Release Wire: Environment and Nature

A first for cgd landscape design

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:42:00 +0100

Having designed and installed many show gardens in the UK, cgd landscape design won an award for their design for an urban garden “the Wasteland” at the Suncheon Bay Garden Expo 2013 and for the first time built a show garden overseas. Suncheon is at the very far south of the Korean Peninsula.

The garden, a conceptual design, suggests that beauty comes out of man-made ugliness. Imagine a derelict demolition setting, a rough building site enclosed by tall corrugated walls, the floor a rough and ready base of crushed concrete and brick. A very inauspicious place. Never the less even in these dismal surroundings, given time, nature begins to take over, greening the space. Ferns take root, moss starts to cover the bare patches of ground while wild honeysuckle and ivy begin to climb the bare walls. This dismal place starts to be transformed and welcoming to wild life. People start wandering into the “garden” and make it their own. The circle of life.

Where possible reclaimed materials from scrap yards were used to create the garden: corrugated iron, old scaffold tubes, rebar and oil drums generate the feeling of dereliction. Crushed aggregate and old paving blocks added to the feeling of neglect. The only new materials were the plants: ferns, hostas, orchids and wild rhododendron together with ivy, honeysuckle, Trachelospermum asiaticum thread their way through the moss and up the walls and along the floor. Two Magnolia seiboldii planted in oil drums add to the mood of the regenerated garden. A mulch of locally collected mosses cover the growing spaces, adding a carpet of green.

All the plants were sourced locally and the majority of them were very small so that they represent the invasion of species. The Expo is open for 6 months from mid April through to October, and these little plants will grow in real time and become a lush tapestry of textures. Initially the fern fronds are beginning to unfurl and the orchids are in flower, over time the ferns will look like large shuttlecocks, the orchid leaves like tall course grass, while the hosta leaves will open into neat rosettes with their lily like flowers opening later in the season.

The Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo is in its infancy, and this has been an opportunity to invite international designers to show their skills at garden creation. This year it will run from April 20th through to October 20th. Its aim is to become a permanent ecological park, with several of the main garden exhibits remaining in situ. The entire region is branded “EcoGeo” including the nature reserve at Suncheon Bay but the Eco Park itself stretches over 100 hectares and includes wetlands, an arboreatum and world gardens alongside educational facilities.

Cgd landscape design, Sally Court and Helen Billetop, is delighted to have been given this award and to have installed a garden alongside fellow British designers, Andy Sturgeon and Wilson-McWilliams.

For further information contact: Sally Court FSGD or Helen Billetop FSGD on enquiries@cgd-landscape-design.com or 020 8892 0118
http://www.cgd-landscape-design.com/ ]]>

TOP 10 TIPS TO GET YOUR GARDEN READY FOR SUMMER ENTERTAINING

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0100

We’ve had our first glimpse of warmer weather, so it won’t be long before we’re dining alfresco, holding family BBQs and having outdoor parties. If you’re planning on entertaining in your garden this year, now’s the time to get your gardening gloves on and start making your outdoor space the perfect spot for relaxing with friends. Online garden centre Plant Me Now has put together their top 10 tips to get your garden summer-ready:

Lawn gardens

1. Choose granular feed to slowly feed your lawn over the summer months, but if you have an important event, use a soluble feed a few days before for faster results.
2. Edge your lawn to give a nice, clean line between the lawn and the flowerbed – an easy way to make your garden look much tidier!
3. If moss has been a problem, use a moss killer then simply rake it out. You can then over-seed (or re-seed) to thicken the lawn and fill in any empty patches.
4. Large spaces are perfect for growing a wild flower meadow and various mixes are available to attract different kinds of wildlife (butterflies, ladybirds, bees, etc.) To ensure fresh growth next year, simply mow at the end of the season.
5. Plant perennials in your flowerbeds for beautiful colours that come back year after year; then fill in any gaps with summer bedding plants.

Patio gardens

1. If you don’t have flowerbeds or a big space to work with, fill pots and containers with beautiful summer bedding plants in a variety of colours
2. Give dirty patios a good scrub or blast with a pressure washer to remove moss and dirt, ready for welcoming your alfresco dining guests
3. Make tired wooden garden furniture look as good as new by treating it with teak oil – there’s no need to splash out on a new set of chairs and tables.
4. Place solar lights around your patio for a fantastic, eco-friendly way to light up your outdoor space when the sun goes down.
5. Plant some climbers – they’re perfect for covering unsightly old fence panels or walls.

Plant Me Now is the UK’s leading online gardening centre, specialising in perennial flowers, bedding plants, bulbs, garden accessories and tools for adults and children. A dedicated team of horticultural experts are the backbone of the business, producing nursery bedding plants on site and sending them directly to your garden to cut out the middle man. This method ensures quality and value is maintained, as well as minimising transportation to reduce their carbon footprint.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Alice Reeves on 01273 322 831(alice.reeves@leapfrogg.co.uk) or Lucy Freeborn on 01273 322849 (lucy.freeborn@leapfrogg.co.uk) ]]>

ABB takes lead role in helping to build awareness of solutions for global water leakage issues

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:35:00 +0100

ABB once again took a leading role in promoting awareness of the issues surrounding leakage and its prevention through its lead sponsorship of the Global Water Leakage Summit 2013. Held in London in mid-March, the two-day event was themed around how to design, manage and maintain water networks, pipes and infrastructure to prevent leaks being built in and continuously reduce leakage levels.

The event featured representatives from water companies and other organisations, who explained their various initiatives and strategies to minimise leakage from water distribution networks to a large audience of other water operators, decision-makers and influencers from around the world.

As a key supporter of the event since its creation in 2006, ABB exhibited alongside other organisations, this year ABB and it's partner TaKaDu shared space and brought a combined approach in explaining and exploring new ways to find and fix leaks more quickly. A key aim of the event was to encourage the exchange of best practice examples between representatives for tackling water leakage.

The first day of the event chaired by Tony Harding Executive Vice President, Suez Environment International, the question of whether enough is still being done to acknowledge and address water leakage. Sessions during the day focused on a broad range of topics, ranging from advice on how to win support within utilities companies for managing leakage and non-revenue water (NRW) through to suggestions for building intelligence into pipe networks in order to better identify potential and existing leaks.

With Jack Carnell, former South Staffs water company CEO, chairing the afternoon session. Completing the first day sessions were two international case studies on implementing a non-revenue water reduction strategy. In these sessions, Khut Vuthiarith, Deputy General Director for Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority, Cambodia and Mbalie Matiwane, Real Losses Manager for Johannesburg Water, South Africa, explained how their respective organisations have taken steps to reduce leakage through the introduction of the latest techniques and technologies.

This first day was topped off with the Global Water Leakage Evening Gala Dinner. ABB's Tim Door along with David Hillyard from WaterAid Lead the evening activities. As well as providing an excellent forum for informal networking, the Gala Dinner also helped to raise £1,650 for the Water Aid charity, with various prizes being auctioned off, including iPad's, Balloon Rides, Champagne and more.

Day two was chaired by ABB's Tim Door Global Product Manager- Water EMF, starting with a session on how to choose between Opex and Capex for infrastructure improvement. This session included discussions on using past data to guide future planning and investment decisions and using the latest technology to create truly autonomous water distribution networks.

This session was followed up with a look at the issues relating to the use of plastic piping in water distribution networks, in particular how to prevent leakage through the use of quality polyethylene pipes and joints.

An important aspect of the Global Water leakage Summit is its focus on innovation, both in terms of the application of technology and the creation of working partnerships between water companies and other third parties such as academic institutions.

It was therefore fitting that the event was rounded off with a final session on putting research and innovation into practice. During this session, James Chalmers of ABB explained how variable speed drives can be used to help reduce leakage through the effective control and regulation of pipe pressures. This was followed by case studies highlighting new leakage control methods being used in Italy, presented by speakers from Perugia University, Metropolitana Milanese SpA and the University of Salento.

"Having an event such as this provides an invaluable opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and exchange knowledge and experience from some of the world's leading experts on leakage," says Tim Door, Global Product Manager - Water EMF for ABB. "With many countries under growing pressure to minimise leakage wherever possible in order to maximise available water supplies, the Global Water Leakage Summit continues to be one of the leading events on the water industry calendar." ]]>

Cardiff waste-to-energy project led Barnshaws to become the largest cellular beam benders in the market

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:21:00 +0100

Barnshaw Section Benders have been involved in several large-scale energy and renewables projects, and the latest work supplied to Cardiff is no exception. This prestigious job involved Barnshaws Structural Division working with ASD Westok and Fisher Engineering, which is a part of Severfield-Rowen PLC.

Working together with ASD Westok, Barnshaws were asked to produce some of the deepest cellular beams ever requested. The largest being a 1594mm deep beam, which is formed from one of the biggest universal beam sections that Tata produce- 1016 x 305 x 438kg Ub’s. Not only were the beams large in terms of depth, they were also large in length with upwards of 23m of bar to be curved.

On top of the curves for ASD Westok, Barnshaws have also been curving a number of bars direct for Fisher Engineering, which includes a variety of sections and sizes ranging from 457mm deep universal beams, to 400mm deep rectangular hollow section (RHS). Both cellular beams and sections have taken Barnshaws expert benders 3-4 months to form and together they weighed approximately 500 tonnes.

Barnshaws have a strong relationship with ASD Westok, and the early consultations enabled the client to see that Barnshaws was willing to invest heavily in order to meet their requirements. Barnshaws have invested more than £70,000 on new equipment and tooling, which means that the company can now curve the largest cellular beams available. Through continuous collaboration with Severfield – Rowen PLC, Barnshaws have a long history of producing work that otherwise would have been impossible.

___________________________________________________________________

Note to editors:

Established in 1969, Barnshaw Section Benders are based at six manufacturing
sites around the UK, located in the West Midlands, Manchester and Hamilton,
Scotland. Across these sites over 120 specialist machines are housed, and
have provided steel bending services for some of the country’s largest
projects, including shopping centres, football stadiums, airports, and most
recently the Olympics.

For more information, please contact Aiste Narvilaite.
Tel: 0121 521 5219
Email: aiste.narvilaite@barnshaws.com ]]>

ANDERMAN CERAMICS and IPS - supply partners to Lenox China Corporation.

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0100

Anderman Ceramics and IPS bring new innovations for kiln furniture design along with their expertise in manufacturing kiln furniture for the tableware industry.

With supply of kiln furniture products and decals, Anderman Ceramics Inc. as US agent for IPS Ceramics, continue to provide high quality products and technical support to the USA’s highest profile and quality bone china manufacturer - Lenox.

Lenox are endorsed by the WHITE HOUSE and have been supplying dinner services to Presidential Administrations since starting with the Roosevelt dinner service in 1918.President George Bush and Ronald Regan are some of the examples of Presidential dinner services Anderman Ceramics & IPS customer is proud to produce.

As Paul Leichtnam, Vice President, Manufacturing of Lenox Corporation says, "The Lenox Kinston plant has had a long relationship with the management team from Anderman Ceramics Inc and IPS Ceramics, and is looking forward to working with them in the future. The companies bring new innovations for kiln furniture design along with their expertise in manufacturing kiln furniture for the tableware industry. They have been a reliable partner for many years and we certainly value their professionalism and excellent service.”
Anderman Ceramics, always providing SOLUTIONS!!!

Established in 1947 and its experience in sourcing, stocking and selling technical ceramics worldwide has positioned Anderman Ceramics at the highest levels of product and service quality. We offer an extensive range of standard technical ceramics products, as well as, custom- design components.

Contact:

Anabela Lelis
Marketing Executive
Anderman Ceramics Ltd
Unit 117
Oak Drive
Hartlebury Trading Centre, Hartlebury
Kidderminster
Worcestershire
DY10 4JB
Tel (44) 1299 252483
e-mail: anabelad@andermanceramics.com
www.earthwaterfire.com/products/cordierite_kiln_furniture.ht... ]]>

Wood & Douglas uses mobile to help reduce £4b in flooding costs

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0100

• M2M platform provides monitoring and control for flood detection and prevention
• Up to £4b spent per annum on prevention and impact of flooding in UK
• Visit Wood & Douglas at Sustainability Live / IWEX Stand E42, 16-18th April

Wood & Douglas announces the creation of a complete remote monitoring, management and response platform using the mobile network for early warning of flood. Flooding costs the UK £1bn a year in flood protection, and a further £1bn to £3bn in insurance payouts.

The Wood & Douglas platform is based on two elements. The first is a rugged, flexible GSM communications module that connects with physical sensors located along coastlines and river systems. The second element is a Cloud-based toolkit that collates data before presenting it in easy to read format for improved decision making.

To combat threat of flood, environmental agencies need an extremely flexible, rugged, scalable system that can be installed to monitor and provide instant alerts of changing physical conditions. Wood & Douglas’ Ultima2 is a GSM module that monitors and communicates critical data from remote locations over the mobile network. With a ‘Deep Sleep’ mode and carrier preselect, the module can operate for up to two years on a single battery pack, minimising maintenance costs. Ultima2 can be configured to send regular updates or store more than 900 messages in the onboard logger should connection to the network fail, enough to contain data from scans every 15 minutes for 2.5 years. If unusual or extreme measurements are detected the module will immediately raise an alert via SMS or email.

Alan Wood, Managing Director, Wood & Douglas said, “With Ultima2 we offer one of the most cost effective, fully rounded devices for remote environmental monitoring, no matter how tough conditions get. But, collating and sending data is valueless unless there is an easy way to interpret and action the information coming in.”

Remote Data Network Analysis (R-DNA) provides a complete management and response platform for the data. R-DNA collates the telemetry application data from one to many hundreds of Ultima2 connections for real-time insight.

A large scale roll out of sensors produces many thousands of responses every hour, the danger is agencies begin to struggle under the weight of ‘big data’, losing sense of the information received, which renders data valueless. With R-DNA, the data is automatically formatted and displayed in tables or graphical reports which are easy to manage and interpret for fast analysis, and improved allocation of resources for tidal or rain fall tracking.

Ultima2 can then be configured to trigger remote control of physical defences; opening or closing sluices, overflows and flood barriers to reduce the threat and protect property and life.

Wood & Douglas is exhibiting at Sustainability Live, 16-18th April, 2013, stand E42.

Ends

Notes for Editors

Technical specifications: Ultima2

• Configurable GPRS and FTP details, TCP/IP and local PC interface, remote PC and web application interface
• Five digital inputs / five digital outputs / two analogue inputs
• Regular status reports and/or up to 10 configurable alarm transmission for SMS & email
• Deep sleep (40µA) and stand by idle power saving provides long two year battery life, which can be extended to 5+ years with additional battery life products
• Rugged IP67 Enclosure, operates between -20°C to + 55°C
• Module conforms to EMC, LVD and R&TTE EU Directives
• Dimensions 140mm x 65mm x 50mm excluding antenna and connectors
• Weight Approximately 330g
• Antenna supplied

About Wood & Douglas

Wood & Douglas is widely regarded as the leading UK designer and manufacturer of high quality customised wireless products and services. The company was founded in 1977 and rapidly expanded to create wireless based solutions for voice, data and video applications that deliver a high level of quality and reliability to industrial, commercial, municipal, national and global organisations.
For further information visit: www.woodanddouglas.co.uk

Press contacts:
Gary Marshall
XL Communications Ltd
Tel: 077 3322 4654
Email: gary@xl-comms.com ]]>

WE’LL CONTINUE TO BE CHEAP AS CHIPS, SAYS TOP WHITBY FISH AND CHIP SHOP, DESPITE THE SOAR IN SPUD PRICES

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:57:00 +0100

The hike in the price of British potatoes – which has seen it almost double over the last year thanks to poor weather – won’t be passed on to chip-loving customers, says Whitby’s award-winning Quayside fish and chip shop and restaurant.

With one of the wettest and coldest springs on record leading to the lowest potato yields since 1976 (some 20 per cent lower than 2012), the price of an average bag of potatoes for UK fish and chip shops has more than trebled, from £3.50 to £12.50 in the last year.

But family-run fish and chip shop Quayside, based on the Whitby harbour, says despite the massive hike in prices, customers will not see a comparable increase in their favourite seaside staple passed on to them and become more expensive.

“If we put the price of our chips up every time the price of potatoes went up, our customers wouldn’t come back,” says Stuart Fusco, frier manager and director at Quayside, which was voted number one chip shop in Yorkshire and the Northeast in the Seafish Awards. “It’s been a tough year for the potato industry – and in turn this has an affect on our business – but fish and chips are supposed to be an affordable treat, and many of the families that come to us are on a tight budget, which is why our chips have only increased by 15p. Our customers are so important to us and we’re committed to continuing to give them a fresh, delicious meal at a good value price.”

It’s a worthy commitment by Quayside given the fact that March saw the largest month-on-month rise in the price of fresh food for three years, according to the British Retail Consortium. The harbourside fish and chip shop, part of the independent Fusco’s of Whitby family chain, has always sourced local, Maris Piper potatoes.

“The British Maris Piper crop has been very bad this year but we will do our best to continue to source locally. We may have to use a different variety this year but we won’t compromise on the quality of our chips, which we fry the traditional way in beef dripping – or on the price,” adds Stuart.

Editor’s Notes
• Fusco's of Whitby owns three Whitby fish and chip shops – The Royal Fisheries in Baxtergate, Quayside in Pier Road, and the newly opened Fish Box, in Langbourne Road
• For half a century, three generations of the Fuscos have served Whitby with its own special-recipe crispy, golden battered fish and local potatoes in beef dripping.
• Stuart, who opened Quayside in 1999, scooped Young Fish Frier of the Year in 2004, and his three siblings – Adrian, Maria and Raymond – and mum Carol, all work in the family business together.
• Since opening in 1999, Quayside has been a consistent award-winner both nationally and locally for its products, its people and its community spirit. Last year it came Top 3 in the Independent Fish and Chip Shop of The Year Awards.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Stuart Fusco@gmail.com
Quayside
Tel: 01947 825346

Annie Stirk
Absolutely Food PR & Marketing
T: 01347 810531 / 05603 457882
M: 07771 655756
annie@absolutelyfood.co.uk ]]>

Energy efficiency: a platform for innovation

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0100

Feature article by Jayne Law, MBE, Dow Building Solutions UK and Ireland

“When I first entered what was then a rather limited thermal insulation industry, over twenty five years ago - selling STYROFOAM extruded polystyrene insulation to architects and end users of all types - I was amused by the fact that as a nation we were insulating many agricultural buildings far better than any new properties built for human occupation.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t begrudge the chickens and pigs a warm bed for the night, but they, or their chicks and piglets, didn’t have to worry about the cost of turning up the thermostat to cope with cold snaps: after all, at Dow we were busy helping to wrap their sheds with cosy SYTROFOAM!

Subsidies no doubt helped, but along with animal welfare, energy costs were of primary importance and the main driver for the farmer. Let’s just say, common economic sense prevailed!

Over the years, the construction industry began to make progress and the use of thermal insulation began to take shape. However, until more recently, its use was pretty limited. Back in the 80s, pioneering property developers installed 50mm of fibre in the loft and 25mm of board foam into cavity walls. It was good news, and a step in the right direction (considering there was no legislation driving it – only a document asking them to make ‘reasonable provision’ for the conservation of fuel!). However, it’s worth pointing out that at the same time the piglets were snuggled up with 80mm thickness of insulation!

As with the farmer back then, the burden of energy costs are catching up with us all, and fast - at home, in the office we work in or at our manufacturing facilities. Here in the UK, we really shouldn’t be facing the fact that more people are being pushed into fuel poverty, which of course has its own impact on health and well-being. In short, unless things change, energy costs threaten to become the enemy of financial freedom for a significant section of the population and a competitive burden on the UK as it competes in a global economy.

But it’s far from all doom and gloom. Government departments such as the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) are thankfully taking the issue very seriously. I am pleased to say that over the recent decade or so energy efficiency has become an integral part of any new building for human occupation.

There are of course more steps to take before we can consider our work done, but we can thank pioneers such as the Association for the Conservation of Energy, whose bold efforts have brought about changes in legislation and helped to establish what is required for continued future improvement.

Farmers saw the benefit of improved energy efficiency because they were paying the energy bill and wanted their animals to thrive. But, think about this - building designers, developers or contractors rarely pay the energy bills. It’s a shame, but it’s fact that it takes progressive legislation to increase energy efficiency and make a change that will, at some time in the not too distant future, mean that the owner or occupier of a newly built property will not be burdened with escalating energy costs.

Buildings last a long time and many of our families, friends and neighbours are still living or working in old, poorly insulated or even completely un-insulated buildings. However, the framework to make real change is here and now. The noise is louder than ever before, and not just within government and industry: people around the UK are finally talking about energy efficiency of the buildings they occupy.

This means that an opportunity for British industry is unfolding, not just in the construction market, but the manufacturing industry, the chemical industry, the services industry, the energy sector, and beyond. The prospects for growth in my specific industry – thermal insulation - are better than ever.

So what role can innovation play? As a manufacturer of thermal insulation products we’ve been developing ever thicker products that deliver more insulation ‘power’. We are seeing the tide turn. In the past, thermal insulation had to fit with building methods, but now for the first time, building methods themselves are changing because of the demand for greater insulation thicknesses.

We’ve also made strides in the processes we use to manufacture insulation materials. We at Dow take carbon dioxide from industry and use it a blowing agent to produce our foams, bringing major environmental improvements.

But let’s face it, apart from overcoming some mechanically challenging production limitations and technical hurdles, that’s really as far as we’ve got: the biggest opportunity is yet to come if we are willing to embrace it.

If we want thermal insulation within the construction industry to up its game and create the next generation of insulation products and solutions, then we in industry must play our part and rise to the challenge. Those who dare will win – those who invest in new thinking, in research and development and ultimately in new production methods are the future.

My dream is for the next generation of insulation to emerge as being painted on, wrapped around, unfolded, or stretched into place. And to me that is the day the thermal insulation industry will have truly entered the 21st century and come of age.

So the opportunity to really innovate is finally with us. If we in industry embrace it, we become creators, leaders, exporters, winners in a whole new world of energy efficient solutions.

The new home, office, school or hospital of this decade – with true commitment to building regulations and progressive legislation - will need walls consisting of at least 200mm thick thermal insulation. And all around us, old buildings need to be re-furbished to that standard too.

However, in order to be practical, that 200mm thick of thermal insulation will actually need to be 50mm or far less, yet offer the same thermal performance. It’s now time for a step change in science, in attitudes, in investment and joint government-industry commitment to make the difference.

Thanks to DECC and initiatives such as the Green Deal and ECO, we in industry have the platform: so let’s not waste the opportunity.”

To find out more about Dow Building Solutions and extruded polystyrene insulation products available, visit www.styrofoam.co.uk or email dbsuk@dow.com.

End

Notes to editors:

Dow Building Solutions is a division of The Dow Chemical Company. The UK business supplies systems and products which help construction professionals to design and build energy efficient, high performance buildings from residential to commercial, supporting the Green Deal, The Code for Sustainable Homes, BREEAM and Passivhaus design criteria.

The product range includes STYROFOAM™ blue extruded foamed polystyrene insulation, new XENERGY™ extruded polystyrene insulation in steel grey, GREAT STUFF™ polyurethane foam sealant, FROTH-PAK™ polyurethane foam spray systems, INSTA-STIK™ polyurethane adhesives and a range of accessories.

For media information contact:
Kirsten@kdpr.co.uk
01295 780152

Customer contact:
Dow Building Solutions
Diamond House, Lotus Park,
Kingsbury Crescent, Staines,
Middlesex, TW18 3AG
Tel.: 020 3139 4190
Fax: 020 3139 4013

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow. ]]>

Brighton & Hove - the largest car club operation in England, outside of London

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:40:00 +0100

According to City Car Club, Brighton & Hove is now the capital of modern thinking. Having increased their membership base within the region to over 3000 people (a massive 24% year on year increase), it seems that more and more of us are giving up our beloved cars in favour of a more economical and sustainable option.

Due to high demand for the car sharing scheme, City Car Club have recently increased the size of their fleet by 38% and now boast an impressive 72 vehicles. Further expansion within the Brighton & Hove area is planned throughout the year; by 2014 Brighton will become the home to over 100 City Car Club vehicles with thanks in no small part to Brighton and Hove City Council.

Amongst these new vehicles will be the new Toyota Auris Tourer – the greenest estate car available with CO2 emissions of just 87g/km, perfect for families and big car enthusiasts alike. A more exciting prospect is the introduction of the new Toyota Aygo ICE, available to rent from as little as £4.95 an hour, making it the most cost effective city car – perfect for the budget conscious.

Carplus - the regulatory body for UK car clubs state that up to £3,500 a year can be saved by switching from car ownership to this pay as you go model, not a small sum in anyone’s books. As well as the obvious financial savings, the cars come with their own allocated parking spaces mostly in residential areas. The car club operator looks after all of the maintenance and cleaning of the cars, saving members all the hassles and time commitments that come with traditional car ownership. A recent survey conducted by Carplus has found that 97% of car club users were thrilled with the car club scheme.

People are very attached to their cars - after all the car is on average the second biggest purchase you will make in your life, car ownership has always been ‘normal’. However, excluding the daily commute (which can often be done via public transport) you would be surprised how little people actually use their car. Yet people continue to pay thousands of pounds a year running and maintaining their vehicles to just sit dormant on the driveway the majority of the time.

However there seems to be a shift in mind-sets (particularly within the Brighton and Hove areas) in favour of a more economical and environmentally sustainable option. Imagine never having to pay for break down cover, fuel, repairs, servicing, MOT’s, or excessive insurance premiums ever again - As well as knowing you are doing something nice for the planet.

According to Norman Baker ,Transport Minister “Each car club vehicle can result in taking 24 private vehicles off the road and the low carbon vehicles used typically emit approximately 33% less CO2 than the average car. This is why we are supporting the continued growth of car clubs across the country”.

City Car Club provides its members with self- service, hourly vehicle rental 24/7/365 as a convenient and cost effective alternative to ownership. 600+ cars and vans (set to increase by 15% in 2013) are located in convenient locations across Manchester and 14 cities UK wide including Leeds, Edinburgh and London. Vehicles are booked online or by phone, from as little as 30 minutes and accessed using smart-enabled membership cards.

James Finlayson, City Car Club’s MD and manager of the London fleet commented: “we are continuing our expansion within Brighton as the people there are becoming more and more responsive to the scheme, and why not, it’s helping them reduce costs, congestion and emissions whilst retaining convenient access to a car.”

-END-

For more information or to request an interview with Brighton Fleet Manager, James Finlayson, contact: City Car Club, on 0113 394 3534 or email marketing@citycarclub.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

- City Car Club cars are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be booked by the hour, day or as long as members want. The cars are conveniently located in designated parking bays near to where members live and work and can be booked online or by phone in advance, or at the last minute.

- City Car Club take care of insurance, tax, servicing, parking permits and even cleaning, so all members need to worry about is enjoying their journey.

- City Car Club operates a fleet of over 600 vehicles in 14 cities across the UK (click here to view all locations).

- City Cars are available to hire from just £4.95per hour or £1.66 per hour if booked for 24 hours (click here to view our ‘What does it cost?’ page)

- Annual membership is just £60 (£30 for family or partners), and discounts are available for business users. Membership includes: fully comprehensive insurance, access to over 600 cars throughout the UK, 24/7 helpline support and free online booking.
- Members who use the cars more regularly can take up the Discount Card option, which at £15/month gives a 20% discount on all rental rates.

- And City Car Club is good for the environment. Independent research by Carplus shows that each City Car replaces 24 privately owned cars on average and generally our members cut down on unnecessary car journeys by 35% after they join.

- City Car Club saves 12,246 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year, the equivalent of 4,621 flights to Australia.

- See www.citycarclub.co.uk for more information and download our press pack from the Media Lounge.

- 97% out of 5584 respondents said their satisfaction level was either ‘good’ or ‘very good’.( http://www.carplus.org.uk/resources/reports/annual-survey-of...) ]]>

AMERICAN TV CELEBRITY TAKES (AND TUCKS INTO) THE YORKSHIRE FOOD FINDER TRAIL!

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:10:00 +0100

Yorkshire food is so good that a top US broadcaster is travelling thousands of miles to get a taste!

Multi Emmy award-winning US broadcaster Karen Schaler will embark on a delicious three-day filming tour around Yorkshire on April 4,5 and 6th– organised by gourmet food tour company Yorkshire Food Finder – showcasing its best producers and chefs to a world-wide audience.

Schaler will be filming Yorkshire’s top foodies for her hit show ‘Travel Therapy’, which appears coast-to-coast on US morning news – broadcast to 10 million viewers – and is syndicated internationally and online. The show features the Schaler’s first-hand experiences of world cuisine with a pick of the top destinations, hotels, spas and restaurants across the world.

Sue and Aidan Nelson, founders of Yorkshire Food Finder, have been instrumental in organising the broadcaster’s packed filming itinerary, alongside Welcome to Yorkshire and Visit England, which will see her try her hand at Yorkshire pudding making with Ben Cox at the Star@Sancton, curing smoked salmon at Staal Smokehouse in Long Riston, and creating her own flavour of ice-cream at Yummy Yorkshire in Huddersfield.

The glamorous TV host will also be treated to slap up meals from the region’s best chefs including Tim Bilton at the Butcher’s Arms, Hepworth, Andrew Pern at The Star Inn at Harome, and James Mackenzie at the Michelin-starred Pipe & Glass Inn.

“We are absolutely over the moon that a high profile broadcaster such as Karen has chosen to come to our neck of the woods and showcase all that's best about East Yorkshire food,” says Yorkshire Food Finder’s Sue Nelson. “We’re used to organising tasty trails for foodies and chefs, so we’ve had great fun choosing the most delicious morsels for her three-day filming schedule.”

Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “The world is waking up to the fine food we have right across our county and we’re delighted to see this influential TV presenter make the journey to find out for herself. We’re sure that our great businesses and {{Yorkshire Food Finder will give her our famous Yorkshire welcome and provide a trip that will not only be memorable, but be a great advert for the county in the United States.”

-ENDS-

Editor’s Notes
• Karen Schaler will be touring Yorkshire’s food producers, chefs and restaurants on April 4, 5 and 6th. The three-time Emmy award-winning national TV correspondent and host is the creator of the editorial ‘Travel Therapy TV’ – which is featured on the Dr. Steve Show and Morning News in America and reaches more than 10million households – as well as the globally syndicated online series, which is featured on AOL and YouTube and made freely available to lifestyle and travel editors internationally. For more, log on to www.traveltherapytrips.com.
• Yorkshire Food Finder trails start at £95 per person including transport, tour and either lunch or dinner. The trails are designed for a maximum of 12 people and last between six and 10 hours. Trails are ‘hubbed’ around a top restaurant with signature feasts by top Yorkshire chefs. There are also skills-based trails with opportunities to learn charcuterie, butchery, fish smoking, cheese and ice cream making, as well as cookery master classes.
• Karen Schaler’s full itinerary is as follows:
Thursday, April 4th: Breakfast at Andrew Burton’s Mannion & Co in York, then a visit to Justin Staal’s smokehouse at Long Riston with a chance to have a go at slicing smoked salmon, followed by light lunch at Star @ Sancton with opportunity to make Yorkshire puddings with Yorkshire pud champion Ben Cox. Trip over the Yorkshire Wolds to show something of Hockney country and a visit to Epicure’s Larder to showcase artisan cheese-maker Jacquie Broadhead, and a two course dinner at The Pipe and Glass Inn, with overnight stay at Anna Lupton’s Carr House Farm B & B near Ampleforth.
Friday April 5th: Visit to Camphill Village Trust’s Botton Creamery, followed by a trip to The Great Yorkshire Brewery – home of the Two Chefs brew devised by James Mackenzie and Andrew Pern, with lunch at The Star Inn at Harome, with overnight stay at the Cedar Court Grand Hotel, York.
Saturday April 6th: Travel to Holmfirth to visit Greedy Little Pig to learn about Yorkshire charcuterie, with lunch at Tim Bilton’s Butchers Arms in Hepworth and a visit to Round Green Farm/Wentworth Castle to see Richard Elmhirst's deer herd. Then on to Yummy Yorkshire for ice-cream making and overnight accommodation, again at the Cedar Court Grand Hotel.

For more information, please contact:

Sue Nelson
Yorkshire Food Finder
Mobile: 07850 327 927
Office: 01904 448 439
sue@yorkshirefoodfinder.org
www.yorkshirefoodfinder.org

Aidan Nelson
Yorkshire Food Finder
Mobile: 07939 546980
Office: 01904 448 439
aidan@yorkshirefoodfinder.org

For media enquiries, please contact:

Annie Stirk
Absolutely Food PR & Marketing
T: 01347 810531 M: 07771 655756 www.absolutelyfood.co.uk ]]>

intoGardens Spring episode out now on iPad

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:43:00 +0100

With nearly 15,000 downloads since its launch in October 2012, intoGardens, the innovative iPad-only gardening title, today unveils its third episode. The spring 2013 episode offers specially commissioned films, writing from some of the top names in horticulture, full screen images from award winning photographers and tap to buy functionality throughout.

Costing £2.99 per episode, or £9.99 for an annual subscription, intoGardens is aimed at the 3.8 million gardeners in the UK and millions more worldwide who actively pursue their passion online.

The latest issue boasts an eclectic range of garden-related content including
desert gardens, San Francisco' most exciting plant shop, gardening for cocktails, an exclusive Toby Buckland film, the perfect family garden, James Alexander-Sinclair's pick of spring plants, Chelsea Flower Show borders deconstructed, John Hoyland's favourite annuals, garden reviews from the Outback to China, book reviews with author readings and much, much more.

The episode offers a multimedia experience specifically designed to make full use of the interactivity that the tablet platform offers. If you are interested in one of Auricula varieties explored in our special feature or one of the plant picks for spring, intoGardens offers tap-to-buy functionality allowing you to purchase the plant there and then. Alternatively you can save images to a personalised online scrapbook allowing you to make notes and start building your very own digital reference library to provide continued inspiration throughout the year.

Book reviews also include audio files of authors, featuring in this episode Carl Klein reading from her new book Wild Flowers and Laetitia Maklouf reading from Sweet Peas for Summer. Other articles are brought to life with specially commissioned films including, in this episode, Toby Buckland giving hands on allotment advice and garden designer Adman Frost showing us how to cook pizzas in an outdoor oven.

Reviews of gardens from around the world include the Australian Outback, Singapore, Brazil, Ireland and Marrakech with each one combining evocative writing and full screen photographs that exploit the superior imaging possible with the iPad’s backlit, high-resolution technology.

Devised and developed by media and gardening experts, the team behind intoGardens includes internationally renowned garden designer, writer and presenter James Alexander-Sinclair, and Tiffany Daneff, an editor with other 15 years experience in gardening and lifestyle publications including Daily Telegraph Gardening, Saga Magazine and Gardenlife Magazine.

For more information please contact Dawn Isaac (01480 477003 - dawn@into-gardens.com), go to www.into-gardens.com or download the app ]]>

National Trust shares celebrities' favourite photos

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:45:00 +0100

Celebrities are used to life in front of the lens but this spring stars from the world of sport, film and TV are taking a turn behind the camera to help with a National Trust initiative.

Actor Jude Law, chefs The Fabulous Baker Brothers and England rugby ace Austin Healey are among those who have shared photographs of the places that mean the most to them as part of a nationwide scheme by the National Trust to celebrate the importance of 'special places' in people's lives.

The campaign follows research undertaken by the charity which found that 84 per cent of Brits have a favourite place they go to which positively affects their wellbeing and happiness.

Photographs by the celebrities are being showcased on a new app created by the National Trust to encourage people to share their favourite place and why it means so much to them. The app will also feature places that are important to National Trust staff and volunteers and members of the public.

Included on the app are well-known names such as Nell McAndrew with photographs of Ham House in London, whilst Kim Cattrall shares memories of Blickling Estate in Norfolk. Other celebrities involved include The Fabulous Baker Brothers, Tom and Henry Herbert, who chose Dyrham Park near Bath after family picnics there and its spectacular views across the South Gloucestershire countryside.

Meanwhile, musician Gary Kemp chose the Lake District as the special place for a perfect day after summers spent holidaying in the heart of National Trust countryside, sharing a picture of his son topping a Lakeland Fell.

Top model David Gandy commented: "I wanted to share my favourite photograph of Melford Hall as I have such fond and affectionate memories here, from visiting the beautiful grounds and rooms on school trips with all my school friends to family outings. Luckily my parents live very close to Melford Hall and so we tend to visit together quite often.

"I particularly enjoy the fun event held on fireworks night, as this is when the gardens and park really come to life. Lots of people have special places that evoke happy memories so I think it’s great that the National Trust is encouraging people to share their love and give these places the importance they deserve."

According to the National Trust study, four out of five people (81 per cent) said visiting their favourite place had a bigger impact on their wellbeing than shopping or going to the cinema. Nearly a third of those surveyed (31 per cent) said their favourite place was where they grew up, while 30 per cent chose a recent holiday spot and one in four (25 per cent) the location of a childhood family outing.

One in ten (ten per cent) are romantically-minded and admitted that their special place was where they were married and five per cent where they were proposed to. 87 per cent said their special place made them happy just thinking about it, with three quarters of those surveyed (75 per cent) revealing the place they love the most reminded them of their family.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

To explore the National Trust places and find or discover new special places log onto www.nationaltrust.org.uk. The nation can also register their special place and tell everyone why they love it at www.facebook.com/nationaltrust and #specialplaces

About the National Trust:

The National Trust looks after more than 250,000 hectares of countryside, 710 miles of coastline and hundreds of special places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For more information and ideas for great value family days out go to: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

PR contact:

Laura Appleby
Senior PR Officer
The National Trust
Heelis
Kemble Drive
Swindon
SN2 2NA
01793 917708
www.nationaltrust.org.uk ]]>

History book becomes viral hit on Kickstarter.com

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:35:00 +0100

'Roads Were Not Built For Cars' book exceeds crowd-sourced funding target by 270 percent and is supported by Edmund King, President of the Automobile Association

Author Carlton Reid of Newcastle upon Tyne has a hit book on his hands, and it's not even written yet. His roads history book has already raised GBP11,000 on the crowd-funding website Kickstarter.com. and there's still another 17 days to go before the campaign ends. 'Roads Were Not Built For Cars' originally aimed for funds of GBP4000 on Kickstarter and now has GBP11,070, 270 percent beyond target. Projects on Kickstarter are only funded once a self-imposed target is reached.

Reid is the executive editor of BikeBiz, a bicycle trade magazine, and has been researching his history book for two years.

"I wasn't expecting the book to do so well, so fast," said Reid. His target of GBP4000 was reached in less than 20 hours. This success caught the eye of staff at the US-based Kickstarter.com and they included the book in the company's weekly global email, which highlights three projects from around the world. Reid's book was plugged alongside a nail-painting service and a photography project, both from America.

Kickstarter's email said: "Most of us make use of roads every day without thinking twice about where they came from, or even why they exist. In his new book, Carlton Reid explores exactly that, delving into the history of roads in the US and UK, their place in a society, and their roots in cycling."

'Roads Were Not Built For Cars' is due to be published in August. It will show in great detail how motoring owes a great deal to cycling, something that may come as a surprise to many motorists. In a video for the Kickstarter campaign, Reid interviewed passers-by all of whom said a busy four-lane highway in Newcastle must have been designed for motorists. In fact, it was built to the current width in 1838 and was only later retrofitted for cars.

For instance, it was cyclists, and not motorists, who first pushed for high-quality road surfaces. In fact, the Roads Improvement Association of the UK was created by cycling organisations more than ten years before the first motorcar was imported into the country. And in America, the Good Roads movement, started by cyclists, later led to the creation of the US Department of Transportation and many "motor lobby" organisations were, originally, started by cyclists.

Reid said: "Cyclists were written out of highway history in the 1920s and 1930s by the all-powerful motor lobby: Roads Were Not Built For Cars tells the real story, putting cyclists centre stage again."

Edmund King, President of the Automobile Association and Visiting Professor of Transport at Newcastle University was one of the first supporters of the book, having helped Reid secure research funding two years ago.

King said: "Some drivers think that they own the road so might be surprised when they hear that roads were not built for cars. Carlton's fascinating insight into the origin of roads hopefully will break down some of the road "ownership" issues and help promote harmony for all road users whether on four wheels or two."

- ENDS -

CONTACT:

Carlton Reid
Tel: +44 191 2652062
carltonreid@mac.com ]]>

JERSEY COWS ENJOY DIET OF MOO-ERINGUES - APRIL FOOLS

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 07:00:00 +0100

-EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01 Monday 1st April-

JERSEY COWS ENJOY DIET OF MOO-ERINGUES

Loseley, the maker of luxury farmhouse ice cream, has developed a delicious new Eton Mess flavour by feeding its herd of Jersey cattle a diet of strawberries and meringues.

The cattle which are housed at the Beechdean Dairies farm in Buckinghamshire, have been enjoying the ingredients found in the much loved dessert for over a year to ensure their milk supply is infused with the sweet flavours of the unusual treats, this has meant air freighting huge quantities of strawberries to ensure a supply through all seasons.

Andrew Howard Managing Director of Beechdean Dairies adds: “We have been perfecting the quantities in the cattle feed for over 18 months to perfect the Eton Mess flavour. The cows need to be fed just the right quantities of meringues, strawberries, fat and hay to make the perfect Eton Mess ice cream. We believe ice cream should be great quality, tasty and interesting. Our products will always deliver against these criteria."

“Loseley's flavour development process is cutting edge - I have tasted the product and it is delicious" said Vince Bamford, FMCG Editor at The Grocer, the UK's leading grocery trade magazine. "It is an exciting innovation for the ice cream category."

-Ends-

For more information, images or samples please contact:
Sara Howard or Truley O’Sullivan at Popcorn PR on 01494 358150
Or sara.howard@popcornpr.co.uk / truley.osullivan@popcornpr.co.uk ]]>

New foot-and-mouth vaccine signals huge advance in global disease control

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 22:01:00 +0000

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 2200hrs GMT Wednesday 27th March 2013

Scientists have developed a new methodology to produce a vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). Because the vaccine is all synthetic, made up of tiny protein shells designed to trigger optimum immune response, it doesn’t rely on growing live infectious virus and is therefore much safer to produce.

Furthermore, these empty shells have been engineered to be more stable; making the vaccine much easier to store and reducing the need for a cold chain. This is important research because it represents a big step forward in the global campaign to control FMDV in countries where the disease is endemic, and could significantly reduce the threat to countries currently free of the disease. Crucially, this new approach to making and stabilising vaccine could also impact on how viruses from the same family are fought, including polio.

This collaborative research was led by Professor David Stuart, Life Science Director at Diamond Light Source and MRC Professor of Structural Biology at the Department of Medicine University of Oxford and Dr Bryan Charleston, Head of Livestock Viral Diseases Programme at The Pirbright Institute

Dr Bryan Charleston, whose team at The Pirbright Institute has developed a detailed understanding of the immune response to FMDV in cattle and is leading the vaccination trials work, says, “The FMDV epidemic in the UK in 2001 was disastrous and cost the economy billions of pounds in control measures and compensation. As a result of the outbreak the Royal Society recommended new approaches should be developed to control the virus should it happen again.

“This important work has been a direct result of the additional funding that was provided as a result of the 2001 outbreak to research this highly contagious disease. Using our detailed knowledge of the immune responses to FMDV in cattle we were able to define the characteristics that needed to be incorporated into the new vaccine platform to induce protection.”

Professor David Stuart, explains, “What we have achieved here is close to the holy grail of foot-and-mouth vaccines. Unlike the traditional vaccines, there is no chance that the empty shell vaccine could revert to an infectious form. This work will have a broad and enduring impact on vaccine development, and the technology should be transferable to other viruses from the same family, such as poliovirus and hand foot and mouth disease, a human virus which is currently endemic in South-East Asia,”

Key results were published in the journal PLOS Pathogens. on Wednesday 27th March 2013. The work is principally funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK (Defra) and the Wellcome Trust.

Clinical trials of the synthetic shell based vaccine on cattle carried out by Dr Charleston and his team have shown it is as effective as current vaccines. Whilst a commercial product is still several years away the team hopes that the technology can be transferred as quickly as possible to make it available to a global market.

Professor Stuart says; “Instead of using infectious virus as the basis for the vaccine, which is the main traditional method of vaccine development, the team using a methodology developed by Professor Ian Jones from the University of Reading synthetically created empty protein shells to imitate the protein coat that forms the strong outer layer of the virus. By using Diamond’s visualisation capabilities and the expertise of Oxford University in structural analysis and computer simulation, we were able to visualise something a billion times smaller than a pinhead and further enhance the design atom by atom of the empty shells. Through information gained at Diamond, we also verified that these have essentially the same structure as the native virus to ensure an appropriate immune response.”

Fine adjustments have been made to the empty shell to improve stability to produce a vaccine that is inherently more stable than live virus based products. This makes transporting and storing the vaccine much easier, as the pre-clinical trials have shown it to be stable at temperatures up to 56°C for at least two hours. The disease is endemic in central Africa and some parts of the Middle East and Asia (ref. World map), so this is a major advantage over the traditional vaccine, which has to be produced and stored in a chilled and stable environment.

Dr Charleston adds, “The ability to produce a vaccine outside of high containment and that does not require a cold storage chain should greatly increase production capacity and reduce costs. Globally there is an undersupply of the vaccine due to the high cost of production and this new development could solve this problem and significantly control foot-and-mouth disease worldwide.

“Furthermore, the complete absence of some viral proteins from this new vaccine will also allow companion diagnostic tests to be further refined to demonstrate the absence of infection in vaccinated animals with greater confidence.”

Professor Stuart, concludes, “Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most economically important diseases in livestock worldwide. With approximately 3 to 4 billion doses of vaccine administered every year, you can start appreciating the pertinence of our work. What we achieved is down to the continued support of our many funding agencies, the individual and collective perseverance of the entire collaboration and access to 21st century scientific tools to push the boundaries of scientific research.”

Nigel Gibbens, the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer comments on the work,
“This vaccine is a major breakthrough that has the potential to be an invaluable new weapon in the fight to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease. There are many more years of work and research to be done to get this vaccine ready for use, but this is undoubtedly an exciting leap forward. Once available, vaccines of this type would have clear advantages over current technology as a possible option to help control the disease should we ever have another FMD outbreak.

“This vaccine has been developed using some truly groundbreaking techniques which are a credit to the quality of British scientists working in the field of animal health.”

Development of the vaccine was supported by a Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust. Richard Seabrook, Head of Business Development at the Wellcome Trust, said: “Most people in the UK will remember the foot-and-mouth outbreaks of the 1960s and early 2000s, but FMD is a daily scourge for millions living in countries where the disease is endemic. An affordable vaccine is urgently needed to alleviate the huge economic burden that the disease places on the farming industry, particularly in the developing world. This vaccine still has some way to go before it will be available to farmers but these early results are very encouraging.”

Dr Charleston concludes, “We hope that a broad range of research groups working on vaccine development for viruses related to foot-and-mouth disease will be interested in taking our discovery forward to help tackle other major global disease challenges.”

The research was carried out by a UK partnership between The Pirbright Institute, which receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and grant funding to research FMDV, and Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron facility, which receives funding from Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Wellcome Trust, along with the Universities of Oxford and Reading. As well as vaccine development, The Pirbright Institute, is a centre of excellence for foot-and-mouth diagnostics and is home to the World Reference Laboratory for FMDV virus.

---ENDS---

Images, animations and movies will be available to download from Tuesday 26th March at 10.30am. Please note, all material is under the embargo until 2200 hrs GMT on Wednesday 27th March 2013 http://www.diamond.ac.uk/Home/Media/Diamond-Pirbright-Announ...

Rational Engineering of Recombinant Picornavirus Capsids to Produce Safe, Protective Vaccine Antigen Claudine Porta et al. PLOS Pathogens March 2013 http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1003255.

Contacts:

For more information and interview requests please contact:

The Pirbright Institute (Dr Bryan Charleston)
Zoe Williamson, Communications Officer
Tel: +44 (0) 7710 579261
Email: zoe.williamson@pirbright.ac.uk
Diamond Light Source (Prof David Stuart)
Isabelle Boscaro-Clarke, Head of Communications
Tel: +44 (0) 7990 797916
Email: isabelle.boscaro-clarke@diamond.ac.uk

Notes to editor

About the collaboration

The structural work was carried out by Prof Dave Stuart and his team at Oxford University using Diamond Light Source and developed structure-based methods for the prediction of stabilising mutations tailored to each serotype. Incorporation of the mutations into the empty shells, validation of the predicted improved stability and showing they stimulate protective immunity is performed by Dr Bryan Charleston at Pirbright Institute and Prof. Ian Jones at Reading University and their teams. The stable mutated empty shells are analysed by the Oxford team to demonstrate they remain as authentic copies of the original viruses. Together the three groups have developed a system for the production of empty protein shells at commercially viable amounts.

The UK led the world with the first dedicated synchrotron light source which was used to solve the structure of the virus back in 1989. Since then experimental and computational technology has advanced dramatically and capabilities, including those on offer at Diamond, have allowed us to design and evaluate drugs, vaccines and diseases at unprecedented levels of details thus pushing the boundaries of scientific research.

About The Pirbright Institute

The Pirbright Institute is a world leading centre of excellence in research and surveillance of virus diseases of farm animals and viruses that spread from animals to humans. Based in the UK and receiving strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Institute works to enhance capability to contain, control and eliminate these economically and medically important diseases through highly innovative fundamental and applied bioscience.
With an annual income of over £25 million from grants and commercial activity, and a total of £76.9 million strategic investment from BBSRC during 2011-12, the Institute contributes to global food security and health, improving quality of life for animals and people. For more information see www.pirbright.ac.uk

The Jenner Institute is a partnership between the University of Oxford and the Pirbright Institute and focuses both on diseases of humans and livestock and tests new vaccine approaches in parallel in different species. A major theme is translational research involving the rapid early-stage development and assessment of new vaccines in clinical trials. http://www.jenner.ac.uk

About Diamond Light Source

Diamond Light Source is funded by the UK Government through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and by the Wellcome Trust.

Diamond generates extremely intense pin-point beams of synchrotron light. Diamond’s X-rays are around 100 billion times brighter than a standard hospital X-ray machine.

Diamond Light Source is used by over 3,000 academic and industrial researchers across a wide range of disciplines, including structural biology, health and medicine, solid-state physics, materials & magnetism, nanoscience, electronics, earth & environmental sciences, chemistry, cultural heritage, energy and engineering. For more information about Diamond visit www.diamond.ac.uk

About Reading University Biological Sciences Department

The School of Biological Sciences is a research intensive institution, which prides itself on the excellence and relevance of its degree courses. The School was formed in 2005 from the former Schools of Animal and Microbial Sciences, Applied Statistics and Plant Sciences. This has resulted in the formation of a School with a formidable range of expertise, and this unique combination makes Reading a very attractive place to work and study. www.reading.ac.uk/biologicalsciences/about

About Oxford University STRUBI

The Division of Structural Biology (STRUBI) is part of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine (NDM) at the University of Oxford, which hosts one of the largest groupings of Biomedical Researchers in the University Sector. STRUBI is also part of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics. The Division includes the Oxford Protein Production Facility (OPPF) and the Oxford Particle Imaging Centre (OPIC).www.strubi.ox.ac.uk/strubi/index

About the Wellcome Trust

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests.
www.wellcome.ac.uk ]]>