BIOMIMETICS FOCUS ON… PAGES OF DESIGN INSPIRED BY GENE EDITING AND INSPIRING BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURES CRISPR-CAS9 EXPLAINED 48 BIOSCIENCE

THE MAGAZINE OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ⁄www.rsb.org.uk ISSN 0006-3347 • Vol 63 No 1 • Feb/Mar 2016

FROM SMELLS TO SIGNALS The evolution of animal pheromones New from Garland Science

Molecular Biology of Assemblies and Machines

Alasdair C. Steven, Silver Spring, MD, USA, Wolfgang Baumeister, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany, Louise N. Johnson, formerly Oxford University, UK and Richard N. Perham, formerly Cambridge University, UK

Molecular Biology of Assemblies and Machines presents a comprehensive narrative describing the structures of macromolecular complexes and how they assemble and interact. Richly illustrated, it is written for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers in biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biology, biophysics, cell biology, and microbiology, and will also appeal to those in chemistry, immunology, and medicine.

Essentially all major biological activities are performed by assemblies of macromolecules (proteins, RNA, and DNA) acting in concert. These assemblies are dynamic and many are endowed with machine-like properties. This unique book explores the molecular mechanisms employed at the critical level between individual macromolecules and cells and organelles.

Key Features: • Written as the go-to reference for advanced students and researchers in biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, cell biology, chemistry, structural biology, immunology, microbiology, and medicine • Covers eukaryotic, bacterial, and archaeal systems • Relates certain diseases to mutations or malfunctions affecting macromolecular assemblies • Uses vivid illustrations to convey the ways in which macromolecular structures assemble and how they interact with other complexes and organelles in the cell • Chapters contain boxes exploring difficult concepts in more depth and end with curated lists of references for further reading.

March 2016 • Hardback • 892pp • 819 illus • 978-0-8153-4166-6 • £70.00

For more information please contact us at [email protected]

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Biologist Feb Advert.indd 1 06/01/2016 11:24:40 Contents Volume 63 No 1 Feb/Mar 16

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Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 1 Welcome

Things are hotting up

s we peer into mark a vital starting point. We now the natural world have a process – the binding around us at this commitments will come in time. What would time of year, we They have to. happen to should be seeing In this issue of The Biologist, we the first signs of a marvel with Tristram Wyatt (page these great long-anticipated 16) at the intricate chemistry minds in Aspring. Yet in December, during between mates, whether they be Christmas week, I was mowing the goats or even sea slugs, and learn today’s lawn and noticed quince blossom. how such complex signalling of Such marvels remind us how intent and desire may have evolved. competitive, exquisitely sensitive nature is to a Another gift of evolution is CV-centric changing environment. CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing facility The warm December was put found in bacteria that can be market? down to El Niño, a warming of adapted for use in any kind of cell. the waters along the equator, Biologists have never before been influencing the jet streams. able to make targeted changes to However, it’s not all balmy winters: DNA sequences with utter in eastern Ethiopia, El Niño related precision. CRISPR-Cas9 is dryness has led to a severe drought revolutionising research and has the ALISON WOOLLARD in many areas and is expected to power to revolutionise medicine. FRSB contribute to a large scale food Read how it works and how it could Chair, Editorial Board security emergency in 2016. be used in our new Focus On of The Biologist Climate experts worry that section on page 32. dramatic alterations to the planet “Nothing in biology makes caused by anthropogenic climate sense,” said geneticist and change may interact in evolutionary biologist Theodosius unpredictable ways with natural Dobzhansky, “except in the light of phenomena such as El Niño. This is evolution.” What about applying uncharted territory. The reality of this truism to architecture? global warming is now beyond Caroline Wood (page 12) explores doubt, thanks to the perseverance how biological structures have of climatologists. inspired some of the world’s most BioPic Indeed, it was their warnings that innovative buildings. CORAL SAND led to the recent Paris accord on And, finally, how did you do at By David Maitland climate change, which achieved university? Francis Hooton’s survey Many types of marine universal agreement on plans to of of the Royal Society invertebrate can accumulate as limit global warming to less than reveals some unexpected findings ‘coral sand’ on the sea floor, 2°C. Although the Paris Agreement on page 7. What would happen to which can form a major as it stands does not include specific these great minds in today’s ultra- constituent of tropical beaches. national, binding commitments for competitive, CV-centric higher Featured in the Royal greenhouse gas reduction, it does degree market? Photographic Society’s International Images for Science 2015 exhibition.

2 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 MAITLAND/RPS-SCIENCE.ORG DAVID DR Up front Society news

FELLOWS NAMED IN NEW YEAR HONOURS LIST A range of Fellows of the , was Society, including a vet, an awarded an OBE for services ecologist and a neurologist, to bioscience. have been named in the 2016 Alastair Compston FRSB, New Year Honours list. professor of neurology at the Professor William Donachie , CBiol FRSB, of the Moredun received a CBE for services Research Institute, Edinburgh, to multiple sclerosis treatment, was awarded an OBE for while Cait MacPhee FRSB, services to animal and professor of biological physics veterinary biosciences. at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Maggie Dallman was honoured with a CBE for Left: Cait MacPhee received a CBE for services to women in physics FRSB, associate provost at services to women in physics. Right: Maggie Dallman was awarded an OBE for services to bioscience

Society attends international bioscience group meeting Obituary: Maureen Representatives from the Society attended the 2015 biennial general meeting of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) to explore how the two organisations might work together. Josephine Easton The IUBS already coordinates 12 unions within the biological sciences cluster of the International Council of Science. The 1953–2015 “Her research and auditing skills made a difference” organisations offer the opportunity for international bodies to cooperate on multidisciplinary issues. Maureen was a professional of her career. She assisted MSc The Society’s senior science policy adviser, Alessandro Allegra, scientist and very proud of her students in their research attended the IUBS general assembly in Berlin in December. scientific background. Her projects on pharmaceutical “The event outlined the main challenges and opportunities for a research, analytical and auditing products and would have unified approach to biology and IUBS efforts and plans in this skills made a difference, both to provided excellent support direction,” he said. people and the environment in in their investigations. which she worked. Towards the end of her Minister for life sciences George Freeman, right, and She was a senior career, Maureen became a Nigel Brown of the Microbiology scientific officer quality and performance Society unveil the plaque for 30 years in a auditor, taking a lead government role in developing quality laboratory analysing management systems for many things, local coroners. including food and This was an important Minister opens other consumer products, and task that Maureen approached environmental pollution. with emotional resilience, As a lead auditor, she audited sensitivity and rigorous Freeman and the Society’s all of the practices and assuredness. Her efforts director of parliamentary procedures followed by the helped them achieve bioscience hub affairs, Stephen Benn various sections within the compliance with new laboratory, which provided government legislation on t Charles Darwin House 2 to showcase societies’ work comprehensive scientific advice deadline – for example, when and services to six councils in the Human Tissue Act came he minister for Charles Darwin House 2 It follows the success of the new building would be a the West Midlands. into force in September 2006. life sciences, is owned by several bioscience Charles Darwin House, where hub for showcasing the best She also worked for a time in Maureen always looked George societies, including RSB, the joint owners of the two of bioscience to the world. the pharmaceutical sciences forward to receiving news Freeman, and home to organisations buildings are based. He said: “Most people in this BioPic department of Aston and updates in The Biologist officially opened including the Landscape Freeman joined leading public policy game talk loudly YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ME University. Her work on the and enjoyed participating the new Institute, the World Obesity figures in the life sciences to and deliver later. By William Richardson Shortlisted in last year’s development of epilepsy drugs in some of the Society’s biosciences Federation and the unveil a plaque and declare “I think biology has delivered ‘Comedy Wildlife Photography Competition’, which meant that she consulted both scheduled events. hub in central London at the Association of Medical Charles Darwin House 2 hugely and we’re catching up celebrates unintentionally amusing pictures. GPs and lecturers, and she Pauline Young and Jean

T WILLIAM RICHARDSON/ COMEDY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2015 end of last year. Research Charities. officially open, and said that now in telling the story.” © especially enjoyed this element Boyle (Maureen’s sisters)

4 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 5 Up front Opinion Society news Apply for a 2016 travel Francis Hooton grant by 1st March www.rsb.org.uk/travelgrant

2015 EARLY CAREER TRAVELLERS’ MRSB RECIPIENT TALES 2015 Laetitia Each year, the Society awards thousands of pounds in travel Gunton MRSB Don’t judge a scientist grants to help members conduct research or study overseas.

t 14th Deep Sea Biology Here’s a selection of some of our favourite journeys made by Symposium, Aveiro, Portugal members last year using a Society grant. by their degree grade Around 400 delegates from 35 countries gathered in 2015 AFFILIATE/AMRSB RECIPIENT Aveiro to discuss the latest A survey of Fellows of the Royal Society reveals many distinguished research councils when selecting and deep sea biology research. scientists might struggle to get a research post nowadays interviewing students for research jobs. Chi-Ching Tsang MRSB This year, deep ocean bioluminescence during deep The system should mean students who have stewardship and deep sea sea trench exploration. potential and are motivated, but have lower

t 19th Congress of the International Society of mining were hot topics. This was the first time I any people, for many reasons, grades, can still get jobs, while those with Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM), Australia There were special sessions had presented a poster at an have failed to get the grades firsts who are not suited to research are on both, including one on the international conference. they are capable of, or prevented from entering the system. The triennial ISHAM congress is one of the largest potential impact of UK It was a great opportunity messed up their Students being interviewed for PhDs or medical mycology meetings in the world, enabling clinical mining on the deep sea fauna to meet scientists from degrees completely. research jobs could be given some new data scientists and fundamental mycologists to discuss current in the North Pacific Ocean. around the world as I MYet throughout history, people have to analyse or problems to solve. Those who trends and development of the subject. Other interesting talks approach the end of my PhD pursued scientific investigation or have research ability, creativity or can think At the Young ISHAM day, I gave my first overseas oral included advances in video and search for postdoctoral engineering, often through the help of laterally are more likely to come up with presentation in front of mycologists from all over the world. footage of full colour research opportunities. others, with poor grades or having never Charles interesting analyses or solutions; those who I delivered a talk on my research on a novel fungal species, studied science formally at all. These Darwin memorised their way to a first might not. If which I proposed naming Phialemoniopsis hongkongensis. people have gone on to develop world the quality of undergraduate research During the six-day event, I also attended workshops on changing technologies or projects and theses are considered too, 2015 AFFILIATE/ matrix assisted laser ionisation, a mass spectrometry AMRSB RECIPIENT made great breakthroughs in our degree grades could almost be ignored. technique for fungal identification in clinical laboratories, understanding of the natural world. I am told certain institutions such as and testing for antifungal susceptibility. It was my first Eminent examples include three Copley Imperial College do employ similar time in Australia, and the intense and diverse cultural Fergus Medal winners: Michael Faraday, who did an sounding methods, but in my experience of atmosphere in Melbourne was impressive. Kennedy apprenticeship, and had no degree; Charles meeting PhD and research supervisors Darwin, who got an ‘ordinary’ degree in Charles Darwin, above, I have never been given a problem to solve

t Danum Valley Field Centre theology; and James Joule, who had no or take away to work on. in Sabah, Borneo degree. John Walker, who won the Copley got an ‘ordinary’ And do employers or academics do Medal and the Nobel Prize, got a third class degree in theology enough to understand a student’s In my 10 days at the Danum netting, taxonomy, predation honours degree due to illness; and Admiral motivation? Those with a first who just Valley Field Centre, there dynamics and experimental Henry Jackson, who invented radio want to get their PhD may not be as were daily lectures on design in the forest. Working communication between ships, did not have valuable as those with worse grades but a Southeast Asian forest ecology in the forest was fantastic, a degree. a pass without honours). Contrary to the dedication to a life in research. and conservation, as well as with plenty of opportunities Is it possible that these pioneers in general belief that 70% to 80% of The UK faces a skills shortage in science four tutorials covering the to watch the wildlife. science would struggle to get a research experimental scientists at FRS level have and other STEM subjects. Why would any region’s biogeography, ecology My final days involved a placement today, where research councils first class honours, I found the figure is academic institutions want to turn away and experimental design of small group project focusing demand no less than a 2:1 BSc honours closer to half (54%); 9% of these people who could be very good at research? the studies conducted there. on the relationship between degree? (Exceptions to this entry distinguished scientists never did degrees, Looking at some of the great scientists of The fieldwork provided human disturbance of trails requirement do occur, but only where and almost a third (30%) have a second, 2:2 the last two centuries, it would be madness practical skills in mist and mammal diversity. laboratory leaders are well funded and or lower. Many of the most well known to shut the door to their potential modern know the student.) scientists on my list got the lowest grades. day equivalents because of a couple of I decided to look more closely at the The findings have important implications percentage points on their degree. degree grades of Fellows of the Royal for decision making when offering PhD 2015 EARLY CAREER MRSB RECIPIENT at a specialised flagellum playing Abba until 04:00 Society (FRS) who worked in the places and research jobs: clearly degree *For more details of Francis’ survey structure called the outside my room), the talk experimental sciences*. It is, of course, grades are not a reliable indicator of of Royal Society Fellows, see Dr Samuel Dean MRSB transition zone. In itself went well and I was difficult to compare the grades of research ability and potential. A similar thebiologist.rsb.org.uk/degreegrades particular, I focused on able to speak to colleagues people studying centuries apart, because study to mine by Liam Hudson in 19601

t Kinetoplastid Molecular Cell Biology finding new components afterwards about my work. degree terminology has changed reached similar conclusions, and although Meeting (KMCB), Massachusetts, USA and the roles they play, These discussions were significantly. But of nearly 300 surveyed, his sample was a fairly small cohort of Francis Hooton is doing an ecology research internship using these to obtain very encouraging and 17% achieved third class honours or Oxbridge graduates, his message has with the University of . He has Asperger’s The KMCB is held every two biggest event in my field. I insights into human disease together we thought of some worse, and even more had ‘ordinary’ clearly been ignored. syndrome, which affected his original degree grade. After being diagnosed and given the appropriate support, he years at the Woods Hole gave a talk and presented of the flagellum. good experiments that I degrees (the definition of which has A more thoughtful approach needs to be completed a master’s in biochemistry and molecular Marine Biology Institute one of the main outputs Despite my nervousness am now in the process changed over time, but generally means adopted by academics, industry and the biophysics at Nottingham University. and is, without doubt, the from my fellowship, looking (and the final night party of performing.

References 1) Hudson, L. Degree Class and Attainment In Scientific Research. The British Psychological Society 51 (1) 67–73 (1960).

6 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 7 Up front Society news Society honours leading female Responses to UK plant African agricultural scientists science report published The four working groups set up The working groups’ reports in response to a large scale have now been published, each evaluation of plant science setting out key proposals and

he Society has awarded five new Fellows of the t Olivia Carolina Narciso in the UK have published potential solutions to the issues Above: The ‘glowing’ hawksbill sea turtle filmed near the Solomon Islands African Women in Agricultural Research and Pedro is a lecturer and their reports. affecting the sector. Below: A close encounter with a 12ft squid in Japanese waters Development programme (AWARD) free membership researcher at the Eduardo In 2014 the UK Dr Sandy Knapp for five years in recognition of their work. Mondlane University in Plant Sciences FRSB, head of the The programme equips female agricultural Mozambique. Her work Federation Plants Division of scientists across sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen helps to evaluate aquatic (UKPSF), a the Natural Ttheir research and leadership skills. The organisation’s work aims pollution in Mozambique, special interest History Museum to contribute to the prosperity of African smallholder farmers, focusing on cyanobacteria group of the (pictured), said most of whom are women. To date, 460 African women scientists and their toxins in fresh Society, the working from 11 countries have benefited as AWARD Fellows. water used for drinking. produced a report groups have “set entitled ‘Current the stage for a 10 To find out more, visit www.awardfellowships.org Status and Future to 25 year visionary Challenges’ on the state roadmap for UK plant of UK plant science. science,” but added that “it is

t Adey Feleke Desta t Flower Ezekiel Msuya is an assistant professor is a researcher at the The UKPSF’s report identified up to us, the plant science at Addis Ababa University. University of Dar es Salaam’s four key areas – regulation, community, to work together In case you She teaches graduate Institute of Marine Sciences training and skills, funding, and to take many of these and undergraduate in Tanzania. She designs translation of research – that actions forward.” students, and works on devices that help Tanzanian required detailed investigation The reports can be found at by specific working groups. bit.ly/1JckzDo missed it... issues related to water seaweed farmers protect pollution, specifically their crop, cottonii seaweed,

monitoring how polluted from rough seas. The farmers t The editor’s pick of biology stories being shared online water goes into farms can no longer grow it in through irrigation. shallow waters because of RARE GIANT SQUID FILMED on to his child. Or, as one warming seas. IN JAPANESE HARBOUR newspaper put it: “His dead Underwater cameraman twin, whose DNA the man Takayoshi Kojima swam absorbed in the womb, is the

t Nkiruka Celestina alongside a giant squid after genetic father of the child.” t Angela Obiageli Eni is a senior lecturer at the Odoh from the University it was spotted near the BuzzFeed Covenant University in of Abuja, Nigeria, explores surface of a harbour in bzfd.it/1i9nfo4 Nigeria and is working on how mycorrhizal fungi Toyama Bay, Japan. Kojima the West African Virus can help yams survive filmed his encounter with HOW WOLVES CAN Epidemiology (WAVE) and thrive despite the 3.7 metre (12 foot) squid, CHANGE RIVERS project, which aims to environmental stress. and then helped guide it out This remarkable video help farmers prevent of the harbour. tells the story of how, when diseases affecting root BBC wolves were reintroduced crops in six countries. bbc.in/1MEKA92 to Yellowstone National Park, a ‘trophic cascade’ MY WHIRLWIND YEAR completely transformed an One of the pioneers of the entire landscape. CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing Vimeo technology describes her vimeo.com/86466357 sleepless nights as the full ramifications of her work VIDEO APPEARS TO SHOW became apparent in 2015. ‘GLOWING’ TURTLE Nature Comment Scientists diving near the AGM 2016 and Council vacancies bit.ly/1mxCeLu Solomon Islands film a critically endangered hawksbill This year’s AGM will take from the College of Organisations if appropriate, BioPic THE HUMAN CHIMERA sea turtle (Eretmochelys place at 14:00 on Thursday Organisational Members. supporting the application. SKELETON OF A SEA URCHIN LARVA After failing a paternity test, imbricata) exhibiting 12th May at Charles Darwin Members at MRSB grade Nomination forms and role By Rachael Inglis a US man discovered that biofluorescence – the first House 2, London. or above may nominate other descriptions are available to The skeleton of this Lytechinus variegatus larva appears in DNA found in his saliva was reptile known to do so. There are two vacancies on members, and nominations download from our website. All rainbow colours through its transparent body, due to the angle different to that found in his National Geographic Council, one to be filled from must include the names nominations must be received of the light shining on it. The image was selected to feature in sperm. Doctors believe the bit.ly/1FD9ysK the Society’s College of and signatures of five by post or electronically by the Royal Photographic Society’s International Images for man absorbed cells from an Individual Members, and one members, or three Member 10:00 on 14th March. Science 2015 exhibition. unborn twin in the womb Send your suggestions to RACHAEL INGLIS/RPS-SCIENCE.ORG RACHAEL

© and that this DNA was passed @Tom_J_Ireland

8 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 9 Policy

The key to creating Discovery Pathways Group medicines is a (DDPG). The DDPG is working POLICY UPDATE multidisciplinary approach with academia, industry and funding bodies to help establish an environment that Event tackles gender inequality encourages researcher mobility between different he Society recently sectors and disciplines. organised the first The group’s flagship event, of its Athena SWAN the Researcher Mobility in TBiosciences Best Drug Discovery Workshop, Practice events, which aim brings together researchers to support universities and from different disciplines research institutes in within drug discovery – for addressing gender equality. example, biology, chemistry, Attendees heard from pharmacology and clinical departments that successfully sciences – to encourage obtained Athena SWAN networking and highlight awards and engaged in existing support and schemes. interactive workshops by the The last one took place in Equality Challenge Unit. December in Chicheley Hall, The event was organised Buckinghamshire, and in partnership with the attracted more than 50 Biochemical Society, the delegates and mentors. It British Ecological Society, was great to have senior drug the Microbiology Society discovery experts, drawn from and the Society for major pharmaceutical Experimental Biology. In all sciences, women remain underrepresented in senior positions companies, providing mentorship and outlining opportunities for workshop More data required for Natural Capital progress participants to build stronger links with industry. A range of speakers and is to assign real values to the developments in all sectors. Attendees were encouraged around 80 experts gave a natural environment and its However, speakers at the to raise their concerns about broad update of the science, services. It is hoped meeting said the data career progression and support policy and business practice businesses and governments required for accurate The right formula in drug discovery, as well as around natural capital will put it on an equal footing monitoring is often patchy discuss the role of learned monitoring at a meeting to financial, manufactured, and more research is needed. societies. Researchers said that organised by the Natural human and social capital. Presentations from the For effective drug discovery, academia and industry must mix more networking and ‘speed Capital Initiative in January. Discussions at the meeting meeting can be found at www. dating’ events would help them The idea of ‘natural capital’ showed there are encouraging naturalcapitalinitiative.org.uk cience is increasingly multidisciplinary teams and the pharmaceutical sector is research portfolio, while build connections, and a an interdisciplinary partnerships between the facing and the skills needed to academia still values high comprehensive resource pack endeavour, and early pharmaceutical industry and address them. This improves impact publications. would be useful when looking stage drug discovery academia are essential for teaching back in academia, Another challenge is for grants and fellowships. Society gives Animal science is no exception. The effective and sustainable early which can be tailored to geographical: how should Healthcare challenges are evidence ahead networking event Stimes when a team of scientists stage drug discovery. To enable prepare graduates for industry. teams be arranged for becoming more and more from a single discipline working these partnerships and Although industry-academia maximum convenience? And complex, with antimicrobial of EU referendum The 13th Animal Science in an isolated laboratory found knowledge sharing, it is partnerships are not new, when you do manage to set up a resistance just one of the major The Society has submitted Meeting was jointly hosted by candidates for a therapy are important to assist the making them work in practice collaboration, issues can arise global threats at the moment. written evidence to the House the Society and the Home behind us. The drug discovery movement of researchers can be challenging. Culture, around the confidentiality of Finding ways to support the of Lords consultation on the Office’s Animals in Science process has gone from being between disciplines and goals and motives differ the data and findings, and the environment in which relationship between EU Regulation Unit in December. largely the domain of big industries, and support between the two sectors: in right to intellectual property. multidisciplinary research and membership and the It brought together Home pharmaceutical companies to their career development industry, we are talking about a Many researchers say it is partnerships between industry effectiveness of science, Office staff and stakeholders a more collaborative and throughout the process. difficult to find time to spot and academia can flourish is a research and innovation from around the country, multidisciplinary approach, in Moving disciplines and relevant opportunities to good way to ensure the best in the UK. Free movement of staff is a key offering an opportunity for which academia, charities, sectors permanently might not network and contact talents can work together on The Society’s response benefit of EU membership discussions and networking. small to medium enterprises be for everybody, but even short Making these prospective collaborators or creating new medicines. explores the many ways UK This annual event promotes (SMEs) and the National Health term fellowships, where partnerships mentors. To tackle this problem science would be affected collaboration, regulation and enhanced working Service work together. academics get a chance to work the Society, together with the should the UK vote to leave scientific advice. relationships between those Learned societies have found in industry, can be an eye work in practice Biochemical Society, the British Gabriele Butkute the EU in 2017, including The Society’s full written engaged in animal science that skills associated with opener. Working in a different Pharmacological Society and AMRSB is science policy funding, the free movement evidence can be found at and the regulators in the can be assistant at the Royal creating medicines are setting gives a better the Royal Society of Chemistry, Society of Biology. of European researchers, bit.ly/1P8RsQb Home Office. vulnerable, therefore understanding of the challenges challenging have formed the Drug

10 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 11 Antoni Gaudi took inspiration from tree branches for the Sagrada Família church

IMITATINGhe challenges of the that architects and designers are consulting how other organisms succeed, SEA SPONGESLIFE AND SKYSCRAPERS This is then fashioned into small, six- Caroline Wood explains modern world are testing increasingly turning to nature for and then bringing that understanding Although more often likened to a vegetable, pointed spikes (or ‘spicules’), which are how biological structures our architects to the limit. inspiration. This area of research – into design”. the famous 180m high Gherkin tower in arranged vertically, horizontally and Not only do we desperately using efficient biological designs in An early example is considered to be the London (30 St Mary Axe) was actually diagonally to form a cage-like structure. have inspired some of need more affordable man-made constructions – is known as columns of Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Família inspired by a curious marine animal known This organic scaffold provides immense housing for our growing biomimetic architecture. church, begun in 1882. To support the as Venus’s flower basket sea sponge mechanical strength, enabling these the world’s most population, but our It should be emphasised that this weight of the vault, Gaudi modelled these (Euplectella aspergillum). This exquisite sponges to live at depths of up to 1km. innovative buildings Tbuildings have to be as energy, water and is completely distinct from using on the branching pattern of an upright tree, creature is named after its hollow tubular Meanwhile, silica-based cement, space efficient as possible. natural motifs simply for aesthetic noting how this efficiently bore forest structure (or ‘basket’), supported by a lattice- deposited on the points of intersection The latter are problems that also decoration. As Jamie Dwyer, a biologist canopies. However, other instances of like skeleton. Although it may look delicate, in the lattice, provides reinforcement, challenge living organisms and that and design strategist for the Biomimicry biomimetic architecture can look far E. aspergillum makes its own fibreglass by enabling the structure to flex without evolution has been addressing since 3.8 Institute, says, it is “the conscious removed from their natural origins, as the extracting silicic acid from seawater and damaging the core arrangement. The mesh- the dawn of time. Little wonder, then, emulation of nature’s genius – examples here show. converting it into silica. like construction also effectively filters

12 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 13 Biomimetics Architecture The Eden Project’s Core uses timber beams in a Fibonacci sequence to support its roof

water: flagella on the cells lining the inner fungi remain at their optimum temperature, tube provide a motile force that draws The Gherkin is a even while the outside temperature fluctuates water (and hence nutrients) in through the interpretation of a between below 0°C and over 40°C. openings in the lattice. Consequently, termite mounds have an The external scaffold of the Gherkin natural lattice elaborate system of heating and cooling vents mimics the lattice arrangement of E. to allow for tight temperature regulation. aspergillum. The curved sides allow winds Vents at the base of the mound catch breezes to pass easily around the building, rather and funnel these along muddy passageways, than being deflected down to street level to lowering the temperature of the air. blast pedestrians. Convection currents then draw the cool air Because more air can flow around the up into the warmer parts of the mound, side of a cylinder than the corner of a before it exits out the flue at the top. rectangle, its speed increases, causing a The concept was used to develop a higher negative air potential at the back ‘passive cooling system’ for Zimbabwe’s of the building. Architects Norman Foster & largest shopping complex, the Eastgate Sons used this to drive a natural ventilation Centre in Harare. During the day, heat system. Large vents at street level suck in energy generated is stored in the building’s air and funnel it upwards throughout the internal fabric: because this has a high heat building, reducing the need for air capacity, it only causes a minimal conditioning by 50%. temperature increase. At night, the warm air is vented through a central chimney, TERMITE TECHNOLOGY causing cooler air to be drawn in at the Two sets of Inside their towering mounds, Zimbabwean base of the building. These mechanisms opposing spirals make up termites farm Termitomyces fungi as their The Gherkin is inspired by the Venus’s flower cool the complex before the next day and the sunflower’s principal source of food. It is critical that the basket sea sponge (Euplectella aspergillum) reduce the energy requirements to less seed pattern than a tenth of those of a conventionally cooled building of the same size. reinforcing lateral ribs on each side; the efficiently. In the Core, Fibonacci spirals From flower to Flectofin INSPIRATION FROM PARADISE two upper ribs carry the thick wings of the were used to construct the web of 335 The hingeless lever of the bird of paradise flower (inset) was the inspiration for the Besides whole buildings, biomimetic petal that cover the stamens. Tough, interlocking timber beams supporting the Flectofin (bottom) and scaled up to the Thematic Pavilion in South Korea (below). principles can also be applied to smaller fibrous tissue makes the ribs strong enough roof, with 21 spirals in one direction and 34 Bending the central rib of the Flectofin induces torsional buckling, causing the structural details, particularly those that to support a bird’s weight, but the area in the other. The result provides a robust lateral shade to flip sideways by up to 90°. This simple structure can endure a lot of wear and tear. between the upper ribs and the wings is deforms the plate, causing it to change shelter, dappled natural lighting and even be formed into vertical blinds for a versatile shading mechanism Mechanical devices such as joints and more elastic. Hence, when the bird lands shape. Besides enabling the building to generates power from photovoltaic panels. with no hinges and joints. The Thematic Pavilion’s gill-like facade bearings are prone to failure and and the perch is deformed, the energy is adapt to changing light conditions, this is composed of 108 fins, each a modified form of the Flectofin. dysfunction. Professor Jan Knippers, transferred to this region, flipping the design reduces strain loads, allowing the THE FUTURE of the Institute of Building Structures and petals up and sideways. Once the bird building to withstand high winds. Some architects say biomimetic architecture Structural Design (ITKE) at the University leaves, the linkage of the structural should go beyond designing buildings and of Stuttgart, decided to investigate the elements allows the elastically stored THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM start to consider the world around them too moving parts of the bird-of-paradise flower energy to reset the whole system. The Eden Project in Cornwall may be – just as no organism exists in isolation. (Strelitzia reginae), pictured left. As part of a collaboration with the famous for the biological diversity within “Biomimicry can learn from nature at a Renowned for its striking blooms, the University of Freiburg and the Institute its iconic glasshouses, but biology inspired system level and be applied to entire plant has an ingenious, hingeless lever that of Textile Technology and Process the innovative architecture of its visitor neighbourhoods, cities or regions,” says the can be elastically deformed time after time Engineering, Denkendorf, Knippers helped centre and exhibition hall, known as the Biomimicry 3.8 Institute’s Jamie Dwyer. without compromising its structural to develop a hingeless flapping mechanism Core. The building was intended to have a “Cities need to perform like ecosystems, so integrity. S. reginae’s flowers are made up of inspired by the bird of paradise flower. symmetrical, spiral-shaped roof, but we need to ask how every building will three upright orange sepals and three violet The Flectofin incorporates a thin shell- architects struggled to formulate a design purify the air, create soil, store carbon.” petals, two of which are fused to form a like element (the fin) attached to a central with the right structural integrity. The institute is developing a set of ‘perch’, with a cavity at the base containing rib. These are made of fibre-reinforced The solution came from studying the ecological performance standards to provide nectar. The plants are pollinated by polymers that confer high tensile strength spiral growth patterns of plants, especially metrics to help developers design urban sunbirds, which land on the perch to reach but also low bending stiffness (see From the sunflower. In nature, spiral patterns are areas that don’t compromise ecological the nectar. As a bird lands, the weight of the flower to Flectofin, left). This simple rarely symmetrical, but are instead offset. functionality. Dwyer hopes this will help to The Thematic Pavilion, South Korea bird causes the perch to bend downwards, structure can be made into a shading This can be seen in the seed pattern of a create “cities that function like the natural triggering the wings of the petals to flap mechanism with no hinges and joints. The sunflower head, made up of two sets of landscapes they cover, not only to provide sideways in an elastic movement. design is particularly suited for buildings opposing spirals, one set going clockwise vital ecosystem services, but also so that they This exposes the stamens, allowing with curved glass facades, which are and the other anticlockwise. are resilient, sustainable and life giving”. pollen to be transferred to the bird’s feet. otherwise difficult to shade. To pack in as many rows of seeds as The future may seem daunting, but as we When the bird leaves, the perch closes The concept has even been scaled up to possible, the number of spirals in each plunge deeper into nature’s secrets, who again, enclosing the stamens once more. the level of entire buildings, an example direction is based on the famous Fibonacci knows what solutions we will find next. Remarkably, this deformation is completely being the Thematic Pavilion in Yeosu, sequence, where each number is the sum of reversible, with biomechanical tests South Korea, designed by Knippers Helbig the previous two: hence the sequence starts

suggesting that it can occur more than engineers. Here, the gill-like facade is with 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55… Caroline Wood AMRSB is a PhD 3,000 times without structural damage. composed of 108 individually controlled Accordingly, a sunflower head typically has student at the University of Sheffield, A closer investigation of the flower’s fins, each a modified form of the Flectofin. 34 clockwise spirals and 55 anticlockwise researching parasitic striga plants which devastate food harvests. The working principle of the Flectofin. Illustration: ITKE, University of Stuttgart structure reveals how it works. The perch When compression is applied to the spirals. In nature, Fibonacci sequences She blogs at www.scienceasadestiny. ARCHITECTURE: SOMA ARCHITECTURE, VIENNA. ENGINEERING KINETIC FAÇADE: KNIPPERS HELBIG ADVANCED ENGINEERING, STUTTGART. PHOTO: SOMA PHOTO: STUTTGART. ENGINEERING, ADVANCED HELBIG KNIPPERS FAÇADE: KINETIC ENGINEERING VIENNA. ARCHITECTURE, SOMA ARCHITECTURE: is bilaterally symmetrical, with three © GARY WOODS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTOopposite corners, controlled buckling occur time after time, as they use space so blogspot.co.uk

14 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 15 Animal communication Pheromones

Aphid alarm pheromones are the same in most species, as they share predators

SURVIVAL OF THE

smelliesthe powerful smell produced even musk ducks. He reported: “During the depending on the species. For example, colony coordination, such as pheromones by male goats is notorious. season of love, a musky odour is emitted by rabbit pups find the nipple by responding produced by honeybee larvae that influence But while most of us don’t the … glands of the [male] crocodile, and to a mammary pheromone produced by the how many workers will nurse them and find it attractive, female pervades their haunts.” He also noted that mother, communication vital for speedy how many workers will fly out from the goats find it highly alluring. male moths had a distinctive smell, but and successful suckling.2 Bark beetles nest to forage for nectar and pollen. The male pheromone sets these chemical signals, like those of release aggregation pheromones to attract An eclectic range of molecules are used her hormones racing. mammals, were invisible. It was not until many other individuals (of both sexes) in as pheromones in different species, which TCharles Darwin proposed that the smells the 1950s that they could be identified. order to overwhelm a tree’s defences. suggests almost any molecule can evolve produced by mammals, such as male goats, Pheromones are chemical signals used Social insects are perhaps the supreme into a pheromone if it gives a selective Pheromones play a key could have evolved by sexual selection “if for communication between members chemical communicators: it has been advantage. Some patterns are explained by role in many areas the most odoriferous males are the most of a species. Since the first chemical argued that the path to sociality was paved whether the signal is transmitted in air or of animal behaviour. successful in winning the females, and in identification of a pheromone – the female with pheromones. All aspects of social water; others result from the ways leaving offspring to inherit their gradually sex pheromone of the silkmoth, bombykol, insect behaviour are mediated by molecules become co-opted as they evolve It has been argued But how did they perfected glands and odours”. in 1959 – pheromones have been identified pheromones, including trails that enable into pheromones. If the message is evolve? Tristram Wyatt In The Descent of Man, and Selection in in species all across the animal kingdom.1 sophisticated collective behaviour by transmitted in air, then pheromones tend that the path to explains how smells Relation to Sex, Darwin described many While sex pheromones bring the sexes foraging ants, and alarm pheromones to to be small, volatile molecules, such as sociality was paved examples of smelly males in the breeding together in many species, pheromones gather colony members for mass defence. 2-methylbut-2-enal (C5H8O), the rabbit became signals season, including pythons, elephants and mediate every aspect of animal behaviour, There are also more subtle effects on mammary pheromone mentioned above. with pheromones

16 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 17 Animal communication Pheromones

References 6) Leary, G. P. et al. Single The males of the 1) Wyatt, T. D. Pheromones mutation to a sex magnificent tree frog and Animal Behavior: pheromone receptor Chemical Signals and provides adaptive specificity (Litoria splendida) Signatures 2nd Edition between closely related secrete a peptide (Cambridge University moth species. Proceedings that attracts females Press, Cambridge, 2014). of the National Academy of 2) Schaal, B & Al Aïn, S. Sciences of the Chemical signals ‘selected of America Biological for’ newborns in mammals. Sciences 109, Animal Behaviour 97, 14081–14086 (2012). 289–299 (2014). 7) Haynes, K. F. et al. 3) Oi, C. A. et al. The origin Aggressive mimicry of moth and evolution of social pheromones by a bolas insect queen pheromones: spider: how does this Novel hypotheses and specialist predator attract outstanding problems. more than one species of Bioessays 37, 808–821 prey? Chemoecology 12, (2015). 99–105 (2002). 4) Toyoda, F. et al. Peptide 8) Xu, S. et al. Pollinator- pheromones in newts. driven speciation in sexually Peptides 25, 1531–1536 deceptive orchids. (2004). International Journal of 5) Lassance, J. M. et al. Ecology 2012, Functional consequences doi:10.1155/2012/285081 of sequence variation in the (2012). pheromone biosynthetic 9) Wyatt, T. D. The search for gene pgFAR for Ostrinia human pheromones: the lost moths. Proceedings of the decades and the necessity of National Academy of returning to first principles. The male silkmoth (Bombyx mori) fanning Sciences of the United Proceedings of the Royal its wings in response to the female sex States of America Society of London B: pheromone released from the female (left) Biological Sciences 110, Biological Sciences 282,

SAM WOO, UC DAVIS 3967–3972 (2013). 2014.2994 (2015).

Underwater, the equivalent of volatility is There would also be selection for greater In small social insect colonies, of species borer moth species, Ostrinia nubilalis and insect attempts to mate with the flower, solubility, so pheromones can be small, specificity of the males’ receptors to avoid such as Polistes paper wasps, the queen The sea slug Aplysia O. furnacalis, a change of one amino acid in picking up a pollen capsule, which he will soluble molecules such as amino acids or false alarms. Ultimately, there would be can physically dominate her tens of uses the wonderfully the binding site of the male’s pheromone deliver like a flying DNA courier to another large, polar molecules. For example, the sea selection on the female to produce more of subordinates into helping her rather than receptor has been enough to change which orchid flower of the same species, having slug Aplysia uses the wonderfully named these molecules to be sure of attracting a laying eggs themselves. In species with named attractin, enticin, molecule the receptor binds to.6 Changes in made the same mistake again. soluble proteins attractin, enticin, seductin male, thus creating a pheromone signal. huge colonies of thousands or hundreds of seductin and temptin the wiring of the brain circuits of the male and temptin as parts of its sex pheromone. A second way starts with a pre-existing thousands of individuals, only queen may also need to evolve, completing the HUMAN PHEROMONES? sensitivity in the receiver that is exploited pheromones can pass a message switch to responding to a new blend. We spend billions of pounds every year on FROM SMELLS TO SIGNALS by the signaller. Female beewolf wasps throughout the colony to signal that the products to remove our smells and about the There appear to be two main ways that (Philanthus triangulum) detect their queen is fertile, healthy and laying eggs. of closely related newt species, Cynops SPIES AND DECEIVERS same amount on perfumes to add new ones. particular molecules become co-opted and honeybee prey by the (Z)-11-eicosen-1-ol The queen pheromone induces the ensicauda and C. pyrrhogaster in Japan.4 When Californian entomologists put out As we are smelly, like other mammals, it is evolve as pheromones. The first way starts they give off. The male beewolf produces daughter workers to remain sterile. However, most pheromones are traps baited with bark beetle aggregation possible (perhaps even probable) that we by receivers eavesdropping and detecting a this molecule as his sex pheromone, thus Recent evidence suggests that queen combinations of relatively simple molecules, pheromones, they were expecting to catch have evolved pheromones. In the 1990s, a chemical cue. This appears to be how tapping into a pre-existing sensitivity in pheromone molecules may be similar long- and it is the combination that gives specificity. lots of bark beetles. What they didn’t expect corporation patented the molecules hormones leaking from female goldfish the female. Similarly, male moth chain hydrocarbons in bees, wasps and During speciation, there is selection for was that they would catch 600,000 androstadienone and estratetraenol as became sex pheromones. Over generations, pheromones released in the final stages ants,3 despite each lineage having evolved changes in the combination. For example, the predatory beetles as well. ‘human pheromones’, although to date there there would be selection for increasing of courtship seem to have evolved to independently from solitary species. The female sex pheromones of moths typically Pheromone conversations within a is no scientific evidence that such molecules sensitivity in the males as those most mimic the host plant odours detected explanation may be that the social insect consist of blends of five to six hydrocarbon species can be detected by unintended operate as pheromones in humans.9 sensitive to the molecules would reach the by female moths to locate suitable plants queen pheromones have evolved from an molecules in the form of unbranched fatty spies: the predatory beetles have evolved Despite the lack of evidence, numerous female goldfish first and fertilise her eggs. on which to lay their eggs. ancestral signalling system already present acids, alcohols, acetates or aldehydes. Small to be just as sensitive to their prey’s studies have used these molecules. It is in the earliest common hymenopteran changes in enzyme specificity, or pheromones. In some parts of North hard to escape the conclusion that the solitary ancestors. The role of the signal upregulation of some enzymes in the America, this predation has led to selection results represent false positives. It may turn in these ancient solitary species may have biochemical pathway for pheromone on bark beetles with a different aggregation out that we do not have sex pheromones Getting the right blend been as a sex pheromone only produced production, are sufficient to change the blend pheromone blend that helps them avoid after all. More promising is work on a by fertile females that has been co-opted or lead to the production of new molecules attracting the predatory beetles. possible pheromone released around their Closely related independently in each lineage for a new for the blend [see figure 1].5 The changes may Pheromones can also be mimicked by nipples by lactating mothers that prompts FIGURE FIGURE 1 species of moths Z12-14:OAc function when sociality evolved. involve a few or many different genes. deceptive signallers, such as female bolas newborn babies to suckle.2 If a mammary use different E12-14:OAc Males of a moth species will only respond spiders, which lure male moths by pheromone is found and identified, it would blends of molecules DIVERGING SPECIES to the correct combination of molecules in producing a counterfeit blend that mimics give us the confidence to explore what Z11-14:OAc in their female sex Proportion Many accounts of pheromones focus on the the right ratios – they thus avoid flying to the pheromone produced by females of that other pheromones we might have. in blend pheromones5 E11-14:OAc fact that they only attract members of the females of the wrong species. However, species. One bolas spider species even

100 E11-14:OH same species. How, then, do these signals there is just enough variability in male produces different blends to lure males of change during speciation as new species response that a few males will respond to different moth species.7 50 Z9-14:OAc Tristram Wyatt is a researcher at evolve? With a peptide pheromone, it is new ratios or molecules as changes in blend Instead of rewarding pollinating insects Oxford University’s department of 20 possible to create a new pheromone just by occur during speciation. with nectar, some orchids mimic the female zoology and an emeritus of Kellogg College, Oxford. He wrote 5 O. zealis mutations leading to substitution of a couple Change in the specificity of male of a particular species of solitary wasp or O. sp.zaguliaevi near Pheromones and Animal Behavior, 1 O. nubilalisO. Z nubilalis O.E zaguliaevi O. furnacalis O. palustralisO. latipennis O. scapulalisO. Z scapulalis E of amino acids. This has happened with the pheromone receptors also occurs during bee, luring the male with counterfeited sex which won the Society’s postgraduate male sex pheromone decapeptide in a pair speciation. In the European and Asian corn pheromones and visual mimicry.8 The male textbook of the year in 2014.

18 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 19 Health Biomarkers

Links between diet and good health are notoriously difficult to prove. The latest biomarker technology is changing that, writes Bill Mullen

arely a week goes by without When I studied antioxidants and news of a new superfood we nutrition, there were a number of other need to eat to stay healthy, or issues that caused problems. Most of the yet more contradictory studies use healthy volunteers, and it is evidence that one food is extremely difficult to make someone good or bad for our health. healthier, so these studies were dropped. The cynical academic reader On the other hand, it is far-fetched to Bwill mutter something about another grant expect that a change of diet can cure an application being submitted, or a company established illness. trying to boost sales. Why can’t we just take a group of These results are often based on adding a people, feed them one of these superfoods food ingredient to a cell culture plate and and measure the health benefits? This has seeing a protective effect on the cells when been tried on numerous occasions, they are challenged by a known toxin. although only a few studies end up in A Alternatively, they are based on animal scientific literature, often showing no studies, which are closer to human measurable effect. nutrition, but are still far from reality. The real problem is that biomarkers Evidence from epidemiological used to judge health are often, in fact, studies has shown that the inhabitants biomarkers of disease, normally used of some countries live longer than others, by GPs to help to diagnose an illness. and by comparing the lifestyle and dietary Traditionally, the ones most often used differences between the two groups, are simple tests of blood pressure or PICTURE patterns may appear that point to cholesterol levels, which are used as potential causes. markers for heart disease. Using such However, trying to come up with hard markers has produced no consistent evidence to support these findings, in a evidence of any beneficial effects1, 2 of typical nutritional intervention study different diets. Even trying more lasting weeks or even months, often doesn’t sophisticated markers normally only OF produce results. used in more advanced clinical settings

The real problem is that biomarkers used to judge health are often, in fact, HEALTH non-specific markers of disease

20 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 21 Health Biomarkers

The multi-peptide A ‘healthy’ fingerprint marker can detect The relative amounts of proteins and peptides in a person’s urine can be used to form a pre-symptomatic ‘fingerprint’ of various health conditions, for comparison with samples from healthy signs of the disease volunteers. Using mathematical modelling researchers ‘extract’ the peptides that are statistically very different between samples provides no good evidence of any from healthy and unhealthy volunteers. beneficial effects. In the case of patients with coronary artery The problem is that many biomarkers disease (CAD), there are as many as 238 peptides that differ from a healthy sample. lack specificity for the disease being These peptides make up the biomarker profile studied, so their levels can be affected by seen in the electrophoresis results in Figure 1. many factors. One biomarker used for The ultimate case of CAD would score as +1 heart disease, for example, is C-reactive and the healthiest a score of -1 (negative for protein (CRP). It can also be used as a disease). Any score lower than 0.14 is considered healthy. biomarker for diabetic nephropathy, inflammation and bacterial and viral Figure 1: Comparison of peptide fingerprints infection. So if any volunteers in a in a CAD patient and a healthy volunteer nutritional study catch a cold, the final result may show that a food was actually bad for heart disease. Something very different came up in a chance meeting with Professor Harald Mischak of the University of Glasgow. Mischak spent several years developing a new type of biomarker for the clinical Biomarkers can help assessment of diseases, based on the us measure the benefits proteomic analysis of urine samples. of nutritional changes Using subjects similar in age, BMI and so more precisely on, he compared two groups, one with coronary artery disease (CAD), for example, and one without. He then The olive oil analysed and merged the peptide profiles of disease development and progression, and and American Food and Drug products are the best for their health and or dietician could give lifestyle advice and the CAD samples to form a CAD the effect of drug treatment. Certain question Administration (FDA) approval to claim a governments to give health advice and set goals to help the patient reduce their fingerprint. He did the same with the peptides will score strongly for early stages health benefit. Our task was to see if we control food labelling issues. disease scores. People often give up on diet healthy controls and compared the two sets but weaker for later stages, and vice versa, Due to the traditional west of could provide evidence of a health benefit This new technology could also play a or exercise because there is no measurable of data to see if any markers of CAD could making the test results more widely diet being responsible for a high from feeding 20ml of these oils to central role in population health health improvement, apart from weight be established. The CAD biomarker was applicable and reproducible throughout incidence of heart disease, with a low volunteers each day for six weeks. Both management. Diseases such as CAD and loss. Having biomarker measurements based on 238 peptides that differed from disease development and progression. intake of olive oil, we decided that the oils led to major changes in volunteers’ CKD are surprisingly difficult to diagnose could be the incentive people need to the controls. The biomarker was then The specificity and sensitivity of these best place to carry out our study was CAD scores (see boxout, left). accurately, usually requiring a visit to a maintain a healthier lifestyle. Perhaps we tested on groups of unknown samples to biomarkers means early signs of disease in Glasgow. Our evidence from the olive oil study specialist clinician with access to state of may hear at the gym: “Since starting my see how well they performed in identifying can be detected before any symptoms have shows that by using these clinical the art scanners. With biomarkers for a new diet/exercise plan, my CAD score has which were from CAD patients and which developed. Therefore, I believed they could The study was double blinded, biomarkers we can investigate what foods wide range of diseases, sending off a urine dropped 10%.” from controls. be used in nutritional studies to test the the volunteers did not know what can have measurable effects on our health. sample for testing would be a simple, cost These markers have very high specificity effect of a food on diseases such as CAD, oil they were consuming and the There is an obesity epidemic in the effective alternative. If the tests are positive, (low false positive results) and high chronic kidney disease (CKD) or diabetes in analysts processing the samples developed world, and waistlines in second it would be time to see the appropriate Dr Bill Mullen is senior research sensitivity (low false negative results) for healthy volunteers. and the data did not know what world countries are fast catching up. This specialist clinician for treatment. fellow at the University of Glasgow’s each disease they have been developed for. was virgin or refined olive oil. has led to a massive increase in diabetes, On a more proactive front, a visit to the Institute of Cardiovascular and They produce an output score on a scale of ollaboration with a Portuguese with associated increased incidence of CAD GP for a health check-up could also involve Medical Sciences. 1, the highest level of disease score, to -1, olive oil producer and Professor The results of the study were and CKD. The application of this technology sending a urine sample for testing. Based the highest level of healthy score. Maria Bronze from Lisbon spectacular. Both oils produced to health and nutrition research could be a on the disease scores reported back, the GP The key advantage of these multi-peptide University provided the ideal significant changes after only six weeks, timely development to address this issue. markers is that they do not rely on the opportunity to test this theory a change of 0.3 in the CAD biomarker Food is both the problem and the solution. presence/absence or amount of a single C(see study, right). We had two olive oils: one score. There was no change in chronic At present, there is no validated method References 1) van Mierlo, L. et al. Clinical Nutrition 64, metabolites do not and 2): a randomized, compound: the combined score of all the virgin olive oil (VOO), rich in antioxidants; kidney disease or diabetes biomarkers. of testing whether a food product has any Grape polyphenols do 1158–1165 (2010). contribute to beneficial parallel, controlled, peptides in the marker produces the result. and one refined olive oil (ROO), with very beneficial properties. not affect vascular function 3) Gimeno, E. et al. health effects after olive oil double-blind study. in healthy men. Journal Changes in the phenolic ingestion. Drug Metabolism The American Journal This is a fundamentally different way of low levels of these compounds. Some The equivalent change in the CAD Food producers could use this of Nutrition 140, 1769–1773 content of low density and Disposition 38, 1417– of Clinical Nutrition 101(1), thinking about biomarkers of disease. So studies had shown that these compounds scoring had been seen in a study of technology to provide evidence to the (2010). lipoprotein after olive oil 1421 (2010). 44–54 (2015). far, single compound biomarkers have can protect low-density lipoprotein (LDL) hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients EFSA or the FDA of the beneficial 2) Auclair, S. et al. The consumption in men. A 5) Silva, S. et al. Impact 6. Delles, C. et al. Urinary 3 regular consumption of a randomized crossover of a 6-wk olive oil proteomic diagnosis of lacked specificity for a disease and are from oxidation – a process associated with being treated for two years with a properties of their products. Having polyphenol-rich apple does controlled trial. British supplementation in coronary artery disease: usually only indicators of the later stages of cardiovascular disease – while others drug. The same change in scoring biomarker measurements of health not influence endothelial Journal of Nutrition 98, healthy adults on urinary identification and clinical a disease. argued against it.4 resulted in a significant reduction in benefits will enable producers to promote function: a randomised 1243–1250 (2007). proteomic biomarkers validation in 623 6 double-blind trial in 4) Khymenets, O. et al. of coronary artery disease, individuals. Journal The multi-peptide marker can detect pre- Olive oil is one of the few foods that has those progressing to kidney failure. and improve their products, consumers hypercholesterolemic Antioxidant activities of chronic kidney disease, of Hypertension 28, symptomatic signs of the disease as well as European Foods Standards Agency (EFSA) to make informed choices on which adults. European Journal of hydroxytyrosol main and diabetes (types 1 2316–22 (2010).

22 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 23 Interview

ONE SMALL STEP FOR A PHYSIOLOGIST... Jessica Meir is a member of NASA’s NASA astronaut and Astronaut Group 21, who will visit the International comparative physiologist and could Jessica Meir tells Tom be headed to Mars Ireland about research in extreme environments – and whether she’d accept a one way ticket to Mars

essica Meir has always been adventurous, even before she applied to be an astronaut. A J keen scuba diver with a private pilot’s licence, she had taken a number of space science courses and her research had taken her to a range of extreme environments, including below the Antarctic ice. In June 2013, Meir beat a record 6,372 applicants to become one of the eight members of NASA’s Astronaut Group 21. The class will join 47 other active NASA and visit the International Space Station, orbiting 250 miles above the Earth at an average speed of around 17,000mph. One of NASA’s longer term goals is to send a crew to a near-Earth asteroid by 2020 in preparation for an eventual trip to Mars.

Did you always want to be an astronaut? Or did you want to be a scientist? The first time I said I wanted to be an astronaut I was five, and in first grade at school I drew a picture of an astronaut when I was asked to draw myself. But my favourite subject as a kid was always biology. Some people think of that as odd and not the straightest path towards being an astronaut compared with, say, being an engineer. There were times when I thought maybe I should be an engineer, but biology was always my passion. MEIR NASA/SHUTTERSTOCK

24 / The Biologist / Vol xx No x Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 25 JESSICA Interview Jessica Meir

How did you move from physiology Tell us more about what you will be Meir’s work as That is something I did while working at research to becoming an astronaut expected to do when you go to space – a physiologist NASA before I trained to become an candidate? are you there solely to conduct life has taken her to astronaut. It’s an underwater habitat 45 feet a range of I was on NASA research programmes while science research? extreme down [a few miles off Key Largo, Florida], at university, then I went to the International In the Shuttle era, you would have ‘mission environments which is great for coral reef researchers and Space University for a year, which was perfect special’ astronauts with specific skills, but on Earth is used by a lot of marine biologists. NASA – very interdisciplinary, with aspects of space now we are all trained the same – to be got interested in using it as an analogue for biology and space medicine, but policy and generalists. I work alongside a jet pilot and space, as it has the small space, small crew, mechanics, too. I am incredibly fortunate that we do the same training. Right now, we are life support systems and all the other I found a career that was really fulfilling training for a mission to the International psychological aspects and crew dynamics of a before becoming an astronaut. My work at Space Station (ISS). space module. We were collecting data for the Scripps Institute of Oceanography There are new vehicles being developed, coral research, but also building structures blended all the things I like – elements of but right now the space station mission is as if we were on a space walk. I went down exploration in the Antarctic while studying my focus for the next few years. there for 10 days, but my mission was cut hard-core physiology of animals in extreme short, as we had tropical storms. environments. I was equally happy doing that Do you think about going to Mars? as I am being an astronaut. I’m more of a realist. I am focused on the What does an average day ISS. It is exciting to think about all the long involve for you now? Peake practice What does the application term goals – would I go? Would I be scared? It’s completely different to academia, where process involve? NASA hasn’t really got a plan yet to bring you have incredibly detailed knowledge British astronaut Tim Peake is There are two paths to becoming an people home safely – they are just not quite about one highly specific area. Here, you currently helping with a range of life astronaut: military and civilian. Civilian there yet. There are private entities that say have to compartmentalise lots of different science experiments aboard the positions are advertised just like all federal they are planning a one way trip… I would skills in different parts of your brain. In International Space Station (ISS). positions, on the USAJOBS website. So you definitely be interested, but only when research you work out your own system and Tim began his six month mission in just send a CV and some information you NASA has worked out a way of bringing plan your own schedule. Now I wake up and December, blasting off in a Russian hope will catch their eye. The most highly me back. my day has been planned for me. After this rocket and becoming the first qualified are selected and assessed and, conversation, I’m having a Russian lesson. British astronaut to visit the station. from these people, 120 go for two days of One of NASA’s long-term goals is to Then tomorrow I’ll be at Mission Control. interviews and do basic physical and medical send a crew on a mission to a near- Then the next day I might be flying a T-38 Microorganism research tests. Then around 40 to 50 candidates are Earth asteroid by 2020 in preparation [a supersonic military jet]. A range of microorganisms placed on selected for the final round, which involves a for an eventual trip to Mars. How likely the outside of the ISS are being whole week of medical testing: brain MRIs, a are you to be on such a mission? What’s been the best experience monitored to see which survive. Some full body scan, colonoscopy, cardiac calcium Most astronauts’ career spans are decided you’ve had since joining NASA? will be protected by an artificial Mars tests. You need to be in really good medical by the radiation dose they have received. It The training has been phenomenal – these soil, to a variety of depths, and some will shape with no underlying conditions. can differ depending on the solar cycle and are things I’d normally pay a lot of money sit in a Martian atmosphere, rich in It’s kind of the opposite of an academic the altitude of the space station during changed that. It is now to land on an for! Now I get to do them all the time. You carbon dioxide. Others will be left interview – it was my scuba diving and their mission. But there are many who have asteroid and try to change its course, or It is exciting to think do two years of astronaut training, and to entirely exposed to space. It is thought private pilot skills I had to push at them. done more than one mission. In the Shuttle bring a section of it into orbit around the about long term goals. graduate you have to be proficient in a that biofilm-forming organisms may be They didn’t really care what journals I was era, people would fly three or four missions, moon and explore it there – all to help us to variety of areas. You must complete a space better able to survive extreme exposure published in: they could see I was doing but now there are only one or two prevent a future mass extinction event. Would I go to Mars? walk in a mock-up of the ISS in a pool. to UV radiation. The experiments were well in what I studied and were more Americans going into space every year. Would I be scared? Although I had my pilot’s licence, I had devised by Professor Charles Cockell, concerned with my operational abilities. Others go on to work for space companies What did you study when you were never done any military style flying and had from the University of Edinburgh. I will not be up in space as a scientist – I’ll such as Virgin. a physiologist? to learn to fly a T-38. Then there was a big be an operator of someone else’s While President Bush was in power, the I studied the diving physiology of mammals backpacking trip, robotic arm training, and Fatigue testing experiment and other equipment. objective was to go to the moon, but Obama and birds – specifically emperor penguins Himalayas. My work involved hatching trips to Japan and Cologne to be trained in Technology is being tested which aims and elephant seals. We used backpack them and raising them so they were their ISS modules. We also do Russian to monitor various measures of recorders to monitor their heart rate and comfortable enough with me to train them language training, as all members of the ISS wellbeing – such as fatigue or stress – depth, and what was really successful was to fly in a wind tunnel in masks, where I speak either English or Russian. by automated analysis of the astronauts’ this CO2 electrode that gave us could measure their heart rate and voices. It is hoped the iVoice system can measurements from arteries and veins while breathing, but also change their inspired Do you think there is life on Mars? be applied to help detect fatigue in they were diving in the wild, which we could air, raising the amount of nitrogen to I think the chances are getting better all the miners or long-distance drivers. correlate with diving behaviour. What was stimulate hypoxia as if they were at altitude. time, especially after the huge announcement interesting was how far they could push it – in 2015 that there is running water. I’ve Brain pressure how low their heart rate went, how much Is much of NASA’s physiology research always believed there is other life out there – Many astronauts complain of temporary CO2 they could tolerate. about the effects of space on the body? of course there is: it would be egotistical to problems with their eyesight, thought to It involved diving beneath frozen ice or The research is much broader, although think anything else. But perhaps given the be caused by an increase in brain watching the animals from an observation I do work in the physiology group that is scale of the universe and the timescales pressure as fluid shifts towards the head tube cut into the ice and hanging in the looking at the effect of gravity on the body. involved we will never have that knowledge. in weightless conditions. Marchbanks water, but you still have to go out and clean Interestingly, we’ve quite quickly got good Measurements Systems has pioneered a the windows. So it gave me both a mental at countermeasures, and we are now non-invasive device which is placed in the and physical challenge, which is what I starting to see astronauts coming back Jessica Meir is assistant professor ear to measure brain pressure in space. It always look for. stronger than when they left. of anesthesia at Harvard Medical forms part of the NASA experiment ‘Fluid For my postdoctoral research, I looked School, following postdoctoral Shifts’, which is looking at the underlying at barheaded geese – again studying You’ve trained as an aquanaut, as well research in comparative physiology at Meir with fellow the University of British Columbia. physiology of weightlessness. NASA aquanauts hypoxia, but this time due to the altitude as an astronaut. What missions have She is one of the eight members of

© NASA PHOTO / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ADMINISTRATION SPACE AND AERONAUTICS NATIONAL that they fly at as they migrate over the you done underwater? NASA Astronaut Group 21.

26 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 27 Botany Physic gardens

Dilston Physic Garden in Northumberland features hundreds of European medicinal plants

Poppies, from the John Innes library of rare botanical books Plant science in the garden

As well as plants used in ancient medicine, the ANCIENT University of East Anglia’s new physic garden will contain plants very relevant to plant scientists today. Opium poppies (Papaver somniferum) were described in the oldest AND known botanical guide, De Materia Medica, and their use in medicine pre-dates written history. Morphine, first extracted from poppies in 1804, was one of the first active chemical ingredients to be isolated MODERN from a plant. It is still a common painkiller. Sam Lane and Melanie Robb explain how centuries-old The Madagascar ‘physic gardens’ can contribute to 21st century plant science periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) has long been cultivated in herbal medicine. Today, alkaloids lmost 2,000 years ago, extracted from the plant, A statue of A peaceful spot beside Europe’s such as vinblastine and the physician Pedanius physician and oldest rock garden at Chelsea Dioscorides described naturalist Sir vincristine, are used to treat hundreds of plant species Hans Sloane leukaemia and Hodgkin’s with medicinal properties stands at the lymphoma. in his seminal work, centre of Chelsea Saffron (Crocus sativus) De Materia Medica. It led Physic Garden was grown locally (Norfolk) Ato the spread of botanical knowledge in the early 1600s. The throughout Europe, and in its wake a plant’s colourful stigmas growth in the documentation, collection are used in dyes, spices and and use of valuable plants. Gardens herbal medicine. Today containing medically useful plants began biomedical trials are to play an important role as a resource for investigating the plant’s students, doctors and apothecaries, and use in the treatment of

1 DAVID BALL/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

the name ‘physic’ garden emerged in © common conditions, reference to the plants having a physical Chelsea is home to including major depressive benefit on the body. numerous plant varieties disorder and cancer. The first formal physic gardens were The garden will also founded by universities across Italy in the feature plants used as 16th century (initiated by the University of model organisms by Pisa in 1543), and the rest of Europe soon researchers, such as followed suit. Oxford University was the arabidopsis and tobacco. TERENCEWALSH; MEGANTAYLOR; first to create such a garden in the UK in JOHNINNES HISTORICAL COLLECTION COURTESY THEJOHNOFINNES FOUNDATION

28 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 29 to modern pharmaceuticals, while also showcasing plants’ use in folklore and herbalism in the past. We are also keen to diversify what visitors can learn from the garden. Our Modern Physic Garden doesn’t just highlight the health benefits of plants, but emphasises their role in providing sustainable food security, clothing and UK PlantSci 2016 shelter, as well as meeting the energy needs of a growing population. We emphasise sustainability by using plants supplied by local growers where 11–12 April 2016 possible, and some of the narrative of the garden relates to local traditions and uses. For example, there is a long history of John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK The University of East Anglia’s physic saffron growing in Norfolk, and this is told garden will grow tobacco, used by alongside a description of the scientific plant scientists as a model organism relevance of the plants to health and wellbeing, their features and their molecular properties (see page 29). Sessions include: 1621. The gardens were also used to study In keeping with the theme of community plant diversity and classification, and engagement, a recent project brought Heterosis and epigenetics served a role as pleasure gardens for a together the physic garden, local glass period in the early 20th century. artists and a local primary school to create The original physic gardens have all glass signs based on the properties of some Abiotic stress but disappeared, and only a handful of of our most useful plants. This project standalone physic gardens are open to the enabled the schoolchildren to engage with Ecosystem resilience public in the UK today – for example, plant science and to combine their new Chelsea, Dilston, Cowbridge and knowledge with a creative output. Petersfield. Many of these gardens still A report by the UK Plant Sciences The plant microbiome exhibit plants that were traditionally useful Federation3 acknowledged that UK plant for medicine and healing, despite modern science is well positioned to respond to the Plant signalling research and evidence based medicine challenges of the 21st century, including indicating that they do not necessarily have food security, climate change adaptation a health function today. In recent decades, and mitigation, biodiversity conservation Future generations the focus has shifted to using these and improvements in human health. collections for scientific research and However, a lack of stable funding and a Panel and open floor discussion conservation efforts.2 shortage of skills puts the UK’s position as Our Modern Physic Garden at the a world leader in the sector under threat3. University of East Anglia (UEA) aims Plants can provide solutions to many, if Above: 1751 plan of the Chelsea Physic Garden to inspire the next generation of plant not all, of these issues, and there has never Below: De Materia Medica inspired the first biologists, whose work might help been a more pressing time to raise Early bird registration open until medicinal gardens address some of the massive global awareness of the importance of plant challenges facing the world’s growing science within and to society.4 This has population: food security and productivity, been a key driver for the UEA to develop a 22nd February 2016 energy production and adaptation to ‘modern’ physic garden, concentrating on climate change. bridging this gap between communicating The garden celebrates the historical high quality plant research focusing on value of maintaining a collection of useful health, wellbeing and sustainability and medicinal plants, while bringing the engaging with the wider community. concept into the 21st century. It enables students, research communities, business communities and members of the public to Sam Lane AMRSB is a recent biology graduate currently explore the role of plants in health, working for a non-profit nutrition organisation in Brussels wellbeing, art, science, history and the (BE) and will soon be a trainee at the European environment. Parliament Office in London (2016). Melanie Robb initially began work at UEA’s physic It highlights how evidence based garden as a science communication intern, but now research on plant based medicines has led oversees the website and planting of the garden.

References 2) Blackmore, S. et al. Botanical Journal of the 4) Donaldson, J. Botanic 1) Hollman, A. John Strengthening the Linnaean Society 166, gardens: Science for Gerard, physic gardens scientific contribution 267–281 (2011). conservation and global and medicinal plants. of botanic gardens to 3) UK Plant Science: change. Trends in Plant Journal of Medical the second phase of Current status and Science, 14(11), 608–613 Biography, 19, 47–48 the Global Strategy for future challenges (2009). WELLCOME LIBRARY, LONDON LIBRARY, WELLCOME (2011). Plant Conservation. report, 2014. Find out more at www.plantsci2016.org.uk

30 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing CRISPR-Cas9 Focus on complex Gene editing How the genome editor works 1 Everybody is talking about A cell is transfected with a gRNA DNA plasmid that expresses CRISPR-Cas9, the revolutionary both the Cas9 protein and a 2 sequence of guide RNA Cas9 identifies the system that makes it cheaper Guide (gRNA), which matches that corresponding DNA sequence of the gene of interest. and easier to ‘edit’ genomes. RNA on the host cell’s genome, But do you know how it works? (gRNA) and cuts both strands of DNA.

t the end of 2015, scientists could make changes Cas9 hundreds of to genomes has sparked scientists gathered widespread concern about its PAM in to potential applications. These Cas9 cuts both 3 discuss the potential escalated when a team in China the DNA strand to which the gRNA binds sequence (see below Aapplications of and global announced they had ‘edited’ the and the opposite strand right) attitudes towards gene editing. genome of human embyros, 1 The debate centred around the albeit non-viable ones. 5 3 revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 In September last year, one gRNA system, which makes it easy, of the pioneers of the CRISPR 5 cheap and quick to alter and technique, Feng Zhang, 3 5 20 move genes around. announced the discovery of 3a THE NUMBER OF NUCLEOTIDES A few months later, UK another bacterial protein, Cpf1, The cell’s attempt to repair the IN SEQUENCES TARGETED regulators received the first which he claims may make it break effectively silences the BY CRISPR-CAS9 application for permission to even easier to edit genomes.2 targeted gene by joining the use the system to genetically cleaved DNA back together, using a process called non- Cas9 requires a modify human embryos. WHAT IS CRISPR-CAS9? homologous end joining simple and common The technology uses the CRISPR-Cas9 is a system used (NHEJ). Double strand break in target DNA sequence of base natural efficiency of the by bacterial cells to recognise pairs called a PAM Streptococcus pyogenes immune and destroy viral DNA. OR sequence to actually bind to target DNA. system to cut genomes in CRISPR stands for ‘clustered 3b This feature means precise locations. regularly interspaced short bacteria can prevent Developed around palindromic repeats’ – A faulty gene can be Cas9 from chopping three years ago, the that is, short ‘corrected’ with a replacement up important References segment of DNA, or a new gene method is now the repetitions of base- ‘memorised’ 1) bit.ly/1EedsFn altogether can be introduced. sequences of foreign 1-2 go-to technique for 2) bit.ly/1QDhA5b pair sequences that If a modified piece of DNA DNA in their own 3) dharmacon. mutating and are interspersed by whose flanking regions genome – by gelifesciences.com/ Weeks editing DNA. segments of ‘spacer the target sequence is also Replacement ensuring there are videos/edit-r CRISPR-Cas9 DNA’, which are supplied, then there is a good gene no PAM sequences TO EDIT A BACTERIAL GENE USING chance that it will recombine in those regions. technologies appear to sequences from with the host DNA when the cut CRISPR-CAS9, FROM ORDERING work in pretty much every previous exposures to viral is made, thus introducing a new PRODUCTS TO FINAL ASSAY3 cell type tested so far, including DNA. Cas9 is the name given to or replacement gene. This humans. The technique is more the protein that cleaves the pathway is known as homology efficient, far easier and much invading DNA based on the directed repair (HDR). What next? cheaper than older gene editing sequences ‘memorised’ by the technologies, such as zinc-finger CRISPR system. Researchers nucleases and TALENs. can use Cas9’s function to break The system has already been up any section of DNA they like used to engineer crops and simply by creating a sequence of livestock, and trials are under RNA to form a complex with way that would mean it could be Cas9. The protein then targets used in gene therapy for human the corresponding DNA FOOD AND GENE DRIVE GENE THERAPY HUMAN GERM LINE DESIGNER ORGANISMS disease within a few years. sequence in any cell it is LIVESTOCK Some genes are more Genetic disease could Modifying human AND MORE… MODIFICATION likely to be passed on be treated by embryos, sperm or eggs In future, could However, the ease with which introduced to. Researchers have than others. If an ‘edit’ is introducing gene editing would introduce babies be ‘designed’ already created plants linked to these genes, it systems into affected changes to the genome with a genome of and mammals with will quickly spread cells. Researchers in the of future generations. our choosing? edited genomes. It is through a wild USA are trialling this to Some argue that other Could amateur 20 hoped such technology population. That sounds treat HIV by knocking techniques, such as biologists do their CRISPR-Cas9 could be used in PAPERS ON CRISPR PUBLISHED could help boost alarming, but could help out the gene for the embryo screening, can own gene editing productivity and eradicate malaria- specific T-cell receptor just as effectively outside regulatory EVERY WEEK IN 2015 gene therapy for human disease improve food security. carrying mosquitos. that the virus targets. prevent genetic disease. systems? within a few years’ time

32 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 33 Members A SNAPSHOT OF OUR MEMBERS AT WORK AND LEISURE

Training and Hunting for honey’s Unlocking personal antimicrobial secrets research development DR LORNA FYFE FRSB teacher, Mrs Erna McEvoy. hydrogen peroxide and Passion Research My passion is research on polyphenol content. We are for wider Discounted courses for on honey honey, which I have only currently trying to isolate Society members Other interests Climate relatively recently studied, this hitherto unknown benefit change having previously investigated antimicrobial agent in honey An Introduction to the antimicrobial activity of and determine if it can inhibit DR BEATRIX SCHLARB- Exhibition Design I am a senior lecturer in plant essential oils. antibiotic resistant bacteria. RIDLEY FRSB 10 March, Charles microbiology and immunology I regularly give public talks This research has also made Studied In Tübingen Darwin House, London at Queen Margaret University, on my research findings and me more aware of the plight of diseases and, of course, the and Cambridge For biologists involved in public Edinburgh. My research is on collaborate with Dr Gordon our bees. I believe we need to survival of bees. Research background engagement and outreach. the antimicrobial activity and McDougall of the James create bee sanctuaries to I believe the Society will give Photosynthetic electron composition of honey. Hutton Research Institute, protect and to care for them. me an opportunity to meet transfer Webinar: Introduction My life as a biologist started Dundee. We have identified My other interest in life and network with people who to Social Media at secondary school in a number of honeys that have sciences is in climate change also have a passion for my I am director of innovation 17 March Portobello, Edinburgh, potent antibacterial activity and how this will affect the subject area. It is an honour and impact at the British How to use LinkedIn, Twitter, inspired by my biology independent of sugar, distribution of infectious to be a Fellow. Antarctic Survey, with a Through a business Antarctic Survey has to offer, blogging and other online tools. passion for seeing research fellowship I discovered my and am committed to outcomes make a difference passion for catalysing ensuring that our expertise An Introduction to to global challenges. technology and knowledge and assets add value beyond Grant Writing Dedicated to the future In search of solutions I trained originally as a transfer: I found it immensely the polar regions. 23 March, Charles Darwin biochemist. My early research gratifying to see step changes In particular, I am keen to House, London of life sciences in the UK was fundamental in nature, brought about through new see the amazing biodiversity Techniques for writing successful to global challenges examining surface connections between of these environments funding proposals. DR REBECCA LUMSDEN DR JESSICA BEDDOW MRSB scholarship to study for an MSc interactions of photosynthetic academia and industry, and understood, protected and MRSB Qualification MSc in marine biology, where I electron transfer proteins. enjoyed seeing the socio- used sustainably for the SysMIC Online Course Works in Science policy in marine biology discovered my curiosity for I was keen to investigate economic benefit of research. development of novel Registration opens in April PhD in Cancer Current work Finding ways molecular microbial ecology. potential applications of this This led me to my current biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, A comprehensive course in cell biology to improve animal health I have been encouraged and research, and did so first in position, where I develop and enzymes and other products. systems biology for researchers. inspired by so many people, the medical field (testing anti- implement innovation To deliver this, we work in I am head of science policy at the Having joined the Royal from school teachers and cancer activities of peptides strategies for polar research. partnership – I look forward Project Management: Association of the British Veterinary College in 2014 university lecturers, to public derived from these proteins), I am fascinated by the breadth to engaging with members An Introduction Pharmaceutical Industry. Our as a research assistant, I entered figures and great scientific and later in bioenergy and of expertise in science and of the Society on this 14 April, London members supply 90% of all a collaborative project that communicators such as David bioremediation. engineering that the British exciting journey. For those new to project medicines used by the NHS, and focuses on vaccine development Attenborough, Desmond management. are researching and developing for porcine respiratory Morris and Richard Dawkins. over two thirds of the current This makes my role pathogens. In my current I am excited to keep up to date An Introduction to COSHH for medicines pipeline. challenging and exciting, as position as postdoctoral with progress, courses and Technical Staff My path to this role started there is no ‘usual’ day. I could be researcher within the group, careers in biology as a member Programming and proteins 21 April, Newcastle with science teachers at school, speaking with research councils, I work alongside some of the Society. MAX HEBDITCH AMRSB biochemistry, I moved into the COSHH regulations explained. and continued at Bristol regulators or government to exceptional researchers in Ultimately, I hope to make a Interests Physical aspects chemical engineering University, where I studied address specific challenges for finding practical applications contribution to the many great of biochemistry department at The University Commercial Awareness biochemistry with study in our sector, or working for improving animal health. challenges we face on Earth Currently Doing PhD at The of Manchester for my PhD to 4 May, BioCity Scotland industry, before going on to the collaboratively with the wider The thing I love most about today. In the meantime, I enjoy study how non-specific protein- For scientists working in industry University of Cambridge to do a life sciences sector on science research is the potential keeping fit, baking cakes and protein interactions affect the and postdocs/PhD students PhD in cancer cell biology at the opportunities that affect for finding new and improved growing food on my allotment. As a result of a misspent youth formulation stability of considering a career in industry. Babraham Institute. everyone, including making the solutions to problems that watching science documentaries biopharmaceuticals. I moved into science policy case for the science budget. contribute to global challenges, and reading everything I could The most enjoyable part of as I am passionate about I joined the Society as I especially animal health and get my hands on, I decided I my PhD is its interdisciplinary maintaining the UK as one of work with it professionally on environmental concerns. wanted to be a scientist. It was nature. I split my time between the best places in the world for the use of animals in research At school, I relished all areas my A level biology teacher, John measuring protein interactions Achievements the life sciences. and I see the excellent work it of biology and found it difficult Owen, who convinced me to working for a biotech company in the lab and programming a Have you been honoured in My job covers a wide range of does on a day to day basis. As a to choose a specific area of study biology at university. producing tool antibodies, and web server for the your field or won an award opportunities and issues that biologist by training, it makes study. Following a degree in I completed my MBiolSci on a biopharmaceutical community. recently? Or do you know a affect R&D for pharmaceutical sense to become a member, zoology, I spent some time as a degree in biochemistry at the scholarship to study the role Biopharmaceuticals are member or Fellow whose work companies and contract contribute my experience research assistant in a fish and University of Sheffield, with my of long non-coding RNA in fascinating and full of potential. deserves to be celebrated? research organisations, from and take advantage of the fisheries research group in master’s spent in discovery regulating cancer. Protein based therapeutics are We’d like to know about it! Email pre-clinical research to phase 1 opportunities this brings me Australia. I later secured a sciences at AstraZeneca. Along Having always enjoyed the increasingly important to the [email protected] clinical studies. on a personal level. Fishmongers’ Company the way, I spent summers more physical aspects of future of human health. with details.

34 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 35 Members New, Transfer & Members Biofeedback

JANUARY 2016 ELECTION Caroline Mallard, Deborah Maynard, Emma Dawson, Jefferson de Oliveira Konstantinos Vavitsas, Cristiana Velloso Felicite Mbenga, Catherine McBride, Mallia, Emma Devereux, Robert Dow, Langton, Ana Catarina Vidinhas de Affiliate Michael McBrine, Derek McCann, John Christopher Ellyatt, Kerry Falconer, Oliveira, Joseph Wainwright, William Pavel Abaffy, Gracie Adams, McCann, Cassi McLaren, Graham Ivan Gyulev, Tom Haffenden, Amy Watts, David Whitworth, Louisa Mohammed Ali, Antony Allpress, Izabel McLaughlin, Jimmy Mcloughlin, Haken, Carl Halford, Muqdad Hmoud, Williamson, Cathryn Elizabeth Alvares, Carlos Alvarez, Samuel Charlee McManus, Ami McNeice, Chris Hobbs, Anne Hothersall, Withycombe, Klaine Wong. William Meddick-Dyson, Simone Bethany Hutchings, Michael Jarrold, Armstrong, Francis Arris, Honor Avery, INTERVIEW COMMENT BIOLOGY SUE BLACK ON SCIENCE TIME TO DITCH THE BOOK AND IN A WAR ZONE TRADITIONAL JOURNAL? 21 APP REVIEWS Stefan Axinia, Jay Balamurugan, Melrose, Charlie Menagh, Senzeni Ujwala Jayaram, Andrew Jobbins, Fellow (FRSB) Back to earth ‘There has never been a more important Connor Bates, David Bates, Sean Batt, Mhlanga, Sam Milner, Jenny Mitchell, Eleanor Kirby-Green, Sheryl Koh, Timothy Ackland, Ravinder Anand- time to promote soil science’ Karen Baty, Paige Beale, Natalie Hannah Mizen, Alia Mohamed, James Elizabeth Lomax, Charlotte Lucas, Ivell, Arunmozhiarasi Armugam, The British Society of Soil Science THE MAGAZINE OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY ⁄www.rsb.org.uk ISSN 0006-3347 • Vol 62 No 6 • Dec 15/Jan 16 Bearman, Charlotte Bell, Maya Morbey, Alexander Morgan, Abigail Rahael Maladwala, Andrew McIntyre, Caroline Austin, Mirza Mushtaq (BSSS) is grateful to Joe Turner for Bennison, Katarzyna Bentkowska, Mornement, Alicia Mornin, Amanda Andrew Mohan, Saul Moore, Lewis Vaseem Baig, Christopher Bailey, FLYING highlighting concerns about soil HIGH The best images from Natalie Bevan, Laura Beveridge, Lucy Mouzinho, Matthew Mulholland, Myatt, Charlotte Mykura, Jaspreet Olalekan Banwo, Andrew Baxter, Gary our photography and drawing awards Bidgood, Hanna Bielecka, Katie Blain, Megan Mulligan, Lauren Muscat-Jones, Nijjar, Murali Painter, Mélanie Panagi, Black, Anne Borland, Philip Bowler, degradation and the need to Zanna Blom Johansen, Stephen Mojgan Najafzadeh, Eve Nelson, Gregory Parkes, Ruth Paterson, David Bryson, Tariq Butt, Michelangelo strengthen British soil science to Booth, Sini Borgen, Alessa Boschert, Martina Neville, Will Newton, Leslie Francesca Pike, Elizabeth Ann Polido, Campanella, Isabel Canto de Loura, help address this (‘On Shaky Elliott Boyes, Jessica Boyton, Hannah Nitsche, Luke Norman, Rebecca Joshua Powell, Jake Richardson, Chloe John Clapham, Graeme Clark, Lisa Bradford, Kerry Braithwaite, Tiernan Norton, Aro Nugawela, Graeme Robinson, Alexander Rose, Jason Collins, Alex Conner, Cyrus Cooper, Ground’, The Biologist 62(2) p8). Briggs, Ian Brightman, Alexandra Nuttall, James O’Brien, Liam O’Conell- Ryan, Sous Salih, Gurpreet Sandhu, Roger Coppock, Iain Couperwhite, We agree that there has never been Brinkman, Caitlin Broadbent, Laura Perks, Lucy-Ann O’Kane, Noeleen Hannah Scott, Sarah Seco Leite, Maria Wayne Davies, Vincenzo De Paola, Eric a more important time to promote Brooker, Charlotte Brookes, Natalie O’Kane, Grace Okafo, David Overton, Sindilaru, Rebecca Spanner, Tasmin Dewhurst, Richard Dewhurst, Craig Broome, Anna Brotherston, Florian Paolo Owens, Virginija Page, Liam Stock, James Tollitt, Matt Turley, Duckham, Jennifer Dungait, Ralph soil science and its importance in Brouard, Holly Brown, Megan Brown, Paginton, Domenico Pallucci, Matthew Watkins, Ian White, Lesley Early, Lindsay Edwards, Robert Finch, addressing key global issues, and Charlotte Buckland, Kim Burgess, Marianthi Panagi, Callum Parker, Claire Wilson, Stefanie Wilson. Paul Flecknell, Jonathan Folland, yet this comes at a challenging time Contact us Archie Burney, Jack Cameron, Chloe Parker, Vaughan Parker, Benjamin Parr, Simon Forder, Peter Forster, Andrew for the discipline. Send your Carpenter, Alex Carter, Melissa Petra Pashova, Jenika Patel, Eleni Member (MRSB) Fry, Michael Fuller, Angharad Chandler, Susan Chastain-Hulbert, Patera, Ann Payne, Stuart Payne, Sam Sheba Adam Zahir, Excellence Gatehouse, Philip Gilmartin, Maike There are now few comments to Simon Chew, Tatenda Chimene, Phillips, Lauren Phipps, Hannah Akeredolu, Marwan Al-Maqtoofi, Brian Glitsch, Andrew Gosler, Jonathan undergraduate degree Biofeedback, Rebekah Clarkson, Thomas Clowes, Pickering, Catarina Pintassilgo, Oliver Alexander, Cecilia Amadi, Alison Ashby, Green, Jane Gurman, Ernest Harpur, programmes or courses in soil Royal Society of Veronica Codling, Siobhan Collins, Platt, Alice Pledger, Luke Pollard, Siu Shan Au, Sanjeev Bagga, David Chris Hauton, Vincent Holden, Yiguo science in the UK, and in recent Biology, Charles Charlotte Cook, Martin Cooper, Lucy Victoria Pollard, Sheng Kai Pong, Baker, Morufat Balogun, Alexis Barr, Hong, Michael Horne, Brian Costello, Chris Cox, Patrick Craddock, Edward Potts, Katherine Potts, Paula Phillip Bartlett, Christopher Bird, Juan Horsburgh, Paul Hoskisson, Afthab decades it has been difficult for Darwin House, Kyle Craig, Ian Cramer, Daniel Preyzner, Laura Prisco, Hazel Pugh, Bonello, Rebecca Brown, Thomas Hussain, Gail Jenkins, Gregory qualified graduates to enter the 12 Roger Street, Crawford, Anna Crowther, Kerry Victoria Pugh, Katherine Qualey, Brown, Liam Butler, Amy Cameron, Kemmitt, Jagannatha Rao soil science profession. London Kosagisharaf, Isaac Kramer, Paul Curwen, Molly Dacey, Yayra Damesi, Jethro Rainford, Nadia Rajab, Olivia Helen Carney, Laura Cassels, Anamika However, technical soil science WC1N 2JU Nadine Dannemann, Alice Davies, Guy Ralph, Paula Reeves, Naghma Riaz, Chaudhary, Andrew Childs, Clare Clark, Laidler, Susanne Lee, Nicholas Leslie, Davies, James Davis, Mikolaj Dembek, Olivia Richardson, Anna Richmond, Ian Cooper, Andrew Coulson, Joanna Bridget Lumb, Jeremy Marchant skills and technologies continue intellectually motivated people or email Sergios Demetriou, Andrew Dixon, Samuel Roberts, Patrick Robertson, Cruden, Martin Davis, Robert Day, Adey Forde, Samuele Marcora, Jim to be developed in universities Tome comforts everywhere from a truly priceless [email protected] Gleb Dobrovolskiy, Lucy Dodd, Krystal James Robson, Olivia Robson, Samuel Desta, Cyril Dominguez, Darren McManus, Christine Murphy, Nigel and across the agricultural and Tim Oates is a hero for addressing oeuvre and turn us into mindless Douglas, Theo Dourambeis, Cameron Rosborough, Simon Rouse, Fiona Dookeeram, Joanna Doubell, Alex Page, James Pendlebury, Siva Doyle, Emily Dragon, Louisa Drake, Rowe, Isobel Russell, Zk Sabularse, Eapen, Vicky Ellis, Tom Fairchild, Paula Ramamoorthy, Jacqui Reilly, Colin environmental industries, and the “profound antipathy to screen-gazers. The notion of The Biologist reserves Catherine Dyason, Sheila Dyason, Aysha Saeed, Miriam Scarpa, Eden Feldman, Anthony Flemming, Adrian Rickman, Murray Roberts, Andrew the multidisciplinary nature of textbooks” in his article ‘Textbooks erasing textbooks from the world the right to edit letters Chelsie Dyer, Nicole Eadie, Sebastian Shaw, Kirsty Shefferd, Liam Shier, Fox, Grant Gale, Claire Garden, Amy Rowley, Daniela Schmidt, Sen, soils is opening opportunities for – are they an endangered species?’ of learning is truly prehistoric. where appropriate. Ellis, Sophie Ellis, Jake Elvin, Joe Eva, Linda Silina, Felicity Simkin, Darcy Garnett, Nisha Ghedia, Marjorie Gibbon, Nicholas Smirnoff, Peter Smith, Nicola young scientists to pursue a career (The Biologist 62(5) p7). Cedric R Richmond FRSB Lucy Evans, Rhian Evans, Sam Evans, Simpson, Elizabeth Sinclair, Elliot Tobias Giles, Samantha Gordine, Harriet Spence, Gavin Stainton, John Steph Fagan, Tharb Faisl, Jim Fawcett, Sinnhuber, Laura Smith, Maya Sollen- Groom, Christopher Harvey, Sweetman, Trevor Telfer, Stephen in soil science. It is truly unbelievable that the Alba Fernández Calvo, Sarah Finch, Norrlin, Amie Sowerby, Elly Spiers, Muhammad Hashmi, Sarah-Jayne Todryk, Karim Vahed, Anthony Walker, Turner states that “most of the ‘technocrat-manager’ cohort who Aimee Findlow, Shelley Flaherty, Sarah Spotswood, Kyle Spurr, Marios Henderson, Camille Hoteit, Anthony Robbie Waugh, Richard Webb, Graham more experienced members of the direct such folly can display such Naturalists’ Jennifer Fletcher, Nathaniel Foley, Stamatiou, Toby Stock, Daniel Storey, Huggins, Michelle Inman, Elyse Ireland, Williams, Kirsten Wolff, Peter BSSS are at or near retirement ignorance. Centuries of Stephen Forde, Lucie Foster, Susan Line Svendsen, Monika Szalecka, Elizabeth Johns, Ali Reza Kasmati, Woodhead, Peter Wright, Rafael Yáñez- selection Foster, Lucas Foy, Miriam Franklin, Hilary Sze, Hok Yau Tang, Chris Taylor, Shirley Keeton, Tony King, Ania Muñoz, Giles Yeo. age”. This may well have been the knowledge, understanding, Hayley Fryer, Emma Geldman, Imogen Sophie Telford, Hayden Thomas, Mark Krzeminska, Theodoros Laftsoglou, case a couple of decades ago, but thoughtful objective research, It was disappointing to find an George, Jack Gillespie, Torsten Thomson, Jenny Tickle, Elliott Todd, Damian Larrington, Benson Wui-Man PROFESSIONAL REGISTERS today 25% of our members are classical literature, philosophy, article in The Biologist repeating Nathan Todd, Loukia Touramanidou, Lau, Amy Learmonth, Jane Learmount, Glahome, Emma Glanfield, Alex Chartered Science Teacher students. Furthermore, we are science, medicine and wisdom the erroneous description of Grannell, Richard Greensmith, Jenny Rebecca Tovell, Isabel Trott, Connie Chun Ngai Lee, Priscilla Lin, Tom (CSciTeach) Greenwood, Adam Gregory, Rosie Turner, Jessica van der Wal, William Livermore, Judith Lock, Amitabye developing initiatives such as reside in the written word: the Darwin as ‘ship’s naturalist’ on Griffiths, Derek Grove, Alcuin Guest, Wade, Bethan Wainwright, Patrick Luximon-Ramma, Damien Lyall, Gaille CSciTeach MRSB ‘Working with Soil’ to pass on human story of civilisation, no less. The Beagle (‘A World of Alex Boulton. Richard Gulliver, Bethany Gwynn- Wakelam, Jessica Walburn, Ross Mackinnon, Fiona Mansfield, Nigel essential soil science knowledge Trendy ‘educationalists’ are trying Adventure’, The Biologist 61(6) Adams, Usman Habibu, Karen Walker, Steve Walker, Sophie Walsh, Marley, Elizabeth Martin, Paul Massey, CSciTeach FRSB Hancock, Jennifer Harding, Hazel Victoria Walters, Kyle Wan, Xinhao Stephen May, Ian Mayor-Smith, Kevin Susan Brain, Nicholas Girdler. and important practical skills to exclude schools, colleges, p20). J W Gruber and H L Burstyn Harris, Christian Harrison, Christopher Wang, Danny Ward, Jack Warren, McDermott, Angel Medina Vaya, Fiona to future professionals, and universities, researchers and have firmly established that if Registered Scientists (RSci) Harrison, Joshua Hartfield, Karen Timothy Warwick, Lewis Waterfield, Menzies, Jo Middleton, Monika Mikus- organising events for early career anyone was the official naturalist Hase, Elizabeth Helps, Megan Henry, John Watson, Hannah Watts, Lelinska, Claire Miller, James Mills, Affiliate researchers to discuss their it was the ship’s surgeon, Robert Fiona Highet, Dayna Hill, David Hoey, Stephanie Wenlock, Thomas Andrea Milne, Adam Moore, Flower Karen Baty. Amy Hooper, Ellis Hough, Jennifer Whitmore, Kristina Whittaker, Cathryn Msuya, Mahindaratne Mudiyanselage, science and aspirations. McCormick. Darwin was aboard Houghton, Victoria House, Peter Williams, Darren Wilson, Mark Wilson, Naomi Napier-Fenning, Laura Oakes, RSci AMRSB Such enthusiasm is essential as a guest of Captain FitzRoy. Hoyer, Rosie Huddleston, Josh Jodie Withall, Spencer Wood, Frances Nkiruka Odoh, Alfredo Ojanguren, Martyn Balmont, Natalie Lamb. as we prepare for the World The captain felt the need for a Hudson, Simon Hunter-Barnett, Almaz Woolley, Kaylee Worlock, Alex Wragg, Elizabeth Parker-Berry, Emma Parry, RSci MRSB Huseynova, Hamish Jackson, Daniyal Jared Wray, Holly Wren, Andrew Olivia Pedro, Reuben Pengelly, Filipa Nicola Pratt. Congress of Soil Science in gentleman companion because he Jafree, Agata Jakimowicz, Demba Wright, Rachel Wrisdale, Nathan Wu, Pereira Lopes, Luigi Petrone, Kirt Glasgow in 2022. was concerned that the social Jammeh, Catherine Jarvis, Bárbara Ruth Wynne, Amadeus Xu, Cecilia Ye, Phipps, Louis Phipps, Vitor Pinheiro, Chartered Scientists (CSci) Mr Turner’s suggestion that the isolation experienced by Jiménez, Adam Jobling, Linda Ricky Yee, Jing Yong, Lloyd Young. Ryan Pink, Alexandra Pollard, Michelle CSci MRSB Royal Society of Biology should commanders of naval vessels might Johnston, Gregory Jones, Liam Jones, Price-Hayward, Brian Quinn , Marianna Julian Easter, Mark Griffiths. have a role in promoting soil affect his mental stability. Selina Jones, Asok Kamalanathan, Associate (AMRSB) Ralli, Charalampos Rallis, Sarah CSci FRSB Egle Katkeviciute, Will Kay, Robson Krystal Adeyemi, Jewel Ahmed, Rayment, Daniel Read, Hannah Reavey, Simon Rattenbury. science is welcomed by the BSSS, Natural history was incidental Keen, James Keith, Caroline Kiely, Ginette Alexander, Alessandro Allegra, David Reynolds, Miriam Ries, Krista and as well as our two Societies but, in Burstyn’s words, it Rebecca Kilgore, Amy King, Megan Louise Appleton, Friedrich Baark, Rombouts, Maria Daniela Santos Chartered Biologists (CBiol) connecting on this, we also look “provided the captain with a polite Klein Breteler Nolan, Katie Konchar, Georgina Banfield, Lesley Barron, Nunes, Julie Saville, Christopher Alessia Kostiw, Takashi Kuse, Heather Helena Berndl, Rob Blundell, Charlie Schoene, Leigh Shannon, Natalie CBiol MRSB forward to exploring ways of fiction to explain his guest’s Laurie, Sarah Laverty, Charlene Law, Brown, Anna Bush, Adam Buxton-Kirk, Shenker, Melanie Shuttleworth, Robert Louise Adams, Carol Bidwell, Lincoln working with any members who presence and an activity attractive Pritchard, Lee Robertson, Camilla Barbora Lekesyte, Jean Lester, Libby Alan Calder, Brittany Camp, Nicola Stanley, Fabian Steinmetz, Camellia have an interest in soils. enough to lure a gentleman on Letchford, Kyriaki Liopetriti, Jennifer Capstaff, Kwan Ching Chan, Joanna Sturgess, Terence Sunderland, Dilip Robinson, Jonathan Seaman, Li Tian, Litherland, Chunnan Liu, Carina Ly, Choules, Abigail Clark, Stefano Thomas, Sarah Thompson, Janet Steven Trim. Professor Liz Baggs board for a long voyage”. Leigh Mackenzie, Summer Mackness, Colombo, Miguel Cueva, Matthew Tingle, Rebecca Topley, Camilla Tornoe, CBiol FRSB The British Society of Soil Science J J D Greenwood FRSB Charlotte Maddocks, Saniya Makkan, Dale, Sam Davidson, Sarah Davies, Carol Trim, Marc Van den Bergh, Nigel Page.

Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 37 Reviews

INTERDEPENDENCE: Onion seeds BIOLOGY AND BEYOND Mighty oaks from Cataloguing plant life Kriti Sharma Fordham University Press, little acorns grow FLORA OF GREAT BRITAIN information on ecology, £16.99 AND IRELAND VOLUME 2: habitat and geographical It is a rare treat to THE TRIUMPH OF SEEDS author Thor Hanson. Starting CAPPARACEAE– contexts is especially welcome, indulge in reading Thor Hanson with seeds as food, he explores ROSACEAE adding a broader and a work that Basic Books, £17.99 their diversity, evolution, Peter Sell and Gina Murrell environmental dimension to switches between When it comes to bestsellers, economics and uses. Cambridge University plant description. All of these philosophical botany often struggles to There are unabashed Press, £125.00 data will facilitate plant reasoning and compete with zoology. This product placements (for The first of the five volumes identification, as will the many empirical biology refreshing exception is a Almond Joy chocolate bars documenting the vascular black and white line drawings with eloquent mastery. This is eulogy to the power of and Coca-ColaTM), references plant flora of Great Britain provided in the glossary, in just what Sharma does, flowering plants via seeds, a to the author’s family and and Ireland was published in which definitions of botanical illuminating the concept of subject literally close to our interesting historical 1997, with subsequent terms may be found. interdependence from its hearts regardless of our anecdotes in what is volumes in 2006 and 2009. Data sources are included everyday usage to focus in on Sharma examines the role of awareness of the fact. After sometimes a schmaltzy, This most recent volume bibliographically for those the micro-scale network of blood and other cells in all, we often eat (cereal), personal narrative. deals with four orders and requiring original records. processes that are contingent hierarchical interdependences drink (coffee) and wear As well as being one subclass, notably What is particularly on interactions of organisms (cotton) flowering plant entertaining, the book may Capparales, Ericales, significant is the intellectual with one another and their to explain the ultimate existence products. They also have make you surprised at and Diapensiales, Primulales and canvas of plant biodiversity environments. of things, we do not have to industrial applications, and grateful to the plants and Rosidae. These comprise 18 this book presents – plant life Sharma refers to familiar either determine them as have been instrumental in various co-evolutionary This will be more than a families, 148 genera and 1,122 in the relatively small area of biological processes and something to be conquered or the rise and fall of empires pathways that have delivered useful primer for botanists, species, and include 65 Great Britain and Ireland is relationships to illustrate that sacrosanct; we may not be able and civilisations. everything from chocolate to as well as for gardeners, subspecies, 221 varieties, amazingly diverse. So, too, are contingentism is a useful to explain their existence, yet we The symbolism of these the design of fighter jets. foodies, conservationists 53 formae and 93 hybrids. its history and geography, and philosophical approach that can describe the relationships apparently dormant structures Besides the non-technical and others interested in The numbers alone are threats to its continuance. underpins not only ecological, between phenomena. – which can reconstitute chapters, the book has notes, the sheer magic of seeds overwhelming and reflect the Documenting the basic regulatory (for example, Interdependence: Biology and whole plants and life anew references and a botanical both practically and high degree of detail, not to constituents is the basis of this enzyme production, action and Beyond can’t exactly be after decades or even checklist so the reader can philosophically. mention the immense book. If there is no recorded inhibition) and hierarchical described as light reading, yet millennia – is not lost on explore topics further. RAJITH DISSANAYAKE AMRSB dedication of the authors detail of plants, how can (such as the roles of cells, the chapter summaries and and their collaborators in conservation measures be tissues and organs with examples drawn from the preparing this substantive implemented? As with many systems) interdependences, but familiar world of biology THE INVISIBLE CLASSROOM: environment, we may be able NEXTINCTION conscious public, beyond the and definitive work. academic books, the price may further explores ontological make this book accessible to RELATIONSHIPS, to reach and teach them Ralph Steadman world of hard scientists and As well as native species, be high, but it remains a poor interdependence – the view that most graduate level readers. NEUROSCIENCE & more successfully. and Ceri Levy conservation policymakers, who naturalised, introduced and reflection of the time and ‘things only exist as things For the less experienced MINDFULNESS IN SCHOOL I did not like a lot of this book. Bloomsbury, £35.00 sometimes struggle to hybrid species are included. In effort invested by the authors. dependent upon other things’. philosophical thinker, this Kirke Olson It was a struggle to read as the The self-styled communicate widely. addition, infraspecific taxa – DR A M MANNION Sharma urges the reader volume succinctly summarises W W Norton and Company, language is often new age, ‘gonzo- Some reviewers might baulk for example, subspecies, to continually take alternative viewpoints with £14.99 preachy and unscientific. conservationists’ at the book’s irreverence and varieties, and forms – are interdependence as more clarity – indeed, skim reading Those of us However, somebody once are back with a immaturity but, although it does described. The detail provided than an everyday truism or parts of the fourth and fifth involved in told me that you should read fresh take on the detract and distract after a on individual plants includes the term ‘it’s all connected’, and chapters after the introduction education, be it things you don’t like or agree avian extinction while, the simplicity of the Latin and common English This volume to view interactions with a sense may assist this reader deals with undergraduate or with once in a while. If you can debate, following the medium is powerful. The writing names, as well as colour, four orders of wonder at their specific with identifying the postgraduate, get past the language, there remarkable success of their lacks some rich historical shape and form of stems, and one functionality, elegant simplicity elements of contrasting or know that we is sense, and some science, previous collaboration Extinct contextual observations in the inflorescence, flowers, petals subclass of and awe inspiring diversity. competing theories. must build a to be found. Boids (2012). The two friends – individual species’ tales (for that and fruits. The inclusion of plant flora Contingentists are unlike I feel much more at ease relationship with our students The author links studies in cartoonist and caricaturist is what they are, stories about either dualists, who may elevate within the realm of biology and, before we can really teach them neurobiology, psychology and Steadman and writer and nature and people over time), the mysterious to the kingdom although I like the challenge of anything. I also suspect that mindfulness with many years’ filmmaker Levy – offer a quirky which would have given the text of the eternally inexplicably stepping outside my comfort we have all had at least one teaching experience to show and lavish visual take on bird a more robust feel. The sacred, or physicalist monists, zone, I would describe my full student we could not seem to how the behaviour of students species currently teetering on incorporation of emails/phone who assert that everything, appreciation of matters reach no matter how hard we (and teachers) is a product of the edge of global extinction, calls/diary entries as a sideshow however complex, is ultimately philosophical possibly in a tried. The temptation is, emotions and biology. The listed as critically endangered is a touch lazy and self- explainable in terms of dualistic sense: my eventually, to leave them to central message – that if we by BirdLife International for the indulgent, but at the same time physical laws. understanding appears to tend their own devices and assume understand our students’ IUCN Red List. immediate, fresh and engaging. Neither is contingentism towards an unfathomable, we failed or they were not underlying emotional state As ever, Steadman can’t resist It also documents and merely idealism, which potentially ‘holy’ asymptote. willing to make the effort. better, then we can be more adding a few of his own mythical illuminates the creators’ argues that all phenomena As such, I fully appreciate This book argues, however, effective teachers – is one we creations. However, there is a journeys. This is a book to dip arise from thoughts, awareness how relatively painlessly Kriti that if we think about and can all take on board even if the serious nature to this work, as it into regularly to feel both or consciousness. Sharma has enabled me to understand better how students book itself is hard going. carries the looming extinction sadness and hope. Primroses, Primula vulgaris, from the Ericales order The argument for narrow the gap. respond to the classroom DR OLIVER JONES CBIOL MRSB crisis to a wider environmentally DR ROB LAMBERT contingentism is that in trying ALEXANDER WALLER CBIOL MRSB

38 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 39 Reviews Reviews Books, apps and online Books, apps and online

PRIMATE COMPARATIVE forms in chapter five. Here, we CUCKOO: CHEATING questions were asked, clues The cuckoo mimics ANATOMY see the various forms that BY NATURE unfolded and conclusions other birds Daniel L Gebo define types of primate and Nick Davies reached, and exploring how the Apps and online Johns Hopkins University their particular lifestyles. For Bloomsbury, female cuckoo is able to mimic Press, £55.00 example, on page 71, cranial £16.99 the specific song patterns, A roundup of science apps, software and websites This book covers orbit size is said to correlate If ever there was a plumage, behaviour and egg just about with whether a primate is active text to inspire a colouration of her hosts. everything you during the day or night, and the prospective field Personal accounts from need to know relative size of the brain’s biologist, then this Davies – of nest hunting forays, about non-human cerebellum is linked to the is it. Nick Davies the imaginative use of fake eggs primates. Despite levels of balance achieved has produced an to test hypotheses and detailed the name, it by different primates. utterly absorbing descriptions of the various includes phylogeny, adaptation, Locomotion and diet are account of his research over the habitats involved – combine dietary aspects and critical aspects of comparison, past 30 years into the life of the well to lead the reader through ZOONIVERSE classifying bat calls or musculoskeletal mechanics, as with the latter related to cuckoo and its hosts. the thought processes of an www.zooniverse.org investigating humpback well as anatomy. The author dentition and the former to The cuckoo is the only excellent field biologist. This website is the world’s whales’ tails. One completed acknowledges that Homo prehensile tails, extra-elongated obligate brood among The story is interspersed with largest people-powered project enabled researchers sapiens are also primates and forelimbs (as found in gibbons) UK birds. Davies unravels the literary and historical references research platform, where to analyse more than 2.6 the final chapter presents and, for the apes, a shoulder processes involved in the ‘arms to cuckoos, which add a broader researchers with a question million images of tissue for human anatomy in comparison that can perform circumduction race’ between the cuckoo and dimension to the scientific can use the site’s traffic to evidence of cancer cells. with that of the great apes. (full-circle rotation of the arm its host, demonstrating with investigations. The delightful and will inform and enthral both all questions have been assist with data analysis. The site is remarkable easy The text is separated into above the head). impressive clarity how natural watercolour illustrations by the experienced ornithologist answered, leaving scope for the Whether it is asteroids or to use for those wishing to 10 chapters and after the first Perhaps the most fascinating selection has helped mould James McCallum complement and those with a casual interest next generation of field antelope, galaxies or giraffes, help on projects. For (phylogeny and adaptation) diagram is on page 156, both physiology and behaviour. the text extremely well and the in natural history. While much is biologists to investigate another the site is useful for biologists researchers, the process is the marvellously titled which shows the extremely It is a gripping detective story, photographs are excellent. known about this particular chapter in the story. with large amounts of data or involves signing up and chapter ‘The Wet-Nosed diverse feet of primates, told superbly well, detailing how This is an easy book to read host-parasite relationship, not DR ALAN WOOLLHEAD media and enthusiasts hoping following instructions to build Primates’, which includes the reflecting their lifestyles and to help with research. a project from templates. Lemuridae, lorises and indriids, abilities to match their various There are numerous There is a lot of educational among others. Chapter three is habitats. Looking at the figure, projects available covering a material available allied to all about the dry-nosed you would think the impressions A tome to tackle a burning issue wide range of topics, most many of the projects, but it primates such as tarsiers and are of feet from animals of involving categorising or took me some time to get to capuchins, plus the spider different orders altogether, Fire on Earth: human induced environmental classifying images. Current this – I was too busy classifying monkey and the wonderful but they are all primates. An Introduction change. The latter is bioscience projects include animals of the Serengeti. siamang gibbon. These two With references at the end Andrew Scott et al re-emphasised in part three: identifying plankton, ADAM TAYLOR CBIOL MRSB chapters indicate the of each chapter, author Daniel Wiley Blackwell, £39.95 fire history and human history progression of the primates Gebo has produced a text that Fire is a major factor in the are intertwined and have from relatively primitive forms can only be described as dynamics of many ecosystems. contributed to defining the to the great apes and, of course, invaluable to the researcher, Its incidence, regularity and Anthropocene (not yet dry-nosed humans. academic, conservationist, intensity are influential in formally demarcated, but Comparative anatomy starts primatologist or student of determining the biotic considered here to have in full from chapter four, but evolutionary studies. A dream components and their opened with industrialisation). the real insights in comparison of a book. adaptations, as well as in A further topic is fire start with a closer look at head PAT SANG CBIOL MRSB biogeochemical cycling. Given management. Part four deals the uncertainty surrounding with wildland fire occurrence the effects of global warming and its management. Practical on fire occurrence and the issues such as monitoring, relationship with the carbon measuring and quantifying are cycle, a book examining the considered, along with role of fire on Earth is timely. predicting, suppressing and REPOSITIVE you know where to find them. There are four parts, each controlling wildfires. http://repositive.io Repositive is a new online with four or five chapters. Part Each part has an extensive Genomics is a data intensive platform for researchers one opens with an examination reference list reflecting the science, and a big problem seeking human genomics of the nature of fire: how it worldwide significance of facing the field is the need to data or collaborators. It is begins, fire types, the impact and varied scientific access data across institutions also a social enterprise, spun on vegetation and products of The effects are the subject of the next approaches: tables, diagrams in order to advance research. out of the charity DNAdigest, fire, the relationships with of global three chapters: 420 million and colour photographs are However, many human which aims to make it easier erosion/deposition and warming on years of fire history, plus a abundant, and there is a genomic datasets are not to find, access and share data climate, how fire is monitored fire occurrence specific chapter on the welcome companion website is a hot topic openly available – primarily in an efficient, ethical way. (notably satellite imagery), Quaternary Period. with a host of useful teaching/ due to the sensitive nature of Although it is in its early and scales of occurrence. Part two focuses on the demonstration material. This clinical data and potentially stages, users are very excited It examines the historical and biology of fire, with chapters improves the value of this identifiable information in the about how they can use geological record, with much on pyrogeography (patterns of multidisciplinary book, which genome. There are datasets Repositive to save time when Tarsiers are detail on charcoal occurrence fire in time and space), and should appeal to teachers, that can be accessed for searching for genomic data. dry-nosed and the reconstruction fire in relation to plants, fauna, students and researchers. research purposes, but only if SURAJ RAI primates of fire histories. The latter ecosystem processes and DR A M MANNION

40 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 41 Branches Branches Reports

Events calendar Branch reports Feb–Oct 2016

Biological Association provided DEVON AND CORNWALL an antique microscope and MICROGRAPHIA information about the history of Structural biology and 24 OCTOBER 2015 microscopy in marine research. A fun day learning about the Professor Gero Steinberg

history of microscopy from the University of Exeter sobering statistics BEDS, ESSEX AND HERTS DEVON AND CORNWALL gave a lecture on the chemotherapy. Nitrogen EAST MIDLANDS AGM, LUNCH, TOUR In 1665 Robert Hooke published development of microscopes mustard was given AND NERVE CELLS TALK Micrographia, the first fully and Dr Felicity Henderson from AGM AND DEFEATING intravenously – a terrifying SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 12:00 illustrated book on microscopy the university’s English CANCER LECTURE thought back then, but Sir Andrew Huxley and – a whole new world of tiny department gave a talk on 12 NOVEMBER 2015 cytotoxic mustargen is still Sir Alan Hodgkin received things. To celebrate the 350th Hooke and his book. Talk on the history and future used today to kill rapidly a Nobel Prize for anniversary of the book and its The event was linked to the of treating disease dividing cells in leukaemia and discovering how nerve cells beautiful illustrations, Exeter Big Draw, a national celebration lung cancer. The side effects of SEE AND LISTEN TO transmit signals at the Cathedral hosted our day of of drawing that takes place More than 90 people made such agents are all too familiar NIGHTINGALES AT Marine Biological microscopy and drawing. annually in October. Visitors of their way to the Great Hall at and not surprising, because PAXTON PITS Association in Plymouth. The book was presented in a all ages attempted to draw their the University of Nottingham many of our normal cells are SATURDAY 14 MAY Come to hear, and see, how glass case so we could see the own versions of tiny insects and for the lecture ‘Defeating dividing too. For every minute Paxton Pits Nature Reserve this discovery was achieved. detail of the drawings and text. plants and marvelled at the skill Cancer – Why Is It Such a we sat in the audience we were is a wildlife habitat covering Lunch £8.50. Students and Ellie Jones, the cathedral’s of Robert Hooke. Challenge?’ As it stands, one in making 12,000 million new gut 77 hectares of lakes, guests welcome. archivist, explained its It was a delight to receive three of us will suffer from the cells, 300 million new red riverside, meadow, reedbed, Please register your importance and how it was so many positive comments disease and one in four of us blood cells, and new hair deep scrub and woodland, attendance with Chris Fry, being conserved. from members of the public will die from it – a sobering in the follicles of our skin. Sequencing genomes will increasingly allow cancer treatment to be situated in the Great Ouse branch secretary. Contact The University of Exeter who had never looked down a statistic presented by Natural chemotherapeutic targeted to the mutational profile of each individual patient valley between St Neots and [email protected] provided modern microscopes microscope before. Professor Andrew Fry from the agents such as taxol (derived Huntingdon. The reserve is or call 01395 278556 and slides, giving everyone the We would like to thank Exeter University of Leicester. from yew) and the vinca start/stop signals in cancerous diagnosis, as compared to the famous for its nightingales by 22nd February. chance to compare what we can Cathedral, the University of The disease’s name alkaloids (Madagascar growth. Advances in structural current 50%. Early diagnosis is and cormorants, and is host see today with the tiny images Exeter and the Marine Biological originated in 400BC when periwinkle), work in a different biology have also enabled paramount – perhaps blood to a wide variety of other that Hooke saw. PhD students Association for their help Hippocrates gave an incurable way because they affect more successful design of tests can reveal the oncogenes EAST ANGLIA birds, insects, mammals and Charlotte Walker and Emma and enthusiasm. condition the name cancer microtubules – intracellular drugs that can inhibit the that are shed into the blood, or flora. Cost is £2.50 including GUIDED TOUR Rundle from the Marine MARY JENKING CBIOL MRSB (karkinos in Greek) – alluding structures of particular interest proteins driving the cancer. ‘breathalysers’ can detect the refreshments. OF BAT’S INDUSTRIAL to the crab like appearance of to Professor Fry. These drugs Furthermore, rapid sequencing cancerous molecules in a PLANT BIOTECH LAB a tumour surrounded by the prevent the pulling apart of the of a person’s genome will allow person’s breath? SELF-GUIDED TOUR WEDNESDAY 17 FEBRUARY blood vessels ‘feeding it’. chromosome copies on the treatment to be targeted to the Professor Fry is grateful to OF CAMBRIDGE 10:00–13:45 After the First World War, mitotic spindle, thereby mutational profile of each Worldwide Cancer Research, POLAR MUSEUM An exciting opportunity doctors noticed the reduced preventing cell division. individual patient. Cancer Research UK and Hope SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER to visit British American white blood cell count of Molecular biology has What of the future? The Against Cancer, which fund the 10:00–12:00 (JOINT EVENT WITH Tobacco’s industrial plant mustard gas survivors and allowed great understanding of ambition is to achieve a 75% research in his laboratory. THE EAST ANGLIA BRANCH) biotechnology lab based at began experimenting with how mutations affect the survival rate following a cancer ROSEMARY HALL MRSB The Scott Polar Research Cambridge Science Park (CB4 Institute is a world leading 0WA). Book online or contact information centre for [email protected] SCIENCE AND NONSENSE circumstances, including in of miscommunication in cases the study of polar and IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL clinical research. ‘Magic’ where mephedrone, formerly a mushrooms cold regions. POLICIES Sacked in 2009 from his post ‘legal high’, was confused with NORTHERN The institute’s museum 19 NOVEMBER 2015 as chairman of the Advisory methadone (a heroin contains exhibits on LECTURE AND BRANCH A critique of government drug Council on the Misuse of Drugs substitute) to exaggerate its everything from penguins AGM policy with Professor David Nutt by the then Labour home danger to society. to paintings, Inuit art to SATURDAY 9 APRIL 11:45 secretary Alan Johnson, Nutt’s research is focused explorers’ diaries, and The Northern branch By his own admission, Nutt has been an outspoken on the clinical utility of ‘illegal’ everything else about meeting, with presentations Professor David Nutt polarises advocate for evidence-based drugs – psilocybin from magic exploration, science and from experts in the field of opinions. During an entertaining, drugs policy, rather than the mushrooms as a treatment for survival at the extreme ends ecosystem services, will take thought-provoking and seemingly irrational approach depression and cluster of the Earth. place in Durham at 13:30. informative lecture delivered to taken by successive headaches, and MDMA for A place on this free event The talk will be preceded by a more than 300 people at the administrations. post traumatic stress disorder. can be booked online. brief AGM at 11:45 followed by University of Exeter, Professor Nutt presented compelling Gaining access to these drugs For further information lunch. Further details will be Nutt provided evidence of data on the accelerating close to people who abuse it, as for clinical research can take contact Mary Parsons – posted online and will be complicity, media misreporting incidence of liver disease, well as society in general. years, and is set to get worse. [email protected] available from the secretary. and ignorance underpinning the clearly illustrating that alcohol is Conversely, he highlighted the The Psychoactive Substances Government’s position that the most dangerous drug in vilification of MDMA (ecstasy as Small is beautiful: microscopic Bill, which is likely to gain royal illegal drugs are dangerous and terms of affecting the individual it was also known) by the mass assent this year, will ban the FOR DETAILS www.rsb.org.uk/events wonders are revealed in Exeter cannot be used under any who consumes it and those media, and presented evidence sale of psychoactive substances

42 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 43 Branches Branches Reports Reports

regardless of harm and benefit by overlapping flowering (including nitrous oxide, which periods. But, as Glyn remarked, is widely used for pain relief). you could hold early flowers in An eye-opening talk This could end essential the fridge and get fertilisation.

research work and needlessly Human selection and extraction with multifocal and THAMES VALLEY delay new therapeutic crossing of apple varieties have toric lens implants was drug development. Is this led to the ‘sweetest’ apple, AGM AND LECTURE AT described. This new technique the worst moral law for more Golden Delicious, as well as WELLINGTON COLLEGE significantly reduces spectacle than 400 years? supermarket varieties bred for 14 OCTOBER 2015 dependence following The full talk can be found on rough handling and colour A chance to network and find cataract surgery. the University of Exeter website: uniformity – often at the cost of out about ophthalmology The surgeon’s lecture www.ow.ly/UXokd taste. The apple taste is covered the development of DR IAN M VARNDELL CBIOL FRSB influenced by the presence of The meeting was hosted by sutureless small incision tannins, from almost nothing in Wellington College, vitrectomy techniques for the Golden Delicious to the almost Crowthorne. Members, their repair of retinal detachment, NORTH WALES inedible cider apple varieties. guests, teachers and students macular hole and other ERDDIG GARDENS VISIT Glyn finished the visit by enjoyed pre-meeting drinks vitreoretinal diseases. 10 OCTOBER 2015 giving a tour of the garden. He and a buffet provided by the Mr Tanner also explained Orchard trip provides a sweet discussed its history, the future biology department. how the many new retinal drug day out and 148 types of apples of its funding and the teaching Attendees enjoyed informal treatments have significantly and training of future networking along with hearing improved vision for many Branch members and their horticulturists. Members and our guest speaker, Vaughan patients suffering from age- Data from satellites is used to monitor changes in the environment guests met at Erddig Gardens guests finished an enjoyable day Tanner, senior ophthalmic related macular degeneration, on a sunny day, and were led to with an excellent lunch in the surgeon from the Royal diabetic retinopathy, retinal a vast display of apple varieties trust’s restaurant. Berkshire Hospital, Reading. vein occlusion and other in the orchard’s collection – 148 Thanks to John Baker, a Mr Tanner gave a fascinating retinal problems. Our world’s future can in total. The apple crop had valued volunteer at Erddig, for talk, with excellent graphics, on Our thanks go to Wellington already been picked and was arranging the visit and talk. surgical advances and College and Mr Tanner for the be seen from space ripening in greenhouses ready PETER THOMPSON CBIOL MRSB techniques in eye surgery. opportunity to learn more of for sale. The advance of sub-2mm developments in ophthalmology. Ophthalmic surgeon Vaughan Tanner, left, and Ray Gibson CBiol on the number and ratios Head gardener Glyn Smith microincision cataract DR JOHN HASPINEALL CBIOL FRSB FRSB from the Thames Valley branch at the meeting KENT, SURREY AND SUSSEX NORTHERN of species, and on human gave a brief history of the MONITORING BIOLOGICAL lives, particularly the lives origins of domesticated apples, BRANCH CHRISTMAS DIVERSITY FROM SPACE of the poorest segment of from European crab apples CELEBRATION meal we were fortunate to (Scottish Conservative Party), 15 OCTOBER 2015 a population. (Malus sylvestris) to the 5 DECEMBER 2015 view a display of the winning (leader, Scottish How technology can keep track She went on to discuss how modern day sweet apples Festive gathering and a look at entries in the Society’s Liberal Democrats) and of our changing planet biodiversity can be monitored (Malus pumila spp.). photo competition winners latest photography and drawing Patrick Harvie (leader, Scottish and the value of satellite- Although the Erddig apple competitions, together with Green Party). Human activities – through based observations in this collection holds 148 distinct Members of the Northern the book prize winners. In recognition of excellent climate change, shifts in land process. Landsat satellites varieties, the identification of branch and their guests It is a few years since we last academic performance, use, and the release of operating in the visible, apples is still a bit of an art, celebrated the award of a had a Christmas gathering and the RSB Scotland branch nitrogen and phosphorus into infrared and microwave rather than a science. Apples royal title to the Society at a it’s hoped that the success of awarded prizes to the top the environment – are all regions of the spectrum are hermaphrodites, but self Christmas dinner in the this event will lead to many performing students in Higher altering our biosphere. One in offer a reproducible and incompatible to their own pleasant surroundings of the more to come. biology, Higher human biology, every 10,000 species is sustainable means of deriving pollen, hence the requirement Lindisfarne Centre at St Aidan’s DR MICHAEL ROWELL Higher biotechnology and reportedly lost per year, while environmental information of cross pollination by other College, Durham University. CBIOL MRSB Members of the scientific community met MSPs at the event in Edinburgh Advanced Higher biology for in the sea the number of dead on large or remote areas pollination groups, determined Before the excellent festive 2015. The top biology student in zones, where dissolved of the world at a significantly the scientific community, Rhiannon Cleghorn and Scotland, Ines Alvarez Rodrigo, SCOTLAND oxygen levels have dropped lower cost than that of MSPs and other policymakers Rebecca Brown from also received an award in too low to support most field monitoring. SCIENCE AND THE in the Lossiemouth High School recognition of academic marine life, has roughly Satellite imagery has been PARLIAMENT EVENT and Government. described their recent trip to excellence and engaging the doubled each decade since used to detect and map 11 NOVEMBER 2015 The Scottish general Botswana, where they delivered wider public in biology. the 1960s. anthropogenic disturbances Leading politicians give their election-themed event started hands-on lessons to 10 to 17 JACQUELINE NAIRN FRSB In a talk to students, staff in desert environments, views on future of science with a warm welcome from year olds on hydrogels despite and Society members at including oil exploration in Professor Alan Alexander, the limited infrastructure. SOUTH WALES Sutton High School, Dr the Sahara. The 16th Science and the general secretary of the Royal In a series of presentations Nathalie Pettorelli, from the It has also been used for Parliament event, organised by Society of Edinburgh (RSE), and discussions, a range of SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY Institute of Zoology at ZSL, monitoring penguins in the Royal Society of Chemistry and Professor Dominic Tildesley, MSPs set out their vision for AND SYNTHETIC LIFE discussed how data from Antarctica via the on behalf of the scientific and president of the Royal Society the future of science and PANEL DISCUSSION satellites may be used to discolouration of the snow by engineering community in of Chemistry. Professor Neva engineering in Scotland. 16 NOVEMBER 2015 monitor these changes. their excrement, and for Scotland, took place at the Our Haites set out the outstanding Contributors included Dr Compelling introduction to a Dr Pettorelli began with predicting the timing of red Dynamic Earth exhibition space achievements of the RSE and Alasdair Allan (minister complex scientific issue the meaning of the term deer seasonal migration and in Edinburgh. how it strives to enable for learning, science and biodiversity and the impact their reproductive success. The annual event aims evidence-based science to Scotland’s languages), Kezia New applications and of human-induced change DR DAVID WARE FRSB to promote engagement inform politicians and to Dugdale (leader, Scottish developments in synthetic life Head gardener Glyn Smith gave a talk on the history of domestic apples between members of shape policy. Labour Party), Liz Smith could have a considerable

44 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 45 Branches Reports

impact on humans, as well as Synthetic biology the environment. Therefore could lead to Contacts it proved to be an excellent scientists creating BEDS, ESSEX & HERTS topic for a rousing panel new organisms Dr Theresa Huxley discussion. The conversation with useful [email protected] covered many aspects of this functions DEVON & CORNWALL fascinating field, including the Christine Fry [email protected] basic concepts of synthetic biology and synthetic life, where EAST ANGLIA Adam Rodgers current efforts are focused, [email protected] and the technology and EAST MIDLANDS methodology involved. Rosemary Hall The panel also touched on [email protected] potential applications, and KENT, SURREY & SUSSEX their societal and ethical Dr David Ware implications. Fundamentally, the kentsurreysussex@ rsb.org.uk discussion provided a broad introduction for many people to LONDON Vydeki Shanmuganathan synthetic biology and the [email protected] complexity of the term. NORTH WALES The discussion panel was Peter Thompson comprised of a number of local [email protected] academics from a range of NORTH WESTERN scientific disciplines, including Glenn Upton-Fletcher chemistry, biochemistry, and draft minutes from this year’s [email protected] WEST MIDLANDS engineering. This diversity led AGM, or have any queries, NORTHERN to an interesting overview of AGM please contact the branch. Dr Michael Rowell 4 NOVEMBER 2015 [email protected] the subject, which was chaired PAMELA SPEED CBIOL MRSB by Dr Beatrix Fahnert FRSB, DNA profiling lecture was a NORTHERN IRELAND Jonathan Shields chairperson of the South highlight of annual meeting BIOLOGY WEEK POSTER [email protected] Wales branch. COMPETITION 21 NOVEMBER 2015 SCOTLAND The event ended with a Society members and their Dr Elizabeth Lakin cheese and wine reception, guests enjoyed an interactive Youngsters display understanding [email protected] which allowed networking and talk on forensic DNA profiling of key biological issues SOUTH WALES further discussions to take delivered by Dr Elaine Green, Dr Rowena Jenkins place. More than 80 people Dr Andrew Reid and Dr Adele The event rewarded students [email protected] attended, and all left with a Heath at Coventry University. from schools across the West THAMES VALLEY better understanding of The branch committee’s Midlands for their work on Dr Ray Gibson [email protected] synthetic biologies. annual report is on the branch posters tackling important DR CLAIRE PRICE MRSB AND page of the Society’s website. scientific questions. Topics WESSEX Rachel Wilson CSABA SÁROSI AMRSB If you would like to see the covered included food [email protected] production, antibiotic

WEST MIDLANDS resistance and biofuels. Deirdre Marsh The judges, Dr Steve Russell [email protected] MRSB and some of Aston WESTERN University’s second year Michael Graz students, selected winners in [email protected] several age categories. The YORKSHIRE winners of the age seven to nine Dr Steven Picksley [email protected] category were: Gianluca Fudger, Ciaran Gould, Samuel Bradburn, HONG KONG Emily Wan Ting Tam Rosie Richardson, Isabelle [email protected] Tompkin, and Mine Aralik, from Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, and Hannah GET INVOLVED Shuttleworth from Norton Canes High School. Visit your local branch’s Sarah Chapman, Roxanne page on the Society’s Francombe and Eleanor King- website to find out who Turner from Warwick School took is on your branch committee the prize for ages 10 to 11, while and how to get involved in local events and activities. Chloe Richards, Jade Howes and www.rsb.org.uk/regional- Chelsey Wright from Norton activity Canes High School took the top spot in the 12 to 13 category.

Forensic DNA profiling, the focus of the West Midlands branch’s lecture DR STEVE RUSSELL MRSB OTO/SCIENCEEVAN LIBRARYPHOTO

46 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Crossword

Beat our biology brain 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 This issue teaser for a chance to 9 Across answers are from the world of win a £25 book token biology and are clued solely by a 10 11 cryptic indication. Down clues provide Across the normal combination of a definition

1  So python shaped? The head 12 13 plus a cryptic indication. of snake is (14) 10 Botox injection ingredient (5) How to enter 11 Got inside out (9) 14 15 16 17 To be in with a chance of winning a £25

12 Hint of gold gets chaps in mine (7) 18 book token, please send us your 13 He is the second one. She isn’t completed puzzles by Monday 29th 19 20 21 one at all (7) February. Please include your name, 14 Once in trouble and where 22 address and membership number with

troublemakers can end up (4,4) 23 24 25 26 your entry – an email address would 16 Appendage fish uses for example be handy, too. Post your entries to: turning on river (6) Crossword, The Biologist, Royal Society 19 Pass on type of chromosome (6) 27 28 of Biology, Charles Darwin House, 20 This and I could turn to parenting (8) 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU. 23 An alien variety (7) 29 25 Coach comes back dirty (7) Last issue’s winners 27 Biochemistry possibly developed Well done to the winners of the from her working with this (9) Volume 63 9 One subject involving an December/January issue crossword: 28 On surface of skin a small No 1 unusual reaction (6) Dr Clive Halliday CBiol MRSB and opening (5) compiled 15 Company finding out and David Walker MRSB (Billericay). 29 Notice city gets redeveloped (14) by Doug sharing private information (9) Book tokens are on the way. Stanford 17 Good looking girl lost heart, Down it’s to do with love (9) 2 With a long axe start to hack 18 Angry copper ending on out honeycomb like this (9) beat, it goes against the Last issue’s solution 3 Colour can hide even bits grain (8) Vol 62 No 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 of grey (5) 19 Form I start to carve is great F R O G X T E L E O M O R P H 9 4 Calmly see lady take time piece of art (7) E X P X B X M X X X O X O X A 10 11 to change (8) 21 Cultivate royal personage found S T E R I L E X C E L L S A P T X R X G X R X E X E X T X P 12 13 14 5 Automatic turning up to on board ship (6) I M A G O X G I L L X P R E Y 15 16 acquire useful bit of 22 Force amphibian just above V X X X T O E X S X E X U X X 17 18 19 20 E S T E R X X X X X R U M E N information (6) the surface (6) 21 22 X X E X Y X R X D N A X X X E 23 24 25 26 6 Moving quickly then I 24 Confess I’m tad untidy (5) C L A W X G E N E X S I N E W 27 hit snag (9) 26 Openings in biology at H X C X G X T X N X U X O X Y 28 29 7 Thorn from Sierra conifer (5) some international E C O L O G Y X T E R M I T E E X S X A X P X A X E X S X A 30 31 8 Setting out to snare companies serving as a R O Y A L J E L L Y X D E E R politician (7) starting point (5)

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Vol 63 No 1 / The Biologist / 47 Museum piece Biological exhibits from around the world

#18 The 30ft tapeworm Meguro Parasitological Museum, Japan

he Meguro Parasitological A 30ft tapeworm on display at Meguro’s Museum is not the museum of parasitology place for tourists hoping to find priceless Japanese Tartefacts. Opened in 1953 by medical doctor Satoru Kamegai, the museum has amassed more than 60,000 parasite specimens, with around 300 of the most lurid of them on permanent display. The museum’s centrepiece is a mounted tapeworm measuring almost 30 feet (8.8 metres) in length. The Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense specimen grew to 3,000 segments long in the gut of a man who had eaten raw salmon. It only revealed itself to its unfortunate host when it outgrew his entire intestine. It is not the longest worm to be pulled from a human but still shocks visitors to this small museum in the Tokyo ward of Meguro. A 30 foot long ribbon can be unravelled to help people get a sense of scale. The museum is housed in a private research facility and claims to be the world’s first museum dedicated to parasites. Unsurprisingly, there seem to be few contenders. As well as free entry, the museum offers a variety of study programmes, lectures and prepared parasite specimens for educational purposes. The museum shop even sells parasite merchandise, including tapeworm t-shirts and fridge magnets.

The Meguro Parasitological Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–17:00. See website for exceptions.

www.kiseichu.org WWW.TIMETRAVELTURTLE.COM TURTLE, MICHAEL

48 / The Biologist / Vol 63 No 1 Subject Museum piece Specify Biological exhibits from around the world

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Vol xx No x / The Biologist / 49 Could youCould recommend you recommend a member? a member?

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The Society of Biology represents, supports and engages with anyone who has an interest in the life sciences, and offers membership grades to suit all levels of expertise.

Existing members are uniquely placed to help grow our membership - and to increase the influence we are able to exert. A significant number of new members join as a direct result of a recommendation from someone they know and trust. Join If you have a colleague, friend, or family member who would benefit from Society membership, please email their details to us - and let us know if you’d like us to mention your nomination.

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