It’s the start of a brand new year and this always feels like an excellent time to reflect. 2022 was a busy and successful year for Biophys, which we are truly grateful for. One of our ongoing partnerships is with Science in Parliament.
Founded in 1939, it’s The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee with a major focus for scientific and technological issues providing a liaison between Parliamentarians and scientific bodies, science-based industry and the academic world. Biophys is a contributor to their seasonal journal and we’re taking a look back at our contributions in 2022.
Spring 2022 – Sustainability in the 21st Century
Our article tackled the idea that “there is no vaccine for climate change” as coined by Dr Jen Vanderhoven from the University of the Highlands and Islands. We explored the increased efficiencies in the use of natural resources and the issue of energy storage along with the utilisation of feedstocks by using bio-approaches. Reduce, reuse and recycle is going to be an ongoing crucial aspect of sustainability alongside new technological advances in bioplastics, microbial degradation and metal recycling processes. We concluded: “Biotechnology in all its forms offers an as yet untapped resource for re-engineering some of the large and complex challenges around using natural resources more efficiently and mitigating the effects of human activity. It holds substantial promise to meet our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, offering hope for a more resilient ecosystem of people, planet and profit. This will be a key aspect of current and future sustainability. It will require substantial technological and scientific insights and a determination by governments to be bold, imaginative and innovative.”
Summer 2022 – Applying Big Data Technology to Detect Infectious Disease: Cystic Fibrosis is Leading the Way
In conjunction with Paul Sommer from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, we explored how Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Big Data analysis are rapidly advancing in the world of biomedical research and everyday healthcare. We discussed Project Breathe’s ground-breaking approach to managing CF with ongoing monitoring of health parameters and how AI can positively effect people with CF. We concluded: “Project Breathe is nevertheless already demonstrating how effective and safe home monitoring of a debilitating disease can be. The project is already benefitting people with CF, with early results showing that the model predicts lung infection up to 11 days earlier than when antibiotic treatment would usually be started. Data from the smartphone app has circumvented in-person clinic visits, saving time, reducing patient stress and decreasing the impact on an already stretched NHS.”
Autumn 2022 – An eye on communication
Our Heather Graz explores the challenges surrounding the neurological condition, Cerebral Palsy (CP), the movement based disability which manifests itself from childhood. The condition results in communication difficulties with speech impairments that can often be supplemented or replaced with communication devices and strategies, referred to as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. The article explores the relationship between science and AAC to recognise and extract patterns from large volumes of data that would allow specific improvements in communication such as personalised voices. Eye gaze is also discussed as an evolving science with increase reliability for communication purposes. We concluded: “The democratisation of data science is an invaluable opportunity to both take advantage of and contribute to making speech output a reality for more people with SSPI.”
If you are a member and would like to read the articles in full, click here.
Our partnership continues into 2023 and we look forward to contributing our voices to new and emerging trends in Biotechnology.