Introducing the SAIC Science Panel: meet Tim

Dr Tim Bean, Research Fellow and Group Leader in shellfish science, Roslin Institute (University of Edinburgh)

The SAIC Science Panel is a collection of internationally renowned scientists who lend their expertise to help us drive innovation in Scottish aquaculture.

In this interview series we will introduce you to each panel member, providing glimpses into their background, aspirations, and downtime interests. Here, we get to know a bit more about Dr Tim Bean, Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Roslin Institute (University of Edinburgh).

A STRONG ATTACHMENT

When Tim was setting out in his career, was he already determined to enter the shellfish sector? “I worked in a few areas of molecular biology before coming to bivalve molluscs, and I loved working with oysters and mussels,” he recalls. “When the oyster genome sequence was released in 2012, my fate was sealed and I became attached to oysters. Or maybe they attached to me!”

If Tim were to imagine an alternative career, though, it would probably be something that allowed him to work outside. “In recent years,” he says, “I’ve been forced to discover that I can fix most things and enjoy operating whatever machinery I can get my hands on. Although I’m not sure I’d stretch to aquaculture in that regard. Maybe forestry.”

REPRESENTING SHELLFISH

Tim’s main professional interest is in shellfish production in the UK, and his keenness to see the shellfish sector represented as an important part of SAIC’s portfolio motivated him to join the Science Panel. “The UK shellfish industry has traditionally been made up of many smaller, fragmented groups. But the nature of the industry is changing, and the challenges it faces are increasing. It feels like this is an ideal point in time to help bring further innovation to the sector”, he says.

We asked Tim how he hopes the SAIC Science Panel can influence the direction of research and innovation. “In my mind, there are two key aspects to influencing research and innovation,” he replies. “You want to ensure that a high quality of research is maintained, and that the research is relevant to the end user, i.e. the aquaculture industry. Traditional funding routes for innovation tend towards blue-sky work and, while these are essential, it is also critical that there are routes through which innovation targets key issues and opportunities. The science panel will help SAIC play a crucial role both in bringing innovation to industry, and in developing innovations with industry.”

Tim looks forward to working with a diverse range of colleagues on the panel, and to having the opportunity to see the full breadth of science that is being developed across the UK aquaculture scene.

PREDICTION AND MITIGATION

Tim predicts that the biggest challenges facing aquaculture over the next decade will likely be driven by climate change. Increasing mean temperatures and a greater number of heatwaves will result in physical stress, emergence and proliferation of disease, and reduction in wild stocks of native species. Predicting the impact and putting systems in place to mitigate it are critical to sustainability.

“In addition,” says Tim, “the sector will certainly have to deal with wider societal issues, such as increases in energy costs, the potential for further fragmentation of global trading, and an elongated cost-of-living crisis that forces people away from more expensive or higher-quality foods.

In the face of these challenges, however, several trends and technologies are emerging that can aid the sustainable growth of the sector: “Both traditional and new genetics tools, such as gene editing, have huge potential to both improve our scientific understanding of key biological questions associated with aquaculture species, and also to directly tackle issues such as disease. Being able to deploy these in the industry can have a huge impact.”

Tim is also conscious that there is a trend for the younger end of society to have an increasing awareness of the health benefits and environmental impact of food. If this can be encouraged, he hopes it will benefit the finfish and shellfish sectors in future.

WISE WORDS

We asked if Tim has received any valuable words of wisdom from colleagues or mentors over the years. He specifically remembers two pieces of advice from John Thain of Cefas and MAFF (the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; now Defra). “John always said, ‘science is all about relationships’ and – whatever the situation – ‘always have a backup’.” Tim has since found this counsel to be critical both within science and life in general. “John was integral in discovering the impact of TBT on molluscs, leading to the resulting ban of the chemical. This certainly required a love of nature, scientific integrity to stand against political drivers, and probably many a backup plan.”

Tim also has some advice of his own, specifically to those seeking to communicate the value, integrity and fascination of science: “Be honest, personal, and develop trust with the consumer. People now have the luxury of choosing whom to trust, and find it easier to put faith in a few recognised individuals over platforms, companies or political parties. Being a trusted individual in the sea of information is critical to getting a message across.”

SURPRISING SUPPORT

With many years of aquaculture-related research now under his belt, what have been some of Tim’s most surprising or memorable moments from the sector so far? “I was amazed, ten years ago, when the prime minister of New Zealand turned up at an aquaculture conference to show support for the industry. I just couldn’t imagine such a thing happening in the UK at the time.”

Another great memory Tim recalls is seeing the true scale of oyster culture in the Rushan area of China. The fact that there was a multimillion-dollar offshore platform dedicated to processing animals was mind-blowing when compared to the size of the industry he had previously encountered.

SEAFOOD AND SILVER LININGS

Tim also tells us about one of his most memorable visits to an aquaculture site; a trip that also turned out to be an unforgettable culinary event: “I once had an opportunity to eat oysters on a farm north of Nagasaki. We had to drive for a few hours along windy coastal roads before ending up on a pontoon on an estuary in Western Japan. The oysters were pulled out of the sea and barbequed in front of us with soya sauce and Yuzu. An amazing experience.”

Tim will eat almost any type of seafood. He says it can all be good when prepped well, but if he had to choose just one, it would probably be scallops. “Scallop roll for breakfast, scallops and black pudding for lunch, scallops barbequed on the half-shelf for dinner. In fact, if I had a superpower, it would be my endless appetite.” With wry humour, Tim muses on a potential upside to a warming planet: “Maybe climate change will provide an opportunity to farm scallops in the UK?!”

We’re very grateful to Tim for sharing his thoughts and insights with us! You can read his bio on the SAIC website here.