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Genetic cardiomyopathies are disorders of the cardiac muscle, most often explained by pathogenic mutations in genes encoding sarcomere, cytoskeleton, or ion channel proteins. Clinical phenotypes such as heart failure and arrhythmia are classically treated with generic drugs, but aetiology‐specific and targeted treatments are lacking. As a result, cardiomyopathies still present a major burden to society, and affect many young and older patients. The Translational Committee of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) and the Working Group of Myocardial Function of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) organized a workshop to discuss recent advances in molecular and physiological studies of various forms of cardiomyopathies. The study of cardiomyopathies has intensified after several new study setups became available, such as induced pluripotent stem cells, three‐dimensional printing of cells, use of scaffolds and engineered heart tissue, with convincing human validation studies. Furthermore, our knowledge on the consequences of mutated proteins has deepened, with relevance for cellular homeostasis, protein quality control and toxicity, often specific to particular cardiomyopathies, with precise effects explaining the aberrations. This has opened up new avenues to treat cardiomyopathies, using contemporary techniques from the molecular toolbox, such as gene editing and repair using CRISPR‐Cas9 techniques, antisense therapies, novel designer drugs, and RNA therapies. In this article, we discuss the connection between biology and diverse clinical presentation, as well as promising new medications and therapeutic avenues, which may be instrumental to come to precision medicine of genetic cardiomyopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) rises to epidemic proportions, major steps in patient management and therapeutic development are badly needed. With the current position paper we seek to update our view on HFpEF as a highly complex systemic syndrome, from risk factors and mechanisms to long-term clinical manifestations. We will revise recent advances in animal model development, experimental set-ups and basic and translational science approaches to HFpEF research, highlighting their drawbacks and advantages. Directions are provided for proper model selection as well as for integrative functional evaluation from the in vivo setting to in vitro cell function testing. Additionally, we address new research challenges that require integration of higher-order inter-organ and inter-cell communication to achieve a full systems biology perspective of HFpEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to an article on a report from the Working Group of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan that was published in one of the previous issues.

Our research activities would be better served if they were communicated in a manner that is openly accessible to the public and all researchers. The research we share is often limited to representative data included in research papers—science would be much more efficient if all reproducible research data were shared alongside detailed methods and protocols, in the paradigm called Open Science. On the other hand, one primary function of research journals is to select manuscripts of good quality, verify the authenticity of the data and its impact, and deliver to the appropriate audience for critical evaluation and verification. In the current paradigm, where publication in a subset of journals is intimately linked to research evaluation, a hypercompetitive "market" has emerged where authors compete to access a limited number of top‐tier journals, leading to high rejection rates. Competition among publishers and scientific journals for market dominance resulted in an increase in both the number of journals and the cost of publishing and accessing scientific papers. Here we summarize the current problems and potential solutions from the development of AI technology discussed in the seminar at the 46th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lists research papers scheduled to be published in the"European Journal of Biochemistry," in 1989. Topics; Authors; Data presented.

There have been numerous calls for improved pedagogical practices in biological education, and there is a clear need for such improvements in ecology and related curricula. Most ecology‐related texts lack pedagogy and are designed to be content‐rich. National initiatives, such as Vision & Change, provide guidance on undergraduate biology education, including increasing use of evidence‐based active learning, and taking a more conceptual and science practice skills approach. Biology education research is rich with evidence‐based teaching practices, which reveal that active learning approaches implemented in thoughtful ways lead to strong learning gains relative to lecture‐based course delivery. CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) integrates evidence‐based active pedagogical practices into one approach to STEM education that focuses heavily on the process of science and science practice skills rather than content delivery by replacing the textbook with selected journal articles. The approach focuses on deep reading and analysis of primary literature; immersing students in the literature is an advantage of the pedagogy. CREATE was developed and tested in other biological disciplines (genetics and molecular biology) that have long been at the forefront of pedagogical best practices in biology. We transformed two upper‐level undergraduate ecological courses (Conservation Biology, and Biodiversity and Ecology) into CREATE courses. We provide examples of assignments, student work, and assessments of the approach, illustrating the various ways CREATE can be successfully implemented. The approach can be adopted in part, to ease into it and test it out, or in whole. We recommend that ecology teachers consider making their courses more active, if they have not already done so; adopting pedagogical practices embedded within CREATE can be a way to achieve active learning. The CREATE approach and other evidence‐based pedagogical best practices lead to strong learning gains and more inclusive learning environments. National initiatives, such as Vision & Change, provide guidance on undergraduate biology education, including increasing use of evidence‐based active learning. CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) integrates evidence‐based active pedagogical practices into one approach that focuses on the process of science, science practice skills, and deep reading of the primary literature. We transformed two upper‐level undergraduate ecological courses (Conservation Biology, and Biodiversity and Ecology) into CREATE courses and provided examples of assignments, student work, and assessments, illustrating the various ways in which CREATE can be successfully implemented. The CREATE approach and other evidence‐based pedagogical best practices lead to strong learning gains and more inclusive learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed analysis of MYCOLIT, a comprehensive bibliographic database of mycorrhizal research containing almost 12000 references, showed some interesting trends over the past 40yr. During the last four decades, the average number of papers published per year were 84, 110, 214 and 488, respectively. The current rate of publication is about 700 papers per year. Much research has focused on nutrient dynamics, inoculum production, mycorrhiza formation, and morphology and physiology of both vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas (VAM) and ectomycorrhizas (EM). There has been a shift of attention from Em to VAM since 1970. Very little work has been done on the other kinds of mycorrhizas. Barriers to progress in some areas, such as our inability to grow the Glomales in axenic culture, have stimulated a large number of methodological papers over the past decade, while the genetics and molecular biology, especially of VAM, have been neglected. Ecological studies were more numerous than any other kind. However, there was a bias towards laboratory studies as opposed to field studies. Within field studies, researchers focused on agricultural ecosystems, while neglecting disturbed and especially natural systems. This analysis also suggests that we may know less than we think about mycorrhizas, since we have consistently base broad hypotheses and conclusions on studies of a small number of taxa. Future research should be directed towards correcting the various imbalances revealed by this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a profile of David L. Des Marais, an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT. Des Marais discusses his interest in plant science, which was sparked by observing plants in Death Valley National Park. He also explains his decision to pursue a career in research and his motivation for mentoring students. Des Marais considers his father, a retired geochemist, to be a role model and discusses his favorite papers from the New Phytologist journal. He concludes by sharing his favorite plant, the Coastal Redwood. [Extracted from the article]

This review aims to provide an update on the current scientific understanding of various aspects of White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) formation, diagnostic procedures, transmission, ecological effects, pathophysiology and management strategies. In terms of production and financial benefits, the WSSV has been the most virulent in shrimp and several other crustacean sectors around the globe. It spreads vertically from diseased broodstock to post‐larvae and horizontally by cannibalism, invertebrate vectors, freshwater and sediments. In the transfer of white spot disease (WSD) in newly stocked ponds, the survivability of WSSV in sediment is the most important variable. In typical cultural conditions, it is a highly infectious pathogen capable of inflicting total death within 3–10 days after an outbreak. Some of the current biosecurity strategies used to keep diseases out of shrimp ponds such as pond water disinfection, quarantine of new stocks before stocking and broader usage of specific pathogen‐free shrimp. The sequencing and characterisation of various WSSV strains have provided details about pathogen biology, pathogenicity and disease. To develop successful control methods, knowledge of these characteristics is essential. In several shrimp‐producing countries in Asia and the Americas, the infections produced by the WSSV have had disastrous socio‐economic consequences. As a result of international trade or migration of diseased species, the World Animal Health Organization recognised several illnesses as posing a substantial hazard to farmed shrimp. WSD is receiving much scientific research due to the potential economic effects of the virus. Research is now being done to understand better the molecular biology and pathophysiology of WSSV, as well as how to treat and prevent the virus. However, further study should be conducted in countries with more resilient host species to understand their role in mitigating disease impacts since these revelations may aid in developing a WSD treatment. The goal of this paper is to focus the molecular techniques reported till now to detect WSSV on shrimp more conveniently. Moreover, the implication of biosecurity measures to control and prevent WSSV on shrimp also mentioned along with the latest prevention application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yoselin Benitez Alfonso, a professor in interdisciplinary plant sciences at the University of Leeds, shares her journey and passion for plant science. Growing up in Cuba, she developed a love for nature and later pursued a degree in chemistry in Spain. Despite not having a biology background, she taught herself plant biology and became interested in plasmodesmata research. She is motivated by her love for research, the success of her students, and the impact of her contributions to teaching and diversity. She considers her father and various mentors as role models and enjoys reading papers on plasmodesmata research and plant symbiosis. Her favorite plant is the olive tree due to its symbolism, climate resilience, and economic significance. Yoselin is also involved in the Black in Plant Science Network and has received recognition for her leadership and academic achievements. [Extracted from the article]

In this last issue of 2017, we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of The FEBS Journal. This Editorial considers how the journal has grown and changed from volume 1, issue 1 and outlines our exciting plans for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the impact of the various topic‐based categories covered by the megajournal PLOS ONE. We analyse the articles published in PLOS ONE in 2016 and 2017 by classifying them according to the Web of Science Journal Citation Report categories. We have identified 101 substantial categories, 86 of which belong to the Science Citation Index Expanded and 15 to the Social Science Citation Index Expanded. 'Biochemistry & Molecular Biology' stands out as the most prolific category, accounting for 9% of the manuscripts. On calculating the impact factor of each topic‐based category as if it were an independent journal, we found that 28.7% of them would be placed in the first quartile of their corresponding field. Among the highest‐ranked journals, 'Palaeontology' and 'Nursing' stand out as they would be ranked in the first decile of their respective categories. About 69% of the categories would be in the second and third JCR quartiles, and only two would be in the fourth. This study indicates the need to assess the impact of papers published in megajournals by topic‐based category in order to accurately quantify the impact they have on their specific fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new journal "European Molecular Biology Organization" yet unbranded by an impact factor (IF), the editor can address this important element of science without suffering either the anguish of those journals that languor in the lower divisions or the insouciance of those with double digit IFs. Then there is the gamesmanship associated with pushing up the IF of a journal. The attributed IF value is based on the frequency at which the average paper in each issue was cited during the previous two years. Nonetheless, the IF ranking provides a wonderful guide to what should be read. It stratifies the journals and in general, guides scientists to those where the best papers are most likely to appear.

SUMMARY: In a recent paper in Nature, Edith Heard from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) suggested that molecular biologists should 'reconnect with nature' by diversifying sampling locations. Although this approach has its own benefits, we suggest that advanced methods should rather be used to take hypothesis‐based experiments to nature, thereby supplying a much‐needed context for experimentation under controlled conditions. Following the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) revolution, this approach has become accessible to many research groups. For the past several years we have developed the groundwork and initiated such experimentation. This included the assembly of a mobile laboratory on a four‐wheel drive truck and examining genome‐edited metabolic mutants in wild tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca), grown in nature. Our findings included both targeted answers to focused questions, but also surprising results that could only be reached while working in natural settings. Significance Statement: With the fast development of accessible genome editing technologies and phenotyping platforms, scientists should use these cutting‐edge tools to carry out hypothesis‐based experiments in nature, thereby supplying a much needed context for experimentation under controlled conditions. Once embraced by the broad research community, this approach combining designed experimentation in natural settings and the ability to bring the lab to the trialing site is likely to expose scientists to different, yet unexplored spaces of biological knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about original documents on the beginnings of molecular biology, and tackles the issue of whether such documents should be part of cultural heritage and be made accessible to the public. These documents include laboratory notebooks, draft manuscripts and meeting notes. More information is given.

Circulating BDNF (serum-, platelet- and plasma-derived) and cerebral blood flow (duplex ultrasound) was quantified in 12 healthy human participants (6 male, 6 female), employing a cross-over design following (1) 20 h of fasting, (2) light prolonged exercise, (3) short duration, intense exercise, and (4) combined fasting and intense exercise. Can exercise prevent the age-related decline in adaptive homeostasis? Exercise and aging impact kynurenine/tryptophan pathway and acylcarnitine metabolite pools in skeletal muscle of older adults. An important take-home message from this study is that the exercise-induced response of a variety of muscle metabolite pools, including acylcarnitine and ketone bodies, was similar among the groups studied here, suggesting that the metabolic benefits of exercise can be achieved in both young older humans. [Extracted from the article]

Since the 1990s, journals have become increasingly online and open access. In fact, about 50% of articles published in 2021 were open access. The use of preprints (i.e., non‐peer‐reviewed articles) has also increased. However, there is limited awareness of these concepts among academics. Therefore, we conducted a questionnaire‐based survey among members of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan. The survey was conducted between September 2022 and October 2022, with 633 respondents, 500 of whom (79.0%) were faculty members. In total, 478 (76.6%) respondents had published articles as open access, and 571 (91.5%) wanted to publish their articles in open access. Although 540 (86.5%) respondents knew about preprints, only 183 (33.9%) had posted preprints before. In the open‐ended section of the questionnaire survey, several comments were made about the cost burdens associated with open access and the difficulty of how academic preprints are handled. Although open access is widespread, and recognition of preprints is increasing, some issues remain that need to be addressed. Academic and institutional support, and transformative agreement may help reduce the cost burden. Guidelines for handling preprints in academia are also important for responding to changes in the research environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For almost 30 years, the Soviet government hid a large part of its biological weapons programme behind the façade of a network of civilian bio-technology facilities, called the All-Union Production Association Biopreparat, which were established to overcome deficiencies in molecular biology and genetics research. This paper, which is developed from a presentation given during an ESRC-sponsored seminar series, ‘Locating Technoscience: The Geographies of Science, Technology and Politics’, details the secret geography of one of those Biopreparat facilities located in Stepnogorsk, Kazakhstan. In doing this the paper illustrates how secret geographies can operate simultaneously, and at multiple scales. In the case of the Soviet bio-weapons programme, enacting secrecy at these multiple scales was made possible by the purposeful exploitation of ‘dual use’ technologies. By recounting a trip made to the Kazak facility, and using personal communications with UK and US experts involved with uncovering the Soviet bio-warfare programme, the author addresses some of the methodological challenges involved with researching secret geographies. This case study therefore looks in several directions – to work on the geographies of scale, research on the geographies of knowledge and work on secrecy in science and technology studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the importance of advanced microscopy and microanalysis in the pursuit of quality research in the biological and life sciences. With the growing complexity of modern microscopes, there is substantial risk of incorrect use or misinterpretation of data by the inexperienced researcher. This paper emphasizes the need for collaboration between biological microscopists and molecular biologists, within the context of centralized facilities and supported by first-class training, to fully realize the power of these unique instruments in modern biology and to create the next generation of molecular microscopists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor mutation burden (TMB) and VHL mutation play a crucial role in the management of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), such as guiding adjuvant chemotherapy and improving clinical outcomes. However, the time‐consuming and expensive high‐throughput sequencing methods severely limit their clinical applicability. Predicting intratumoral heterogeneity poses significant challenges in biology and clinical settings. Our aimed to develop a self‐supervised attention‐based multiple instance learning (SSL‐ABMIL) model to predict TMB and VHL mutation status from hematoxylin and eosin‐stained histopathological images. Methods: We obtained whole slide images (WSIs) and somatic mutation data of 350 ccRCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas for developing SSL‐ABMIL model. In parallel, 163 ccRCC patients from Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium cohort was used as independent external validation set. We systematically compared three different models (Wang‐ABMIL, Ciga‐ABMIL, and ImageNet‐MIL) for their ability to predict TMB and VHL alterations. Results: We first identified two groups of populations with high‐ and low‐TMB (cut‐off point = 0.9). In two independent cohorts, the Wang‐ABMIL model achieved the highest performance with decent generalization performance (AUROC = 0.83 ± 0.02 and 0.8 ± 0.04 in predicting TMB and VHL, respectively). Attention heatmaps revealed that the Wang‐ABMIL model paid the highest attention to tumor regions in high‐TMB patients, while in VHL mutation prediction, non‐tumor regions were also assigned high attention, particularly the stromal regions infiltrated by lymphocytes. Conclusions: Our results indicated that SSL‐ABMIL can effectively extract histological features for predicting TMB and VHL mutation, demonstrating promising results in linking tumor morphology and molecular biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a multifactorial disease that is part of today's epidemic and also increases the risk of other metabolic diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) provide one tier of regulatory mechanisms to maintain metabolic homeostasis. Although lncRNAs are a significant constituent of the mammalian genome, studies aimed at their metabolic significance, including obesity, are only beginning to be addressed. Here, a developmentally regulated lncRNA, termed as obesity related (Obr), whose expression in metabolically relevant tissues such as skeletal muscle, liver, and pancreas is altered in diet‐induced obesity, is identified. The Clone 9 cell line and high‐fat diet‐induced obese Wistar rats are used as a model system to verify the function of Obr. By using stable expression and antisense oligonucleotide‐mediated downregulation of the expression of Obr followed by different molecular biology experiments, its role in lipid metabolism is verified. It is shown that Obr associates with the cAMP response element‐binding protein (Creb) and activates different transcription factors involved in lipid metabolism. Its association with the Creb histone acetyltransferase complex, which includes the cAMP response element‐binding protein (CBP) and p300, positively regulates the transcription of genes involved in lipid metabolism. In addition, Obr is regulated by Pparγ in response to lipid accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL) is a life‐threatening, inherited, nonhypertensive arteriole disease of the brain. Therapeutic strategy for CARASIL is limited because its pathogenesis is not clear. We previously reported the first family with CARASIL in China, which involves a high‐temperature requirement serine protease gene mutation (HtrA1L364P). Based on this previous study, we constructed a CARASIL mouse model (Mut‐hHtrA1L364P mouse, hereinafter referred to as Mut). This paper aimed to systematically study the behavior, pathology, and molecular biology of Mut mice and explore the pathogenesis and possible therapeutic strategies of CARASIL. Methods: Food maze and water maze experiments were used in the behavioral studies. Pathological studies were carried out by arteriole labeling staining and electron microscopy. The mRNA and protein expression levels of the key factors of TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathway (TGF‐β, Smad2, Smad3, and Smad4) in the brain of the model mice were detected by immunohistochemistry, real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), and Western blot assay. Results: The food maze and water maze experiment data showed significant differences between the Mut and wild‐type (WT) mice in the first time to find food, the time to contact the escape table for the first time, and the number of times to travel in the escape table quadrant (p < 0.001). The results of vascular labeling staining showed that some small arteries in the brain of Mut mice lost normal structure. The results of electron microscopy showed that the cell morphologies in the cortex and hippocampus of Mut mice were abnormal; the number of synapses was reduced; the walls of capillaries, venules, and arterioles thickened; lumen stenosis and other abnormal phenomenon occurred; and lipofuscin deposition and autophagosomes were found in the hippocampus. Immunohistochemistry, RT‐PCR, and Western Blot results showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF‐β, Smad2, and Smad3 in the brain of Mut mice increased to different degrees. Conclusions: The most significant innovation of this study is the first study on the pathogenesis of CARASIL disease using model animals. The Mut mice can well simulate the pathogenesis of CARASIL in behavioral and pathological aspects. The TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathway, which is involved in the pathogenesis of CARASIL, is abnormally upregulated in the brain of Mut mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this special interview series, we profile members of The FEBS Journal editorial board to highlight their research focus, perspectives on the journal and future directions in their field. Rudi Beyaert is Full Professor in Molecular Biology at the Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, of the University of Ghent (Belgium). He also serves as Vice‐Science Director of the Center for Inflammation Research of the VIB in Ghent, where he is heading the Unit of Molecular Signal Transduction in Inflammation. He has served as an Editorial Board Member of The FEBS Journal since 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a brief overview of Ludwig von Bertalanffy's contributions to the evolution of the fields of biology and systems theory and the significance of his work in relation to contemporary developments across a broad spectrum of disciplines. In documenting some of the ways in which his insights have remained relevant, inspiring scholars and practitioners in a variety of fields, it also addresses the philosophical and ethical implications inherent in Bertalanffy's work. Perhaps one of the most striking dimensions of his writing is his passionate critique of mechanistic science, which he sees as dehumanizing and as responsible for many of the challenges confronting humanity. In contrast, he emphasized the humanistic orientation of his conception of general systems theory as an approach that could provide guidelines and support for addressing these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, medicine is transforming towards molecular systems medicine (MSM), based on molecular systems biology (MSB). These approaches should be related to Ludwig von Bertalanffy's vision of "organismic" systems biology/medicine (OSB/OSM) and of general system theory (GST), which he created already in the 1930s. In this paper, on the basis of current diversity of knowledge in medicine, major differences between MSB/MSM and OSB/OSM are highlighted: MSB is based on biochemical high‐throughput technologies, sophisticated mathematical data analytical tools, and supercomputers for computation, whereas OSB is based on developmental biology and is concept and theory oriented. Metatheoretical considerations show that holistic but still reductive MSM cannot bridge the categorical molecule–cell difference, the mind–body difference, and the environment–organism gap by a consistent molecular and mechanistic theory of the organism. In contrast, the options of theoretical interlevel modelling with the help of simply structured but complexly functioning organ models are discussed here. As example, the neurochemical mobile of the brain is discussed. Consequently, a reconsideration of GST in medicine, targeting OSM, seems to be fruitful by linking MSM with a core concept of a systems pathology and with psychosocial and clinical medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explanations for protoplasmic streaming began with appeals to contraction in the eighteenth century and ended with appeals to contraction in the twentieth. During the intervening years, biologists proposed a diverse array of mechanisms for streaming motions. This paper focuses on the re-emergence of contraction among the molecular mechanisms proposed for protoplasmic streaming during the twentieth century. The revival of contraction is a result of a broader transition from colloidal chemistry to a macromolecular approach to the chemistry of proteins, the recognition of the phenomena of shuttle streaming and the pulse of protoplasm, and the influential analogy between protoplasmic streaming and muscle contraction. Michael R. Dietrich [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the 8th Latin American Botanical Congress concerning the use of molecular biology techniques to address plant biodiversity in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Topics discussed; Presentation of molecular systematic research papers; Programs and activities.

"The EMBO Journal" will have a more extensive web presence, papers will be published online ahead of print, and there are subtle changes to the layout and cover. One may also notice that papers are now categorized according to subject, which will allow those who do not wish to browse through the entire journal to quickly identify papers relevant to their interest. Each paper is assigned one or two of the 18 categories, indicating their relevance to different communities. In an ongoing process, articles published in back issues of the journal from 1997 onwards are also being categorized, and a fully categorized archive will be available from mid-2004. Given that articles in "The EMBO Journal" have a particularly long half-life compared with most other journals, this is an important addition.

Seamus Martin holds the Smurfit Chair of Medical Genetics at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He obtained his PhD at the National University of Ireland, followed by post‐doctoral fellowships with Ivan Roitt at UCL, London, UK and Doug Green at The La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, California, USA. He works on all aspects of cell death control and is especially interested in the links between apoptosis, necrosis and inflammation. He received the GlaxoSmithKline Award of The Biochemical Society (2006) and The RDS‐Irish Times Boyle Medal (2015) for his work on the role of caspases in apoptosis and was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 2006 and EMBO in 2009. He is the Editor‐in‐Chief of The FEBS Journal since 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preprints reduce delays in sharing research results and increase the amount and diversity of data available to the scientific community. Support of this communication mechanism through appropriate policies by journals, funders and institutions will encourage community engagement. Widespread adoption would benefit both individual scientists and research, and it might improve publishing in scientific journals. Preprints are one step towards an Open Science future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enzymatic activities and/or targets of four type III effector proteins from plant pathogens have been reported in a flurry of new papers. In this issue, XopD is shown to remove SUMO groups from host cell proteins, while in previous issues of Molecular Microbiology, HopPtoD2 was shown to function as a tyrosine phosphatase and AvrRpt2 as probably a cysteine protease that targets the host RIN4 protein. Finally, AvrPphB is revealed in a recent Science paper to function as a cysteine protease that targets the host PBS1 kinase. This work is providing some of the first insights into how plant pathogens subvert host cell signalling machinery to cause disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the treatment of women in the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) postdoctoral fellowship scheme. The results of the study suggest that a tiny difference between the female and the male applicants appears to have been magnified in the selection process. One could claim that women needed a greater number of publications in order to be successful, but the data equally illustrate a need for men to have publications with a higher impact factor. The biggest challenge for granting schemes, such as the EMBO fellowships, however, is to discover-if there are-sources of bias against women and the means to ensure that these are eliminated during the decision-making process.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a common malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract with a high incidence in China. Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a key risk factor for the occurrence and development of EC and affects progression by regulating micro RNA (miRNA, miR) expression. In addition, the dysregulation of mi RNAs is accompanied by the dysregulation of their target genes in EC. In this paper, we review the potential molecular mechanisms between Zn deficiency and EC with the aim of providing new strategies and methods for early diagnosis, targeted therapy, and prognostic evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the treatment of refractory corneal ulcers caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, antibacterial drugs delivery faces the drawbacks of low permeability and short ocular surface retention time. Hence, novel positively‐charged modular nanoparticles (NPs) are developed to load tobramycin (TOB) through a one‐step self‐assembly method based on metal‐phenolic network and Schiff base reaction using 3,4,5‐trihydroxybenzaldehyde (THBA), ε‐poly‐ʟ‐lysine (EPL), and Cu2+ as matrix components. In vitro antibacterial test demonstrates that THBA‐Cu‐TOB NPs exhibit efficient instantaneous sterilization owing to the rapid pH responsiveness to bacterial infections. Notably, only 2.6 µg mL−1 TOP is needed to eradicate P. aeruginosa biofilm in the nano‐formed THBA‐Cu‐TOB owing to the greatly enhanced penetration, which is only 1.6% the concentration of free TOB (160 µg mL−1). In animal experiments, THBA‐Cu‐TOB NPs show significant advantages in ocular surface retention, corneal permeability, rapid sterilization, and inflammation elimination. Based on molecular biology analysis, the toll‐like receptor 4 and nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathways are greatly downregulated as well as the reduction of inflammatory cytokines secretions. Such a simple and modular strategy in constructing nano‐drug delivery platform offers a new idea for toxicity reduction, physiological barrier penetration, and intelligent drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides concise summaries of various scientific studies on a wide range of topics, including genetic diseases, biosensor systems, drug development, therapeutic targets, defense responses in plants, and more. The studies offer valuable insights into their respective fields and were conducted in different countries. For example, one study explores the potential use of microRNAs as a treatment for intracellular infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, while another study analyzes pathogenic transthyretin variants associated with genetic amyloidosis. Additionally, the document highlights innovative educational approaches, such as an undergraduate course that integrates UN Sustainable Development Goals and critical thinking, as well as an online biochemistry course for medical students using case studies. [Extracted from the article]

This document provides a schedule of plenary lectures covering a range of topics in biology and biochemistry, offering valuable insights for researchers in these fields. It also discusses various topics related to biochemistry and genetics, providing insights into potential applications in medicine and biotechnology. The text explores research on cellular organelles, the role of RNA molecules in the brain, and the development of biosensors for environmental monitoring. The study on the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on obesity and neurodegeneration using zebrafish as a model found that BPA induced obesity in the zebrafish and affected their brain function, suggesting a possible link between BPA exposure, obesity, and neurodegenerative diseases. [Extracted from the article]

Tumour‐associated macrophages (TAMs), encompassing M1 and M2 subtypes, exert significant effects on osteosarcoma (OS) progression and immunosuppression. However, the impacts of TAM‐derived biomarkers on the progression of OS remains limited. The GSE162454 profile was subjected to single‐cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing analysis to identify crucial mediators between TAMs and OS cells. The clinical features, effects and mechanisms of these mediators on OS cells and tumour microenvironment were evaluated via biological function experiments and molecular biology experiments. Phosphodiesterase 4C (PDE4C) was identified as a pivotal mediator in the communication between M2 macrophages and OS cells. Elevated levels of PDE4C were detected in OS tissues, concomitant with M2 macrophage level, unfavourable prognosis and metastasis. The expression of PDE4C was observed to increase during the conversion process of THP‐1 cells to M2 macrophages, which transferred the PDE4C mRNA to OS cells through exosome approach. PDE4C increased OS cell proliferation and mobility via upregulating the expression of collagens. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between elevated levels of PDE4C and increased TIDE score, decreased response rate following immune checkpoint therapy, reduced TMB and diminished PDL1 expression. Collectively, PDE4C derived from M2 macrophages has the potential to enhance the proliferation and mobility of OS cells by augmenting collagen expression. PDE4C may serve as a valuable biomarker for prognosticating patient outcomes and response rates following immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document contains abstracts from various scientific studies covering a range of topics in biology and related disciplines. The studies investigate maternal overnutrition and its potential link to liver disease and cancer in offspring, the inhibition of NLRP1 inflammasome activation for neuroprotection, the effects of a nicotinic intermediate on Alzheimer's disease, the use of artificial thymic organoids to study T-cell development, the inhibition of siderophore biosynthesis for Mycobacterium abscessus infections, machine learning for early prediction of ovarian cancer, transcriptomic study of nicotine catabolism, natural variation and cellular morphology patterns in epithelial cysts, new treatments for cell quiescence in acute myeloid leukemia, the impact of endocrine disruptors on cortical development, and more. These summaries provide a brief overview of the research findings and can serve as a starting point for library patrons conducting research in these areas. [Extracted from the article]

This document contains summaries of various research studies related to bone health and osteoporosis. The studies cover a range of topics, including the relationship between bone mineral density and body composition in postmenopausal women, the effects of physical activity and sedentary behavior on bone mineral density in older adults, and the association between dietary patterns and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Other studies explore the use of calcium isotopes as an indicator of bone metabolism, the treatment of iron transfusion-induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia, and the correlation between p16ink4a expression in T-cells and chronological age as a biomarker of cellular senescence. These studies provide valuable insights into the factors influencing bone health and density in different populations. [Extracted from the article]

Fracture healing is a complex staged repair process in which the mechanical environment plays a key role. Bone tissue is very sensitive to mechanical stress stimuli, and the literature suggests that appropriate stress can promote fracture healing by altering cellular function. However, fracture healing is a coupled process involving multiple cell types that balance and limit each other to ensure proper fracture healing. The main cells that function during different stages of fracture healing are different, and the types and molecular mechanisms of stress required are also different. Most previous studies have used a single mechanical stimulus on individual mechanosensitive cells, and there is no relatively uniform standard for the size and frequency of the mechanical stress. Analyzing the mechanisms underlying the effects of mechanical stimulation on the metabolic regulation of signaling pathways in cells such as in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and osteoclasts is currently a challenging research hotspot. Grasping how stress affects the function of different cells at the molecular biology level can contribute to the refined management of fracture healing. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the relevant literature and describe the effects of mechanical stress on cells associated with fracture healing, and their possible signaling pathways, for the treatment of fractures and the further development of regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palaeontologists have always had something to say about the origins of biodiversity. However, until recently, most of what they had to say was somewhat speculative. Following the inspirational suggestions by Simpson in the 1940s, the American 'paleobiological revolution' of the 1970s encouraged palaeontologists to think numerically and in terms of hypothesis testing. What was lacking from that revolution was phylogeny, and this provides the basis of informative analyses that truly link deep time fossil data with molecular trees and extant taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information related to the journal "Molecular Microbiology." Although the majority of papers published in the journal have addressed prokaryotic microorganisms, the journal has increasingly received and published papers on eukaryotic microorganisms. Thus, the journal has added new expertise to its editorial team in order to expand coverage and solicit the most important papers in molecular parasitology and molecular mycology. Three new editors have joined the editorial team of the journal: Alan Cowman, Bill Goldman and David Holden.

The current focus of many functional genomic studies is on the elucidation of gene regulatory networks. The functional analyses of transcription factors and their DNA-binding sites, in conjunction with genome-wide expression profiling, are crucial in understanding of gene regulatory networks. This paper describes an efficient and easy method for characterizing the DNA-binding sequence specificity of novel plant transcription factors. This new method is based on the fusion of a DNA-binding protein (DBP) to 6×His-tagged cellulase D (CELD), which serves both as a means for affinity purification of DBP-DNA complex in the selection of binding sites from a pool of biotinylated random-sequence oligonucleotides and as a reporter for measurement of DNA-binding activity. Thus, it eliminates the use of radioactivity and gel electrophoresis techniques currently used for purification of DBP-DNA complexes and assays of DNA-binding activity. The effectiveness of this method was demonstrated by the success of simultaneous selection of the binding sites of nine plant DBPs from four superfamilies (AP2, bHLH, NAC and MYB). The high-throughput capacity of CELD-based DNA-binding assays allows the quantitative analysis of the binding sequence specificity from a large number of DBP-selected oligonucleotides. The binding sequence specificity of three novel transcription factors (rice OsbHLH66, wheat TaNAC69 and TaMYB80), determined with this method, is presented. This new method provides the capacity of high-throughput analysis on the DNA-binding sequence specificity of a large number of putative transcription factors, predicted on the basis of conserved DNA-binding domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the incidence and relationship of three important relevant editorial notices: errata, expressions of concern, and retractions. The journal club PubPeer was used to extract 39,449 research articles and the 2,308 errata, 189 expressions of concern, and 1,531 retractions associated with these publications. The relationship, time delay, and evolution of these publications were then compared, as was their incidence in journals and disciplines. The results show that the relationship between them is scant, the increase in these notices is in proportion to the scientific literature, and the time delay between publication and editorial notice is frequently over 3 years. According to incidence, editorial notices are more frequent in journals specializing in biochemistry, medicine, and multidisciplinarity, and cancer journals release more errata. Research areas with more editorial notices are the life and health sciences. The research fields with the highest percentages of errata and retractions are Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, and Immunology and Microbiology. It is recognized that the use of PubPeer as a data source may have influenced the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a concentration of 1 mM, fructose 1-phosphate stimulated about twofold, and glucose 6-phosphate inhibited by about 30%, the phosphorylation of 5 mM glucose in high-speed supernatants prepared from mt liver or from isolated hepatocytes, but did not affect, or barely so, the activity of a partially purified preparation of glucokinase. Anion-exchange chromatography of liver extracts separated ghicokinase from a fructose-6phosphate-sensitive and fructose-l-phosphate-sensitive inhibitor of that enzyme. This inhibitor could be further purified by chromatography on phospho-Ultrogel. It was destroyed by trypsin and was heat-labile. It inhibited glucokinase competitively with respect to glucose and its inhibitory effect was greatly reinforced by fructose 6phosphate although not by glucose 6-phosphate. Fructose i-phosphate relieved the enzyme of the inhibitory effect of the regulator and antagonised the effect of fructose 6-phosphate in a competitive manner. It is concluded that the regulator plays a role in the physiological control of the activity of glucokinase, particularly with respect to the stimulatory effect of fructose in isolated hepatocytes (see preceding paper in this journal). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A subset of the spin systems assigned in the ¹H NMR of the trp repressor in the first paper in this series (our penultimate preceding paper in this journal) can be identified as surface or buried residues on the basis of four independent types of measurement: (a) selective spin-lattice relaxation times; (b) the dependence of line widths on temperature and the concentration of manganous ion; (c) fluorescence quenching; and (d) titration behaviour. Criteria are developed for distinguishing surface and buried residues. The significance for the function of DNA biding proteins is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]