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Leopoldina news 2 | 2020
Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina –
German National Academy of Sciences
Halle (Saale), 9 April 2020
The Leopoldina advises on
the coronavirus pandemic
2 2|2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
Table of contents 6
President of the Leopoldina: Jörg Hacker
held the office of President of the Leopoldina
from February 2010 to February 2020.
8
Interview with Melina Schuh: The Leopoldina
3 Editorial member and Max Planck Institute Director speaks
4 National Academy Leopoldina advises on the about the development of human egg cells.
coronavirus pandemic
5 G7 and G20 Academies call for solidarity 10
6 A decade of scientific freedom for a receptive
society
7 The Leopoldina celebrates the inauguration
of its new President
8 Interview with Melina Schuh ML: “The
reasons for infertility have always been
poorly understood”
9 Young Academy members embark on an
expedition into the Anthropocene
Additive manufacturing: A new joint statement
10 Revolution in printing technology: additive by the Leopoldina, acatech and the Union of German
manufacturing requires applied research Academies zooms in on new fields of application.
11 Crossing boundaries in science communica-
tion
12 European Academies The Leopoldina on social media:
13 People
14 Imprint
2|2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 3
Editorial
Dear Members and Friends of the Leopoldina,
In my first editorial as President of the Leopoldina, I am writing to you
in an extraordinary and challenging time. The spread of the coronavirus
means that the situation in Germany, as elsewhere, is becoming increa-
singly difficult, and the effects are palpable in both our personal and our
professional lives. Like everyone else, individuals and institutions alike,
the Leopoldina recognises that we must work together and do everything
we can to contain the spread of the virus and protect the health of those
around us.
The Leopoldina has therefore made the decision to cancel or postpone all
Academy events planned between
now and the end of June. Events
mentioned in this newsletter
which are planned for a later date
may also be subject to change.
Up-to-date information can be
found on our website. Not only
will our website be updated re-
gularly, but the business office of
the Leopoldina will remain open
and can be reached via telephone
and email. Our staff are working
from home wherever possible
and are making every effort to
ensure that the Academy can Gerald Haug
President of the Leopoldina
continue to fulfil its role despite
the circumstances. This includes advising politicians and society at large Image: David Ausserhofer
on coping with and combating the coronavirus pandemic.
On 3 April, we published our second ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus
Pandemic – Measures Relevant to Health” („Coronavirus-Pandemie –
Gesundheitsrelevante Maßnahmen”) (see page 4 et seq.). Our first ad-hoc-
statement “Coronavirus Pandemic in Germany: Challenges and Options
for Intervention” was presented on 21 March. In both papers, we draw to-
gether interdisciplinary scientific expertise and discuss measures that can
be taken to help curb the coronavirus pandemic and gradually bring public
life back to normal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the
ad-hoc-statements’ authors for drafting them both in such a short period
of time. We will continue to provide active support in the coming weeks to
those responsible for designing and adjusting measures and ensuring that
they reflect social considerations.
For now, I hope that you enjoy reading our newsletter despite the circum
stances and that you stay healthy and safe!
4 2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
National Academy Leopoldina advises
on the coronavirus pandemic
Working groups are addressing medical and health policy aspects of the crisis as well as its legal,
economic, social and psychological ramifications
Image: iXimus_Pixabay
The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the ad-hoc-statement on 21 March titled tecting vulnerable groups and strategi-
resulting respiratory disease COVID-19 “Coronavirus Pandemic in Germa- cally increasing the capacity of public
are spreading rapidly across the globe. ny: Challenges and Options for Inter- health and care systems.
The Leopoldina has brought together two vention”, in which it set out potential The statement notes that some of
interdisciplinary working groups which these measures are scientifically pro-
will carry out ongoing assessments of the ven to be effective and necessary, while
current situation and lend their support to “Efforts must focus on others were suggested on the basis of
policymakers and wider society by issuing protecting people with projections and political considerati-
ad-hoc-recommendations. a higher risk of deve- ons. The development of medications
and vaccines must be made an absolute
loping serious forms of
priority. The authors underscore that
T
he common goal is to combat the
the COVID-19 disease.” this must be done with due considera-
spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus Ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic tion for medical ethics.
and the resulting COVID-19 re- in Germany: Challenges and Options for The working group subsequently
Intervention”, p. 1
spiratory disease in Germany as effec- consulted on ways to flesh out and re-
tively as possible. In doing so, it must fine the recommended measures, up-
be taken into consideration that the dated the first ad-hoc-statement and
information available on which poli- health policy measures for preventing presented a second ad-hoc-statement
tical actions are based is continuously the further spread of the virus. The on 3 April under the title “Coronavi-
changing. recommendations focus on three key rus Pandemic – Measures Relevant to
The Leopoldina published an initial measures: curbing the epidemic, pro- Health”. This paper focuses on health-
2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 5
related measures that could help public
life gradually return to normal. Three
G7 and G20 Academies call
measures are considered to be of par-
ticular importance: the widespread use for solidarity
of face masks, the short-term analysis Developing medications and vaccines for coronavirus together
of mobile data and the expansion of
testing cpacities.
The authors of both ad-hoc-state-
ments agree that efforts in the coming
weeks and months need to focus on in-
tensive medical care, pharmaceutical
intervention and protective measures
in public spaces as well as making suf-
ficient testing capacity available. At the
same time, as the shutdown continues,
preparations must be made to carefully
and selectively restart the economy and
public life.
In the run-up to this year’s virtual G7 summit, the member states’ National Academies of Scien-
“The public has shown ces have called for greater international solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
a great deal of willing- Image: Rawf8 | Adobe Stock
ness to implement
the recommended This year’s G7 summit, from 10 to 12 June, the leadership of the National Academy
measures. Transparent will take place as a video conference for of Sciences, and experts from the Leopol-
communication can the first time ever. The heads of state and dina played a major role in this work. The
help to strengthen this government who were set to come together academies held multiple consultation
at Camp David/USA will now be meeting sessions to agree on the recommenda-
willingness further.” virtually in response to the global spread of tions provided, which will be published
Ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. leading up to the G7 summit.
– Measures Relevant to Health”, p. 3 Providing advice for the annual sum-
T
he national academies of scien- mit of the G7 countries is a strategic re-
ces in Germany, France, the sponsibility that forms a core part of the
More advice on this extensive and United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Leopoldina’s international policy advice
complex topic is provided by anot- Canada and the USA have addressed a work. Together with the other G7 aca-
her Leopoldina working group whose joint statement to the heads of state and demies, the Leopoldina identifies issues
members delve into the pandemic’s le- government of the G7 countries, calling with scientific relevance that fit into the
gal, economic, social and psychological for greater international solidarity in the summit’s agenda while also broadening
aspects. ■ CW, JK, DW fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. the political focus.
They highlight the fact that global scien- Since 2017, the National Academies
tific dialogue, worldwide cooperation in have engaged in similar dialogue for the
developing medications and vaccines, G20 summits. As part of this year’s Sci-
Ad-hoc-statements from and coordinated and evidence-based de- ence 20 consultations, the academies of
the Leopoldina on the velopment of health policy measures are sciences also addressed an urgent call for
coronavirus pandemic more crucial than ever in light of the cur- global solidarity to the extraordinary vir-
rent situation. tual summit of the G20 heads of state and
“Challenges and Options Three other statements are devoted government held on 26 March. ■ CHW
for Intervention” to advances in digital medicine, the glo-
(21 March 2020)
bal recession of insect populations and
the resulting decline in biodiversity, and G7 “Critical Need for
“Measures Relevant to International Cooperation”
the importance of fundamental research
Health” (3 April 2020)
in guaranteeing scientific progress. G20 “COVID-19 Pandemic”
The statements were drafted under
6 2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
A decade of scientific freedom
for a receptive society
Looking back on Jörg Hacker’s time in office as the 26th President of the Leopoldina
Jörg Hacker was a much sought-after conversation partner during his time in office, as seen here at the 2015 dialogue forum of the G7 Academies of Sciences
in Berlin. Image: Markus Scholz | Leopoldina
In February 2010, Jörg Hacker ML suc- Leopoldina’s various activities in the not only highlighting the importance
ceeded Volker ter Meulen ML to become past ten years have given rise to con- of science in laying the groundwork for
the 26th President of the Leopoldina. crete solutions in keeping with three a receptive society, but also calling on
It was already clear then that science of Jörg Hacker’s strategic goals: esta-
would face growing pressure to help blishing widespread trust in the Acade-
provide sustainable solutions to urgent my’s science-based advice, integrating „Dare to do more.“
societal issues. a broad range of scientific and societal Jörg Hacker,
perspectives on important topics for the 26th President of the Leopoldina
future, and supporting the globalisation
J
örg Hacker’s work as President of science and society by forging closer
was therefore shaped by the ques- links between German, European and scientists to do more themselves to en-
tions of how a carefully conside- global projects. sure that their findings feed into public
red focus on freedom of research and “Dare to do more” – in many of his debate, helping to shape people’s opini-
instruction would promote the long- speeches and publications, Jörg Hacker ons and support political decision-ma-
term benefits of science and what role underscored the importance of pus- king. This commitment has enabled the
the academies should play in this. The hing the boundaries of science. He was Leopoldina to engage with scientific to-
2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 7
pics of great societal relevance over time the boundaries between the individual Studies established a place for the Aca-
and be heard far and wide as the “voice Sections of the learned society thanks demy to reflect on the role it plays in
of science” (Federal Chancellor Angela society.
Merkel). The 27th President of the Leopoldi-
Many of the Leopoldina’s publica-
Anyone who wants na Gerald Haug hearkened back to the
tions and events focused on antibiotic to ensure successful words of the first Federal President of
research and genome editing and were dialogue must be pre- Germany Theodor Heuss in his inaugu-
thus closely related to Jörg Hacker’s pared to engage with ral speech on 20 February 2020, refer-
specialist field of infection biology. ring to his predecessor as the embodi-
the expectations of the
Meanwhile, statements concerning cli- ment of the “pathos of sobriety” suited
mate and environmental policy, such other party without to public discourse in a modern demo-
as “Bioenergy – Chances and Limits” surrendering their own cracy. Jörg Hacker combined the ob-
(2012) and “Clean air – Nitrogen oxides independence. jectivity of scientific study with a pas-
and particulate matter in ambient air” sion for opening up the world through
(2019), also contributed to objectivising research, working together with many
public debate. to the interdisciplinary nature of their different partners in many different
While focusing on an increasingly research. Moreover, the 2012 founding disciplines to promote the benefits of
diverse range of topics, the Leopoldina of the Leopoldina Centre for Science science for the common good. ■ ART
has also developed new and different
forms of dialogue with wider society.
Anyone who wants to ensure success- INAUGURATION OF LEOPOLDINA‘S NEW PRESIDENT
ful dialogue must be prepared to en-
gage with the expectations of the other
party without surrendering their own
independence. On a global level, this
was particularly evident in the Leopol-
dina’s cooperation with the National
Academies of the G7 and G20 member
states, which prepare statements for
the regular meetings of their heads of
government. Meanwhile, Jörg Hacker
used his role in the scientific advisory
The Leopoldina is the
“voice of science”.
Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel
committee of former UN Secretary-Ge-
neral Ban Ki-moon – another avenue
for providing targeted advice to high- At the event to celebrate the change in office in Halle on 20 February 2020, microbiologist
ranking decision-makers – to highlight Jörg Hacker ML (second from left) handed the chain of office belonging to the President of
the essential role that fundamental the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina to climate researcher Gerald Haug ML (centre).
research plays in sustainable develop- Gerald Haug was elected for a five-year term that began on 1 March 2020. In his inaugural
ment. speech, he started by touching on “just how much responsibility falls onto the President of
the Leopoldina’s shoulders” and “the wealth of opportunities they have to advance the world
These highly visible activities of
of science and its dialogue with society.” Jörg Hacker headed the Academy for ten years and
the Leopoldina and its President were
is retiring at the end of two terms. State Minister Hendrik Hoppenstedt (right) gave a speech
accompanied by gradual change in in-
on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s behalf. Saxony-Anhalt Minister-President Reiner Haseloff
dividual elements of its organisational (left) gave a welcoming address at the event to mark the change in office. Federal Minister
structure. This included the introduc- of Education and Research Anja Karliczek (second from right) was among the first in line to
tion of a committee for identifying out offer her congratulations. Image: Markus Scholz | Leopoldina
standing scientists who have crossed
8 2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
“The reasons for infertility have always
been poorly understood”
Leopoldina member Dr. Melina Schuh discusses her research on the development of human egg cells
Melina Schuh ML is one of the outstanding
scientists elected to the Leopoldina in 2019.
The Director of the Max Planck Institute for
Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen has now
given an interview discussing her research.
Among other things, you research the
development of human egg cells. Sur-
prisingly, we still know relatively litt-
le about this topic – why is that?
Melina Schuh: Mammalian egg cells
are not easy to study in general. They
normally develop inside the body, so it’s
hard to access them. It’s even more com-
plicated in human beings, which is why
hardly any studies have been conducted
on human egg cells.
So, for example, the development pro-
cess of an egg cell was completely uncle-
ar until now?
Schuh: Prior to fertilisation, an egg un- Melina Schuh is the Director of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in
Goettingen (Germany) and conducts research on the development of egg cells which are
dergoes a special form of cell division
ready to be fertilised. The biochemist was elected to the Leopoldina in 2019. In the same year,
called meiosis. We were able to witness she received the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation.
this cell division for the first time in li- Image: Frank Vinken / Max Planck Society
ving human egg cells using high-perfor-
mance microscopes.
maturity. For our research, we recei- bryo will usually stop developing at a very
What was the challenge there? ve egg cells which have not yet reached early stage. The woman will miscarry or
Schuh: Meiosis in human egg cells is a this stage and are thus not suitable for simply won’t become pregnant. This is a
very slow process that happens inside fertility treatment, but can still help our common reason why women over the age
the body and takes more than a full day. studies. of 40, in particular, find they are unable
We therefore had to recreate the natu- to conceive. We want to find out why egg
ral biological environment as closely What research questions remain unans- cells so frequently have the wrong num-
as possible under the microscope and wered? ber of chromosomes particularly in older
handle the cell very carefully so as not Schuh: For us, the egg cell is interes- women.
to disrupt the development process. And ting both from a fundamental research
we’ve just now managed to do so for the perspective and in the context of fertili- This lends particular societal relevance
first time. ty treatment. In the fertilisation process, to your research.
the chromosomes from the egg cell and Schuh: In our society, the average age
Where do you get the human egg cells the sperm cell are combined. To ensure that women give birth is steadily rising,
for your research? that this process results in the right num- and infertility is becoming an increa-
Schuh: We work exclusively with un- ber of chromosomes, the egg cell must di- singly relevant issue. The exact reasons
fertilised egg cells intended for fertility vide the chromosome pairs in half prior for this have always been poorly unders-
treatment that have proven unusable. To to fertilisation. It must be exactly half tood. We hope that our research will be
be used in fertility treatment, egg cells – no more, no less. If an egg cell has the able to help increase the success rates of
need to have reached a certain stage of wrong number of chromosomes, the em- fertility treatment in the long term.
2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 9
What possibilities does your Leopoldina legate things like household chores and Expedition into the
membership afford you to advocate for gardening so I have the time to concen- anthropocene
a reproductive medicine law that’s more trate on my family and my career. At
in keeping with the times? work, I try to stay focused and prioritise Research trip to Ecuador follows in
Humboldt’s footsteps
Schuh: In June 2019, the Leopoldina the most crucial tasks. After work and
published an excellent statement on re- at the weekend, I make sure I’m really
productive medicine which touched on there for my children. I can often get a
a critical area where Germany is lagging little more work done after they’ve gone
behind other countries. There is a regu- to sleep.
lation in force here which states that only
fertilised egg cells which are ultimately Successful women like you who have
to be transferred into the patient may built such an impressive career are still
be further cultivated. All others must be in the minority within the scientific com-
frozen at a very early stage of develop- munity. What needs to change?
ment. Schuh: There certainly needs to be
more high-quality childcare available.
Talking to Dr. Ferrán Cabrero of Amazon State
But it’s impossible to know at this early At our institute in Göttingen, we have an University (UEA) about the retreat of the
stage which of the egg cells will divide, excellent daycare centre which accepts Abras glacier on Chimborazo.
because some of them might have de- children even before their first birthday. Image: Miriam Akkermann / Young Academy
fects, correct? This is particularly important for the
Schuh: Precisely. So it would be better if scientific community since things evolve
we could cultivate the egg cells for a longer
period before selecting a single well-deve-
so fast, making it difficult to take long pe-
riods of parental leave. Daycare services
like ours enable women to return to work
S ix members of the Young Acade-
my travelled to Ecuador from 22
February to 9 March as part of Expe-
sooner, which is imperative in certain dition Anthropocene. Working on the
professions and positions. So I would be assumption that scientists can only
pleased if the opportunities I have were overcome the challenges of climate
made available to more families throug- change by collaborating across disci-
hout Germany. They have already been plines, they aimed to explore modern
commonplace for a long time in many avenues for doing so and the limits to
other countries, such as England, France these possibilities.
and the USA. The team used methods from the
■ THE INTERVIEW WAS fields of glaciology, biology, chemistry,
CONDUCTED BY BENJAMIN HAERDLE acoustic ecology, computer science and
medicine to detect the effects of human
activity at different altitudes and in dif-
LIFE SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM ferent vegetation zones as well as the
impact of climate change on the local
[Postponed] population. While evidence of glacial
A human egg cell during division under the The Leopoldina’s Life Science Sympo-
microscope retreat allowed the team to draw ini-
sium was set to take place on 14 May.
Image: Agata Zielinska, Melina Schuh / Max Planck Society tial conclusions straight away, they still
The members of Class II – Life Sciences
need to analyse their data on factors in-
planned to use this year’s meeting to
loped embryo to be transferred. Transfer- cluding biodiversity, changes in terms
discuss topics including immunity and
ring multiple embryos increases the pro- immune cells, pain research, epigenetics of acoustic ecology, and microplastic
bability of a multiple birth, which entails and biochemistry, and biodiversity and presence in the ice. It will also be im-
health risks for the mother and children. taxonomy. portant to analyse their experiences
That’s why we believe the law should Due to the measures introduced to curb and find shared language, approaches
change. the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the and methods in order to ensure that
event has now been postponed, along the much-vaunted interdisciplinary ap-
You hold a high-ranking position as a with the evening lecture by Melina proach actually works. ■ YB, AR
scientist and are yourself a mother of Schuh ML. Information on an alternative
four. How do you manage a healthy date will be published on our website.
work-life balance? Information Expedition Anthropocene
Schuh: It’s not always easy. I try to de-
10 2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
Revolution in printing technology: additive
manufacturing requires applied research
Joint statement by the Leopoldina, acatech and the Union of German Academies
Research and development in materials
sciences, mechanical engineering and
computer science is constantly opening
up new fields of application for additive
manufacturing – otherwise known as 3D
printing. The Leopoldina, the Union of
the German Academies of Sciences and
Humanities, and the National Academy
of Science and Engineering – acatech
have published the joint statement “Ad-
ditive Manufacturing – Developments,
Possibilities and Challenges”, which
looks at the potential offered by this
new manufacturing technology.
T
he developments underway in
additive manufacturing are al-
most as revolutionary as those
in communication technology. When
Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie concert hall is one example of 3D models used in construction. The
3D printing first emerged, it was most- building consists of many different surfaces and entrances with complex and sometimes oblique
ly used by industrial businesses and shapes. A 3D-printed colour model using polymer plaster made it easier to construct the diffe-
sectors such as medical, dental and rent levels of the concert hall. Image: Rapidobject GmbH Leipzig
hearing technology. The statement
“Additive Manufacturing – Develop-
ments, Possibilities and Challenges” tectural models and lighter aircraft ling software for managing the com-
looks at the prospects opened up by parts, among other things. plex interplay of material properties,
this new technology. But some recent projects aim to manufacturing conditions and product
create entire buildings or bridges. New specifications.
materials make it possible to generate The recommendations also aim to
„Additive manufactu- parts with new properties. For exam- interlink the individual fields of re-
ple, smart components are being deve- search more closely and to forge clo-
ring enables single or loped which include sensors for measu- ser ties between basic and applied re-
small series production ring stability. Medical researchers are search on the one hand and industry on
with almost unlimited now looking at using 3D printing for the other. This will make it possible to
creative freedom.“ producing not just custom-fit implants guarantee the safety and sustainabili-
but organic tissues. ty of additive manufacturing thanks to
“Additive Manufacturing” statement, p. 8
The Leopoldina, the Union of the universal quality standards, norms and
German Academies of Sciences and regulations, to adapt training and de-
Humanities, and acatech have drawn gree courses, and to boost acceptance
3D objects are created by building up a series of recommendations to sup- of technology among the general pub-
up layer after layer of material. This port this work and ensure the findings lic. ■ EW
makes it possible to produce affordable are widely accessible. The focus is on
customised products as well as items refining the manufacturing techno-
with a complex shape or delicate inter- logies and materials used. To enable Statement
“Additive Fertigung”
nal structure. 3D printing is currently practical application, there is also a
(only available in German)
used to manufacture dentures, archi- need to research user-friendly model-2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 11
Crossing boundaries in
science communication
Workshops and a panel discussion to shed light on the relationship between science and policy
Should research institutes change the
way they engage with public debate, or
become more actively involved? Leopol-
dina Vice President Regina Riphahn met
with research policymakers to discuss
this issue under the title “Crossing boun-
daries: How public should research be?”
on 27 January in Berlin.
T
he most recent efforts by the Ger-
man Federal Ministry of Educa-
tion and Research (BMBF) and
the parties that make up the federal go-
vernment aiming to strengthen science
communication have provided fresh
momentum, indicating that politicians Panel discussion on science communication with Leopoldina Vice President Regina Riphahn,
BMBF state secretary Michael Meister, political scientist Patrizia Nanz, member of parliament
expect more from research – including Ernst Dieter Rossmann, and marine biologist Antje Boetius (left to right).
in terms of its contribution to society – Image: Hans-Joachim Rickel | BMBF
than it currently delivers.
Michael Meister, state secretary with
the German Federal Ministry of Educa- says. Institutions such as Wissenschaft creasing the quantity of communication
tion and Research (BMBF), and Ernst im Dialog (Science in Dialogue, WiD) would not improve access to knowledge
Dieter Rossmann, Chairman of the are better placed than individuals to or the development of expertise. Critical
Committee on Education, Research and meet the expectations of wider socie- journalism which questions research
Technology Assessment in the German ty with a professional approach. For findings, research policy and research
parliament, used the panel discussion to Antje Boetius ML, who chairs the WiD funding is essential for shaping public
emphasise the duties of accountability steering committee, the important issue opinion and ensuring civic engagement
and transparency that come with access and control. Research institutions can-
to public financing. Scientific institutes not be expected to fulfil these functions
must communicate research findings How should commu- to the same extent, they said.
more clearly, they say, and be prepared nication strategies be They proposed taking advantage of
for a critical public to question their to- the high degree of differentiation among
evaluated within the
pics, methods and conclusions. scientific institutes and encouraging
Against this backdrop, how should
competitive world of them to ensure that their research ma-
communication strategies be evalua- research? kes a concrete contribution to society.
ted within the competitive world of re- The workshop participants also agreed
search? Regina Riphahn warned that that the scientific community alone can-
focusing on communication does not do now is to discuss the impact that science not fully exploit the potential of research
justice to researchers who have strong communication should have on society to benefit society as a whole. This requi-
results but varying levels of success in as a whole. For example, should it aim res the involvement of specialised insti-
communicating these to the public. In- to create an uncritically positive attitude tutions, such as lifelong learning centres
stead, it rewards topics that are easier towards new technologies? and universities, as well as journalism.
to communicate and appear more use- Experts in science communication Action should be taken to boost their
ful on the surface. This can lead resear- and media tackled these considerations ability to make use of scientific findings
chers to focus on topics that are better in workshops held before the panel dis and to reflect specific groups’ interest in
received by the media in particular, she cussion. They maintained that simply in- research as needed. ■ KP12 2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
Closed-loop plastic recycling – granules can be used to make items including specimen cups and plastic bags. Image: digitalstock | Adobe Stock
EASAC EASAC European Academies
Closed-loop plastic Regulating genome- Data for medical
recycling edited plants research
A new report by the European Aca- The European Academies’ Science In medical research, personal data
demies’ Science Advisory Council Advisory Council (EASAC) has com- is often compiled in order to ensure
(EASAC), “Packaging plastics in the mented on the Leopoldina’s state- sufficient case numbers for studies,
circular economy”, warns that cur- ment, “Towards a scientifically jus- to replicate results and to identi-
rent efforts to resolve the plastic tified, differentiated regulation of fy complex correlations. While the
waste crisis are ineffective and mis- genome edited plants in the EU”. The European Union’s General Data
leading. It calls on politicians and statement was in response to a 2018 Protection Regulation (GDPR) has
industry to address conflicts throug- decision by the European Court of harmonised regulations governing
hout the plastic life cycle – from Justice on the legal regulations gover- the processing of personal data, ex-
production to end of life. According ning genetically modified organisms changing data with countries outside
to the report, if plastic use continu- (GMO). The European Academies of the European Economic Area can
es to increase, it will be impossible maintain that the current European be problematic. The European aca-
to achieve the goal of reducing the Union rules are no longer fit for pur- demy associations EASAC, ALLEA
amount of plastic waste in our wa- pose and a radical reform of the legal and FEAM have initiated a project
ters and on land. Instead, systemic framework is needed. They point to to strengthen the international ex-
reforms are needed along the entire the significance of new methods of change of data for research purposes
value chain in order to protect the genome editing in light of the climate and take legal and ethical issues into
environment, biodiversity and ulti- crisis, global food security issues and account, particularly with regard to
mately human health. ■ JMO,NH social injustice. ■ CSD data protection. ■ CSD
Packaging plastics in the Regulation of genome-
Data sharing project
circular economy edited plants in the EU2|2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
NEWSLETTER 13
People
Awards and Honours
Antje Boetius ML, member of the Earth Sciences Sec- Ursula M. Staudinger ML, member of the Psycholo-
tion, is assuming the Mercator Professorship at the Uni- gy and Cognitive Sciences Section, was elected Rector of
versity of Duisburg-Essen in 2020. the TU Dresden.
Emmanuelle Charpentier ML, member of the Hu- Wolfgang Wahlster ML, member of the Informa-
man Genetics and Molecular Medicine Section, received tics Section, was awarded an honorary doctorate from
the Wolf Prize in Medicine from the Wolf Foundation (Is- the Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Repu-
rael) together with Jennifer Doudna. blic).
Caroline Dean ML, member of the Organismic and
Evolutionary Biology Section, received the Wolf Prize in The Leopoldina mourns the loss of honorary
Agriculture from the Wolf Foundation (Israel). member Reimar Lüst
The National Academy of Sciences mourns the loss
Donald B. Dingwell ML, member of the Earth Scien- of honorary member Reimar Lüst. The astrophysicist is
ces Section, was awarded the Order of Canada, the coun- viewed as a pioneer of European space exploration re-
try’s highest civilian honour. search. He was elected a member of the Leopoldina in
1973 and was the spokesperson of the Astrophysics/As-
Lars P. Feld ML, member of the Economics and Em- tronomy Section from 1991 to 1997. In 1997, the Leopol-
pirical Social Sciences Section, was appointed the new dina awarded him honorary membership. Reimar Lüst
chairman of the German Council of Economic Experts. died on 31 March 2020 at the age of 97. President of the
Leopoldina Gerald Haug paid tribute to his work, saying:
Herbert Gleiter ML, member of the Physics Section, “Reimar Lüst shaped the German, European and global
was awarded an honorary doctorate from Lanzhou Uni- scientific system with his outstanding reputation as an
versity (China) and was named a fellow of Lanzhou Uni- astrophysicist as well as his keen political judgement and
versity and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). prescience.”
Lüst conducted research in astrophysics, space ex-
Günter Klöppel ML, member of the Pathology and ploration and plasma physics. He had been increasingly
Forensic Medicine Section, was presented with the Euro- dedicated to scientific policy since the end of the 1960s.
pean Neuroendocrine Tumor Society’s Life Achievement He was Chairman of the German Science Council from
Award and also received honorary membership. 1969 to 1972, President of the Max Planck Society from
1972 to 1984, Director-General of the European Space
Wolfgang Marquardt ML, member of the Enginee- Agency (ESA) from 1984 to 1990, and President of the
ring Sciences Section, was accepted into the National Aca- Alexander von Humboldt Foundation from 1989 to 1999.
demy of Engineering (USA). He was also Chairman of the Board of the International
University Bremen (now Jacobs University Bremen) un-
Ole Petersen ML, member of the Physiology and til 2004.
Pharmacology/Toxicology Section, was awarded the Gold Astrophysicist Reimar Lüst won many accolades for
Medal of the Academia Europaea. his work, including the Grand Cross of the Order of Me-
rit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Adenauer-de
Svante Pääbo ML, member of the Human Genetics Gaulle Prize and a number of honorary doctorates and
and Molecular Medicine Section, received the 2020 Japan professorships. Minor planet 4386 was named after him
Prize from the Japan Prize Foundation. in 1991.
Peter M. Schlag ML, member of the Surgery, Ortho-
paedics, Anaesthesiology Section, was awarded the Johan
Georg Zimmerman Medal by the MHH Foundation of the
Hannover Medical School.14 2 |2020 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
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