Writing Prize

BSCB Science Writing Prize 2020

One for all, all for one, or – what does it take to be multicellular? When people think of biology, ‘big’ often comes to mind: elephants, whales, redwoods. A closer look, though, reveals that the vast majority of organisms are in fact unicellular: think bacteria, archaea, and countless algae and fungi. But what does it […]

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BSCB Science Writing Prize 2019

Keeping Everything in Proportion: why cell size must be kept under control Our bodies contain around 37 trillion cells that come in all shapes and sizes, from rotund fat cells to the cells that line our organs and resemble microscopic paving slabs. However, if you focus on one particular cell type, cell size is remarkably […]

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BSCB Science Writing Prize 2018

Of Monsters and Genes: using AAV as a tool in the fight against childhood blindness For many, the mundane act of tucking your child into bed at night can present as quite an ordeal. Settle them down, get them in their PJs, check the wardrobe for monsters, read a bedtime story, check for monsters again, […]

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BSCB Writing Prize 2017

Breaking the unbreakable: Solving the problems of plastics and plants We are addicted to plastics. They are used for everything, from food packaging to smart phones. But when we are done with them, they hang around for a long time, taking decades to decompose. These hardy plastics aren’t just creating litter in cities and filling […]

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BSCB Science Writing Prize 2016

Heart Disease: Fishing for a cure Girisaran Gangnatharan, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France. It is not just a little fish “Why?” You ask me. Because the tiny zebrafish may be the answer to the problem of heart disease in our society. Or, to be specific, this fish might be able to teach us how […]

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BSCB Science Writing Prize 2015

A Prescription for Antibiotic Resistance: A Rare Vantage Point in the Fight Against Bacteria Ross Harper, University College London. We are at war. We have always been. Unfortunately, in this particular conflict we are outnumbered… seven hundred quintillion to one. From the Black Death in the Middle Ages to the Victorian scourge of cholera, bacterial […]

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Science Writing Prize 2015

A Prescription for Antibiotic Resistance: A Rare Vantage Point in the Fight Against Bacteria Ross Harper, University College London. We are at war. We have always been. Unfortunately, in this particular conflict we are outnumbered… seven hundred quintillion to one. From the Black Death in the Middle Ages to the Victorian scourge of cholera, bacterial […]

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Science Writing Prize 2014

Understanding the bliss of pain: why it is all in your head by Samiha S. Shaikh Cambridge Institute of Medical Research, Cambridge, UK. Stubbing your toe, scalding your hand, breaking your leg, eating a pound of chillies…Can you imagine life without pain? At first it seems like an excellent idea, making us blissfully oblivious to […]

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BSCB Science Writing Prize 2013

“Our own worst enemies? Why resistance is not futile, and what that means for cancer research”, by Sarah Byrne, Imperial College London

We are very pleased to be able to announce that this year’s Science Writing Prize winner is Sarah Byrne from Imperial College, London whose essay entitled “Our own worst enemies? Why resistance is not futile, and what that means for cancer research” was selected as the outstanding winner.

Sarah is a second year Ph.D student in the Institute of Chemical Biology at Imperial College London, working on mathematic models of protein dynamics in disease-related kinases that regulate the cell cycle. Outside of research, her main interest is science communication and engagement, and is “especially interested in use of narrative and storytelling in science writing”.

Commenting on Sarah’s essay our judge this year, Dr. Jenny Rohn, said “The piece is sophisticated, original, beautifully written and ties together multiple phenomena in science into one unifying philosophical theme”. Not only that Jenny deemed it “Pretty Nifty”. Congratulations Sarah!

Many thanks to all the entrants for spending the time to write and submit, in what was a very competitive year.

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BSCB Science Writing Prize 2012

The Logistics of Cellular Traffic David Gershlick, University of Leeds In every cell proteins are continuously crafted and assimilated into the cells of intricate organisms. After synthesis the proteins get directed by a complex concert of cellular machinery in order to assume their appropriate role. The eukaryotic cell can be roughly divided into several different […]

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