Latest Briefing

Potatoes (c) James Hutton Institute

How investment in fundamental scientific research leads to practical outcomes

The societal benefits of funding applied scientific research – research which addresses a question that is immediately and directly relevant to an end user such as a farmer or policy maker – are clear. It is nearly always relatively straightforward to identify practical outcomes that emerge from such projects, making them highly attractive to funding bodies and industrial collaborations, particularly at a time of financial constraint. However, these applied outcomes frequently rely upon and develop previous fundamental research programmes for which practical outcomes were not immediately or obviously apparent at the time. This article describes how Scottish Government (SG) investment in a number of fundamental scientific areas at Main Research Providers (MRP), through the Strategic Research Programme has underpinned research which is now yielding practical outcomes that are making a difference in Scotland and beyond.

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Published on 8 March 2016 in Food, health and wellbeing

Recent Briefings

Chlamydial infection of sheep an infectious cause of prenatal lamb death

Chlamydial infection of sheep is the single largest infectious cause of prenatal lamb death in the UK. Read more

Published on 26 January 2011 in Sustainability and Communities , Food, health and wellbeing

The social benefits of reducing outcome-related risk in land-based climate change mitigation

There are three principle means of reducing emissions from agriculture: i) reducing emissions; ii) enhancing removals; and iii) displacing emissions. Read more

Published on 11 January 2011 in Climate, water and energy

Can acaricide treatment of sheep control ticks and tick-borne disease in the environment?

The tick Ixodes ricinus is the most important pathogen-carrying vector in Europe, including the UK. This species of tick is a generalist parasite, feeding off most types of terrestrial vertebrate, including sheep, deer, horses, dogs and humans. Read more

Published on 10 January 2011 in Sustainability and Communities , Food, health and wellbeing

When will NVZ nitrate mitigation measures be seen to have an effect on groundwaters?

Under the requirements of the European Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC), four areas of Scotland were designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) in 2002. Read more

Published on 6 January 2011 in Sustainability and Communities

Zinc - essential for health

When browsing the supermarket shelves, it is rare to find any information about the zinc content of foods although nutrition professionals and regulators well appreciate the essentiality of zinc. Read more

Published on 6 January 2011 in Food, health and wellbeing

Towards a low-nitrogen future

Opportunities for reducing the use and impacts of nitrogen in arable cropping . Read more

Published on 21 December 2010 in Sustainability and Communities

The role of muscle in appetite control

Exercise is a lifestyle change that is often tried alone or in conjunction with diet to reduce weight and has beneficial effects on metabolic health in addition to weight loss. Read more

Published on 10 December 2010 in Food, health and wellbeing

Berry components may influence fat digestion and obesity

In Scotland, 1 in 4 adults can be categorised as obese with all projections suggesting an increasing trend over the next decades. Read more

Published on 6 December 2010 in Food, health and wellbeing

Stopping the benign microbes all around us becoming pathogenic to plants

Pathogens of plants and animals can be present on crop plants with no visible symptoms. New evidence from molecular detection methods is revealing that many microorganisms enter several different relationships with plants during their life cycles. Read more

Published on 1 December 2010 in Sustainability and Communities

Poxvirus Infections: Important threat to both animal and human health

Poxviruses cause painful diseases in animal and humans, threatening both health and productivity. Moredun researchers have identified potential treatments for the major pox virus in the UK but further research is required to protect both livestock and human health in the future. Read more

Published on 25 November 2010 in Food, health and wellbeing

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