Tagged With: Biology Week
Genome editing: where do we draw the line?
Genome editing is at the forefront of modern medicine, and has the potential to improve the health of millions of people worldwide; genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s could in theory become a thing of the past. The genome is the complete set of an organism’s DNA, containing all of the information that … Continue reading
Decorating the dolphin: why a marine mammal deserves the crown
Opinion piece by Billy Mills – Biology Week intern at the Royal Society of Biology. Read blogs about the other mammals in the #UKMammalPoll and vote for your Favourite UK Mammal. While helping create the UK Mammal Poll, I noticed that many people seem to be unaware of the diversity of mammals that live in … Continue reading
Soprano pipistrelle: A love song in the key of 55kHz
By David Urry MRSB, science communicator at The Natural History Museum. Read blogs about the other mammals in the #UKMammalPoll and vote for your Favourite UK Mammal. The soprano pipistrelle, one of three pipistrelle species in the UK, is named due to the frequency of its echolocation: slightly higher than the closely related common pipistrelle. … Continue reading
Giving the hedgehog a helping hand
By Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Read blogs about the other mammals in the #UKMammalPoll and vote for your Favourite UK Mammal. The argument in favour of hedgehogs could be won simply on their cuteness. However, there is far more about this amazing mammal that could swing the vote. Hedgehogs … Continue reading
Why I’m nuts for red squirrels
By Joe Woodman, wildlife photographer and student at Magdalen College School. Read blogs about the other mammals in the #UKMammalPoll and vote for your Favourite UK Mammal. The red squirrel is perhaps one of the most iconic British mammals. These little red rodents can be seen hopping from branch to branch in pockets of select … Continue reading
Innovation: a new way to fight antimicrobial resistance
By Tamar Ghosh, Lead for the Longitude Prize, Nesta The UK members of the European Federation of Biotechnology and the Learned Society Partnership on AMR are hosting a Policy Lates event on Monday 10th October as part of Biology Week: Tackling antimicrobial resistance crisis – what roles will regulation and innovation play? Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) … Continue reading
Myth of the ‘pied piper’ butterfly
Dr Rebecca Nesbit MRSB offers some background to the free Biology Week event ‘Insect and bird migration: revealing the mysteries of flight’. It’s that time of year again – the swallows are collecting on the telegraph wires ready to escape the cold that’s coming our way. It’s a sad spectacle for anyone lamenting the end of … Continue reading
Podcast: Creating synthetic life
Synthetic biology is a new, intriguing technology that could have a huge impact on humans and our environment. At our Biology Week 2015 debate, chaired by Dr Adam Rutherford, a panel of experts outlined the process of designing and building new life forms and discussed the ethical challenges we will face. What impact could synthetic … 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
Fungi fight club!
Professor Lynne Boddy FRSB, Cardiff University, discusses one of her favourite subjects: fungus wars. 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. Fungi rarely live alone, so they frequently encounter other fungi, bacteria and invertebrates, and sometimes vertebrates too. … Continue reading