news THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH ISSUE 19 • WINTER 2007 RESOURCE THE NEWSLETTER OF SCOTLAND’S NATIONAL ACADEMY Innovat INNOVATOR RECEIVES SCOTLAND’S HIGHEST ACCOLADE The Thefifth fifthGannochy Gannochy Trust Trust Innovation Innovation Award Award of the Royalof Society the Royal of EdinburghSociety of wasEdinburgh presented was to Dr Andrewpresented Mearns to Spragg Dr Andrew at a ceremonyMearns Spragg held inat the a Royalprestigious Museum ofawards Scotland ceremony on 26 heldOctober. in the The awardRoyal was Museum created toof encourageScotland on and 26 reward October. Scotland’sThe award young is innovatorsScotland’s highestfor work accolade which willfor benefitindividual Scotand’s achievement wellbeing. inDr innovation Spragg held and an RSE Scottishwas Enterprisecreated to Fellowshipencourage inand 2000 reward and is now CEOScotland’s of Aquapharm young Bio-Discovery innovators for Ltd, work a Heriot-Watt which spin-outwill benefitcompany. Scotland’s The award wellbeing. carries Dra £50,000 Spragg chequeheld and an RSEa specially Scottish commissioned Enterprise Fellowship gold medal in which2000 was and presented is now toCEO Dr ofSpragg Aquapharm by the PresidentBio- of theDiscovery RSE, Sir Ltd,Michael a Heriot-Watt Atiyah and spin-out the Gannochy Trustcompany Chairman, based Dr Russell in Oban. Leather. The award Dr Spragg carries plans a to use£50,000 the £50,000 cheque to and conduct a specially stringent experimentscommissioned designed gold to medal guage which the full was potential of the technologypresented to he Dr is Spraggdeveloping by the and President to help ofto securethe co-development RSE, Sir Michael partners.Atiyah and the Gannochy Trust Chairman, Dr Russell Leather. Dr Spragg plans to use the £50,000 to conduct stringent experiments designed to gauge the full potential of the technology he is developing and to help to secure co- development partners. Stimulating debate Offering advice Funding research Recognising Excellence NEW ANTIBIOTICS FROM THE SEA BED TO THE HOSPITAL BED New antibiotics to fight hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA may come from the sea. This Scottish-based research is just one of the promising developments and achievements in combating chronic multi-drug-resistant infections that has won biotechnology pioneer, Dr Andrew Mearns Spragg, the nation’s top award for innovation. Whilst it must be emphasised that the technology requires further development, this Award recognises the potential of Aquapharm’s new antibiotic compound, P-216CM, that was isolated from a new series of marine micro-organism. Preliminary results have demonstrated strong antibacterial properties towards MRSA, with ‘proof of concept’ efficacy studies showing the ability of the molecule to reduce Staphylococcal infection caused by bacteria. Andrew Mearns Spragg founded and set up Aquapharm Biodiscovery Limited, following an RSE/Scottish Enterprise Fellowship awarded in 2000. Now based at the European Centre for Marine Biotechnology, Oban, Argyll, Aquapharm is the first UK Dr Spragg reacted to the announcement: I company dedicated to natural product discovery from the, as yet, untapped microbial am honoured to have been chosen as the resource of the sea and from which innovations are expected to be of significant recipient of this year’s award and thank all economic benefit to the Scottish and global biotechnology sector. Aquapharm’s focus concerned. The accolade recognises almost is to isolate and develop new antibiotics active against multi-drug-resistant organisms, a decade of work and will further enhance such as MRSA & C difficile and active ingredients for food and cosmetic applications. the commercial credibility of marine biotechnology. Such achievements would The Gannochy Trust’s Chairman, Dr Russell not have been possible without the Leather commented: The Gannochy Trust support of a strong and committed team recognises the enormous potential of Dr within Aquapharm. It is inspiring to receive Spragg’s innovation, to offer very this recognition and we shall remain significant healthcare benefits to people in dedicated to developing what is an exciting Scotland and abroad by exploiting the new area of commercial research and to microbial resources of the ocean. I am realising the true potential of this delighted that we can support and technology in pharmaceutical applications. encourage the best of our young innovators through this partnership with the RSE. I wish Dr Spragg and his colleagues every success in transforming their technology into life-enhancing and life-saving medicines. RSE President Sir Michael Atiyah said: If further development of these antibiotic compounds proves successful, this innovation could save many lives. I am delighted that, as a result of the Gannochy Trust’s generous support, we are able to recognise Dr Spragg’s achievement. I offer my congratulations to Dr Spragg and commend his drive, dedication and hard work. Sir Michael Atiyah and Dr Russell Leather pictured with all five Gannochy awardees, from l-r Dr Barbara Spruce (2003), Professor Ian Underwood (2004), Mr John Harrison (2005), Dr Andrew Mearns Spragg (2007) and Dr Marie Claire Parker (2006) 2 President’s Perspective The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland’s National Academy of Science & Letters. It is an independent body with charitable status. The Society organises conferences and lectures for the specialist and for the general public. It provides a forum for informed debate on issues of national and international importance. Its multidisciplinary fellowship of men and women of international standing provides independent, expert advice to key decision-making bodies, including Government and Parliament. The Society’s Research Awards programme annually awards well over £1.7 million to exceptionally talented As an independent scholarly body The Fostering dialogue between scientists young academics and potential Royal Society of Edinburgh has to avoid and parliamentarians is the aim of the entrepreneurs to promote commercial party politics. However this does not annual Science and the Parliament event. exploitation of inventiveness and mean that we remain in our ivory tower Successfully run by The Royal Society of boost wealth-generation. and ignore the real world. Our task is Chemistry (RSC), with support from the Among its many public benefit to be effective in the public arena, RSE, this year’s event on Climate Change, activities, the RSE is active in interacting with Government, Energy & Transport struck me as classrooms from the Borders to the Parliament and the media and particularly timely. There was input from Northern Isles, with a successful influencing public opinion on the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure programme of lectures and hands-on important social, economic and cultural and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson workshops for primary and secondary issues. Our wide membership, covering MSP and other Senior decision-makers in school pupils. all fields of learning and public life, Science policy. Instrumental in the event, The Royal Society of Edinburgh, enables us to offer an independent and our new Parliamentary Liaison Officer, working as part of the UK and within a global context, is committed to the knowledgeable perspective on the Bristow Muldoon is doing a fine job future of Scotland’s social, economic complex problems that face Scotland. acting as a bridge between the and cultural well-being. parliaments and the RSE and RSC. At Our independent Inquiries on issues Bristow Muldoon’s instigation, a cross- important in Scotland and elsewhere party group on Science and Technology is have demonstrated the scope of The expected to be formed in early 2008. This Royal Society of Edinburgh to act in this is an encouraging step forward and I way. They are testament to a national Since January 2007, the RSE’s reiterate my commitment to supporting academy’s willingness to stand up and international exchange programme has all parties. be counted on thorny issues. Foot and resulted in around 170 weeks of Mouth Disease, the Future of the Strengthening Scotland’s position exchanges. In due course, I hope we Scottish Fishing Industry, Energy Issues internationally remains a priority. To this shall be able to identify further some of for Scotland - complex matters. These end, I am pleased to report the signing of the specific benefits that have resulted involve in-depth study and wide- a Memoranda of Understanding between from this dialogue and collaboration. ranging consultation. Our Committee The Royal Society of Edinburgh and the In the year ahead, I believe we can of Inquiry into the Future of Scotland’s Pakistan Academy of Sciences on 8th contribute even more to the Hill and Island Areas has recently been November 2007, signed by its President, “advancement of learning and useful taking evidence in Islay and Skye - Dr Ishfaq Ahmad; and the Indian National knowledge” by bringing people learning first-hand of issues vital to Science Academy on 10th December, together and by supporting those distinctive communities. These when the partnership was sealed with its facing complex decisions. Inquiries have been highly successful in President, Dr R. A. Mashelkar. providing evidence-based findings to Agreements must be meaningful and Sir Michael Atiyah, OM, FRS, PRSE, inform the decision-making process. have tangible benefits for both parties. HonFREng, HonFMedSci, Hon FFA 3 Scotland’s Research Talent REAL POTENTIAL FROM SUPERBUG DECOY New drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant superbugs