National Science and Engineering Week 2010 at the John Innes Centre

March 9 2010

The John Innes Centre, as part of its centenary celebrations, celebrated National Science and Engineering Week 2010 with a host of different activities, shows and displays for all the family. We travelled back in time 100 years to look at how women scientists shaped the emerging science of genetics, and looked to the future as our young scientists get the chance to showcase their work.

We took over The Forum for the week with interactive displays that illustrate our history and current science, culminating in ‘Science in Norwich Day’ on Saturday 20th March. This saw the JIC joining forces with the city’s other science organisations to show why Norwich is such a powerhouse in science. There are over 2,700 scientists working in Norwich; if you’ve ever wondered what they all do then this was a chance to find out.

To kick-off National Science and Engineering Week, we attempted one of the biggest projects in the country by sending scientists into as many Norfolk schools as possible on the same day, Friday March 12th. Masterminded by the Teacher Science Network, scientists went to school with their children, or back to their old classrooms, to give talks, take part in activities, or just answer questions about what it is really like being a scientist.

Laura McGillivray, Chief Executive of Norwich City Council, opened the National Science and Engineering Week at The Forum at an official reception at 18:00 on Monday March 15th. On display was the story of the John Innes from its founding, how it has contributed to our daily lives in the 20th Century and how it is tackling the global challenges we face in the 21st Century.

From the compost recipes that made John Innes a household name, through the new fruit and vegetable varieties to fundamental research on plant breeding, microbial science and genetics, the last 100 years at the John Innes were on display, with a chance to vote for what you think is the most significant contribution.

The exhibition was open to the public in The Forum throughout the week leading up to Science in Norwich Day on the Saturday. A number of other events also took place

‘Blooming Snapdragons,’ a play depicting the struggle of women scientists in the early 1900s, was performed in The Curve Theatre at The Forum at 10:00 and 13:00 on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th March..

Commissioned by the John Innes Centre to celebrate its centenary, the play explores the early female pioneers of the science of genetics, against the backdrop of an overwhelmingly male dominated academic environment and their working relationship with William Bateson, the first Director of the John Innes.

http://www.jic.ac.uk/friends/E-invite/Blooming_Snapdragons/e_advert.html

Thursday 18th March was Genetics Day at The Forum, with a series of activities and shows for schools based around genetics. Dr Ken, the Juggling Geneticist, presented his science show “Genetics - Are you Taking the Pea” covering the history of genetics from Mendel’s peas to modern genetic modification techniques.

There were opportunities for pupils to learn about careers in science, including the new Genome Analysis Centre, and the chance to try out the lab techniques scientists use to understand genes and DNA.

‘Science in Norwich Day’ on Saturday 20th March wasa family science discovery day, with hands-on activities, displays and shows for the whole family. The Inspire Discovery Centre invited visitors to help make a giant picture using paint-filled Alka-Seltzer rockets, and Science Made Simple, the award-winning science communication company explained the secrets of how sound and music are made.

Monday 22nd March saw The HMS Beagle Project come to Norwich. Launched last year, the Beagle Project is aiming to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin by producing a modern seagoing replica of HMS Beagle. This was the ship he used to circumnavigate the globe, and on which voyage he collected the specimens that inspired the theory of Natural Selection as set out in On the Origin of Species, published 150 years ago.

On March 22nd, Dr Karen James from the Natural History Museum brought a model of HMS Beagle, as well as a host of interactive exhibitions, and there was also the chance to look at some of Darwin’s letters. The HMS Beagle Project was at the John Innes Conference Centre during the day for school groups, with a public reception and viewing, including a talk by Dr Karen James, from 18:30.

http://www.jic.ac.uk/friends/E-invite/HMSBeagle/e_advert.html

Tuesday March 23rd the future science stars from the John Innes Centre and Institute of Food Research took part in a ‘Showcase of Young Science.’ Four students and their supervisors gave talks on their work in areas such as combating superbugs, health promoting plant compounds, battling tuberculosis, wheat disease, and food poisoning. The evening event at The Curve in the Forum displayed the breadth of subjects our young scientists are researching, with the audience having 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

In addition, the Institute of Food Research presented ‘The Richardson Lecture’ by Professor Harald von Witzke, Chair for International Agricultural Trade & Development at Humboldt University, Berlin, 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 IFR.

Dr Anastasia Sobolewski, also from the IFR, gave an informal talk on the role of basic fundamental scientific research that is the foundation for future drug treatments at the Science Café, in the Maddermarket Theatre bar, on Wednesday 17th March.

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

Links

National Science and Engineering Week 2010 at the John Innes Centre