Plant Science
Travelling to China to discuss Begonia biodiversity
Thanks to the generous support of the Royal Society of Biology, I was able to attend the 19th International Botanical Congress (IBC) in Shenzhen, China, this July. Held every six years, the IBC is the largest regular gathering of plant scientists, and this year was no different, with a record 7,000 delegates in attendance.
How genetics can reduce the threat from the world’s changing diet
Rebecca Nesbit is an ecologist, blogger and author of Is that Fish in your Tomato?, exploring the opportunities and risks of genetically modified foods. A trip to the supermarket gives me cheap and easy access to foods which would have been alien to my grandparents, and walking past food shops in London suburbs often introduces … Continue reading
Plant Health Studentships: opportunities for undergrads and providers
Dr Celia Knight FRSB, plant science education and employability consultant, shares her thoughts on undergraduate opportunities. What does a summer studentship mean to an undergraduate? When considering whether to undertake a summer research studentship, placement, internship or work experience, undergraduates might wonder: Does applying for a research studentship mean you have to know you want … Continue reading
Helping urban agriculture take root
Sam Lane AMRSB looks at some of the technologies and policies that will help cities grow their own food. What if I told you there was a way to meet growing demands for food security, reduce causes of climate change, shrink supply chains and improve public health? Well, some think that urban agriculture might just … Continue reading
Plant Science at Christmas
Guest author Ian Street looks at the two occasions when the Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures focused on plant science Inspiring future generations through science has been a key component of the Royal Institution and its annual Christmas Lectures – started by Michael Faraday in 1825. There have been two plant science Christmas lectures: one given by … Continue reading
Clathrin: maintaining cell health in geometric style
By Dr Corinne Smith, reader in structural biology and biophysics, and director of the Research Technology Platform in Advanced Bioimaging at the University of Warwick. Dr Smith was recently awarded a Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship for her work on clathrin. I am intrigued by a protein called clathrin. It consumes my interest … Continue reading
Can we give new biotech the green light?
By Gabriele Butkute, science policy assistant at the Royal Society of Biology and the Biochemical Society The human population is expected to reach nine billion by 2050. There are pressing questions about how to ensure a healthy diet for everyone while preventing overuse of natural resources or poisoning of the land, sea and air. Biotechnology … Continue reading
Actions for plant science in the UK
By Dr Sandy Knapp FRSB, head of the Plants Division of the Natural History Museum, London Plant science has a broad reach – from molecules to ecosystems, and from blue skies to near-market research and practical applications. The UKPSF was formed to bring the plant science sector together and to harness the power of our … 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
Is organic food better for you and for the environment?
By Professor Nigel Brown FRSB, President of the Microbiology Society. There is a considerable amount of concern about the use of pesticides and herbicides in the environment, and specifically their use on the food we eat. There is no doubt that we need to prevent insects and microbes from damaging our food crops and different … Continue reading