Discover the Fascinating World of Plant Root Systems with Erwin Lichtenegger and Lore Kutschera’s Collaborative Project
As someone who has always been fascinated by the hidden world of plant roots, I am thrilled to share with you the incredible collaborative project of the late botanists Erwin Lichtenegger and Lore Kutschera. Through their detailed drawings, we are able to celebrate the power and beauty of these vital systems that often go unseen. Continue reading »
Highlights of The Royal Society of Biology’s Photography Competition 2021, from Ants Feasting on Honeydew to Zebras Drinking in The Savannah
Winner: Mutualism. Thane, India
The mutualistic relationship between ant and aphid. The ants consume honeydew excreted by a yellow aphid, and in return the ants protect the aphid from other organisms such as red mites. (Vishwanath Birje/Royal Society of Biology) Continue reading »
“How Do You Want to Be Remembered?”: This Company Develops Biodegradable Coffins Made from Mushrooms
One company in the Netherlands created what’s come to be known as the Loop coffin made of mushroom mycelium that biodegrades in just 30 to 45 days. The creator, TU Delft researcher Bob Hendrikx, woked with funeral directors to learn as much as he could about the burial process before designing the coffin made of natural materials.
In our 200.000 years of existence, mankind has developed a relationship of parasitism with Mother Nature. Our current behavior results in resource depletion and ecosystem loss: in some places around the world more than 40% of the biodiversity has already been lost. Even after death we leave a scar on this beautiful planet. Mother nature has been leading the way for 3.8 billion years before us and can help us to do so in the future. What if we could participate in nature’s end-of-life cycle? Continue reading »
The Winners of the Luminar Bug Photography Awards 2020 Have Just Been Announced
The winners have been announced in the Luminar Bug Photography Awards 2020, in association with Europe’s leading invertebrate charity, Buglife. Over 5,000 images were submitted from around the globe. The overall winning photographers were, Mofeed Abu Shalwa and Jamie Spensley.
Mofeed Abu Shalwa won Luminar bug photographer of the year. This photograph is of a red palm weevil. (Photo by Mofeed Abu Shalwa/Luminar Bug Photographer of the Year 2020) Continue reading »
Royal Society Of Biology Photographer Of The Year 2019: The Shortlist
The RSB has unveiled the shortlist for its 2019 photographer of the year and young photographer of the year competition. They showcase stunning images captured across the globe, including Canada, India and Kenya, and feature a variety of species in motion, with fluttering birds, jumping insects and territorial showdowns.
‘Capturing movement’ was the theme of the competition in 2019. Life on Earth is constantly changing, and we invited individuals to photograph nature in motion.
Male polar bear shaking off snow by Ian Stone in Hudson Bay, Canada. For two hours before the photo was taken, a blizzard had completely covered the surrounding area and the polar bear in snow. Ian waited until the weather calmed to capture the bear standing up and shaking the snow from its fur, ready to continue with its journey to the sea to hunt for seals. (Photo by Ian Stone/2019 Royal Society of Biology Photography Competition) Continue reading »
Look at All These Insane Deep-Sea Creatures Biologist Just Found In White Sea
Fantastic underwater photos by Alexander Semenov, a marine biologist and a professional underwater photographer. Also he is a head of the scientific divers team at the White Sea Biological Station of Lomonosov’s Moscow State University, Russia. The station was founded in 1938 and mostly it was built by enthusiasts who came here because of the amazing atmosphere that had being developed over many years at the station. This is an unusual and unique mix of students energy, serious science and the harsh northern nature. Continue reading »
The 2108 UK Royal Society Of Biology Photographer Of The Year Shortlist
Organic crystals by Henri Koskinen. Taken in Helsinki, Finland. Describe what is pictured? Citric acid in crystal form. Citric acid is a weak organic acid that occurs naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in the metabolism of all aerobic organisms. How does this image fit with the theme of the competition? My image depicts citric acid crystallised on a microscope glass slide. Citric acid is an organic compound that occurs in the metabolism of all aerobic organisms. (Photo by Henri Koskinen/Royal Society of Biology) Continue reading »
Assistant Professor Of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Creates Amazing Precise Metallic Replicas Of Ancient Fossils And Cells
By day, D. Allan Drummond is Assistant Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at The University of Chicago, where he runs the Drummond Lab. After hours, his interest in evolution and cellular structure takes a different, tangible form. Drummond constructs exacting replicas of creatures from the deep fossil record, paying specific attention to the detail of their underbellies, which are often obliterated by the passage of time. Continue reading »
Winning Photos Of The 2017 UK Royal Society Of Biology Photographer Of The Year
Shortlisted: “Two big eyes” by Miao Yong (Zejiang province, China). Damselflies look over the leaves.
“I was photographing insects in a park near my home when suddenly I found two damselflies in the grass. They kept flying and it was very difficult to focus until suddenly they parked behind a leaf”. (Photo by Miao Yong/2017 Royal Society of Biology Photographer of the Year) Continue reading »
UK Royal Society Of Biology’s Photographer Of The Year Shortlist
“The Autumn’s Beauty” by Amitava Chandra. “This unique white grass, a gift from nature to enhance the beauty of autumn, is colloquially called kash. For a short period during autumn it erupts in abundance without any cultivation or help from man”. Taken in Kolaghat, West Bengal. (Photo by Amitava Chandra/2016 Royal Society of Biology Photographer of the Year competition) Continue reading »
This Biology Teacher Has Her Own Way of Teaching About the Human Body at School
Debby Heerkens, a biology teacher at the Groene Hart Rijnwoude school in the Netherlands, came up with a truly memorable way to educate her students. She stood up on her desk and stripped off her clothes to reveal a full suit of spandex illustrated with accurate muscles and organs. Below that, another set of spandex illustrated where all the bones in her body are.
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Society of Biology Photography Award 2014
From rural life in India to a chick growing inside its embryo and a sea turtle eating a purple jellyfish, the Society of Biology has released their stunning photography competition shortlist. This year’s theme of Home, Habitat and Shelter drew almost 800 entries from amateur photographers competing to win the top prizes of £1,000 for over-18s and £500 for younger participants. The organisers encouraged photographers to “think creatively about the unique ways animals, plants and organisms exploit their environment in order to survive”. Photographic insights into biodiversity, genetic diversity and conversation issues were encouraged, as were pieces using light microscope techniques to explore the theme from another angle.
“A Shelter Designed by Nature”. Antipolo City, Rizal, Philippines: A shelter designed by nature by Robert Cabagnot. (Photo and caption by Robert Cabagnot/UK Society of Biology Photography Award 2014)
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