My top 10 selection of this week’s science headlines

1. Drastic action' needed on Ebola

This week, Ebola made headlines once again as the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. The current outbreak is reported to have killed 367 people and infected about 600 so far across Guinea, Sierra Leona and Liberia. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28033027

Here’s a WHO fact sheet on the virus. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

2. Technology allows quadriplegic man to move hand

A micro chip implanted into the brain of a disabled man allows him to move his hand with his mind. Check it out http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-technology-allows-disabled-man-to-move-paralized-hand/

3. ‘Shoebox IVF' hope for infertile couples

Infertility is a sore subject for couples going through the ordeal especially where the cost of IVF makes any hope of conceiving your own child bleak.  A new method has been developed which drastically reduces the cost of one IVF cycle from £399 to £159. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27814124

4. UK Clinics Import Overseas Sperm Due to Shortage of 'High-Quality' British Semen

Still on the subject of fertility, the UK highlights the need for a national sperm bank.  https://uk.news.yahoo.com/uk-clinics-import-overseas-sperm-due-shortage-high-100032346.html#82R7PTQ

5. Lab Grown "Mini Hearts" Help Battle Heart Disease

I’ve always found the subject of growing organs from stem cells fascinating. Scientists at Abertay University have grown mini hearts to be used in place of animals for research into heart disease and the model looks promising. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/278906.php

6. Science communication degree offers 50 free places

With increasing desire for scientist to engage with the public, science communication has been a recent area of interest and has been added to the choice of university subjects at a few institutions. A German University is offering 50 free places to international students. This is a great initiative especially as the science communication wave has not caught on to many countries.

http://www.scidev.net/global/communication/news/science-communication-degree-free-places.html

7. U.K. researchers call for more teacher power to improve education

If we are going to be encouraging more pupils to take up STEM subjects we need good STEM teachers to stimulate and maintain interest. But how do you solve the problem of a lack of STEM teachers.  http://news.sciencemag.org/education/2014/06/u-k-researchers-call-more-teacher-power-improve-education

8. How to win £10 million with your research

The fight against antibiotic resistance continues. The UK has announced a £10 million prize award for whomever can "create a cost-effective, accurate, rapid and easy-to-use test for bacterial infections that will allow health professionals worldwide to administer the right antibiotics at the right time." http://news.sciencemag.org/europe/2014/06/how-win-10-million-your-research

9. Proof-of-concept for host-directed tuberculosis therapy established by researchers

Current treatment for TB requires taking antibiotic drugs for at least six months and sometimes up to two years. With the problem of bacteria resistance to antibiotics, host-directed TB therapy means that TB patients who develop resistance to antibiotic treatment will now have an alternative form of treatment.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140627095153.htm

10. What's eating Luis Suarez: the psychology of biting?

Saved the best for last. So after the Suarez saga during the Uruguay game with Italy, I said to a friend, “I’m sure my scientist can diagnose his condition and give it a fancy name.” Not quite a diagnosis but here you go… http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25789-whats-eating-luis-suarez-the-psychology-of-biting.html#.U66c6_ldWSo

UCL Awes The Public With Cutting Edge Research

"It has never been more important to explain to members of the public the purpose and goals of our research and receive feedback from the local community" - Professor Hans Stauss, director of UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation. 


The UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation at the Royal Free Hospital opened its doors on 27th June for the general public to meet the scientist and clinicians, to talk and discuss the cutting edge research and pioneering therapies ongoing at the institute. They also offered a tour of the facilities without forgetting the very important cakes.  

A beautiful image of a T-Cell interacting with an APC

Similar to the drug manufacturing process, the development of a therapy from bench to bedside takes about 15years and although the institute opened just a year ago, the progress made is fascinating. Following on from the success of the initial project phase, the director of the institute Professor Hans Stauss unveiled a multi-million pound expansion plan of the institute to serve both research and clinical trials with in house accommodation for trial subjects all under one roof.  He applauded the professional competence, motivation and passion of the staff at the institute whose qualities have contributed the success of the cutting edge and pioneering research ongoing at the institute.

There were talks from world class researchers and clinicians about their ongoing work on cancer, HIV, diabetes and transplantation as well as the therapies currently in clinical trials. The day was very interactive with breaks in-between talks to visit poster boards, watch 3D organs being made, live images of cells battling the immune system, interactive competitions and hands on fun, as well as a 60seconds HIV test.

As a public engagement Ambassador, I was impressed with the setup of the day and was highly fascinated by the level of research and progress made at the institute.

A picture speaks a thousand words and videos…… I guess sums it all. So below are short clips and images from the day.
                                                               

 Organ is captured from a CT scan and moulded using 3D printing technolgy and nanomaterials. Stem cells are are then injected into the organ and voila!!! Ok, its not that simple but that's the summary. There have been successful transplant of organs using this method.

Then I thought I'll be a guinea pig and get HIV tested in Public. The institute have a vaccine that's completed phase 1 trials. Looking promising. 

And we had fun making virusus, This is a good hands on resource for schools and science fairs

Pipetting Competition. All about efficiency, accuracy and preciscion. Yep I've got the best technique. Didnt catch the winning board at the end though! 

        

This weeks selection of my top 10 science news.

      'Feel-good hormones' make sun exposure addictive, study suggests.

Now that summer is here, people will be out in their numbers enjoying the weather and for a bit of a tan. But report this week claims that sun bathing can be addictive based on a study in shaved mice.  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/278581.php

The SMC got expert reaction to this news. http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-study-on-uv-addiction-in-mice/

     Fish-eating spiders are crawling all over the world, scientists find.

I’ve always thought spiders made use of their web in trapping food. But apparently there’s more to spiders than just its web. 8 out of 109 spider species are able to feed on fish by injecting them with lethal doses of venom. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jun/20/fish-eating-spiders-crawling-all-over-world

     No-Drill Filling: Teeth To Repair Themselves.                                                                            

       Gladly, I’ve never had any work done on my teeth but this news will be appealing to many who’ve experienced tooth in fills. Scientists at Kings College, London have come up with a technique of repairing tooth decay using electrical pulses. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/no-drill-filling-teeth-repair-themselves-111634178.html#UAuFAZV

      Mitochondrial mutation linked to congenital myasthenic syndrome

Mitochondria is a bugger. It’s an organelle found in the cells if most eukaryotic organism and it is involved in many key cellular processes such that a defect can have serious consequences.” Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are a group of inherited neuromuscular disorders characterized by muscle weakness (myasthenia)”. Scientist at New Castle University have discovered a gene defect in mitochondria which may be responsible for the abnormalities in the neuromuscular junctions of the patients. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140620120335.htm

      A bacterial ballistic system

Overcoming bacteria resistance is a real challenge in our day. Any discovery which could lead to a potential novel antibiotic to combating the issue is always good news. The structure of one of the secretory systems which pathogenic bacteria use to deliver toxic proteins to a host cell has been uncovered. http://phys.org/news/2014-06-bacterial-ballistic.html

The SMC got expert reaction to this news. http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-two-papers-on-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria/

           Gene variant tied to diabetes in Greenlanders

The catch to this article for me is “the need for specialized studies to uncover genetic contributions to common diseases”. A rare gene variant linked to a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes has been discovered in people in Greenland. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/gene-variant-tied-diabetes-greenlanders

            New blood test identifies heart-transplant rejection earlier than biopsy can

Researchers from Stamford University have developed an alternate diagnostic for identifying organ rejection in heart – transplant patients which does not require a biopsy. This means data is received weeks earlier than previously possible.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140618142644.htm

        Washing chicken 'spreads infection'

This headline caught my attention but seriously! Agreed, thorough cooking kills the germs but good personal, kitchen and hand hygiene should minimise cross contamination. Another excuse to take the easy way out if you ask me. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27832220

           Huge increase in Crohn's disease hospital admissions

I’ve seen what impact crohns can have on a person’s quality of life and I find this worrying especially if junk food and antibiotics turn out to be responsible for the increase. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/27810066  

      Frog's tongue 'can lift three times own body weight'

I could not leave out the bionic frog. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27794722

Having Fun With Science

In the second year of my undergraduate degree, I signed with up to a student mentorship program with a nearby school in cherryhinton, Cambridge. I was paired with a pleasant 16year old girl and each week we met I came away content knowing I could make a difference to a young girls choices in life. (She relocated to Australlia so I have no measure of impact).

Four years later after my MSc, I signed up with STEMNET to become a STEM Ambassador. From inspirational days to judging competitions to helping kids make olympic sports wear, the last three years as an ambassador have been such an educative, challenging, enjoyable and fulfilling experience. My biggest challenge was delivering a workshop to different groups of students throughout the day on Pharmaceutical careers at the Univeristy of Essex as part of a health science conference. At the end of the day, I was all talked out but I knew I was ready to expand my public engagement portfolio.

"I am writing to thank you all for your efforts and support of The Health ScienceConference at The University of Essex last Friday.

From looking at the initial feedback the day was a great success and students and teachers really enjoyed the day.

All of the workshops were well received and the Exhibition Area was excellent and thanks to all of the workshop presenters and exhibitors for their hard work in bringing props, displays etc and for providing excellent information". - Lydia Wynne-Jones

I will be at the Big Bang Fair (Eastern) with the Society of Biology with an exciting activity  

next month (come say hello!) and after my Science Communication Training Day, I've developed an 

activity ready to excite and enthuse a generation. I have another yet challenging but exciting project

lined up for latter this year (Stay tuned for the blog post). 

A colleague once asked, "Is it that you have too much time on your hands to spare?", during a walk to 

town to purchase some balloons for an activity, - on the contrary there's never enough hours in the day. 

At the recent training day, the morning plenary lecture was given by Elizabeth Granger (a 2012 winner of the Society of Biology science commnucation award, recent PhD graduate and now manager of the Ri Young Scientist Centre at University of Central Lancashire) on 'Balancing PhD research with public engagement - why bother?' 

Here's a summary of why we bother:

•  If you are working with young people, you have the opportunity to make a difference and inspire someone  in a generation.
•  On the individual level, public engagement is really fun.
•  It's a great way to meet people and to develop a network.
•  It's good for personal growth and career developement. 
•  There is always a sense of fulfillment after each activity.
•  For funding purposes, a lot of grant applications require you to factor in public engagement which you have to do.
• If you think of public engagement in the social context, you have an obligation especially if your research is funded by the public to let them know and understand what you are doing.
• With each activity you get to push your boundaries and do things outside your comfort zone.
• You get to do something different away from the bench and it makes your next expeirment even more enjoyable.

Word of Advice:

• Juggling is always tricky, so be realistic about what you can take on. 
• Don't say yes to something you can't deliver on.
• Get as much training as possible
• Most importantly make sure you enjoy yourself.  

So since my first student mentorship program I'm still here being an Ambassador for Science and still having lots of fun. If you're after a science communicator or public engagement personnel, do get in touch and I'll be happy to have a chat. 

A Date With Charles Darwin

 The Society of Experimental Biology in collaboration with the Biochemical Society organised a science communication training day at Charles Darwin House, London, for early career researchers on 11th June 2014.

I personally have an issue with the term "early career researcher" and who exactly is an "early career researcher" but perhaps I'll save this for a blog post another day.

A pre requisite for applying to the funded training day was to submit an idea for a science resource or activity with which you would develop for use in public engagement. The aim of the workshop was for attendess to then develop and enhance this science communication idea in preparation for engaging a wider audience.

During registration, amidst networking in the room full of keen "early career researchers", there were a couple of science demonstrations where I got to make my own DNA Origami and also came away with  a lesson on how the red mushroom (Amanita muscaria) got its white spots.
    


Coordinating the day was Sarah Blackford of Bioscience Careers who I must confess I find amazing and was thrilled to meet. The morning plenary lecture: 'Balancing PhD research with public engagement - why bother?', was given by Elizabeth Granger, a 2012 winner of the Society of Biology science commnucation award, recent PhD graduate and now manager of the Ri Young Scientist Centre at University of Central Lancashire. Liz shared her story on how she came into her currenrt role and her science communication and public engagement antics during her PhD.

After lunch, Alun Anderson former Editor-in-Chief of New Scientist gave a lecture on "10 ways to be a science communicator" and goodness did it sound like fun. From travelling the atlantic to publishing a book, the avenues are as open as you create them to be. 

The rest of the day was focussed on the workshops where participants presented their ideas and the members of the various groups worked together to advise and help develop the individual projects. It was refreshing to be among like-minded "early career researchers" full of enthusiasm and with various ideas buzzing around the room. 

We were allowed time after the workshop to put together an action plan and pin up on a board for others to review. This was the highlight of my day,  "The silent debate" session where we got to walk the room (a bit like you would in an art gallery) commenting on the various action plans. 

On a whole my date with Charles Darwin was a blast and one to remember.  A big thank you to the organisers for setting us up.