A nationally co-ordinated programme has been launched in an attempt to save Scotland’s red squirrel. The £1.3m project will develop habitats in which the red squirrel can thrive, but will also attempt to control the grey population by trapping and killing them.

To achieve this, a “red squirrel protection line” has been drawn across Scotland, stretching south-east from Montrose on the North Sea to Inveraray on the west coast. All grey squirrels caught north of this line will be culled. It is expected that many tens and thousands of greys will be killed, making this the largest mammal cull in the UK.

The number of British red squirrels has been declining since grey squirrels arrived from North America in the 19th Century. The larger and stronger greys easily out-compete reds for food and habitat and also carry squirrelpox; a virus which is harmless to greys but generally lethal in reds.

It is estimated that a mere 160,000 red squirrels are left in Britain – 75% of which live in Scotland – compared to approximately 3.3m greys.

Stuart Brooks, the SWT conservation director, told the guardian that unless concerted action is taken, reds could be extinct on mainland Britain within 30 years.

The project has received criticism from animal campaign organisations such as Advocates for Animals, who feel that the protection of the red squirrel should not come at the greys’ expense, and should be achieved through effective habitat management and the development of a squirrelpox vaccine. However, this could take decades to take effect, by which time, many fear, there may be no red squirrels left to protect.

The UK Science minister, Lord Drayson, has called for a debate about weather a larger proportion of the research budget should be allocated to areas which could directly benefit the economy.

During his lecture at The Foundation for Science and Technology, Lord Drayson said that, in light of the current economic climate, he wanted to “stimulate a debate on our national science and innovation strategy, and whether it is adequately geared up to cope with the future.”

He then went on to ask his audience whether the time had come to make choices about the balance of investment in science projects based on their compatibility with industrial and economic priorities.

This has heightened concerns amongst scientists that pure research will lose out to areas that have commercial potential.

Nick Dusic, of the Campaign for Science and Engineering in the UK (Case), told the BBC that Lord Drayson’s proposal could undermine the government’s hard work in building up the UK’s research base over the past decade.

“There has been a lot of effort over the last few years to increase the impact of the research base, including setting grand challenges and creating new institutions to focus on translational research,” he said. “More direction from the government would cause alarm across the research community”.

Read more about this story on the BBC News website

A recording and transcript of the lecture is available on The Foundation for Science and Technology website

Leading agricultural scientists are calling for another debate on genetic modification (GM), claiming that we will need ‘every tool in our armory if we are to cope with the food security issues raised by population growth, climate change and environmental degradation.’

The genetic modification of plants raises important issues for science and the public. There is legitimate concern about whether GM products safe to eat and release into the environment, but they also hold enormous potential to increase yields and food quality, whilst reducing the need for pesticides.

In 2003 the Government held a national debate on the commercialisation of genetically modified crops in the UK, before setting out its overall policy on the issue in March 2004.

However, many participants felt that the exchanges made in 2003 were marred by anger and personal grievances, which prevented the central issues from being discussed rationally and answered adequately.

With estimates that food production must double by 2050 to feed an anticipated population of 9 billion (FAO), it is imperative that government considers all options at its disposal to ensure food security and mitigate human poverty in the UK. Consequently, leading scientists have called for the debate to be reopened, so that the issues can be addressed with appropriate, evidence based discussions.

Listen to a Radio 4 broadcast on the issue here.

For more information about GM crops, including government policy, click here.

The Royal Society of Chemistry’s annual Voice of the Future event is to take place at Portcullis House, Westminster on 10 March.

This is a free event, open to all those interested in science, and aged under 37.

Voice of the Future aims to strengthen links between the scientific community, parliament and Government. It provides a great chance for young scientists, and aspiring scientists, to question members of Parliament about the use of science in policy-making; and about support for science across Government more generally.

For more information, see the Royal Society of Chemistry website. Places are expected to disappear quickly so do register as soon as possible.

Canadian Scientists have successfully developed genetically modified (GM) rice plants that take-up and metabolise nitrogen more efficiently, thereby reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizers and increasing yields.

Nitrogen is quantitatively the most essential nutrient for plants and a major factor limiting crop productivity. Plants are particularly inefficient at acquiring nitrogen from applied fertilizer, and as a result, excess nitrogen frequently leaches from the soil into waterways and damages aquatic ecosystems, or volatizes to nitrous oxide, an atmospheric greenhouse gas.

To meet growing food demands, the global use of nitrogen increased from 3.5 million metric tonnes (MT) in 1960 to 87 million MT in 2000, and is projected to increase to 249 million MT by the year 2050. Clearly, the importance of developing agricultural crops with enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) cannot be understated. These crops not only have the potential to lower production costs and reduce environmental pollution, but their increased productively could make a significant contribution to our long-term food security.

Given the complexity of plant physiology, research into the production of transgenic plants with increased NUE is ongoing. Ultimately, all GM crops must be thoroughly assessed on a case-by-case- basis to ensure they meet the stringent safety regulations required by legislation before they can be considered for commercial use.

Source Article: Shrawat, A.K., Carrol, R.T., DePaum, M. et al. (2008). Genetic engineering of improved nitrogen use efficiency in rice by the tissue-specific expression of alanine aminotransferase. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 6: 722-732.

Writing in yesterday’s Times (Sunday 1st February), Richard Girling explores the plight of bumble and honey bees in the UK. Examining the massive declines in bee populations in the UK, accelerating from 6% of honeybee colonies failing per year in 2003 to over 30% lost each year now, Richard explores the potential causes of the species’ perilous state, and the consequences if bee species were to become extinct in the UK.

Two members of the BES were interviewed to inform the article; Professor Dave Goulson, University of Stirling, and Dr Mick Hanley, Plymouth University. We are always keen to hear from members of the BES interested in engaging with the media, and can offer support towards media training if necessary. Please contact the BES Press Officer for more information.