Thought Leadership

background – in policy environments. I've worked on the science policy agenda and in a broader regulatory environment, as well as RSB: A unifying on environmental legislation for government. In my last role, I was Executive Director of Science and Enterprise at the RNID (now known as Action on Hearing Loss) and looked after its medical and technical research voice for the programme. So, I’ve essentially come full circle.

Can you tell us about the RSB and what it biosciences does? The RSB is a charity – incorporated by Royal The Royal Society of (RSB) was conceived eight years ago by Charter – and a membership body with 17,000 individual members and about 110 member bringing together the Biosciences Federation and the Institute of Biology. organisations. As a charity, we’re here to Dr Mark Downs joined the society as Chief Executive and has nurtured engage and encourage public interest in the it from its embryonic state, building on the heritage and reputation of the biosciences and to support professionals who two original organisations, to create a single unifying voice for biology carry out work in this field. As an organisation, we’re a broad church representing everything in the UK. Mark recently spoke with us at Research Features to discuss from molecular science to macro ecology. the work of the society in championing the study and development of biology and communicating the value of biology to a wider audience. A key activity of the RSB is influencing government policy and developing evidence- based policy. We can offer impartial advice to government, the media and others on ut simply, biology is the study of Hi Mark! What attracted you to the RSB bioscience-related issues because of the living things. Investigate further and how are you finding the role of Chief strength of our advocacy roles through and you’ll find that modern Executive? our membership, and we support the biology is a vast and eclectic What originally attracted me to the RSB was development of the biosciences themselves. field composed of so many the subject area itself. My background is branches and subdisciplines that you’d balk in bioscience, so it was nice to come back We place a lot of emphasis on supporting Pat writing them all down. Representing this home. When I joined the RSB – following the biologists by offering career advice, collection of disparate sciences is a serious merger of the Biosciences Foundation and the professional recognition, training and undertaking, the responsibility for which Institute of Biology – it was a new organisation on-going CPD. Our three broad pillars has been shouldered by Dr Mark Downs, and the opportunity to help shape its future of work are: becoming a unified voice for Chief Executive of the Royal Society of was appealing. There was a strong senior level the biosciences; producing a professional Biology (RSB). Over the past eight years, board in place at the time, which showed me workforce; and having a broader reach. since taking up the role, Mark has sought that it was a serious organisation that could to set clear objectives that serve both have real influence and impact. I like the How receptive is government to what the the society’s individual members and concept of bringing together disparate areas RSB has to say? member organisations. Mark is passionate of bioscience and representing them in a Government has always been willing to listen about providing training and support for coherent way. to us. Although it might not always act on professionals and students and is proud of our advice, there seems to be a genuine the high-profile status the society has earned, Can you tell us more about your background willingness to engage, and that’s good. which means it can advise on and influence in bioscience? We have strong links with governments in government policy. Mark talks to Research Initially I did a PhD in biotechnology looking Westminster, Wales, Scotland and Northern Features about the work of the RSB and the at medical diagnostics using DNA biosensors, Ireland, and I think that helps us to have a importance of educating and engaging the then spent some time doing research. proper dialogue. It’s important to stress public so that we understand the contribution I went on to do a whole range of other that although we represent the biosciences, biology makes in improving life for all. things – mostly unrelated to my bioscience many issues that arise at a strategic level are about science itself and we work very closely with our friends in physics, chemistry and mathematics to deliver a coherent message to government. We work very closely with our friends Sir speaking to TV paleopathologist Dr at an in physics, chemistry and mathematics Following the merger of the Biosciences event at the Science Museum in which helped the Royal Society of Biology Federation and the Institute of Biology, does to raise nearly £20,000 to support its to deliver a coherent message to the RSB have a clear identity? charitable aims government We spent the first two years establishing the

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Dr Mark Downs, new organisation and understanding what we Chief Executive of For a project on house spiders, we developed meant as a merged body, and then another the Royal Society of an app that allowed you to identify and log two years consolidating once everything was Biology sightings of spiders. An estimated 50,000 in place, followed by three to four years of people downloaded that app. We’ve also growth. Seven-and-a-half years on, we have studied starling murmurations, looking at developed clear objectives. The work we the way in which they form and if they are do for member organisations – previously associated with birds of prey or particular forming the Biosciences Federation – and times of day. individual members – formerly served by the Institute of Biology – has come together very At other times in the year you’ll find the well. RSB at music festivals – where you might not necessarily expect to see us – talking to I think we have a very clear identity. We are people about science. We have 16 branches always working on raising our profile and of the RSB across the UK, carrying out dozens making sure more people understand what of public engagement events each year. we do. We do this by having consistent Recently we’ve run an event called Come branding, some common values and Dine with the Future, which involved a debate networking visibility. If you want to be about foods of the future and what they might understood and known as an organisation look like in 20, 30 and 40 years’ time. The you must be seen at events – not just me, but event took place in Cardiff and gave us some the whole of the team: the council, committee challenging opportunities for eating – insects members and so on – and I think we’ve for example. If they’re cooked in the right way, achieved that. they aren’t as unpleasant to eat as you might imagine. But I think it would be too much to The RSB’s vision is of a world that state that they’re the solution to feeding the understands the true value of biology and world. how it can contribute to improving life for Jo Johnson speaks at the 2015 Parliamentary Links day, which brings together MPs and scientists to all. Can you give us a brief overview of the Did you find out anything you didn’t know discuss the challenges and issues facing science and policy importance of biology and the contribution before through the Citizen Science projects? it makes? Yes, we did. The best example of that was Biology has been described as the science our flying ant survey. It was accepted by the area that I’m most excited about is gene in the same place – to solve the problem. of the 21st century, and I think that’s almost Many grand challenges have biology at scientific community that flying ants come editing. We have spent years identifying and We also need to work on developing a certainly true. Society faces many grand out of their nests and fly on a particular day learning about the genetic basis of diseases skilled workforce – without one in place it challenges that have biology at their heart, their heart, and understanding the value each year. However, the data from the survey and the mechanisms by which they work, will be difficult to deliver science in the way and understanding the value of biology and of biology is becoming more important showed that there were in fact several flying and of course the genetic traits that mean we would all like. This is important not only its contribution is becoming more important ant days each year. This research has been crops or livestock might fail or thrive in certain in academic research, but also in the private than ever. Take climate change, for example: it than ever written up in an academic paper, which is due conditions. By making very small changes sector whatever the field might be, whether has an impact on biodiversity, food and crop to be published later this year. to genetic code we now have the possibility it’s water-quality control, environmental production as well as human health. Tackling it of a solution to some of these problems. monitoring, or food science. is a massive challenge and biology plays a key modified organism or a use stem cell the second week of October each year and Do you think the various disciplines within The precision of the technique is incredible. role in that. In the areas of human health and treatment. In fact, the whole Brexit debate will involves hundreds of events around the the sciences are good at communicating with If we get it right and we can get society to •For more information on the RSB and how disease, we are also extremely active playing affect the way in which science is carried out. country celebrating the biosciences, they each other? understand the value of gene editing, I think it to join, please visit their website at www.rsb. our part to ensure, for example, society as a could be lectures, field trips, or debates. Now I think over the last 10 to 15 years, scientists could be transformative. org.uk. whole rises to the challenge of antimicrobial Science for policy is essentially about using in its sixth year, Biology Week is the focus of have got better at understanding the resistance. Bioscience is at the heart of having science to inform policy in a whole range a range of activities that have been on-going language of different fields of science. But What challenges do you think the next clean water, good quality food, and ensuring of areas. What we do in terms of climate throughout the year. a lot more integration is needed as we go decade holds for the RSB and the biosciences that we have biodiversity in the spaces we change needs evidence to inform the policy. forward. The area where we’ve seen the most in general? want to enjoy and in understanding the wider If we’re going to have a policy around Citizen Science is very much about significant change is in the use of mathematics Well, I think there are a number of challenges. Contact value the diversity of species bring. vaccination or clinical disease, we need the encouraging people to look at a subject and in the biosciences. It is no longer the case The RSB and the sector in general will need Dr Mark Downs CSci FRSB science underpinning it to indicate what the to get involved. In the past, we’ve looked at that people choose biology because they to address a move away from traditional Royal Society of Biology On the RBS website, it states that the society policy should be. In health care, we need flying ants and have asked the public to log don’t want to tackle the maths associated with subjects and recognise the multidisciplinary Charles Darwin House is active in policy for science and science for to understand the value and impact of a sightings of flying ants in July and August physics and chemistry. With the advent of big nature of research. More and more research 12 Roger Street policy. Can you explain what that involves? medicine to plan and decide on how and if it – which is when they usually emerge – and data, and far more statistical work, you have to is being carried out in a multidisciplinary way, London, UK Policy for science is about ensuring that should be used, and we need the science to put the data on our website. This collection engage with mathematics in the biosciences. both domestically and across international WC1N 2JU the right environment exists to support guide policy makers on that decision. of information allows us to see if there are Understanding the language of maths is borders. Scientists, and even bioscientists, science, especially bioscience. This includes any patterns, perhaps revealing things that critical in all subjects. tend not to say, “I need a biochemist, I need T: 020 7685 2400 things such as science funding policy; how The RSB runs activities, such as Biology Week weren’t known before. We can obtain useful a microbiologist, I need a physiologist”. They W: www.rsb.org.uk immigration policy might affect the free and Citizen Science projects, designed to information about a specific topic, but more What is exciting you most in biology at the say, “What’s the problem we need to solve movement of people to work in science; and encourage public engagement. Can you tell importantly, it’s an easy and effective way moment? and what skills do we need to address that the regulatory environment determining us more about them? to engage people in biology who wouldn’t There are many things happening in biology- problem?” And they come together as a whether you can release a genetically Yes, Biology Week usually takes place in necessarily do so otherwise. related fields right now, but I suppose the group, as a research team – either virtually or

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