The Biologist

The Biologist is a British professional magazine published by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB). Its origins date to 1953, when it was established by the Institute of Biology, one of the predecessor organisations of the present-day RSB. The publication developed as a communications and professional-information outlet for people working in, studying, teaching, or taking an informed interest in biology and the wider life sciences. The magazine is issued on a bimonthly basis and combines accessible science journalism with coverage of professional practice, education, research, policy, careers, and developments affecting the biological sciences. Its editorial role sits within the RSB's wider mission to represent biology across academia, industry, education, research, and public engagement. Rather than functioning as a specialist primary-research journal, The Biologist provides a broad view of the discipline and its community, translating biological developments and professional issues for a readership that spans different fields and career stages. The publication is associated with the United Kingdom's national learned society for biology. The RSB was formed in 2009 through the merger of the Biosciences Federation and the Institute of Biology, and the society adopted its current royal designation in 2015. Through that institutional connection, The Biologist operates as part of a larger ecosystem of membership services, professional recognition, policy work, education initiatives, public engagement, and career support. The magazine therefore serves both an editorial and community-building function: it reports on biology while helping members and readers remain connected to the profession. The Biologist has also achieved visibility beyond the RSB's membership through indexing and abstracting arrangements. The publication is listed in several EBSCO databases, including availability through Academic Search Complete, which supports discovery and access in library and academic-information environments. Its editor is the science journalist Tom Ireland. The magazine remains an active publication, although detailed circulation, revenue, staffing, and commercial performance figures are not established in the supplied reference material.

The Biologist was established in 1953 by the Institute of Biology, a professional and learned body that later became one of the institutional predecessors of the Royal Society of Biology. Its creation reflected the need for a publication capable of communicating developments in biology while also supporting the identity and professional interests of biologists in the United Kingdom. Over time, the magazine developed alongside changes in the organisation that published it. In 2009, the Institute of Biology merged with the Biosciences Federation to create the Society of Biology. The new organisation retained The Biologist as a publication connected with the national representation of the biological sciences. In 2015, the Society of Biology received permission to use the name Royal Society of Biology, strengthening the magazine's association with the country's principal professional society for biology. The publication's remit is wider than the reporting of new scientific results. It addresses the practice and profession of biology, including research, teaching, education, careers, public communication, policy, and issues affecting the life-sciences community. This broad scope reflects the RSB's work across universities, industry, schools, research institutions, and public engagement. The magazine consequently occupies a position between a specialist scientific journal, a professional association publication, and a general-interest science magazine. The Biologist is published bimonthly and serves both RSB members and a broader audience interested in biology. Its editorial content is designed to make developments in the discipline understandable across subfields, while retaining relevance for people pursuing biological careers or working in professional and educational settings. The magazine is edited by science journalist Tom Ireland and is abstracted and indexed in a number of EBSCO information services, including Academic Search Complete. The publication continues as an active part of the Royal Society of Biology's communications and membership activities. The supplied reference material does not establish detailed information about early editors, circulation, publishing formats by year, subscription income, or ownership arrangements beyond its publication by the Royal Society of Biology.

1. 2015Publisher adopts the Royal Society of Biology name

   The Society of Biology receives permission to become the Royal Society of Biology, continuing The Biologist as its professional magazine.

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2. 2009Publication enters the Society of Biology era

   The Institute of Biology merges with the Biosciences Federation to form the Society of Biology, the institutional predecessor of the Royal Society of Biology that publishes The Biologist.

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3. 1953The magazine is established

   The Institute of Biology establishes The Biologist as a publication serving the biological profession and communicating developments in the life sciences.

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A broad, professionally oriented biology magazine that connects science journalism, biological research, education, careers, policy, and public engagement for the Royal Society of Biology community and wider life-sciences readership.

• The BiologistProfessional and scientific magazine1953

  The Biologist is a bimonthly British magazine covering biology and the broader life-sciences profession. It combines science journalism with reporting and commentary on research, education, careers, policy, professional practice, and public engagement. Published by the Royal Society of Biology, it is intended for a wide readership rather than a single biological specialism, including RSB members, students, educators, researchers, practitioners, and readers with a general interest in biology. The publication is abstracted and indexed in several EBSCO databases.

1. Royal Society of Biology
2. The Biologist