Reading in the news - Fri 5 Feb

COVID-19: expert comment on the pandemic 

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biological Sciences) answered listeners questions on BBC World TV and BBC Berkshire; and spoke to BBC Scotland, BBC Manchester, BBC Berkshire and a number of other local radio stations about testing for mixed doses of vaccines.
• Dr Al Edwards (Pharmacy) is quoted widely on the trials of mixing different doses of vaccines, including the , , , , and via the Associated Press.
• Professor Ian Jones (Biological Sciences) is quoted in a story about whether Iodine mouthwash might help to protect against Covid.

 Planet Partners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• Professor Liz Robinson (Agriculture) spoke to  at 7.15am and is quoted in the , and following the launch of a new report by the Climate Coalition about the health effects of climate change. Read our news story here.

• PhD researcher Maureen Wanzala (GES) spoke to BBC Berkshire about flooding in the UK.
• quotes Dr Marlene Kretschmer (Met) about the causes of a potential deep winter in Germany.
• BBC Berkshire spoke to Professor Brian Scott-Quinn (Henley Business School) about renewable energy and electric cars.

Flight paths re-routed: Further coverage of a by Professor Paul Williams and Cathie Wells (Meteorology) published with on how shifting transatlantic flight paths would cut flight times and emissions, in the .

Other news

• reports on the EIT Food-funded ONCOFOOD project creating new food products for cancer patients, led at Reading by Dr Stella Lignou (Food).
• report on a consultation with local residents about a possible development of a Lidl in Lower Earley, on land formerly owned by UoR.
• A potential new food product using chicken feathers co-developed by Keshavan Niranjan (Food) is featured in Country Smallholding (in print).
• An obituary in looks at the life of Richard Pierce, a polymath who studied and taught Agricultural Economics at Reading in a varied career including as a psychotherapist.