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The Life Scientific

Anne Glover

The Life Scientific

BBC

Society & Culture, Personal Journals, Science

4.61.4K Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2014

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Anne Glover is currently one of the most influential scientists in Europe. She advises the President of the European Commission on the research behind issues ranging from nuclear power to genetically modified foods. She talks to Jim al-Khalili about how she makes an impact working across the many countries in Europe with different ideas about science. For example, Germany and France have very different attitudes to nuclear power.

Anne Glover is also a Professor at Aberdeen University where she uses glow in the dark microbes to solve problems such as polluted land. It's a technique she developed after seeing minute glowing creatures while swimming at night in the Algarve.

She tells Jim about her life in the lab, setting up a company to exploit her bioluminescent microbes and how she gets on in the world of politics.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Once you've wrapped up this podcast, how about trying a very British cult?

0:06.0

What happens if the person you trust with your future isn't what you think they are?

0:10.0

I did feel the whole time he was watching me Yeti. I saw a footprint and that really gave me gusmas.

0:16.4

Or people who knew me. Emme, I remember every secret, every lie. I'm the only one who knows the truth.

0:23.0

Discover more of our biggest podcast from 2003.

0:27.0

Listen on BBC Sounds.

0:29.0

Thank you for downloading The Life Scientific from BBC Radio 4.

0:34.0

Ann Glover is the most influential scientist in Europe.

0:39.0

As the first ever chief scientific advisor to the President of the European Commission,

0:43.0

she gives advice on all areas of science and technology.

0:47.0

And this isn't her first brush with politicians.

0:49.0

For five years, she was the Science Advisor to the Scottish First Minister.

0:53.5

Again she was the first to take on that role.

0:56.2

She still holds her job at the University of Aberdeen as a professor of molecular and

1:00.8

cell biology, where she's made microbes glow in the dark, a technique

1:06.0

she's applied to such applications as cleaning up polluted land.

1:10.6

As a scientist with a broad range of interests, including setting up a company to sell her technology,

1:15.5

she seems to have been very well prepared for her recent jobs in the political arena.

1:20.0

Ang Lava, welcome to Life Scientific.

1:22.0

Hello.

1:23.0

In your current role, you've said that you do science for policy, not policy for science.

1:29.0

Yep, that's right.

...

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