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HOUSING CIVIL ENGINEERING ARTS IN ARCHITECTURE FLETCHER OF SALTOUN HISTORY BOOK DOCUMENTARY FILM RESEARCH BOOK SCIENCE SCOTS SONG TESS EDUC. LITERARY Panel  Results THE SALTIRE SOCIETY / SCOTTISH & NEWCASTLE plc SCOTTISH SCIENCE AWARD The Scottish Science Award (founded in 1989) is presented annually to a distinguished scientist in mid-career, and between the ages of 30 and 50 years who has lived and worked continuously in Scotland for not less than five years, or is of Scottish descent. The Society is seeking to recognise those who are making a major contribution to science, whose merit has not been previously recognised by public honours or by election to one of the senior learned societies, and who are able to communicate their scientific results to the wider public. The Saltire Society Scottish Science Award and Lecture 2009 In association with The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Science Awards Committee and Scottish & Newcastle plc was presented on Monday 16th February 2009 at The Royal Society of Edinburgh The Award was presented to Andrew John McWalter Millar Professor of Systems Biology, at Edinburgh An introduction to Professor Millar's work was given by Professor Bruce Proudfoot, OBE, FRSE Convener of the Society's Science Award Panel The introduction was followed by Professor Millar's lecture Unwinding the Biological Clock with a Computer Title: Unwinding the Biological Clock with a Computer Evolving on a spinning planet, most forms of life use a biological clock to cope with the effects of the day/night cycle. This internal, 24-hour timer drives daily rhythms in many processes and also, surprisingly, controls 365-day, seasonal rhythms. The human circadian clock rarely gets a second thought, until our lives in 24-hour society fall out of step with its tempo. In jet lag, in shift work, in clinical settings, the symptoms of miss-timing become all to apparent. Strikingly, the clockwork in plants provides the same timing functions and uses a very similar architecture to the animal clock, though its proteins (the clock's cogs and gears) seem entirely unrelated to those in animals. The plant's clock controls growth, the fixation of carbon from the atmosphere, and the timing of flowering, all of which affect agriculture productivity. Biologists are now discovering how evolution has constructed a clockwork from genes and proteins. In plants, though not yet in animals, we understand how the clock's daily output is transformed into a seasonal signal - to trigger flowering in the Spring, for example. Andrew Millar's research uses computer models to simplify this complex biology, and to understand timing principles that apply across the living world. The 2007 Award was given for earth sciences and was awarded to Professor Maggie Cusack, Professor of Biomineralisation, University of Glasgow, at a ceremony held on 23rd April at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Professor Cusack's lecture was titled Biominerals - Exploration and Exploitation. The Award is given within five branches of science in rotation annually: 1. medicine and veterinary medicine 2. physical science and mathematics 3. biological sciences 4. earth sciences 5. cell and molecular biology The Award consists of a medallion, a certificate and a small monetary prize. It is a condition of the Award that, following the presentation, the successful candidate will give a popular lecture on the subject of the Award at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Candidates for the Award are recommended to the Scientific Committee of the Saltire Society by appropriate Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and by any scientist of high standing in the relevant field. Nominations may be made by using the electronic Nomination Form or by contacting: The Administrator. The call for nominations for the 2008 Science Award is now closed.   Science Panel Bruce Proudfoot (Convener) Nick Silk (representing Scottish & Newcastle) David Wilkie Plus an invited expert in each specific disciplines.   Scottish Science Award   Year Type Sponsor Recipient Profession Work/Lecture 1989 Medicine Royal Bank of Scotland Professor William Jarrett Professor of Veterinary Pathology, University of Glasgow Cancer and Aids - the Contribution of Veterinary Medicine 1990 Physics Royal Bank of Scotland Professor Peter Ware Higgs Department of Physics, University of Edinburgh Theoretical Physics - Unifying the Fundamental Forces 1991 Earth Royal Bank of Scotland Professor Brian Bluck Department of Geology and Applied Geology, University of Glasgow The Geological Growth of Scotland 1992 Medicine Royal Bank of Scotland Professor Kenneth Murray Department of Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh Hepatitis - chance and opportunity in biomedical research 1993 Physics Royal Bank of Scotland Professor Malcolm Sim Longair Jackson Professor of Natural Philosophy, University of Cambridge Physical Science - Unravelling the origins of our Universe - past, present and future 1994 Biology Royal Bank of Scotland Dr John D Oldham Scottish Agricultural College, Research and Consultance Services for Food, Land and Environment, Bush Estate, Penicuik Hey Mum, I found a Cow’s Nest (A biology of milk production) 1995 Earth Scottish and Newcastle Colin Ballantyne Professor of Physical Geography, University of St Andrews Recontructing the Ice Age: Ancient Glaciers and their Implications 1996 Medicine Scottish and Newcastle Professor Christopher Haslett Professor of Repiratory Medicine and Director of the Rayne Laboratories Inflammation - the double-edged sword 1997 Physics Scottish and Newcastle Bernard Roberts Professor of Solar Megnetohydrodynamics, University of St Andrews The Sun’s Magnetic Attractions 1998 Biology Scottish and Newcastle Professor Niel Gow Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Aberdeen How Fungi Mould Society 1999 Earth Scottish and Newcastle Robert Stuart Haszeldine Reader in Geology, University of Edinburgh Plumbing the Depths - water’s role in oil geology and radioactive waste 2000 Veterinary Science Scottish and Newcastle Prof Quintin Archibald McKellar Chief Executive & Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute Therapy for Live-stock in a Global Community Elixir or Crutch? 2001 Physical Science and Mathematics Scottish and Newcastle James Scott Dunlop Reader in Astrophysics, University of Edinburgh The Birth of Galaxies 2002 Biology Scottish and Newcastle Prof John Speakman Professor of Zoology & Head of Integrative Physiology, University of Aberdeen The Fire of life - studies of animal energetics 2003 Earth Sciences Scottish and Newcastle Dr Alexander William Tudhope Grant Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Edinburgh What can corals tell us about climate variability and change? 2004 Medicine Scottish and Newcastle Professor Andrew D Morris Professor of Diabetic Medicine, University of Dundee Fat or Fiction - The Global Threat of Diabetes. 2005 Physical Science & Mathematics Scottish and Newcastle Dr Douglas Philp Reader in Chemistry, University of St Andrew's From Grey Goo to the Greater Good: Harnessing Replication for Nanoscale Manufactoring. 2006 Biological Science Scottish and Newcastle Dr Peter Hollingsworth Head of Genetics and Conservation, Royal Botanic Gardens Microsatellites aas population genetic Markers - Taxonomy, genetics and ecology of sub-arctic willow scrup. - Use of genetic data in conservation biology. 2007 Earth Science Scottish and Newcastle Professor Maggie Cusack Professor of Biomineralisation,University of Glasgow Biominerals - Exploration and Exploitation 2008 Cell & Molecular Biology Scottish and Newcastle Professor Andrew John McWalter Millar Professor of Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh Unwinding the Biological Clock with a Computer