Category Archives: science policy

Symposium on “Enabling the Nanotechnology Revolution” on October 10, 2023, in-person in Washington, DC or virtual

It’s the 20th anniversary of the US National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and, now, scientists and policymakers will be celebrating and analyzing the results on October 10, 2023 according to a September 18, 2023 post on the JD Supra Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies blog, Note: A link has been removed,

On October 10, 2023, the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) will host a symposium entitled “Enabling the Nanotechnology Revolution: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act” at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Experts will address the importance of nanotechnology in microelectronics, optics, advanced polymers, quantum engineering, medicine, education, manufacturing, and more. Discussions will also focus on the environmental, health, and safety implications of nanomaterials, as well as the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) community’s efforts around inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.

You can register and find more information on the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) anniversary symposium webpage, Note: A link has been removed,

Scientists and engineers across many fields and disciplines are united by their work at the nanoscale. Their diverse efforts have helped produce everything from faster microchips to powerful mRNA vaccines. The transformative impact of this work has been spurred by the coordination and focus on U.S. nanotechnology established by the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act in 2003. Celebrating such a broad impact and envisioning the future can be quite challenging, but this event will bring together voices from across the emerging technology landscape. There will be experts who can speak on the importance of nanotechnology in quantum engineering, optics, EHS, plastics, DEIA, microelectronics, medicine, education, manufacturing, and more. We can’t predict what will emerge from this lively discussion between researchers, policymakers, members of industry, educators, and the public, but the conversation can only benefit from including more diverse perspectives – especially yours.

You have the option of registering in-person attendance or for virtual attendance.

Here’s the:

AGENDA

9:00-9:05   Welcome and Introduction

9:05-9:30   Opening Remarks on the NNI

9:30-10:15  Morning Keynote

10:15-10:30  Coffee Break

10:30-11:15  Panel: Responsible Development

11:15-12:00  Panel: Fundamental Research

12:00-1:00  Lunch and Networking

1:00-1:45  Keynote Panel: The Future of Nanotechnology

1:45-2:30  Panel: Workforce Development

2:30-2:45  Break

2:45-3:30  Panel: Infrastructure

3:30-4:15  Panel: Commercialization

4:15-5:00  Closing Keynote

Reception to follow

If you’re curious about the panelists and speakers, you will find a list with pictures and links to profile pages on the NNI’s anniversary symposium webpage.

Comments on today’s (September 20, 2023) media briefing for the US National Science Foundation’s (NSF) inaugural Global Centers Competition awards

I almost missed the briefing but the folks at the US National Science Foundation (NSF) kindly allowed me to join the meeting despite being 10 minutes late. Before launching into my comments, here’s what we were discussing,

From a September 20, 2023 NSF media briefing (received via email),

U. S. National Science Foundation Media Briefing on the Inaugural Global Centers Awards  

Please join the U.S. National Science Foundation this Wednesday September 20th from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST for a discussion and Q&A on the inaugural Global Centers Competition awards. Earlier this week, NSF along with partner funding agencies from Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom — announced awards totaling $76.4 million for the inaugural Global Centers Competition. These international, interdisciplinary collaborative research centers will apply best practices of broadening participation and community engagement to develop use-inspired research on climate change and clean energy. The centers will also create and promote opportunities for students and early-career researchers to gain education and training in world-class research while enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

NSF will have a panel of experts on hand to discuss and answer questions about these new Global Centers and how they will sync talent across the globe to generate the discoveries and solutions needed to empower resilient communities everywhere.

What: Panel discussion and Q&A on NSF’s Global Centers

When: 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST, Wednesday, September 20th, 2023

Where: This briefing [is over.]

Who: Scheduled panelists include…

Anne Emig is the Section Chief for the Programs and Analysis Section in the National Science Foundation Office of International Science and Engineering

Dr. Tanya Berger-Wolf is the Principal Investigator for the Global Centers Track 1 project on AI and Biodiversity Change as well as the Director of the Translational Data Analytics Institute and a Professor of Computer Science Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at the Ohio State University

Dr. Meng Tao is the Principal Investigator for the Global Centers Track 1 project Global Hydrogen Production Technologies Center as well as a Professor, School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University

Dr. Ashish Sharma is the Principal Investigator for the Global Centers Track 1 project Clean Energy and Equitable Transportation Solutions as well as the Climate and Urban Sustainability Lead at the Discovery Partners Institute, University of Illinois System

Note: This briefing is only open to members of the media

I’m glad to have learned about this effort and applaud the NSF for its outreach efforts. By comparison, Canadian agencies (I’m looking at you, Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada [NSERC] and Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada [SSHRC]) have a lot to learn.

There’s a little more about the Global Centers Competition awards in a September 18, 2023 NSF news release,

Today [September 18, 2023], the U.S. National Science Foundation — along with partner funding agencies from Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom — announced awards totaling $76.4 million for the inaugural Global Centers Competition. These international, interdisciplinary collaborative research centers will apply best practices of broadening participation and community engagement to develop use-inspired research on climate change and clean energy. The centers will also create and promote opportunities for students and early-career researchers to gain education and training in world-class research while enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

“NSF builds capacity and advances its priorities through these centers of research excellence by uniting diverse teams from around the world,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “Global Centers will sync talent across the globe to generate the discoveries and solutions needed to empower resilient communities everywhere.”

Global Centers are sponsored in part by a multilateral funding activity led by NSF and four partner funding organizations: Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and the United Kingdom’s UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Both collectively and independently, the centers will support convergent interdisciplinary research collaborations focused on assessing and mitigating the impacts of climate change on society, people, and communities. Outcomes from Global Centers’ activities will inform and catalyze the development of innovative solutions and technologies to address climate change. Examples include: enhancing awareness of critical information; advancing and advocating for decarbonization efforts; creating climate change adaptation plans tailored to specific localities and groups; using artificial intelligence to study responses of nature to climate change; transboundary water issues; and scaling the production of next-generation technologies aimed at achieving net zero. Several projects include partnerships with tribal groups or historically Black colleges and universities that will broaden participation.

“The National Science Foundation Global Centres initiative provides students and researchers a platform to advance innovative and interdisciplinary research and gain education and training opportunities in world-class research while also enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility,” said NSERC President Alejandro Adem. “We at NSERC look forward to seeing the outcomes of the work being done by some of Canada and the world’s best and brightest minds to tackle one of the biggest issues of our time.”

The awards are divided into two tracks. Track 1 are Implementation grants with co-funding from international partners. Track 2 are Design grants meant to provide seed funding to develop the teams and the science for future competitions. Many additional countries are involved in Track 2 and will increase global engagement.

There are seven Track 1 Global Centers that involve research partnerships with Australia, Canada, and the U.K. Each Track 1 Global Center will be implemented by internationally dispersed teams consisting of U.S. and foreign researchers. U.S. researchers will be supported by NSF up to $5 million over four to five years, while foreign researchers will be supported by their respective country’s funding agency (CSIRO, NSERC, SSHRC and UKRI) with a comparable amount of funds.

There are 14 Track 2 Global Centers that are at the community-driven design stage. These centers’ teams involve U.S. researchers in partnerships with foreign researchers from any country. NSF will provide the U.S. researchers up to $250,000 of seed funding over a two-year period. These multidisciplinary, international teams will coordinate the research and education efforts needed to become competitive for Track-1 funding in the future.

“Our combined investment in Global Centers enables exciting researcher and innovation-led international and interdisciplinary collaboration to drive the energy transition,” said UKRI CEO, Dame Ottoline Leyser. “I look forward to seeing the creative solutions developed through these global collaborations.”

Kirsten Rose, Acting Chief Executive of CSIRO, said as Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO is proud to be part of a strong national contribution to solving this critical global challenge. “Partnering with the NSF’s Global Centers means Australia remains at the global forefront of work to build a clean hydrogen industry, build integrated and equitable energy systems, and partnering with regions and industries for a low emissions future.”

Track 1 (Implementation)

  • Global Hydrogen Production Technologies (HyPT) Center
    Grant number: 2330525
    Arizona State University and U.S. partner institutions: University of Michigan, Stanford University and Navajo Technical University.
    Quadrilateral research partnership with Australia, Canada, and the U.K.
    Critical and Emerging Tech: green hydrogen (renewable energy generation).
     
  • Electric Power Innovation for a Carbon-free Society (EPICS)
    Grant number: 2330450
    The Johns Hopkins University and U.S. partner institutions: Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California, Davis, and Resources for the Future.
    Trilateral research partnership with Australia and the U.K.
    Critical and Emerging Tech: renewable energy storage.
     
  • Global Nitrogen Innovation Center for Clean Energy and Environment (NICCEE)
    Grant number: 2330502
    University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences and U.S. partner institutions: New York University and University of Massachusetts Amherst.
    Trilateral research partnership with Canada and the U.K.
    Critical & Emerging Tech: green ammonia (bioeconomy + agriculture).
     
  • Understanding Climate Change Impacts on Transboundary Waters
    Grant number: 2330317
    University of Michigan and U.S. partner institutions: Cornell University, College of the Menominee Nation, Red Lake Nation and University of Wisconsin–Madison.
    Bilateral research partnership with Canada.
    Critical and Emerging Tech: N/A.
     
  • AI and Biodiversity Change (ABC)
    Grant number: 2330423 
    The Ohio State University and U.S. partner institutions: University of Pittsburgh and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
    Bilateral Research partnership with Canada.
    Critical and Emerging Tech: AI.
     
  • U.S.-Canada Center on Climate-Resilient Western Interconnected Grid
    Grant number: 2330582                
    The University of Utah and U.S. partner institutions: University of California San Diego, The University of New Mexico, and The Nevada System of Higher Education.     
    Bilateral Research partnership with Canada.
    Critical and Emerging Tech: AI.
     
  • Clean Energy and Equitable Transportation Solutions
    Grant number: 2330565
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and U.S. partner institutions: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and Arizona State University.
    Bilateral Research partnership with the U.K.
    Critical and Emerging Tech: N/A
     

Track 2 (Design)

  • Developing Solutions to Decarbonize Emissions and Fuels
    Grant number: 2330509              
    University of Maryland, College Park.
    International collaboration with Japan, Israel, and Ghana.             
     
  • Enhanced Wind Turbine Blade Durability
    Grant number: 2329911              
    Cornell University.
    International collaboration with Canada, the UK, Norway, Denmark, and Spain.
     
  • Building the Global Center for Forecasting Freshwater Futures
    Grant number: 2330211
    Virginia Tech.
    International collaboration with Australia.
     
  • Climate Risk and Resilience: Southeast Asia as a Living Lab (SEALL)
    Grant number: 2330308
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
    International collaboration with Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and India.
     
  • Climate-Smart Food-Energy-Water Nexus in Small Farms
    Grant number: 2330505              
    The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.        
    International collaboration with Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Panama, Cambodia, and Uganda.
     
  • Center for Household Energy and Thermal Resilience (HEaTR)
    Grant number: 2330533              
    Cornell University.
    International collaboration with India, the U.K, Ghana, and Singapore.
     
  • Enabling interdisciplinary wildfire research for community resilience
    Grant number: 2330343              
    Oregon State University.
    International collaborations with Australia and the U.K.
     
  • SuReMin: Sustainable, resilient, responsible global minerals supply chain
    Grant number: 2330041              
    Northwestern University.
    International collaboration with Chile.
     
  • Nature-based Urban Hydrology Center
    Grant number: 2330413              
    Villanova University.
    International collaboration with Canada, the U.K, Switzerland, Ireland, Australia, Chile, and Turkey.
     
  • A multi-disciplinary framework to combat climate-induced desert locust upsurges, outbreaks, and plagues in East Africa
    Grand number: 2330452
    Georgia State University.
    International collaboration with Ethiopia.
     
  • US-Africa Research Center for Clean Energy
    Grant number: 2330437
    Georgia Institute of Technology.
    International collaborations with Rwanda.
     
  • Equitable and User-Centric Energy Market for Resilient Grid-interactive Communities
    Grant number: 2330504
    Santa Clara University.
    International collaboration with Canada.
     
  • Energy Sovereignty for Indigenous Peoples (ESIP)
    Grant number: 2330387
    University of North Dakota.
    International collaboration with Canada.
     
  • Blue Climate Solutions
    Grant number: 2330518              
    University of Rhode Island.
    International collaboration with Indonesia.

For Canadian researchers who are interested, there’s a National Science Foundation Global Centres webpage on the NSERC website, which answers a lot of questions about the programme from a Canadian perspective. The application deadline for both tracks was May 10, 2023 and there’s no information (as of September 20, 2023) about future competitions. Nice to see the social science and humanities included in the form of a funding agency. (I think this might be the one compliment I deliver to a Canadian funding initiative this year. 🙂

For American researchers, there’s the NSF’s Global Centers webpage; for UK researchers, there’s the United Kingdom’s Research and Innovation’s Global Centres in clean energy and climate change webpage; and for Australian researchers, there’s the CSIRO’s National Science Foundation Global Centers webpage. Application deadlines have passed for all of these competitions and there’s no information (as of September 20, 2023) about future competitions.

A few comments

News about local and international affairs (see Seth Borenstein’s September 20, 2023 Associated Press article “UN chief warns of ‘gates of hell’ in climate summit, but carbon polluting nations stay silent”) and one’s own personal experience with climate issues can be discouraging at times so it’s heartening to see these efforts. Kudos to the organizers of the Global Centers programme and I wish all the researchers success.

Given how new these centers are, it’s understandable that the panelists would be a little fuzzy about specific although they’ve clearly considered and are attempting to address issues such as sharing data, trust, and outreach to various stakeholders and communities.

I wish I’d asked about cybersecurity when they were talking about data. Ah well, there was my question about outreach to people over the age of 50 or 55 as so much of their planning was focused on youth. The panelists who responded (Dr. Tanya Berger-Wolf, Dr. Meng Tao, and Dr. Ashish Sharma) did not seem to have done much thinking about seniors/elders/older people.

I believe bird watching (as mentioned by one of the panelists) does tend to attract older people but citizen science or other hobbies/programmes mentioned may or may not be a good source for seniors outreach. Almost all science outreach tilts to youth including citizen science.

With the planet is not doing so well and with the aging populations in Canada, the US, many European countries, China, Japan, and I’m sure many others perhaps some new thinking about ‘inclusivity’ might be in order. One suggestion, start thinking about age groups. In the same way that 20 is not 30, is not 40, so 55 is not 65, is not 75. One more thing, perhaps take into account life experience. Something that gets forgotten is that a lot of the programmes that people take for granted and a lot of the technology people use today was developed in the 1960s (e.g. Internet). That old person? Maybe it’s someone who founded the UN’s Environment Program (I was teaching a nanotechnology course in a seniors programme and asked students about themselves; I was intimidated by her credentials).

In the end, this Global Center initiative is heartening news.

Register for Science Meets (Canadian) Parliament by October 11, 2023—Virtual information session on September 19, 2023

A September 14, 2023 announcement (received via email) from the Canadian Science Policy Centre includes an invitation to sign up for the 2024 edition of their Science Meets Parliament (SMP) programme, here’s more about the programme from the announcement,

Science Meets Parliament (SMP) is a program that works to strengthen the connections between the science and policy communities. This program is open to Tier II Canada Research Chairs, Indigenous Principal Investigators, and Banting Postdoctoral Fellows. …

This seems a little underwhelming as a description; thankfully, there’s a little more on the Canadian Science Policy Centre’s SMP webpage,

The Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) and the Office of the Chief Science Advisor (OCSA) are pleased to announce that registration is open for the 2024 edition of Science Meets Parliament!

This program is scheduled to take place in Ottawa on May 6th and 7th 2024, subject to Parliament being in session and in person.

The objective of this initiative is to strengthen the connections between Canada’s scientific and political communities, enable a two-way dialogue, and promote mutual understanding. This initiative aims to help scientists become familiar with policy making at the political level, and for parliamentarians to explore using scientific evidence in policy making. This initiative is not meant to be an advocacy exercise, and will not include any discussion of science funding or other forms of advocacy.

The Science Meets Parliament model is adapted from the successful Australian program held annually since 1999. Similar initiatives exist in the EU, the UK and Spain.

CSPC’s program aims to benefit the parliamentarians, the scientific community and, indirectly, the Canadian public.

For anyone who likes to ‘kick the tires before buying’, there’s an information session (from the announcement),

A virtual information session will be held for all interested parties on September 19th [2023], from 11:30-12:30 pm ET [8:30 – 9:30 am PT]. To register for the SMP 2024 Virtual Information Session, click here. 

Finally (from the announcement),

The deadline to apply for this program is October 11, 2023. To apply, click here.

Good luck!

Synthetic human embryos—what now? (2 of 2)

The term they’re using in the Weizmann Institute of Science’s (Israel) announcement is “a generally accurate human embryo model.” This is in contrast to previous announcements including the one from the University of Cambridge team highlighted in Part 1.

From a September 6, 2023 news item on phys.org, Note: A link has been removed,

A research team headed by Prof. Jacob Hanna at the Weizmann Institute of Science has created complete models of human embryos from stem cells cultured in the lab—and managed to grow them outside the womb up to day 14. As reported today [September 6, 2023] in Nature, these synthetic embryo models had all the structures and compartments characteristic of this stage, including the placenta, yolk sac, chorionic sac and other external tissues that ensure the models’ dynamic and adequate growth.

Cellular aggregates derived from human stem cells in previous studies could not be considered genuinely accurate human embryo models, because they lacked nearly all the defining hallmarks of a post-implantation embryo. In particular, they failed to contain several cell types that are essential to the embryo’s development, such as those that form the placenta and the chorionic sac. In addition, they did not have the structural organization characteristic of the embryo and revealed no dynamic ability to progress to the next developmental stage.

Given their authentic complexity, the human embryo models obtained by Hanna’s group may provide an unprecedented opportunity to shed new light on the embryo’s mysterious beginnings. Little is known about the early embryo because it is so difficult to study, for both ethical and technical reasons, yet its initial stages are crucial to its future development. During these stages, the clump of cells that implants itself in the womb on the seventh day of its existence becomes, within three to four weeks, a well-structured embryo that already contains all the body organs.

“The drama is in the first month, the remaining eight months of pregnancy are mainly lots of growth,” Hanna says. “But that first month is still largely a black box. Our stem cell–derived human embryo model offers an ethical and accessible way of peering into this box. It closely mimics the development of a real human embryo, particularly the emergence of its exquisitely fine architecture.”

A stem cell–derived human embryo model at a developmental stage equivalent to that of a day 14 embryo. The model has all the compartments that define this stage: the yolk sac (yellow) and the part that will become the embryo itself, topped by the amnion (blue) – all enveloped by cells that will become the placenta (pink) Courtesy: Weizmann Institute of Science

A September 6, 2023 Weizmann Institute of Science press release, which originated the news item, offers a wealth of detail, Note: Links have been removed,

Letting the embryo model say “Go!”

Hanna’s team built on their previous experience in creating synthetic stem cell–based models of mouse embryos. As in that research, the scientists made no use of fertilized eggs or a womb. Rather, they started out with human cells known as pluripotent stem cells, which have the potential to differentiate into many, though not all, cell types. Some were derived from adult skin cells that had been reverted to “stemness.” Others were the progeny of human stem cell lines that had been cultured for years in the lab.

The researchers then used Hanna’s recently developed method to reprogram pluripotent stem cells so as to turn the clock further back: to revert these cells to an even earlier state – known as the naïve state – in which they are capable of becoming anything, that is, specializing into any type of cell. This stage corresponds to day 7 of the natural human embryo, around the time it implants itself in the womb. Hanna’s team had in fact been the first to start describing methods to generate human naïve stem cells, back in 2013; they continued to improve these methods, which stand at the heart of the current project, over the years.

The scientists divided the cells into three groups. The cells intended to develop into the embryo were left as is. The cells in each of the other groups were treated only with chemicals, without any need for genetic modification, so as to turn on certain genes, which was intended to cause these cells to differentiate toward one of three tissue types needed to sustain the embryo: placenta, yolk sac or the extraembryonic mesoderm membrane that ultimately creates the chorionic sac.

Soon after being mixed together under optimized, specifically developed conditions, the cells formed clumps, about 1 percent of which self-organized into complete embryo-like structures. “An embryo is self-driven by definition; we don’t need to tell it what to do – we must only unleash its internally encoded potential,” Hanna says. “It’s critical to mix in the right kinds of cells at the beginning, which can only be derived from naïve stem cells that have no developmental restrictions. Once you do that, the embryo-like model itself says, ‘Go!’”

The stem cell–based embryo-like structures (termed SEMs) developed normally outside the womb for 8 days, reaching a developmental stage equivalent to day 14 in human embryonic development. That’s the point at which natural embryos acquire the internal structures that enable them to proceed to the next stage: developing the progenitors of body organs.

Complete human embryo models match classic diagrams in terms of structure and cell identity

When the researchers compared the inner organization of their stem cell–derived embryo models with illustrations and microscopic anatomy sections in classical embryology atlases from the 1960s, they found an uncanny structural resemblance between the models and the natural human embryos at the corresponding stage. Every compartment and supporting structure was not only there, but in the right place, size and shape. Even the cells that make the hormone used in pregnancy testing were there and active: When the scientists applied secretions from these cells to a commercial pregnancy test, it came out positive.

In fact, the study has already produced a finding that may open a new direction of research into early pregnancy failure. The researchers discovered that if the embryo is not enveloped by placenta-forming cells in the right manner at day 3 of the protocol (corresponding to day 10 in natural embryonic development), its internal structures, such as the yolk sac, fail to properly develop.

“An embryo is not static. It must have the right cells in the right organization, and it must be able to progress – it’s about being and becoming,” Hanna says. “Our complete embryo models will help researchers address the most basic questions about what determines its proper growth.”

This ethical approach to unlocking the mysteries of the very first stages of embryonic development could open numerous research paths. It might help reveal the causes of many birth defects and types of infertility. It could also lead to new technologies for growing transplant tissues and organs. And it could offer a way around experiments that cannot be performed on live embryos – for example, determining the effects of exposure to drugs or other substances on fetal development.

For people who are visually inclined, there are two videos embedded in the September 6, 2023 Weizmann Institute of Science press release.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Complete human day 14 post-implantation embryo models from naïve ES cells by Bernardo Oldak, Emilie Wildschutz, Vladyslav Bondarenko, Mehmet-Yunus Comar, Cheng Zhao, Alejandro Aguilera-Castrejon, Shadi Tarazi, Sergey Viukov, Thi Xuan Ai Pham, Shahd Ashouokhi, Dmitry Lokshtanov, Francesco Roncato, Eitan Ariel, Max Rose, Nir Livnat, Tom Shani, Carine Joubran, Roni Cohen, Yoseph Addadi, Muriel Chemla, Merav Kedmi, Hadas Keren-Shaul, Vincent Pasque, Sophie Petropoulos, Fredrik Lanner, Noa Novershtern & Jacob H. Hanna. Nature (2023) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06604-5 Published: 06 September 2023

This paper is behind a paywall.

As for the question I asked in the head “what now?” I have absolutely no idea.

Synthetic human embryos—what now? (1 of 2)

Usually, there’s a rough chronological order to how I introduce the research, but this time I’m looking at the term used to describe it, following up with the various news releases and commentaries about the research, and finishing with a Canadian perspective.

After writing this post (but before it was published), the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) made their September 6, 2023 announcement and things changed a bit. That’s in Part two.

Say what you really mean (a terminology issue)

First, it might be useful to investigate the term, ‘synthetic human embryos’ as Julian Hitchcock does in his June 29, 2023 article on Bristows website (h/t Mondaq’s July 5, 2023 news item), Note: Links have been removed,

Synthetic Embryos” are neither Synthetic nor Embryos. So why are editors giving that name to stem cell-based models of human development?

One of the less convincing aspects of the last fortnight’s flurry of announcements about advances in simulating early human development (see here) concerned their name. Headlines galore (in newspapers and scientific journals) referred to “synthetic embryos“.

But embryo models, however impressive, are not embryos. To claim that the fundamental stages of embryo development that we learnt at school – fertilisation, cleavage and compaction – could now be bypassed to achieve the same result would be wrong. Nor are these objects “synthesised”: indeed, their interest to us lies in the ways in which they organise themselves. The researchers merely place the stem cells in a matrix in appropriate conditions, then stand back and watch them do it. Scientists were therefore unhappy about this use of the term in news media, and relieved when the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) stepped in with a press release:

“Unlike some recent media reports describing this research, the ISSCR advises against using the term “synthetic embryo” to describe embryo models, because it is inaccurate and can create confusion. Integrated embryo models are neither synthetic nor embryos. While these models can replicate aspects of the early-stage development of human embryos, they cannot and will not develop to the equivalent of postnatal stage humans. Further, the ISSCR Guidelines prohibit the transfer of any embryo model to the uterus of a human or an animal.”

Although this was the ISSCR’s first attempt to put that position to the public, it had already made that recommendation to the research community two years previously. Its 2021 Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation had recommended researchers to “promote accurate, current, balanced, and responsive public representations of stem cell research”. In particular:

“While organoids, chimeras, embryo models, and other stem cell-based models are useful research tools offering possibilities for further scientific progress, limitations on the current state of scientific knowledge and regulatory constraints must be clearly explained in any communications with the public or media. Suggestions that any of the current in vitro models can recapitulate an intact embryo, human sentience or integrated brain function are unfounded overstatements that should be avoided and contradicted with more precise characterizations of current understanding.”

Here’s a little bit about Hitchcock from his Bristows profile page,

  • Diploma Medical School, University of Birmingham (1975-78)
  • LLB, University of Wolverhampton
  • Diploma in Intellectual Property Law & Practice, University of Bristol
  • Qualified 1998

Following an education in medicine at the University of Birmingham and a career as a BBC science producer, Julian has focused on the law and regulation of life science technologies since 1997, practising in England and Australia. He joined Bristows with Alex Denoon in 2018.

Hitchcock’s June 29, 2023 article comments on why this term is being used,

I have a lot of sympathy with the position of the science writers and editors incurring the scientists’ ire. First, why should journalists have known of the ISSCR’s recommendations on the use of the term “synthetic embryo”? A journalist who found Recommendation 4.1 of the ISSCR Guidelines would probably not have found them specific enough to address the point, and the academic introduction containing the missing detail is hard to find. …

My second reason for being sympathetic to the use of the terrible term is that no suitable alternative has been provided, other than in the Stem Cell Reports paper, which recommends the umbrella terms “embryo models” or “stem cell based embryo models”. …

When asked why she had used the term “synthetic embryo”, the journalist I contacted remarked that, “We’re still working out the right language and it’s something we’re discussing and will no doubt evolve along with the science”.

It is absolutely in the public’s interest (and in the interest of science), that scientific research is explained in terms that the public understands. There is, therefore, a need, I think, for the scientific community to supply a name to the media or endure the penalties of misinformation …

In such an intensely competitive field of research, disagreement among researchers, even as to names, is inevitable. In consequence, however, journalists and their audiences are confronted by a slew of terms which may or may not be synonymous or overlapping, with no agreed term [emphasis mine] for the overall class of stem cell based embryo models. We cannot blame them if they make up snappy titles of their own [emphasis mine]. …

The announcement

The earliest date for the announcement at the International Society for Stem Cell Researh meeting that I can find is Hannah Devlin’s June 14, 2023 article in The Guardian newspaper, Note: A link has been removed,

Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, in a groundbreaking advance that sidesteps the need for eggs or sperm.

Scientists say these model embryos, which resemble those in the earliest stages of human development, could provide a crucial window on the impact of genetic disorders and the biological causes of recurrent miscarriage.

However, the work also raises serious ethical and legal issues as the lab-grown entities fall outside current legislation in the UK and most other countries.

The structures do not have a beating heart or the beginnings of a brain, but include cells that would typically go on to form the placenta, yolk sac and the embryo itself.

Prof Magdalena Żernicka-Goetz, of the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology, described the work in a plenary address on Wednesday [June 14, 2023] at the International Society for Stem Cell Research’s annual meeting in Boston.

The (UK) Science Media Centre made expert comments available in a June 14, 2023 posting “expert reaction to Guardian reporting news of creation of synthetic embryos using stem cells.”

Two days later, this June 16, 2023 essay by Kathryn MacKay, Senior Lecturer in Bioethics, University of Sydney (Australia), appeared on The Conversation (h/t June 16, 2023 news item on phys.org), Note: Links have been removed,

Researchers have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, according to media reports. Remarkably, these embryos have reportedly been created from embryonic stem cells, meaning they do not require sperm and ova.

This development, widely described as a breakthrough that could help scientists learn more about human development and genetic disorders, was revealed this week in Boston at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

The research, announced by Professor Magdalena Żernicka-Goetz of the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology, has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. But Żernicka-Goetz told the meeting these human-like embryos had been made by reprogramming human embryonic stem cells.

So what does all this mean for science, and what ethical issues does it present?

MacKay goes on to answer her own questions, from the June 16, 2023 essay, Note: A link has been removed,

One of these quandaries arises around whether their creation really gets us away from the use of human embryos.

Robin Lovell-Badge, the head of stem cell biology and developmental genetics at the Francis Crick Institute in London UK, reportedly said that if these human-like embryos can really model human development in the early stages of pregnancy, then we will not have to use human embryos for research.

At the moment, it is unclear if this is the case for two reasons.

First, the embryos were created from human embryonic stem cells, so it seems they do still need human embryos for their creation. Perhaps more light will be shed on this when Żernicka-Goetz’s research is published.

Second, there are questions about the extent to which these human-like embryos really can model human development.

Professor Magdalena Żernicka-Goetz’s research is published

Almost two weeks later the research from the Cambridge team (there are other teams and countries also racing; see Part two for the news from Sept. 6, 2023) was published, from a June 27, 2023 news item on ScienceDaily,

Cambridge scientists have created a stem cell-derived model of the human embryo in the lab by reprogramming human stem cells. The breakthrough could help research into genetic disorders and in understanding why and how pregnancies fail.

Published today [Tuesday, June 27, 2023] in the journal Nature, this embryo model is an organised three-dimensional structure derived from pluripotent stem cells that replicate some developmental processes that occur in early human embryos.

Use of such models allows experimental modelling of embryonic development during the second week of pregnancy. They can help researchers gain basic knowledge of the developmental origins of organs and specialised cells such as sperm and eggs, and facilitate understanding of early pregnancy loss.

A June 27, 2023 University of Cambridge press release (also on EurekAlert), which originated the news item, provides more detail about the work,

“Our human embryo-like model, created entirely from human stem cells, gives us access to the developing structure at a stage that is normally hidden from us due to the implantation of the tiny embryo into the mother’s womb,” said Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, who led the work.

She added: “This exciting development allows us to manipulate genes to understand their developmental roles in a model system. This will let us test the function of specific factors, which is difficult to do in the natural embryo.”

In natural human development, the second week of development is an important time when the embryo implants into the uterus. This is the time when many pregnancies are lost.

The new advance enables scientists to peer into the mysterious ‘black box’ period of human development – usually following implantation of the embryo in the uterus – to observe processes never directly observed before.

Understanding these early developmental processes holds the potential to reveal some of the causes of human birth defects and diseases, and to develop tests for these in pregnant women.

Until now, the processes could only be observed in animal models, using cells from zebrafish and mice, for example.

Legal restrictions in the UK currently prevent the culture of natural human embryos in the lab beyond day 14 of development: this time limit was set to correspond to the stage where the embryo can no longer form a twin. [emphasis mine]

Until now, scientists have only been able to study this period of human development using donated human embryos. This advance could reduce the need for donated human embryos in research.

Zernicka-Goetz says the while these models can mimic aspects of the development of human embryos, they cannot and will not develop to the equivalent of postnatal stage humans.

Over the past decade, Zernicka-Goetz’s group in Cambridge has been studying the earliest stages of pregnancy, in order to understand why some pregnancies fail and some succeed.

In 2021 and then in 2022 her team announced in Developmental Cell, Nature and Cell Stem Cell journals that they had finally created model embryos from mouse stem cells that can develop to form a brain-like structure, a beating heart, and the foundations of all other organs of the body.

The new models derived from human stem cells do not have a brain or beating heart, but they include cells that would typically go on to form the embryo, placenta and yolk sac, and develop to form the precursors of germ cells (that will form sperm and eggs).

Many pregnancies fail at the point when these three types of cells orchestrate implantation into the uterus begin to send mechanical and chemical signals to each other, which tell the embryo how to develop properly.

There are clear regulations governing stem cell-based models of human embryos and all researchers doing embryo modelling work must first be approved by ethics committees. Journals require proof of this ethics review before they accept scientific papers for publication. Zernicka-Goetz’s laboratory holds these approvals.

“It is against the law and FDA regulations to transfer any embryo-like models into a woman for reproductive aims. These are highly manipulated human cells and their attempted reproductive use would be extremely dangerous,” said Dr Insoo Hyun, Director of the Center for Life Sciences and Public Learning at Boston’s Museum of Science and a member of Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics.

Zernicka-Goetz also holds position at the California Institute of Technology and is NOMIS Distinguished Scientist and Scholar Awardee.

The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust and Open Philanthropy.

(There’s more about legal concerns further down in this post.)

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Pluripotent stem cell-derived model of the post-implantation human embryo by Bailey A. T. Weatherbee, Carlos W. Gantner, Lisa K. Iwamoto-Stohl, Riza M. Daza, Nobuhiko Hamazaki, Jay Shendure & Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz. Nature (2023) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06368-y Published: 27 June 2023

This paper is open access.

Published the same day (June 27, 2023) is a paper (citation and link follow) also focused on studying human embryonic development using stem cells. First, there’s this from the Abstract,

Investigating human development is a substantial scientific challenge due to the technical and ethical limitations of working with embryonic samples. In the face of these difficulties, stem cells have provided an alternative to experimentally model inaccessible stages of human development in vitro …

This time the work is from a US/German team,

Self-patterning of human stem cells into post-implantation lineages by Monique Pedroza, Seher Ipek Gassaloglu, Nicolas Dias, Liangwen Zhong, Tien-Chi Jason Hou, Helene Kretzmer, Zachary D. Smith & Berna Sozen. Nature (2023) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06354-4 Published: 27 June 2023

The paper is open access.

Legal concerns and a Canadian focus

A July 25, 2023 essay by Françoise Baylis and Jocelyn Downie of Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia, Canada) for The Conversation (h/t July 25, 2023 article on phys.org) covers the advantages of doing this work before launching into a discussion of legislation and limits in the UK and, more extensively, in Canada, Note: Links have been removed,

This research could increase our understanding of human development and genetic disorders, help us learn how to prevent early miscarriages, lead to improvements in fertility treatment, and — perhaps — eventually allow for reproduction without using sperm and eggs.

Synthetic human embryos — also called embryoid bodies, embryo-like structures or embryo models — mimic the development of “natural human embryos,” those created by fertilization. Synthetic human embryos include the “cells that would typically go on to form the embryo, placenta and yolk sac, and develop to form the precursors of germ cells (that will form sperm and eggs).”

Though research involving natural human embryos is legal in many jurisdictions, it remains controversial. For some people, research involving synthetic human embryos is less controversial because these embryos cannot “develop to the equivalent of postnatal stage humans.” In other words, these embryos are non-viable and cannot result in live births.

Now, for a closer look at the legalities in the UK and in Canada, from the July 25, 2023 essay, Note: Links have been removed,

The research presented by Żernicka-Goetz at the ISSCR meeting took place in the United Kingdom. It was conducted in accordance with the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act, 1990, with the approval of the U.K. Stem Cell Bank Steering Committee.

U.K. law limits the research use of human embryos to 14 days of development. An embryo is defined as “a live human embryo where fertilisation is complete, and references to an embryo include an egg in the process of fertilisation.”

Synthetic embryos are not created by fertilization and therefore, by definition, the 14-day limit on human embryo research does not apply to them. This means that synthetic human embryo research beyond 14 days can proceed in the U.K.

The door to the touted potential benefits — and ethical controversies — seems wide open in the U.K.

While the law in the U.K. does not apply to synthetic human embryos, the law in Canada clearly does. This is because the legal definition of an embryo in Canada is not limited to embryos created by fertilization [emphasis mine].

The Assisted Human Reproduction Act (the AHR Act) defines an embryo as “a human organism during the first 56 days of its development following fertilization or creation, excluding any time during which its development has been suspended.”

Based on this definition, the AHR Act applies to embryos created by reprogramming human embryonic stem cells — in other words, synthetic human embryos — provided such embryos qualify as human organisms.

A synthetic human embryo is a human organism. It is of the species Homo sapiens, and is thus human. It also qualifies as an organism — a life form — alongside other organisms created by means of fertilization, asexual reproduction, parthenogenesis or cloning.

Given that the AHR Act applies to synthetic human embryos, there are legal limits on their creation and use in Canada.

First, human embryos — including synthetic human embryos – can only be created for the purposes of “creating a human being, improving or providing instruction in assisted reproduction procedures.”

Given the state of the science, it follows that synthetic human embryos could legally be created for the purpose of improving assisted reproduction procedures.

Second, “spare” or “excess” human embryos — including synthetic human embryos — originally created for one of the permitted purposes, but no longer wanted for this purpose, can be used for research. This research must be done in accordance with the consent regulations which specify that consent must be for a “specific research project.”

Finally, all research involving human embryos — including synthetic human embryos — is subject to the 14-day rule. The law stipulates that: “No person shall knowingly… maintain an embryo outside the body of a female person after the fourteenth day of its development following fertilization or creation, excluding any time during which its development has been suspended.”

Putting this all together, the creation of synthetic embryos for improving assisted human reproduction procedures is permitted, as is research using “spare” or “excess” synthetic embryos originally created for this purpose — provided there is specific consent and the research does not exceed 14 days.

This means that while synthetic human embryos may be useful for limited research on pre-implantation embryo development, they are not available in Canada for research on post-implantation embryo development beyond 14 days.

The authors close with this comment about the prospects for expanding Canada’s14-day limit, from the July 25, 2023 essay,

… any argument will have to overcome the political reality that the federal government is unlikely to open up the Pandora’s box of amending the AHR Act.

It therefore seems likely that synthetic human embryo research will remain limited in Canada for the foreseeable future.

As mentioned, in September 2023 there was a new development. See: Part two.

Canadian Science Policy Centre panel on Sept. 6, 2023 [date changed to October 4, 2023]: Science, technology and innovation (STI) between Brazil and Canada plus a quantum panel on Sept. 13, 2023

In an August 17, 2023 Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) newsletter (received via email), they’ve announced a panel about science and technology opportunities with a country we don’t usually talk about much in that context (nice to see a broader, not the US and not a European or Commonwealth country, approach being taken),

Canada-Brazil Cooperation and Collaboration in STI [Science, Technology, and Innovation]

This virtual panel aims to discuss the ongoing Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) cooperation between Brazil and Canada, along with the potential for furthering this relationship. The focus will encompass strategic areas of contact, ongoing projects, and scholarship opportunities. It is pertinent to reflect on the science diplomacy efforts of each country and their reciprocal influence. Additionally, the panel aims to explore how Canada engages with developing countries in terms of STI.

Click the button below to register for the upcoming virtual panel!

Register Here

Date: Sept. 6 [2023] October 4, 2023
Time: 1:00 pm EDT

Here are the speakers (from the CSPC’s Canada-Brazil Cooperation and Collaboration in STI event page),

Fernanda de Negri
Moderator
Director of Studies and Sectoral Policies of Innovation, Regulation and Infrastructure at the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA), Brazil
See Bio

Alejandro Adem
President of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada – NSERC
See Bio

Ambassador Emmanuel Kamarianakis
Canadian Embassy in Canada
See Bio

Ambassador Ademar Seabra da Cruz Jr.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil
See Bio

If you haven’t gotten your fill of virtual science policy panels yet, there’s this one on quantum technologies, from the August 17, 2023 Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) newsletter,

Canada’s Quantum Strategy and International Collaboration

Countries are investing heavily in quantum computing and other quantum technologies. As Canada has recently released its Quantum Strategy [Note: There is also report on Quantum Technologies expected from the Canadian Council of Academies, no release date yet], this is an opportunity to foster further international collaborations. Panelists will discuss the opportunities and challenges Canada will be facing and what this could mean for Canada’s leadership in quantum research and the development of quantum technologies.

Click the button below to register for the upcoming virtual panel!

Register Here

Date: Sep 13 [2023]
Time: 1:00 pm EDT

Here’s some information about the panel participants, from the CSPC’s Canada’s Quantum Strategy and International Collaboration event page,

Dr. Sarah Burke
Associate Professor, University of British Columbia
See Bio

Dr. Aimee K. Gunther
Deputy Director, Quantum Sensors Challenge Program, National Research Council Canada
See Bio

Prof. Andrea Damascelli
Scientific Director, Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute | Professor, Physics and Astronomy | Canada Research Chair in the Electronic Structure of Quantum Materials
See Bio

Nick Werstiuk
CEO, Quantum Valley Ideas Lab
See Bio

Eric Miller
Fellow, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
See Bio

Ms. Alexandra Daoud
Moderator
Vice President, Intellectual Property at Anyon Systems
See Bio

Interestingly, the moderator, Alexandra Daoud, is a patent agent.

As for the Council of Canadian Academies, you can find out about the proposed report on Quantum Technologies here.

Science and Innovation in a Time of Transformation—the Canadian Science Policy Conference (November 13 – 15, 2023)

Happy 15th anniversary to the Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC). Jaw dropping increase in price for SuperSaver rates!

Before getting to the prices, here’s more in English and French from a Canadian Science Policy Centre newsletter (received June 19, 2023 via email), Note: They don’t have a programme yet,

Registration for the eagerly awaited 15th Canadian Science Policy Conference is now available! Check the CSPC Conference Website for more information.

Register now at the SuperSaver rate which offers significant savings and is valid until September 3rd, 2023. By taking advantage of the SuperSaver rate, registration will include Five Symposia for free (a value of up to $300). 

CSPC 2023 will feature:

  • 8 Pre-Conference Zoom Sessions between Nov 1-10th, 2023
  • 5 Symposiums with 20 sessions on Nov 13th, 2023 on the following themes:
    1. Innovation Policy
    2. Health Policy
    3. Indigenous and North
    4. Equity Diversity Inclusion
    5. Resilient Communities
  • 50+ Concurrent Panel Sessions
  • 5 Plenary Sessions
  • Breakfast Sessions
  • Luncheons Talks
  • Fireside Discussions
  • Gala Dinner

With the overarching theme of ‘Science and Innovation in a Time of Transformation’ CSPC 2023 expects more than 1000 participants, 300+ speakers in 50+ panel sessions, and will include a spectacular Gala Dinner featuring its award ceremony which has become a signature annual event to celebrate Canadian science and innovation policy achievements. 

Don’t miss out on the SuperSaver rate and register now!

Register Here

Vous attendiez ce moment avec impatience! Vous pouvez maintenant vous inscrire à la 15e Conférence sur les politiques scientifiques canadiennes! Pour plus de détails, veuillez consulter le site Web de la CPSC.

En vous inscrivant d’ici le 3 septembre 2023, vous pouvez bénéficier du tarif super escompte qui vous permet de profiter d’économies importantes. Ceux qui s’inscriront au cours de la période du tarif super escompte auront accès (sans frais additionnels) à 5 symposiums (une valeur de plus de 300 $). 

La CPSC 2023 comprendra :

  • 8 séances Zoom pré-conférence entre le 1er et le 10 novembre 2023
  • 5 symposiums avec 20 séances le 13 novembre 2023 portant sur les thèmes suivants :
    1. Politique d’innovation
    2. Politique en santé
    3. Autochtones et région du Nord
    4. Équité, diversité et inclusion
    5. Communautés résilientes
  • Plus de 50 panels simultanés
  • Cinq séances plénières
  • Déjeuners-causeries
  • Dîners-causeries
  • Discussions informelles
  • Souper gala

Sous le thème général Science et innovation en période de transformation, on s’attend à ce que la CPSC 2023 accueille plus de 1000 participants, et plus de 300 conférenciers qui participeront à plus de 50 panels. La conférence comprendra également un souper gala avec cérémonie de remise de prix; un événement annuel prestigieux pour souligner les réalisations dans le domaine de la politique scientifique et d’innovation au Canada. 

Inscrivez-vous maintenant pour profiter du tarif super escompte!

S’inscrire maintenant

Pricing (now and then)

Here are the prices for the 2023 CSPC conference from the registration page,

Registration Rates

All rates are subject to 13% HST tax.

Conference and Symposiums: 3 Lunches, 3 breakfasts, refreshment breaks, and one reception. Gala Dinner is included in the Standard registration category.

All registrations categories include Zoom Pre Conference Sessions (Nov 1-10 [2023])

SuperSaver
All summer – Sept 3rd
Conference OnlyConference + Symposiums
Special SuperSaver Deal:
Symposium is Free up to $300 savings
Standard (Gala dinner included)$1200
Academic/Non-Profit/Diplomat/Retired$700
Student/Post Doctoral$250
Early Bird
Sept 4th – Oct. 2nd
Conference OnlyConference + Symposiums
$200 savings
Standard (Gala dinner included)$1200$1300
Academic/Non-Profit/Diplomat/Retired$725$825
Student/Post Doctoral$275$325
Regular Rate
Oct 3rd – Nov 10th
Conference OnlyConference + Symposiums
$200 savings
Standard (Gala dinner included)$1400$1500
Academic/Non-Profit/Diplomat/Retired$825$925
Student/Post Doctoral$325$375
Other (Conference Only)Cost
Panelist/Panel Organizer One Day (Day of presentation)$300
Panelist/Panel Organizer Speaker full conference$600
Exhibitor Booth Staff$800
Gala Dinner Tickets OnlyCost
Conference Delegates (Students)$99
Conference Delegates (Non-profits)$150
Other (not registered for conference)$300
Table (10)$2800
Symposiums Only (Monday, Nov 13, 8 am – 12 pm)Cost
Standard$300
Academic/Non-Profit/Diplomat/Retired$200
Student/Post Doctoral$100
Zoom Pre-Conference Sessions Only (Nov 1 – Nov 10)Cost
Standard$100
Academic/Non-Profit/Diplomat/Retired$100
Student/Post Doctoral$50

Then

Let’s compare with the 2022 conference prices (from my August 31, 2022 posting),

Registration includes 3 Lunches, 3 breakfasts, refreshment breaks, and one reception, and zoom pre-conference sessions.

Gala Dinner is included in the Standard registration category. Gala dinner for students and non-profit pricing is $99

Registration Label Name

SuperSaver Rate
All summer – Sept 3rd


Early Bird Rate
Sept. 4th – Oct 1st

Regular Rate
From Oct 5th
Standard (Gala dinner included)$990$1100$1250
Academic / Non-Profit / Retired / Diplomat$550$650$750
Student / Postdoctoral Fellow / Trainee$200$250$300

The SuperSaver rate for a standard registration has jumped from $990 in 2022 to $1200.—an increase of approximately 20%.

The price jump for “Academic / Non-Profit / Retired / Diplomat” from $550 to $700 is about 27% while the “Student/Post Doctoral” price jump from $200 to $250 is 25%.

Getting back to the conference, which as usual will be held in Ottawa, here are some details from the accommodation page,

Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) 2023 Conference will be held at the Westin Ottawa Hotel from Monday, November 13 to Wednesday, November 15, 2023.  To view the hotel please visit this link to Westin Ottawa.

CSPC has arranged for a block of guest rooms at the Westin Ottawa starting at $272.00 per night plus applicable taxes. The deadline for booking is Monday, October 16, 2023. Room availability is limited.

The programme (outline)

This year’s theme is: Science and Innovation in a Time of Transformation—the Canadian Science Policy Conference (November 13 – 15, 2023). The What to Expect page gives you a sense of what the programme could be like,

CSPC 2023 tracks are:

Science and Policy

Science and Society

Innovation, and Economic Development

Science, International Affairs and Security

Science and the Next Generation

Grand Challenges

Speakers

There’s a preliminary list of speakers available according to my July 20, 2023 announcement received via email. At this point the list is heavily tilted to speakers from health and agriculture/food agencies.

There are a few international speakers, one from the UK (she’s from the University of Sheffield and their Food Standards Agency) and two from France (ambassador to Canada, Michel Miraillet) and a representative from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

Familiar face, Dr. Mona Nemer, Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, can be expected too.

Hopefully, I can get an email interview with Dr. Mehrdad Hariri, Founder, CEO & President, Canadian Science Policy Centre for his perspective on the last 15 years of Canadian science policy, a preview of this year’s programme, and, perhaps, some insight into a reason or two for the price jumps.

Global dialogue on the ethics of neurotechnology on July 13, 2023 led by UNESCO

While there’s a great deal of attention and hyperbole attached to artificial intelligence (AI) these days, it seems that neurotechnology may be quietly gaining much needed attention. (For those who are interested, at the end of this posting, there’ll be a bit more information to round out what you’re seeing in the UNESCO material.)

Now, here’s news of an upcoming UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) meeting on neurotechnology, from a June 6, 2023 UNESCO press release (also received via email), Note: Links have been removed,

The Member States of the Executive Board of UNESCO
have approved the proposal of the Director General to hold a global
dialogue to develop an ethical framework for the growing and largely
unregulated Neurotechnology sector, which may threaten human rights and
fundamental freedoms. A first international conference will be held at
UNESCO Headquarters on 13 July 2023.

“Neurotechnology could help solve many health issues, but it could
also access and manipulate people’s brains, and produce information
about our identities, and our emotions. It could threaten our rights to
human dignity, freedom of thought and privacy. There is an urgent need
to establish a common ethical framework at the international level, as
UNESCO has done for artificial intelligence,” said UNESCO
Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

UNESCO’s international conference, taking place on 13 July [2023], will start
exploring the immense potential of neurotechnology to solve neurological
problems and mental disorders, while identifying the actions needed to
address the threats it poses to human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The dialogue will involve senior officials, policymakers, civil society
organizations, academics and representatives of the private sector from
all regions of the world.

Lay the foundations for a global ethical framework

The dialogue will also be informed by a report by UNESCO’s
International Bioethics Committee (IBC) on the “Ethical Issues of
Neurotechnology”, and a UNESCO study proposing first time evidence on
the neurotechnology landscape, innovations, key actors worldwide and
major trends.

The ultimate goal of the dialogue is to advance a better understanding
of the ethical issues related to the governance of neurotechnology,
informing the development of the ethical framework to be approved by 193
member states of UNESCO – similar to the way in which UNESCO
established the global ethical frameworks on the human genome (1997),
human genetic data (2003) and artificial intelligence (2021).

UNESCO’s global standard on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence has
been particularly effective and timely, given the latest developments
related to Generative AI, the pervasiveness of AI technologies and the
risks they pose to people, democracies, and jobs. The convergence of
neural data and artificial intelligence poses particular challenges, as
already recognized in UNESCO’s AI standard.

Neurotech could reduce the burden of disease…

Neurotechnology covers any kind of device or procedure which is designed
to “access, monitor, investigate, assess, manipulate, and/or emulate
the structure and function of neural systems”. [1] Neurotechnological
devices range from “wearables”, to non-invasive brain computer
interfaces such as robotic limbs, to brain implants currently being
developed [2] with the goal of treating disabilities such as paralysis.

One in eight people worldwide live with a mental or neurological
disorder, triggering care-related costs that account for up to a third
of total health expenses in developed countries. These burdens are
growing in low- and middle-income countries too. Globally these expenses
are expected to grow – the number of people aged over 60 is projected
to double by 2050 to 2.1 billion (WHO 2022). Neurotechnology has the
vast potential to reduce the number of deaths and disabilities caused by
neurological disorders, such as Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s
and Stroke.

… but also threaten Human Rights

Without ethical guardrails, these technologies can pose serious risks, as
brain information can be accessed and manipulated, threatening
fundamental rights and fundamental freedoms, which are central to the
notion of human identity, freedom of thought, privacy, and memory. In
its report published in 2021 [3], UNESCO’s IBC documents these risks
and proposes concrete actions to address them.

Neural data – which capture the individual’s reactions and basic
emotions – is in high demand in consumer markets. Unlike the data
gathered on us by social media platforms, most neural data is generated
unconsciously, therefore we cannot give our consent for its use. If
sensitive data is extracted, and then falls into the wrong hands, the
individual may suffer harmful consequences.

Brain-Computer-Interfaces (BCIs) implanted at a time during which a
child or teenager is still undergoing neurodevelopment may disrupt the
‘normal’ maturation of the brain. It may be able to transform young
minds, shaping their future identity with long-lasting, perhaps
permanent, effects.

Memory modification techniques (MMT) may enable scientists to alter the
content of a memory, reconstructing past events. For now, MMT relies on
the use of drugs, but in the future it may be possible to insert chips
into the brain. While this could be beneficial in the case of
traumatised people, such practices can also distort an individual’s
sense of personal identity.

Risk of exacerbating global inequalities and generating new ones

Currently 50% of Neurotech Companies are in the US, and 35% in Europe
and the UK. Because neurotechnology could usher in a new generation of
‘super-humans’, this would further widen the education, skills, wealth
and opportunities’ gap within and between countries, giving those with
the most advanced technology an unfair advantage.

UNESCO’s Ethics of neurotechnology webpage can be found here. As for the July 13, 2023 dialogue/conference, here are some of the details from UNESCO’s International Conference on the Ethics of Neurotechnology webpage,

UNESCO will organize an International Conference on the Ethics of Neurotechnology on the theme “Building a framework to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms” at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, on 13 July 2023, from 9:00 [CET; Central European Time] in Room I.

The Conference will explore the immense potential of neurotechnology and address the ethical challenges it poses to human rights and fundamental freedoms. It will bring together policymakers and experts, representatives of civil society and UN organizations, academia, media, and private sector companies, to prepare a solid foundation for an ethical framework on the governance of neurotechnology.

UNESCO International Conference on Ethics of Neurotechnology: Building a framework to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms
13 July 2023 – 9:30 am – 13 July 2023 – 6:30 pm [CET; Central European Time]
Location UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France
Rooms : Room
I Type : Cat II – Intergovernmental meeting, other than international conference of States
Arrangement type : Hybrid
Language(s) : French Spanish English Arabic
Contact : Rajarajeswari Pajany

Registration

Click here to register

A high-level session with ministers and policy makers focusing on policy actions and international cooperation will be featured in the Conference. Renowned experts will also be invited to discuss technological advancements in Neurotechnology and ethical challenges and human rights Implications. Two fireside chats will be organized to enrich the discussions focusing on the private sector, public awareness raising and public engagement. The Conference will also feature a new study of UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector shedding light on innovations in neurotechnology, key actors worldwide and key areas of development.

As one of the most promising technologies of our time, neurotechnology is providing new treatments and improving preventative and therapeutic options for millions of individuals suffering from neurological and mental illness. Neurotechnology is also transforming other aspects of our lives, from student learning and cognition to virtual and augmented reality systems and entertainment. While we celebrate these unprecedented opportunities, we must be vigilant against new challenges arising from the rapid and unregulated development and deployment of this innovative technology, including among others the risks to mental integrity, human dignity, personal identity, autonomy, fairness and equity, and mental privacy. 

UNESCO has been at the forefront of promoting an ethical approach to neurotechnology. UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC) has examined the benefits and drawbacks from an ethical perspective in a report published in December 2021. The Organization has also led UN-wide efforts on this topic, collaborating with other agencies and academic institutions to organize expert roundtables, raise public awareness and produce publications. With a global mandate on bioethics and ethics of science and technology, UNESCO has been asked by the IBC, its expert advisory body, to consider developing a global standard on this topic.

A July 13, 2023 agenda and a little Canadian content

I have a link to the ‘provisional programme‘ for “Towards an Ethical Framework in the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,” the July 13, 2023 UNESCO International Conference on Ethics of Neurotechnology. Keeping in mind that this could (and likely will) change,

13 July 2023, Room I,
UNESCO HQ Paris, France,

9:00 –9:15 Welcoming Remarks (TBC)
•António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations•
•Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO

9:15 –10:00 Keynote Addresses (TBC)
•Gabriel Boric, President of Chile
•Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
•PedroSánchez Pérez-Castejón, Prime Minister of Spain
•Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
•Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary-General’sEnvoyon Technology

10:15 –11:00 Scene-Setting Address

1:00 –13:00 High-Level Session: Regulations and policy actions

14:30 –15:30 Expert Session: Technological advancement and opportunities

15:45 –16:30 Fireside Chat: Launch of the UNESCO publication “Unveiling the neurotechnology landscape: scientific advancements, innovationsand major trends”

16:30 –17:30 Expert Session: Ethical challenges and human rights implications

17:30 –18:15 Fireside Chat: “Why neurotechnology matters for all

18:15 –18:30 Closing Remarks

While I haven’t included the speakers’ names (for the most part), I do want to note some Canadian participation in the person of Dr. Judy Iles from the University of British Columbia. She’s a Professor of Neurology, Distinguished University Scholar in Neuroethics, andDirector, Neuroethics Canada, and President of the International Brain Initiative (IBI)

Iles is in the “Expert Session: Ethical challenges and human rights implications.”

If you have time do look at the provisional programme just to get a sense of the range of speakers and their involvement in an astonishing array of organizations. E.g., there’s the IBI (in Judy Iles’s bio), which at this point is largely (and surprisingly) supported by (from About Us) “Fonds de recherche du Québec, and the Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Operational support for the IBI is also provided by the Japan Brain/MINDS Beyond and WorldView Studios“.

More food for thought

Neither the UNESCO July 2023 meeting, which tilts, understandably, to social justice issues vis-à-vis neurotechnology nor the Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) May 2023 meeting (see my May 12, 2023 posting: Virtual panel discussion: Canadian Strategies for Responsible Neurotechnology Innovation on May 16, 2023), based on the publicly available agendas, seem to mention practical matters such as an implant company going out of business. Still, it’s possible it will be mentioned at the UNESCO conference. Unfortunately, the May 2023 CSPC panel has not been posted online.

(See my April 5, 2022 posting “Going blind when your neural implant company flirts with bankruptcy [long read].” Even skimming it will give you some pause.) The 2019 OECD Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology doesn’t cover/mention the issue ob business bankruptcy either.

Taking a look at business practices seems particularly urgent given this news from a May 25, 2023 article by Rachael Levy, Marisa Taylor, and Akriti Sharma for Reuters, Note: A link has been removed,

Elon Musk’s Neuralink received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its first-in-human clinical trial, a critical milestone for the brain-implant startup as it faces U.S. probes over its handling of animal experiments.

The FDA approval “represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people,” Neuralink said in a tweet on Thursday, without disclosing details of the planned study. It added it is not recruiting for the trial yet and said more details would be available soon.

The FDA acknowledged in a statement that the agency cleared Neuralink to use its brain implant and surgical robot for trials on patients but declined to provide more details.

Neuralink and Musk did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The critical milestone comes as Neuralink faces federal scrutiny [emphasis mine] following Reuters reports about the company’s animal experiments.

Neuralink employees told Reuters last year that the company was rushing and botching surgeries on monkeys, pigs and sheep, resulting in more animal deaths [emphasis mine] than necessary, as Musk pressured staff to receive FDA approval. The animal experiments produced data intended to support the company’s application for human trials, the sources said.

If you have time, it’s well worth reading the article in its entirety. Neuralink is being investigated for a number of alleged violations.

Slightly more detail has been added by a May 26, 2023 Associated Press (AP article on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s news online website,

Elon Musk’s brain implant company, Neuralink, says it’s gotten permission from U.S. regulators to begin testing its device in people.

The company made the announcement on Twitter Thursday evening but has provided no details about a potential study, which was not listed on the U.S. government database of clinical trials.

Officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wouldn’t confirm or deny whether it had granted the approval, but press officer Carly Kempler said in an email that the agency “acknowledges and understands” that Musk’s company made the announcement. [emphases mine]

The AP article offers additional context on the international race to develop brain-computer interfaces.

Update: It seems the FDA gave its approval later on May 26, 2023. (See the May 26, 2023 updated Reuters article by Rachael Levy, Marisa Taylor and Akriti Sharma and/or Paul Tuffley’s (lecturer at Griffith University) May 29, 2023 essay on The Conversation.)

For anyone who’s curious about previous efforts to examine ethics and social implications with regard to implants, prosthetics (Note: Increasingly, prosthetics include a neural component), and the brain, I have a couple of older posts: “Prosthetics and the human brain,” a March 8, 2013 and “The ultimate DIY: ‘How to build a robotic man’ on BBC 4,” a January 30, 2013 posting.)

Council of Canadian Academies (Eric Meslin) converses with with George Freeman, UK Minister of Science (hybrid event) on June 8, 2023

I think this is a first, for me anyway, a Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) event that’s not focused on a reports from one of their expert panels. Here’s more about the ‘conversation’, from a June 2, 2023 CCA announcement (received via email),

A conversation with George Freeman, UK Minister of Science (hybrid event)

Join us for a wide-ranging chat about the challenges and opportunities facing policymakers and researchers in Canada, the UK, and around the globe.
(anglais seulement)

Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM EDT
Bayview Yards
7 Bayview Station Road
Ottawa, ON
(and online)
 
The CCA is pleased to invite you to a conversation with George Freeman, MP, UK Minister of Science, Research and Innovation. Minister Freeman will join Eric M. Meslin, PhD, FRSC, FCAHS, President and CEO of the CCA, at Bayview Yards for a wide-ranging chat about the challenges and opportunities facing policymakers and researchers in Canada, the UK, and around the world.
 
Minister Freeman and Dr. Meslin will address a host of topics:

  • The state of science, technology and innovation policy and performance on both sides of the Atlantic;
  • Opportunities to create effective international collaborations;
  • National strategies to harness the power of quantum technologies;
  • Antimicrobial resistance and availability;
  • Arctic and Northern research priorities and approaches; and
  • Biomanufacturing and engineering biology.

Advanced registration is required.

Register for the in-person event: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-conversation-with-george-freeman-uk-minister-of-science-in-person-tickets-646220832907

Register to attend virtually: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-conversation-with-george-freeman-uk-minister-of-science-virtual-tickets-646795341277

Why listen to George Freeman?

Ordinarily being a Minister of Science would be enough to say ‘Of course, let’s hear what he has to say’ but Mr. Freeman’s ‘ministerial’ history is a little confusing. According to a September 24, 2021 article for Nature by Jonathan O’Callahan,

The United Kingdom has a new science minister [emphasis mine] — its ninth since 2010, following a reshuffle of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet. George Freeman, a former investor in life-sciences companies, takes the role at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has renewed focus on research. But there are concerns that the Conservative government’s ambitious target for research spending will not be met. …

Chris Havergal’s Sept. 17, 2021 article for the Times Higher Education is titled, “George Freeman replaces Amanda Solloway as UK science minister; Former life sciences minister founded series of Cambridge biomedical start-ups before entering politics.”

For further proof of Freeman’s position, there’s this November 21, 2022 “Royal Society response to statement made by George Freeman, Minister of State (Minister for Science, Research and Innovation)”

Responding to today’s [November 21, 2022] announcement from George Freeman, Minister of State (Minister for Science, Research and Innovation), Professor Linda Partridge, Vice President of the Royal Society, said: “Last week the Government committed to protecting the science budget. Today’s announcement shows the Government’s commitment to putting science at the heart of plans for increasing productivity and driving economic growth.

“The ongoing failure to associate to Horizon Europe [the massive, cornerstone science funding programme for the European Union] remains damaging to UK science and the best solution remains securing rapid association. In the meantime, the funding announced today is a welcome intervention to help protect and stabilise the science sector.”

Oddly, Mr. Freeman’s UK government profile page does not reflect this history,

George Freeman was appointed Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 7 February 2023 [emphasis mine].

George was previously Minister of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 26 October 2022 to 7 February 2023, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 17 September 2021 to 7 July 2022 [emphases mine], a Minister of State at the Department for Transport from 26 July 2019 to 13 February 2020, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Life Sciences at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department of Health from July 2014 until July 2016. He also served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Climate Change from 2010 to 2011.

He was appointed government adviser on Life Sciences in July 2011, co-ordinating the government’s Life Science and Innovation, Health and Wealth Strategies (2011), and the Agri-Tech Industrial Strategy (2013). He was appointed the Prime Minister’s UK Trade Envoy in 2013.

How did Nature, Times Higher Education, and the Royal Society get the dates so wrong? Even granting that the UK had a very chaotic time with three Prime Minister within one year, Freeman’s biographical details seem peculiar.

Here’s a description of the job from Mr. Freeman’s UK government profile page,

Minister of State (Minister for Science, Research and Innovation)

The minister is responsible for:

More about this role

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Doesn’t ‘Minister of State’ signify a junior Ministry as it does in Canada? In any event, all this casts an interesting light on a January 17, 2023 posting on the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CASE) website,

Last week George Freeman, the Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, gave a speech to the Onward think tank setting out the UK Government’s ‘global science strategy’. Here our policy officer, Camilla d’Angelo, takes a look at his speech and what it all might mean.  

In his speech, the Minister outlined what it means for the UK to be a ‘Science Superpower’ [emphasis mine] and how this should go alongside being an ‘Innovation Nation’, highlighting a series of opportunities and policy reforms needed to achieve this. In the event the UK’s association to the EU Horizon Europe programme continues to be blocked, the Minister outlined an alternative to the scheme, setting out the UK Government’s vision for a UK science strategy. Freeman reiterated the UK Government’s commitment to increasing R&D funding to £20bn per year by 2024/25 and a plan to use this to drive private investment. It is now widely accepted that the UK is likely spending just under 3% of GDP on R&D, and the UK Government is keen to push ahead and extend the target to remain competitive with other research-intensive countries. It is positive to hear a coherent vision from the UK Government on what it wants increased R&D investment to achieve.  

Becoming a Science Superpower is required to solve societal challenges  

The Science Minister highlighted the central role of science and technology in solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from water security through to food production and climate change. In particular, he stressed that UK research and innovation can and should have a bigger global role and impact in helping to solving some of these challenges. The view that the UK needs to be a science and technology superpower was also echoed by a panel of R&I experts. 

George Freeman outlined some of the important dimensions of what it means for the UK to become a ‘Science Superpower’ and ‘Innovation Nation’. The UK is widely held to be an academic powerhouse, with its academic science system one of its greatest national strengths. A greater focus on mission-driven research, alongside investment in general purpose technologies, could be a way to encourage the diffusion and adoption of innovations. In addition to this, other important factors include talent, industrial output, culture, soft power and geopolitical influence, many of which the UK performs less well in. 

Are the Brits going to encourage us be a science superpower too? If everyone is a science superpower, doesn’t that mean no one is a science superpower? Will the CCA one day invite someone from South Korea to talk about how their science policies have turned that country into a science powerhouse?

What advice can we expect from George Freeman? I guess we’ll find out on June 8, 2023. For those of us on Pacific Time, that means 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Don’t forget, there are two different registration pages,

Register for the in-person event: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-conversation-with-george-freeman-uk-minister-of-science-in-person-tickets-646220832907

Register to attend virtually: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-conversation-with-george-freeman-uk-minister-of-science-virtual-tickets-646795341277