When Harry Met Sally: Polymer Chemistry Meets Biomaterials
2006; CSIRO Publishing; Volume: 59; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1071/ch06294
ISSN1445-0038
AutoresGregory T. Russell, Martina H. Stenzel,
Tópico(s)Biotechnology and Related Fields
ResumoIt is the dramatic moments of a conference that linger long in the mind. At the Australasian Polymer Symposium held in Rotorua, New Zealand, over 5–9 February 2006, one such moment came during Graham Parker’s plenary lecture on ‘Stem Cells: Have the Shibboleths of DevelopmentYet Found Their Niche?’ Recounting the history of research into stem cells, Graham came to late 2005, when notoriety turned science into front-page news around the world: Hwang WooSuk’s claims to have created several human embryonic stem cell lines were shown to be fabricated.∗ Graham treated this awkward moment simply by saying ‘And then’, before standing aside in silence as his PowerPoint display clicked over to show a cartoon of a spinning fan. Indeed, this left no need for anything to be said. What there is a need to say something about is the conference itself. First, how is it that a talk on stem cells by a medical researcher could infiltrate and ignite a conference on polymer science? The answer is that the conference was far more than just this: it was the combined 28th Australasian Polymer Symposium and Australasian Society for Biomaterials 16thAnnual Conference.This is not the first time that the RACI’s Polymer Division and the ASB have flirted with each
Referência(s)