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Bio-Buzz
No.11 / November 2008
IN THIS ISSUE
HEADLINE NEWS
INDUSTRY CORNER
EDITORIAL
EVENTS LISTINGS
Headline News
£5m funding from the Technology Strategy Board for High Value Manufacturing
The Technology Strategy Board will open their competition for funding in this important area in January 2009. The sectors covered by this call are wide ranging and many fall within biotechnology, life sciences or medical technologies. The competition seeks to address step changes in a range of important areas including: overall manufacturing costs; whole life-cycle costs; whole life environmental impact; product performance, durability and reliability; sales volumes and time to market. The competition opens on the 19 January 2009, with the expression of interest deadline being the 26 February 2009. For full information please click HERE or call the helpline number: 01355 272155.
Bristol Scientists play key role in tissue engineering breakthrough
A pan-European team from the universities of Barcelona, Bristol, Padua and Milan made a major scientific breakthrough earlier this month by announcing the successful implantation of the first tissue-engineered trachea (windpipe). Stem cells were obtained from the recipient’s own bone marrow, grown into a large population in Professor Martin Birchall’s lab at the University of Bristol, and matured into cartilage cells (chondrocytes) using an adapted method originally devised for treating osteoarthritis by Professor Anthony Hollander at the University of Bristol. For more information about these developments please click HERE.
RSC to hold Careers Fair and Launch Pad event in Plymouth, 4 December
The Royal Society of Chemistry are holding a careers fair and launchpad event at the opthorne Hotel in Plymouth on the 4 December. The Careers Fair will take place during the day and the Launch Pad event will be held from 5.30pm. The Launch Pad event is an excellent opportunity for those working in chemistry and chemistry-associated areas to gain valuable understanding and practical information about setting up a business or running a small start-up company. To register and for further details please click HERE
Industry Corner
International Trade Forum ‘Question Time’ to be held in Bristol, December
A seminar and workshop hosted by the China-Britain Business Council will be held at HP Labs, Bristol on the 9 December. This will be followed by a Question Time Panel session to be hosted by BBC broadcaster Peter Sissons. For full information and how to register click HERE.
Do you offer contract R&D, contract manufacturing or contract clinical facilities and services in the South West?
The January 2009 edition of BioBuzz will be dedicated to these important areas of the South West biotechnology and life science sectors.
If you wish to have your facilities or services listed free of charge in BioBuzz in January please contact us. BioBuzz has a current circulation of approx 2,000 readers across the UK. For a pro forma and more information please click HERE or telephone 01225 388739.
Partners sought for EU algal project
Dr Linda Medlin of Alfred Wegener Institute Germany is pulling together a consortium for EU Framework programme 7 and is looking for the following European partners:
Company/research organisation that has successfully taken algal biomass and converted it into a biofuel; Company/research organisation that is successfully growing algae in ponds and/or raceways in Europe. For more information or to express an interest please contact BioApproaches South West HERE.
NERC call for new members of its Peer Review College
The Natural Environment Research Council are looking for College members with all types of environmental sciences expertise. Those selected will make an important contribution to determining the science that NERC funds and will have a pivotal role in maintaining its quality. Peer review is central to NERC's activities and attracting researchers who are highly regarded by their peers is very important. Members of the Peer Review College find that they gain valuable insight into the grant assessment process, which can help them to formulate their own proposals. They enjoy the opportunity to see a wide variety of proposals, network with colleagues at panel meetings and take part in open and lively discussions in arriving at grading decisions. The closing date for applications is 9 January 2009.
For further information, please contact the Peer Review College Manager, Helen Butler (hb@nerc.ac.uk, 01793 442574) or College Coordinator, Andy Adams
(anad@nerc.ac.uk, 01793 442503. click HERE
New SEMTA Train to Gain Compact Scheme - £65 million now available
Employers in the Bioscience Sector, who are based in England, can access £65 million of Train to Gain funding to invest in skills. SEMTA, the sector skills council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies are keen to hear from you if your organisation has identified training needs and you want to find out more about this excellent opportunity. This new Compact scheme has been broadened and improved and can support training at higher levels than previously available. It can also be used to support sector specific training, for example, regulatory affairs training. This funding, which became available in Sept 08, is available for 2 years. Support for Level 4 qualifications will be available in early 2009.
To find out more about the Compact scheme and how you can benefit, or to find out more about SEMTA call SEMTA on 0845 643 9001 or visit www.semta.org.uk To download the faxback form click HERE
UK Bio-Entrepreneur School – apply now
The third UK Bio-Entrepreneur School will take place at BioCity Nottingham from 10 - 12 March 2009. The School is open to bio/medical scientists and biotechnology developers who would like to develop an entrepreneurial career or whose science, product or service may show commercial potential. Invitations are open for 30 fully-funded places. It is also available to people who are already employed as researchers or managers in well-established businesses to help develop their entrepreneurial careers and prepare for innovation and growth. Anyone interested in applying should click HERE and submit their details as soon as possible. The first selection of delegates will take place in Dec 2008.
Review celebrates the 25 years of the genetic transformation of plants.
A review entitled ‘A History of Plant Biotechnology: from the Cell Theory of Schleiden and Schwann to Biotech Crops’ has been published by Prof. Indra K. Vasil, Associate Director of the Genetics Institute and Graduate Research Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida.
The review provides a historical account of the evolution of the theoretical concepts and experimental strategies that led to the production and commercialization of biotech (transformed or transgenic) plants expressing many useful genes, and emphasises the beneficial effects of plant biotechnology on food security, human health, the environment, and conservation of biodiversity. In so doing, it celebrates and pays tribute to the contributions of scores of scientists who laid the foundation of modern plant biotechnology by their bold and unconventional thinking and experimentation. It highlights also the many important lessons to be learnt from the fascinating history of plant biotechnology, the significance of history in science teaching and research, and warns against the danger of the growing trends of ignoring history and historical illiteracy. The review appears in the Journal of Plant Cell Reports (September 2008; Vol.27, No. 9). For more information click HERE Or email Indra HERE. The source of this article was AgBioWorld.
Developing countries have joined the front lines of the biotechnology revolution in health and agriculture.
In an article entitled Bio-Revolution and published in Nature, author Indira Nath suggests we are living through an unprecedented era of progress in biotechnology. consideration is given to what has already been achieved and what is still to follow. In particular it looks at what developing countries do to ensure that they stay aboard the 'biotechnology train' and suggests the ultimate goal should be to create an environment conducive to innovation. This requires training an adequate number of scientists and technologists, building proficient universities and research centres, providing ample funding, forging strong international links and opening up broad channels of communication. Indira Nath is the Director of the LEPRA-Blue Peter Research Centre in Hyderabad, India.
For more information go to Nature 456, 40; Oct 30 2008 click HERE. The source of this article was AgBioWorld
Don’t forget to make a note that BioApproaches SW has relocated!
BioApproaches is now located at: the INNOVATION centre, Carpenter House, First Floor, Broad Quay, Bath, BA1 1UB. The new telephone number for Jade Fulbrook-Smith is 01225 388739 and for Dr Pauline Lee it is 01225 388742. Email, website and mobile telephone numbers are unchanged.
Editorial
SICS Training – Ian Smith
In times of financial unease the temptation for employers to let training slip, particularly Health and Safety training is huge yet it is at such times that they must be extra vigilant. Cutting back on staff may leave just one person to move heavy items or remove rubbish from work areas and it could mean that the appointed Health and Safety representative is so overwhelmed by his or her ‘regular’ duties that the safety of all people in the workplace is not at the forefront of their mind. Add to that the festive season and there is the potential for disaster. A member of staff who may have had a drink at lunch, or even several drinks the night before, will not be as alert to danger as one who has not. Celebrating by decorating the office could see someone standing on a chair or desk…immediately prior to landing, hopefully uninjured, in an undignified heap on the floor.
Whilst the responsibility for safety in the workplace lies with everyone, the ultimate responsibility lies with the employer and that burden can weigh very heavy at times.
In the eyes of the law the responsibility of ensuring that everyone is safe in the work environment lies at the top. If you go to the pub and buy a round of drinks, you have provided your staff with alcohol – should you allow them back to work? Did the 17 year old apprentice have a glass of wine ‘because it’s Christmas’? Was the gas equipment turned off before everyone rushed out for a free lunch? These few questions have not even scratched the surface of Health and Safety problems that arise at any time of year, let alone in this festive season. The biggest question is “How do you deal with the situation?”
SICS Training know that there are almost as many solutions to questions as there are businesses asking them, which is why we do not just offer a prescribed set of courses but work with you to adapt our training to suit your needs, telling an office worker that they must not lift a bag of sand is pointless, but explain how the weight of an archive box full of files could
affect them, will have meaning. In simple terms, that is how we work; we talk to you and adapt our core courses to have meaning in your working environment.
Another area of concern for many businesses is Equality and Diversity… what is required legally and what you want morally. A national responsibility yes, but a single thoughtless word or act can have dire consequences for a business. Once again, we will work with a company to address fears and guide through the current legislation. Can anyone afford legal action brought about by an employee, let alone the negative press that could bring down a successful business?
If we can help you answer some of your questions or even help make your business a safer, happier place to be you can reach us via www.sicstraining.co.uk or you can e mail me direct at ian@sicstraining.co.uk Please have a safe, healthy and happy festive season, and remain so in 2009. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all.
For more
information click HERE
Contact Us
For further information on any of these items, please visit our website:
www.bioapproaches.co.uk or contact us directly.
Jade Fulbrook-Smith – Project Coordinator, BioBuzz Editor
Tel: 07715 856262 Email: Jade@BioApproaches.co.uk
Dr Pauline Lee – Network Manager
Tel: 07710 779548 Email: pauline@BioApproaches.co.uk
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