current research. Public opinion on appropriate communication channels varied with some respondents stating they would like more information to be available via established radio/TV channels such radio 4 or the BBC in order to reach the masses whilst others felt the only appropriate sources were credible academic journals or news releases from medical institutes.
Despite the variations in preference, the session concluded with the majority of attendees agreeing there is a definite need for a source of measured, independent information that provides balanced reporting on research findings.
Friday 17th September
Organised by the University of Birmingham and the National HE STEM Programme, the ‘Fuel for the future’ session allowed visitors to drop in and learn about the latest developments in the search for new sustainable energy sources.
University postgraduates and BSA staff welcomed visitors with a range of demonstrations, showcasing the potential energy sources in their stripped back form. This included superconductivity, bio diesel and hydrogen fuel cells. As well as an interesting, and sometimes loud, hydrogen rocket competition.
Dr Peter Slater gave a short presentation, aptly named ‘Squeaky clean transport’. It concentrated on the use of hydrogen fuel cells, predominantly for use in cars, due to their high efficiency and nil emissions. It also covered the challenges faced with fully deploying the technology on a large scale. Challenges highlighted included the sourcing of hydrogen, the potential implications of new infrastructure, and the current public perception over the safety of hydrogen in contrast to petrol.
The main question raised by the audience was the likely cost of hydrogen in relation to petrol prices. Would a higher price be offset by the increased benefits of greater efficiency and reduction in emissions?
Thursday 16th September
Today, the Sciencewise-ERC team took the opportunity to take part in a session on ‘Food Security and Infectious diseases'. The session, which attracted around 25 delegates, proved to be intellectually stimulating with each speaker providing fascinating insights on the subject at hand.
The session had been convened by Professor Brian Ilbery of the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) and featured four speakers, each covering a different aspect of food security and infectious diseases.
Professor Tim Lang of City University - Centre for Food Policy, started the session by exploring just what food security means to different people, what the current policy status on the subject is and who holds the power to address emerging issues, particularly with regards to infectious diseases.
Following up on the specific issue of infectious disease in animals, Gareth Enticott of Cardiff University provided some real life case studies of the way in which Bovine TB is screened by veterinarians and in particular the challenges they face in doing this in an accurate but practical way.
Professor Peter Mills of Harper Adams University College spoke on ‘Plants, pathogens, producers and the public', most interestingly from a Sciencewise-ERC point of view, the role of other stakeholders in the policy process. How much power should other stakeholders such as growers, supermarkets and consumers, have in the development of policy around food security?
A final contribution to the session came from Dr Damian Maye of the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI). Damian outlined the results from a new study on the management of crop disease by growers. The study, which focused on the crops of wheat and potatoes found that a complex range of decisions are involved in the control of plant disease.
The session ended on a highpoint with the speakers taking questions from the audience. An interesting range of questions and viewpoints were raised such as what the risks factors of crop spraying are, how climate change is linked to plant diseases and the extent of the threat of infectious disease on food security. A recurring theme throughout the session, including the final discussions was that of power and policy. Delegates were keen to know how decisions within food security and disease management are made, and the role of public (as consumers) was certainly touched on a number of times.
The rest of the festival continued on a positive and lively note, with delegates looking forward to attending sessions such as Friday's ‘Cannabinoid research - is the grass greener?' and the daily ‘x-change' evening round up.
Wednesday 15th September
The main focus for the Sciencewise-ERC team today was the launch by the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) of their report on ‘Exploring the boundaries – Report of a public dialogue into animals containing human material’. This dialogue project had been supported by the Sciencewise-ERC and it was interesting to see the level of interest and questions that it might generate.
The session that presented and discussed this work had the intriguing title of ‘Beyond the yuck factor: Just how “human” should laboratory animals become’. One challenge for attendees was finding the session room – on the fifth floor and along several long corridors. Nevertheless, the session was well attended with around 50 people virtually filling the lecture room.
The session was chaired by the science broadcaster Geoff Watts, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and introduced by Professor Martin Bobrow. Martin is Chair of an AMS Working Group on animals containing human material. The results of the public dialogue will be one input to the working group. The report from the working group will be available next year.
There were then three technical presentations each illustrating aspects of work using animals containing human material.
Dr Robin Lovell-Badge introduced work to investigate treatments for stroke that involved introducing human stem cells into rat brains. A further example was the replacement of a whole organ – in case the liver of a rat – with human cells – again to investigate treatments for human conditions.
Professor Richard Sharpe discussed treatment of testicular cancer, the origins of which are considered to be in the foetus. Recent work has demonstrated that foetal testicular tissue can be implanted under the back skin in a type of rat and that the tissue continues to develop as in a human. This leads to the possibility that influencing factors and treatments can be tested on these rats containing human tissue.
Professor Ian Jackson described a number of cases where mice have been developed where every cell contains some human DNA – an example is used to model human Downs syndrome and potential factors influencing this.
The public dialogue on animals containing human material was introduced by James Noble of Ipsos Mori. He explained some of the techniques used in the dialogue, including inviting participation in a quiz that was used. Results of both the public dialogue and an associated opinion survey were summarised.
The discussion that followed was lively. From those who contributed there was general support for research on animals containing human material for medical research. There was however some concern and questions about animal welfare. Some lines of discussion explored the areas where there are considered to be boundaries to acceptability – this was most marked for reproductive and brain tissue.
We were able to capture views from a few participants and two of the speakers after the session.
Filmed highlights of the session, as provided by Understanding Animal Research can also be viewed online.
We also provided Sciencewise material to a session called ‘Breathing country’ about the balance between placing data online and privacy.
Tuesday 14th September
The weather was the only damp squib about today's visit to the British Science Festival! High attendance levels and a good buzz around the variety of sessions, meant the Sciencewise-ERC team were pretty excited to find out what the festival had to offer and the feedback that could be gleaned from the general public.
The first session the Sciencewise-ERC team attended was 'Landscapes of the Futures', keynote speakers included Roy Haines-Young from the University of Nottingham, Mark Felton, Natural England's Director of Strategy and Environmental Futures, Jon Sadler from University of Birmingham, Francis Hesketh, TEP Consultant and David Miller who is Science Leader for Macaulay Land Use Research Institute. The session boasted a crowd of over 50, with a great mix of young and old.
While the session obviously focused on future landscapes, each keynote addressed the importance of public involvement in shaping how things will look in years to come, openly stating that engaging stakeholders - including the public - and gaining their views, was a fundamental part of the success in any Eco-system approach. Key questions were discussed around identifying possible scenarios and the role society has to play in helping to identify those scenarios.
The speakers provided excellent context information, with Mark Felton outlining the key pressures and 'a perfect storm' for those of us not already in the know. Each of the speakers managed to succinctly hook in a variety of examples that made everyone pay attention for the duration of the two-hour lecture. One such key hook was from Francis Hesketh, who explained how landscape impacts life-expectancy, using a statistic of two geographical areas in the North West just three miles apart having a 10 year difference in life-expectancy. Another key point raised was the positive impact that landscapes can have on the economy, using a Northumbrian farm as a case study example.
Once the session had finished, we had a variety of delegates to talk to and were able to build on some of the public dialogue and community engagement points that had been raised in the session. Everyone we spoke to was really keen to have a voice and work with other experts to help develop solutions to key issues.
Sciencewise-ERC spent the rest of the day talking to people and disseminating information to other sessions including Designing and Building Birmingham's zero carbon house and Why we disagree on Climate Change.
Our day finished with a keynote speech from Lord Sainsbury, who is calling for public understanding of science, including GM foods.
From our first day at the festival it is clear to us that the public dialogue wheels are definitely turning within science and technology.