Here are a few photos I have taken today showing the early signs of Spring. Metaphorically, the roll-out of vaccines brings hope and hopefully green shoots of recovery for global health and well-being.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 3/3/21
Here are a few photos I have taken today showing the early signs of Spring. Metaphorically, the roll-out of vaccines brings hope and hopefully green shoots of recovery for global health and well-being.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 3/3/21
My key message is that this is A Super-Efficient Experience!
On receipt of my invitation from the NHS I logged on to the appointment link provided. Of the nearby options offered my choice had to be Alderley Park, of course. (Having previously worked for AZ for 20+ years on this site it seemed fitting.)
The vaccination process was efficient, professional and friendly.
A high five to NHS staff, volunteers and everyone involved.
VACCINE ROLL-OUT CONTINUES AT PACE!
Please allow me a short digression here for a touch of nostalgia and more about Alderley Park.
Notably, the history includes involvement and important contributions to international research as the location ‘for ICI and latterly for AstraZeneca (after ICI Pharmaceuticals became Zeneca Pharmaceuticals in 1993)’
In 2013, ‘AstraZeneca announced plans to cease R&D work at Alderley Park.’ Although relocated over subsequent years some AZ non-R&D work continued here.
In 2014, ‘Alderley Park was purchased by Manchester Science Parks’ leading to subsequent redevelopment.
For some interesting history of Alderley Park and also for more about Alderley Park today you can find further information in links below.
Recent covid-related news:
In 2020, Alderley Park was in the news for its role as a Lighthouse Lab with an ability to accurately process thousands of Covid tests a day.
February 17th, 2021 was a key date in the commencement of NHS covid-19 vaccination at Alderley Park, now also an NHS Covid-19 vaccination centre!
In conclusion, today, I have a feeling of gratitude and also a touch of nostalgia*.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 17/2/21
…
[*nostalgia ain’t what it used to be 😉 – sorry I couldn’t resist that joke]
Links for further information:
For some interesting history of Alderley Park here:
And, you can find more about Alderley Park today, here:
In an effort to dispel some of the misinformation and confusion in the pandemic, I point you to this short article. Written early in the pandemic my messages and content still hold true, and are worth repeating to provide perspective. Please read this.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 2/2/21
This is a post for the weekend on the theme of positive surprises for January 2021.
And so, for something more ‘down to earth’, back to the garden in Lockdown 1 (2020) when I surprised myself with home grown beetroot.
My dad would have been proud of me for this, and also very surprised. (The salad is a tribute to my mum’s salad teas every weekend whatever the season!). My parents died years ago but their influence of course, is strong.
I am proud of my smart working-class roots and values that have stood me in good stead. Indeed, a dose of Yorkshire grit has greatly helped! I have much to be grateful to them for. I now understand their wise words that I didn’t perhaps fully appreciate at the time and I can chuckle at some of their quirkier expressions and stories.
Be true to yourself.
To warm memories and simple pleasures.
Stay safe, stay strong.
(and you could even beetroot to yourself as well 😉)
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 30/1/21
It was almost Weekend 3 of Lockdown 3 here in the UK.
The 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century, however, brought a surprise visitor to the garden which lightened the mood a little amidst all the ‘doom and gloom’. (It also reminded me of another surprise in the previous lockdown.)
[Photos: Goldcrest ‘smallest bird in Britain and Ireland; 9cm from head to tail’ surprise garden visit, 21 January 2021. Ruby Wedding Roses still blooming in Lockdown 2 with the surprise appearance of clusters of fresh daisies (November 2020)]
Saturday of Weekend 3, Lockdown 3 and even more surprises…
I woke up on the Saturday morning to a snowfall surprise ❄️😊.
(This was particularly welcome after the unfortunate surprise power cut the night before).
So, with the music turned up loud, I made the most of it with a suitable soundtrack! A few hours later, after my ‘exercise’ in the fresh air (i.e., building snowmen in the garden), I took a few more photos.
Result – 2 more ‘visitors’ to the garden and a little post to lighten the mood 😉.
[Snow surprises in my garden in Lockdown 3]
I built the snowmen at the weekend for fun to show my young grandchildren (and grown-up ‘kids’) being separated from them all. I got a bit playful and saw there was a message to share more widely😉. We all need some fun.
Here’s to much-needed happy surprises.
Stay safe, stay strong.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 24/1/21
In the first month of 2021, as an uplifting example of excellence in research, I’d like to share a link (see below*) to the December 2020 Nobel Lectures in Chemistry concerning work in the field of CRISPR and gene editing.
See what doing science is like – and how scientists work together.
Feel the joy of discovery – and the clarity of communication.
Dip in or delve deeper to learn about the fascinating science of gene editing.
Enjoy lectures by 2 highly successful scientists, recipients of the Nobel Prize 2020.
The presentations describe fundamental biology and show how research in bacteria and viruses can be valuable for developments in biotechnology. Challenges and opportunities are discussed. There are pointers to where such research is heading and its applications in research, public health, agriculture, and biomedicine. The lectures also touch on its potential use in applications for covid detection and screening, and indeed for future pandemic preparedness.
Hear 2 leaders in their field praising the enthusiasm and commitment of young scientists. It is indeed an exciting time for scientific research, and CRISPR methodology is ‘a powerful tool for young scientists’.
International collaboration is important. The mobility of researchers enables them to work in different labs and encourages the circulation of ideas.
In view of the opportunities and where some of this research is heading I think people should be prepared for wider consultations. It is important to increase the general understanding about this technology.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 20/1/21
*
Click here for the link to the 2020 Nobel Lectures in Chemistry
Thanks to ‘The Nobel Prize’and the scientists involved.
……
[Here is a link to a piece I wrote previously on a similar topic, frontier research in synthetic biology]
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
A huge thank you to those who have supported me over the years.
There is much to reflect on and much to look forward to. However, for now, today, 2 thoughts for 2021:
‘It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness’
&
‘When the roots are deep there is no reason to fear the wind’.
So, it’s a Happy New Year from myself and A Tree of Life Sciences®. Always serious about Life, Science and of course Life Sciences! & on occasions playful with an extra twinkle ⭐️.
Here’s to successful science, hugs and happiness for all 🌎 🧬 ❤️.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 1/1/21
Take care, stay safe, save Santa 🎅😊😉.
He really wants to come and spread a little magic.
(A card I made earlier – in a playful moment)
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Peace and Perspective in this run-up period in strange times.
Take care and have some festive fun fellow Earthlings❤️🌎⭐.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 17/12/20
Here are some moments captured in photos I took during the first autumn of the Covid-19 pandemic. I’d also like to reflect on some thoughts I had in these moments.
Early October, 2020
Keeping things in perspective
There’s so much happening out there in the world, that sometimes, it is important to try to see things in perspective and also to try to get some peace and slumber, for our own sakes and well-being. My photos are of the sun setting in Nice, France, taken just days after raging storms. Here’s to peace and quiet at times and the ‘honey-heavy dew of slumber’ to carry us through the nights.
[P.S as always no filters used – it’s the real thing! Sun setting as it happened, snap shots left to right.]
These photos brought some warmth, colour and perspective. A reminder to take time to pause, sleep and take care. Tomorrow another day begins, and some things may look different again. The simplest things in life give us the most pleasure.
Late October, 2020
Staying positive
I was serving 2 weeks of self-isolation in accordance with current rules. I was at home up North in the UK. Autumn brings warmth with rich tones of foliage in the garden. In the evening they contrast against the chilly grey sky. As nightfall descends the soft suffusion of colours blend into pitch black darkness.
(My photos left to right capture different perspectives of autumn from my home)
The next morning heralds another day. Peeping through the front window blinds, I am drawn by a new perspective. I raise the blinds to behold a glorious golden spectacle of Nature. Life is good and I’ll soon be out and about again.
November, 2020
‘Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness’
But on Bonfire Night, November 5th – here in England – I thought a spark in the dark or rather a sparkler in the darkness was fitting. We probably needed a bit of sparkle on Day 1 Lockdown 2.
(Photos taken Day 1 Lockdown 2 up North here in England)
November is coming to a close now and the end of Lockdown 2 in England (UK) is in sight. Restrictions will continue but will be eased in some respects; these are still uncertain times. December will be a different phase and there already is a sense of optimism with recent scientific and medical developments. Nevertheless, many people are suffering emotionally and in different ways that may not be immediately obvious. The last month of 2020 will be a time for reflection on how we have felt and what we have learned. Autumn will pass and winter approaches.
We are here, we are in this together and we go forward together.
Here’s to keeping things in perspective, staying positive and seeing the light ahead.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 30/11/20
Open science, and in particular data sharing to improve research, has long been a theme of the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF). Most recently, a session at ESOF2020 discussed some learning from experience in the current Covid-19 pandemic. A link to the recording of the session ‘Open science in time of pandemics: the experience of the Research Data Alliance WG on COVID-19’ is provided below*.
Starting in March 2020, over a 3-month period several working groups were formed and many people were brought together to address the challenges of data sharing in the pandemic. It was an advantage that the Research Data Alliance (RDA) already existed (since 2013). There was also some collaboration between the RDA and the EOSC group (European Open Science Cloud – an infrastructure currently being developed). It was an intense 3-month period resulting in the release of a document produced to record and share the learning so that others can be more prepared in future. Key steps that were identified include the listing of data that can be trusted and the setting of standards for describing and defining data. An important consideration is that undue influence by any one particular jurisdiction should be avoided because the pandemic is affecting everyone and in many different ways.
The ESOF session included discussion of the kinds of collaboration needed. Cross-disciplinary interaction is very important in a pandemic because of the need to look at many different aspects. International aspects also need to be taken into account. Tools need to be able to quickly find out what is of use in such times of emergency. We may need better systems and infrastructure to handle pandemics in the future. Global problems have the challenges of harmonisation, and this might be facilitated by the development of appropriate frameworks.
The session also aimed to increase awareness of the existence of the document ‘RDA COVID-19 Recommendations and Guidelines on Data Sharing’ (reference below**)
A message for the future: Data sharing is possible and there are ways to do it; progress has been made because of this pandemic.
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 23/11/20
Sources and further reading:
ESOF2020 Press Conference September 2020
*ESOF2020 session ‘Open science in time of pandemics: the experience of the Research Data Alliance WG on COVID-19’
**RDA COVID-19 Working Group. Recommendations and Guidelines
on data sharing. Research Data Alliance. 2020. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15497/rda00052
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