PLOS Biology, the PLOS flagship journal in life sciences, is a highly selective open-access, peer-reviewed general biology journal @PLOSBiology@fediscience.org
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"Scooped"? We prefer to call it "complementary research," recognising its important role in reproducibility of science. Come to #PLOSBiology within 6 months of "scooping" and we'll consider it. See our new policy here: plos.io/2rRvTSA
Super-fast, low-cost, low-tech prep of DNA or RNA from plants/animals/bugs in 30 seconds, using filter paper or paper towelling #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2zbfNT0
The mysterious 'neuston' ecosystem at the ocean’s surface includes organisms like the seaweed Sargassum, floating barnacles, snails, nudibranchs & cnidarians; @RebeccaRHelm explores threats to its wellbeing and importance of further research #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3uao06E
More secrets from the jellyfish that yielded GFP, transforming the study of living cells. @LABrechaun@NathanShaner &co reveal that A. victoria and its Aussie cousin encode a diverse set of fluorescent proteins, incl the brightest yet described PLOSBiology plos.io/35ZwQJl
Which genes are hot... and which genes are not? Massive study of gene-specific bias in publication and funding shows that most human research is done on just 10% of genes, and predicts the most promising neglected gems #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2Nl1TZR
Nitrogen-fixing slime frees corn from fertilizer. Indigenous #Mexican maize produces slime on its aerial roots that hosts nitrogen-fixing #bacteria that provide up to 82% of the #plant’s nitrogen requirements #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2OSUFcw
In honor of #WorldOceanDay, we’re highlighting some of our most exciting research and commentary on #MarineBiology and #ocean research. This beautiful study from @RebeccaRHelm &co catalogues life in the North Pacific “Garbage Patch” plos.io/3LXY3CC
ALT Photographs of 5 different blue neustonic organisms on black backgrounds
What is the cost of science being conducted in English? @tatsuya_amano &co reveal that non-native English speakers spend more effort than native speakers in conducting scientific activities (reading, writing, preparing presentations...) #PLOSBiologyplos.io/46Rfptc
Editorial: We need leaders that believe in scientific evidence
PLOS Biology cannot stand by in silence while trust is undermined by those elected to make decisions in the name of and for the benefit of society
We urge you to vote wisely!
plos.io/34lyl59
Most RNA #viruses cause acute infections, but phenomena such as #LongCovid suggest that viral #RNA can persist after recovery. In this Unsolved Mystery, Diane Griffin explores the meaning, origins and consequences of persistent viral RNA. @JohnsHopkinsSPHplos.io/3MfSPio
ALT Graph showing patterns of virus production over time that maintain human viruses within the population
#SARSCoV2 doesn't like it hot. #COVID19 involves onset of fever, raising body temp to 38-41°C; study shows that raising temp to 40°C limits replication of #SARSCoV2 in respiratory airway cultures, independently of interferon-mediated defences #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3ec42C5
Want to attract computational biologists to your project or to your department? @DrAnneCarpenter @FertigLab & 14 other #compbio folks explore solutions to problems faced in career advancement, publication & grant review #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3iKmKn0
Silkworms normally only eat mulberry leaves; can we make them love apples? A genetic study reveals that mutation of a single bitter gustatory receptor GR66 converts the #silkworm, a typical monophagous #insect, into a polyphagous species #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2EhTxL3
Ancestral immunity: @EnzoZ_P @AudeBer &co explore the concept of ancestral #immunity - the set of immune modules (domains & proteins) conserved between #prokaryotes & #eukaryotes - including a putative evolutionary scenario for its existence #PLOSBiologyplos.io/4cJNLRm
For junior researchers, the challenges of the #COVID19 pandemic extend beyond lost time and are career-threatening. @TLowePower @DrLouiseDyson & @ampolter argue that without intervention, academic science could lose a generation of talent #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2RCDzGd
Why spend €1000s on a #spectrophotometer when you can make one for <€5? Plans for 3D-printed cuvette holder with LED block, which with smartphone Ambient Light Sensor makes a high-performance, low-cost spectrophotometer. Also #Lego version! #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2Xavjha
Pleiotropy has long been assumed to hinder adaptation. @EvolSys explores a #PLOSBiology study that instead suggests that regulatory networks may evolve to ensure mutations are beneficial in correlated environments. Primer: plos.io/4fby0D8 Paper: plos.io/4glXoXJ
Many bacterial & archaeal defense systems are encoded by mobile genetic elements. @eprocha & @dbikard argue that this challenges our ideas of their role in cells: Who's defending? From what? And what's the role of the cellular genome in this?#PLOSBiologyplos.io/3npRifQ
The mysterious 'neuston' ecosystem at the ocean’s surface includes organisms like the seaweed Sargassum, floating barnacles, snails, nudibranchs & cnidarians; @RebeccaRHelm explores threats to its wellbeing and importance of further research #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3uao06E
The mysterious 'neuston' ecosystem at the ocean’s surface includes organisms like the seaweed Sargassum, floating barnacles, snails, nudibranchs & cnidarians; @RebeccaRHelm explores threats to its wellbeing and importance of further research #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3uao06E
A single-cell transcriptomic study of the immune system of the cancer-resistant #NakedMoleRat reveals that it lacks natural killer (NK) cells, thought crucial for cancer resistance. Its genome lacks NKC expansion, and only has 2 MHC-I genes #PLOSBiologyplos.io/33bZSlJ
Why can #Toxoplasma only have sex in cats? #Cats are the only mammals to lack delta-6-desaturase enzyme, giving them high levels of linoleic acid. Inhibiting the enzyme in mice and feeding them linoleic acid allows Toxo to have sex in mice #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2TRbk35
#Bats are natural hosts for #viruses that cause higher case fatality rates in humans than do #zoonoses derived from any other source. @caraebrook @bootslab &co build a nested within-host, population-level model to explain this phenomenon #PLOSBiologyplos.io/44Dri3y
What is the cost of science being conducted in English? @tatsuya_amano &co reveal that non-native English speakers spend more effort than native speakers in conducting scientific activities (reading, writing, preparing presentations...) #PLOSBiologyplos.io/46Rfptc
ALT Cartoon of two people, one is reading the methods for a plasmid and looks confused, the other is looking at a sequenced plasmid and looks happy. Image Credit: B W. Thuronyi.
.@PeterHotez argues that #COVID19 has exposed how a rising tide of anti-science rhetoric & activities can exploit society's vulnerabilities to an infectious disease... has #AntiScience extremism become as big a threat as the virus itself? #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2Yq3PTY
Homeostatic plasticity in #neurons involves translation & degradation. Study reveals that RNA-dependent synergy between #translation, #degradation & #miRISC remodeling is needed for synaptic homeostasis during changes in network activity #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3FN6fj7
Cheaper, easier, safer: #OpenSource DNA/RNA purification & handling protocols based on functionalised magnetic beads, aiming to transform the practice & economics of life science research #PLOSBiologybomb.bio/@teamBOMBbioplos.io/2RH6Kpf
To what extent does #breathing modulate brain oscillations at rest? Human MEG study by @danlikesbrains & @Joachim__Gross identifies a widespread brain network of neural oscillations that are coupled to the respiratory rhythm #PLOSBiologyplos.io/30gqYfr
Plasmids manipulate host cells to their benefit. @catriona1392 @brockhurstlab &co describe a #plasmid-borne translational regulator that subverts ecological traits in #bacteria, inducing community organization & promoting plasmid transmission #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3I4NES6
Viruses are the most abundant biological entity in the #ocean. In this #PLOSBiology Essay, @vincentflora@vardilab discuss interactions between hosts and #viruses in the ocean and their relevance for global ocean ecosystem function in a changing climate.
plos.io/3kJcjDY
ALT Schematic outlining how to assess the impact of viruses at the macroscale
Female gametophytes of angiosperms contain cells with distinct functions (e.g. pollen tube attraction & fertilization). Live-cell imaging & transcriptomics of single female gametophyte cells reveal how cell fates are specified in Arabidopsis #PLOSBiologyplos.io/31uUnjr
Nitrogen-fixing slime frees corn from fertilizer. Indigenous #Mexican maize produces slime on its aerial roots that hosts nitrogen-fixing #bacteria that provide up to 82% of the #plant’s nitrogen requirements #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2OSUFcw
"Scooped"? We prefer to call it "complementary research," recognising its important role in reproducibility of science. Come to #PLOSBiology within 6 months of "scooping" and we'll consider it. See our new policy here: plos.io/2rRvTSA
Cells can counteract #aging by transmitting mitochondria asymmetrically. This study in #yeast shows how oxidatively damaged #mitochondria are selectively retained in the mother cell to prevent inheritance by the next generation. #PLOSBiologyplos.io/48kAHQA
As the legendary #LTEE baton is passed on to @barricklab, check out this conversation between @RELenski and @DynamicEcology published in @PLOSBiology back when the LTEE was a mere 27 years (or 60,000 generations) old... plos.io/1N6Jsgt
How do birds position their feathers so accurately? New study reveals a spreading wave of ectodysplasin A, which triggers dense mesenchyme to begin feather patterning. Flightless birds have lost the EDA/cell density interaction #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2XedfQs
Jumping spiders can distinguish animate from inanimate objects based solely on visual motion characteristics ("biological motion" of a body comprising jointed segments) — previously known only in vertebrates @Massimo_De_Agro@RoesslerDaniela#PLOSBiologyplos.io/2VFsJk8
Illustrating the pandemic. Molecular artist @dsgoodsell &co describe how visually striking illustrations of coronaviruses can capture our knowledge of the field and provide a touchstone for outreach & education about these pathogens #COVID19#PLOSBiologyplos.io/3km1RO4
Neural oscillation... or not? Using a normal form oscillator model, @KeithD11 & @FlorAssaneo refute the most commonly held ideas of how an oscillator should behave, generating a series of cautionary examples to emphasize their findings #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3umPcPA
Which #COVID19 vaccination strategy? Two doses 3-4 weeks apart... or delay the 2nd dose? A modelling study by @Alison_Galvani &co shows that delaying the 2nd dose can maximize the benefits of vaccination programs under certain conditions #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3gvyqcS
Brewer's #yeast has been used to make fermented beverages for millennia. Genome analysis of #beer and other yeast strains shows that beer yeast have a polyploid admixed origin derived from European & Asian #wine populations @justinfay &co in #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2XEQ6qF
NLRs are the main class of disease resistance genes in plants. @JiorgosKourelis@KamounLab &co present #RefPlantNLR, a comprehensive reference dataset of 481 experimentally validated NLR immune receptors from 31 genera of flowering plants #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2Zcrif6
For the record, @PLOSBiology do *not* do this. Reviewer exclusions will be respected if possible. If a large number of relevant experts are excluded, however, we'll ask the authors to rank those exclusions (and/or justify them), and may have to invite the "mildest."
A study of the relationship between antibiotic use & resistance shows that #AntibioticResistance peaks in the winter/spring and correlates most with use of penicillins & macrolides (antibiotics with winter-peaking use) @yhgrad @mlipsitch &co #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3sXMu4E
Surveillance for #SARSCoV2 variants is important, but sequencing is not always practical or affordable. @VogelsChantal @JosephFauver @NathanGrubaugh &co present a multiplex qPCR that can distinguish among current SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2RHU9DT
Mammals have 6 conserved #actin isoforms with nonredundant functions. @koenvddries@syncellbiolab &co present IntAct, a tool to study actin isoform localization, dynamics & molecular interactions across species in fixed & living cells #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3IA3YLo
Seeing is feeling? Rod photoreceptors are mechanosensitive; study reveals that rod receptorss express mechanosensitive channels, that mechanosensitivity is crucial for phototransduction, and that outer segments shorten in response to light #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2WqNAoV
Which genes are hot... and which genes are not? Massive study of gene-specific bias in publication and funding shows that most human research is done on just 10% of genes, and predicts the most promising neglected gems #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2Nl1TZR
Using #monkeyflower genome sequences to reconstruct patterns of evolution over 1,000,000 years of divergence, @matt_streisfeld &co show that natural selection plays a key role in driving genetic differentiation between emerging species #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2YjFrk8
Why is #LymeDisease common in the northern US, but rare in the south? Howard Ginsberg, @JTsao1 &co show that it's because the ticks attach mainly to rodents (good hosts for Lyme bacteria) in the north, and lizards (poor hosts) in the south #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3t5xcZL
Combo of entry assays & live virus suggests #SARSCoV2 may have a broad host-range; its spike protein can use broad range of ACE2 receptors to enter cells, & sequence may have changed as it jumped to humans @Morbillivirus &co @Pirbright_Inst#PLOSBiologyplos.io/3mFtrG6
Brewer's #yeast has been used to make fermented beverages for millennia. Genome analysis of #beer and other yeast strains shows that beer yeast have a polyploid admixed origin derived from European & Asian #wine populations @justinfay &co in #PLOSBiologybit.ly/2ESqmjj
Super-fast, low-cost, low-tech prep of DNA or RNA from plants/animals/bugs in 30 seconds, using filter paper or paper towelling #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2zbfNT0
Employing optimal computational methodology in cryo-electron tomography is not always easy; @AlisterBurt &co (Gutsche lab) provide a set of tools and a complete guide to obtaining high-resolution structures from cryo-ET data #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3kysz7b
In a new #PLOSBiology study, @teresa_omeara @microbialfaith &co show that healthy people are reservoirs for diverse strains of the yeast C. albicans, and that these commensal strains retain the capacity for virulence #microbiologyplos.io/4207Rki
ALT Two images of Candida albicans colonies grown in a grid on agar. Left image shows the colony morphology before washing. Most colonies are round and smooth in appearance. Right image shows colonies invading the agar after gentle washing. Credit: Noelle Visser and Faith Anderson
Neural stem cells can transfer mitochondria via extracellular vesicles to target cells both in vitro & in vivo, suggesting a signaling mechanism used by NSCs to modulate physiology & metabolism of target cells @Dr_LPJ@Pluchinolab &co #PLOSBiologyplos.io/31WMLGQ
What made human gestation longer? An anthropoid-specific retroviral insertion regulates the expression of CRH, a placental protein associated with human birth timing; mice bearing this inertion have longer #gestation times #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2Nsa1aG
Making a new primate phylogeny, @farming_bugs @bq_minh @RobLanfear @3rdreviewer &co adapt a method for detecting ancient introgression to genome-scale data, revealing multiple previously unknown examples of hybridization between primate spp #PLOSBiologyplos.io/39F9o7A
The #RequestAWomanScientist resource, launched Jan 2018 through @500womensci organization, represents an important step in increasing the diversity of voices represented as scientists in the public & scientific communities #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2DugpHr
Vampire bats meet for dinner. @SimonRipperger & Gerry Carter show that social bonds in #VampireBats typically defined by cooperative interactions within the roost also extend beyond the roost and may provide benefits when foraging for blood #PLOSBiologyplos.io/3CHeAmR
A spotters' guide to E. coli phages. This resource for the community is representative of natural #Ecoli#phage diversity and has been extensively characterized phenotypically & genomically @AHarms485@phagemuffin @AisyluShaidull1 &co #PLOSBiologyplos.io/2YXO4Ye