Hutton Highlights, September 2018

6 Hutton Highlights Awards, Accolades & Appointments Professor Lorna Dawson was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. She is joined by longstanding Hutton member of staff Anne Pack, who has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM). Professor Dawson’s honour was bestowed for services to soil and forensic science, covering three decades of Hutton scientist Peter Orrell and his product MycoNourish have been announced as runner-up in the Converge Challenge 2018, Scotland’s leading higher education company creation programme. The results were announced at the 2018 Converge Challenge awards ceremony in Edinburgh on 20 September, with a total prize pot of £160,000 and in-kind business support available to the winners and runners-up. Peter’s MycoNourish innovation customises the interactions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots to suit specific production systems, giving the best possible benefit to plants, and providing a reliable means of improving yields and increasing sustainability. Working symbiotically with plants, mycorrhizal fungi act as a secondary root system, increasing plant health and improving the quantity and quality of crop yields. Peter had already won the ‘Ready Steady Pitch’ award of the Converge Challenge this year, in which entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to a panel of experts and industry professionals in just sixty seconds. Emerging technologies Hutton researcher success in Converge Challenge 2018 and much-needed industry innovations were showcased by the twenty-three shortlisted entrepreneurs and candidates range from early stage projects to established start-up and spin-out businesses. The Converge Challenge is a leading company creation programme for staff, students and recent graduates of Scottish universities and research institutes, with the aim of creating a new generation of entrepreneurs in Scotland. For more information, visit their website . Honours List awards Peter Orrell and his product MycoNourish stand as finalists of the Converge Challenge 2018 Lorna Dawson and Anne Pack were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List managing and conducting research in soil and, in particular, its application within the criminal justice system. She is an honorary professor in Forensic Science at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and last year she also received a Pride of Britain award. Anne Pack was honoured for services to agricultural research, Scottish culture and charity. She has been a member of staff at the James Hutton Institute and its legacy organisations since 1992, serving as Personal Assistant to four Chief Executives, all of whom held her devotion to duty in high regard. She is also an accomplished singer-songwriter and recording artist as well as a published author. Professor Colin Campbell commented: “Lorna and Anne thoroughly deserve these honours which acknowledge their contributions to the Institute and society. They have helped underpin our international reputation for excellence in science. The honours also recognise their wider contributions to Scottish life.” September 2018 7 Modern dairying practices on bill at Edinburgh Fringe A show at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe by Hutton researcher Orla Shortall examined the growing gap between how food is produced and public knowledge and values about agriculture. ‘Cows eat grass, don’t they?’ is part of the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas, an informal platform for academics to engage the public with their research. Orla commented: “There needs to be more discussion between different parts of the industry and the public about the future of dairy farming. Not only about facts – what are the environmental, social and welfare impacts of housing cows; but also about values – how do we want our milk to be produced and what do we value about agriculture?” The informal setting of the Fringe and the mixed audiences that shows typically attract provides an interesting opportunity to explore their thoughts and perspectives, and to provide some extra information about the dairying industry, both ‘traditional’ and evolving practice. The show is part of a wider three-year project exploring the future of indoor and pasture based dairy systems in the UK and Ireland: www. docowseatgrass.org. “We did the event last year and there were farmers, industry representatives, animal rights activists and interested members of the public. The discussion was lively and nuanced and insightful,” said Orla. Comments? Microbiology Society Outreach Prize 2018 comes to Dundee PhD student Senga Robertson-Albertyn has been announced as the winner of the Microbiology Society’s 2018 Microbiology Outreach Prize for her project Microbe Motels: How to make a Healthy Poo. The Prize is awarded annually for an outstanding outreach project. Senga is based at Hutton’s Invergowrie site, with the University of Dundee Division of Plant Sciences. Senga’s research investigates the structure and function of the barley rhizosphere microbiota. She is an accomplished science communicator and has engaged with the public in many different ways. The prizewinning outreach project, which was originally intended to communicate the human microbiota to primary school children, is versatile enough to be adapted to different audiences. Professor Nicola Stanley-Wall, one of the nominators for the prize, cited Senga’s passion for public engagement and willingness to take part in events for a wide variety of audiences. Senga presented her prize talk at the Microbiology Society AGM in London on 6 September. To find out more about the Prize, visit the society website. Hutton researcher Orla Shortall presented her show ‘Cows eat grass, don’t they?’ during the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe International Barley Hub shortlisted for VIBES climate change award The International Barley Hub, the Hutton and the University of Dundee initiative which aims to create a platform to translate barley research into commercial benefits for the brewing, whisky and food sectors, has been shortlisted for a VIBES – Scottish Environment Business award, in the Adaptation to Climate Change category. Now in their 19th year, the VIBES awards urge Scotland’s businesses to challenge their everyday working practices and embrace the economic opportunity presented by sustainability. The judging panel, comprised of David Balmford, Denise Main (both from SEPA) and Ellen Eyles (Scottish Water), visited the Institute’s Invergowrie site to find out more about work to develop barley varieties and farming systems to cope with climate change. Later they visited our Balruddery Farm to learn about our ‘magic margins’ and the Centre for Sustainable Cropping. The 2018 VIBES award winners will be announced at a ceremony on 14 November in Glasgow. For a full list of categories and finalists, see the VIBES Award website . VIBES Award judges visited our Dundee site as well as Balruddery Farm PhD student Senga Robertson-Albertyn