Monthly Archives: March 2013
MPs’ thoughts on academic career paths
by Rebecca Nesbit, Society of Biology From a potential ban on neonicotinoids to the importance of the EU, there were some provocative questions at last week’s Voice of the Future. There were many times when I had my preconceptions challenged by the MPs’ answers, and many issues I hadn’t stopped to consider. This Storify (below) … Continue reading
A Society of Biology travel grant to Madagascar
Guest blogger Alex Cole from Swansea University talks about receiving the Society of Biology Travel Grant to attend a field course in Madagascar Madagascar’s dry deciduous forests are highly threatened and unfortunately Kirindy forest qualifies as one of these endangered forests. In previous years logging has taken place in Kirindy, threatening many of its species, … Continue reading
Blood flow to tumours – new drugs and detection
Joanna Brunker, a PhD student at University College London and biological sciences & biomedical sciences gold medal winner at last night’s SET for Britain awards, describes her research into a new method for measuring blood flow which has the potential to improve our understanding and treatment of tumours. Tumours develop a chaotic system of blood … Continue reading
What makes HIV so dangerous?
By Jessica Davenport, Society of Biology The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been in the news a lot over the past couple of weeks; from the functional cure of the two-year old child born with HIV, to the announcement that nanoparticles carrying bee venom can destroy HIV. But why is HIV so difficult for our … Continue reading
Alien species – where are you from?
by Tatiana Moreno, freelance journalist, @Tatiana_Moreno Domestic cats, the common wall lizard and horseradish are all found in England, but in fact they were once alien species. Britain alone has over 3,000 non-native species, as stated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Where have our hedgehogs gone?
by Amy Whetstone, Qualification and Skills Officer at the Society of Biology The European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus, has long been a welcome visitor to our gardens and green spaces in the UK. Our unmistakeable spiny friends were once frequent guests to my back garden, but over the years I’ve noticed a definite decline in sightings. … Continue reading
World Book Day
Karen Patel is in charge of awards and grants at the Society of Biology When was the last time you read a book? If you’re struggling to remember then you might be part of the 25% of UK adults who has not read a book in the past six months. To celebrate World Book Day, … Continue reading
Climate Week: biology, art and inspiration
By Rebecca Nesbit At the Society of Biology we are firm believers that biological research is fundamental to tackling the world’s challenges, and climate change has to be near the top of the list. Biology will help make predictions and provide solutions, but that is only part of the story. Technology and the behaviour of … Continue reading
Open Access
by Jackie Caine, Senior Science Policy Adviser at the Society of Biology Open Access – the business of making research outputs (papers, data and more) accessible to everyone easily and for free – is a hot policy topic at the moment, with recent government proposals providing the momentum to make the UK a pioneer of … Continue reading
New Guide to mosses and lichens of English orchards
Guest bloggers Helene Coleman and Mari Whitelaw, from the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) East of England team based at the University of Hertfordshire, talk about their recently produced guides to orchard mosses and lichens. In the UK, orchards are a disappearing habitat. It is estimated that there has been a 63% reduction in the area … Continue reading