Fat-like compounds in focus at Macaulay hosted seminar

More than 35 scientists, researchers and students from universities and research institutes all over Scotland are attending the 37th Scottish Lipid Discussion Group meeting hosted by The Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen on Wednesday 21 September at its Craigiebuckler campus, Aberdeen.

The meeting, with sponsorship from Crawford Scientific, is an informal gathering where work is presented on all aspects of lipids, which are fatty compounds originating from plants and animals and include triglycerides, fatty acids and sterols.

The guest speaker is Professor Geoffrey Eglinton, from the University of Bristol’s Earth Sciences Department. He will talk about how the detection of remnants of ancient lipids trapped in rocks, soils and at the bottom of lakes, rivers and oceans can give new insights into the history of our environment and evolution at the biochemical level.

Other topics to be discussed include the risks and benefits of farmed fish consumption, the application of natural chemical markers to assess bird diets, and a comparison of fatty acid profiles in the muscle tissues of red deer and sheep.

Bob Mayes from the Macaulay said: "We are delighted to host the 37th Annual Meeting of the Scottish Lipids Discussion Group (SLDG) at the Macaulay, which provides us with the opportunity for dialogue on all aspects of lipids. This is the first time the Macaulay has been involved with the SLDG."

The Macaulay Institute is the premier land use research institute in the UK. Two hundred and seventy staff are based at the Macaulay Institute at Craigiebuckler in Aberdeen. The Macaulay Institute aims to be an international leader in research on the use of rural land resources for the benefit of people and the environment and is involved in research across the globe; from Scotland to Chile and China. More about the Macaulay Institute can be found at www.macaulay.ac.uk.