March 30, 2021
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons user Tharmapalan Tilaxan
04/02/2021
research article
An analysis of bioRxiv and medRxiv during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, by Nicholas Fraser, Liam Brierley, Jonathon Coates and co-authors, reveals that the pandemic has resulted in a cultural shift in the use of preprints for disseminating pandemic-related science.
Image credit: pbio.3000959
Current Issue March 2021
04/01/2021
Research Article
Amnesia is a key aspect of the 200 million general anesthesias administered worldwide every year, but how does it affect the hippocampus? A mouse study by Wei Yang, Mattia Chini, Simon Wiegert and co-workers explores how three commonly used anesthetics influence cellular network activity, spine dynamics and memory consolidation, finding that each anesthetic alters the local field potential, spiking activity and cellular calcium dynamics in a unique way, and all impact long-term spine dynamics.
Image credit: Simon Wiegert
04/01/2021
research article
Shadi Jafari, Mattias Alenius and co-authors reveal that the regulation of odorant receptor expression during the Drosophila pupal stage is permissive and imprecise; olfactory sensory neuron activity directly after hatching both directs and refines odorant receptor expression. Hence, during a critical period, activity feedback defines adult odorant expression in Drosophila, as happens in mouse.
Image credit: pbio.3001101
03/31/2021
research article
APOBEC3A (A3A) cytosine deaminase activity causes DNA damage and drives cancer mutagenesis. A CRISPR screen by Josep Biayna, Fran Supek, Travis Stracker and colleagues identifies HMCES, a suicide enzyme that binds abasic sites, as a major suppressor of A3A-mediated damage in non-small cell lung cancer. Depletion of HMCES is synthetic lethal with A3A expression and p53 loss, suggesting its potential as a drug target.
Image credit: pbio.3001176
03/31/2021
short report
Chunlan Hong, Jonathan Lalsiamthara, Alejandro Aballay and co-authors show that microbial colonization of the intestine of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans induces changes in the germline that not only influence the inheritance of pathogen avoidance but also the transmission of pathogenic cues that travel through the gut-neural axis to control aversive behavior.
Image credit: pbio.3001169
03/31/2021
research article
How well are bioimages presented in publications? This meta-research study by Helena Jambor, Alberto Antonietti, Tracey Weissgerber and co-authors systematically screens papers in three fields to identify common problems, presenting detailed descriptions and visual examples to help scientists avoid common pitfalls when publishing images.
Image credit: Helena Jambor
03/30/2021
Essay
A major concerted effort is required to understand the pervasive effects of microplastics on the functioning of soils and terrestrial ecosystems, including the immense diversity of microplastic particles.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons user Race4Water
03/30/2021
Essay
The widespread use of plastic packaging for foodstuffs is significantly contributing to the global plastic pollution crisis. Jane Muncke exhorts us to change the conversation about plastic packaging and address the chemicals that migrate into food.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons user Acabashi
03/30/2021
Essay
Microplastics challenge traditional risk-based regulatory frameworks; this Essay suggests strategies to address challenges with regulations, policies and research.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons user Dana AlZoubi
03/29/2021
Research Article
Comparing the viral replication kinetics and host cell response during SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV infection reveals that the temperature of the human respiratory epithelium influences the viral replication and virus-host dynamics of SARS-CoV-2, but not of SARS-CoV.
Image credit: pbio.3001158
Raquel Lieberman discusses her work on the protein myocilin, implicated in glaucoma, but whose normal function remains unclear after over 20 years.
Susanna Bidgood explores the future of using poxviruses as versatile tools for cell biology research.
Rachel Harding proposes that open notebooks present an opportunity for researchers to showcase their work and rapidly advance science in their field
On the eve of the UN General Assembly meeting on TB, Christoph Grundner urged the need to consider basic research as an essential component of any future anti-TB strategy.
Norman Pace remembers the early days of what became known as "metagenomics," as experienced by the author during his development as a scientist.
April 20-23
Meet associate editor Paula Jauregui
Mar 17-19
Meet senior editor Ines Alvarez-Garcia
Mar 8-10
Meet senior editor Roli Roberts
March 22-24
Meet associate editor Paula Jauregui
March 30 - April 1
Meet senior editor Roli Roberts
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