CONTENTS Volume 65 No 4 August/September 2018
HAVE AN IDEA FOR AN ARTICLE OR INTERESTED IN WRITING FOR US? For details contact tom.ireland@rsb.org.uk
ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU Tel: 020 7685 2400 info@rsb.org.uk; www.rsb.org.uk
i t to n
WM a r k
b y
i n); S a r c o s a u r u s
i z B o n n
; At l a n t i c P r o d u c t i o n s ( L
i n d s a y
i d L
D a v
EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Tom Ireland MRSB @Tom_J_Ireland tom.ireland@rsb.org.uk Chair of the Editorial Board Professor Alison Woollard FRSB Editorial Board Dr Anthony Flemming MRSB, Syngenta Professor Adam Hart FRSB, University of Gloucestershire Dr Sarah Maddocks CBiol MRSB, Cardiff Metropolitan University Dr Rachael Nimmo MRSB, University College London Professor Shaun D Pattinson FRSB, Durham University Dr James Poulter MRSB, University of Leeds Dr Cristiana P Velloso MRSB, King’s College London Membership enquiries Tel: 01233 504804 membership@rsb.org.uk Subscription enquiries Tel: 020 7685 2556; info@rsb.org.uk The Biologist is produced on behalf of the Royal Society of Biology by Think Publishing Ltd, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH www.thinkpublishing.co.uk; 020 3771 7200 Printed by Wyndeham Southernprint Art director Matthew Ball Designer Felipe Perez Production editor Sian Campbell Sub editor Kirsty Fortune Associate director John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk Non-member rates: £126.00 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 7685 2556 Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board or the Royal Society of Biology. © 2018 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 image: Balaur bondoc by Emily Willoughby
ON THE COVER Bringing the past to life 10 Palaeoartists explain how they reconstruct ancient worlds
16
26
TWITTER @RoyalSocBio
Facebook “ f ” Logo
RGB / .ai
Facebook “ f ” Logo
RGB / .ai
FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ RoyalSocBio
42
UP FRONT 04 Society News Parliamentary Links Day; RSB chief executive honoured; Biology Week 2018
06 Policy, analysis and opinion The influence of scientific instrument makers, and new thinking on science investment
FEATURES 16 Interview Liz Bonnin on big cats, biochemistry and taking responsibility for our planet
20 Out of sight The patient who could grasp what she couldn’t see and how it helped us understand how vision works
24 By degrees David Coates on accrediting courses in the biosciences
REGULARS 26 Focus on… Therapeutic cancer vaccines – are they finally showing promise?
30 Members Meet RSB members on the lake and in the lab; plus membership training and events
34 Book reviews 40 Regional grant reports 42 Branches 47 Crossword
48 Museum piece Objects built by nature at the Leeds City Museum 48
BLOG blog.rsb.org.uk
WEBSITE thebiologist.rsb.org.uk
Vol 65 No 4 / The Biologist / 1