The Saharan silver ant (Cataglyphis bombycina) is one of the most heat-resistant species of living creatures. When the midday sun of the Sahara desert forces the enemies of these ants to sit in the shade, the ants make short forays from their nests in search of food – those who are less resistant to heat and died from overheating become their prey.
Rothamsted is the largest research agricultural center in the UK and the oldest agricultural research station in the world. Having a 160-year history, Rothamsted has gained an international reputation as an advanced center for scientific support for sustainable land management and its impact on the environment. Rothamsted conducts a wide range of scientific research in the areas of genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, the study of soil processes at the ecosystem and landscape levels.
Super modern electronic and computer industry started by enthusiasts in private garages. Perhaps the “garage” laboratories will lead in the future to similar progress in the field of molecular biology. Modern science boasts many achievements, but for some reason, some believe that it has left the spirit of “pioneering” inherent in the scientific and technological revolution of the late XIX century. That time, world-class research could be carried out in a home laboratory, but now it requires complex and expensive equipment.
by Zoe Self, postdoctoral researcher at the Royal Veterinary College While I was delighted to be invited by the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) to attend the Society of Biology’s Parliamentary Links Day, I must admit I was a little nervous, not so much for the prestige of the occasion but for my ignorance regarding politics. I tend to pay relatively little attention. I know that I should listen, as the decisions made influence my future career, but until now I’ve allowed politics to be a ‘black box’ that I do not open. I have to say that #LinksDay2015 changed that for me. The morning was opened by Stephen Benn (Society of Biology) and Rt Hon John Bercow MP (Speaker of the House of Commons). We heard from Chi Onwurah MP, who focussed on the ‘culture shock’ of moving from engineering to politics, before being…
Parliamentary Links Day is an annual event organised in Parliament by the Society of Biology on behalf of the science community, which aims to strengthen dialogue between scientists and politicians. Watch the speeches by: Jo Johnson MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science; Nicola Blackwood MP, chair of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee; and Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, President Elect of The Royal Society… You can read more about Parliamentary Links Day 2015 on our website, Storify, Facebook, or elsewhere on the blog.
By James Borrell, NERC funded PhD student and science policy intern at the Society of Biology What role will science play in the new parliament? How will new research influence policy? Will science funding increase or continue to decline? The answers to these questions are elusive, but perhaps the clearest bellwether of the prevailing scientific climate is the annual Parliamentary Links Day. The largest science event in the parliamentary calendar, Links Day is organised by the Society of Biology on behalf of the science and engineering community. As a NERC funded PhD student on a three month science policy internship, Links Day was a tangible opportunity to see how science and government interact. I’m very aware than when scientists are based at universities and institutes across the UK it can be difficult to understand how their work relates to developments in Westminster. So as an aspiring…
Written by Ben Connor, policy officer at the British Ecological Society. This piece was originally posted on the BES blog. A comprehensive 25-year strategy to protect and enhance England’s natural capital is required if the Government is to meet its commitment for this generation to be the first to leave the natural environment in a better state than it inherited. Business as usual is not an option, with long-term trends indicating that our natural capital is in decline, presenting a profound risk to our future wellbeing and prosperity. New legislation, backed by close collaboration between the public sector, business and civil society, will be required to ensure that this strategy is delivered. Those were the headline recommendations of the third and final report of the Natural Capital Committee, released yesterday and formally launched at the Royal Society last night. The report represents the culmination of three years’ work by the Committee –…
Professor Simon Wain-Hobson, professor of virology at the Institut Pasteur, will be speaking at Policy Lates on Thursday 20 November: Dodging a Biological Bullet: What can we learn from the US and Europe about biosecurity? The US pause and de facto moratorium on gain-of-function research on the influenza, SARS and MERS viruses provides a welcome opportunity for the virologists. It should not be wasted. First, we must put meaning back into words. Gain-of-function (GOF) was coined to efface the negative connotations of ‘Dual Use Research of Concern’. GOF is not a run of the mill experiment. It means deliberately selecting for viral variants so that the resulting strain is more dangerous for humans. This can mean stabilizing the virus making it more infectious, increasing its pathogenicity, or changing the transmission route of the virus. For example, the bird flu virus, H7N1, has been engineered so that it is very probably transmissible between…
Dara Annett is a PhD student in the Deu group in the Department of Parasitology, currently at the NIMR until the move to the Crick Institute in 2016 Malaria is one of humankind’s oldest battles. Our understanding has increased rapidly in the last century but there are still around 200 million cases reported per year and more than 600,000 deaths [1]. When I was applying for PhDs as a Chemistry graduate I had no specialist biology background, but I knew that I wanted to put my skills to use in a field that had an impact on global health and disease. My work involves identifying new drug targets in the malaria parasite. Although this is very early in the process of drug discovery, I know that it is working towards translational research. This excites me and will keep me coming in every day for 4…
Michael J Imperiale is professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigan Gain-of-function studies, as the name implies, are experiments in which a new biological behaviour is conferred upon an existing virus e.g. the ability to be transmitted between mammals in the case of the bird flu virus, H5N1. Earlier this month, the United States (US) Government issued a statement indicating that they would implement a pause of new funding for research involving so-called gain-of-function (GOF) experiments. If research into three respiratory viruses, influenza virus, and MERS and SARS coronaviruses, could be “reasonably anticipated” to result in enhanced pathogenicity or increased transmissibility then their funding would be temporarily halted. The US also asked for a voluntary pause of ongoing projects. During the pause, the US is organising discussions aimed at determining the risks and benefits of such research. An important question is do we need…