July 2011: Open lecture by Bart Penders and John N. Parker

Their presentations examine scientific collaboration in ecology and nutrition science. They provide an overview of several collaborations, focusing on salient issues and reflecting on their implications for understanding of collaboration in the life sciences more generally.

Bart Penders will present results and preliminary conclusions from (a) a study of the multinational food company Unilever R&D and corporate science departments. Using the case study of margarine innovation (Flora/Becel pro.activ), specific ‘disciplinary’ groups inside and outside the company collaborate to create credibility for the claim that this specific margarine is ‘healthy’. Additionally, (b) he will present preliminary findings from an invited study of the collaborative Top Institute Food and Nutrition. Within this institute debates about the availability of a new methodology heavily influence daily collaborative practice.

John Parker will discuss (a) tensions, challenges and successes in ecological boundary organizations, (b) the role of emotions in catalyzing and sustaining scientific social movements in ecology, and (c) the transformative capacity of a new approach to ecological research – namely, scientific synthesis – and aspects of research group structure and process associated with success in synthesis.