Latest Briefing
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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.
Read morePublished 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
