Monthly Archives: March 2012

Postnatal vasculogenesis: The role of integrins in endothelial progenitor cell function

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a significant role in the formation of both embryonic and adult blood vessels. Fibrogenesis & Tissue Repair has just published a review in which the authors discuss the current literature concerning postnatal vasculogenesis – the process by which EPCs contribute to new blood vessel formation in adults. Postnatal vasculogenesis consists… Read more »

Biology

A new thematic series on transgenic plants for biofuels

During 2012, Biotechnology for Biofuels welcomes submissions to a special thematic series on transgenic plants for enhanced biofuel production. The series will cover genetic modification of plant biomass traits to improve downstream processes such as enzymatic conversion, fermentation, pyrolysis and gasification. Studies focussing on plant modification for bio-production are equally welcome, such as those targeting… Read more »

Biology

What is a stem cell niche?

The concept of the stem cell niche – as a microenvironment  for pluripotent stem cells – is an old one but one that evolves with advances in the tools to identify stem cells and visualize the niche. In a new Forum article for BMC Biology eight experts in different fields discuss the definition of a… Read more »

Biology

Exploring the neurobiology of anxiety

Alterations in mechanisms of behavioural plasticity have been proposed to be associated with various psychiatric  disorders. Potassium channels are thought to play an important role in the control of electrical signals in the brain, and therefore excitability of specific brain regions (which in turn affects plasticity). In particular, the Kv4.2 subunit has been implicated in… Read more »

Biology

Beaches, bathsalts and the best of the best in Biophysics

A little over two centuries ago, pioneering physicist Thomas Young—perhaps the first biophysicist— published his seminal work on the wave theory of light, overturning Newton’s ideas in the process.  A century before Newton was born, a different breed of pioneer was setting foot on the beaches of south-western USA, as Juan Cabrillo claimed what is… Read more »

Biology
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Winning research at the Institute of Biological Engineering

The Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE) brings together a community of scientists and engineers to address global challenges in the environment, resources, energy, health, and sustainability through engineering analysis and design. The 17th Annual meeting of the IBE took place this weekend in Indianapolis, with a focus on timely themes including Ecological Engineering, Biosensors, BioNanotechnology,… Read more »

Biology

Beware of the birds: Greg Petsko on H5N1

When is it right to censor science? In a recently published BMC Biology Comment article (covered in this blog by Penelope Austin), Peter Doherty and Paul Thomas argued that, in the case of the H5N1 "bird flu" virus, censorship is both undesirable and futile. The current hoopla surrounding the elucidation of mutations conferring human-to-human transmissibility… Read more »

Biology

Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology welcomes your best work

Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology (JASB) re-launches as an open access journal this week with BioMed Central. First established in 2010, the journal has achieved considerable recognition from scholars in the field.   JASB is supported by the Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine and it will cover the article-processing charges (APCs), levied… Read more »

Biology

Inflammation and depression unraveled

Given the great burden on psychological health of a physically debilitating disease, it is intuitive to believe  that depression may be caused by the onset of physical illness. Or that individuals suffering from depression may be more likely to make lifestyle choices contributing to  poorer health. However, a rapidly growing body of research is now… Read more »

Biology