SCIENCE AT THE SHINE DOME canberra 4 - 6 may 2005

Symposium: Recent advances in stem cell science and therapies

Opening address

Dr Jim Peacock

Each year, at the Australian Academy of Science's annual meeting we hold a symposium on an important or topical issue in science and usually it is one of considerable significance for our country.

At the first Annual General Meeting, in April 1955, the topic was 'The permeability of living membranes'. The symposium was organised by Jack Eccles, who later received the Nobel Prize, and Colin Courtice and Bob Robertson. Frank Fenner, in his history, The Australian Academy of Science: The First Fifty Years, reminds us that the Academy has, through the symposium, been able to interact with policy making by the government.

In 1956, Fellows of the Academy made recommendations to government on the management of our fragile high mountain catchments, and in the following year we requested that the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority's plans for engineering works above 2000 metres be re-examined. As a consequence of that, the planned Kosciusko Reservoir and its associated works near the summit were never built.

Another example of the interaction between science, governance and policy making is the decision that the Australian government took to increase the non-catch zones in the Great Barrier Reef.

Today, in presenting the annual symposium on 'Recent advances in stem cell science and therapies', we have in mind to ensure that the very best international science – the latest discoveries – are available to policy makers. In this topic, especially, the government must be soundly informed about the scientific evidence.

The Academy has been active, over a period of years, in this area. We were one of the principals of the widely distributed statement of the international academies on this subject, and we made sure that document was well distributed to the policy makers here. We have also made some summary statements more recently and made personal visits to the Department of Health and to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet about this topic.

This year, as you are probably aware, the two Acts of Parliament that are connected with this area are being reviewed. They are the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002, and the Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002. In the United Nations, Australia has taken a somewhat adverse position to cloning – it has sided with Costa Rica, the United States and a few other countries. We have tried to have input into this situation, and at least the United Nations has postponed its decision-making on that topic so we have further chances to influence the government. And we will certainly make sure we take all the follow-up actions we can, with the advantage of material from this symposium.

I would like to thank our sponsors, the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, a number of research institutions and education jurisdictions, and the Fellows of the Academy. Many of those have made it possible for a number of teachers and young scientists to be present to hear this very important symposium. And the symposium sponsors have been very generous: the Lion Foundation, the Queensland Brain Institute, the University of Queensland, the ANZ Children's Heart Research Centre, Cystic Fibrosis of Victoria and Cystic Fibrosis of Australia, and the Australian Stem Cell Centre. In addition, Biotechnology Australia, an Australian government initiative, has sponsored the sessions on ethical issues that will take place later today.

Finally, I would like to thank the symposium convenor, Bob Williamson, and the Steering Group: Julie Campbell, Roger Short, John White and Sue Serjeantson. The program they have put together looks exceptionally interesting.