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“Just the idea of having these species back is already having an impact”
Beth Shapiro with Colossal co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm Beth Shapiro, chief scientist at the de-extinction start-up Colossal, talks to Tom Ireland about the science and ethics of recreating long-lost species in a lab Professor Beth Shapiro is an...
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Something in the air
Tom Ireland speaks to ecologist Dr Fabian Roger about using airborne DNA to detect species living nearby Dr Fabian Roger is an ecologist and postdoctoral researcher interested in new methods to discover and monitor biodiversity. In recent work, he and...
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Something in the air
Tom Ireland speaks to ecologist Dr Fabian Roger about using airborne DNA to detect species living nearby Dr Fabian Roger is an ecologist and postdoctoral researcher interested in new methods to discover and monitor biodiversity. In recent work, he and...
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Spotlight on: Systems biology
The Biologist Vol 62(3) p30-31 The aim of systems biology is to understand vastly complex biological systems in a way that enables us to model and predict how they will behave. It often uses mathematical and computer modelling to define the rules and...
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Scratching the surface
Roger Marchant asks whether chemicals produced by bacteria and yeast could replace the environmentally hazardous surfactants found in many everyday products The Biologist 64(2) p7 Surfactants are a group of chemicals that have a daily impact on our...
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Council Members
The Royal Society of Biology Council act as the Trustees of the Society and consist of three Honorary Officers: President, Secretary and Treasurer. Four members are elected from the College of Individual Members and four are elected from the College of...
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Buried Alive
Above: A rainbow captured over the drilling rig of the research vessel JOIDES Resolution. Image courtesy of IODP JRSO Yuki Morono explains why the discovery of living bacteria in 100 million year old sediment may force us to rethink the minimum levels...
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Invisible allies
September 11th 2023 As the crisis of antibiotic resistance grows more acute, a new book explores whether it’s time to look to the past for solutions The Biologist’s editor, Tom Ireland, recently released his first book, The Good Virus: The Untold Story...
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The Immune Mind: The New Science of Health
Monty Lyman and Predrag B. Slijepčević Transworld, £22.00 We have all experienced feeling low when we are ill and our immune system is under attack. But can the reverse also be true – that our mental wellbeing can influence our immunity to disease?...
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Nichola Raihani FRSB: The Social Instinct
Nichola Raihani FRSB talks to Tom Ireland about her new book, The Social Instinct – which explores how all life on Earth – from genes to nation states – is built upon cooperation 8th June 2021 Hi Nichola. Can you tell me a bit about your research...
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Trials of a sperm
Nicola Hemmings examines the numerous factors that influence a sperm's chances of fertilising an egg The Biologist 62(4) p18-21 A sperm's journey from insemination to fertilisation can be likened to running a marathon. In order to win, runners must...
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Then and Now
When The Biologist received an article from a member recollecting his science education at grammar school in the 1950s, we decided to compare and contrast his experience with that of a pupil studying biology in 2017 The Biologist Vol 64(1) p19-21 -...
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Amateur photography competition opens for entries
The Royal Society of Biology annual amateur photography competition, celebrating inspiring images which explore biology and the natural world, is now open for entries. The Royal Society of Biology annual photography competition is now open for entries....
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A killer cure
Above: Bdellovibrio, with long flagella, attached to a larger prey bacterium, by Dr Carey Lambert (University of Nottingham) Tom Ireland speaks to microbiologist Liz Sockett about the bacteria that prey on human pathogens, and how they could be used to...
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A killer cure
Above: Bdellovibrio, with long flagella, attached to a larger prey bacterium, by Dr Carey Lambert (University of Nottingham) Tom Ireland speaks to microbiologist Liz Sockett about the bacteria that prey on human pathogens, and how they could be used to...
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War of the Worms
Parasitic worms blight the lives of billions of people worldwide. Stefano Colombo looks at the challenges of vaccinating against them The Biologist 64(1) p10-13 The idea of human bodies being hijacked by parasites might seem like something out of a...
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Futuristic fibres
Jolanta Beinarovica AMRSB explores how synthetic biology is helping produce custom spider silks with a range of extraordinary mechanical and biological properties in quantities that would be impossible to extract from spiders Image courtesy of Adidas/...
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Salt Survivors
Joe Zaccai looks at new research on the substances that enable halophile bacteria to function in high salt concentrations The Biologist 64(2) p24-27 Extremophile microorganisms, which thrive in physically or geochemically extreme conditions, arguably...
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"If you've had your leg dragged under a motorbike, you'll sure as hell want this technology"
A pioneering vet and star of Channel 4’s The Supervet, Professor Noel Fitzpatrick is using his profile to try to unite the fields of animal and human biomedical research The Biologist 64(5) p26 Born in Laois, Ireland, Professor Noel Fitzpatrick...
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Tardigrades in space
SEM images by Hiroki Higashiyama and Kazuharu Arakawa Mark Blaxter and Kazuharu Arakawa look at the remarkable physiology of tardigrades, and why their recent appearance on Star Trek caused a stir among those who study them The Biologist 64(1) p14-17...
