Breakthrough technique to heal damaged nerves
Using a novel combination of tissue engineering techniques, they have discovered how to grow artificial nerve tissue in the laboratory from natural proteins.
The team uses a three-dimensional collagen gel to control the natural behaviour of key nerve cells, called Schwann cells, causing them to recreate key features of normal nerve cells.
These pieces of engineered neural tissue (EngNT) contain no synthetic materials, so that the new tissue can integrate effectively with the damaged area of the body.
The use of EngNT could reduce the need for nerve grafts, a technique currently used which involves taking nerve material from a healthy part of the body and so causing damage to this area.
A report of their research, Engineered neural tissue for peripheral nerve repair, is published in Biomaterials journal online.
For fuller story see OU press release.
A new technique to repair damaged nerves and restore movement and feeling, is being pioneered by a team led by The Open University. Using a novel combination of tissue engineering techniques, they have discovered how to grow artificial nerve tissue in the laboratory from natural proteins. The team uses a three-dimensional collagen gel to control the natural behaviour of key ...
Some video footage BBC wildlife
This link will take you to some charming images of how a New Guinean endemic bird is adapting its home or bower to attract a mate. If you look closely, its also adapting to 20th century junk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Vogelkop_Bowerbird
A few more clicks will take you to some other BBC archive footage....ENJOY!!!
Regards,
Peter Canning.
This link will take you to some charming images of how a New Guinean endemic bird is adapting its home or bower to attract a mate. If you look closely, its also adapting to 20th century junk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Vogelkop_Bowerbird A few more clicks will take you to some other BBC archive footage....ENJOY!!! Regards, Peter Canning. 0
Human tissue models could reduce animal testing
The models will be for use in drug discovery and testing, and could contribute to reducing the number of animal studies carried out.
“We hope this collaboration will enable us to develop highly reproducible central nervous system tissue models, and make them available to academic groups and pharma companies for research and drug screening,” said Dr James Phillips, Lecturer in Health Sciences at The Open University.
Dr Rosemary Drake of TAP Biosystems said: "Such models could contribute to generating more accurate data from novel therapies, and may even result in a reduction of the numbers of animal studies necessary for screening potential neuroprotective therapies.”
Dr James Phillips is part of a group of OU life science researchers who are trying to understand how to repair damage to peripheral nerves and the spinal cord. Here him talk about his work and find out more about life sciences and biomedical research at the OU here.
The Open University has announced a three-year collaboration with life sciences company TAP Biosystems to produce advanced three-dimensional models of human central nervous system tissue models. The models will be for use in drug discovery and testing, and could contribute to reducing the number of animal studies carried out. “We hope this collaboration will ...
Research into damage and repair of the nervous system
James Phillips, Lecturer in Health Sciences
Leads a research group using tissue engineering principles to understand damage and repair in peripheral nerves and the spinal cord. This includes developing advanced 3D culture systems for neuroscience research and engineering implantable nervous system repair conduits for regenerative medicine.
James discusses some of the work his group have been conducting in modelling nervous system damage.
Melanie Georgiou, 3rd year PhD student working with James
Discusses her work on repairing peripheral nerves using engineered neural tissue.
Find out more:
- About James or Mel and the rest of the research group
- Teaching and research in Life Health and Chemical Sciences
- Biomedical Research at the OU
Research is currently taking place at the OU towards understanding more about damage repair in peripheral nerves and the spinal chord. Platform caught up with James Phillips and Melanie Georgiou to find out more. James Phillips, Lecturer in Health Sciences Leads a research group using tissue engineering principles to understand damage and repair in peripheral ...
OU's Dr Andrew Morris turns the tables on Select Committee
“In the end I think that it possibly the most valuable thing I could have got from the day," he said.
It is not every day you are summoned to appear before members of a House of Commons Select Committee – and you ask the questions! Dr Andrew Morris of The Open University Department of Physical Sciences found himself seated in the Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House on Wednesday, March 14, with Coalition Government Universities and Science Minister David Willetts, ...
£196k hits the iSpot
iSpot is a website aimed at helping anyone identify anything in nature. Once you've registered, you can add an observation to the website and suggest an identification yourself or see if anyone else can identify it for you.
Launched in 2008 with a five-year, £2 million grant from the Big Lottery Fund for England, iSpot has built a nationwide community of tens of thousands of people who are helping each other to observe and learn more about the natural world around them. There are currently over 17,000 registered users who have submitted more than 95,000 observations of about 5,500 species.
The next phase of the project will see several exciting new developments for users of iSpot, building on the foundations iSpot has established.
These include:
- Rapid-ID: a picture browser for beginners
- Mobile: iSpot in the hand and in the field
- Biodiversity Mentors: Outreach for the whole UK
- Personal: Customization for each user
The many eyes of the iSpot community have proved so keen, that hundreds of rarities have been recorded and two species new to Britain have been discovered.
iSpot’s award winning website has been designed to help remedy the gap in the general public’s identification skills. It is pioneering in its approach to supporting learning across the boundary between the informal and formal, using a combination of social networking, informal access to expertise and accredited learning opportunities. Anyone can upload a photograph of animals, plants, fungi or any living organisms they have seen. The photo is then displayed on the iSpot home page where other users can agree with the identification, attach a comment, or add a revised identification.
Find out more
• iSpot
• Support ISpot and find out about other Open University projects
• The Garfield Weston Foundation
The OU’s award-winning project iSpot has received a £196,000 boost from the Garfield Weston Foundation so people can learn about and improve their local environment for biodiversity. iSpot is a website aimed at helping anyone identify anything in nature. Once you've registered, you can add an observation to the website and suggest an identification yourself or see ...
OU gets £1 million to establish online centre for practical science teaching
The Wolfson OpenScience Laboratory will be at the cutting edge of new techniques in online education.
It will be a gateway to a range of scientific experiments and observations, many developed by Open University scientists.
Although the centre will operate entirely online, users will access data from real physical instruments and equipment enabling them to carry out authentic and rigorous science investigations.
Professor Steve Swithenby, Science Director of eSTEeM at the OU said: “Practical science has been an under-developed area of online education – it is cost-effective and is a bold way of making the world of science accessible to many more people, particularly those in the least developed countries.”
Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “The Open University is among the international pioneers in this field and we look forward to the Wolfson OpenScience Laboratory making practical science available to many more students across the globe."
Read the full story here.
The Open University is to lead a global centre for practical science teaching, with the help of a £1 million grant from the Wolfson Foundation. The Wolfson OpenScience Laboratory will be at the cutting edge of new techniques in online education. It will be a gateway to a range of scientific experiments and observations, many developed by Open University ...
New arthritis course
Inflammatory Arthritis – a multidisciplinary approach has been funded by a curriculum development grant from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, and has been developed with the direction and advice of specialist rheumatology nurses.
The course aims to provide healthcare professionals with specialist knowledge to improve services for patients with inflammatory arthritis, and is also relevant to patients and carers who want to have a deeper understanding of their condition and its treatments.
It aims to support a person-centred and multidisciplinary approach to caring for people with this long-term condition.
It will give students knowledge of how to identify and monitor inflammatory arthritis using history, disease scores and blood tests, and ensures they are aware of the standards and guidelines that govern the care of patients with the condition.
The course is aimed at a wide range of health and social care professionals including nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, health assistants, community pharmacists, GPs, junior doctors, radiologists, podiatrists, social workers and alternative therapy practitioners.
It is delivered online over a period of up to 18 months, with flexible modules that amount to 50 hours of learning.
A self-study course aimed at improving the care of patients with inflammatory arthritis is being launched by The Open University in February 2012. Inflammatory Arthritis – a multidisciplinary approach has been funded by a curriculum development grant from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, and has been developed with the direction and advice of specialist rheumatology ...
Maritime Museum preview event for last Frozen Planet programme
On Thin Ice is an environmental special exploring the effects of climate change on the polar regions. Sir David Attenborough journeys to both regions to investigate what rising temperatures will mean for the people and wildlife that live there and for the rest of the planet.
The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with: Dr Mark Brandon, series academic consultant and Open University senior lecturer in Environmental Science; producer Dan Rees and assistant producer Elizabeth White.
The screening is free to attend with a ticket to the High Arctic installation. Seating is limited, so preferred screenings should be booked in advance by phoning 020 8312 6608.
Find out more
The National Maritime Museum will preview On Thin Ice, the final programme in the BBC/Open University series Frozen Planet, on Sunday 4 December as part of their High Arctic Film Festival. On Thin Ice is an environmental special exploring the effects of climate change on the polar regions. Sir David Attenborough journeys to both regions to investigate what rising ...
Summer on the Frozen Planet
We see hunting polar bears, breeding penguins and Arctic wolves’ interaction with their cubs amongst the melting ice of the Arctic summer.
Interest in the series has been huge, with the free Open University Frozen Planet poster now requested over 85,000 times.
And course registrations for the new Frozen Planet course (S175) have surpassed 550 students. The poster can be downloaded at OpenLearn, where there's more information about the polar regions.
Frozen Planet is on BBC One tonight Wednesday 9 November at 9pm.
Links
Sir David Attenborough’s interview with Platform
Photo: Gentoo penguins, by Mark Brandon
Tonight’s episode of the OU/ BBC series Frozen Planet continues following the dramatic seasonal change on Earth through the eyes of the animals that struggle to survive them. We see hunting polar bears, breeding penguins and Arctic wolves’ interaction with their cubs amongst the melting ice of the Arctic summer. Interest in the series has been huge, with the free ...
New treatment expected to improve prognosis for some cancer sufferers
A drug treatment which dramatically boosts the effectiveness of laser cancer treatment has been developed by Open University researchers working with the National Medical Laser Centre.
Laser light combined with a photosensitizer drug is widely used to attack skin, breast and neck cancer cells, a treament known as photodynamic therapy (PDT). But many cancer cells contain antioxidants which partially protect them against PDT.
The research team, led by Dr Jon Golding, Lecturer in Health Sciences at The Open University, used antioxidant inhibitor drugs to overcome the antioxidant defences of breast cancer cells, resulting in a significantly improved cell kill.
"Because we are able to target cancerous cells more effectively, we expect an improved prognosis for cancer suffers," he said. "We selected antioxidant inhibitor drugs that are already clinically licensed, so it should speed up the adoption of these important findings into clinical practice."
Their study, Antioxidant Inhibitors Potentiate the Cytotoxicity of Photodynamic Therapy, is published in the PDT journal, Photochemistry and Photobiology.
A drug treatment which dramatically boosts the effectiveness of laser cancer treatment has been developed by Open University researchers working with the National Medical Laser Centre. Laser light combined with a photosensitizer drug is widely used to attack skin, breast and neck cancer cells, a treament known as photodynamic therapy (PDT). But many cancer cells contain antioxidants which ...
Nerve research could get limbs moving
The study, published in the Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System (JPNS), will be of interest to those working to repair damaged nerves and to physiotherapists treating nerve-related problems.
It suggests that the structure of fibres of collagen, the protein "glue" which connects and supports bodily tissues, could play a key role in how nerves are able to bend and stretch around moving joints.
Dr James Phillips, Lecturer in Health Sciences at The Open University and Principal Investigator on the research project, said: “We’ve been investigating how peripheral nerves are adapted to cope with the bending and stretching to which they are subjected during normal movement.
"If this ability is compromised, for example after nerve injury, it can lead to pain, fibrosis and loss of function. Little is known about how the structure of nerves allows them to bend and stretch normally.
"Our research shows localised variation in collagen in the areas near joints that could explain how the nerves cope with limb movement.”
OU PhD student Sarah Mason conducted the study published in JPNS, which is part of a programme of work that aims to understand nerve biomechanics in order to improve surgical nerve repair.
Previous research by Dr Phillips’ group showed that nerves are more compliant at joints compared to other parts of the limbs. In particular, in the median nerve, which controls hand function, there is an area of increased compliance at the elbow joint.
The new study reported that median nerves at joint regions showed a pattern of smaller diameter collagen fibrils [small fibres] than non-joint regions. Increased nerve compliance at joints may therefore be due to the presence of collagen fibrils with smaller diameters and increased density, compared to those in stiffer non-joint regions.
The study indicated that collagen fibril diameter may be a key feature contributing to the mechanical function of nerves, which provides new insight into how these nerves accommodate localised strain during limb movement.
Read the team's research paper at Open University Research Online
Research by a team at The Open University has shed new light on how peripheral nerves (nerves outside the brain and spinal chord) can be flexible to accommodate limb movement. The study, published in the Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System (JPNS), will be of interest to those working to repair damaged nerves and to physiotherapists treating nerve-related ...
Open University Study Community Brain Food
BRAIN FOOD
Dear OU Study Community,
Hello and welcome to the OU Life Sciences Platform Group. This is a moderated Open University online community that evolved from the Open University Life Sciences Society. That Society folded through lack of a committee.
The October 2011 OU examinations ended for all of you on the 19th or before, if you are current students. That is, except if you had to defer your examination or ECA/EMA submission. Or alternatively, you are studying for a research degree. Good luck to all those who had assessments this year, whether at the OU or some other institution. It is understandable if you need to give your brain tissue a rest. If and when you are not in that position, here is some serious BRAIN FOOD:
The ‘brain food’ is the Open University’s peer-reviewed academic life, health and chemical sciences research papers from 1991-2011. These can be accessed at: http://oro.open.ac.uk/view/faculty_dept/scie-lhcs.html. For those wishing to become research students at the OU, here are the fields to choose from:
- Ageing and neurodegeneration
- Autism
- Biodiversity and environmental science
- Biological and health-related physics
- Bio-organic and medicinal chemistry
- Cell biology and immunology of the nervous system
- Cellular and molecular neurobiology
- Cognitive Science
- Molecular genetics
- Neuroscience
For what it is worth, I am capable of studying for a research degree. I came within three marks of being awarded a 2:1 and have an MScSciences(Open) with merit. Because of the cognitive, motor and other medical problems, associated with my two traumatic brain injuries, I cannot at the moment study at this level. In the current funding climate, I will in all probability have to fund my research studentship myself.
To those in the science faculty, I am no longer among you. I had to go slowly with my BSc(Open) and BSc(Hons)LifeSciences(Open), and the Faculty moves the goalposts at least three times when I studied for these qualifications. Because of this, I am in Education and Languages. I am learning to 说汉语，e parlo italiano.
Best wishes to all,
Peter Canning.
BRAIN FOOD Dear OU Study Community, Hello and welcome to the OU Life Sciences Platform Group. This is a moderated Open University online community that evolved from the Open University Life Sciences Society. That Society folded through lack of a committee. The October 2011 OU examinations ended for all of you on the 19th or before, if you are current students. That is, ...
Inspirational speakers for schools - for free!
Speakers for Schools are offering state schools the opportunity to access a fantastic network of speakers who are willing to give inspirational talks to young people for free.
These speakers have kindly agreed to give at least one talk per annum in a state school and will address the big subjects: technological, scientific, political, economic, historical, cultural, artistic, ecological and ethical. They are people who will be able to explain the latest developments in areas such as business, cosmology, biology, medicine, linguistics, history, engineering, inter alia.
Speakers include: Honorary graduates Baroness Tessa Blackstone, Sir Peter Bonfield, Sir Christopher Bland, Sir William Castell, Evan Davis, Sir Richard Lambert and Martha Lane Fox. As well as David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Lord Sebastian Coe and other well know faces.
For further information or to apply for a speaker, visit the Speaker4schools website: http://www.speakers4schools.org/
Speakers for Schools are offering state schools the opportunity to access a fantastic network of speakers who are willing to give inspirational talks to young people for free. These speakers have kindly agreed to give at least one talk per annum in a state school and will address the big subjects: technological, scientific, political, economic, historical, ...
NutNet explodes time-honoured theory relating number of species to habitat
The ecologists, who include OU research fellow Dr Carly Stevens, conducted parallel experiments at 48 different sites on five continents to test the long-held theory.
First proposed by ecologist Philip Grime, it suggests there is a clear relationship between the productivity of a habitat and the number of plant species in it.
This relationship is said to be "hump-shaped", because the number of species first rises then declines as land becomes more productive, with species' numbers peaking in land which is intermediate between low and high productivity.
However data from the NutNet (short for Nutrient Network) experiments shows no clear relationship at all between number of plant species and productivity.
"We are dismissing one of the fundamental rules of ecology," says Dr Stevens."Our work shows the relationship between species and productivity is much more complex than was thought."
She said the findings demonstrate the value of the network's innovative approach. "We all did the same experiments across the world, that is what is unique about NutNet. It is really exciting to be part of it."
Ironically, says Dr Stevens, a podcast of her interviewing the scientist who originally described the hump-shaped relationship model, is part of the study material for the OU's Ecosystems course S396. She says it will probably remain in the course.
"I don't think this will be changed because the relationship does apply in some situations. I think that when Phil Grime described this relationship originally, he didn't expect it to be applied in every situation."
The NutNet research is published today Friday 23 September in the journal Science (see below). OU students can access articles in Science for free via the OU Library.
Useful Links
Research by international biodiversity and ecosystems network NutNet, has overturned an ecological model taught to students since the 1970s. The ecologists, who include OU research fellow Dr Carly Stevens, conducted parallel experiments at 48 different sites on five continents to test the long-held theory. First proposed by ecologist Philip Grime, it suggests ...
SOCIETY REPORTS NOW ARRIVED
TREASURER’S REPORT
Displayed below are the accounts since the Society acquired its CUBS Account. They deal with payments made for maintenance of the original Society website closed as it was unfit for purpose and because of irregularities in its management.
There is a 'paid in slip' also mentioned. That was a cash deposit that had been thought hitherto to be lost/ stolen in the post. So we have about £5 more than expected.
This means we can explore purchases such as membership cards.
Account Number: 2806 Current balance on the account: 66.00 CR
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT
Date Ref Details Debit Credit
12/05/2009 JV119 Inaugural Grant Payment 50.00
31/10/2009 001051 Bank Deposit 5.00
15/04/2010 001052 Bank deposit 5.00
01/06/2010 JV094 3RD Quarter CUBS Interest 0.04
19/05/2010 910/188 rental of soc website 29.74
29/06/2010 910/221 Davidson exps 4.41
29/06/2010 910/222 Petty Cash initial payment 10.00
08/06/2010 001053 Bank Deposit 30.00
12/08/2010 001054 Bank Deposit 5.00
11/02/2011 001056 Membership new society member Anon 5.00
18/04/2011 001058 Member subs pd in P Canning 5.00
20/05/2011 JV099 3rd qtr CUBS interest 0.11
06/05/2011 BR Pd in slip 001057 5.00
01/07/2011 Balance Carried Forward 66.00
Regards, Peter Canning.
Webmaster
This post has never been even unofficially filled. However, the Platform Group has three moderators, I was the moderator for the discredited website www.oulss.co.uk and cleared up the redundant google group set up by the last official Secretary.
Secretary
The Secretary is defined by the Constitutions of the Society and OUSA as being one of the core Society Officers. Secretarial work that has been done by me began with removing certain malcontents from the discontinued Google Group set up by the original Secretary. It continued with removing other such people from the now eliminated website www.oulss.co.uk.
Being a current student and having the majority of the membership being current students has made communication rather difficult with the other members. No events have been organised since the Inaugural Meeting. But an outing to Kew Gardens, South London, is proposed to happen on Saturday 22nd or Saturday 29th October.
It is also proposed that a competition be run. The first proposal was a genus wordearch. Entrants are invited to find the names of genera in a word grid and use whatever sources they can find to produce a three-sentence executive summary of the characteristics of the members of that genus. The second proposal is to invite members to construct their own animal kingdom phylogenetic tree. In this case they give their own rationales for where and when they have indicated various taxa branching off, originating or dying off. For this competition, they should cite references. But it is not as difficult as it sounds, as they are not starting from scratch. These have been hypothesised countless times in the literature.
Current secretarial activities include posting notices of the impending AGM and the platform group via postal mail. Also various reports relating to the AGM have been posted to the Platform Group.
Membership Secretary
There have been a number of problems with recruiting members. No membership details were received by the first two membership secretaries. One of the problems has been the fact that some of those who expressed an interest online balked at submitting contact details. Another problem was that it was set up as a fee-charging society without the means to collect the fees. This was confounded by various people who have now left, or been ejected from the Society, causing trouble. I refer, among other things, to the atrocious website www.oulss.co.uk that was shut down over three months ago.
That website had been set up by a former committee member’s husband (never an OU student) and it looked like he had hardly started it. Worse still, much time was spent by me and the other committee members trying to keep the website clear of ‘bots’. The former committee member under discussion denied responsibility. She also displayed considerable disingenuousness and dishonesty when challenged about it, covering up for her and her husband’s shortcomings. Worse still, her husband transferred ownership and responsibility for the website to me. This was without my knowledge, let alone my consent. It is recommended that to preserve the University’s reputation that some action is taken by the University.
Currently four out of six of the paid-up members of the Society are current students. There are four more provisional members. In the event of the society changing to funding through donations only, this could potentially bring the Society membership into double figures. Other problems are the lack of inexpensive media in which to advertise the society to the wider OU community. An advertisement in the alumni e-newsletter received one positive response. Attempts by the OUSA Office to attract new members received two positive responses but they have been difficult to contact. Neither the OU nor the Office have made it clear that what is needed are those who have and want to use their expertise in newsletter writing, secretarial work and web-mastery. Members should be prepared to travel considerable distances to attend functions, but those who can and who are also probably not current students should find them rewarding.
In addition to the above, the membership secretarial work has involved posting Society key rings to new members when they have sent in their subscription. When a design for the membership card is approved (AOB under the AGM agenda) those who have paid the subscription will automatically receive one. It will be decided there and then whether any of those joining after the AGM will receive one.one.
SOCIETY NEWS EDITOR
This is another Society post that has never been officially filled. However an AGM notice has gone out whose content was agreed upon by the two remaining committee members. This AGM notice also encouraged members to get involved with their local wildlife trust.
A competition and an outing have both been suggested.
SSC (Societies Standing Committee) Representative’s Report
Dear Society,
I have attended meetings of the SSC in person and online except the last one. That I attended online only as the FTF meeting clashed with my graduation ceremony. This role was previously filled adequately by former OU student Alison Davidson.
OUSA Office staff have helped with running the CUBS account. They have also tried to assist in recruiting new members to the Society. Little has come out of the latter initiatives. Other SSC representatives have been of more use, by pointing to www.ouls.co.uk domains, for example. However, instead of creating a new website, we have a Platform Group. This can be found at: http://www8.open.ac.uk/platform/groups/life-sciences. A number of postings are located there.
The SSC representative is also the Society’s representative to OUSA Conference. I spoke against both of the motions submitted by the Students for Ethical Science (SES) at the 2011 Conference. I also handed out a new members’ form. This was not returned. This Society has an interest in blocking the passage of these motions by OUSA Conference.
TREASURER’S REPORT Displayed below are the accounts since the Society acquired its CUBS Account. They deal with payments made for maintenance of the original Society website closed as it was unfit for purpose and because of irregularities in its management. There is a 'paid in slip' also mentioned. That was a cash deposit that had been thought hitherto to be lost/ stolen in the ...
Coming Soon- more Society Reports
The first and possibly the only Open University Life Sciences Society AGM is nearly upon us. At 0.00AM 20/08/2011 (UK Time) the online element of the Society AGM will commence. Reports will be circulated and on the bank holiday weekend telephone contact will be available. The close of AGM business will be at 2359hrs on 04/09/11 (also UK Time).
I hope that lots of you will take part!
Kind Regards,
Peter Canning.
The first and possibly the only Open University Life Sciences Society AGM is nearly upon us. At 0.00AM 20/08/2011 (UK Time) the online element of the Society AGM will commence. Reports will be circulated and on the bank holiday weekend telephone contact will be available. The close of AGM business will be at 2359hrs on 04/09/11 (also UK Time). I hope that lots of you will take ...
Fancy a career as a fungal taxonomist?
What do people think a fungal taxonomist is?
I suspect people wouldn’t really know. I’m very specialised actually; I work on just a single group of organism: the fungi that form Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (their formal name is the Glomeromycota). These fungi are so specialised that they can’t live without their plant partners. They are essential to plant growth and they assist plants to take nutrients up to the soil. It’s a mutual thing so they get carbohydrates from the plant. But a fungal taxonomist is someone who names and classifies fungi.
What did you study at the OU and what was your experience like as a student?
I did all the foundation courses. I had a Foresters certificate and a few O Levels but that was all my qualifications at the time. The OU gave me the opportunity to do a degree which otherwise would not have been an option.
I did Maths and Science which were terrific and went on with Sciences. I did Electronics but never understood much about it (though I managed to scrape a pass). That got me the basic Bachelor’s degree. It was a very rewarding time, even though it was hard work. I really felt like a pioneer in this new educational experience, and will always be grateful for the opportunity.
I was about to start on my Honours when I met at work an American Scientist (the late Prof. Sande McNabb) who was on sabbatical (a tree pathologist). He was interested in my work on Dutch Elm disease and offered me the opportunity to go to America for four years and study a PhD at Iowa University. However, when I arrived in America, the funding for Dutch Elm disease had run out so I had the opportunity to work in a new area of interest: mycorrhiza.
I discovered most of the fungi I was finding didn’t have proper names (or names at all) and the names given to some of them were ’pre-Linnean’ – that is, they were more or less just described as ‘little yellow spores’ or ‘white spores with a bulb at the base’. I got interested in naming them and separating the different species and it went from there.
There are only three or four who work on taxonomy in the world. I suppose quite a few more describe ‘new species’ by comparing them with anything that already exists but that doesn’t interest me so much as the classification (placing them in a natural order).
Is it all lab based or do you go into the field?
Sometimes I do go into the field and collect, but much of what I do is either through high powered microscopes, or (in cooperation with a colleague in Germany) with DNA analysis. These particular fungi are difficult things to work with. Because they mostly develop underground, they are the sort of things few would know about or see but we are pretty sure that plants would not have evolved from aquatic conditions without the help of these symbiotic fungi. So plants with roots co-evolved with the ancestors of these fungi.
Do you have any advice for OU students hoping for a career in Science?
If you’re looking for fortune, academic science isn’t the place to go but, if you’re looking for a very satisfying life with constant interest Science is the place. Work hard, develop an interest and find something that nobody else is doing, but most of all, throw yourself into it with enthusiasm and a sense of discovery.
Christopher Walker is an OU pioneer, part of the very first intake of OU students in 1971. He studied whilst working as an entomology forester for the Forestry Commission Research Division, and has enjoyed an unusual career as a fungal taxonomist. What do people think a fungal taxonomist is? I suspect people wouldn’t really know. I’m very specialised actually; I ...
A Society Competition
Would anyone like to enter a Life Sciences Society competition?
I have some ideas. They may be quite tough.
Peter C.
OULSS Committee.
Would anyone like to enter a Life Sciences Society competition? I have some ideas. They may be quite tough. Peter C. OULSS Committee.