Another successful Biology Week hosted by RSB

The 13th Biology Week hosted by the Royal Society of Biology saw people from across the UK and around the world taking part in events, competitions, and talks.

It’s a Wild Life talk by George McGavin Hon FRSB

Beginning the week was an RSB member-exclusive event; a talk by academic entomologist George McGavin Hon FRSB outlining his fascinating career. Delivered with enthusiasm and good humour, George spoke of his experience of academia (having been a professor at the University of Oxford for 30 years) prior to shifting to a career in wildlife television with the BBC’s Natural History unit. He discussed his first-hand experience of these two different career routes and the rewarding nature of both kinds, before members – with over 150 in attendance – were given time to ask questions. 

Science and Stormont

The RSB NI Branch Outreach Champion Award was presented to Yasna Najmi for her doctoral work on studying the effects of green tea on gum disease at the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Science and Stormont event in Belfast.

Awards Ceremony 

The RSB’s annual Awards Ceremony took place at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in South Kensington, London with more than 100 guests in attendance – the most highly attended RSB Awards Ceremony to date. Awards were presented to the winners of several RSB competitions including: Photographer of the Year and Young Photographer of the Year; BioArtAttack (2D); Apprentice of the Year; School Biology Teacher of the Year; and the Higher Education Biology Teacher of the Year. The President’s Medal was presented by the RSB’s President Professor Sir Ian Boyd FRSB to Dr Richard Briggs MBE CBiol FRSB and Dr Paul Brooker FRSB for their invaluable contributions to the Society and the wider field of biology. The evening also saw the unveiling of our new digital series ‘Biology for a Better Tomorrow’ in collaboration with media company Content With Purpose.

STEM schools talk

Winner of this year’s School Biology Teacher of the Year, Dr Ali Bune, chaired the STEM Schools Talk for school students. Featuring scientists from the worlds of molecular modelling, coral reef research, and studying wildlife from space, the aim was to introduce students to different areas of biological study, and to showcase inspiring role models. Over 150 participants were in attendance, many of whom were classrooms full of students, which was a two-fold increase on last year’s attendance. Students were also given the opportunity to have their questions answered.

Arun Pandurangan, Senior Research Associate in the Heart and Lung Research Institute, Department of Medicine, at the University of Cambridge, gave the first talk focusing on how molecular modelling is used to understand proteins and antimicrobial resistance.

Miranda Lowe CBE FRSB, Principal Curator at the Natural History Museum, then spoke on coral reefs, the threats they face, and the role of museums in understanding them.

The final speaker was Dr Peter Fretwell, leading scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, whose talk shone a spotlight on studying wildlife from space. In particular, he has been documenting and researching penguin colonies based on satellite images of guano distribution. Satellites are also proving key to studying whale and walrus populations, which are otherwise difficult to chart.

An event recording is available on our YouTube channel.

Behind the Scenes at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

As part of the RSB Plant Health Series, an exclusive visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew was organised for the latter half of Biology Week. Attendees – over 60 in total – had the opportunity to visit one of the UK’s most important botanical research institutes, participate in guided tours, and engage with experts in plant health.

There were several speakers throughout the day giving talks, the first of whom was Professor Jeremy Pritchard, Professor of Life Sciences at the University of Birmingham. Professor Pritchard introduced the RSB Plant Health Series and the Plant Health Professional Register, highlighting their role in building the UK’s plant health capability, capacity, and resilience.

Louise Gathercole, Suzanne Sancisi-Frey, and Alexandra Ash from the Centre for Forest Protection also shared CFP’s plant health research and their plans for education and training before Kew’s own Dr Laura Kelly then discussed her team’s genomic approaches for tackling threats to ash trees.

Special thanks to the brilliant teams at Kew’s Quarantine Unit, Herbarium, and Fungarium for giving attendees a look behind the scenes at their incredible work. Despite the slightly drizzly English weather, the day was enjoyed by all.

Spelling Bee competition

After a brilliant inaugural year last year for the RSB’s Spelling Bee, the competition returned this year with over 240 schools participating from around the world. The Spelling Bee competition is an RSB Outreach and Engagement Grant Scheme funded activity, run by Jon Hale, Assistant Head, at Beaulieu Convent School Jersey.

This year’s winners were:

• Year 7: Amina Khan from Bolton School, Greater Manchester
• Year 8: Laasya Chukka from North Cestrian School, Altrincham
• Year 9: Naina Kurup from Red House School, Teesside
• Year 10: Ria Nainu from Herschel Grammar, Berkshire
• Year 11: Saksham Rana from Herschel Grammar, Berkshire
• Year 12: Micah Cartwright from New-Bridge Integrated College, County Down, Northern Ireland
• Year 13: Amelina Rahman from Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School, Hertfordshire

Congratulations to all the winners and all the schools that took part and many thanks again to Jon Hale for organising a great event again.

Save the date

It’s been an eventful and enjoyable week full of events and meeting new people all coming together for their involvement in the biosciences. Next year’s Biology Week will take place in 11-19 October 2025 – we hope to see you there!

With thanks to BBSRC for ongoing support of our work including this year’s Biology Week and CWP.