Celebrating SBBS' Women in Science 1 June 2023
The 11th February marks UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS), which aims to recognise women’s contributions in science, smash stereotypes and defeat discrimination against women and girls in the sciences.
This year the focus was on the role women and girls in science have in meeting Sustainable Development Goals, namely clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, industry innovation, and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities and means of implementation.
Here in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, we have many female role models who are helping to further scientific understanding and encouraging more women and girls to consider careers in science.
British scientist describes rare discovery of a dinosaur eating a mammal 21 December 2022
The small, feathered dinosaur Microraptor is preserved with the foot of a small mammal inside its ribcage.
Research reveals the benefits of a classic chalk river plant, the water crowfoot (Ranunculus) 8 December 2022
A PhD research project conducted by Queen Mary’s Dr Jessica Marsh in conjunction with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has revealed the importance of water crowfoot – an aquatic plant found commonly in lowland rivers – in the conservation of young Atlantic salmon.
New research by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Queen Mary researchers prompts urgent call from scientists to protect Madagascar’s unique biodiversity, before it’s too late 2 December 2022
In two new papers published in Science, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Queen Mary University of London, and partners from over 50 global organisations have undertaken a major review of Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity.
Instagram can support sea turtle conservation 30 November 2022
Researchers have used Instagram to measure the pressures of tourism on loggerhead turtles in Zakynthos, Greece.
From Student to Staff - Meet the Lecturer, Dr Sally Faulkner 17 November 2022
We spoke to Director of Teaching and Learning in Biology and Programme Lead for Zoology, Medical Genetics and Biology, Dr Sally Faulkner. She touches on her journey to becoming a lecturer from studying BSc Zoology at Queen Mary, as well as an innovative new Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) initiative she has been championing.
Obituary: Michael C. Thorndyke (1946–2022) 6 October 2022
Maurice R. Elphick and Sam Dupont
Starfish reveal evolutionary history of puberty hormone 31 August 2022
Research from academics at Queen Mary University of London School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, published in BMC Biology, has revealed the evolutionary history of a hormone that controls sexual maturation in humans.
Large-scale study of Brazilian wetlands ramps up evidence that biodiversity loss undermines ecosystem functioning 23 August 2022
A new study analyses human impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in 72 lakes distributed across four large neotropical wetlands of Brazil – Amazon, Araguaia, Pantanal and Paraná. The research spans a 3.7million km gradient of human activities in Brazil.
Insects May Be Able to Feel Pain, Study Suggests 8 July 2022
While flies are often seen as pests, a new study may make you think twice about killing them.
Genomic analysis shows 18,000-year-old-puppy Dogor is a wolf 1 July 2022
When Dogor was found in frozen mud in Siberia, scientists couldn't tell if he was a wolf or an early dog.
The strange search for dinosaur genitals 30 June 2022
The sordid details of how dinosaurs had sex have long eluded scientists. Now there's a new idea emerging – could their most eccentric features tell us how they did it?
Biological Sciences climbs 15 places for research impact in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 12 May 2022
The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences has excelled in their REF results released today, which have shown a great improvement in their overall score, consolidating their position in the UK.
Scientists find new colony structure of fire ants evolved in one species before spreading to others 11 March 2022
Scientists from Queen Mary University of London have discovered that a new form of ant society spread across species. They found that after the new form of society evolved in one species, a “social supergene” carrying the instruction-set for the new social form spread into other species. This spread occurred through hybridisation, i.e., breeding between ants of different species. This unlikely event provides an alternate way of life, making the ants more successful than if they only had the original social form.
Queen Mary scientist takes his research to Parliament 4 March 2022
Liam Dickson, 33, a PhD student in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, hailing from Toronto, is attending Parliament to present his biosciences research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of STEM for BRITAIN on Monday 7th March.
Animals have evolved to avoid overexploiting their resources – can humans do the same? 3 March 2022
Dr Axel Rossberg, Reader in Theoretical Ecology at Queen Mary University of London has written for The Conversation on why predators don't overexploit their prey, based on research published in Ecology Letters.
25 strategic Lectureships/Senior Lectureships available in the Faculty of Science and Engineering 22 February 2022
The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) is seeking candidates for several new academic positions to enhance its research in three strategic areas: Digital Environment, Biosciences, and Green Energy and Sustainability. The Faculty of Science and Engineering has 25 lectureships and senior lectureships (Teaching and Research) to offer, and it is expected that 7 of these will be placed in SBBS.
Starfish hold the key to understanding neurohormone evolution 10 February 2022
Research from academics at Queen Mary University of London School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, published today in PNAS, has revealed a new perspective on the evolutionary origin of a neurohormone that regulates growth in humans.
New study pinpoints bumblebee genes that help them adapt to environmental changes 9 February 2022
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College London have identified genes that could help bumblebees overcome environmental challenges such as climate change.
Student Spotlight - Shreya, BSc Medical Genetics to Medicine 27 January 2022
Shreya studied BSc Medical Genetics with us and stayed on to study Medicine. We spoke to her about how she found her course and what she enjoyed about studying at Queen Mary. She also told us about her different volunteering opportunities and what societies she has taken part in.
DNA from air could revolutionize the way we measure animal biodiversity, say scientists 5 January 2022
Two independent research groups have detected the presence of animals by collecting DNA from air
Study offers new insights into the timeline of mammal evolution 22 December 2021
A new study, published today in the journal Nature, has provided the most detailed timeline of mammal evolution to date.
Student Spotlight - Tyler, BSc Biology 17 December 2021
We spoke to Tyler to find out what he is enjoying about studying BSc Biology at Queen Mary
High levels of aquatic plant cover benefits the abundance, growth and feeding of juvenile Atlantic salmon during summer 13 December 2021
In response to three decades of declining Atlantic salmon in most of their native range, scientists at Queen Mary and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) are looking at how the management of juvenile habitat can maximise the numbers and quality of seaward-migrating salmon smolts to increase survival at sea and the number of returning spawners.
Larger societies of fire ants contain more viruses 10 December 2021
Scientists have found that fire ants from colonies with multiple queens have more viruses than fire ants from colonies with just one queen.
Project unites experts and citizen scientists in the fight against plastic pollution 4 November 2021
A new short film shows how the Preventing Plastic Pollution (PPP) project is bringing research and community action together to map and truly understand the sources and movement of plastic pollution from source to sea.
Two new species of large predatory dinosaur discovered on Isle of Wight 28 September 2021
A new study, involving Queen Mary University of London, suggests that bones found on the Isle of Wight belong to two new species of spinosaurid, a group of predatory theropod dinosaurs closely related to the African giant Spinosaurus.
Insight into power generation in photosynthesis may lead to more resilient crops 10 September 2021
A study into the energy-making process in plants could help engineer crops more resistant to stress or bacteria that produce pharmaceuticals.
Scientists discover chemical signals in starfish that stop them eating 7 September 2021
Like humans, starfish produce chemicals that tell them they’re full and to stop eating, according to a new study published today in the journal eLife.
Preventing Plastic Pollution project helps Team GB athletes to kick plastics out of sport 5 August 2021
Queen Mary University of London is working in partnership with 18 organisations from across France and England to reduce the impact of plastic pollution on the marine environment. As part of the project, Team GB athletes have been invited to make a pledge to tackle plastic pollution.
New evidence links insect population collapse to dams 17 June 2021
In this article for the Conversation, Queen Mary PhD researcher Liam Nash shares the findings of a recent study that sheds new light on insect population declines in tropical regions.
World Environment Day – How Queen Mary research is helping to protect the planet 3 June 2021
For World Environment Day (5 June), we take a look at some of the groundbreaking research from across Queen Mary's Faculty of Science and Engineering that is helping to improve global understanding of environmental challenges, restore ecosystems and support sustainable development.
Radar tracking uncovers mystery of where honeybee drones have sex 20 May 2021
Scientists from Queen Mary University of London and Rothamsted Research have used radar technology to track male honeybees, called drones, and reveal the secrets of their mating behaviours.
Queen Mary researchers win prestigious design award for innovative sea turtle behaviour simulator 6 May 2021
Atlantis, a sea turtle simulator co-created by Queen Mary researchers and designers at Wolf in Motion, has won the IF award for User Experience design.
Study Provides First Evidence of DNA Collection From Air 31 March 2021
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have shown for the first time that animal DNA shed within the environment can be collected from the air.
How We Discovered a Hidden World of Fungi Inside the World’s Biggest Seed Bank 22 March 2021
Rowena Hill, a PhD student at Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has written a piece for the Conversation about a newly-discovered hidden world of fungi inside the world's biggest seed bank.
Global warming poses threat to food chains 1 March 2021
Rising temperatures could reduce the efficiency of food chains and threaten the survival of larger animals, new research shows.
Celebrating the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences' Women in Science 11 February 2021
Today is UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which aims to recognise women’s contributions in science, smash stereotypes and defeat discrimination against women and girls in science.
Study sheds new light on the behaviour of the giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus as a monstrous heron 26 January 2021
New research from Queen Mary University of London and the University of Maryland, has reignited the debate around the behaviour of the giant dinosaur Spinosaurus.
Ancient DNA from extinct dire wolves reveals their unique evolutionary history 13 January 2021
Extinct dire wolves split off from other wolves nearly six million years ago and were only a distant relative of today’s wolves, according to new research.
Researchers shed light on evolution of giant plant genomes 5 November 2020
New research from scientists at Queen Mary University London, the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Biology Centre CAS, Czech Republic has discovered how ‘giant’ plant genomes evolve.
SBCS researcher receives prestigious early-career award 3 September 2020
Dr Alex de Mendoza has been awarded a highly competitive European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant to support ground-breaking scientific research.
New study shows evolutionary breakdown of ‘social’ chromosome in ants 25 August 2020
Scientists from Queen Mary University of London have found that harmful mutations accumulating in the fire ant social chromosome are causing its breakdown.
Meet the undergraduate - Lewis Batkin, BSc Genetics 19 August 2020
Lewis had recently completed his undergraduate degree in Genetics and has been awarded a full scholarship and stipend on behalf of HDRUK to study MSc Precision Medicine: Genomics and Analytics at the University of Leeds. We spoke to him about his time at Queen Mary and the healthcare community project and internship he took part in.
Starfish provide missing link in evolution of key brain messenger molecules 13 July 2020
Scientists have revealed that neurochemicals in the fly brain and the human brain evolved from a common ancestral molecule, despite having very different structures.
Global warming will cause ecosystems to produce more methane than first predicted 30 June 2020
New research suggests that as the Earth warms natural ecosystems such as freshwaters will release more methane than expected from predictions based on temperature increases alone.
Scientists find genes to save ash trees from deadly beetle 25 May 2020
An international team of scientists have identified candidate resistance genes that could protect ash trees from the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a deadly pest that is expected to kill billions of trees worldwide.
International Day for Biological Diversity: How Queen Mary research is helping to conserve species worldwide 22 May 2020
Biodiversity is used to describe the wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms found in the world, and the interactions between them.
Aphids evolve dependence on microbes in a predictable manner 22 May 2020
A new study by researchers at the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences is the first to show that the process of evolving dependence on bacteria for nutrients occurs in a series of predictable steps.
On Dinosaur Day, Friday 15 May, we're delving deeper into new research led by Queen Mary, which has reopened the debate on whether we can identify male and female dinosaur fossils. 12 May 2020
On Dinosaur Day, Friday 15 May, we're delving deeper into new research led by Queen Mary, which has reopened the debate on whether we can identify male and female dinosaur fossils.
Are epigenetics really the silver bullet against climate change? 23 March 2020
Species use ‘natural’, epigenetic mechanisms to adapt to their environments but these responses may not be enough to help them cope with climate change, according to new research involving scientists from Queen Mary University of London.
Coronavirus: sequencing the DNA of patients screened for coronavirus might save lives 17 March 2020
Professor Richard Buggs, Professor of Evolutionary Genomics, and Professor Richard Nichols, Professor of Genetics, both with the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, co-wrote an opinion piece for The Conversation about sequencing the DNA of patients screened for coronavirus to help save lives.
Using medicine-based approaches to protect pollinators 5 March 2020
Molecular medicine approaches could improve the efficiency and sensitivity of pesticide research and evaluation, according to researchers from Queen Mary University of London.
Queen Mary lead European project to tackle plastic pollution 10 February 2020
A €14m joint project involving key partners across England and France has launched this week in a bid to prevent plastic hotspots in the Channel
Pinpointing rare disease mutations 3 February 2020
A new study from Queen Mary University of London and EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute has uncovered the genes essential for supporting life, which could help researchers to identify mutations responsible for rare childhood diseases.
Smart single mother bees learn from their neighbours 31 January 2020
Solitary female bees inspect other nests for signs of danger before making decisions on where to build their own, a new London-based study suggests.
Gwyneth Paltrow's alternative 'health treatments' exposed in new music video by Queen Mary Biologist 23 January 2020
SBCS's Rock n roll biologist Professor Lars Chittka has released a new music video which takes aim at the alternative ‘health treatments’ of Gwyneth Paltrow.
Parakeet ‘crime map’ busts Bogart and Hendrix myths 16 December 2019
Queen Mary researchers have used geographic profiling to uncover the truth behind how the non-native birds arrived and spread in Britain.