LINDAU, Germany, June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

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Cross-sector partnerships between the academic community, government and industry are crucial for driving innovative science from bench to everyday life, Mars, Incorporated said yesterday as part of its support for this year's Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, dedicated to Physiology or Medicine. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings - a globally recognized forum - have been bringing together Nobel Laureates and the world's most promising young scientists since 1951. 

As part of the meetings, Mars hosted a panel discussion addressing the role of scientific partnerships. The panel, which included Frank Mars, President of Mars Symbioscience - the global health and life sciences segment of Mars - focused on the importance of cross-sector collaboration to better enable scientific discovery and innovation to practically benefit society.

For a photo of the Mars science panel, please click here:

     (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110629/465224 )

"Time is no longer a luxury.  If we - science, government and industry - want to make a real difference in people's lives now, then we have to work together", said Frank Mars. "The challenges facing the world require us to build international collaborations with clear and measurable objectives."

Elizabeth Blackburn, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2009 for her work on telomeres, a portion of the chromosome which is linked to aging and cells, gave a unique and in-depth insight into what is needed to build a successful partnership and translate scientific advances from paper to practice. "The Lindau Meetings embody a very special kind of connection and interaction. The emphasis placed on open dialogue and exchange reflects the importance to science of fostering relations and partnerships," Elizabeth Blackburn went on to say.

The Mars panel discussion is part of this year's meeting dedicated to Physiology and Medicine, taking place from June 26 to July 1 and which sees 23 Nobel Laureates meet with the world's best young researchers to discuss topics that will be central to future scientific debate. Following more than 20,000 applications, 566 young researchers from 77 countries were selected to participate in the meetings set on the banks of Lake Constance between Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This year, Mars has supported 12 young researchers from the UK, Germany, Brazil and the US to attend and participate in this unique forum.

Yesterday's panel discussion is characteristic of the interaction at the heart of the Lindau meetings. It featured the views of Frank Mars, President of Mars Symbioscience, Elizabeth Blackburn, Physiology or Medicine Nobel Laureate and Diego V. Bohórquez a selected young researcher from Duke University, USA. Adam Smith, Editorial Director, Nobel Media, moderated the panel and chaired an in-depth Q&A session with the diverse student audience.

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' roots as a confectionery company.  In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar.  In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of  building a business based on the philosophy of a "mutuality of benefits" for all stakeholders - this vision serves as the foundation of the Mars, Incorporated we are today.  Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $30 billion and six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks and Symbioscience.  More than 65,000 Associates worldwide are putting our Mars Principles in action every day to make a difference for people and the planet through our performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare - PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, SHEBA®, CESAR® and ROYAL CANIN®; Chocolate - M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley - ORBIT®, EXTRA®, STARBURST®, DOUBLEMINT® and SKITTLES®; Food - UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS® and SEEDS OF CHANGE®; Drinks - ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA CO.™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience -SERAMIS®, CIRKU™ and COCOAVIA™.

For more information, please visit http://www.mars.com.

Mars entered into its engagement with the Lindau organization in 2007. In 2008, Pamela Mars, member of the Mars board of directors, was appointed to the honorary senate of the Lindau Foundation in recognition of Mars' history of scientific achievement. Last year Mars also hosted an interdisciplinary panel discussion at the Lindau meeting focusing on how science can serve society.

About The Nobel Laureate Meetings at Lindau

The Meetings of Nobel Laureates in Lindau are organized by the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and the Foundation Lindau Nobelprizewinners Meetings at Lake Constance for the scientific disciplines of Physics, Chemistry and Medicine or Physiology. Meetings of the Winners of The Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel have been held since 2004, the next one will take place from August 23 - 27, 2011. Lindau Meetings offer young researchers in the sciences an opportunity to delve in greater detail into topics relevant to their research fields in direct encounters with the authorities in their disciplines. In this way, they contribute to the establishment of international networks of scientists and inspire generations of researchers.

For more information, please visit http://www.lindau-nobel.org.

Contacts:
Julian Hill
+44(0)7825-768-740
julian.hill@cnc-communications.com

Ryan Bowling
+1-908-914-1702
ryan.bowling@effem.com

SOURCE Mars, Incorporated