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Royal Society of
Biology
THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY
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Professor Dan Davis FRSB,
Imperial College London
Editorial Board
Professor Matthew Cobb FRSB,
The University of Manchester Dr Anthony Flemming FRSB, Syngenta
Dr Sarah Maddocks CBiol MRSB,
Cardiff Met University Dr Esther Odenkule MRSB, GSK Professor Shaun D Pattinson FRSB,
Durham University
Dr James Poulter MRSB, University of Leeds
Professor Diane Purchase FRSB,
Middlesex University Dr Natasha de Vere, National Botanical Garden of Wales
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Cover: Crocuses,
Shutterstock
TheBiologistVol 70 No 1 • Spring 2023
THE MAGAZINE OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY w w w . r s b . o r g . u k
INSIDE
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KILLER CURE The power and possibilities of venom
THE THREE Rs
Innovations to lessen the use of animals in research
OPINION Encouraging neurodiversity in life science
The importance of tracking shifts in nature’s calendar Seasonal science
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VOLUME 70 NO 1 Spring 2023
ON THE COVER 18 Season creep How Biologist readers can help track the phenological impact of climate change
Contents
14 Toxic treatments The diversity of venoms in the animal world and their potential uses
24 Long-term experiments Five studies tracking how climate change is affecting our habitats
28 Northern exposure Golden jackals are heading north, but should they be classed as ‘alien’?
CONNECT WITH US Have an idea for an article or interested in writing for us?
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e tom.ireland@rsb.org.uk facebook.com/ RoyalSocBio thebiologist.rsb.org.uk
@RoyalSocBio www.youtube.com/ royalsocbio
UP FRONT 04 Society news Southeast Asia branch opens; latest plant health workshops
08 Policy news The UK’s plan for ‘green growth’, plus a new column on science, politics and Parliament
10 Policy analysis The RSB education team’s priorities for the next five years
12 Opinion How can we inspire more ‘neurodivergence’ in biology?
FEATURES 14 Kill or cure The unexplored value of venoms as potential therapeutics
18 Interview Tim Sparks and Kate Lewthwaite on the importance of monitoring the timing of seasonal events
24 Only time will tell What long-term field experiments tell us that other studies can’t
28 Globe trotters The redistribution of species such as the golden jackal raises difficult questions for conservationists
32 NC3Rs update Helping scientists reduce their reliance on animals for research
REGULARS 36 Members 40 Branches 42 Book reviews 47 Crossword 48 Amazing experiments The Hershey-Chase Experiment
Vol 70 No 1 / THE BIOLOGIST / 1
