National Science and Engineering Week at the Institute of Food Research
10th March 2010
The Institute of Food Research is involved in a number of events to mark National Science and Engineering Week 2010, giving a chance to find out about some of the valuable work on understanding the relationship between us and the food we eat.
On Friday March 12th, a number of IFR scientists are taking part in a project that will see over 100 Norfolk schools visited by scientists, to give the students a taste of what working in science is really like. Frances Shaw, a PhD student at the IFR, who will be visiting the Archbishop Sancroft High School in Harleston. “I’m taking part because I think this is a really worthwhile cause. I believe that a small amount of my time could make a huge difference in the student’s perceptions and expectations of a science education,” she said.
On Monday 15th March, Laura McGillivray, Chief Executive of Norwich City Council, will officially open National Science and Engineering Week at The Forum. Immediately following this Professor Harald von Witzke, Chair for International Agricultural Trade & Development at Humboldt University, Berlin, will deliver The Richardson Lecture, on “The end of the agricultural treadmill: Implications for world food security and global warming.” The lecture is named after David Richardson OBE, the well-known Norfolk farmer and agricultural journalist and chaired by Prof David Boxer, Director of the Institute of Food Research.
http://www.ifr.ac.uk/info/society/IFRintheCity/e-invite.html
On Wednesday 17th March, Dr Anastasia Sobolewski, a research leader working on the biology of the gut, will give an informal talk at the Science Café, at the Maddermarket Theatre from 19:30. She will be discussing how findings from basic scientific research can feed through into the ground breaking discoveries and new drugs and treatments. The Norwich Science Café is hosted by the Inspire Discovery Centre and is a great chance for informal discussion of science ideas.
We are generally well informed regarding human clinical trials and research of new drugs. However, many of these drugs or basic ideas for these treatments began their journey many years ago in academic institutions or within companies conducting basic research. A huge amount of time, effort and money is invested in basic research. This Science Café will introduce the techniques and approaches used in basic research and discuss its impact and relevance on future drug treatments.
Dr Sian Astley will be giving a talk, Food Matters, at Plantastic at the World Museum in Liverpool on Thursday 18th March. After 14 years as a food research scientist, Siân Astley swapped her lab-coat for a keyboard and suitcase at the end 2003. She works with individuals and organisations globally with an interest in diet and health research, and spends most of her time writing and talking about the work of her colleagues.
When public money is increasingly hard pressed why is food research so important? Surely we know enough about food to eat well and stay healthy? Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables reduces our risk of age-related diseases including cancer but it is clear that the benefits are not the same for everyone. Sian’s talk will explore some of the modern challenges in food research and communicating healthy eating messages.
Saturday 20th March will be ‘Science in Norwich Day’, with many of Norwich’s science institutions coming together at The Forum. Science in Norwich Day will be a family science discovery day, with hands-on activities, displays and shows for the whole family. The Inspire Discovery Centre will be inviting visitors to help make a giant picture using paint-filled Alka-Seltzer rockets, and Science Made Simple, the award-winning science communication company will be explaining the secrets of how sound and music are made. IFR scientists will be on hand helping to explore the science behind taste and flavour.
On Tuesday 23rd March it will be the turn of the young scientists to talk about their work, in the ‘Showcase of Young Science’ at the Curve in The Forum, from 18:00. Five students from IFR and the John Innes Centre will give talks on their work in areas such as the stressful life of food poisoning bacteria combating superbugs. The evening event at The Curve in the Forum will show the breadth of subjects our young scientists are researching, and the audience will have the chance to discuss the science, and decide which project most deserves continued funding.
http://www.jic.ac.uk/friends/E-invite/showcase2010/e_advert.html
Attendance is free for all these events, but for some places must be reserved, by contacting dawn.barrett@ifr.ac.uk or telephone 01603 255 328
A full list of events for National Science and Engineering Week is available from the British Science Association website:
http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/nsew/WhatsOn/index.htm
Fax: +44(0)1603 507723 
