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Public opinion about the importance of protecting endangered species has become stronger. While our concerns focus on vertebrates and plants, we tend to neglect the animal communities that populate the ground under our feet. Julian will give us an insight of possible consequences in case of invertebrate extinction whereas Jack will be our special “chaperone” through the world of proteins and DNA to find out if the artificial existence will ever come to life.
Do Scientists Dream of Synthetic Sheep?
We are in the middle of a molecular biology revolution, as our ability to manipulate, understand and design biological systems is increasing rapidly. As experiments become cheaper, faster and more reliable such power may become widely accessible – and of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Jack will describe the field of synthetic biology, and we’ll address questions such as:
- What is a spider goat?
- Can we create artificial life?
and: Why haven’t we made Jurassic Park yet?
- What is a spider goat?
- Can we create artificial life?
and: Why haven’t we made Jurassic Park yet?
Ants, Plants and Soil, Oh my!
From ants to elephants, nature is based on the interactions amongst species. Whilst not as charismatic as larger organisms, invertebrates play a critical role in the maintenance of our planet. To quote David Attenborough: “These small creatures are within a few inches of our feet, wherever we go on land - but often, they're disregarded. We would do very well to remember them." My studies examine the invertebrate communities from savannahs to rainforests, seeking to understand what would happen if invertebrates were to disappear. Unnervingly, this sees me climbing trees in the forests of Borneo
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