News in 2013
- New Centre for Doctoral Training in Synthetic Biology announced 10 January 2014 Postgraduate training in a wide range of engineering and scientific fields important to the UK’s economy received a boost this week when 19 new Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) were announced by Universities and Science Minister, David Willetts.
- Funded PhD places available - deadline January 10th 2014 16 December 2013 For details of schemes and projects visit the School's Postgraduate web pages: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/biology/courses/postgraduate/ including a list of projects by research area at: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/biology/courses/postgraduate/phd-research.html
- MAD group organise international conference 15 November 2013 The Modelling Animal Decisions group are organising this year's Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Winter Conference, which takes place on the 5th and 6th December at London Zoo. The topic is The Evolution of Behavioural Mechanisms.
- BBSRC funds new genotyper 8 November 2013 Professor Keith Edwards has been awarded £326,000 by the BBSRC to purchase the latest generation of high-throughput genotyping technology.
- Why some parents think your partner isn’t good enough 19 September 2013 It is common for parents to influence mate choice — from arranged marriages to more subtle forms of persuasion — but they often disagree with their children about what makes a suitable partner. A new study has found an evolutionary explanation for why some parents try to control who their children pair up with.
- Professor Simon Hiscock elected Vice President of the Linnean Society 5 September 2013 On May 24 at the Anniversary Meeting of the Linnean Society Professor Simon Hiscock was elected to the Council of the Society and then immediately invited by the President, Professor Dianne Edwards CBE FRS, to become a Vice President. Simon will assume this role in October.
- Where can coral reefs relocate to escape the heat? 29 August 2013 The best real estate for coral reefs over the coming decades will no longer be around the equator but in the sub-tropics, new research from the University of Bristol suggests.
- Epic ocean voyages of baby corals revealed 21 August 2013 For the first time, scientists have recreated the journeys of millimetre-sized baby coral through the world’s seas, suggesting some of these tiny adventurers may cross entire oceans. The study, by researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Miami, will help predict how coral reef distributions may change in response to changing oceans.
- Antony Dodd wins Daiwa Adrian Prize in recognition of significant collaboration with Japan 25 July 2013 The Daiwa Adrian Prizes were established in 1992 and subsequently renamed to commemorate Lord Adrian, an eminent scientist and a founding Trustee of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, at whose initiative the Prizes were established.
- Solitary lemurs avoid danger with a little help from the neighbours 19 July 2013 An endangered species of Madagascan lemur uses the alarm calls of birds and other lemurs to warn it of the presence of predators, a new study by researchers from the University of Bristol and Bristol Zoo with the University of Torino has found. This is the first time this phenomenon has been observed in a solitary and nocturnal lemur species.
- Female scientists campaign for change in gender inequality in science 1 July 2013 London’s Southbank will be transformed into a hub of scientific learning and discussion next Friday [5 July] as some of the UK’s leading female scientists take to their soapboxes to showcase science to the general public at an event co-founded by a University of Bristol researcher.
- Genome of 700,000-year-old horse sequenced 27 June 2013 The oldest genome so far from a prehistoric creature has been sequenced by an international team, led by scientists from the Natural History Museum of Denmark (University of Copenhagen).
- Zoology student makes wildlife documentary on bears 24 June 2013 Bertie Gregory, a second year student in the School, has spent his spare time in the last two years making his own wildlife film.
- Jessica McLachlan awarded Commendation of Excellence 21 June 2013 Jessica McLachlan has been awarded a Faculty of Science Commendation of Excellence for her Masters by Research thesis.
- Illustrious Natural History filming in School of Biological Sciences 19 June 2013 Sir David Attenborough and his production team visited the School of Biological Sciences where they filmed experiments conducted in the labs of Prof Daniel Robert and Dr. Heather Whitney. More filming took place in Daniel's garden, where live experiments with bees were presented by Sir David.
- Why animals compare the present with the past 30 May 2013 Humans, like other animals, compare things. We care not only how well off we are, but whether we are better or worse off than others around us, or than we were last year. New research by scientists at the University of Bristol shows that such comparisons can give individuals an evolutionary advantage.
- Pilot awards to amplify impact 28 May 2013 Professor Richard Wall has received an award to accelerate the impact of his research. This award is part of a pilot funding scheme from Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) which have awarded five grants totalling £70,000 across four Schools.
- Unkempt, weedy land unintentionally boosts wildlife 22 May 2013 Parts of the farm landscape that look overgrown and ‘scruffy’ are more important in supporting wildlife than they first appear, according to new research published today in Ecology Letters.
- Blooming marvellous! Meadow project wins Bristol Genius Award 22 May 2013 A project to plant flower meadows across the city has won the Mayor’s Bristol Genius Award for its efforts to transform the urban environment for pollinating insects, while making Bristol more attractive for residents and visitors.
- University research project shortlisted for Mayor's Bristol Genius Award 20 May 2013 An ambitious scientific project which aims to transform Bristol’s urban environment for pollinating insects, while making Bristol more attractive for residents and visitors, has been shortlisted for this year's Bristol Genius Award.
- £54 million Life Sciences building reaches new heights 17 April 2013 Work to create a £54 million world-class building for science research and teaching in the centre of Bristol has reached a major milestone.
- Mark Viney wins CA Wright Medal 10 April 2013 Mark Viney is being awarded the CA Wright Medal of the British Society for Parasitology.
- Bristol Ant Lab in BBC Four Planet Ant: Life Inside the Colony 18 March 2013 The Ant Lab at the University of Bristol took part in the BBC Four Planet Ant: Life Inside the Colony, showing how ants use surprisingly simple rules to solve complex problems.
- Plants let chloroplasts know the time 18 March 2013 Plant cells communicate information about the time of day to their chloroplasts, the part of their cells that underpins all agricultural productivity on Earth, researchers at the University of Bristol have demonstrated in a study published today in Science.
- Graduate School thriving 4 March 2013 A host of new international scholars and holders of competitive PhD studentships will join the Graduate School of Biological Sciences in 2013/14
- Widespread coverage for research on floral electrical fields 22 February 2013 Research by Professor Daniel Robert, Dr Heather Whitney and Dominic Clarke in the School of Biological Sciences which found that bees and flowers communicate using electrical fields was covered by The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, New Scientist, BBC News, Nature.com, The Australian, Le Figaro, German Public Radio, Globe and Mail (Canada) and other media around the world.
- Acacia trees crucial to Israel's desert bats, study finds 19 February 2013 Greater conservation of threatened acacia trees is needed to preserve vulnerable species of rare insectivorous bats in Israel, according to new research by biologists at the University of Bristol. Dense areas of flourishing acacia trees are in decline due to increasing water stress and the encroachment of human activity into their ecosystem, but such trees represent the only habitat that supports some rare and endangered species of bat.
- New taught MSc programmes open for application 15 February 2013 Two new taught MSc programmes in Animal Behaviour and Agricultural Ecosystems within the School of Biological Sciences are now open to applicants.
- Dr Christos Ioannou awarded ASAB Young Investigator Award 12 February 2013 Dr Christos Ioannou awarded ASAB Young Investigator Award.
- Biological Sciences attract two new Marie Curie Fellows 7 February 2013 The School of Biological Sciences has attracted a further two prestigious Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowships (IIF) this year.
- Dr Antony Dodd awarded prestigious Fellowship extension 4 February 2013 The Royal Society has extended Antony Dodd’s prestigious University Research Fellowship for a further three years.
- Orly Razgour wins three awards 28 January 2013 Orly Razgour was awarded the Vincent Weir Scientific Award in 2012 for her PhD research on the integrated conservation biology of a rare bat species, the grey long-eared bat.
- £656K NERC grant awarded to Biological Sciences 22 January 2013 A NERC grant of £656k has been awarded to Professor Jane Memmott, Head of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol, to work on landscape level food webs.
- New study identifies significance of co-infection in disease control 17 January 2013 Becoming infected with one parasite could change your chances of becoming infected with another according to new research from Cardiff University and the University of Bristol.
- Dr Jakob Vinther awarded The Hodson Prize Fund 3 January 2013 Dr Jakob Vinther was awarded The Hodson Prize Fund by the Palaeontological Association at its Annual Meeting in Dublin in late December.