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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PROFESSOR NICK LEMOINE MD PHD FMEDSCI, CHAIR OF THE MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PROFESSOR NICK LEMOINE MD PHD FMEDSCI, CHAIR OF THE MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION Gifts in Wills could be the key to protecting the future of human health Gifts in Wills could be the key to protecting the future of human health Our experience of COVID-19 shows how suddenly a global health challenge can appear. As a member of our scientific community, you will understand that while nobody can predict what we will face next, we can be certain that the future will bring many more threats to human health. As Chair of the Medical Research Foundation – the charitable arm of the Medical Research Council – I have seen the incredible impact that individuals who remember the Foundation in their Wills can have on the future of our health and wellbeing here in the UK. These gifts fund research and researchers which can have far-reaching implications for human health. With a gift in your Will you can play a key role in providing the science that will protect the health of future generations. Right now, the Foundation is funding research to tackle antimicrobial resistance, and investing in researchers like Dr Myrsini Kaforou – who will make the fight against antimicrobial resistance her life’s work. Without support at the crucial early stages, researchers like Dr Kaforou can be forced to abandon their passion and leave science altogether, with an immeasurable loss to future human health. Gifts in Wills provide the long term funding and security that allows the Foundation to invest in projects like Dr Kaforou’s and lay the foundations for quality research in years to come. “As scientists, our duty is to secure the future of research for the generations that follow.” Professor Fiona Watt, President of the Medical Research Foundation and Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council. Your Will can fund the rational response to health challenges that medical science provides. While we don’t know what the future holds for human “The funding I received through the Medical Research Foundation will be transformative for my research.” Dr Myrsini Kaforou health in the UK, we do know that research, and the brilliant scientists driving that research forward, are the key to meeting those challenges for years to come. But many of these scientists rely on the generosity and foresight of fellow members of the scientific community – people like you, who are willing to leave a gift to medical research in their Wills. At the Medical Research Foundation, over 90% of our voluntary income comes from individuals who choose to include a gift in their Will – they are crucial in the Foundation’s ability to fund research that will enable the next generation of scientists to make real world discoveries in the future. I firmly believe that a gift in your Will to the Medical Research Foundation is an excellent investment and will have a lasting impact on science and on the future of human health in the UK. Please consider this very special gift today. Professor Nick Lemoine MD PhD FMedSci Chair of the Medical Research Foundation Get your free guide to supporting research in your Will. To request your free guide to gifts in Wills fill in this form and return to Freepost, MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION. You don’t need a stamp OR visit medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk/support-us/wills Name Address Email address Postcode We would like to contact you from time to time with our latest news. Please tick here if you are happy for us to contact you via email. The Medical Research Foundation does not share your personal information. You can unsubscribe at any time. For further information on how we collect, store and process your personal data, please read our Privacy Notice medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk/privacy Medical Research Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales (Reg. Charity No. 1138223). Please follow Government isolation and distancing guidelines if posting. 2103BIO
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THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY 1 Naoroji Street, London WC1X 0GB Tel: 020 3925 3440 info@rsb.org.uk; www.rsb.org.uk EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Tom Ireland MRSB, tom.ireland@rsb.org.uk Editorial assistant Emma Wrake AMRSB, emma.wrake@rsb.org.uk Chair of the Editorial Board Professor Dan Davis FRSB, The University of Manchester Editorial Board Professor Matthew Cobb FRSB, The University of Manchester Dr Anthony Flemming FRSB, Syngenta Professor Adam Hart FRSB, University of Gloucestershire 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 Membership enquiries Tel: 01233 555665; membership@rsb.org.uk Subscription enquiries Tel: 020 3925 3464; info@rsb.org.uk The Biologist is produced on behalf of the Royal Society of Biology by Think Media Group, 20 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JW www.thinkpublishing.co.uk; 020 3771 7200 Printed by Full Spectrum, Basildon Senior designers Juanita Adu, John Pender, Matthew Ball Production editor Sian Campbell Sub editor Kirsty Fortune Group account director John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk ISSN 0006-3347 Advertising in The Biologist represents an unparalleled opportunity to reach a large community of professional biologists. For advertising information contact tom.ireland@rsb.org.uk; 020 3925 3464 Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board or the Royal Society of Biology. © 2021 Royal Society of Biology (Registered charity no. 277981) The Society permits single copying of individual articles for private study or research, irrespective of where the copying is done. Multiple copying of individual articles for teaching purposes is also permitted without specific permission. For copying or reproduction for any other purpose, written permission must be sought from the Society. Exceptions to the above are those institutions and non-publishing organisations that have an agreement or licence with the UK Copyright Licensing Agency or the US Copyright Clearance Center. Access to the magazine is available online; please see the Society’s website for further details. This magazine is sent in biodegradable wrap that can be composted or placed with food waste. Cover: Thief ants on a wax apple leaf. Photograph by John Ishide Bulanadi, shortlisted in this year’s RSB photography competition VOLUME 68 NO 4 Winter 2021 ON THE COVER 12 Caught on camera The RSB’s photography competition yields some jaw-dropping results Contents 16 A weapon in the war on antimicrobial resistance Bacteria-killing viruses are all around us – and scientists need your help finding them 48 Amazing Amazônia Our 50th ‘Museum Piece’ visits an incredible exhibit on rainforest life 22 Intraguild predation How the presence of ‘superpredators’ helps boost biodiversity CONNECT WITH US Have an idea for an article or interested in writing for us? tom.ireland@rsb.org.uk facebook.com/ RoyalSocBio thebiologist.rsb.org.uk @RoyalSocBio www.youtube.com/ royalsocbio UP FRONT 04 Society News Biology week success, RSB award winners and the launch of a new curriculum framework 08 Policy news GMO review brings welcome news, but is UK R&D spending on track? 10 Policy analysis The importance of biology curricula fit for the future 11 Opinion Time to stop using Krebs, Calvin, and other eponymous names? FEATURES 12 Nature in all its glory The winners of our photo and specimen drawing competitions 16 Finding phages The search for viruses that can kill drug-resistant bacteria 22 From predator to prey Inside the dog eat dog world of intraguild predation 26 All together now Did oxylipins give rise to multicellular organisms? 30 Winter is coming The effects of COVID-19 measures on other viruses REGULARS 34 Members 38 Book reviews 44 Branches 47 Crossword 48 Museum piece Amazing Amazônia, Science Museum, London Vol 68 No 4 / THE BIOLOGIST / 1

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THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY

1 Naoroji Street, London WC1X 0GB

Tel: 020 3925 3440 info@rsb.org.uk; www.rsb.org.uk

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor

Tom Ireland MRSB, tom.ireland@rsb.org.uk

Editorial assistant

Emma Wrake AMRSB, emma.wrake@rsb.org.uk

Chair of the Editorial Board

Professor Dan Davis FRSB, The University of Manchester

Editorial Board

Professor Matthew Cobb FRSB,

The University of Manchester Dr Anthony Flemming FRSB, Syngenta

Professor Adam Hart FRSB, University of Gloucestershire 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

Membership enquiries

Tel: 01233 555665; membership@rsb.org.uk

Subscription enquiries Tel: 020 3925 3464; info@rsb.org.uk

The Biologist is produced on behalf of the Royal Society of Biology by Think Media Group,

20 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JW www.thinkpublishing.co.uk; 020 3771 7200

Printed by Full Spectrum, Basildon

Senior designers

Juanita Adu, John Pender, Matthew Ball

Production editor

Sian Campbell

Sub editor Kirsty Fortune Group account director

John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk

ISSN 0006-3347

Advertising in The Biologist represents an unparalleled opportunity to reach a large community of professional biologists.

For advertising information contact tom.ireland@rsb.org.uk; 020 3925 3464

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board or the Royal Society of Biology.

© 2021 Royal Society of Biology

(Registered charity no. 277981)

The Society permits single copying of individual articles for private study or research, irrespective of where the copying is done. Multiple copying of individual articles for teaching purposes is also permitted without specific permission. For copying or reproduction for any other purpose, written permission must be sought from the Society. Exceptions to the above are those institutions and non-publishing organisations that have an agreement or licence with the UK Copyright Licensing Agency or the US Copyright Clearance

Center. Access to the magazine is available online; please see the Society’s website for further details. This magazine is sent in biodegradable wrap that can be composted or placed with food waste.

Cover: Thief ants on a wax apple leaf. Photograph by John Ishide Bulanadi, shortlisted in this year’s RSB photography competition

VOLUME 68 NO 4 Winter 2021

ON THE COVER 12 Caught on camera The RSB’s photography competition yields some jaw-dropping results

Contents

16 A weapon in the war on antimicrobial resistance Bacteria-killing viruses are all around us – and scientists need your help finding them

48 Amazing Amazônia Our 50th ‘Museum Piece’ visits an incredible exhibit on rainforest life

22 Intraguild predation How the presence of ‘superpredators’ helps boost biodiversity

CONNECT WITH US Have an idea for an article or interested in writing for us?

tom.ireland@rsb.org.uk facebook.com/ RoyalSocBio thebiologist.rsb.org.uk

@RoyalSocBio www.youtube.com/ royalsocbio

UP FRONT 04 Society News Biology week success, RSB award winners and the launch of a new curriculum framework

08 Policy news GMO review brings welcome news, but is UK R&D spending on track?

10 Policy analysis The importance of biology curricula fit for the future

11 Opinion Time to stop using Krebs, Calvin, and other eponymous names?

FEATURES 12 Nature in all its glory The winners of our photo and specimen drawing competitions

16 Finding phages The search for viruses that can kill drug-resistant bacteria

22 From predator to prey Inside the dog eat dog world of intraguild predation

26 All together now Did oxylipins give rise to multicellular organisms?

30 Winter is coming The effects of COVID-19 measures on other viruses

REGULARS 34 Members 38 Book reviews 44 Branches 47 Crossword 48 Museum piece Amazing Amazônia, Science Museum, London

Vol 68 No 4 / THE BIOLOGIST / 1

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