Visitors 'skin' an exhibit to explore disfiguring disease

Visitors to Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition learn about leishmaniasis<em>- News Release</em>

Imperial College London News Release

For Immediate Release
Friday 25 june 2010

Visitors to a new scientific exhibition on London's Southbank this week will be asked to destroy the 'skin' of an exhibit - an unusual twist to help them understand what life is like for people living under the shadow of the disfiguring disease leishmaniasis.

The exhibit, organised by researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, is part of the Royal Society's annual Summer Science Exhibition, which opens today (25 June 2010). It aims to raise awareness of leishmaniasis and to show the work that researchers are doing to combat it.

Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease that can cause debilitating skin lesions. Caused by the Leishmania parasite, it is the second biggest cause of death due to parasitic infections after malaria. It affects an estimated 12 million people in 88 countries, with approximately 350 million more at risk of infection.

For the hands-on exhibit, visitors will be confronted with a hut covered on the outside with layers of photographs of human skin. They will be encouraged to rip away parts of this 'skin', to illustrate the damage that leishmaniasis can do to a person's face and body. The hut has been designed and built by students from the Royal College of Art.

In the video (right), Tom Cloke talks about
leishmania and how it affects millions of people living in Africa. Dr Matthew Rogers  also puts his hand in a cage filled with sandflies to demonstrate how leishmaniasis is transmitted to humans.

Inside the hut, visitors will also be able to explore a number of different aspects of the disease. They will be able to see live sand flies, which spread the disease, safely contained in an insect case - although the sand flies at the exhibition are not infected. At various points during the day visitors will be able to watch these sand flies feeding from a researcher's arm, demonstrating how the insects transmit the disease and also how they are fed in the laboratory by those examining them.

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Visitors will also be able to join sackgirls and sackboys in a multiplayer 'LittleBigPlanet' adventure, riding sand flies and travelling around the immune system as they try to find the best way to stop leishmaniasis from spreading.

In addition, a series of film clips will be screened inside the hut, some of which were shot in Ethiopia, featuring interviews with people who have leishmaniasis and with researchers who are exploring potential ways to treat the disease through investigating how it can suppress the immune system.

Some of the UK and Ethiopian researchers will be on hand at the exhibition, which runs from 25 June to 4 July, to talk visitors through this work. In particular, the researchers are exploring the role played by an amino acid called L-arginine in the disease. L-arginine is important for ensuring that white blood cells in the immune system can work effectively. Following preliminary investigations, the scientists are exploring whether people are more likely to have persistent leishmaniasis if they have low levels of L-arginine and what it might mean for treating the disease if this is the case.

On one side of the hut there will be a bench with microscopes, where guests can get up close and personal with live leishmania parasites, safely contained in a sealed flask. On another there will be a hospital bed with an exhibit explaining the current options for treating the disease.

Visitors will also be able to test their knowledge of neglected tropical diseases and leishmaniasis using a new quiz, winning a cuddly leishmaniasis toy if they answer all the questions correctly.

Dr Pascale Kropf, one of the researchers behind the exhibit from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, said: "We're really pleased to be able to draw people's attention to leishmaniasis because millions of people experience pain and suffering as a result of the condition, but many people in this country know very little about it. Together with other researchers across the world, we are trying to understand as much as we can about the disease and the effect it has on the body, and to find new ways of treating it. It's great to have the opportunity to tell people about this work and to demonstrate why it's so important."

The exhibit is funded by Exscitec, the Wellcome Trust, the Wellcome Centre for Clinical Tropical Medicine at Imperial College London, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Royal Society.

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For further information please contact:

Laura Gallagher
Research Media Relations Manager
Imperial College London
email: l.gallagher@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)20 7594 8432
Out of hours duty press officer: +44(0)7803 886 248

Notes to editors:

1. Press preview of this exhibit and others on show: 15.00 - 17.00 Tuesday 22 June - please register your interest with the Royal Society press office.

2. Images available on request.

3. General info: The Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition showcases cutting edge research in science and engineering from across the UK. It is held annually at the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science. This year the exhibition is being held at Southbank as part of See Further: The Festival of Science + Arts to mark the Royal Society's 350th Anniversary.

This year, 27 interactive exhibits will be on show presenting the best of UK science, engineering and technology. During the five days of the event, more than 10,000 people are expected to take up the opportunity to explore the exhibition.

4. Exhibition opening times:

The Exhibition is located in the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, and takes place from Friday 25 June to Sunday 4 July 2010. Open Friday 25 June 6pm - 8.30pm, then daily 10am - 8.30pm.

The event is FREE and open to the public.

Further information can be found at http://seefurtherfestival.org/exhibition

5. The Royal Society is an independent academy promoting the nat u ral and applied sciences. Founded in 1660, the Society has three roles, as the UK academy of science, as a learned Society, and as a funding agency. As we prepare for our 350th anniversary in 2010, we are working to achieve five strategic priorities.

6. Between November 2009 and November 2010, the Royal Society is celebrating its 350th anniversary, promoting a spirit of enquiry, excitement and engagement with science. The Society is working with organisations across the country to raise the profile of science and bring scientific activities to new audiences. This includes:

A unique ten-day science festival between 25th June and 4th July 2010, held at Southbank Centre in London. It includes an enhanced version of the Society's annual summer science exhibition, which gives visitors the opportunity to meet the scientists and engineers at the forefront of the UK's research activities and to explore their work through interactive exhibits. There are also collaborations with artists and performers, debates, broadcasting and the participation of audiences.

A comprehensive programme of public lectures, debates and discussion meetings, exploring some of the most fascinating and ground-breaking areas of science, at the Society's premises in Carlton House Terrace.

The Capital Science programme (London) - the Society is working in partnership with leading museums and galleries, as well as other organisations in London, to celebrate the Royal Society's anniversary and explore the impact of science within the wider cultural landscape.

The Local Heroes programme - the Society is working with over seventy museums and galleries around the UK to celebrate their local scientific heroes, whether they are pioneers of the industrial age, geniuses that changed the way we see the world today or contemporary scientists finding solutions to today's problems.

Publication of special editions of the Society's scientific journals and a popular book, Seeing further: The Story Of Science & The Royal Society, edited by Bill Bryson and published by Harper Press, which covers the unique history of science and scientific issues of the last 350 years.

A diverse range of other elements, including publication of a variety of policy reports, educational events and grants, research grants and international events and conferences.

More information about the anniversary year can be found at http://royalsociety.org

7. The Wellcome Trust is a global charity dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Tr ust's breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests.

www.wellcome.ac.uk

8. About BBSRC

BBSRC is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by Government, BBSRC annually invests around £470 million in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life in the UK and beyond and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders, including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

BBSRC provides institute strategic research grants to the following:

The Babraham Institute, Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Studies (Aberystwyth University), Institute of Food Research, John Innes Centre, Rothamsted Research, The Genome Analysis Centre and The Roslin Institute (University of Edinburgh). The Institutes conduct long-term, mission-oriented research using specialist facilities. They have strong interactions with industry, Government departments and other end-users of their research.

For more information see: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk

9. About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve global health, tackle climate change, develop sustainable sources of energy and address security challenges.

www.imperial.ac.uk