Monthly Archives: October 2015
So you want to be a life scientist?
By Amelia Perry, Biology Week Intern at the Royal Society of Biology An impressive elephant skeleton took centre stage in the middle of the Life Science Careers Conference, surrounded by exhibitors representing careers in all avenues of biology, from teaching, to research, to conservation to science communication and more. The atmosphere at the Royal Veterinary College was that … Continue reading
Why should we vaccinate our children?
By Professor Nigel Brown FRSB, President of the Microbiology Society. Since 1998 there has been a lot of debate about the safety of vaccination. This originated with a paper that argued that the triple Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccination in infants is related to autism. There have also been statements that vaccines contain toxic compounds and that … Continue reading
The Hungry Games
Rachel Burnett, education and public engagement officer at the Biochemical Society discusses the success of ‘The Hungry Games’ at Big Biology Day in Cambridge, in celebration of Biology Week. Encouraging people to eat a healthy diet is nothing new; from eye-catching headlines announcing the latest ‘superfoods’, to documentaries such as ‘Super Size Me’, we encounter … Continue reading
Scientists design new tool to help fight antibiotic resistance
By Ellie Welch, science media researcher at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The first working model of a bacterial membrane has been created by researchers at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source in collaboration with Newcastle University. This model of E. coli will be an important tool … Continue reading
Statistics and Biology – a match made in heaven?
Dr Jennifer Rogers, research fellow at The University of Oxford, discusses the interplay between statistics and biological research for World Statistics Day. “The best thing about being a statistician is that you get to play in everyone’s backyard” is the now infamous quote from John Tukey and it is one that I whole heartedly get … Continue reading
The living soil: tread carefully
Professor James Prosser OBE FRSB, chair in molecular and cell biology at the University of Aberdeen, discusses the living world of soils. As you walk around your garden, you may not realise it, but you’re treading on a dense and diverse community of many different life forms. This community creates and sustains the soil and … Continue reading
The surprising power of celebrity stories for science communication
Robin Bisson, director of Genetic Expert News Service (GENeS), discusses the powerful combination of science and celebrities. Angelina Jolie is probably the most famous person to have had a double mastectomy and reconstructive breast surgery. An interesting little study recently found that media coverage of Angelina Jolie’s decision to go under the knife increased public … Continue reading
Hooke, my hero. Micrographia, my Bible.
By Cath Hodsman, entomological artist. The Royal Society of Biology is running an insect life-cycles microscopy art course in partnership with Cath Hodsman on 23rd October 2015. This year celebrates a landmark anniversary that has helped define me as both a person and a professional. It is 350 years since the scientist Robert Hooke published … Continue reading
Mythbuster: Do carrots really help you see in the dark?
By Grace Paget, science writer. It’s long been said that carrots help you to see in the dark, but it has become synonymous with encouraging children to eat their vegetables in the hope that they will gain the power that is night vision! Like all ‘old wives’ tales’ and myths, there’s often some truth in … Continue reading
Fungal foes forge ahead
Dr Helen Fones, Associate Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, discusses fungi; the not-so ‘mundane monsters’. As part of Biology Week, the British Mycological Society‘s UK Fungus Day is hosting events across the UK and Ireland around 10th & 11th October. People are strange. A striking example of that strangeness can be seen in the … Continue reading