FEATURES

Can we fix it?

For more than 40 years, scientists have attempted to engineer cereal crops that can fix atmospheric nitrogen. With more mouths to feed than ever, a breakthrough may finally be within reach, writes Jack Parsons

To Dye For

Before the invention of synthetic dyes in the late 19th century, people relied heavily on plants to add colour to their world. Barbara Rush reports from a small corner of France dedicated to conserving these fascinating plants

Interview: Dame Ottoline Leyser

Plant geneticist Dame Ottoline Leyser talks to Alison Woollard about the difference between working with animal and plant genomes, and her work to make science more inclusive

The Biologist 64(4) p16-19

Dame Ottoline Leyser is a professor of plant development at the University of Cambridge. She directs the Sainsbury Laboratory, which aims to better understand the regulatory systems underlying plant growth and development.

After a PhD in

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12 of the best: Podcasts for Biologists

The podcast format has proven especially well suited to shows that explore questions about science and the natural world. Here are some of the best science podcasts out there – whether you're stuck in bank holiday traffic with the kids or have a few minutes to kill while the centrifuge runs

Too Much Information?

In the context of cancer research, Nicola Faramarzi looks at the opportunities and challenges of getting started in the interdisciplinary field of bioinformatics

The mysteries of milk

Far from being an easily synthesised mixture of nutrients, breast milk contains a multitude of microbes, stem cells and biological molecules that scientists are still trying to understand. Dr Natalie Shenker MRSB explores what we do and don't know about the white stuff