Blue-green algae from Lough Neagh displayed during Belfast Photo Festival
As Belfast Photo Festival 2025 launches, the team are prominently displaying images of Lough Neagh's Toxic Blue Green Algal on digital billboards across the city, to recognise the fragility, immediacy and urgency of the exhibitions on Natural Heritage. Small algal blooms are already appearing around the Lough and will soon – yet again – cause the widespread danger, disruption and dismay experienced in previous years. Furthermore, to capture and share up close how so many of the underlying causes of this complex issue remain unchecked The team have also installed 3 deactivated water coolers at Botanic Gardens, the Ulster Museum and Belfast Exposed, filled and sealed with water from the Lough's environment, including algae from the Lough, slurry scum from its tributaries and the outflow water from an industrial area. The water coolers are deactivated and branded with a public warning sticker as used by the public authorities. They give the public a chance to get up close to the same pollution and effluent that is pouring into a natural treasure and the source of over 40% of Northern Ireland's drinking water. (Belfast Photo Festival)
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Evening Standard
a day ago
- Evening Standard
Blue-green algae from Lough Neagh displayed during Belfast Photo Festival
As Belfast Photo Festival 2025 launches, the team are prominently displaying images of Lough Neagh's Toxic Blue Green Algal on digital billboards across the city, to recognise the fragility, immediacy and urgency of the exhibitions on Natural Heritage. Small algal blooms are already appearing around the Lough and will soon – yet again – cause the widespread danger, disruption and dismay experienced in previous years. Furthermore, to capture and share up close how so many of the underlying causes of this complex issue remain unchecked The team have also installed 3 deactivated water coolers at Botanic Gardens, the Ulster Museum and Belfast Exposed, filled and sealed with water from the Lough's environment, including algae from the Lough, slurry scum from its tributaries and the outflow water from an industrial area. The water coolers are deactivated and branded with a public warning sticker as used by the public authorities. They give the public a chance to get up close to the same pollution and effluent that is pouring into a natural treasure and the source of over 40% of Northern Ireland's drinking water. (Belfast Photo Festival)
The Herald Scotland
29-04-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow Science Festival set to celebrate city's 850th anniversary
This year's events are united by the theme 'Glasgow Celebrates', which recognises the 850 years which have passed since the city received the status of Burgh in 1175. Researchers from the city's universities and beyond are set to join artists and musicians, and representatives from leading charities to welcome audiences to iconic locations including the Botanic Gardens, the Riverside Museum, and Kelvingrove Museum. Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of the West of Scotland, and the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde will also host events on their campuses. Glasgow's 33 libraries will play a part in this year's programme, with displays of STEM-related books planned for the duration of the festival. The Smart Play Network's PlayTalkRead bus will also bring science-focused fun aimed at children up to four years old to five libraries across the city, and Glasgow University's Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) will host three special themed evenings exploring 'The Art of Science', 'The Sound of Science' and 'A Body of Science.' Each evening will bring science to life with live music, virtual reality displays, hands-on demonstrations, and more. READ MORE: Craft beer festival returns to Edinburgh's historic Grassmarket Edinburgh Festival Fringe warns world-famous event is being 'taken for granted' Popular Scottish music festival announces first acts for 2025 The Festival's online Science on the Sofa programme, established during covid lockdowns when in-person events were not possible, also returns with a collection of videos and activities which can be enjoyed from home. Dr Deborah McNeill, of the University of Glasgow, is director of the Glasgow Science Festival. She said: 'This year's programme is our most jam-packed ever, expanding to new venues and bringing in a widened range of events, shows and presentations. 'We have more than 75 events in the programme, including film screenings, stand-up comedy, music shows and tours of the city. Our ever-popular activity days are returning to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens and the Riverside and Kelvingrove Museums, featuring hundreds of hands-on activities and demos from researchers, who will be on hand to chat about their work. We'll also be going on the road to being science to more people, with appearances at the Govan Fair and activities with local schools. 'We're excited to be joining people across the city to celebrate both our scientific present and the city's historic past during this 850th anniversary year." The festival's theme is reflected in a series of events which take inspiration from the city's historic coat of arms. The festival's popular activity days are set to return to city locations with dozens of family-focused events, many linked to the festival theme. At the Riverside Museum, from June 5-15, visitors can see sound waves with slinkies, control robots, and even witness sound waves being used to levitate objects, courtesy of scientists from the University of Strathclyde. At the Glasgow Botanic Gardens from June 6-15, visitors can enjoy an introduction to planting with the Friends of the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, listen to their blood flow with scientists from Glasgow Caledonian University, discover fish personalities with 'Fishing for Answers' and see how birds fly with 'Let Science Flourish', both with University of Glasgow researchers. On June 7 and 8, the Kelvingrove Museum will host 'Tree of Life' and 'Music in Parks' from researchers at the Open University. The Glasgow Science Festival is supported by funding from the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Government. Minister for Business Richard Lochhead said: 'Scotland's science festivals help to inspire the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs by bringing STEM subjects to life, making them accessible and entertaining for all ages. 'Glasgow University's programme for 2025 is an impressive celebration of science in a special year for the city as it looks back on its history. The Scottish Government's ongoing support for Glasgow Science Festival is a testament to the creative ways it supports learning and our ambitions for Scotland to be a home of innovation well into the future.' For more information on this year's events, visit to see the full programme.
Press and Journal
29-04-2025
- Press and Journal
How Aberdeen bacteria collection is tackling world's biggest problems
A pioneering lab in Aberdeen that stores some of the world's most useful bacteria has received a £1.7 million investment to scale its operations and tackle some of today's most urgent scientific challenges. Dyce-based biotech lab NCIMB is home to the UK's largest bacterial culture collection, the National Collection of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria. These microscopic powerhouses drive innovation across industries — from pharmaceuticals and sustainable technologies to food safety and even the science behind keeping your home smelling fresh, thanks to products like Febreze. NCIMB plays a key role in preserving and supplying them from its £4m purpose-built base in Wellheads Industrial Estate. The funding, from Maven Capital Partners and the Scottish National Investment Bank, will support NCIMB's ambitious growth plans. Opened in 2023, the state-of-the-art premises feature advanced microbiology labs, cold storage, and molecular suites. Dr Edward Green, NCIMB's chief executive, said the investment would allow the business to meet growing demand and create new local jobs. 'The funding is transformational for the business, allowing us to scale in the north-east of Scotland and better support our customers' needs in life sciences,' he said. 'It allows us to deliver our long-term vision to deploy our unique microbial platform to deliver impactful biotechnology solutions addressing grand societal challenges including decarbonisation, climate change, food security and healthy living.' The company plans to grow its team from 23 to 30 employees by the end of this year. Founded in 1982 with the University of Aberdeen's original bacteria collection — which dates back more than 75 years — NCIMB now holds over 10,000 strains. Many of these microbes are already used to produce everyday essentials, such as antibiotics, food ingredients, and industrial enzymes. 'It has been collected over many decades and serves as a national reference collection for anyone who wants to get hold of a microbial strain, primarily for some beneficial purpose,' added Dr Green. 'We have only scratched the surface in terms of the ways microbes can be used to benefit mankind and tackle many of the big issues faced by society, including climate change, food security and healthy ageing. 'It is incredibly lucky that somebody had the foresight to establish this collection of industrial, food and marine bacteria.' The Maven team was first introduced to NCIMB at an IFS Roadshow in Aberdeen, hosted by the British Business Bank. This latest investment is intended to help NCIMB generate more revenue from its collection and grow the business, with future spin-out companies expected. Dr Green added: 'We want to make our collection more accessible, more useful and get it out to more people than we currently do – in a format that I think de-risks for the end-user.' The investment will allow NCIMB to grow its microbiology services, expand its specialist licensing business, and develop new offerings that help customers choose and use the right bacterial strains for their needs. David Milroy, partner at Maven said NCIMB is uniquely positioned to meet growing demand for contract research organisation's with deep domain expertise. He added: 'We are delighted to join the team at this point in the company's journey and look forward to helping them further scale the business.' Alastair McMillen of the Scottish National Investment Bank said: 'As an impact investor, we are attracted to NCIMB's commercial potential as well as the innovation it can unlock to address global challenges such as climate change and food insecurity.'
