News & Comment

Filter By:

Year
  • Cell death is an important biological process whose experimental detection and measurement can be difficult, especially when examining many conditions in parallel. The interpretation of cell death data is complicated by the diversity of measurement techniques and lack of standardized methods in the field. Here, we offer tips to help interpret cell death experiments.

    • Scott J. Dixon
    • Michael J. Lee
    Comment
  • Human embryology is flourishing thanks to an impetus provided by embryo models formed from stem cells. These scientific advances require meticulous experimental work and a refined ethical framework, but also sensible public communication. Securing public support is essential to achieve societal impact.

    • Nicolas C. Rivron
    • Alfonso Martinez-Arias
    • Kazuto Kato
    Comment
  • Conferences are often held at different venues and feature innovative scientific programs; however, their design rarely changes, and barriers that exclude marginalized scientists persist. We discuss why this is a problem and offer suggestions for people and organizations seeking to create more inclusive and sustainable scientific meetings.

    • Silke Blair Chalmers
    • Suzanne Madgwick
    • Felicity Mae Davis
    Comment
  • Reliable ways to identify senescent cells represent a bottleneck for understanding the roles of senescence in physiology and disease. This Comment examines the challenges of identifying senescent cells, revises existing recommendations for how to best assess senescence and discusses how emerging technologies can address these issues.

    • Jesús Gil
    Comment
  • Mitochondria can shuttle between adjacent cells or travel to distant organs by breaking away from the parent cell and entering the circulation. Here, we briefly review the state of research into mitochondria transfer, and discuss a methodological framework for studying the process.

    • Snigdha Tiash
    • Jonathan Robert Brestoff
    • Clair Crewe
    Comment
  • The Africa Microscopy Initiative (AMI) aims to promote the use of microscopy in biomedical research through facilitated access to instruments and expertise, and via training and networking opportunities. By coupling technology dissemination with expertise and training, AMI is designed to serve as a crucible for the sustainable development of imaging expertise across Africa.

    • Michael Anton Reiche
    • Caron Adrienne Jacobs
    • Teng-Leong Chew
    Comment
  • In this issue, Jason Shapiro, Hsiang-Chun (Jimmy) Chang and colleagues identify a conserved role for the iron-binding histone demethylase KDM3B in sensing iron levels and regulating mTORC1 through transcriptional repression of key components of the mTORC1 pathway. In this Q&A, we discuss this manuscript’s findings and publishing journey with first authors Jason Shapiro and Jimmy Chang and corresponding author Hossein Ardehali. Hossein is currently the director of the Center for Molecular Cardiology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago; Jason is an MD candidate graduating in 2024 at the Feinberg School of Medicine; and Jimmy is a resident physician in the Department of Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

    • Melina Casadio
    Q&A
  • Shirin Bahmanyar is an associate professor of molecular, cellular & developmental biology at Yale University, CT, USA. Shirin’s lab studies the organization of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and nuclear envelope, their dynamics throughout the cell cycle, and their relationship to lipid metabolism. We reached out to Shirin and were delighted to hear her thoughts on open questions in this field and to learn more about her research background and interests.

    • Melina Casadio
    Q&A