Tagged With: Policy Lates
A precautionary tale
Ahead of the Society of Biology’s next Policy Lates event on the precautionary principle, Tracey Brown of Sense About Science gives her view on some of the issues surrounding the principle and its application. What would you say if I suggested farmers start using a compound that could mess with your hormones in order to … Continue reading
Biofuels: a darker shade of green
Following on from The Biologist’s write up of the Society of Biology’s recent Policy Lates event on algal biofuels, Michael Walsh looks at how biofuels are moving beyond their first generation. We all know that we face increasing challenges in order to meet our energy needs. With the climate changing, global population increasing, and fossil … Continue reading
Sustainable energy from oil (plant oil that is)
In advance of the Society of Biology’s Policy Lates discussion on algal bioenergy, Rebecca Nesbit looks at some of the hurdles we need to overcome to produce liquid fuel from plants in a more sustainable manner. First generation biofuels are made from starch, sugars, fats and oils, but often come from food plants. This has … Continue reading
Bioscience to Biosecurity; the Policy Lates talks
Policy Lates is a discussion series from the Society of Biology‘s policy team, held at our HQ at Charles Darwin House. We bring a panel of experts together for an informal debate on a contemporary science policy topic, with lots of time for audience questions and convivial discussions. In July 2013, Policy Lates looked into … Continue reading
The H5N1 influenza controversy: information is power, sharing information is powerful
By Professor Wendy Barclay, Chair in Influenza Virology, Imperial College London. Wendy spoke at last week’s Society of Biology Policy Lates debate on dual-use bioscience. The debate is summarised in a Storify. H5N1 is a worrisome strain of bird flu that currently does not spread between us because of the ‘species barrier’ created by virus-host … Continue reading
Sometimes opposites attract: science and security communities can work well together
By Dr Piers Millet, Deputy Head, UN Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit. Piers will be speaking at this Thursdays’ Policy Lates debate on dual-use bioscience (#policylates). I guess I am living embodiment that the title of this article is true. I trained originally as a microbiologist and am still a Chartered member of the … Continue reading
The role of codes of conduct in the amateur biology community
By Dr Catherine Jefferson, freelance consultant on bioweapons policy and researcher at the Department of Social Science, Health and Medicine, King’s College London. Catherine will be a member of the panel at next week’s Society of Biology Policy Lates debate about biosecurity. Codes are established to guide acceptable standards of behaviour and their importance as … Continue reading
“Sorry James, this is not my cup of tea”
Guest post by Dr James Revill, Research Fellow with the Harvard Sussex Program, SPRU, University of Sussex. The issues raised in James’ post will be discussed at our ‘Bioscience to Bioweapons’ Policy Lates event next Thursday, and on Twitter with the hashtag #PolicyLates. The strategic use of disease in warfare has been subject to a long … Continue reading
Not by good intentions alone
Guest post by Tatyana Novossiolova, a Wellcome Trust doctoral candidate studying the governance of biotechnology in post-communist Russia at the Division of Peace Studies, University of Bradford. The issues raised in Tatyana’s post will be discussed at our ‘Bioscience to Bioweapons’ Policy Lates event next Thursday. In May this year, Science reported the creation of … Continue reading