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Science in society:

Royal Society summer science exhibition

July 2008

Are epidemics inevitable? Disease prevention and control in changing landscapes

Scientists from the University of Cambridge, Rothamsted Research and the Institute for Animal Health presented their research that aims to understand and predict how disease infections establish and spread so that we might develop better controls.

Using interactive touch screens the public, policy makers and students created their own disease control strategies and were challenged to juggle a limited budget to contain a UK crop epidemic.

Live midges, the vectors of bluetongue disease, were on display – as were giant models of the midge and the bluetongue virus particle.

A microscope allowed visitors to get up close to wheat infected with a fungal rust disease, and a cut away model showed how the fungus infects leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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