Fertility expert warns of 'crisis in science'

UK fertility doctor Lord Winston has warned of an international crisis in science, brought about by animal rights protestors, the media and fellow scientists. Speaking last week at the Bioindustry Association, which represents the UK biotech industry, Winston accused scientists of being reluctant to engage with the media. He also criticised some sections of the press for printing 'absolute nonsense' during the recent parliamentary debates on embryo stem cell research.

Referring the recent near-closure of animal research firm Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) last week, Lord Winston asked: 'Who put their head above the parapet last week?' Paul Drayson, chairman of the Bioindustry Association, also called for more dialogue between biotech researchers and the public. 'If we do not get better at communicating the benefits to society of what we do we run the risk of losing public support' he said.

HLS was saved from bankruptcy when the Royal Bank of Scotland wrote off an £11 million debt before withdrawing its financial support. A spokesman for the animal rights group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (Shac) said it is planning legal action to challenge the Financial Services Authority's decision granting anonymity to HLS's new US backers. The pressure group has also said it now intends to focus on HLS's customers, which include Novartis, British Biotech, Dupont and GlaxoSmithKline.

Meanwhile, a recent poll of 1004 adults commissioned by the Guardian newspaper found that 46 per cent support 'the use of animals in scientific testing of new medicines for human consumption'.