In the papers...

Royal Society backs Sellafield 2

The UK's Royal Society, has backed plans to build a second mixed oxide (Mox) nuclear power plant at Sellafield in Cumbria, which it says is necessary to deal with the country's plutonium stockpile. However, the society has been accused of bias and cherry picking in writing the report, particularly in not discussing the failures of the existing Sellafield Mox plant. 
The Independent, 13 October 2011 

Stem cell trial to restore sight 

British surgeons are about to start a trial using stem cells to treat patients with the eye disease Stargardt's macular dystrophy. Due to start in December, this will be the first clinical trial of human embryonic stem cells to be approved in Europe. The medical team hopes that injecting retinal cells derived from stem cells into the eyes of the patients will slow, halt or even reverse the progress of the disease. 
The Guardian, 23 September 2011 

DNA test for all Faroe islanders  

The Faroe Islands is to be the first country to sequence the genome of every willing inhabitant. All 50 000 citizens will be invited to have their genomes read and linked to their medical files, both for personalised medicine and to help with research. The project is expected to cost around £30 million in total, although that assumes that sequencing technologies will get cheaper in the future. 
The Times, 30 September 2011

A pill a day stops you going grey 

L'Oréal scientists say they have found a naturally occuring compound that could prevent hair from going grey. The compound, which is currently undergoing safety trials, is thought to protect human hair cells from oxidative stress. The cosmetics firm predicts that the compound could be taken in the same way as other vitamin supplements. However, the mechanism of action will not be realised for another 18 months. 
Daily Mail, 3 October 2011