Science Media Centre

Ash means empty skies over Britain
Thousands of travellers are feeling the effects of a large volcanic eruption in Iceland, with flights across Europe cancelled as ash floats across Britain and the continent.
The impact on travel plans is illustrated well in this graphic that ran in The Guardian.
Scientists meanwhile have been [...]

Eloise Gibson writes in the New Zealand Herald about the decision by Erma to allow scientists to create and work with genetically modified sheep, goats and cows.
The research, to be conducted by AgResearch, will involve putting human genes into the animals in order to produce specific human proteins in their milk – it is hoped [...]

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma) has granted AgResearch approval to continue working with genetically modified cells and animals.
The research, being conducted on goats, sheep and cattle, aims to develop specific proteins in milk which could be used to treat certain human diseases.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“Erma said it considered the main benefit of [...]

Chris Barton writes in the NZ Herald about the vigorous debate over the use of genetic modification (GM) in the country, presenting the arguments of both sides.
Pro-GM campaigners say that such research is necessary for the development of therapies and treatments for a number of diseases, and that using animals to produce some of the [...]

Eloise Gibson writes in the New Zealand Herald that the PM’s chief science advisor Professor Sir Peter Gluckman’s UK counterpart, Professor John Beddington, has suggested that New Zealand reevaluate its position on GM.
Saying that to classify GM either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is not the right approach, he said it had a powerful role to play [...]

Chris Gardner of the Waikato Times reports that AgResearch’s chief executive has said that scientists are morally obliged to use GM techniques to solve the world’s upcoming food crisis.
Dr Andy West has said that New Zealand is able to support 17 million people in terms of its current product mix, and that he feels morally [...]

Eloise Gibson of the NZ Herald reports that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s science adviser has upset the anti-GM lobby by suggesting that people will starve in coming decades if groups continue to fight GM research and development.
Dr Nina Fedoroff has said that climate change could mean a drop in food production capabilities, in [...]

A piece by TVNZ on MAF’s investigation of a potential GM-trial breach on the Lincoln campus of Crown Research Institute, Plant & Food Research.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“The problem is over arabidopsis thaliana, a weed for which Plant and Food – and the two state science companies from which it was created, Crop and [...]

An article by Neal Wallace in the Otago Daily TImes looking at the appetite among players in the agricultural sector for pursuing genetic modification in the sector:
An excerpt: read here in full.
“New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development chief executive Peter Neilson said in order to address climate change, the public might have to trade [...]

I had my first brush with a genetically-modified organism this week – and was pleasantly surprised at the experience.
When I learned a trip to the John Innes Centre at Norwich Research Park would include a tour of the greenhouses used by Professor Cathie Martin to include her genetically modified, purple tomatoes, I expected to be [...]