X-Message-Number: 20974
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 00:51:46 +1100
From: Philip Rhoades <>
Subject: Let Australian geneticists eat cake

Also from BioMedNet - emphasizing a point I was making a little while 
ago about cuts to fundamental research, economic rationalism, 
bean-counters etc.

Phil.

- 23 January 2003

Let Australian geneticists eat cake
21 January 2003 16:00 GMT

by Henry Nicholls

The Australian government is failing its scientists, with 
public-funding levels that fall well below those in the US, says 
Australian geneticist, Philip Batterham, whose many fund-raising 
schemes include baking a double-helix- shaped cake. Batterham was last 
night attending an event at the Australian Embassy in London to 
showcase the International Congress of Genetics (ICG), which this year 
will be held in Melbourne. 
The ICG, which dates back to 1899, takes place every five years. It 
brands itself the largest conference in the field, and this year boasts 
3000 delegates (including seven Nobel laureates), 54 symposia, roughly 
1500 posters, and ten plenary addresses. But despite the excitement, 
Batterham, who has had a big hand in organizing the event as secretary 
general of the ICG, used the opportunity to take a swipe at the meagre 
proportion of gross domestic product that the Australian federal 
government invests in research.

In spite of a relatively buoyant economy, which has, says Batterham, 
recorded an annual growth of 3-4% for several years, Australian science 
is suffering from serious under-funding, he told BioMedNet News. This 
is preventing the research community from making the sort of global 
impact he believes it is capable of.

Last night's event was designed to drum up trade for the conference 
from an invited gathering of scientists, industry chiefs, and potential 
sponsors. The congress "considers all aspects of genetics and brings 
people together working on many different systems," Batterham told 
guests.

"It is a wonderful showcase of what is and continues to be a great 
arena for genetics," agreed Linda Partridge, professor of evolutionary 
genomics at University College London, and president of the British 
Genetics Society. Of all the sessions that are planned, she was 
particularly looking forward to those on genomics. "One of the 
staggering things is how similar we are to other organisms," she told 
BioMedNet News. "You can work on a fly on neurodegeneration, cancer or 
aging, and you can get a long way fast to understand what's going on," 
she said.

This, the 19th ICG, which will be held from July 6-11, conveniently 
coincides with the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's description 
of the double helical structure of DNA. The ICG's marketing team has 
not missed the opportunity; the "Double-helix dinner" can be sponsored 
for a snip at US$40,000 and a "Double-helix cake" for a modest US$5000.

Batterham reckons this is value for money. "The cake will be visually 
stunning," he said. What's more, he adds, the most famous Nobelist at 
the conference, James D. Watson, will cut it, a ploy "likely to get a 
big run in the media," he triumphed. Any proceeds from the marketing 
effort will be shared within the genetics community, but Batterham 
would like to see some of it used for the benefit of Australian 
students in particular.

Steve Jones, professor of genetics at University College London, could 
relate to Batterham's pride in the Australian scientific community. "In 
terms of the funds available, they are hitting well above their 
weight," he told BioMedNet News. "Whatever they're doing, they're doing 
it right." But Jones admits that he is unlikely to go to Melbourne in 
July. "The only way to get me to Australia is to reunite Gondwanaland," 
he said.

-- 
Philip Rhoades

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