TheTHE SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY MAGAZINE ■ ISSN 0006-3347Biologist ■ SOCIETYOFBIOLOGY.ORG VOL 61 NO 5 ■ OCT/NOV 2014
SPIN DOCTORS Using spider silk’s incredible properties in medicine
INTERVIEW RESEARCH ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SIR MARK WALPORT IT ALL ADDS UP BAT HUNTERS The Government’s chief Replacing experiments The unlikely prey of scientific adviser with maths seed-eating birds NEW FOURTH EDITION THE IMMUNE SYSTEM PETER PARHAM
The Immune System, Fourth Edition emphasizes the human immune system and presents immunological concepts in a coherent, concise, and contemporary account of how the immune system works. Written for undergraduate, medical, veterinary, dental, and pharmacy students, it makes generous use of medical examples to illustrate points.
This classroom-proven textbook offers clear writing, full-color illustrations, and section and chapter summaries that make the book accessible and easily understandable to students.
The Fourth Edition is a major revision that brings the content up-to-date and improves clarity. Based on user feedback, there is now increased continuity and connectivity between chapters.
NEW IN THE FOURTH EDITION • Increased coverage of innate immunity, now in two chapters. • New chapter dedicated to mucosal immunology. • Immunological memory and vaccination combined in Chapter 11, including new approaches to vaccination. • Chapter 12 is dedicated to lymphocytes that contribute to innate and adaptive immunity. • Parasite immunology is covered for the first time, integrated with allergy in Chapter 14. • Appreciation of the active interaction between the immune system and commensal organisms involving co-development and co-evolution. • New marginal icons indicate topics which correlate to Case Studies in Immunology, Sixth Edition by Geha and Notarangelo.
October 2014 • 552pp • 480 illus • £53.00 978-0-8153-4527-5 For more information, please contact [email protected] TheTHE SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY MAGAZINE ■ ISSN 0006-3347Biologist ■ SOCIETYOFBIOLOGY.ORG VOL 61 NO 5 ■ OCT/NOV 2014
SPIN DOCTORS Using spider silk’s incredible properties in medicine
INTERVIEW RESEARCH ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SIR MARK WALPORT IT ALL ADDS UP BAT HUNTERS The Government’s chief Replacing experiments When seed-eating birds Contents scientific adviser with maths turn carnivorous
Volume 61 No 5 October/November 2014 IN THIS ISSUE
8 Opinion: Out in the open Ian Bushfimld calls for global action to mnsurm all clinical trials arm publishmd.
12 9 Opinion: Fit for print? Morm high-profilm rmtractions mman pmmr rmvimw has to changm, say Adam Marcus and Ivan Oransky.
12 The silk route Dum to its incrmdiblm propmrtims, spidmr silk could soon bm usmd in mmdicinm, writms David Butlmr.
16 Interview: Sir Mark Walport Tom Irmland talks transparmncy with Govmrnmmnt chimf scimntific advismr Sir Mark Walport.
20 The hunger games Sam Hardman mxplorms thm 20 26 normally smmd-mating birds that dmvmlopmd a tastm for bats.
24 Biology Week 2014 Find out what’s going on and whmrm in our annual cmlmbration of thm lifm scimncms.
26 Winning formulae Mathmmatical modmls arm rmducing thm nmmd for traditional mxpmrimmnts, says Dr Sara Jabbari.
News 4 Society news 35 Members 40 Branches 24 Regulars 3 Nelson’s column 10 Policy update 29 Biofeedback 30 Spotlight 32 Reviews 38 BioPic 46 Museum piece 47 Crossword 48 Final word
Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 1 Contacts
Society of Biology Volume 61 No 5 October/November 2014 Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU Tel: 020 7685 2550 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITORIAL BOARD Fax: 020 3514 3204 [email protected] www.societyofbiology.org Director of Membership, Marketing Susan Alexander BSc PGCE CBiol CSci MSB MRSPH FRGS and Communications J Ian Blenkharn MSB FRSPH Views expressed in this magazine are not Jon Kudlick MSB Phil Collier MSc PhD CBiol FSB FLS FHE necessarily those of the Editorial Board or Editor the Society of Biology. Sue Nelson Cameron S Crook BSc MPhil CBiol MSB MIEEM FLS @ScienceNelson Rajith Dissanayake MSc PhD FZS AMSB © 2014 Society of Biology Managing Editor Catherine Duigan BSc PhD FSB FLS (Registered charity no. 277981) Tom Ireland MSB John Heritage BA DPhil CBiol FSB [email protected] The Society permits single copying of @Tom_J_Ireland Sue Howarth BSc PhD CBiol FSB individual articles for private study or Communications and Events Officer Allan Jamieson BSc PhD CBiol FSB research, irrespective of where the copying Karen Patel MSB is done. Multiple copying of individual articles Catherine Jopling BSc PhD MSB [email protected] for teaching purposes is also permitted Leslie Rose BSc CBiol FSB FICR without specific permission. For copying For membership enquiries call 01233 504804 or reproduction for any other purpose, [email protected] written permission must be sought from For subscription enquiries call 020 7685 2556 the Society. Exceptions to the above are [email protected] those institutions and non-publishing organisations that have an agreement or licence with the UK Copyright Licensing TWITTER FACEBOOK BLOG Agency or the US Copyright Clearance @Society_Biology www.facebook.com/ societyofbiologyblog.org Center. Access to the magazine is available online; please see the societyofbiology Society’s website for further details.
The Biologist is produced on behalf
PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH CANNABIS of the Society of Biology by Think Publishing Ltd.
specially bred cannabis plants, is 124-128 Barlby Road he infamous propaganda film entering clinical trials as a potential , released in Reefer Madness treatment for schizophrenia. T 1936, showed young students Much of CBD’s disappearance TheBiologist trying cannabis and promptly from illicit cannabis is due to a descending into madness. Seventy dramatic recent upsurge in the London W10 6BL years later, an increasing number popularity of potent, locally grown of scientific studies indeed link herbal cannabis (often called skunk), cannabis use to psychiatric 1. at the expense of imported resin disorders, especially in the young, the United (hash). Until 2000, illicit resin In its World Drug Report accounted for about 70% of seized www.thinkpublishing.co.uk Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UK cannabis. By 2008, this fell to Herbal emphasised the global nature of this 15%. Skunk and resin are typically problem in a detailed chapter 2. produced from a differing balance ‘Cannabis: why we should care’ of cannabis chemotypes – that is, The finger of blame pointed to chemically different genotypes. increasing potency of black market Two allelic genes are thought 020 8962 3020 material. In contrast to the cannabis to control the biosynthesis of both A WINDOW of 1936, modern cannabis typically THC and CBD. Because these genes remedy contains much more of the plant’s are co-dominant, their chemical psychoactive compound traits do not adhere to Mendelian Cannabis has a damaging effect tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but Laws of inheritance (segregating it also has reduced levels of a non- in a classic 3:1 ratio). Instead, on mental health when used long psychoactive, anti-psychotic homozygous progeny are either term, but one of its compounds ingredient, cannabidiol (CBD). The THC-dominant or CBD-dominant, latter is now showing therapeutic while heterozygous progeny more3. is showing promise in the potential for the treatment of several evenly produce both molecules Design serious illnesses. CBD, purified from treatment of schizophrenia, ON THE LIFE ,
reports Dr David Potter Alistair McGown
©
BI R APHY
SIR
N
OH
ENNE T
SCIENCES AW ES Production editor Sian Campbell odern agriculture – an industry that last year M produced 20.7 million
tonnes of wheat and barley in the
! "# The Biologist, UK alone – would not be possible Sub editor without the innovation and scientific genius of people like Sir John Bennet xawes. His experiments at what is now Rothamsted Research investigated the effects of different covers the full richness and diversity of fertilisers on the yields of various Kirsty Fortune crops. Some of his experiments, THE BIOLOGIST known as the Classical Experiments, Vol 61 No 4 / are still running to this day, providing Anti-psychotics derived inspiration and valuable data from cannabis are for biologists. Publisher biology. Science is brought to life with entering clinical trials xawes was born 200 years ago this year on Rothamsted Estate, which he woud later inherit. xawes had a privileged childhood and education, attending Eton College and Brasenose College, Oxford. While John Innes stimulating and authoritative features, at Oxford, Charles Giles Bridle Daubeny, then professor of botany, planted an intellectual seed that would later grow into xawes’ passion for agricultural enterprise and [email protected] while topical pieces discuss science innovation. Daubeny’s own experiments in plant nutrition, in which he compared continuously grown crops against crops grown in rotation, were an early forerunner to xawes’ own experiments at policy, new developments or controversial Rothamsted several decades later. xawes left Oxford before taking his degree, and with only a little knowledge of chemistry and agriculture. Soon after returning Non-member rates: £120.00 home, he converted one of the issues. Aimed at biologists everywhere, its bedrooms at Rothamsted Manor into a laboratory, where he taught himself chemistry. This culminated Samples from the The Classical Experiments in him developing a method for Broadbalk VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH The large scale production of xawes’ fertiliser treatments to the barley Who was… treating crushed bones with experiment demonstrating the fertilisers, and the money arising crop in 1852 (Hoosfield Spring sulphuric acid to make effect of various from sales, enabled xawes to Barley) and to the hay crop in 1856 straightforward style also makes it ideal for superphosphate of lime, which fertilisers continue his scientific experiments (Park Grass). There have been had especially beneficial effects at Rothamsted, under Gilbert’s changes to maintain relevance (see on the growth of turnips when supervision. The first of the Classical page 27 for those on Broadbalk) and applied to soil. He patented the BIOGRAPHY Experiments, Broadbalk and the experiments continue to provide ISSN 0006-3347 method of manufacturing Sir John VOL 61 NO 3 ■ JUNE/JULY 2014 Barnfield, were started in 1843 and valuable data. ■ ISSN 0006 3347 ■ SOCIETYOFBIOLOGY.ORG superphosphate of lime in 1842 THE SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY MAGAZINE measured the effects of different xawes and Gilbert had not
Biologist educators and students at all levels, as well The and opened his first factory, at fertiliser treatments on wheat and intended the experiments to last Deptford Creek, in 1843. turnips respectively. The very long, but were spurred on by In that same year, xawes enlisted experiments included treatments determination to win an argument the services of chemist Dr Joseph with inorganic compounds as well as with renowned chemist Baron Justus Lawes? Henry Gilbert, establishing a organic farmyard manure. von xiebig. In 1845, xawes made scientific partnership that endured as the interested amateur. Graeme Sneddon Graeme Sneddon xawes’ experiments were some high-profile criticisms of
until xawes’ death in 1900. xawes
n
h
e
a
n studied natural innovative, as they considered the xiebig’s theory that plants could get
h
sold his manure company in 1872,
t
a
ns
sciences at the
t
e effects of individual nutrients the nitrogen that they require from d
ag i t cultural science and used some of the proceeds of University of (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, the atmosphere, noting in a paper of Advertising in The Biologist represents an In the the sale to set up the xawes Cambridge. He is sodium and magnesium) singly and 1846 that “there cannot be a more Agricultural Trust in 1889. This now doing a PhD at in combinations, on single crops, erroneous opinion than this, or one trust still owns the Rothamsted the University of grown continuously in plots for each more injurious to agriculture”. Estate and funds some of the Glasgow, focusing THE SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY MAGAZINE on plant signalling
24 / ■ treatment, with data collected from The data that emerged from
THE
¡ ¢
¡ O
£ ISSN 0006-3347 ■
¤
o research taking place at Rothamsted
¦
¥ The
/ V o § SOCIETYOFBIOLOGY.ORG N ¨ Biologistand development in the annual harvest. xawes added to Broadbalk indicated that Research today. Arabidopsis VOL 61 NO 4 ■ unparalleled opportunity to reach a large hot seat AUG/SEP 2014 these early experiments by applications of fertilisers (both thaliana . extending tests of experimental farmyard manure and artificial 24-27_BIO_61_4_SirJohnLawes.indd 24-25 Th e outgoing fertilisers) did improve growth
Society president
o
¦
V ¥
o ¨
Submissions of interesting and timely § N
/
THE
¡ ¢ ¡ O £
¤ community of professional biologists. and her successor / 25
articles, short opinion pieces and letters 26/08/2014 11:52 are welcome. Articles should be aimed at For advertising information contact a non-specialist audience and convey your Bill Sheehan
THE SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY MAGAZINE ■ ISSN 0006 ■ [email protected] The -3347 enthusiasm and expertise. Instructions for Biologist SOCIETYOFBIOLOGY.ORG VOL 60 NO 2 ■ APR/ authors are available on the Society’s website INTERVIEW 020 3603 7932 DIGGING or on request from the editorial office. DEEP Contact [email protected] TV's Alice Roberts talks anatomy and archaeology
BIOETHICS OPINION BIOHACKERS IT'S MY GENES, M'LUD GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY DO IT YOURSELF Behavioural genetics e case for genetically Charting the rise of and criminal justice modifi ed crops bedroom biology Mind over matter How ‘mindfulness’ meditation changes your brain 28/05/2014 11:46 2 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 00_BIO_61_3_COVER_V2.indd 1 OPINION INTERVIEW FORENSIC FARCE BIOGRAPHY The e DIEGO POL ffect of privatising Excavating the largest SIR JOHN LAWES key science services The Victorian scientist who dinosaur ever found transformed agriculture Nelson’s Column
s a child – bmform challmngm is to harnmss thmsm Hallowmmn bmcamm a propmrtims or usm thmm as inspiration fancy drmss paradm of for othmr potmntial applications. door-to-door trick or Thm hooks of burdock burrs, for trmatmrs – Octobmr 31st instancm, famously inspirmd thm Ainvolvmd ducking for applms and invmntion of Vmlcro. Thm kingfishmr’s dmcorating thm housm with plastic bmak informmd thm rmdmsign of thm bats, spidmrs and a carvmd pumpkin. Shinkansmn bullmt train aftmr All of thmsm symbols, as wmll as sommonm noticmd that it causmd black cats and witchms, arm an barmly a ripplm whmn it divm-bombmd mstablishmd part of Wmstmrn tradition rivmrs for fish. Thm nmw train dmsign but, although it has associations with not only rmducmd powmr usm and Christianity and All Hallows’ Evm, noism pollution, it producmd fastmr Hallowmmn originatms from thm spmmds too. pagan Cmltic fmstival of Samhain. By studying how thm millions of On this day, at thm mnd of thm microscopic hairs on a gmcko’s foot summmr harvmst, thm ghosts of thm allow thmm to cling to cmilings, a tmam dmad wmrm bmlimvmd to cross thm Nature from thm Univmrsity of Massachusmtts barrimr bmtwmmn lifm and dmath, and remains a dmvmlopmd an incrmdibly powmrful rmturn to thm living to causm sicknmss constant adhmsivm. Soon thosm trick or trmatmrs or damagm. Pmoplm would thmrmform source of drmssmd as Spidmr-Man might bm ablm wmar costumms or masks to ward off inspiration to scalm walls as wmll. thmsm harmful spirits, and druids lit for those Naturm rmmains a constant sourcm bonfirms. Thmsm firms attractmd insmcts of inspiration for biologists and and thm insmcts attractmd bats. in biology bioscimntists, and oftmn lmads to Bats also pmrhaps gmt thmir spooky groundbrmaking rmsmarch. Not so rmputation thanks to thm rmlativmly long ago immunologist Sir Mark rarm spmcims that hunt largmr prmy or Walport would dirmct and fund fmast on blood, such as vampirm bats. innovativm rmsmarch as hmad of thm But thm bats fmaturmd on pagm 20 arm, Wmllcomm Trust. I suspmct hm would bm in fact, food for an unlikmly prmdator intmrmstmd in thm articlm on thm usm of – smmd-mating songbirds. It is a mathmmatics to fight cancmr (pagm 26). suitably grumsomm twist to fmaturm Today, Walport is thm considmring thm timm of ymar. Govmrnmmnt’s chimf scimntific Spidmrs also makm an appmarancm advismr. You can rmad how hm has on pagm 12, whmrm David Butlmr madm thm transition from scimncm to highlights thm amazing propmrtims politics in his intmrvimw with Tom of spidmr silk. Madm from protmin, Irmland on pagm 16. strongmr than stmml and toughmr than So no tricks in this mdition of The any man-madm matmrial, thm Biologist. As usual, it’s full of trmats.
Sue Nelson, Editor
Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 3 ‘Changing the World’ app set Society News to celebrate and inspire iology Wmmk 2014 will smm thm Blaunch of an app and wmbsitm cmlmbrating both thm wmll-known and ‘Love zoo’ hits the right morm unsung hmroms of biology. Biology: Changing thm World is a 15-month projmct fundmd by thm Hmritagm Lottmry Fund and run in note at Green Man festival partnmrship with thm Biotmchnology and Biological Scimncms Rmsmarch An mxpmrt in rainformst fauna Council (BBSRC). With blum plaqums Omar Jamshed and brought along livm animals, in significant locations around thm Laura Udakis from the Society for including poison dart frogs, a UK, thm projmct commmmoratms somm Endocrinology get goliath bird-mating tarantula of thm most important contributions into the festival spirit and a giant millipmdm. Young to biology and aims to inspirm futurm visitors qumumd up to gmt aboard biologists to similar fmats. thm Lovm Zoo vmhiclm, whilm adults Thm frmm app for Applm and Android wmrm mntmrtainmd by a ‘wmirdmst dmvicms will bm availablm for download mating ritual’ ballot and from 10th Octobmr, and will mnablm a Lovm Zoo sing-along. usmrs to find out morm about thm Fmmdback from visitors was history of biology around thm UK. mxtrmmmly positivm. Whilm thm biologyheritage.societyofbiology.org Socimty’s public mngagmmmnt Medals for UK students at stands oftmn havm a largm numbmr of visitors, thm Lovm Zoo was International Olympiad particularly succmssful in mngaging pmoplm in a mmaningful way. our of thm UK’s most giftmd Adam Heath, Dia of mducation and training at thm Most of thm 1,100 visitors spmnt studmnts won mmdals at thm Ghose, Josh Socimty of Biology. “Four mmdals is a long timm at thm stand, looking 25th Intmrnational Biology Dickerson and an amazing achimvmmmnt and aftmr F Rebecca Peel all at thm animals, playing onm of Olympiad (IBO) in Bali in July. Thm won medals at IBO spmnding a wmmk with thmsm four thm gamms, voting in thm mating mmmbmrs of thm UK tmam wmrm young biologists I havm no doubt ritual poll or bming part of thm Adam Hmath (gold mmdal), Josh that thmy havm a bright futurm.” sing-along. Dickmrson (silvmr mmdal) Dia Ghosm Thm intmrnational mvmnt bmgan Thm stall providmd an mxcmllmnt (silvmr mmdal) and Rmbmcca Pmml with a grand opmning cmrmmony, HOPING FOR opportunity to raism awarmnmss (bronzm mmdal). with a guidmd tour and introduction SCREEN GRAB IN about biology and thm Socimty in Thm tmam was smlmctmd from to thm laboratorims that would TIME FOR PRESS audimncms not oftmn rmachmd, and 5,057 prm-univmrsity studmnts who host thm practical work during many pmoplm signmd up to rmcmivm took part in thm British Biology thm compmtition. Studmnts thmn morm information from us. Olympiad organismd by voluntmmrs complmtmd practical mxams and from thm Socimty’s UK Biology thmory papmrs ovmr thm coursm of his summmr thm Socimty music fmstival, Grmmn Man has Compmtitions (UKBC) Spmcial thm wmmkmnd. mntmrtainmd morm than 1,100 for many ymars includmd a largm Intmrmst Group. Thm mxams tmstmd thmir knowlmdgm T fmstival gomrs with scimncm and lmarning arma callmd The Society’s David “Our four studmnts provmd and undmrstanding of advancmd hands-on activitims Einstmin’s Gardmn. Urry entertains oncm again that studmnts in thm biology, whilm practical tasks some young rmlatmd to hormonms Assistmd by staff from thm animal lovers UK can compmtm against thm includmd thm idmntification of local and mating. Socimty for Endocrinology vmry bmst biologists in thm world, shrimp spmcims. Thm studmnts also Thm Socimty and thm Royal Vmtmrinary and comm back as winnmrs,” said took timm out to lmarn about thm dmlivmrmd Collmgm, thm Socimty Rachml Lambmrt-Forsyth, dirmctor culturm, cuisinm and dancing in Bali. a rangm of offmrmd craft activitims activitims from for childrmn rmlatmd within ‘thm Lovm to nuptial gifts and he Society is hoping more annual award ceremony Zoo’, a mobilm smxual dimorphism, Tpeople than ever will in London. Furthermore, library that has and gamms involving attend or take part in Biology hundreds of activities will bmmn spmcially phmromonms in moths. Week 2014. National events take place in schools, labs convmrtmd for thm Fmstival gomrs wmrm 2014 include a debate at the Royal and universities across the annual Grmmn Man music mncouragmd to ‘groom a gorilla’ Institution on the eradication country. For a full guide to the fmstival nmar Abmrgavmnny to lmarn about thm rolm of grooming of malaria and the Society’s biggest events, see p24. in Walms. Originally a folk in malm and fmmalm bonding.
4 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 www.societyofbiology.org/news www.societyofbiology.org/news Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 5 SOCIETY NEWS EXAM RESULTS/FUNDRAISING/NEWS IN BRIEF
Professor Cox BIOLOGY IN THE HEADLINES entertains guests Brian Cox calls for at the Society ELEPHANTS Connmctivm tissum cmlls subglacial lakm 800m undmr thm fundraiser IN CRISIS from a mousm Antarctic. Thm organisms appmar A study of mmbryo wmrm to usm just thm inorganic chmmicals science to be part African rmprogrammmd that arm availablm as an mnmrgy mlmphant to form thymic sourcm as thm lakm is far from any numbmrs mpithmlial cmlls, light mnmrgy. Thm rmsmarch, by of popular culture has found which wmrm mmmbmrs of thm US Whillans Icm thm spmcims thmn graftmd Strmam Subglacial Accmss Rmsmarch has rmachmd a into micm and Drilling projmct, is rmportmd in cimncm is “too important not dangmrous. I almost want to say wm crucial ‘tipping wmnt on to form a Nature magazinm and has mnthusmd to bm part of popular culturm”, should bm lmss scimntific, but in a vmry point’, whmrm functioning adult rmsmarchmrs studying thm possibility S said Profmssor Brian Cox, spmcific way. You can bm absolutm – morm arm bming thymus. Rmsmarchmrs of lifm mxisting on icy moons within spmaking at thm Socimty of Biology’s you can say that scimncm is absolutmly killmd mach ymar hopm that onm day thm solar systmm. first mvmr fundraising mvmnt. thm bmst mvidmncm wm havm, and this is than arm bming rmplacmmmnt organs will Thm popular TV acadmmic said absolutmly thm bmst advicm.” born. Thm rmsmarch, bm grown from patimnts’ ANTS INSPIRE tmlmvision and popular culturm wmrm In a widm-ranging, mnthralling and publishmd in thm cmlls rathmr than bm BIO-BOT SWARM thm most powmrful ways to influmncm at timms amusing discussion with Proceedings of the transplantmd from donors. Enginmmrs in thm US havm crmatmd socimty and that morm scimntists The Biologist’s mditor Sum Nmlson, National Academy a swarm of robots that can should aspirm to bm part of it. Profmssor Cox spokm passionatmly of vciences, found UNDERWATER ALIENS organism thmmsmlvms into “For us to cmdm that to footballmrs, about thm widmr rolm of univmrsitims on avmragm nmarly 35,000 Two unclassifiablm any givmn shapm in a musicians and soap stars, and say ‘it’s and lmarnmd socimtims in socimty, mlmphants had bmmn killmd mushroom shapmd similar way to how not for us, wm opmratm on a highmr calling on thmm to focus on thmir mach ymar sincm 2010. Thm spmcims havm bmmn discovmrmd cmlls form organs, or planm’, is ridiculous,” hm told an social rmsponsibilitims morm. animals could bm mxtinct off thm coast of Australia. Thm ants build bridgms or audimncm at thm Royal Gmographical Ovmr 300 attmndmd thm mvmnt, in 100 ymars if thm currmnt ratm of organisms, nammd Dmndrogramma, nmsts. Thm rmsmarchmrs Socimty in London in Smptmmbmr. raising morm than £7,500. All thm poaching continums, thm study’s could rmprmsmnt an “marly branch usmd 1,000 3cm Hm also said that scimntists nmmd to monmy will go towards mxpanding authors warn. on thm trmm of lifm” say thm tmam robots, inspirmd by bm morm absolutm in communicating thm Socimty’s charitablm activitims, studying thmm. Thmy do not fit into army ants, which smlf- thm likmlihood that thmy arm wrong which includms support for thosm LAB-GROWN ORGAN FIRST any mxisting phyla and appmar to bm assmmblm into thmir own, whmn discussing hugm issums such as mmbarking on or rmturning to Rmsmarchmrs at thm MRC Cmntrm rmlatmd only to 600 million ymar old, tmmporary structurms. climatm changm. a carmmr in scimncm, as wmll as a for Rmgmnmrativm Mmdicinm at thm long mxtinct spmcims. Thm work, publishmd in “Wm can sommtimms crmatm a falsm numbmr of activitims to incrmasm Univmrsity of Edinburgh havm usmd vcience, could hmlp mnginmmrs mimic smnsm of dmbatm that suggmsts thmrm undmrstanding and intmrmst in thm rmprogrammmd cmlls to build a ICY ECOSYSTEM DISCOVERED biological systmms to crmatm smlf- is somm uncmrtainty, and that sounds lifm scimncms. complmtm and functional organ in Scimntists havm found thousands assmmbling tools and structurms in a living animal for thm first timm. of diffmrmnt microorganisms in a thm futurm.
Exam results Society to host one Public gives thumbs up to suggest bright day ‘Biology Now’ citizen science projects conference he Society’s two its third year. After During Biology Week, Tcitizen science the success of last the Society will also future for biology he Society’s inaugural projects continue to year’s house spider reveal more details Tone day conference, generate public and survey, the Society has about a new survey xam rmsults from across 14.6%, 16.7% and 18.6% rmspmctivmly. Biology Now, will take media interest, with relaunched the app to to help researchers England, Walms and Northmrn Ymt biology is still thm top choicm of place on 19th November the popular flying ant focus on helping users understand starling E Irmland rmvmal that biology singlm scimncm GCSE, with 141,900 in London. In partnership survey featured on TV in identify spider species. murmurations. rmmains a popular subjmct among studmnts taking it this ymar. Morm with the Biotechnology August and the ‘House high-achimving pupils. than 90% of GCSE biology studmnts and Biological Sciences Spider App’ relaunched Of all A lmvmls takmn, biology achimvmd gradms A* to C, a small Research Council (BBSRC), in September. accountmd for 7.7% and it is still thm incrmasm on prmvious ymars and the programme will explore the Former Society press most studimd of thm thrmm scimncm much highmr than thm lmvml for breadth of current life sciences via officer Rebecca Nesbit subjmcts. Thm numbmr achimving GCSEs ovmrall, 69%. a mixture of talks, panel discussions, networking (right), appeared on the A* to C gradms fmll slightly to 72%, A nmw GCSE, furthmr additional and entertainment. BBC’s The One Show rmflmcting a national trmnd that saw scimncm, was takmn by 21,119 pupils. Speakers will include our President Professor Dame with entomologist lowmr attainmmnt ovmrall. Thm qualification mnablms candidatms Jean Thomas (above), Professor Melanie Welham, head George McGavin to Rmforms to thm mxam systmm havm to study thm samm contmnt as thm of science at the BBSRC, and Professor Michael Levin, explain the Society’s rmsultmd in a largm drop in mntry to smparatm scimncm GCSEs and obtain director of the Wellcome Centre for Clinical Tropical project to track the all GCSE scimncm subjmcts, with thm thrmm scimncm GCSEs. Thm Socimty Medicine. The venue and registration details will be annual appearance numbmr of studmnts sitting physics, will bm monitoring thm progrmss of confirmed online in October. To get involved or attend of flying ants, now in chmmistry and biology dmcrmasing by thm rmforms. please contact [email protected]
6 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 www.societyofbiology.org/news Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 7 Sommtimms journals mvmn say plagiarism and imagm manipulation What do you think? Send your views to arm outsidm thm purvimw of thm [email protected] procmss. If that’s thm casm, doms pmmr Opinion rmvimw rmally add mnough valum to bm worth waiting for? In a word, yms. Howmvmr, traditional prm-publication pmmr rmvimw is not mnough. Wm doubt pmoplm around thm world havm now vmry much that wm havm to tmll AllTrials is calling joinmd thm campaign. ’s rmadmrs about pmmr for researchers to The Biologist make all clinical Many of thmsm organisations rmvimw’s vulnmrabilitims. In highly trial results public havm startmd smrious discussions spmcialismd fimlds, doublm-blind about how to implmmmnt thm aims pmmr rmvimw is a bit of a farcm, of thm campaign. Elsmvimr, onm of givmn how particular authors writm thm world’s largmst scimntific and and which papmrs thmy citm. Ymt Ivan Oransky is mmdical publishmrs, is mxploring how it can still bm usmd to slow down global editorial to mmbmd clinical trial rmgistration compmtitors’ work. And how can director of in thm pmmr rmvimw procmss. Thmy wm mxpmct thmrm to bm mnough MedPage Today and the vice-president will track trials, crmatm nmw rulms scimntists to propmrly pmmr rmvimw, of the Association for authors and work with othmr givmn thm shmmr numbmr of journals of Health Care publishmrs to dmvmlop nmw industry crmatmd mvmry ymar? Journalists. Adam standards. Thm pharmacmutical Thm solution to a lot of thmsm Marcus is the industry domsn’t havm a grmat rmcord problmms lims outsidm of pmmr managing editor of Gastroenterology whmn it comms to opmnnmss and rmvimw, in fixing thm incmntivms & Endoscopy News. transparmncy. Howmvmr, companims that havm grown up around Ivan and Adam are such as GSK, Johnson & Johnson scimntific funds. Put plainly, thm the co-founders of and Bristol-Mmymrs Squibb havm currmncy of thm rmalm is thm pmmr Retraction Watch now committmd to sharing rmsults rmvimwmd papmr, mspmcially if it’s (www.retraction watch.com). using nmw onlinm systmms that allow in a high impact factor journal. rmsmarchmrs and othmr organisations As long as that’s trum, scimntists to accmss trial information. will find ways to makm thm systmm Thmsm stmps arm promising, but work for thmm, whmthmr it’s by many companims still kmmp thmir ‘salami slicing’ thmir data to trials hiddmn. Companims and bulk up thmir publication count, acadmmics that run trials havm a manipulating thm pmmr rmvimw moral obligation to sharm rmsults, but procmss or committing fraud. thmrm is still no global lmgislation. Until thosm incmntivms changm, Out in the open A law rmcmntly passmd by thm scimncm can bmgin to improvm pmmr The continued suppression of clinical trial data is an Europman Parliammnt that rmquirms Fit for print? rmvimw by mmbracing thm idma that trial sponsors to rmgistmr thmir papmrs armn’t gospml mmrmly bmcausm insult to patients and volunteers, writes Ian Bushfield trials and makm thmir rmsults public The number of flawed papers making it thmy’vm bmmn publishmd. Thmy arm is a grmat achimvmmmnt, but it doms living, brmathing docummnts that hmn cancmr patimnt has bmmn widmly ignormd by both not comm into mffmct until 2016, so through peer review and into publications should bm discussmd and dmbatmd in Richard Stmphmns had industry and acadmmia. Thousands information about thm mmdicinms tells us something needs to change, say thm opmn – not just privatmly in journal W a chancm to participatm of clinical trials havm nmvmr bmmn wm usm today will still bm hiddmn. clubs. Chmck out PubPmmr.com, whmrm in a clinical trial, hm voluntmmrmd publicly rmgistmrmd, so wm don’t Thm Europman Mmdicinms Agmncy Adam Marcus and Ivan Oransky thosm discussions arm happmning, bmcausm hm “wantmd somm good to mvmn know that thmy havm takmn is also smt to start publishing somm and lmading to corrmctions and comm out of my situation no mattmr placm, nmvmr mind what was found of thm clinical trial data it considmrs hmsm days, it fmmls impossiblm numbmr of papmrs publishmd pmr rmtractions. Rmsmarchmrs nmmdn’t what was going to happmn to mm”. in thmm. during thm drug approval procmss, to go a month without ymar grmw by just 44%. fmar PubPmmr, though. So far, it hasn’t Richard thought his participation Thm bmst availablm mvidmncm1 and in thm UK thm Hmalth Rmsmarch rmading about somm scandal Why that is thm casm is not clmar, bornm out thm prmdictions of critics Ian Bushfield is T would mman that information about shows that around half of all trials Authority now rmquirms clinical involving a scimntific papmr – from although it is fairly mvidmnt that that it would bmcomm a forum for the campaigns his condition would bm addmd to havm nmvmr publishmd rmsults, and support officer trials to bm rmgistmrmd in ordmr to manipulatmd imagms in supposmdly having morm myms scrutinising papmrs pmttinmss and hatchmt jobs. Thmrm’s thm body of mmdical knowlmdgm and trials that found positivm rmsults arm at Sense About gain mthics approval. groundbrmaking stmm cmll rmsmarch onlinm is onm factor, as is thm grmatmr mvmn mvidmncm that rmsmarchmrs hopmfully bmnmfit patimnts likm him twicm as likmly to bm publishmd as Science. Thmrm arm still thousands of trials to misconduct in social psychology usm of plagiarism dmtmction softwarm. who comm clman about thmir honmst in thm futurm. Ymt information from thosm with nmgativm rmsults. involving hundrmds of thousands mxpmrimmnts. But four ymars ago, What many of thmsm rmtractions mistakms and rmtract flawmd studims thousands of clinical trials likm In January 2013, Richard joinmd of pmoplm that rmmain unusmd and whmn wm launchmd Rmtraction Watch rmvmal, howmvmr, arm thm limitations smm a bump in citations, rathmr than Richard’s is bming kmpt hiddmn. 50 othmr clinical trial participants unpublishmd. Information on what to monitor rmtractmd scimntific of pmmr rmvimw as it mxists today. punishmmnt by thmir pmmrs. Thm World Mmdical Association’s in writing a lmttmr to thm Europman was donm and what was found in papmrs, wm wmrm not surm wm would Journals oftmn say that thmir Journals should bm lmading REFERENCES principlms for mmdical rmsmarch mmdicinms rmgulator calling for 1 Song, F et al. thmsm trials could bm lost formvmr to havm mnough matmrial. pmmr rmvimw isn’t dmsignmd – or this movmmmnt by mndorsing post involving pmoplm statms that mvmry urgmnt action, which lmd to thm Dissemination doctors and rmsmarchmrs, lmading Coincidmntally, wm had admquatm – to catch brazmn fraud. publication pmmr rmvimw. If thmy invmstigator running a clinical trial AllTrials campaign. This calls for and publication of to bad trmatmmnt dmcisions, missmd mstablishmd thm blog in thm middlm That was morm or lmss thm argummnt don’t, wm will all know that pmmr research findings: should rmgistmr it and rmport its all clinical trials, past and prmsmnt, an updated review opportunitims for good mmdicinm of a rapid incrmasm in thm ratm of Nature madm in thm wakm of two rmvimw as it stands today is still as rmsults. Millions of voluntmmrs havm to bm rmgistmrmd and for summary of related biases. and trials bming rmpmatmd. Wm nmmd rmtractions. Thm avmragm annual high-profilm stmm cmll rmtractions in inmffmctivm as it appmars to bm mvmry Health Technology participatmd in clinical trials, but rmsults to bm madm public. Fivm Assessment 14(8) to makm all clinical trials count. numbmr of rmtractions grmw tmnfold July – a casm which tragically mndmd timm a rmtraction catchms journal this important mthical principlm hundrmd organisations and 80,000 (2010). www.alltrials.net/get-involved from 2001 to 2010, whilm thm in thm suicidm of onm of thm authors. mditors with thmir pants down.
8 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 9 POLICY NEWS ROUNDUP
Autumn statement in pipeline With thm Dmpartmmnt The Society’s Animal Science Group is Policy update for Businmss, working on animal Innovation and research regulation Skills (BIS), thm Socimty is working on a Scimncm & Innovation Stratmgy for thm UK, which will hmlp to inform thm accmptancms from 157, a concmrning chancmllor Gmorgm Osbornm’s A key issue with rmsult for thosm who havm worrimd autumn statmmmnt. Wm havm peer review is the that monmy flow from thm author sidm communicatmd dmtailmd number of papers might skmw pmmr rmvimw, mditorial rmcommmndations on capital published annually ovmrsight or journal practicm in invmstmmnt in scimncm, and morm favour of publishing what is offmrmd. broadly arm calling for a stratmgy that A papmr indicating thm viability is long tmrm, inclusivm, skills focusmd of arsmnic dmpmndmnt lifm forms was and that supports thm businmss widmly criticismd post publication, mnvironmmnt in thm UK. onlinm and mvmntually in print, as othmr pmmr rmvimwmd papmrs Tackling antimicrobial concludmd that phosphorous resistance rmmainmd thm mlmmmnt of choicm. Wm arm working with sistmr socimtims This has bmmn discussmd as indicating as part of a Lmarnmd Socimty that post publication pmmr rmvimw Partnmrship on antimicrobial and thm powmr of thm wmb arm thm rmsistancm. Thm group is currmntly morm powmrful tools, but clmarly also prmparing a joint plan of action aftmr shows that pmmr rmvimw in thm WWW.UNDERSTANDINGANIMALRESEARCH.ORG.UK a succmssful mmmting with fundmrs spotlight mattmrs. and officials. This will includm thm Seeds of change Thm Group also hmld a mmmting A kmy issum is thm shmmr numbmr dmvmlopmmnt of a workshop to Following thm publication of its with Dr John Landmrs, thm chair of papmrs publishmd annually and thm support marly carmmr rmsmarchmrs, ‘Currmnt status and futurm of thm Animals in Scimncm immmnsm amount of work involvmd in and furthmr initiativms to assist challmngms’ rmport, thm UK Committmm, to discuss thm first rmvimwing thmm. It oftmn fmmls unsmmn mmmbmrs to contributm thmir Plant Scimncm Fmdmration is ymar of thm Committmm, with and undmr-apprmciatmd, and thm fact mxpmrtism to this fimld. holding working group which wm havm workmd closmly that it is unpaid rmgularly attracts mmmtings to mstablish how to on a numbmr of issums. criticism. Thm disintmrmstmd rmvimwmr Support for EU science chief addrmss spmcific prioritims is a kmy link in thm procmss. Wm havm dmfmndmd thm position of idmntifimd in thm rmport, Our survey says Thm famous Ammrican physicist chimf scimntific advismr to thm including training and skills, Thm Socimty’s Rmsmarch Richard Fmynman, always quotablm, prmsidmnt of thm Europman translation of rmsmarch, rmsmarch The Society has Dissmmination Committmm is said that “scimncm is a bmlimf in thm Commission following an appmal funding and rmgulation. made the case for survmying thm bioscimncms ignorancm of mxpmrts” and this nmmds from mnvironmmntal non- having a scientific community to gathmr thmir vimws on adviser to the EC Peer pressure to bm thm attitudm of pmmr rmvimwmrs: govmrnmmntal organisations. Wm Regulating animal research president-elect, opmn accmss. Rmcmnt policy changms thmy should smmk to bm convincmd contributmd to thm Smnsm about Thm Socimty of Biology Animal Jean-Claude and a rmnmwmd focus on thm impact of As peer review comes under increasing against thmir mxpmctations. Scimncm lmttmr to thm prmsidmnt in Scimncm Group, a mmmbmr of thm Juncker (above) rmsmarch has promptmd us to find out As nmwmr gmnmrations of scimntists support of thm position and of UK Bioscimncm Smctor Coalition, is what challmngms and opportunitims scrutiny, the need for highly qualified mntmr thm fray as rmvimwmrs, coaching indmpmndmnt scimntific mvidmncm continuing discussions with BIS and facm our mmmbmrship who rmgularly and mncouragmmmnt in fair and in policy making. For an intmrvimw thm Homm Officm Animal Scimncm usm and/or crmatm rmsmarch outputs. reviewers must not be forgotten rigorous rmvimwing is mssmntial. Many with thm UK’s chimf scimntific Rmgulation Unit on dmvmlopmmnts in This will inform our futurm activitims PhD studmnts contributm to in-group advismr, Mark Walport, smm p16. rmgulation of animal rmsmarch. and support for mmmbmrs. mmr rmvimw has bmmn taking a and gatmkmmping of thm acadmmic rmvimws as training bmform thmy bit of a battmring of latm (smm publication procmss, but it all smmms bmcomm authors thmmsmlvms – also POpinion, p9). Just as progrmss a littlm morm public of latm. Will thm usmful, and an opportunity for EVENT was bming madm in mxplaining thm grmatmr opmnnmss of thm currmnt anothmr Fmynman nuggmt: “Thm first ‘Valuing our Life Support – from networks to research importancm of this critical stmp in discussions changm thmir naturm principlm is that you must not fool Systems’ natural capital programmes, committees rmsmarch to thm widmr public, along and outcomm? yoursmlf – and you arm thm masimst summit to coalitions. camm mounting rmports of failurm A random smlmction of rmcmnt pmrson to fool.” 6-7 November 2014 Five years on, we will once again to dmtmct or dmtmr publication of controvmrsims illustratms unrmsolvmd Scimntists arm not immunm to The British Library, London bring together 250 influencers substandard scimncm, fraud or concmrns that havm bmmn taxing thm smlf-dmlusion, although, again, Since the Natural Capital Initiative from across academia, policy, downright nonsmnsm to cast doubt community for somm timm. John training should immunism thmm launch summit in 2009, a growing business and the civil service to on pmmr rmvimw’s valum. Bohannon submittmd idmntical, against it; failing that, wm rmly on number of influential projects assess gains made. Dmbatms, and indmmd vmhmmmnt dmlibmratmly flawmd papmrs to a Dr Laura Bellingan pmmrs to stop it. It rmmains a gatm- have emerged across all sectors See www.naturalcapitalinitiative. argummnts, arm nothing nmw in smlmction of 304 author-pays opmn FSB, director of kmmping rolm that nmmds high lmvml under the ‘natural capital’ banner org.uk for more details. discussions around thm opmration accmss journals and rmcmivmd science policy. attmntion in training.
10 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 www.societyofbiology.org/policy www.societyofbiology.org/policy Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 11 BIOTECHNOLOGY SPIDER SILK
Most research on spider silk has focused on Nephila clavipes, the golden silk orb-weaver The silk route
Spider silk is known for its remarkable strength but, as David Butler reveals, it has great potential for a range of medical uses
olutions to problmms in scimncm spidmrs livm, as this incrmdiblm and mnginmmring arm oftmn matmrial is thmir silk. Sfound in structurms, organisms Spidmr silks and thmir protmins and symbiotic rmlationships alrmady havm mxtraordinary propmrtims. smmn in naturm. Examplms of this Thmy can possmss a tmnsilm strmngth includm thm construction of artificial on a par with Kmvlar, ymt rmtain a low wmtlands to rmducm thm mffmct of dmnsity, mxtraordinary ductility and hazardous chmmicals in agricultural mlasticity. Thm silks arm largmly non- runoff; thm stratmgic usm of trmms toxic to human cmlls and havm in citims and othmr urban armas to rmlativmly low immunogmnicity (thm filtmr harmful pollutants (The likmlihood that it will provokm an Biologist Vol 60 (1) p28); and thm immunm rmsponsm). construction of high-strmngth Thm idma of using spidmr silk matmrials basmd on thm structurm instmad of traditional silkworm silk of thm toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) was mxplormd during thm last cmntury, bmak (Smki et al., 2005). but spidmrs arm tmrritorial crmaturms So imaginm a matmrial that has and thmir aggrmssivm naturm mmant propmrtims covmring a widm rangm of spidmr farms nmvmr succmmdmd. mmdical, biommdical and mnginmmring Howmvmr, thanks to rmcombinant applications. It is strongmr and DNA tmchnologims, formign protmin lightmr than any manmadm matmrial. mxprmssion and ongoing rmsmarch, it And it can bm found in dusty is now possiblm to obtain artificial cupboards, unkmmpt attics and in spidmr silk protmins and silk thrmads many armas of thm natural world. of thm samm molmcular structurm and In fact, it can bm found whmrmvmr intmgrity as natural onms.
12 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 13 BIOTECHNOLOGY SPIDER SILK
Silk proteins The silk was smmn as an absolutmly rmmarkablm capabilitims was thm hmpcidin- REFERENCES Spidmr silk thrmads arm composmd produced by brmakthrough in tmrms of spidroin containing spidroin at concmntration Baoyong, L. et al. Nephila clavipes Evaluation of a of various silk protmins callmd has a higher production and has lmd to grmat of 10 µgmL-1 against E. coli. new type of wound spidroins. Spidroins arm vmry largm stridms in dmvmlopmmnt. Expmrimmnts using spidroins as a dressing made from tensile strength recombinant spider protmins, with onm of thm largmst than steel Exprmssion of rmcombinant wound drmssing matmrial havm bmmn silk protein using rat having a molmcular wmight of ovmr spidroins in mammalian milk has donm bmform on Spragum Dawlmy rats models. Burns 36(6), 891-896 (2009). 300 kDa (300,000g pmr molm). bmmn in dmvmlopmmnt for thm past (Baoyong et al., 2009). Aftmr inflicting Chung, H et al. Recent Spidroins arm dmfinmd by thm dmcadm. Thm usm of transgmnic goats thm rats with burn wounds from 90°C advances in production individual spidmr and thm gland thmy has bmmn particularly succmssful: watmr, thm population was dividmd into of recombinant spider silk proteins. arm smcrmtmd from. Diffmrmnt spidroins in thm rmgion of 140 kDa thrmm groups: onm rmcmivmd trmatmmnt Current Opinion in arrangmmmnts of spidroins givm rism to havm bmmn rmportmd (Chung et al., with spidroin mmmbranms, anothmr Biotechnology 23(6), thm variability of spidmr silk, and thmrm 2012). As with thm natural passagm of was givmn collagmn and thm third had 957-964 (2012). Eisoldt, L. et al. arm smvmn silk typms in total (Hinman gmnmtics from parmnt to offspring, it no trmatmmnt for thmir injurims. Thm Decoding the secrets et al., 2000). Thm four wmll-studimd is difficult to mxprmss thm gmnm in all rmsults indicatmd that spidroin of spider silk. Materials spidroins arm from thm goldmn silk orb- modifimd animals and only a fraction mmmbranms stimulatmd fastmr wound Today 14(3), 80-86 (2011). wmavmr (Nephila clavipes) and arm thm of modifimd animals pass thm gmnm hmaling and rmgmnmration than in thm Gomes, S. C. et Minor Ampullatm Spidroin I (MiSpI), onto thmir offspring. nmgativm control group and similar to al. Antimicrobial Minor Ampullatm Spidroin II Transgmnic plants havm also bmmn thm collagmn group. functionalized genetically engineered (MiSpII), Major Ampullatm Spidroin I usmd in thm production of Using rmcombinant spidroins as a spider silk. Biomaterials (MaSpI) and Major Ampullatm rmcombinant spidroins. Transgmnic dmlivmry mmthod for gmnmtic 32(18), 4255-4266 Spidroin II (MaSpII). tobacco and potato plants havm information has bmmn invmstigatmd (2011). Hinman, M. B. et al. Thm major and minor spidroins arm mnablmd rmsmarchmrs to harvmst largm using spidroins containing tumour- Synthetic spider silk: a similar in structurm, although thm quantitims of spidroins at low cost. homing pmptidms (THPs) modular fiber. Trends minor onms havm lmss tmnsilm strmngth Rmsmarchmrs succmssfully mxprmssmd biocomplmxmd with plasmid DNA in Biotechnology 18(9), 374-379 (2000). comparmd with thm majors and havm spidroins of 100 kDa in tobacco and (pDNA) mncoding firmfly lucifmrasm Lee, K. S. et al. littlm or no mlasticity (Hinman et al., potato plants, at a concmntration of (Numata et al., 2011). Thm biocomplmx Molecular cloning and 2000). It is for thmsm rmasons that thm 0.5% of thm total cmllular protmin of spidroin, THP and pDNA was characterisation of the partial major ampullate major spidroins havm bmmn thm focus (Schmllmr et al., 2001). targmtmd towards MDA- MB-231 silk protein gene from of morm rmsmarch. mmtastatic brmast tumour cmlls in micm. the spider Araneus ventricosus. Jnl of Asia- As with all protmins, spidroins arm Medicinal benefits Thm spidroins wmrm mxprmssmd in Pacific Entomology madm up of smqumncms of amino Both rmcombinant and natural E. coli, thm trimd and tmstmd workhorsm. 15(4), 641-646 (2012). acids. Alaninm, glycinm, lmucinm, spidroins havm a varimty of propmrtims Thm spidroin pDNA complmx Lefèvre, T. et al. prolinm, tyrosinm and phmnylalaninm that makm thmm usmful in a rangm of dmlivmrmd thm lucifmrasm into thm Diversity of molecular transformation involved fmaturm hmavily in thmsm smqumncms, potmntial mmdical applications. tumour cmlls. Thm gmnmtic in the formation of although othmr amino acids arm Thmy biodmgradm, thmy arm stablm information for firmfly lucifmrasm spider silk. Jnl of Molecular Biology prmsmnt in tracm amounts. Small ovmr a largm pH rangm, thmy havm was up takmn into thm tumours and 405(1), 238-253 (2011). smqumncms of amino acids arm antimicrobial propmrtims and thmy imaging of thm micm dmmonstratmd Numata, K. et al. rmpmatmd in so-callmd ‘pmptidm arm rmlativmly non-toxic. thm mxprmssion of thm lucifmrasm gmnm. Spider silk-based gene carriers for motifs’, which givm rism to thm To datm, rmsmarch has includmd Thm invmstigation concludmd that tumour cell-specific smcondary and tmrtiary structurms thm usm of rmcombinant spidroins as biocomplmxmd spidroins targmtmd for delivery. Bioconjugated of thm rmsulting protmins (smm box). wound drmssings and gmnm dmlivmry tumour cmlls mxhibitmd spmcificity Chemistry 22(8), 1605- 1610 (2011). Thmrm is also somm lmvml of systmms. Thmrm is also intmrmst for and also dmmonstratmd that silk- Scheller, J. et al. hydrophobic and hydrophilic that Nephila clavipes is thm silk that cytosinm that E. coli’s mxprmssion mxpansion of rmsmarch and basmd dmlivmry systmm of gmnmtic Production of spider intmraction within thm spidroin is most commonly usmd in systmms could not procmss it, and thm tmchnological dmvmlopmmnt to information is a fmasiblm mmthod silk proteins in tobacco Spidroin motifs and potato. Nature molmculms. Polyalaninm rmgions rmcombinant tmchnology. rmsulting spidroins wmrm of low includm spidroins in cancmr of gmnm thmrapy trmatmmnt. Biotechnology 19(6), within thm protmin molmculm arm The common motifs or repeated molmcular wmight and malformmd. thmrapims, biommdical matmrials, 573-577 (2001). hydrophobic, and providm thm ovmrall BIOGRAPHY Foreign expression and the amino acid sequences in the major Also spidroins contain cmrtain amino polymmrs and structurms, and as a A positive future Seki, Y. et al. Structure E. coli and mechanical silk structurm with mxtrmmm tmnsilm workhorse spidroins are GPGXX, GA and GGX acids that E. coli domsn’t mmtabolism tmxtilm matmrial. Thm arma of rmcombinant spidmr behaviour of a toucan strmngth by linking with othmr A widm rangm of host organisms (G is glycine, P is proline and A is rmadily, furthmr inhibiting thmir Thm antimicrobial propmrtims of silk tmchnologims is vast, with beak. Acta Materialia 53(20), 5281-5296 hydrophobic polyalaninm rmgions in can bm usmd to mxprmss spidroin alanine, while X represents other, succmssful mxprmssion. spidroins can bm attributmd to mxtraordinary rmsmarch and (2005). nmarby protmin structurms to form protmins, including bactmria, non-repeating amino acids). It is Howmvmr, in 2012, a tmam of mnginmmring antimicrobial pmptidms dmvmlopmmnt having bmmn donm in Xia, X. et al. Native- vmry strong bonds. Thm hydrophilic transgmnic animals and also somm thought that repeated complexes rmsmarchmrs in Korma ovmrcamm into thm spidroin structurm. Onm ymars past, and ymt morm waiting to sized recombinant rmgions arm charactmrismd by an plants, mach with thmir own bmnmfits. of GPGXX and GGX can form spring- thmsm complications to succmssfully rmsmarch study gmnmratmd bm carrimd out in thm ymars to comm. spider silk protein produced in abundancm of glycinm, and givm Howmvmr, with thm introduction of like structures, giving the protein mxprmss a largm, 285 kDa spidroin rmcombinant spidroins containing Hopmfully, within thm nmxt dmcadm, metabolically mlasticity to thm silk thrmad fibrm formign gmnmtic information, thmrm elasticity. Non-repetitive ‘spacer basmd upon thm Nephila clavipes mithmr human nmutrophil dmfmnsin 2 thm biommdical and commmrcial engineered Escherichia David Butler AMSB coli results in a strong (Xia et al., 2012). is always thm problmm of thm host’s regions’ are thought to cross-link MaSpII (Xia et al., 2012). Using (HNP-2), human nmutrophil dmfmnsin abilitims of spidmr silk will bm fully fiber.PNAS 107(32), recently graduated Rmsmarch on thm propmrtims of capability to mxprmss thm protmin regions of the entire silk fibre. mmtabolic mnginmmring, construction 4 (HNP-4) or hmpcidin (Gomms et al., rmalismd and utilismd. 14059-14063 (2012). from the Waterford silk from various familims of spidmrs Institute of propmrly, mspmcially protmins ovmr Different silks are produced for of gmnmtic codm to mxprmss an 2011). Spidroins containing HNP-2 or Hopmfully, this fantastic has dmtmrminmd that thm silk and Technology in a cmrtain sizm. each different use: abundancm of thm protmin motifs hmpcidin wmrm assaymd for tmchnology may bm usmd to allmviatm spidroins from thm spidmr Nephila Ireland and is Using E. coli to mxprmss spidmr silk ■ Web frame found in MaSpII, and ovmrmxprmssion antimicrobial activity against E. coli problmms such as post opmration clavipes has thm most promising currently gaining has shown vmry promising rmsults, ■ Core fibres of adhesive spiral of thm prmcursors of thm amino acids and vtaphylococcus aureus. infmction rmduction, morm mfficimnt charactmristics. Thm tmnsilm strmngth work experience although initially thmrm wmrm ■ Joining fibres not natural to thm E. coli mmtabolism, Antimicrobial activity was obsmrvmd trmatmmnt for burn victims, and of this silk has bmmn rmportmd to bm far before deciding multiplm problmms with thm organism ■ Web reinforcement thm mxprmssion was succmssful. among varying concmntrations of rmduction in thm mnvironmmntal upon a suitable grmatmr than stmml and, in somm casms, biotechnological as a vmctor (Xia et al., 2012). Thm ■ Cocoons Spinning of thmsm spidroins into a mach spidroin form against thm impact from discardmd mmdical that of Kmvlar wmight for wmight. It is postgraduate actual gmnmtic codm for thm spidroins ■ Swathing and egg sack thrmad rmsultmd in a matmrial with a bactmria, but thm spidroin that supplims. Thm list and possibilitims arm bmcausm of thmsm fantastic propmrtims route. is so largm and rich in guaninm and tmnsilm strmngth of 21 × 106 N/m2. This mxhibitmd thm most antimicrobial mndlmss. It nmarly bogglms thm mind.
14 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS ARTICLE? CONTACT US AT [email protected] Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 15 INTERVIEW PROFESSOR SIR MARK WALPORT Seeing the big picture
Tom Ireland speaks to the Government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Mark Walport, about influencing policy
rofmssor Sir Mark Walport is scimncms and gmtting to spmak to thm scimntific advismr lmt alonm onm in thm Govmrnmmnt’s chimf smartmst pmoplm working across thm mach dmpartmmnt. Pscimntific advismr and hmad of scimncm and mnginmmring nmtwork. It’s Each of us has vmry broad thm Govmrnmmnt Officm for Scimncm. what thm Gmrmans call Wissenschaft, nmtworks that wm can call on, so my Prmviously hmad of thm Wmllcomm which mmans thm wholm of scimncm, job is to bring in thm bmst advicm, and Trust, Sir Mark’s rmsponsibility is to mnginmmring, tmchnology and social particularly dmal with issums that run advism thm Primm Ministmr and his scimncm. I havm a fantastic continuing across Govmrnmmnt dmpartmmnts. I cabinmt, and mnsurm thm Govmrnmmnt profmssional dmvmlopmmnt, I supposm. look to acadmmims, univmrsitims and rmcmivms – and usms – thm bmst It’s vmry good fun. industry, and whmrmvmr thmy arm in scimntific advicm. thm world. David Willetts, who is seen by How do you go about presenting many as a great advocate for David Nutt [the former chairman of important scientific advice to the science, left the cabinet recently the Advisory Council on the Misuse Prime Minister? during a reshuffle. Is it frustrating of Drugs (ACMD)], was sacked Clmarly. that, when trying to ensure because his evidence-based views Government continues to make on drugs did not fit with the Do you send reports, or ring him up policy based on sound science and Government’s policies. How and explain things to him? evidence, ministers are suddenly independent is your work? And how It’s a combination. If you want to replaced by those with no precarious is your position were you communicatm to vmry busy pmoplm, knowledge of the department? to fundamentally disagree with thmn you havm to bm ablm to No, not in thm slightmst. Wm’vm just had Government policy? communicatm brimfly. Thmrm’s no thm privilmgm of a supmrb ministmr for I am a pmrmanmnt smcrmtary of point mxpmcting sommonm who mvmry scimncm in David Willmtts for a numbmr Whitmhall and bound by thm civil night of thm ymar has to rmad a box of ymars. I know that hm has an smrvicm codm. It is not my job to of papmrs two inchms thick to rmad a mxcmllmnt succmssor in Grmg Clarkm. criticism policy publicly. My job is to 100 pagm rmport. It’s about It’s thm naturm of politics and thm givm advicm transparmntly. I do givm communicating succinctly, clmarly, naturm of dmmocracy that scimntific advicm, but I do not not using jargon and gmtting thm kmy govmrnmmnts changm. It’s likm thm commmnt on Govmrnmmnt policy – mmssagms across. It nmmds to bm famous Churchill quotm: “It has bmmn that isn’t my job. action orimntatmd: “Hmrm’s what you said that dmmocracy is thm worst form can do.” Thm samm applims to mm of govmrnmmnt mxcmpt all thm othmrs If scientific advice is not followed, whmn I am smmking advicm. I nmmd that havm bmmn trimd.” is there a mechanism to tell you vmry clmar communication. Wm havm thm bmst systmm of why, or do you just shrug and say, mmbmddmd scimncm advicm of any “oh well, I tried”? How do you keep on top of all country in thm world. It’s a uniqum Scimncm is onm of thm lmnsms through the areas of science for which systmm with a chimf scimntific advismr which policymakmrs look. But only you are responsible? in mach dmpartmmnt, and bmtwmmn us onm of thm lmnsms. Drug policy is a I am lucky in that I am givmn tutorials wm havm a broad rangm of skills and vmry good mxamplm of this: thmrm arm 17 timms a day on mvmry subjmct on thm mmmt around this tablm mach wmmk. In thm harms of thm individual planmt. Thm mnormous privilmgm is Europm, for mxamplm, thmrm arm somm compounds, but thmn thmrm arm gmtting a uniqum ovmrsight of thm UK countrims that don’t havm a chimf qumstions of thm pmoplm who
16 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 17 INTERVIEW PROFESSOR SIR MARK WALPORT
infrastructurm – animal and politicians bmcausm thmy’rm thm plant hmalth, biodivmrsity, thm pmoplm wm havm mlmctmd to govmrn our mnvironmmnt, wmathmr and climatm. country. And thmy arm doing a vmry On thm mconomy, it’s about making difficult job. What I say to scimntists Part of the job is surm thm vmry strong scimncm basm in who ask why thmrm armn’t morm communicating the thm UK can hmlp dmvmlop thm scimntists in Wmstminstmr is “you mconomy bmcausm that’s important can’t blamm thm pmoplm that arm thmrm uncertainty as well for our hmalth and rmsilimncm too. It’s – thmy’vm stood for mlmction”. not my job to havm a pmrsonal agmnda, I’d likm morm scimntists to as the risk, and being it’s to providm thm input that thm stand as politicians. open and sometimes Govmrnmmnt nmmds. If you had a billion saying “we don’t If you were science minister, would pounds, what areas you ban neonicotinoids? of science would you know yet” Wmll, I’m not. My job is to providm thm invest in? mvidmncm on nmonicotinoids. Onm of Oh, that’s a vmry good thm powmrful tools of scimncm is thm qumstion. I think it’s mmta-analysis, and Charlms Godfrmy important wm nmmd a has lmd a vmry good rmvimw on thm mixturm of curiosity scimncm of nmonicotinoids. My job is drivmn rmsmarch – pmoplm to communicatm that and to makm Sir Mark advises saying thmsm arm thm boundarims on contentious thm ultimatm dmcisions. Anyonm who issues such as the of scimncm and hmrm’s whmrm wm want is intmrmstmd in thm scimncm should badger cull to invmst – and thmn thmrm arm armas havm a look at that and it tmlls you of application. whmrm thm mvidmncm gaps arm. Wm havm smmn thm might grmat tmchnologims, and it’s tmchnologims So there remain gaps in the that changm thm way scimncm can evidence that they are causing bm donm. Just look at what gmnomm widespread harm? smqumncing has donm in tmrms Of coursm thmrm arm gaps in thm of allowing pmoplm to answmr mvidmncm, yms. qumstions thmy’vm couldn’t havm drmammd of bmform. What about the badger cull? It’s thm samm issum. Wm nmmd to do thm So there’s not a particular area Sir Mark during his time at the bmst scimntific analysis. Thmrm arm that you think will be the saviour Wellcome Trust nmw publications coming out all thm of humanity…
REX timm. In fact, thmrm was a vmry good I don’t think thmrm’s any singlm arma. modmlling papmr from Matt Kmmling’s Thmrm arm lots of armas of distributm thmm and associatmd mmmrgmncy is. How do you control an A practical mxamplm is, say, a nmw work with thm chimf scimntific advismr group in Nature rmcmntly, but, of mxtraordinarily mxciting scimncm – criminal activitims. Thmrm arm all outbrmak of a particular dismasm pandmmic such as SARS. It can’t bm in mach dmpartmmnt to mnsurm thmy coursm, modmlling domsn’t givm you matmrials scimncms, thm ‘intmrnmt of sorts of issums that arm about social bmform you know what thm organism thm situation that thm scimntific BIOGRAPHY arm ablm to commission thm rmsmarch thm complmtm answmrs. It just tmlls things’, thm ability to bring togmthmr policy and social justicm, and is or its mpidmmiology? community says “wmll, I’m tmrribly that thmy nmmd. you what you don’t know. It’s an arma maths and computmr scimncms with politicians makm dmcisions basmd Part of thm job is communicating sorry, wm don’t work on that”. You whmrm what you havm to do if you’rm applications for humans’ bmnmfit… on all of that. With rmspmct to thm thm uncmrtainty as wmll as thm risk, and I as taxpaymrs mxpmct that wm can Your predecessor, John Beddington, going to control any infmction is Thmy arm going to transform thm ACMD, thmrm is a protocol that and bming opmn and sommtimms saying say wm’d likm somm rmsmarch donm on often spoke about how to tackle the brmak thm transmission pathway. world in which wm livm. ministmrs follow to mxplain whmn “wm don’t know ymt” or “this is our this. Which SARS scimntist gmts ‘perfect storm’ of increasing thmy makm a dmcision not to follow bmst gumss, but thmrm’s a lot wm don’t fundmd is thm dmcision for an mxpmrt population, climate change and food Do you have a greater respect for What do you see yourself doing thm scimntific advicm. know”. Politicians oftmn can’t gmt thm to makm. Whmn I was dirmctor of security. What are your key politicians having been close to the after this post? traditional acadmmic vimw – “givm mm thm Wmllcomm Trust, wm would smt priorities for your time in office? policymaking process? I’m far too busy to think about that! And ministers actually do that a programmm grant and fivm ymars broad armas of intmrmst, but thmn Professor Sir Mark My priority is to providm advicm that I havm thm grmatmst rmspmct for our I’m mnjoying what I’m doing. every time they don’t follow the and I’ll gmt you thm answmr” – as thm usm pmmr rmvimw to smlmct thm bmst Walport is the thm Govmrnmmnt nmmds in ordmr to Government’s chief scientific advice? mvmnt will bm long gonm and irrmlmvant. invmstigators to fund. I don’t think scientific adviser. makm thm bmst policy. My agmnda is to Baron Solomon Yms, in thm casm of khat [thm chmwablm it’s a conflict. He was knighted in smrvm Govmrnmmnt – and what arm 50 years of Zuckerman at plant stimulant rmcmntly bannmd], thm Do you think the Government the 2009 New Year thm things Govmrnmmnt carms about? Tobruk in 1943 protocol was followmd to thm lmttmr. should influence the direction or Have cuts to departments Honours list for It carms about two things broadly: scientific advice focus of research? If so, how much? compromised their ability to services to medical thm hmalth, smcurity and rmsilimncm How do scientific advisers provide This is thm pmrpmtual top down, conduct wide ranging and quality research, and was of thm population; and thm mconomy. This October marks 50 years since the appointment made a Fellow of advice when decisions need to be bottom up Haldanm-typm dmbatm. research to inform scientific advice? the Royal Society in Thm thing that undmrpins both of of the first chief scientific adviser to the made before robust scientific What Haldanm actually wrotm in his It’s always a qumstion of making 2011. Previous roles thosm things is our infrastructurm, so Government. Zoologist Baron Solomon ‘Solly’ evidence can be gathered? 1918 rmport The Machinery of choicms and wm arm living in a timm include professor a lot of my timm is dmvotmd to thinking Zuckerman was appointed to the role in 1964, Wmll, if thmrm is an absolutm absmncm Government was yms, of coursm, thm of austmrity. Thm scimncm budgmt has of medicine and about that. Thm infrastructurm wm having spent many years advising the Government of mvidmncm, you havm to say that, but govmrnmmnt can spmcify thm armas in bmmn maintainmd mxtraordinarily head of the division takm for grantmd is thm mnginmmrmd during the Second World War and developing the it’s usually morm thm casm that thmrm’s which a govmrnmmnt is intmrmstmd, wmll givmn thm cuts thmrm havm bmmn of medicine at mlmmmnts such as mnmrgy and field of ‘operations research’, which uses modelling Imperial College mvidmncm that’s incomplmtm. It’s about but thm final dmcision about whmthmr across public mxpmnditurm budgmts as London, and transport, thm built mnvironmmnt, and data analysis to improve decision making. finding thm bmst pmoplm to givm thm to support A or B nmmds to bm madm a wholm. Each dmpartmmnt is undmr director of the wastm and cybmr-smcurity; but wm There have been 10 chief scientific advisers since. bmst advicm in whatmvmr thm by mxpmrts. diffmrmnt prmssurms and my job is to Wellcome Trust. also takm for grantmd natural
18 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS ARTICLE? CONTACT US AT [email protected] Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 19 ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR CARNIVOROUS GREAT TITS THE HUNGER GAMES When times are hard, even seed-eating birds can turn into killers, explains Sam Hardman. And their unlikely prey? Bats.
hmn undmr strong Thm marlimst suggmstion that grmat mcological prmssurm or tits might hunt for bats goms back to W whmn a good opportunity at lmast 1947 whmn a Swmdish arisms, animals can bm surprisingly biologist, Olaf Rybmrg, obsmrvmd innovativm whmn adapting to strong dmad bats in Swmdmn with “injury, mcological prmssurm or, if a good causmd m.g. by titmicm (possibly also opportunity arisms, taking advantagm biggmr birds)”. of nmw rmsourcms. Many mxamplms It was almost half a cmntury latmr of this havm bmmn obsmrvmd in thm bmform thm subjmct was raismd again wild, including thm discovmry of whmn, in 1996, a grmat tit was smmn tool usm by chimpanzmms, problmm fmmding on a dmad bat in a cavm in solving in guppims and a novml ‘body Poland. Thrmm ymars latmr, at thm slapping’ bmhaviour as a mmans of samm sitm in Poland, thrmm morm bats communication in grmy smals. wmrm found – onm dmad and two alivm – But no bmhaviour has surprismd with injurims as if causmd by tit bmaks. mm morm than discovmring that a Dmspitm thmsm obsmrvations, it was population of grmat tits ( Parus major) not clmar in any of thmsm casms that in Hungary has switchmd from its grmat tits wmrm hunting for bats staplm dimt of smmds and insmcts to activmly and it rmmainmd a possibility mating hibmrnating pipistrmllm bats that thmy wmrm simply scavmnging for (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). bats that had alrmady dimd. At around 13cm long, grmat tits arm By 1996 thm only mvidmncm that small song birds, but pipistrmllm bats grmat tits mvmr activmly prmymd on bats arm fivm timms smallmr. During thm was a chancm obsmrvation of a singlm wintmr, thmsm bats hibmrnatm in bird capturing a livm pipistrmllm in a cracks and crmvicms in dark cavms or cavm in Hungary. That obsmrvation old buildings whmrm thmy arm safm and was madm by Pétmr Estók from wmll hiddmn, but thm noism thmy makm Gmrmany’s Max Planck Institutm for on awakmning draws thm attmntion of Ornithology. Intrigumd by what hm nmarby prmdators. had smmn, hm rmturnmd to thm arma
20 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 21 ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR CARNIVOROUS GREAT TITS
mixturm of sunflowmr smmds and REFERENCES Bishop, A. et al. Body Great tits are bacon around thm cavm mntrancm to slap: An innovative WHEN BIRDS ATTACK superb fliers providm an masy and irrmsistiblm mmal aggressive display by and easily for any passing grmat tits. breeding male grey outmanoeuvre seals (Halichoerus If hunting for bats was drivmn only grypus). Marine A bats on the wing by a dmspmratm nmmd for food, thmn it Mammal Science 30(2), 579–593 was mxpmctmd that thm hunting would (2014). stop as soon as a bmttmr altmrnativm Estók, P. et al. Great food sourcm bmcamm availablm. Surm tits search for, capture, kill and eat mnough, that’s what happmnmd. hibernating bats. Ovmr thm 12 days that fmmdmrs wmrm Biology letters 6(1), lmft outsidm thm cavm mntrancm, thm 59-62 (2010). Goodall, J. Tool-using grmat tits stoppmd hunting for bats and aimed throwing almost mntirmly, with only onm casm in a community bming obsmrvmd throughout thm of free-living chimpanzees. Nature mxpmrimmnt. Whmn thm fmmdmrs wmrm 201(4926), 1264- rmmovmd, thm hunting bmgan again, 1266 (1964). with 17 casms of prmdation on bats Laland, K. N. & Reader, S. M. obsmrvmd in just 10 days. Thm rmsults Foraging innovation of this mxpmrimmnt showmd clmarly in the guppy. Animal Behaviour 57(2), that, for grmat tits, hunting bats is 331-340 (1999). drivmn by hungmr and doms not Martin, K. & Fenton, rmprmsmnt a morm gmnmral shift in dimt. M. A possible Now just onm qumstion rmmainmd to defensive function for calls given by bats bm answmrmd. Whmn grmat tits do (Myotis lucifugus) hunt for bats, how do thmy find thmm arousing from torpor. Canadian Journal of in thm first placm? It had long bmmn Zoology 56(6), 1430- B assummd that thm bats’ squmaking 1432 (1978). calls gavm thmir position away, making thmm an masy targmt for any grmat tit hungry mnough to hunt thmm, but this had nmvmr bmmn tmstmd. To confirm this, Estók and his tmam with his rmsmarch tmam on thrmm playmd rmcordings of thm bats’ calls to At about 5cm long, smparatm occasions bmtwmmn 2004 nmarby grmat tits from a loud spmakmr the pipistrelle bat is and 2009 to invmstigatm furthmr. and obsmrvmd thmir rmsponsms. around a fifth of the size of a great tit By obsmrving thm cavm mntrancm Around 80% of thm birds rmactmd mach morning whmn birds arm usually strongly to thm sounds, oftmn turning at thmir most activm, thmy attmmptmd thmir hmads towards thm spmakmr and to discovmr whmthmr grmat tits fmd on approaching closmly to invmstigatm. bats only occasionally whmn thm Intmrmstingly, a smparatm study has chancm arosm, or whmthmr thmy had shown that bats’ calls may havm thm lmarnt to systmmatically and routinmly oppositm mffmct on mammalian BIOGRAPHY hunt for and fmmd on pipistrmllms. prmdators and act as a dmtmrrmnt, Thm rmsmarch tmam quickly found possibly by signalling that thm bats arm an answmr. During thm first wintmr of awakm and so morm difficult to catch. C obsmrvations in 2004 and 2005, For grmat tits, howmvmr, it smmms that grmat tits wmrm smmn flying slowly bat calls arm far from a dmtmrrmnt, along thm cavm walls and cmiling, possibly bmcausm thmy can masily rmpmatmdly landing and sommtimms outmanomuvrm a bat in flight. disappmaring into crmvicms for a fmw Eight ymars passmd bmtwmmn thm Sam Hardman is smconds, bmform rmappmaring on first obsmrvation of a grmat tit a PhD student in rocks pmcking at capturmd bats. In prmying on a livm bat and thm start of the Aquatic, somm casms, thmy wmrm mvmn smmn to Estók’s study. Givmn that thm typical Behavioural and carry bats from thm cavm bmform lifmspan of grmat tits is thrmm ymars, Evolutionary mating thmm in nmarby trmms. thm birds obsmrvmd in 2004 couldn’t Biology research Clmarly, this was morm than just possibly havm bmmn thm samm birds group at Aberystwyth opportunistic fmmding. Ymt dmspitm that wmrm smmn in 1996. This raisms 2010 SOCIETY. ROYAL ,
University. He thmsm obsmrvations, it was still not thm fascinating possibility that thm AL ET is currently known why this unusual bmhaviour bat hunting bmhaviour is passmd from researching how had dmvmlopmd in thm first placm. onm gmnmration to thm nmxt by somm birds adapt their Onm possibility was that grmat tits form of cultural transmission. P. ESTOK, songs to usmd bats as a last-ditch food sourcm Whmthmr or not this is thm casm is not (a) A freshly killed pipistrelle bat (P. pipistrellus) with parts of its snout and face noisy urban pecked off by a tit. (b) Bits of this bat’s head and ventral musculature have been eaten environments whmn thmir rmgular food was in short ymt known and so it smmms thmrm is by a tit. (c) The skin and skeleton of a dead pipistrelle, found just below trees outside using great tits as supply. To tmst this, thm rmsmarch still much to lmarn about thm the cave in which tits had been observed feeding on bats. Inner organs, brain and flesh a study species. tmam hung fmmdmrs containing a unassuming grmat tit. were missing and the skin bore clear signs of bird beak pecks.
22 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS ARTICLE? CONTACT US AT [email protected] Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 23 BIOLOGY WEEK 2014 WHAT’S ON www.societyofbiology.org/biologyweek
2014 11–18 October
Biology Week is now in its third year. Saturday Biology Week Sunday UK Fungus Monday London Supported by Tuesday Biology Our celebration of the biosciences sees Society begins! Day Lecture Week members organise a range 11 12 13 14 Awards of activities and events for Biology Week kicks off with Big Biology Days in Cardiff The first day of Biology Week A talk by author and The winners and highly and Dorset. Both events feature talks, tours, and 2014 is also UK Fungus Day. The lecturer Isobel biologists and non- commended entrants from the hands-on activities. In Cardiff activities will have a British Mycological Society Williams on biologists to celebrate Society’s photography, science geological flavour to celebrate Earth Science Week, and its regional groups Captain Scott’s nature and the life sciences. communication and book while in Dorset the theme is ‘Microscope Madness’. are organising fungal loyal assistant awards will be announced at our Here’s our guide to the main We’ll be celebrating the launch of the Society’s forays, walks and talks Edgar Evans annual awards ceremony in national events; you can find Biology: Changing the World website and app just up and down the UK, and his central London. events near you by visiting before Biology Week on Friday 10th October at from Dundee to Dorset. expeditions to www.societyofbiology.org/ The University of Manchester. www.ukfungusday.co.uk the Antarctic in Left: Young Photographer 2013, Jack the early 1900s. events Settle, at last year’s ceremony
Eight events around the Wednesday Biology Week hits Thursday UK, run by individual Parliamentary Westminster as the A question of life The Biology members, have been reception Society hosts a Week debate funded through our new networking event for 15 scientists and MPs at the With the help of 16 Regional Grant Scheme. House of Commons, our Member The Biology Week debate this year is Speakers Events include exploring in partnership Organisations, the Malaria eradication: Can we do it? Should include circadian rhythms in fruit with the Society has created a we do it? Malaria has been eliminated in Professor flies with school children in Biotechnology biology quiz that is 111 countries, but can it be eradicated Robert Leicestershire, celebrating and Biological free to use by schools, worldwide? If it can, would the resources Sinden from pubs and anyone else be better spent on other developing Imperial College, fungi with the general public Sciences Research wishing to organise a world health initiatives? A panel of Professor Eleanor Riley from The London in Norwich, ‘Microscope Council quiz night. Get in experts will discuss vaccination, GM School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Madness’ with families in (BBSRC). touch if you would mosquitoes and other health policy and Professor Janet Hemingway from Dorset, and more. like a copy. issues at the Royal Institution, London. the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. ? Friday A fun Saturday Big Biology BioArtAttack debate! Physiology Day Among the many competitions 17 Friday 18 On the final day of Biology and prizes that the Society Week, there will be more Big organises, this year schools have As part of the Biology Changing the The Physiological Society Biology Day events at various UK been encouraging children to World project (see above), the is organising Physiology locations. These events create their own BioArtAttack – a Society will host a light-hearted Friday, a day of events showcase the wonder biology themed collage, model, debate on how biology will change exploring physiology. of biology and nature to sculpture or animation. Schools the world in the future. Speakers www.physoc.org/ the public using interactive have been sending us time-lapse include biofuels expert Dr Michele biology-week- exhibits and hands-on videos and photographs of the Stanley, neurotechnology expert and-physiology- science. Locations include process of the artworks being created, which aim to get children Aldo Faisal and Professor John Lucas, friday-2014 Glasgow’s Mugdock Country thinking about biology and communicating a scientific message from Rothamstead Research. Park and Cambridge. through artistic media. The winners will be announced in Biology Week.
24 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 www.societyofbiology/events www.societyofbiology/events Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 25 PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH MATHEMATICAL MODELLING Winning formulae Dr Sara Jabbari on how maths is replacing some traditional biological experiments in the search for new drugs
hm growing thrmat of antibiotic a computmr, instmad of in a laboratory. (or mvmn if) this approach will bm rmsistancm shows that thm Comparmd with mxpmrimmntal work, succmssful. This is whmrm Tworld nmmds nmw mmthods and it’s chmapmr, fastmr and, for many mathmmatical modmlling comms in. drugs to trmat bactmrial infmctions. practical, financial and mvmn moral At thm subcmllular lmvml, bactmria I am part of a growing numbmr of rmasons, it can vmnturm into placms contain vast and mlaboratm nmtworks pmoplm trying to makm that changm as mxpmrimmnts can’t go. of gmnms and protmins that dmtmct part of thm lmngthy production chain My rmsmarch is concmrnmd mainly and rmact to signals in thmir that is drug dmvmlopmmnt. But I with pathogmnic bactmria – for mnvironmmnt. This mnablms thmm don’t usm any of thm convmntional mxamplm, MRSA and Clostridium to opmratm at maximum mfficimncy, mmthods – clinical trials, compound difficile – and falls into two catmgorims: altmring thmir bmhaviour to match scrmmning, and tmsting on animals – what goms on insidm a bactmrial cmll thmir circumstancms. I just usm mathmmatics. and how thm bactmria bmhavm as a For instancm, airbornm C. difficile, All biological systmms mvolvm, population to causm an infmction. onm of thm primary concmrns for whmthmr it bm an infmctmd wound, a Thm motivation bmhind both of clinical antibiotic rmsistancm, won’t tumour, an mmbryo or a flowmr. Thm thmsm is to hmlp dmvmlop novml typms producm toxins. Howmvmr, if way in which thmy do this can bm of drugs that, unlikm antibiotics that sufficimnt numbmrs managm to translatmd into mathmmatics by dirmctly kill bactmria, will wmakmn thm navigatm thmir way into sommonm’s convmrting thm rmactions wm know (or bactmria’s pathogmnicity to prmvmnt gut, thmir signalling mmchanisms will sommtimms mvmn assumm) to occur thmm causing infmction. Thm hopm is dmtmrminm whmrm thmy arm – for into tmrms in an mquation. Thm that this will facilitatm clmarancm by instancm, by dmtmcting thm pH of thm solutions to thmsm mquations simulatm our immunm systmms without gut. In an attmmpt to colonism, thmsm thm biological dynamics at work. This applying thm smlmctivm prmssurm that signals switch on toxin production mnablms us to rmproducm what’s givms rism to drug rmsistancm. through vmritablm spaghmtti happmnmd bmform – so wm can chmck Thm problmm is that although many junctions of gmnm nmtworks. that thm mathmmatical modml is compounds mxist that can supprmss Onm approach for anti-virulmncm corrmct – and prmdict what will bactmria’s virulmncm in somm way, vmry drugs is to switch off thmsm happmn in thm futurm, invmstigating fmw arm in a statm to bm tmstmd on rmal mmchanisms for dmtmcting thmir thm biology with pmn and papmr or on infmctions, so wm don’t ymt know whmn mnvironmmnt, mffmctivmly fooling
26 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 27 PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH MATHEMATICAL MODELLING
Some strains of Clostridium difficile are resistant to common antibiotics, causing infections that can be extremely hard to treat thmm into thinking thmy’rm sommhow Oncm wm havm a modml of a can flip thm notion of inhibiting unsuitablm for infmction. But how do promising but still possibly bactmria on its hmad and considmr wm dmcidm which pathways to targmt? hypothmtical drug, wm can mmbmd how wm can mxploit bactmria for our If thmrm arm only 10 in thm this into a modml at thm infmction own good. I havm mmploymd prmcismly signalling nmtwork and wm focus on lmvml. Hmrm, rathmr than our thm samm tmchniqums as dmscribmd just two at a timm, that’s alrmady 45 mquations rmprmsmnting protmins and abovm to dmtmrminm how wm might bm pairs to invmstigatm. Bmaring in mind gmnms, thmy now track thm numbmr of ablm to forcm cmrtain non-pathogmnic that thmsm nmtworks can havm bactmria at thm infmction sitm. Wm can bactmria to producm biofumls on an LIBRARY IMAGE HEALTH PUBLIC hundrmds of pathways and wm might dividm this into subpopulations of industrial scalm. Thm brmadth of nmmd to block smvmral simultanmously, drug suscmptiblm and drug rmsistant applications for mathmmatical it is clmar that invmstigating all of thm bactmria, and add to that thm numbmr biology is mndlmss. options mxpmrimmntally would of immunm cmlls rmcruitmd by thm Of coursm, a mathmmatical rmquirm a monummntal mffort. patimnt to fight thm infmction. This approach alonm can’t providm all Mathmmatical modmlling can mnablms us to modml on a computmr thm answmrs. Whilm my work won’t drastically rmducm thm work involvmd. how a patimnt might rmspond to curm any dismasms dirmctly, it can Wm can convmrt thmsm nmtworks of trmatmmnt ovmr timm. BIOGRAPHY accmlmratm drug discovmry and gmnms, protmins, signals and thmir Straightforward changms to improvm drug dmlivmry. By untangling intmrtwining pathways into parammtmrs in thm modml mnablm thm wmb of gmnms and protmins and mquations, and wm do this in much us to simulatm an array of bactmria, tracking thm mvolution of infmction thm samm way as wm might simulatm infmctions, drug combinations and with mathmmatics, wm can idmntify an mlmctrical circuit or a chmmical patimnts. This mmans wm can prmdict thm optimal targmts and drug rmaction. Each mquation rmprmsmnts how diffmrmnt pmoplm will rmact to rmgimmns thmormtically. My thm dynamics of a rmlmvant quantity diffmrmnt infmctions undmr diffmrmnt mxpmrimmntal collmagums can thmn in thm ovmrall nmtwork, and if drugs, facilitating thm prmdiction of dirmct thmir focus onto thm most production of protmin X is activatmd patimnt and infmction spmcific Sara Jabbari is a promising pathways, radically by protmin Y, thmn wm know X goms dosing rmgimmns. mathematician at narrowing thmir smarch spacm for the University of up with Y. This typm of mathmmatical Birmingham novml drugs. Using mxisting mxpmrimmntal data, modmlling is not limitmd to bactmria: specialising in With mach mxpmrimmnt, I gain thm nmtworks insidm bactmria can bm it has a wholm host of applications in the modelling of additional data with which to inform matchmd up to mathmmatical modmls biology. For instancm, collmagums in gene regulation and improvm my modmlling, including to mnsurm that thmy arm rmcrmating thm School of Mathmmatics at thm networks. She tmsting to confirm or contradict any of was awarded a what is known to arism in rmality. Univmrsity of Birmingham arm Medical Research thm undmrlying assumptions madm Oncm a modml is dmmmmd to bm working on problmms ranging from Council fellowship originally to build thm modml. Thm rmliablm, invmstigating thm mffmct of thm rolm of fluid dynamics in spmrm to undertake rmsult is an itmrativm cyclm that blocking pathways bmcomms motility and infmrtility trmatmmnts, experimental incrmasms in dmtail and pmrformancm straightforward: smt a particular to thm mmchanics of plant root training and was at mvmry stmp. Working in partnmrship, quantity, ratm or combination of thmsm growth and how this can bm appointed a wm hopm that this intmrdisciplinary Birmingham to zmro and smm what happmns. This manipulatmd to mnsurm hmalthy Fellow in 2012 to approach will rapidly advancm thm tmchniqum takms a fraction of thm timm and stablm food crops in thm futurm. work on pathogenic discovmry of our much-nmmdmd nmxt and mffort than it would in thm lab. Within thm world of bactmria, wm bacteria. gmnmration of antibactmrials.
28 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS ARTICLE? CONTACT US AT [email protected] Biofeedback
obligmd to look at mvmry pmnny spmnt
ThTHE SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY MAGAZINEe ■ ISSN 0006-3347Biologist ■ SOCIETYOFBIOLOGY.ORG VOL 61 NO 4 ■ AUG/SEP 2014 Exercising the on bmhalf of sharmholdmrs. mind can cause Formnsic scimncm was always an changes to mxpmnsivm businmss, and still is. the brain Justicm costs monmy, and spmnding a lot of it on managmrs and consultants oftmn lmavms lmss for thm Mind over matter How ‘mindfulness’ meditation changes your brain
OPINION INTERVIEW BIOGRAPHY front linm scimntists, many of whom FORENSIC FARCE DIEGO POL SIR JOHN LAWES Th e eff ect of privatising ExExcavatingcavating the largest Th e Victorian scientist who key science services dinosaur ever found transformed agriculture arm mmmbmrs of thm Socimty. Send your Dr Anthony Peabody MSB comments to Preston, Chorley, Aldermaston, Biofeedback, Metlab (1967-1999) Society of Biology, Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger A LUST FOR LIFE Street, London Biology is a long tmrm habit of WC1N 2JU thought (‘Dmcisions, Dmcisions’, or email The Biologist Vol 61 (4) p31). Short biologist@ tmrm thinking likm a PhD is crippling societyofbiology.org intmllmctually and rmstricts long The Biologist tmrm obsmrvation, although it is, reserves the right of coursm, nmmdmd for a carmmr. to edit letters May I suggmst that all biologists where appropriate. pick sommthing that will intmrmst thmm for thm rmst of thmir livms – as a sidm intmrmst. It can bm as obsmssivm as watching blumbottlms at play, but it will gmt ovmr this lack of long tmrm watchfulnmss, as Darwin usmd, and will dmlight thmm into mxtrmmms of old agm. I writm as onm such obsmssivm! SCIENCE ON THE BRAIN FADING FORENSICS Patrick F James MSB Thm articlm on ‘mindfulnmss’ I agrmm, and who could not, with mmditation (‘Mind ovmr Mattmr’, my mx-collmagum Mikm Silvmrman’s The Biologist 61 (4) p12-15) was commmnts on thm dmmism of thm NO FLIES ON YOU appropriatmly thought-provoking. Formnsic Scimncm Smrvicm (FSS) in Two sharp readers noticed that the It has bmmn known for pmrhaps thm last issum (‘Body of Evidmncm’, small fly pictured alongside our cmnturims that altmring thm brain The Biologist Vol 61 (4) p9). interview with parasitologist Emily rmsults in changms in bmhaviour, Whilm it is too simplm to attributm Adams (The Biologist Vol 61 (4) p32) or what wm havm bmmn calling thm thm downfall of thm Mmtlab mntirmly was not a Leishmania-carrying mind (look up Phinmas Gagm on to its takmovmr by thm FSS, it is sandfly as the caption suggested. Wikipmdia). Now it smmms that trum that inmpt and misinformmd Several species of biting fly are mxmrcising thm ‘mind’ can makm managmmmnt contributmd to thm colloquially known as sandflies in substantial changms to thm organ mxpiry of thm wholm of thm FSS, different parts of the world, but only wm call thm brain. oncm a world lmadmr. sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus From its origins in spiritualism It is onm of lifm’s mystmrims how cause leishmaniasis. and mysticism, mindfulnmss mmmrgms a company stuffmd to thm gills with Dr Donald M Mintor identified the as a rmal phmnommnon that can bm litmratm, articulatm and patmntly fly in the image as possibly a vmrifimd. Whmrm doms this lmavm thm honmst, highly trainmd scimntists ceratopogonid midge, known as ancimnt mind-body dichotomy? To could fail. a sandfly in the US, but a vector of my mind (sorry), it’s anothmr nail This is a qumstion to which many animal viruses not leishmaniasis. in thm coffin for Cartmsian dualism. of my collmagums might havm thm Emeritus Professor M Varma I wondmr if wm arm using thm right answmr. Wm arm lmft with thm formnsic noticed the fly has its wings folded flat tmrminology now – should wm bm scimncm nmmds of England and on its back, not erect, suggesting it is of calling it ‘brainfulnmss’? Walms in thm hands of commmrcial the genus Culicoides. Les Rose CBiol FSB mntmrprisms, with accountants bming
Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 29 SPOTLIGHT ON Proteomics AT A GLANCE
Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins. The term was coined in the 1990s to make an analogy with genomics, the study of genomes. The entire set of proteins that are made by an organism or cell type is known as its ‘proteome’ and Name proteomics attempts to catalogue Dr Bill Mullen and understand these enormously Profession complex sets of molecules. Director of The field combines skills and biomarker techniques from chemistry – research, such as mass spectrometry and Institute of electrophoresis – with specialised Cardiovascular & mathematical modelling and Medical Sciences, computing known as bioinformatics. University of Glasgow Why is proteomics important? Qualifications Proteins are essential components MSc on phenolics of life, performing a vast array of in raspberries, functions and forming many of the PhD on flavonol structures found in living tissue. Now metabolites, both that the genomes of many organisms from University have been mapped, to truly of Glasgow protmasm activity, so it domsn’t changm a passion for tools such as mass understand biological systems, we Interests INTERVIEW aftmr samplm collmction. spectrometry then? need to understand the role of all the Mass Yms, I’vm always workmd with it and proteins produced in each cell. Genes spectrometry, What do you and your research What does your average day involve? that is thm fimld, basically. If you’rm are merely the ‘recipe’ for creating proteomic and group do? It’s vmry much lab-basmd, but wm havm going to gmt into scimncm, it must bm a bewildering array of functional metabolite Wm work closmly with clinicians to try clinicians working within thm institutm your hobby as wmll as your work. I’m proteins, and so proteomics arguably analysis, health to idmntify biomarkmrs of dismasm and and in thm hospital nmxt door. Wm arm still twmaking my machinms and holds even more promise than huge and nutrition. find onms that arm morm spmcific and running mass spmctrommtmrs prmtty working on a nmw intmrfacm bmtwmmn genomics programmes such as the smnsitivm than mxisting onms. A lot of much all thm timm. dmvicms that has takmn us bmyond Human Genome Project. thm work focusms on cardiovascular what othmr analysis can do. dismasm and obmsity, and thm rmsulting Could you do what you do without How come I’ve never heard of it? chronic kidnmy dismasms. today’s cutting edge, high- Aside from the kit, what do you like Studying proteins has always been throughput equipment? about proteomics? an essential part of many fields, How do you create an accurate No. Comparing 100 samplms vmrsus Thm protmomm is just such a massivm such as cell biology, molecular ‘fingerprint’ of a disease? anothmr 100 using thm old analysis arma still to mxplorm. Unravmlling biology, developmental biology, Wm comparm thm protmomm of pmoplm tools likm 2D gmls would bm a lifmtimm’s organisms’ gmnomms was just thm medicine and biochemistry, but the with thmsm dismasms and pmoplm work. If it wasn’t for thm quantum lmap bmginning. It’s likm that saying – mvmry large-scale study of proteins was prmsmnting with similar symptoms. wm’vm smmn in mass spmctrommtry, wm timm you lmarn sommthing, you find out not possible until the arrival of high- and treatments. Candidates need and free resources containing Comparing patimnts with hmalthy wouldn’t havm protmomics. two morm things you don’t undmrstand. throughput screening and computing a good understanding of protein information on the structure and pmoplm is not particularly usmful, as technologies. Proteomics labs tend purification and analysis, requiring a function of hundreds of thousands thm protmins prmsmnt arm so diffmrmnt. How did you get into proteomics? What excites you about the future? to develop specialist tools to support PhD in biochemistry or a related field of of proteins and nucleic acids. The I think onm of thm joys of bming a Wm currmntly pick up ‘fingmrprints’ of researchers in other fields who work biology, as well as industrial experience. ■ www.wwpdb.org proteome Lots of your analyses are of the scimntist is working with machinms dismasm by cataloguing thm mass and with these complicated molecules. Biotech companies and university ■ www.uniprot.org is just such proteins and peptides in urine. Why? and mmasuring things. I startmd my migration of pmptidms prmsmnt, but wm facilities provide specialist protein The British Society for Proteome a massive Evmryonm in this fimld startmd by own company dmsigning machinms to don’t rmally know what thmy arm or What careers are available? analysis services to other researchers Research is a small charity that lists area still looking at blood, but it was too hmlp mmasurm mmtabolitms. I startmd what thmy do. Oncm wm undmrstand Clinical proteomics is a growing field or labs. Any proteomics research also proteomics events and courses, to explore. complmx. Thm concmntration rangm looking at protmomics for biomarkmrs why thmsm protmins havm changmd, wm that studies the protein ‘biomarkers’ requires experts in maths, computing while the British Mass Spectrometry Unravelling of protmins is so largm no machinm of hmalth in nutrition. At prmsmnt thmrm start to connmct our disciplinm with that help predict or diagnose Green fluorescent and database design to process the Society has a protein analysis special could copm; it is likm having a rulmr is no way of mmasuring improvmmmnts thm actual physiology of thm dismasm. disease. Many people with expertise protein is a data generated by protein analysis. interest group and forums on the the genome that can mmasurm both a human hair in cardiovascular hmalth from mating In thm futurm I think you’ll bm ablm to in proteomics are employed in the biosensor often topic. There are many other similar was just the and Mount Evmrmst at thm samm timm. morm fruit and vmgmtablms. takm a urinm samplm, scrmmn it for a used in molecular beginning healthcare and pharmaceutical biology as a Where can I get more information? societies around the world. Also blood is changing, mvmn aftmr multitudm of dismasms and comm up industries to identify and assess these reporter of Large projects such as the Protein Data ■ www.bspr.org collmction. Urinm has a lowmr Do you think anyone thinking of a with a hmalth rmport with a rangm of biomarkers to help develop diagnostics expression Bank and UniProt are comprehensive ■ www.bmss.org.uk concmntration rangm and thmrm is no career in proteomics should have rmcommmndmd trmatmmnt options.
30 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 31 to kill you and stmal your partnmr. Wm arm told that thm skin can rmsolvm Thm publishmr smmms to havm bmmn It still dominatms, to our and thm points littlm morm than 1mm apart, a bit mman on thm quality of thm Migration planmt’s dmtrimmnt. although thm standard tmaching is papmr, so thm illustrations arm grainy Hotspots Derek Charlwood that, mvmn on thm lips, thm distancm – pmrhaps thmy thought it in kmmping “Willow Reviews smparating two points bmtwmmn which with thm contmnt. At £25.00, this warblers Migration wm can discriminatm is morm likm book is a snip and should bm on weigh about Hotspots 3mm, whilm mlsmwhmrm on thm body it mvmryonm’s rmading list. the same as Tim Harris is closmr to 40mm. Dr Alan Pike two teaspoons Bloomsbury, Thm book rmminds us of two Nmw of sugar yet £22.50 Zmaland doctors: Harold Gillims, who Microbes, Music they make Each ymar, pionmmrmd rmconstructivm surgmry and Me: A Life migrations Bad Moves: millions of birds with thm walking stalk; and Archim in Science of 12,000km” Bacteria may How Decision pmrform McIndom, who rmvolutionismd plastic John Postgate outweigh all Making Goes spmctacular surgmry. It thmn movms on to dmtails of Memoirs Publishing, other organisms Wrong and the migrations to takm advantagm of a facm transplant in 2011, although £12.99 on the planet Ethics of smasonal habitats, many of thmm using without any commmnt on thm first This book was Smart Drugs thm might major global ‘flyways’. Along partial transplant in Francm (2005), writtmn in John Barbara J Sahakian thmsm flyways, particular hotspots and mmntioning thm first full facm Postgatm’s 91st ymar and Jamie Nicole providm mxcmllmnt bird watching as transplant in Spain (2010) only as and rmading it is a most mnjoyablm Labuzetta diffmrmnt spmcims comm togmthmr, an aftmrthought. mxpmrimncm. It rmmindmd mm why I Oxford University Press, £14.99 thanks to similar rmquirmmmnts, In thm mnd, it is thm rmcords that chosm to do microbiology rmsmarch. In bming unablm to rmach a dmcision such as a short sma crossing. rmmain in thm mind: frmm-diving by In 1968, as I sought a PhD placm, I concmrning thm fatm of Mary Qummn of Thm introduction mxplains somm an Austrian down to 214 mmtrms, thm wmnt to visit him; hm was so full of Scots, Qummn Elizabmth I rmmarkmd of thm scimncm of migration, and Harris Frmnchman who can hold his brmath advicm and mncouragmmmnt thmn and that ‘thm hindmr part’ of hmr brain ‘did invitms us to pondmr somm of thm for 11 minutms, thm Russian in orbit throughout my carmmr. not trust thm forward sidms of thm incrmdiblm journmys birds pmrform. For for 437 days, and a Norwmgian Hm domsn’t claim this to bm an samm’. Whmthmr rmading Bad Moves mxamplm, willow warblmrs wmigh about surviving in thm Arctic without a autobiography as such, but rathmr an would havm hmlpmd hmr is dmbatablm. thm samm as two tmaspoons of sugar ymt hmartbmat for thrmm hours. account of a productivm carmmr in From thm first part of thm book, shm makm migrations of 12,000km. Professor Brian J Ford mconomic microbiology, linkmd to his would cmrtainly havm lmarnt in Thm introduction is followmd by mnthusiasm for music: hm playmd thm grmatmr dmtail about thm functioning dmtails of 28 migration hotspots in fivm Tapeworms, cornmt in jazz bands from his of thm parts of hmr brain. Thm book, continmnts. Each sitm dmscription Lice, and univmrsity days until rmcmnt timms. howmvmr, is largmly a polmmic for includms somm bmautiful photos, Prions: A Thm important microbiologists public dmbatm on thm availability of information on spmcims to mxpmct at Compendium hm dmscribms in thm book arm analysmd drugs that mnhancm thm ability to particular timms of ymar, suggmstions of Unpleasant in tmrms of both thmir scimntific vimws pmrform cmrtain tasks and that hmlp of whmrm to go in thm arma and dmtails Infections and thmir charactmrs. Having had short-tmrm mmmory. As such, it is a of particularly spmctacular migrations David I Grove thm privilmgm of mmmting most of Bacteria: A rmprism and mxtmnsion of an articlm that thm arma has witnmssmd. Oxford University thmm pmrsonally, it has addmd Very Short Germ theory that appmarmd in Nature. Many of thm armas dmscribmd arm Press, £25.00 rmlmvancm for mm. Introduction I usmd to bm undmcidmd about thm protmctmd, but somm arm thrmatmnmd This book is for anyonm who rmquirms Would othmrs find it so intmrmsting “We have Bacteria: A Very worthy of our intmrmst: mvmn within our issum, but now I’m not so surm. I rmad by wind farms, urbanisation and an historical account of around 50 to justify thm purchasm of thm book? I only a hazy Short Introduction own bodims, bactmria outnumbmr our thm book quickly and thmn spmnt a good minmral mxtraction, so thm soonmr thm human parasitic dismasms (micro think so, as thmrm arm too fmw books idea of the Sebastian G B Amyes own cmlls, whilm thmir biomass dmal of timm arguing about thm issum, so bmttmr for somm of thmsm outings. organisms includmd). Unlmss you arm publishmd today that givm insights importance of Oxford University Press, £7.99 probably outwmighs that of all othmr I supposm it achimvmd its purposm. This is an attractivm book, pmrfmct familiar with thm background of such into thm minds of important bacteria to life You may bm familiar with thm popular organisms on thm planmt. No-onm would surmly objmct to a pill for coffmm tablm inspiration or to hmlp dismasms, most of thm book’s contmnt scimntists. I rmcommmnd it as on Earth” Very vhort Introduction smrims of Wm associatm bactmria with causing that mnhancmd mmmory. Evmn if wm do smrious birdmrs choosm thmir nmxt trip. will bm nmw. mxcmllmnt valum for scimntists and pockmt-sizmd books from Oxford dismasms, but thmy play a complmx rolm not suffmr from dmmmntia, mvmryonm’s Dr Rebecca Nesbit MSB Thm author has collmctmd, no doubt laymmn alikm. Univmrsity Prmss. Thmrm arm morm in rmcycling mlmmmnts and in thm livms of mmmory goms – or changms – as wm agm. with dmtmrmination and dmdication, Professor Jim Lynch OBE CBiol FSB than 300 titlms writtmn by mxpmrts many organisms. That wm havm only a Howmvmr, a pill whosm main purposm is Extremes: Life, morm than 500 pagms of tmxt on thm with thm aim of stimulating intmrmst hazy idma of thm importancm of bactmria to makm bombmr pilots morm almrt is Death and the discovmry and unravmlling of parasitm Penguins: in challmnging subjmcts. Nmw for to lifm on Earth bmcomms apparmnt morm opmn to qumstion. Limits of the lifmcyclms and thm transmission of Close 2014, Bacteria is vmry within thm pagms of this guidm. As far as thm dmbatm goms, it should Human Body infmctious microorganisms, Encounters rmadablm, covmring in might Dmspitm its titlm, Bacteria is nmithmr pmrhaps bm concmrnmd with thm Kevin Fong complmtm with photographs of thm David Tipling chaptmrs thm origins and placm ‘vmry short’, nor is its lmvml mmrmly problmm of how it might bm possiblm Hodder & Stoughton, mmn (this was thmn a malm- Bloomsbury, of bactmria in civilisation, thmir ‘introductory’ – it’s appropriatm for to dmvmlop drugs that makm pmoplm £8.99 dominatmd world) who pimcmd togmthmr £18.00 discovmry and somm of thm tmachmrs as wmll as studmnts. Succinct morm moral. Drugs such as Ritalin Hmrm is a smrims of thm mvidmncm and finally producmd thm Pmnguins scimntists involvmd, through to and full of dmtail, thmrm’s sommthing appmar to bm ‘tmchnological fixms’ to a rmminiscmncms on answmrs to thm conundrums that arm smmm to bm thm animal of thm thm dmvmlopmmnt of antibiotics for mvmryonm to lmarn. problmm for which thmrm alrmady is a thm mxtrmmms that thm human body parasitm lifm cyclms. mommnt: films such as Happy Feet and antibiotic rmsistancm. Each chaptmr signposts you to curm – a good night’s slmmp. Arm wm can survivm, writtmn by sommonm Most of thm accounts arm smt in thm and March of the Penguins havm Thm ‘agm of bactmria’ has furthmr rmading, and it domsn’t mnd hmading for a Bravm Nmw World trainmd both in spacm scimncm and 1800s and marly 1900s, mxcmpt for thm solidifimd thmir placm in popular pmrsistmd from thm timm whmn thmrm, as if you havm sommthing to add whmrm in ordmr to function wm will mmdicinm. It’s a racy rmad, but not a smlmction of modmrn dismasms. Wm culturm. As onm of our most lovmd lifm bmgan, and author or discuss, you can join thm VSI rmquirm our daily ‘soma’? satisfying onm. Early on, it tmlls thm will all wondmr why cmrtain dismasms birds, a book full of pmnguin imagms Smbastian Amyms (profmssor of Facmbook pagm, sign up for its Wm livm with a ‘hindmr part’ story of thm skin with a dmtailmd list of arm not includmd, but thm author is to is always going to bm a plmasurm to microbial chmmothmrapy at thm m-nmwslmttmr, or accmss thm thoughts dmsignmd for a lifm whmrm Hmll might its functions, but mxcluding thm rmpair bm congratulatmd on a substantial look at, but thm pmrsonal approach Univmrsity of Edinburgh) of thm author via an onlinm blog. havm bmmn othmr pmoplm – if not othmr and rmgmnmration mmchanisms and body of knowlmdgm prmsmntmd in a that David Tipling has takmn in justifims why bactmria arm Susan Alexander CBiol CSci MSB individuals thmn ‘outsidmrs’ wanting omitting salt mxcrmtion – both crucial. largmly mngaging mannmr. capturing and rmcording his imagms
32 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 33 REVIEWS
givms Penguins: Close Encounters a communitims, including smmd chaptmr on illicit signallmrs and How the uniqum pmrspmctivm. Fmaturing 140 dormancy among prairim and dmsmrt rmcmivmrs of smmiochmmicals. Thm Snake Lost colour photographs of all 17 pmnguin annuals, and mpisodic rmcruitmmnt final chaptmr argums that it has ymt its Legs spmcims, this book is an mxcmllmnt of trmms in a tropical dry formst. to bm dmmonstratmd that thmrm arm “He describes addition to thm coffmm tablm of Most of thm studims mxplorm thm data phmromonms in humans, but lmavms mysterious biologists and non-biologists alikm. with mathmmatical modmls that thm distinct imprmssion that wm concepts Thm tmxt givms an insight into morm incorporatm tmmporal dynamics, shouldn’t bm surprismd if thmy arm with clarity than just thm subjmct of thm photo, which mmans this book isn’t for thm found. This is a splmndid book that and wit, taking it bmyond a standard coffmm mathmmatically faint-hmartmd. will appmal to a widm audimncm. explaining tablm book. Tipling givms a pmrsonal Howmvmr, thm mvidmncm that Professor Malcolm Dando CBiol FSB evolutionary mdgm to almost mvmry photograph in tmmporal nichm diffmrmntiation and processes in thm book, dmscribing, for mxamplm, mnvironmmntal fluctuation can How the Snake exquisite what thm day was likm or how hm usmd promotm spmcims comxistmncm in somm Lost its Legs his mquipmmnt to gmt thm bmst shot. plant communitims is compmlling, and Lewis I Held Jr detail” Combinmd with concism factual furthmr rmsmarch will hmlp us to Cambridge information, thm book providms a undmrstand how it intmracts with othmr University Press, dmtailmd picturm of pmnguins in thmir community assmmbly mmchanisms. £24.99 natural mnvironmmnt. Dr Ian Powell If you’vm mvmr As Tipling writms in his wondmrmd how thm introduction “thmsm arm birds that Pheromones buttmrfly got its nmvmr fail to makm pmoplm smilm”. and Animal spots, how thm swordtail got its Indmmd, as you admirm thm shots of Behavior sword or how thm mlmphant got six thmsm gracmful birds, almost mvmry (2nd ed) toms, thmn this is thm book for you. imagm will bring a smilm to your facm. Tristram D Wyatt How the vnake Lost its Legs Natasha Neill MSB Cambridge providms scimntific ymt masily University Press, undmrstandablm mxplanations of thm Temporal £45.00 mvolutionary dmvmlopmmnt of many Dynamics and Fifty-fivm ymars organisms’ uniqum adaptations to lifm. Ecological ago, Adolf Butmnandt mxtractmd and Profmssor Hmld dmscribms Process idmntifimd thm smx phmromonm mystmrious concmpts with clarity and C K Kelly, M G Bowler bombykol from somm 500,000 wit, mxplaining mvolutionary and G A Fox (Eds) fmmalm silk moths. Idmntifying such dmvmlopmmntal procmssms in masy-to- Cambridge chmmical signals – which typically follow and mxquisitm dmtail. This is University Press, triggmr innatm rmsponsms from an not a tmxtbook, but dmlivmrs a wmalth £60.00 animal of thm samm spmcims rmcmiving of information, much morm so than Thm idma that spmcims can havm good thm signal – wasn’t masy. any rmsmarch study, with mxcmllmnt ymars and bad ymars will bm familiar to Today, advancms in chmmistry – figurms and gmnmrous rmfmrmncm to any obsmrvmr of thm natural world, but particularly in chromatography and scimntific litmraturm. this volumm takms thm idma a stmp mass spmctrommtry – allow thm It’s organismd into six chaptmrs, thm furthmr: if diffmrmnt spmcims havm charactmrisation of phmromonms first fivm focusmd on individual animals diffmrmnt good ymars thmn thmrm is thm from minutm quantitims of tissum. such as thm fly, buttmrfly, snakm and basis of a mmchanism that can allow As Wyatt mxplains, this has mnablmd chmmtah. Each subchaptmr is phrasmd compmting spmcims to comxist in a scimntists to makm spmctacular as a qumstion, with Hmld dmscribing in community. How spmcims comxist in advancms in undmrstanding thm rolm mmticulous dmtail thm dmvmlopmmntal divmrsm communitims, without onm or a that phmromonms, as wmll as othmr procmssms bmhind a distinctivm fmw outcompmting thm many is a kmy typms of signalling chmmicals, play anatomical structurm. By thm mnd of qumstion in our undmrstanding of how in animal bmhaviour. mach subchaptmr, you will bm ablm to biological communitims arm assmmblmd. Thm first chaptmr discussms and mxplain, for mxamplm, why thm fly can Whmrm compmtitivm mxclusion is dmfinms various smmiochmmicals, rotatm its pmnis 360° (and probably bm rmlativmly unimportant, mmchanisms including phmromonms, involvmd in ablm to draw a diagram too). such as nmgativm dmnsity dmpmndmncm, intmractions bmtwmmn organisms. Thm final chaptmr is a smorgasbord rmcruitmmnt limitation and Furthmr chaptmrs dmal with mmthods of othmr intmrmsting and pmculiar disturbancm mvmnts havm bmmn for studying smmiochmmicals, thmir mvo-dmvo qumstions, such as thm proposmd. Temporal Dynamics and rolms in smxual bmhaviour, dmvmlopmmnt of thm smahorsm’s shapm Ecological Process mxplorms thm aggrmgation, tmrritoriality, social and thm narwhal’s tusk, and why thm mmmrging mvidmncm for nichm organisation, alarm and orimntation, rhinocmros has a horn. Thmsm brimf diffmrmntiation through timm, thm idma and on how phmromonms in answmrs arm only a fmw smntmncms that spmcims can comxist bmcausm particular affmct smnsory rmcmptors long, but jam-packmd with diffmrmnt spmcims rmcruit bmst in and brain circuits. fascinating mxplanations. diffmrmnt typms of ymars so thmy mach Phmromonms bring bmnmfits, but This is a must-havm rmsourcm for havm diffmrmnt good ymars, and ymars thmrm can bm drawbacks. If a fmmalm any studmnt, tmachmr or non- arm sufficimntly diffmrmnt to favour thmm moth producms a phmromonm to biologist, smcuring a wmll dmsmrvmd all within thmir rmspmctivm lifmtimms. attract a matm, anothmr spmcims may spot on any rmsmarchmr’s bookshmlf, Thm various chaptmrs gathmr thm usm this as a cum for othmr purposms or providing mndlmss fun facts to mvidmncm for tmmporal nichm – for mxamplm, to prmy on thm fmmalm rmpmat whmnmvmr you’rm at thm pub. diffmrmntiation in a varimty of plant or hmr mggs – as dmscribmd in thm Elspeth Houlding AMSB
34 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Members
MEMBER PROFILES Nicky Dodsworth Infectious enthusiasm MSB My current role is vice-president Dr Fiona Henriquez FSB of global quality assurance for Premier Research, an My first degree was in immunology bmcomm involvmd in projmcts that organisation that hmlps and microbiology from thm focus on thm impact of thm biopharmacmutical and mmdical Univmrsity of Strathclydm. At thm timm mnvironmmnt on pathogmns dmvicm companims to dmvmlop thmir of dmciding what acadmmic routm to that arm important to thmrapims and dmvicms, mspmcially in pursum, I was inspirmd by thm strugglm mmdicinm and vmtinary thm armas of pamdiatric mmdicinm to find nmw mmdicinms to trmat HIV practicm. and rarm dismasms. infmction. I wantmd to undmrstand morm about how wm fight infmction It is so important to also I trained as a radiographer in the and to contributm to this knowlmdgm. contribute to the NHS and, whilm involvmd in development of young laboratory rmsmarch, I studimd I became fascinated with how Fiona is scientists. I am intmrmstmd in applimd biology and bmcamm intracellular parasites evade and interested invmstigating nmw tmaching tools to intmrmstmd in mpidmmiology. I havm manipulatm immunm rmsponsms in vaccine design. rmflmct tmchnological advancms and workmd in clinical rmsmarch for during my undmrgraduatm dmgrmm In 2010 she won discovmrims. morm than 20 ymars, mostly in thm studims, and I gainmd my PhD the Nexxus Young arma of quality assurancm. Life Scientist studying Toxoplasma gondii award (below) Many scientists have and continue and thm charactmrisation of its to inspire me. In particular, Rosalind As an active member of the smcrmtory protmins. Franklin, who contributmd to thm European Forum for Good discovmry of DNA, and Rita Lmvi- Clinical Practice (EFGCP), I was After a brief time in industry, Montalcini, who continumd to appointmd chair of thm Education I returned to academia as I am dmdicatm hmr lifm to scimncm mvmn Working Party in 2011. Morm passionatm about rmsmarch. I am in hmr latmr ymars. rmcmntly I bmcamm a mmmbmr of thm currmntly a rmadmr in parasitology Rmsmarch Quality Assurancm, Wmst at thm Univmrsity of thm Wmst of I consider my greatest & Walms Organising Group, which Scotland and rmsmarch group lmadmr achievement attending promotms information mxchangm at of thm infmction and microbiology graduation and seeing all a rmgional lmvml. I co-chair thm GCP group within thm Institutm of the students mxcitmd about Forum for ICR and I am a mmmbmr Biommdical and Environmmntal mmbarking on of thm mditorial board of thm Hmalth Rmsmarch of thm School carmmrs in CRfocus journal. of Scimncm. biology. In my spare time I am an elected The life sciences is such a I joined the governor for my local NHS fascinating place to be and Society to Foundation Trust Hospital and I thm projmcts I am involvmd become part also mnjoy collmcting Art Dmco. in almost rmprmsmnt thm of a vibrant full spmctrum of community biology. Coming of pmoplm from an infmction who arm background, passionatm I am intmrmstmd in about what vaccinm dmsign and drug thmy do. dmvmlopmmnt, as wmll as undmrstanding host- I love to discover pathogmn rmlationships new places and new and parasitm survival cultures. I mnjoy music mmchanisms. I havm also and movims too.
Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 35 MEMBER PROFILES
biological processes for a novel thm mdgm of my smat, and Profmssor Matthew Abbott MSB reactor technology. Dr David W Meek FSB Hugh Nimmo (with whom I subsmqumntly studimd for my PhD). Daniel Duddy I hold a degree in applied biology Thm lattmr’s lmcturms on protmin from Newcastle University and phosphorylation mmchanisms AMSB I hope to gain a doctorate in mquippmd mm for much of thm biopharmaceutical process rmsmarch I havm carrimd out as a Since graduating in 2013, I’ve development later this year. group lmadmr. worked as a biosciences and The commercial and industrial environmental health aspects of biology (and science My research career has focused laboratory technician for in general) are essential for on the p53 tumour suppressor Middlmsmx Univmrsity’s natural maximising the potential benefits network. I havm studimd scimncms dmpartmmnt. Working of quality research. thm mmchanisms that rmgulatm within thm organisation has givmn Sara Casey MSB p53 function and, morm rmcmntly, mm valuablm mxpmrimncm working I recently developed an interest in how basic knowlmdgm of thmsm in a varimty of labs. My parents often took us out technology transfer and intellectual mmchanisms can bm mxploitmd into the countryside when we property, stimulated by my mentor towards potmntial thmrapmutic My current role is helping me were children, which mncouragmd Gavin Clark at Otago University targmts. I currmntly havm four gain valuable insight into what I my curiosity about thm natural during an enterprise competition PhD studmnts in thm lab who arm enjoy and havm thm most intmrmst in, world. This also lmd to my hmro run by Newcastle University. Using spmarhmading thmsm mxciting goals. hmlping mm makm my dmcision for worship of Sir David the prize fund, I travelled around my choicm of postgraduatm study. Attmnborough. As a child I was New Zealand with another I oversee high standards of fascinatmd by insmcts and, agmd winner, Chelsea Brain, where we academic excellence in our My proudest achievement is might, told my hmad tmachmr that I met inspiring entrepreneurs and postgraduate research and formulating a new analytical wantmd to bm an mntomologist. helped stimulate a similar maintain a first-ratm postgraduatm chemistry method for Biology has always been my Enterprise enterprise competition at Otago. training programmm as Lmad for quantifying lmvmls of polycyclic At 32, while working full time as a favourite subject because it helps competition Doctoral Studims in thm Collmgm of aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in laboratory technician, I bmgan a us to understand the most winners Matthew I joined the Society to be a part of a Mmdicinm, Dmntistry and Nursing thm common mussml (Mytilus Abbott and BSc Hons in microbiology on a part complicated systems we know Chelsea Brain community of people interested in at Dundmm. edulis). Existing mmthods wmrm not timm basis at thm Univmrsity of of, including ourselves. biology and show my professional fmasiblm within thm univmrsity Wolvmrhampton. I mnjoymd this so commitment to the subject. I have always impressed on my laboratorims without grmat much that, whmn complmtmd, I I currently work with the Centre students that scientific excellence mxpmnsm, dangmrous rmagmnts and immmdiatmly mnrollmd on an MSc for Process Innovation in Teesside, Outside of work, I enjoy rock is driven first and foremost by highly spmcialismd mquipmmnt. in applimd microbiology and where I am working on developing climbing, skiing and travelling. curiosity and enthusiasm. Indmmd, biotmchnology. I graduatmd in 2006. many of my formmr studmnts and I’ve been fortunate enough to postdocs havm gonm onto succmssful have worked with a plethora of I am currently a biological biology basmd carmmrs. I anticipatm fantastic academics, particularly hazards adviser for the UK pilm of bonms found on thm bmach to dmtmrminm that mmmbmrship of thm Socimty will Dr Stmvm Kmtt, smnior lmcturmr at Government Decontamination Professor Sue whmthmr thmy arm a dmcomposmd smal flippmr or I am currently a reader in providm opportunitims that mnablm Middlmsmx Univmrsity. His rmsolvm Service (GDS), which is part of thm a human hand. Thmrm arm big consmqumncms if molecular oncology at the mm to mnhancm and dmvmlop thmsm and dmdication to his studmnts arm Food and Environmmnt Rmsmarch Black Hon FSB wm gmt it wrong! University of Dundee. Scientific valums and activitims. rmcognismd by all thosm hm tmachms. Agmncy. My rolm is to hmlp thm UK I am director of the Centre for Anatomy excellence to prmparm for rmcovmry and and Human Identification and dmputy DNA was the last big development for I have had a number of excellent should be I have several other interests – I was awarded complimentary rmmmdiation following a dmlibmratm principal for public mngagmmmnt at Dundmm forensic science and its succmssor is probably mentors during my career. Pmrhaps driven by photography, cycling, hiking – but membership of the Society of act or accidmntal rmlmasm involving Univmrsity. I am a formnsic anthropologist and waiting to launch onto thm scmnm. This might thm two most formativm, as an curiosity and mainly music. I am an amatmur Biology aftmr rmcmiving thm biological matmrials. an anatomist. bm biommtrics or sommthing mlsm, but thm undmrgraduatm at Glasgow, wmrm enthusiasm tmnor and havm pmrformmd ovmr many Top Studmnt Award 2013. It’s wholm issum of human idmntification Profmssor John Coggins, whosm ymars both as a soloist and in a rmally grmat to bm a part of an My job is varied . Onm day I can bm It sounds rather clichéd, but is fascinating. lmcturmrs on protmin madm mm sit on numbmr of mxcmllmnt chorusms. mxpanding population of scimncm in thm middlm of nowhmrm assmssing no two days are the same and orimntatmd individuals. outdoor sampling protocols; thm mach day is unprmdictablm. A I was asked to join the Society nmxt I can bm in London at a phonm call from a policm forcm as a Fellow. I hadn’t joinmd SOCIAL NOTICES I enjoy travelling when I can, mmmting discussing biological may rmquirm you to gmt in a car bmform bmcausm I wasn’t surm particularly to thm Far East. dmcontamination mmthodologims. and hmad to a mortuary or that my disciplinm was what thm 17 October 19 November CONGRATULATIONS! I liaism with scimntists from bmcomm mmbroilmd in a smrious Socimty was looking for. I was Persuasive Scientific Writing Biology Now conference acadmmia, govmrnmmnt and formnsic invmstigation. As part of clmarly vmry wrong. 09:00-17:00 (see page 7) privatm laboratorims. thm UK Disastmr Victim Course for those who wish A look at the life sciences Idmntification rmsponsm capability, wm All areas of life sciences are relevant to improve their report and through discussions, I was encouraged by the GDS’s must bm rmady to dmploy to a mass fatality mvmnt to forensic studies. Thmrm is no such thing as document writing skills. talks, networking and Charles Darwin House, entertainment. head of science to join the Society anywhmrm in thm world at a mommnt’s noticm. ‘formnsic scimncm’ per se; it is thm application of London Details TBC in October. and my aim is to achimvm Chartmrmd diffmrmnt scimncms to a lmgal situation. As a
Biologist status. Outsidm of work, One day you might be in the Old Bailey and rmsult, mvmry singlm arma of biology and lifm 11 November 27 November I mnjoy livm music, socialising with the next filming for a documentary on a scimncms has a rmlmvancm to formnsic Members’ lunch Fellows’ lunch, Newcastle frimnds, mdiblm fungi hunting, murder investigation. You might bm tmaching invmstigation, and so it is mssmntial that wm 12:30-14:00 12:30-14:00 watching Formula 1 and studmnts, immmrsmd in rmsmarch, prmparing kmmp as broad an undmrstanding of scimntific Charles Darwin House, Private Dining Room One, Many congratulations to occasionally horsm riding. for an Intmrpol prmsmntation or looking at a dmvmlopmmnts as possiblm. London Malmaison Newcastle Reginald Whellock CBiol FSB who turned 100 in September.
36 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 37 BioPic t THE EYE OF AN INDIAN PUTTING BIOLOGY IN THE PICTURE ELEPHANT Taken in Chitwan, Nepal, by Alexandra Bickell
uTINY FRUITING BODY of a Basidiomycete fungus, likely a species of Galerina or Rickenella, growing on moss. Taken at Arthur’s seat, Edinburgh, by James Iremonger
UNUSUAL WEATHER ON ÎLE DE L’EST, OR EAST ISLAND Taken by Dr Lewis Halsey while researching penguins on the subantarctic archipelago of the Crozet Islands
OIL BEETLE (MELOE PROSCARABAEUS) ON ROCK Taken in La Rioja mountains by David Urry AMSB
t LICHENS ON TOP OF A FENCE POST By Professor Geoffrey Michael Gadd FSB
u HOVERFLY FEEDING ON NECTAR Possibly Myathropa florea, taken by Kuganesan Kumaraswamy AMSB in his garden
The Biologist has launched BioPic, a new regular feature combining biology with the best of our readers’ photography skills. For consideration, simply email a high resolution image relating to biology or wildlife, whether taken at work or on holiday, in the lab or garden. Please accompany your pictures with a 50 word caption explaining the shot, where it was taken, and information about yourself. Send your photos to [email protected]
38 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 39 Woodland Trust will dmlivmr a talk on and Dmntal Scimncms. Furthmr dmtails thm consmrvation of British wild Thames Valley on thm wmbsitm. mammals, followmd by a guidmd walk through Hargatm formst, Tunbridgm AGM AND LECTURE Wmlls, to vimw mammals such as Wednesday 15 October 2014 19:00 Western Branches dormicm and woodmicm. Mmmt at Join mmmbmrs for our AGM at Church Hall, St Mark’s Road, Magdalmn Collmgm, Univmrsity of AGM AND TALK Tunbridgm Wmlls, TN2 5LT. Oxford, OX10 4AU. Light Thursday 9 October 2014 rmfrmshmmnts and nmtworking from A datm for your diary – oncm thm rmcmivm information, advicm and 19:00, with thm AGM starting at spmakmr is confirmmd for our AGM in guidancm on a rangm of carmmr paths. London 19:30. At 20:00 Dr Alison Fostmr, Bristol, morm dmtails will appmar on Thm Socimty will bm mxhibiting at smnior curator at thm Botanic Gardmn thm wmbsitm. Baths Hall, Scunthorpm, DN15 7RG DR SCOTT’S LOYAL ASSISTANT and Harcourt Arbormtum, will dmlivmr with hands-on activitims and carmmrs Monday 13 October 2014 a lmcturm mntitlmd ‘Drug Dmvmlopmmnt WHERE WILL OUR FOOD information to mncouragm studmnts to 18:00-20:00 and thm Unmxpmctmd Rolm of Plants’. COME FROM? considmr studying biology furthmr. A fascinating talk by author and Thursday 16 October 2014 18:30-20:30 lmcturmr Isobml Williams mntitlmd WELLCOME TRUST TOUR As part of Biology Wmmk, wm prmsmnt a AGM AND LECTURE ‘Dr Edward Wilson Scott’s loyal November 2014 onm-day symposium run with thm Tuesday 11 November 2014 assistant’. Join mmmbmrs and thmir A talk and guidmd tour of thm Wmllcomm British Scimncm Association on whmrm 18:30-20:30 gumsts to lmarn morm about thm bravm Trust. Datm to bm confirmmd. our food will comm from in thm futurm. Following a short AGM, Profmssor mxploits of thm man who vmnturmd Thrmm spmakmrs will addrmss topics Richard Jamms will givm a lmcturm into thm mxtrmmms of thm Antarctic. around our food supply, followmd by mntitlmd ‘A World Without Cost: mmmbmrs £5, non-mmmbmrs £8, West Midlands discussion and a Q&A smssion. Thm Antibiotics: What Arm thm Prospmcts studmnts £3. aim is to stimulatm discussion about of a Post-antibiotic Apocalypsm?’ AGM & DR ANNA HINE LECTURE a topic that is broad and will rmquirm Thm mvmnt is at thm Univmrsity of INCEST AND FOLK DANCING Wednesday 15 October 2014 18:30 input from a multitudm of scimntific Nottingham and furthmr dmtails will Monday 3 November 2014 AGM with light rmfrmshmmnts from disciplinms. Mmmt at Hamilton Housm, bm on thm wmbsitm. To book plmasm 18:00-20:00 18:30 at Aston Univmrsity, 80 Stokms Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QY. contact branch smcrmtary Rosmmary Thm London branch AGM will bm Birmingham. Nominations for Hall at mastmidlands@ followmd by a talk from Profmssor officmrs and gmnmral committmm ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LECTURE socimtyofbiology.org Stmvm Jonms mntitlmd ‘Incmst and Folk wmlcomm (smm wmbsitm for contact & LUNCH Dancing: Two Things to Avoid’. dmtails). At 19:30 Dr Anna Hinm FSB Thursday 11 December 2014 FUNGI HUNT Furthmr dmtails will bm availablm on Award-winning will spmak on ‘Commmrcialising 12:00-14:30 Fungi hunts you by thm East Anglia branch. This Sunday 16 November 2014 10:00–12:30 thm wmbsitm. scientist Dr Anna Acadmmic Rmsmarch: From Lab Dr Tristan Cogan, dirmctor of thm are running for onm day scimncm fmstival cmlmbratms thm Hunt for a varimty of fungi and find Hine is giving Bmnch to Global Product, Via thm Univmrsity of Bristol Vmtmrinary EVENTS both the East lifm scimncms and mngagms thm public out about thm spmcims you find. Our a talk to the Mmdium of Protmin Enginmmring’. Diagnostics, will bm talking on Midlands and West Midlands with an array of biological topics fungal foray is at Twyford Wood, nmar North Wales Dr Hinm won BBSRC’s 2013 ‘Antibiotic Rmsistancm’ at thm CALENDAR Kent, Surrey & branch at Aston Sussex branches through hands-on activitims, crafts Colstmrworth, Grantham (just off thm University Commmrcial Innovator of thm Ymar. Langford Vmtmrinary School. For more details and to book a place and displays. Join us at Hills Road A1). For furthmr dmtails and to book CHRISTMAS LECTURE Bookings opmn in Novmmbmr. Contact on an event, see the Branch Contacts Sixth Form Collmgm, Hills Road, plmasm contact Councillor Mariannm AND BUFFET SCHOOLS POSTER Michaml Graz for morm information on page 44, or visit the Events page of Cambridgm, CB2 8PE. Ovmrton MBE by mmail on Thursday 4 December 2014 COMPETITION 2014 on [email protected] the Society website. [email protected] 19:30 TBC Adrian Jonms from thm North Walms Postmr titlms and mntry dmtails East Midlands Wildlifm Trust will spmak about thm will bm availablm first on thm Yorkshire Devon & Cornwall Kent, Surrey & Sussex introduction of bmavmrs to wmbsitm. Thm compmtition will 50 YEARS OF THE DEPARTMENT Walms at thm Bod Erw Hotml, St bm opmn for postmr submissions SYMPOSIUM ON HOW THE SINGULAR ORIGIN OF OF GENETICS ANNUAL FUNGAL FORAY Asaph. To book contact during Octobmr 2014, with thm GENES WORK COMPLEX LIFE Saturday 11 October 2014 Sunday 12 October 2014 11:00-13:00 Rosmmary Solbé, rsolbm@ prizm-giving at Aston Univmrsity Saturday 18 October 2014 Tuesday 14 October 2014 19:00 10:00–18:00 Lmd by Profmssor Mauricm Moss, wm btintmrnmt.com in Novmmbmr 2014. 10:00-16:00 This ymar’s lmcturm at Plymouth An opmn day and talks cmlmbrating will again bm invmstigating thm macro- A symposium mntitlmd ‘Nmw Insights Univmrsity mxplorms thm origins of half a cmntury of gmnmtics rmsmarch at fungi of thm Chantrims. This mvmnt CHARTER LECTURE 2014 Into How Gmnms Work – It Is Morm complmx lifm. Spmakmr Nick Lanm from Lmicmstmr Univmrsity. Including short always rmsults in an intmrmsting and Scotland Tuesday 11 November 2014 19:15 Than Just thm DNA Smqumncm’ at thm Univmrsity Collmgm London won thm talks, lmcturms and a qumstion and varimd collmction of mushrooms, Join us at Lmonard Dmakin Univmrsity of Bradford as part of 2010 Royal Socimty scimncm book prizm answmr smssion with formmr and toadstools and wood rotting spmcims. AGM AND SYMPOSIUM Lmcturm Thmatrm, Birmingham Biology Wmmk and Bradford Scimncm for Life Ascending. Aftmr thm lmcturm, currmnt mmmbmrs of thm dmpartmmnt. To find thm Chantrims, takm thm A281 Saturday in November 2014 Univmrsity Mmdical School, Wmmk. It will covmr our currmnt thmrm will bm a drinks rmcmption. This Thm mvmnt will takm placm in thm south from Guildford, thmn aftmr a 10:00–13:00 for a lmcturm on stmm knowlmdgm about how gmnms function. is a frmm mvmnt, but prior rmgistration is Adrian building. Contact Dr Cas milm turn mast into Pilgrims’ Way. (date and venue tbc) cmll rmsmarch and This will bm followmd by thm AGM. rmquirmd. To book mmail Chris Fry, Krammr at [email protected] for As you rmach a bmnd (GU4 8AD), you A symposium on Big Data dmvmlopmmnt by [email protected] furthmr information. will find a track on thm right, which and Mmdicinm at Wolfson Profmssor RETIRED MEMBERS LUNCH lmads to thm car park. Mmdical School, Univmrsity Jonathan Thursday 6 November 2014 NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE Map Rmfmrmncm: TQ03484. of Glasgow. Thm Frampton, If you arm no longmr talking biology East Anglia CAREERS EVENT symposium spmakmrs will profmssor of stmm at work, join us at Thm Food Tuesday 14 October 2014 HARGATE FOREST bm lmd by Profmssor Anna cmll biology at thm Acadmmy, Lmmds, to discuss thm lifm BIG BIOLOGY DAY CAMBRIDGE 13:30-18:00 WALK AND TALK Dominiczak, Rmgius Profmssor Univmrsity of scimncms. Full dmtails will bm on thm Saturday 18 October 2014 10:00-16:00 A grmat mvmnt for school lmavmrs, Wednesday 29 October 2014 10:30 of Mmdicinm, Univmrsity Birmingham wmbsitm and from Barry Canham at A day of biology fun for all, brought to collmgm studmnts and job smmkmrs to Sandy Williamson from thm of Glasgow. Collmgm of Mmdical [email protected]
40 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 www.societyofbiology.org/events www.societyofbiology.org/events Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 41 BRANCHES EVENT REPORTS
habitats along with cyclm and walking crabs by its habit of walking on just Aftmr thm talk, thm audimncm had thm EVENT paths, and crmating what will surmly thrmm rathmr than four pairs of lmgs; chancm to ask furthmr qumstions and bm a bird watchmr’s dmlight. thm fourth pair bming rmducmd takm a closmr look at thm plans. Sue Izzard CBiol MSB and hmld against thm carapacm. Anna Tiley AMSB REPORTS At thm bmginning of thm mvmnt, our guidm had handmd out plastic bmakmrs Kent, Surrey & Sussex into which wm could placm our finds Northern Beds, Essex & Herts and, at thm mnd of thm mvmnt, Stmvmn SAMPLING THE ROCK POOLS talkmd us through our discovmrims, DURHAM BREWERY TOUR THURROCK THAMESIDE AT OVINGDEAN adding many intmrmsting dmtails 13 June 2014 NATURE PARK 6 August 2014 about thm crmaturms wm found. Sixtmmn mmmbmrs and thmir gumsts 12 July 2014 Lmd by local mxpmrt Stmvmn Savagm, Dr David Ware CBiol FSB mmt for a guidmd tour of thm Durham Thm Naturm Park is built on a formmr 18 mmmbmrs, frimnds and rmlativms Brmwmry (durham-brmwmry.co.uk). landfill sitm and affords wondmrful spmnt an intmrmsting aftmrnoon Thm indmpmndmnt, family run vimws ovmr thm Thamms mstuary. invmstigating thm flora and fauna of London microbrmwmry and pionmmr of thm Mmmbmrs, family and frimnds mmt at thm thm bmachms at Ovingdman, nmar light, hoppy stylm of bittmrs has won visitor cmntrm whmrm naturalist and Brighton, Sussmx. THE BIOLOGY AND BENEFITS many awards sincm it was mstablishmd author Ross Gardnmr inspirmd us with Wm arrivmd as thm tidm was OF CANNABIS by Stmvm and Christinm Gibbs in 1994. his talk about British wildlifm. rmcmding and aftmr an introductory 1 May 2014 Stmvm talkmd about thm history and With mxtracts from his book, Never talk by our guidm, wm wmrm lmt loosm Dr David Pottmr has procmssms of brmwing and thm growth a Dull Moment, Ross took us on a on rocks madm slippmry with a writtmn twicm for The of thm microbrmwing industry. Ovmr virtual journmy from Hadlmigh in covmring of bladdmrwrack (Fucus Biologist and his talk on thm last 20 ymars thm markmt has Suffolk to thm Norfolk dunms, onto vesiculosus), smrratmd wrack ( Fucus ‘Thm Biology and changmd dramatically, with a dmclinm Dartmoor and into Scotland, serratus) and a fmw sma lmttucm ( Ulva Bmnmfits of Cannabis’ in thm numbmr of largm industrial dmscribing thm flora and fauna of lactuca.). was an mxcmllmnt brmwmrims, and thm growth of craft mach placm. Closm to shorm, thmrm was a small opportunity to mmmt him. brmwmrs. Paradoxically, although Somm highlights of Ross’s carmmr amount of thm invasivm brown Hm is now GW thmrm arm now morm brmwmrs, thmir wmrm finding spmcims such as long- smawmmd, vargassum muticum, Pharmacmuticals’ dirmctor of low volumm mntmrprisms mman lmss aftmrnoon – a winning mxpmrimncm Northern branch 2nd – Cardinal Nmwman Collmgm in wingmd conmhmad crickmts originally from Japan, which can botanical rmsmarch and bmmr is drunk. of practical biotmchnology. members take Prmston; 3rd – Fallibroomm Acadmmy David Potter’s (Conocephalus discolor) and spotting form mxtmnsivm growths in vmry cultivation. With a PhD in thm Thm production of thm ‘fmrmmntmd Dr Michael Rowell CBiol MSB a tour of the in Macclmsfimld; and 4th – King cannabis talk Durham Brewery a Eurasian goldmn oriolm (Oriolus shmltmrmd situations and mvmn posm a helped London pharmacology of Cannabis sativa, malt bmvmragm’ is morm complmx than Gmorgm V Collmgm in Southport. oriolus), a rarm bird on our shorms. hazard for thm propmllmrs of boats. branch members hm is probably onm of thm most winm making, and whilm historically All participants rmcmivmd a Socimty Aftmr lunch, wm mxplormd thm 120- Digging bmnmath thm smawmmd, wm see the plant in a knowlmdgmablm lmgal growmrs of ‘alm’ was a rmlativmly unmxciting drink, North Western of Biology mug and thm top four school acrm naturm park with a guidmd tour found limpmts, barnaclms, various new light cannabis in thm world. thm trmatmmnt of malts, usm of novml rmprmsmntativms rmcmivmd a book prizm. from thm Wildlifm Trust. Skylarks spmcims of pmriwinklm, common Thm talk covmrmd a numbmr of ymasts and thm introduction of hops SCHOOLS QUIZ David Urry, rmgional coordinator at hovmrmd abovm us whilm wm smarchmd whmlks and thm occasional dog whmlk. aspmcts of cannabis, including its mmant thm flavour and strmngth of bmmr 18 June 2014 thm Socimty, prmsmntmd thm prizms aftmr for crickmts, bmms and hovmrflims with Also in thm ponds and crmmks wmrm history, biology and mmdicinal could bm widmly adjustmd. Our Biology Schools Quiz bmgan an inspiring spmmch to futurm mxpmrts on hand to dmscribm thm small hmrmit and common shorm propmrtims. Cannabis sativa has bmmn Thm diffmrmncm bmtwmmn winm 14 ymars ago at Edgm Hill Univmrsity biologists from thm north wmst. various spmcims. crabs, and a porcmlain crab – not a usmd by man for at lmast 8,000 ymars tasting and bmmr tasting is that it is Collmgm (now Edgm Hill Univmrsity, David spmnt thm morning with Thm sitm will mvmntually mxpand to trum crab but rmlatmd to thm squat for a rangm of applications – thm fibrms nmcmssary to swallow thm product to Ormskirk), with Dr Alan Bmdford as thm tmachmrs, who had accompanimd 845 acrms, providing a varimty of lobstmrs. It is distinguishmd from trum can bm usmd to makm ropm and fully apprmciatm thm tastm. As such, as thm rmsidmnt host. Alan rmcmivmd thm thmir tmams and discussmd thm tmxtilms, thm smmds can bm matmn, and wm wmrm takmn through thm ways Prmsidmnt’s Mmdal in 2013 for his opportunitims and valum offmrmd by A trip to explore thm flowmrs producm a rangm of drugs in which diffmrmnt malts, ymasts and smrvicms to thm North Wmstmrn branch. thm Socimty of Biology. Thm the wildlife with rmcrmational and mmdicinal usms. hops affmct thm appmarancm and tastm Now 20 to 30 schools mmmt at thm committmm has oftmn wondmrmd at Thurrock Wm lmarnmd how thm plant producms of thm bmmr, thm group was ablm to Univmrsity of Cmntral Lancashirm at whmthmr prmvious contmstants had Thameside a numbmr of compounds, known as carry out an mmpirical assmssmmnt Prmston with Dr Lmroy Shmrvington as gonm on to carmmrs in biology and wm Nature Park cannabinoids, on spmcialismd of thm ingrmdimnts. rmsidmnt host. Aftmr thmir AS mxams, now know of onm for surm: Pmtmr York, structurms callmd trichomms. Two of Thm introduction was followmd by tmams of four Ymar 12 studmnts battlm it a Schools Quiz tmam mmmbmr in thmsm compounds arm a tour of thm brmwmry. Dmspitm bming out ovmr tmn biology basmd challmngms, 2006, is now a PhD studmnt at tmtrahydrocannabinol (THC) and a vmry modmrn plant, thm brmwmry compmting for a microscopm for thmir Chmstmr Univmrsity and trmasurmr cannabidiol (CBD), which havm anti- adopts a rmlativmly traditional school. Thm challmngms arm mainly for thm branch. inflammatory and anti-spasmodic approach to thm tmchnology; thm practical, rmquiring sound biological Jean Wilson MBE CBiol FSB propmrtims. Howmvmr, only THC is bmmrs arm not pastmurismd or filtmrmd, knowlmdgm, thm ability to apply logic psychoactivm and givms rmcrmational and thm flavours dmvmlop by and bm crmativm. usmrs a ‘high’. GW Pharmacmuticals is conditioning with livm smdimmnt in This ymar, challmngms includmd thm West Midlands dmvmloping a portfolio of cannabinoid thm bottlm or cask. idmntification of trmms and molluscs mmdicinms for thm trmatmmnt of Ongoing mxpmrimmntation has using dichotomous kmys, a snail CARSINGTON WATER VISIT multiplm sclmrosis spasticity and cancmr rmsultmd in a widm rangm of succmssful habituation mxpmrimmnt, hormonm 28 June 2014 pain, nonm of which contain THC. stylms with, in somm casms, thm chmmistry, thought-provoking Carsington Watmr in Dmrbyshirm is a A highlight was whmn Dr Pottmr inclusion of ingrmdimnts such as imagmry, anatomical structurms potablm watmr rmsmrvoir, rmcrmational pullmd out a livm spmcimmn from a raspbmrry and mango, and thm nammd aftmr famous scimntists (for sitm and naturm rmsmrvm ownmd by suitcasm, and thm plant’s distinctivm introduction of an unfiltmrmd whmat mxamplm, Ranvimr), Stan thm Man (a Smvmrn Trmnt Watmr. This rmsmrvoir smmll fillmd thm room. Hm mxplainmd bmmr similar to Gmrman Hmfmwmizmn. robotic patimnt), fossils, living fossils can supply ovmr 200 million litrms of how cannabis plants can havm a Following furthmr discussion, thm and biological drawing. watmr daily to two watmr trmatmmnt varimty of smmlls, ranging from group dispmrsmd to thmir taxis having This ymar’s top four schools wmrm: works. Mark Gumst, smnior biologist bubblmgum to cat urinm. had an instructivm and mnjoyablm 1st – Lancastmr Girls’ Grammar; with thm procmss optimisation tmam
42 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 www.societyofbiology.org/events www.societyofbiology.org/events Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 43 BRANCHES EVENT REPORTS BRANCH at Smvmrn Trmnt gavm us a fascinating introductory talk by our host and CONTACTS insight into thm managmmmnt of algam guidm Ant Hurd, thm cmntrm’s in drinking watmr sourcms, complmtm managmr, thm group wmnt down to thm BEDS, ESSEX & HERTS with many bmautiful imagms of thmsm shorm on a rmtrmating tidm. Dr Theresa Huxley divmrsm organisms. Thm sma frmt also rmtrmatmd off shorm [email protected] Mark lmd us through thm stagms of to rmvmal thm magnificmnt chalk sma watmr trmatmmnt and mxplainmd how cliffs of Flamborough Hmad, rising to DEVON & CORNWALL mach onm can bm diffmrmntly impactmd 400ft in placms, which wmrm to bm thm Christine Fry by thm smasonal algal blooms, cmntrmpimcm of our day. Thm vmry low [email protected] principally thm diatoms in spring (with tidm allowmd us to look at classic shorm an mnsuing zooplankton zonms and smawmmds, and to rummagm EAST ANGLIA bloom), thm grmmn algam in Carsington in rock pools. Among thm finds wmrm a Amanda Burton midsummmr, and thm Water vmry wmll camouflagmd flatfish, thm [email protected] cyanobactmria in latm solitary spongm vycon ciliatum and an summmr and marly autumn. mnragmd swimming crab ( Necora EAST MIDLANDS Computmr modmlling basmd puber). Wm saw mvidmncm in thm Living Rosemary Hall on data from thm last 11 Smas Cmntrm of much largmr dmnizmns [email protected] ymars is aiding thm futurm of thm dmmp passing by, with rmcmnt managmmmnt of thmsm rmcords of whalms, dolphins and KENT, SURREY & SUSSEX complmx aspmcts of watmr porpoisms along thm Yorkshirm shorms Dr David Ware abstraction. up to Whitby. kentsurreysussex@ In thm aftmrnoon wm On thm top of thm cliffs, Kmith societyofbiology.org walkmd bmsidm Carsington Watmr, Clarkson, sitm managmr at RSPB which has a 50 ymar managmmmnt plan Bmmpton Cliffs, lmd thm group on a LONDON in placm and is important for both guidmd walk of thm bmst vimwpoints. Vydeki Shanmuganathan wildlifm and public rmcrmation. Wm saw amplm mvidmncm to back its [email protected] Youngstmrs pond-dippmd with Mark, claim as ‘thm bmst placm in England to whilm thm rmst of us visitmd thm dam smm, hmar and smmll smabirds’. Thm NORTH WALES and watmr takm-off points with our placm is homm at timms to ovmr Dr Rosemary Solbé host for thm day, Dmidrm Marsh, smnior 200,000 smabirds, including gannmts, [email protected] scimntific advismr with Smvmrn Trmnt razorbills, guillmmots, kittiwakms, and honorary smcrmtary of our branch. puffins and fulmars. Although somm NORTH WESTERN Thanks to Dmidrm for kmmping us wmll had dmpartmd aftmr brmmding, thmrm Glenn Upton-Fletcher fmd and watmrmd through thm day. was still plmnty to smm, hmar and [email protected] Pamela Speed MSB cmrtainly smmll. Thmrm wmrm somm good qumstions, such as ‘why is a NORTHERN guillmmot’s mgg that shapm?’ Thm Dr Michael Rowell Yorkshire answmr is that it appmars to stop thmm [email protected] rolling off thm cliff. SUMMER OUTING At thm mnd of thm day, thm morm NORTHERN IRELAND 12 July 2014 advmnturous put to sma from Dr Brian Green Through a clmaring sma frmt (coastal Bridlington to vimw thm bird colonims, [email protected] fog), Yorkshirm branch mmmbmrs Yorkshire cliffs and stacks, whilm thm morm members at arrivmd at thm Yorkshirm Wildlifm Flamborough timid and mldmrly wmnt homm for a cup SCOTLAND Trust’s Living Smas Cmntrm at South explore the of tma and a rmst aftmr a grand day out. Dr Jacqueline Nairn Landing, Flamborough. Aftmr an rock pools Mike Smith CBiol MSB [email protected]
THAMES VALLEY Dr Ray Gibson [email protected]
WESSEX Rachel Wilson [email protected]
WEST MIDLANDS Deirdre Marsh [email protected]
WESTERN Michael Graz [email protected]
YORKSHIRE Paul Bartlett
JANE POTTAS JANE [email protected]
44 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 Could y Could you recommend a member?
PIPETTING 360˚ The Society of Biology represents, supports and engages with anyone who has an esents, supports and engages with interestanyone inwho the has life sciences,an interest and in the offers life sciences,membership and grades offers membershipto suit all levels grades of expertise. to suit all levels of expertise. Ergonomic Pipetting fers 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 BioClean™ Tips 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 World-Class Service would benefit from Society membership, please email their details to us - and let us know if you’d like us to mention your nomination.
Go Online for Special Offers & Quick Quotes www.anachem.co.uk Email: [email protected]
Contact Us Tel 01582 455135 Email [email protected] www.societyofbiology.org/join
NEC, Birmingham 5 & 6 November 2014 Discovering innovation at the heart of the laboratory industries
Lab Innovations 2014 offers you the chance to meet leading suppliers from all over the country, to hear from industry experts and to network with
your peers. 2014 This year’s packed programme includes free REGISTER inspirational seminars hosted by Campden BRI NOW! and the Royal Society of Chemistry, which will feature comedian and presenter Robin Ince and writer and presenter Quentin Cooper. FREE registration now open at www.lab-innovations.com Museum Piece BIOLOGICAL EXHIBITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
#010 This great auk in Dublin is one of only two in the world THE with immature GREAT plumage AUK
The Zoological Museum, Trinity College, Dublin
rmland’s last grmat auk is a sad symbol of thm many spmcims that Ihavm bmmn huntmd to mxtinction ovmr thm coursm of history. A largm, flightlmss bird, thm grmat auk (Pinguinus impennis) was oncm widmsprmad across thm North Atlantic but wmnt mxtinct in thm mid-19th cmntury. Thmy wmrm mxcmllmnt aquatic prmdators, similar but not rmlatmd to pmnguins, but thmir puny wings and slow waddlm on land madm thmm masy targmts for sailors and mxplormrs. Slaughtmrmd for thmir mmat, fmathmrs and bonms, thmrm arm mvmn grumsomm accounts of thm birds bming burnt alivm as fuml on rmmotm islands with littlm vmgmtation. Archamological rmmains show that thm birds wmrm huntmd from at lmast thm 8th cmntury, and by thm mid-16th cmntury many of thmir brmmding colonims in Europm had disappmarmd. Populations continumd furthmr in North Ammrica from thm mid-18th cmntury, whmn thm birds wmrm usmd to rmplacm midmr ducks as thm main sourcm of fmathmr supplims. Sadly, as thmir numbmrs dwindlmd, many of thm last grmat auks wmrm COURTESY OF MUSEUM CURATOR, DR MARTYN LINNIE MARTYN DR CURATOR, MUSEUM OF COURTESY killmd for musmum collmctions. Thm bmautifully prmsmrvmd spmcimmn mnthusiastic collmcting during thm The Zoological Museum, Trinity in thm Zoological Musmum at 19th cmntury, it is onm of only 20 College, Dublin, is open 10:30- Trinity Collmgm was capturmd off spmcimmns lmft in thm world and onm 16:00, Monday to Friday from June thm south mast coast of Irmland in of only two with immaturm plumagm. to August; visits by appointment 1834, just 10 ymars bmform thm spmcims It was thm last grmat auk smmn alivm only from September to May. bmcamm mxtinct. Dmspitm thm ovmr- in Irmland. www.tcd.ie/Zoology/museum
46 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 WIN A £25 Crossword BOOK Forget crypts this Halloween – go cryptic instead… TOKEN
Across 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 thm normal combination of a dmfinition 1 A small part belonging to Panama (7) supportmd by a cryptic indication. 5 Dread getting hold of the … (7) 9 … heads of rattlers or other threatening 9 10 How to enter snakes (5) To bm in with a chancm of winning a
10 Not in favour of fish outside of 11 12 £25 book tokmn, plmasm smnd us your ocean? (9) complmtmd puzzlms by Monday 10th 11 Liquid essence, couple of litres (5,4) Novmmbmr 2014. Plmasm includm your 12 Hair style, a little short on top (5) 13 14 15 16 17 namm, addrmss and mmmbmrship 13 Belonging to another dimension (4) numbmr with your mntry – an mmail 15 Awful embarrassment when stars addrmss would bm handy too. 18 19 walk out (8) Post your mntrims to: Crossword, 18 I can work hard (8) 20 21 The Biologist, Socimty of Biology,
19 Large gun goes off (4) 22 23 24 25 Charlms Darwin Housm, 12 Rogmr 22 Migratory grasshopper lacks tail (5) Strmmt, London, WC1N 2JU. 24 Danger associated with close to ninety miles per hour (9) 26 27 Winners 26 Form of carbon nucleus associated Wmll donm to last issum’s winnmrs, with type of cell (9) Robmrt Starlmy and Brian Nash 28 29 27 An American deer turns up (5) CBiol MSB. Book tokmns on thm way. 28 Extremes of detail in backbone (7) 29 Book (7) 14 Had such exercise. And without a dog! (9) Volume 61 16 Dare to go wild in car? That makes No 5 Last issue’s solution Down reactions slower (9) compiled Vol 61 No 4 1 Extremely unorthodox opinion from 17 One’s weed-free (3-6) by Doug that woman? Yes unfortunately (6) 20 With introduction of pressure form Stanford 2 New barn we rob to get animal (5,4) buckles (6) 3 Try and smack (5) 21 Pinch this even when incomplete (6) 4 Skilled workman and mates right 23 The odds of chance, it goes up to celebrate (9) for 26ac (5) 5 Scoff at a luncheon taking in what is 24 Sounds like quiet part (5) ultimately bad for one (5) 25 Plenty of chaps possess nothing (5) 6 Hereditary earls can get upset about end of Parliament (9) This issue 7 Barrier he had put up for example (5) All across answmrs arm from thm world 8 Among children am expected to use of biology and thmir clums lack any a different way of addressing (6) furthmr dmfinition. Down clums providm
Biology Now A one-day event exploring the life sciences 19 November 2014 Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU
Everyone with an interest in biology is invited to attend our inaugural conference, exploring the breadth of current life sciences.
In partnership with Book your place today events.societyofbiology.org/biologynow
Vol 61 No 5 / THE BIOLOGIST / 47 DR MARK DOWNS FSB, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY
Final Word GEARING UP FOR THE BIG WEEK AHEAD
ust aftmr this mdition of havm smvmn Big Biology Days plannmd biologists. With thm support of thm The Biologist hits your mat, around thm UK organismd by Hmritagm Lottmry Fund, and in wm’ll hopmfully bm cmlmbrating branchms and mmmbmrs: from partnmrship with thm Biotmchnology anothmr succmssful Biology Cardiff to Cambridgm to Glasgow, and Biological Scimncms Rmsmarch Wmmk, now in its third voluntmmrs and staff will bm Council, wm’vm bmmn ablm to providm ymar.J As thm wmmk approachms, our communicating thm importancm valuablm training for thmsm London officm gmts incrmasingly (and fun) of biology to thm public. voluntmmrs in scimncm writing and busy as idmas for various biology- A kmy fmaturm of this ymar’s public mngagmmmnt. promoting mvmnts takm shapm. Biology Wmmk has bmmn For many, thm projmct also providms In 2012, wm had massms of brain- our projmct to cmlmbratm an opportunity to gain valuablm shapmd jmlly in thm fridgm, and in biology hmritagm callmd mxpmrimncm as part of thmir continuing 2013 our staff campmd out in all Biology: Changing profmssional dmvmlopmmnt, which is an cornmrs of thm officm for a 24-hour thm World. Wm’vm incrmasingly vital mlmmmnt of lmcturm. 2014 has bmmn no diffmrmnt launchmd a wmbsitm Chartmrmd status rmtmntion and our with staff crmating thmir own largm and mobilm app, hmld othmr profmssional rmgistmrs. ‘BioArtAttacks’ on thm floor of a thmmmd mvmnt in As wmll as Biology Wmmk, Octobmr thm building. Parliammnt, and also takms us into thm start of our Socimty staff play an important commissionmd a smrims sixth ymar as thm Socimty of Biology rolm in Biology Wmmk, but thm wmmk of plaqums to and so much has bmmn achimvmd in (and thm othmr 51 in our calmndar) commmmoratm biologists such a short spacm of timm. With thm wouldn’t work without thm support who rmally madm a diffmrmncm. support and lmadmrship of our first of our many voluntmmrs. Socimty Biology It’s bmmn grmat to smm such support prmsidmnt, Profmssor Damm Nancy voluntmmrs arm thm lifmblood of thm Week from our sistmr socimtims on this Rothwmll, wm mstablishmd oursmlvms organisation, from thm pmoplm sitting wouldn’t projmct. Bming ablm to sharm thm as thm voicm of thm lifm scimncms. As wm on our committmms to thosm who hmlp work storims of scimntists from thm mntirm mntmr our sixth ymar, with Profmssor at our rmgional mvmnts. without the brmadth of biology givms us thm Damm Jman Thomas as our prmsidmnt, Our branchms rmprmsmnt a group support of chancm to rmally show our strmngth wm arm smt to continum to grow at a of voluntmmrs with a continumd as a smctor. grmat pacm. Kmmp an mym out for commitmmnt to thm aims of thm our many Biology: Changing thm World is noticms about our birthday Socimty, and thmir mfforts in Biology volunteers also rmliant on 45 voluntmmrs around cmlmbrations in forthcoming issums Wmmk rmally hmlp to build our thm UK who havm hmlpmd with mvmnts of The Biologist and through our rmgional prmsmncm. This ymar, wm or with writing about inspirational mmmbmrship nmwslmttmr.
48 / THE BIOLOGIST / Vol 61 No 5 RJBE 45-2 Outside Cover.qxp:Layout 1 5/2/11 3:37 PM Page 1
RJBE 45-2 Outside Cover.qxp:Layout 1 5/2/11 3:37 PM Page 1
ISSN 0021-9266 ISSNISSN 0021-9266 0021-9266 ISSN 0021-9266 JournalBiologicalof Education
Volume 48 Number 2 June 2014 Volume 48 Number 3 September 2014 Volume 45 Number 2 June 2011 Volume 45 Number 3 September 2011
ERIDOB ISSUE VolumeJuneNumber 2011 45 2
Jourxal of Biological Educatiox Journal of Biological Education is firmly established as the authoritative voice ix the world of biological educatiox. The jourxal aims to bridge the gap betweex research axd practice, providixg ixformatiox, ideas axd opixiox, ix additiox to critical examixatioxs of advaxces ix biology research axd teachixg. Through the coverage of policy axd curriculum developmexts, the latest results of research ixto the teachixg, learxixg axd assessmext of biology are brought to the fore. Each volume of JBE coxtaixs four issues axd members of the Society of Biology cax subscribe for just £40 a year. Coxtact [email protected] for more details. www.tandfonline.com/rjbe
Published on behalf of the Society of Biology by Routledge
JBE.indd 1 30/08/2011 15:19
JBE.indd 1 30/08/2011 15:19 As the leading professional body Professional registers SUPPORTING for the biosciences, the Society Through a licence offered by the Science of Biology is committed to Council, the Society of Biology runs three professional registers. Registered Science LIFE recognising professional excellence, Technician, Registered Scientist and Chartered through degree accreditation, Scientist, together with our own Chartered SCIENCES professional registration and Biologist register, are available to members membership networks. who are committed to the biological sciences in academia, industry, education and research.
Degree accreditation Join today Our Degree Accreditation Programme In addition to professional registers, members has been designed to address the can access a range of valuable membership skills gap between academic study benefits including discounted training courses, and employment in the biosciences. a free subscription to our award-winning Degrees accredited by the Society of magazine The Biologist, and our credits-based Biology can help employers to identify CPD programme. We offer several membership research-ready graduates, with a known categories to ensure that everyone has the profile of skills and knowledge. opportunity to get involved in our work.
For more information (including a list of accredited degrees) visit www.societyofbiology.org