| Science cuts: threatened projects The Diamond Light Source – a facility which supplies important information for disease research – is among those under threatDiamond Light SourceSynchrotron light is created by accelerating electrons to produce beams of x-rays, ultraviolet and infrared rays. Researchers at the Oxfordshire facility can use these to study samples at an atomic and molecular level. The light from Diamond has been used in everything from basic research into the understanding of diseases such as Parkinson's and cancer to pandemic flu and HIV. Hundreds of protein structures have been analysed here and more than 430 scientific papers have been written using Diamond data in the past two years.IsisThis facility, an Oxfordshire neighbour of Diamond, uses beams of neutrons to probe the tiniest 3D structures. Neutrons can give information on the location and movement of light atoms such as hydrogen and lithium, which are not so easy to see with x-rays.The beams from Isis were used to help in the design of the ultra-strong and ultra-light materials used in the wings of the Airbus A380 aircraft. First opened in 1985, the facility employs about 400 staff and hosts about 2,000 scientists from 30 countries every year, who between them produce in excess of 400 scientific papers. A large expansion at a cost of £145m to the taxpayer was recently completed.CernThe international particle physics laboratory in Geneva is the birthplace of the world wide web and now home to the Large Hadron Collider, the 17-mile particle accelerator that smashes protons together to recreate the moments after the big bang. By examining the remnants of the collisions, scientists want to investigate the fundamental constituents of matter and look for the origins of mass and evidence of extra dimensions.Economic spinoffsAccording to the Campaign for Science and Engineering, every £1 spent on public or charitably funded research has given a return of 30p a year in perpetuity from direct or indirect GDP gains, on top of the direct gains of the research. From 2003 to 2007, 31 university "spin-outs" were floated on stock exchanges, with an initial value of £1.5bn, and 10 spin-outs were bought for a total of £1.9bn.Alok JhaScience policyLiberal-Conservative coalitionCernParticle physicsPhysicsAlok Jhaguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
A Challenge to China's Energy Subsidies The union will ask the Obama administration to begin formal proceedings at the World Trade organization in Geneva to force China to repeal subsidies. feeds.nytimes.com |
Children are what they eat Good nutrition is vital to ensuring a child grows and develops properly, yet is much overlooked. International development secretary Andrew Mitchell says it is vital to find ways to feed children better in their first two years of lifeVaccines are probably the most effective single intervention to save the lives of small children, but malnourishment stunts their growth and development. The listlessness and swollen bellies of children in Africa tell of hunger and inadequate nutrition that will hold them back for a lifetime.Yet generally nutrition does not get the attention it deserves. Some argue that the UN has not been very effective on the issue, but it's undoubtedly a difficult area. It's hard to work out an effective strategy to improve the situation if you don't know the scale of the problem in the first place - and there are no very convincing figures.I met Andrew Mitchell, the international development secretary, at the Britsih ambassador's residence in New York, where he was staying for the UN summit - a beautiful old building on the waterfront with a wood-paneled lift that is operated by a man in uniform. It was like a piece of colonial Britain - a long way from the smart and functional modernity of the hotels where most of the delegates stay. He was exercised about several issues - maternal mortality (he spoke passionately about the need for women to be able to get contraception so they can plan their families - see his remarks here), malaria and nutrition.If you do my job, you see urgent need frequently, but there is no development challenge more urgent than the crisis of malnutrition facing infants in their early years.Speaking later at an initiative launched by Hillary Clinton called "Scaling up Nutrition" - the Brits and the Americans these days seem to speak with one voice - Mitchell said the first 1000 days are crucial to a child's future development and yet the issue of nutrition is sadly much neglected. The UK, he said, is intent on doing something about that. He wants to gather the data about the scale of the problem and what can be done about it and is putting £6 million into a research programme over the next five years - not a large sum of money, but a start.Mitchell also wants more active political leadership on nutrition and more effective action from the UN, whose standing committee, he said "needs a fresh look". He would also like to see the World Bank, a major funder, develop ways to measure the effectiveness of interventions.Millennium development goalsNutritionSarah Boseleyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Sparrow disease watch urged Health and biosecurity authorities in Tasmania are on the alert for another mass outbreak of salmonella in the state's sparrow population. abc.net.au |
Beyond the grave Why city cemeteries are vital for urban biodiversity bbc.co.uk |