You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
The eight UK Research Councils are the largest public investors in the UK scientific research and skills base, investing their annual budget of £2.8 billion in their own institutes and centres (collectively known as Research Council Institutes or RCIs) as well as awarding grants to universities. RCIs make a unique contribution in terms of providing national capacity and access to facilities and in developing multidisciplinary science driven by a clearly-defined mission, and vary widely in their structure, governance, facilities, size and objectives. The Committee's report focuses on the Research Councils' strategies for providing support to their RCIs, including the case for greater harmoni...
Biotechnology is one of the major technologies of the twenty-first century. Its wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary activities include recombinant DNA techniques, cloning and the application of microbiology to the production of goods from bread to antibiotics. In this new edition of the textbook Basic Biotechnology, biology and bioprocessing topics are uniquely combined to provide a complete overview of biotechnology. The fundamental principles that underpin all biotechnology are explained and a full range of examples are discussed to show how these principles are applied; from starting substrate to final product. A distinctive feature of this text are the discussions of the public perception of biotechnology and the business of biotechnology, which set the science in a broader context. This comprehensive textbook is essential reading for all students of biotechnology and applied microbiology, and for researchers in biotechnology industries.
This report finds that the UK has an excellent research base but is still failing to maximise its potential by translating research into wealth and health. The road to economic recovery will depend, in part, on exploitation of the UK's research base, which in turn requires efficient translation to generate returns on investments. Some areas of bioengineering, such as stem cells, have clearly benefited from strong Government leadership and support, backed up by generous levels of funding from both the public and private sectors. Others, such as genetically modified (GM) crops, are less well supported and funded. This is curious when GM crops are considered by the Government to be safe and off...
Research is an international endeavour, involving collaboration from the researcher-to-researcher level to the country-to-country level. The international research scene is changing as the research base of countries such as India and China expands. It is thus crucial that the UK adapts its research support mechanism accordingly. This inquiry examined: the strengths and weaknesses of Research Councils and the Office of Science and Innovation in maintaining and promoting international collaboration; the European Union Framework Programme; the effectiveness of collaboration between Research Councils and Government departments; the impact of the Research Councils' policies on the international mobility of scientists and engineers.
This paper is the latest in the Scotland analysis series and explores how an integrated domestic environment for research in publicly funded institutions supports the UK's, including Scotland's, excellent and thriving research base which is vital for innovation and economic success. An independent Scottish state would become responsible for deciding how much to spend on research activity and how to distribute research funding. In order to replace the 2012-13 level of Research Council expenditure in Scotland (£307 million), the government of an independent Scottish state would have to spend 0.23 per cent of 2012 GDP on research or seek additional funding from elsewhere such as overseas, busi...
Ocean processes are fundamental to climate and weather patterns across the world; they provide minerals, foods and chemicals as well as being major energy resources, both hydrocarbons and renewables. Oceans also provide services in the form of transport, trade, communications and recreation; as well as services through the maintenance of biological and landscape diversity, the importance of which may only be fully appreciated by future generations. For all these reasons, the Committee's report finds that, despite the impressive research efforts of UK institutions and individual scientists, oceans need to be monitored and studied more thoroughly than has been the case up to now with better co...
This report indicates that the oversight of research integrity in the UK is unsatisfactory. The Science and Technology Committee concludes that in order to allow others to repeat and build on experiments, researchers should aim for the gold standard of making their data fully disclosed and made publicly available. The report examines the current peer-review system as used in scientific publications and the related issues of research impact, data management, publication ethics and research integrity. The UK does not seem to have an oversight body for research integrity covering advice and assurance functions across all disciplines and the Committee recommends the creation of an external regul...
This primer introduces the challenges and opportunities of applying synthetic biological techniques to mammalian cells, tissues, and organisms. It covers the special features that make engineering mammalian systems different from engineering bacteria, fungi, and plants, and provides an overview of current techniques. A variety of cutting-edge examples illustrate the different purposes of mammalian synthetic biology, including pure biomedical research, drug production, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.
The Government's commitment to increasing access to published research findings and its desire to achieve full open access are welcomed in this report from the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee. However, whilst Gold open access - where authors publish their articles in an open access journal that provides free immediate open access to all of its articles on the publisher's website - is a desirable ultimate goal, focusing on it during the transition to a fully open access world is a mistake. The Government and Research Council UK should reconsider their preference for Gold open access during the five year transition period, and give due regard to the evidence of the vital role that Gr...
These proceedings contain papers on insect conservation biology that are classified under 3 themes: (1) the current status of insect conservation, and major avenues for progress and hindrances (6 papers); (2) insects as model organisms in conservation biology (6 papers); and (3) future directions in insect conservation biology (6 papers).