bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting Excellence in the Science Base: The Society lobbies government on research careers
Authors: Withnall Mike
Published: October 2019

The summary of the most recent Graduate Employment Survey (The Biochemist, Feb 2002, p. 41) bore the headline ‘More good graduates shun research’. When the Survey report was being written, the Society was conducting its first on-line consultation of members, seeking views on the key factors that influence the recruitment and retention of biological scientists. The results of the two surveys armed the Society with the hard facts needed to lobby the government to introduce changes to make research careers more attractive.
Biometals 2002; King's College London: 11–13 April 2002
Authors: Wrigglesworth John
Published: October 2019

Metal-ion-dependent reactions are involved in a wide variety of biological processes, from the geochemical changes that have affected evolution to the biochemical and physiological effects of metals on health and disease. Biometals 2002, the 3rd International Biometals Symposium, brought together some of the most active workers in these areas with the aim of sharing common themes in biometals research. Over 200 delegates from some 21 countries attended the 3-day meeting.
Voices of the Future 2002; London: 19 March 2002
Authors: Birtley James , Solly John
Published: October 2019

The Biochemical Society paid for 20 young biochemists to attend an event that allowed them to question the Commons' Science and Technology Committee. Two postgraduate delegates give us their impressions.
Good vibrations: Music and the single hair cell
Authors: Kros Corné
Published: October 2019

Hair cells are the sensory receptors in the inner ear, and the hair bundles that protrude from their upper surfaces transduce mechanical stimuli into electrical responses. This article examines the key molecules involved in the different stages of sound processing within these extraordinarily sensitive and intricate cells, from the reception of the sound stimulus to the release of neurotransmitters on to the auditory nerve fibres that signal to the brain that a sound has been received.
8th UK-NL Nitrogen Cycle Meeting; Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: 29 August–1 September 2002
Authors: Butler Clive S.
Published: October 2019

The 8th UK-NL Nitrogen Cycle Meeting was held in the School of Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and was sponsored by the Biochemical Society as a special interest meeting linked to the Bioenergetics Group. A total of over 50 delegates from the UK,The Netherlands, Spain and Denmark, all of whom shared a common interest in the microbial nitrogen cycle, attended the meeting. The Biochemical Society sponsorship provided funds to invite Professor Valley Stewart, University of California, Davis, USA, to be our guest and present the Biochemical Society Special Lecture.
Proteomics: The protein complement of the genome
Authors: Ponstingl Hannes , Thornton Janet M.
Published: October 2019

Recent advances in protein separation technology and mass spectrometry (MS) have enabled the systematic identification and quantification of large sets of proteins from an organelle, cell type or organism. In principle, protein isoforms, enzymically modified variants and protein complexes can be studied, for instance, at a certain stage in development or in response to stress or more subtle changes of the environment. An important pre-clinical application is the search for protein markers in body fluids for diagnostic purposes. Such proteomics studies can be performed increasingly at high-throughput rates that are reminiscent of those of genomic sequencing or the monitoring of messenger RNA levels. Thus, large sets of proteins can be monitored simultaneously in a single experiment. Proteomics data will increasingly be followed up by investigations of the three-dimensional structures of proteins and protein complexes at atomic detail in large-scale structural proteomics projects. We attempt in this article to give a flavour of what to us seem important experimental developments and to point to links with bioinformatics resources where appropriate.
Therapeutic applications of mannan-binding lectin
Authors: Kilpatrick David
Published: October 2019

Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) is perhaps the best known of the collectins, a subfamily of C-type lectins possessing an additional collagen-like domain. MBL is thought to be an important component of innate immunity. Since the discovery, around 15 years ago, that MBL was identical to a factor responsible for the opsonization of baker's yeast in vitro, a large number of disease-association studies have been conducted. Most of these investigations support the view that MBL can influence susceptibility to, or affect the course of, many diseases. These include bacterial infections, rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis and recurrent miscarriage. This meeting was arranged to bring together scientists and clinicians to review the clinical significance of MBL, and to consider the most appropriate target disorders for MBL-replacement therapy.
How the poor die: Getting the research community to address global health needs
Authors: Torreele Els
Published: October 2019

The last few decades have witnessed the discovery of innovative treatments for conditions ranging from cardiovascular diseases and cancer to baldness, impotence and even canine separation anxiety. Meanwhile, infectious diseases continue to kill over 14 million people each year, with 90% of the deaths occurring in developing countries1.
Reversing neglect to heal the poor: Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
Authors: Banerji Jaya
Published: October 2019

In 1938, Lou Gehrig, an American baseball star, discovered he had a rare neuromuscular disease that progressively made him weaker until he was completely paralysed. He died 3 years later. Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or motor neuron disease (MND) affects one in 50000 people. Stephen Hawking has it and David Niven died from it. The causes of this fatal disease are still unknown and no cure exists, just a few drugs to relieve symptoms; however, intensive research is being carried out to find a cure. In fact, more research has been performed on this rare disease in the past 5 years than has been carried out in the previous 150 years, and new potential treatments are being discovered regularly.
What makes the brain tick?: The 24-hour clock in mammals
Authors: Piggins Hugh
Published: October 2019

Almost 30 years ago, researchers in the US made the astonishing discovery that destroying a very small structure near the ventral surface of the brain (Figures 1A and 1B), the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus, abolished daily (near 24 hour or circadian) behavioural rhythms in rodents1. In intact animals, such oscillations in behaviour and endocrine cycles are sustained when animals are kept under constant conditions (i.e. constant dark, constant temperature, etc.), demonstrating that they are endogenously generated. Remarkably, grafting foetal SCN tissue into the brains of SCN-lesioned arrhythmic adult animals rescues behavioural rhythms2, confirming that the SCN are indeed the sites of the brain's master circadian clock.
Focus on HE students: Teaching the scientists of tomorrow
Authors: Thomson Jane
Published: October 2019

If you have ever spent hours carefully preparing a sumptuous feast only to have it eaten in minutes, you'll have a fair idea of how I feel this morning. After months of meticulous preparation, the 2003 Life Science Careers Conferences were devoured in a flash by three large hungry audiences of undergraduates and postgraduates. The conferences were chewed over in King's College London before moving up to UMIST and finally diffusing across the Welsh border into Cardiff. The students were given a menu of various career talks, and feedback suggests that the 2003 event was a resounding success.
Meetings in 2003: a year in review
Authors: Beechey Brian
Published: October 2019

This has been a transitional year in which we have seen the last of the Main Meetings and the inauguration of the Focus meetings. The Meetings Co-ordinator, Ian Dransfield, has worked with great determination and imagination to produce a series of meetings on a wide range of topics. These events have all been very successful and his efforts are greatly appreciated. It is important to record the Society's thanks to the organizers of these meetings. Their submission of topics and subsequent efforts have greatly assisted the success of this programme during the year from November 2002 through to the end of October 2003.
Supporting local events: Teaching the scientists of tomorrow
Authors: Thomson Jane
Published: October 2019

In 2002, the ‘Regional Sections’ of the Biochemical Society were absorbed into the central organizing hub of the Society in an effort to increase our activities at the local level and to ensure that a fair range and spread of activities were supported. Many of our regional activities are undertaken by enthusiastic Society members who submit ideas to the Local Scientific Event panel via the website.
Early transport: Protein secretion pathways in Archaea
Authors: Bolhuis Albert
Published: October 2019

The transport of proteins across membranes has been characterized in detail in Bacteria and Eukarya. Very little, however, is known about this process in the third domain of life, the Archaea. In recent years a number of groups have started to explore this area of research, but at present most information is derived from genomic sequences. Here, two of the main protein transport pathways found in archaea are briefly discussed and compared to bacterial and eukaryal systems.
Structural bioinformatics and molecular simulations: Looking at membrane proteins
Authors: Cuthbertson Jonathan , Sansom Mark S.P.
Published: October 2019

Membrane proteins account for approximately 25% of all genes, and constitute approximately 50% of potential drug targets. The steady increase in the number of three-dimensional structures for membrane proteins means that the twin disciplines of structural bioinformatics and biomolecular simulations may be applied to this important class of molecules. Bioinformatics studies are starting to reveal, for example, sequence motifs that govern how transmembrane -helices pack together. Simulations are revealing the dynamic behaviour of membrane proteins and the nature of their often transient interactions with the surrounding lipid molecules.
Special delivery: Small RNAs silencing gene expression
Authors: Zhang Junlong
Published: October 2019

RNA interference (RNAi), which refers to RNA-induced transcriptional gene silencing, is a natural phenomenon that exists widely in living organisms. Recent advances in RNAi research indicate that RNAi technology is a powerful tool in studying gene function and has a great potential in gene therapy. Although many methods, including viral and non-viral vectors, have been used to deliver small interference RNA molecules into cells and animals, development of better delivery methods is still crucial for the application of RNAi technology in both basic research and gene therapy.
The return of the mitochondrion
Authors: Cooper Chris
Published: October 2019

For a fresh-faced (well, apart from the beard) PhD graduate in 1989, mitochondrial bioenergetics might have seemed a strange choice of research path. Flushed with the general acceptance of the chemiosmotic theory, many felt that the area had passed its heyday. With the publication of its ‘bible’ (Bioenergetics, the definitive textbook by David Nicholls)1 the field, if not history, had come to a .
Power cut: Mitochondrial dysfunction in sepsis
Authors: Singer Mervyn
Published: October 2019

Sepsis represents a whole-body inflammatory response to infection that will often progress to multiple organ failure. In this state, organ function is altered in an acutely ill patient such that homoeostasis cannot be maintained without interventions such as mechanical ventilation to support gas exchange, renal dialysis to act as a surrogate kidney removing nitrogenous waste products and excess fluid, and/or catecholamines to elevate critically low blood pressures in the condition of septic shock. Multiple organ failure is both common and potentially deadly. A quarter of patients admitted to British intensive care units have sepsis1 and it is the predominant cause of mortality in the critically ill. Indeed, patients with the failure of three or more organs have a 50% chance of dying.
The β-cell at work: Visualizing insulin secretion in living cells
Authors: Rutter Guy A.
Published: October 2019

Diabetes mellitus affects about 5% of the population in Western societies, and this number is expected to increase steadily in the next 20 years1. At present, there are 1.8 million registered diabetics in the UK2 and an equal number probably suffers with the undiagnosed disease.
Raising the standard: Yeast as a model eukaryote: the first 70 years and beyond
Authors: Wright Anthony P.H.
Published: October 2019

Yeasts are among man's closest unicellular relatives and are arguably the most powerful models for investigating molecular mechanisms involved in eukaryotic cell function. This article focuses on the key features of yeast model systems, how they were developed and how they can now be used to answer important questions that are still poorly understood.
Lord of the flies: Drosophila and its contribution to genetics
Authors: Sansom Clare
Published: October 2019

To the uninitiated, the fruit fly tends to be thought of as nothing more than a domestic nuisance. Yet this shortcoming is outweighed by the contribution it has made, and continues to make, to biological research. Since the dawn of genetics at the beginning of the 20th Century, and on into the genomic and post-genomic eras, many of the most exciting and important discoveries have been made using this humble organism as a model.
Fred Sanger: sequencing pioneer
Authors: Dodson Guy
Published: October 2019

Fred Sanger is a biochemist who practised chemistry and whose discoveries have been fundamental to the development of modern biological science. His insights into sequencing methods and the central roles played by proteins and nucleic acids in the molecular processes of biology led him to dedicate a lifetime to their investigation. Together with his shrewd chemical judgement, his experimental skill and his tenacity, this made him one of the most productive and remarkable biochemists of our time.
A trick of the light: Novel technologies for sizing liposomal drug-delivery particles
Authors: Collins Bob
Published: October 2019

Since their inception in the mid-1960s, liposomes have become an important, if not the critical, nanoparticle in the pharmaceutical industry, with applications ranging from magnetic resonance imaging to biosensors to drug delivery1. In the area of drug delivery there are presently over 30 liposome formulations involved in clinical trials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, targeting breast, prostate and ovarian cancer, among others.
In the blood: the structure of immunoglobulin
Authors: Kerr Michael A.
Published: October 2019

There can be little doubt that the 1959 Biochemical Journal paper by Rodney Porter1 warrants the description of ‘landmark’. It is one of a series of papers, published mostly in the Biochemical Journal, which predicts the structure of the molecule that we now know as IgG and therefore represents the beginning of the definition of the structure of all other classes of immunoglobulin. The papers were fundamental to the development of the new discipline of molecular immunology and, it could be argued, were responsible for bringing immunology into the mainstream of biochemical science. The work was recognized by the awarding of the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Rodney Porter and to Gerald Edelman, who was carrying out similar studies independently at the Rockefeller Institute in New York.
Are we what our mothers ate?: Maternal nutrition and disease
Authors: Ozanne N.H. Smith and S.E.
Published: October 2019

Type II diabetes is one of the major healthcare issues of the 21st Century. Over 170 million people currently have diabetes and, by 2030, it is estimated that this figure will have doubled. Much research has been aimed at identifying people at risk of developing diabetes and what measures can be taken to prevent them developing this complex disease. Our changing environment has been identified as a contributor to this increase in the prevalence of Type II diabetes, and our diet coupled with our ever more sedentary lifestyles have been identified as major causative factors. The influence diet has on our health is well known, but what if the decisions are already made? What if we are already destined to be fat or thin, or more prone to disease? There is growing evidence that what our mothers ate during pregnancy may have a major impact on our health during adulthood.
The cup that cheers: Caffeine biosynthesis: biochemistry and molecular biology
Authors: Crozier Alan , Ashihara Hiroshi
Published: October 2019

Caffeine is a key component of many popular drinks. The caffeine biosynthetic pathway has been elucidated, several of the genes encoding key N-methyltransferases have been cloned, and transgenic coffee plants with a reduced caffeine content have been produced.
GCSEs to BSc -- where to begin?
Authors: Thomas Melonie
Published: October 2019

Melonie Thomas, a newly qualified Biomedical Science graduate from Southampton University, was the youngest delegate presenting at BioScience2006. Throughout school and university, students face hefty decisions as they pick their options. Many will probably have some doubt about what to study, why they want to study it or where it will take them. Not everyone has a long-term plan, especially at the age of 17, and it's important to point out that (sometimes) this is okay. Melonie claims not to have enjoyed science at school. She didn't even know about Biochemistry when she selected her AS options of Maths, French, English Literature, Business Studies and General Studies, along with a Spanish GCSE. Not a promising choice of interviewee for The Biochemist you might think, but all will become clear… as it did to Melonie.
From cells to chiffon: Reminiscence of an electron microscopist
Authors: Reaven Eve
Published: October 2019

For a scientist, using the electron microscope can be a life-altering experience. One sits in the dark, usually alone, looking for answers to particular puzzles. Where is this immuno-tagged protein located? Why is it in this place, in this cell, in this particular site? Wait a minute! What is this unusual structure? Why does it have this strange shape? What is this density inside? Why does it seem to interact with the Golgi body?
Of the making of books: Biochemistry textbooks: are they getting better?
Authors: Cornish-Bowden Athel
Published: October 2019

When I was a young lecturer at Birmingham in the 1970s each student had to write a review of a book chosen from a list of four or five possibilities during the summer vacation after completing the second year of biochemistry. At least half of them chose to write about the same book, always saying how clear and understandable it was. After 2 or 3 years of reading these essays I decided that I ought to read it myself, and found it to fall far short of what I expected. Still available more than 30 years later, it is not the worst book on biochemistry ever written, but it is cheap and short, and has sold many thousands of copies. I started asking students who had reviewed it favourably to check some factual information with me. It would have been too easy to choose a topic that I know well, such as enzyme kinetics, or one that everyone finds difficult, such as thermodynamics; however, I usually chose to look at the stereochemistry of simple sugars, a subject where I have no more knowledge than every teacher of biochemistry can be expected to have. With a little coaxing (or in some cases a lot) they were then able to find the mistakes in the use of the Fischer convention, in the meanings of the stereo chemical prefixes and their relationship (or lack of one) to the polarization of light, and so on, and I told them to reread the whole book in a proper critical spirit.
Cosmetic claims: Getting under your skin
Authors: Moss Gary
Published: October 2019

Skin is the largest and most physiologically diverse organ in the body. It has many functions, but arguably its most important role is in the regulation of which exogenous substances enter our bodies from the external environment.
Grow your own teeth: Tooth regeneration
Authors: Honda Masaki J. , Ueda Minoru
Published: October 2019

Establishing a therapy to replace adult teeth attracts considerable attention in the field of dental research because, once adult teeth are lost due to caries (tooth decay), periodontal disease or trauma, they are not shed or regrown. Modern dentists have usually used several prosthetic procedures such as artificial dentition, tooth transplantation and dental implants to replace lost teeth. However, these are still not complete procedures because several unsolved issues remain; for instance, when a denture is applied, the support from the oral cavity is insufficient for mastication. The long-term efficacy of tooth transplantation and dental implants, as an alternative to the use of dentures, is not clear. What is the future technology?
China: 100: Biochemical Society delegation visits China
Authors: Oliver Rhonda , Marshall Adam
Published: October 2019

Confucius said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and so it was that a delegation of five representatives of the Biochemical Society set out to establish new relationships, and strengthen existing ties, by meeting with Chinese scientists, students, and members of the Chinese Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Some or all of the delegation visited Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Hong Kong between 1 and 10 September.
Muscular dystrophy: the route to a cure: Genetic and cell therapies
Authors: Koo Taeyoung , Athanasopoulos Takis , Dickson George
Published: October 2019

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most common Xlinked and lifethreatening childhood diseases and affects about 1 in 3000 newborn boys. Lack of dystrophin protein causes severe progressive muscle wasting and death in the second/third decade of life, due to breathing and circulatory complications. Currently, there are no effective medications for DMD, but many differ ent therapeutic approaches are under active development. In the case of genetic and cell therapies, preclinical and clinical evaluations of safety and validity are paving the way towards effective new therapies which could be available routinely for DMD patients in the next 5 years.
Writing a grant application in Chinese: The pitfalls and pleasures of research in Beijing
Authors: Alink-Brunsdon Sheila
Published: October 2019

Little did the organizers of the Great Exhibition of 1851 know that, less than 150 years later, their fund1 would support a young scientist's ambition to work in China. Sarah Perrett had already had a brief taste of research in Beijing, supported by a Royal Society Visiting Grant, and this served only to whet her appetite for a much longer stint at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Biophysics (IBP). At the completion of her 1851 Research Fellowship, Sarah was appointed to a faculty position in IBP and she has now been there nearly 8 years.
Defeating dementia: Current approaches to potential amyloid-based Alzheimer's disease therapies
Authors: Khan Ayesha , Ballard Clive
Published: October 2019

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, accounting for 700000 people in the UK and 25 million people worldwide with dementia1. Already licensed treatments, cholinesterase inhibitors and an NMDA (Nmethyldaspartate) receptor antagonist, confer important symptomatic benefits2, but at present, there are no treatments that can delay or halt the disease progression. This review outlines one of the main mechanisms currently thought to underpin the development of AD, and the treatments that are being developed based upon it.
Ethical publishing: The innocent author's guide to avoiding misconduct
Authors: Wager Elizabeth
Published: October 2019

Publication misconduct includes a range of unethical behaviours such as plagiarism, breach of confidence and inappropriate authorship. The most egregious cases are easy to recognize and widely condemned, but the gradient between normal and unethical behaviour is often a gradual one. Clinicians and researchers should be aware of the full spectrum of publication misconduct and understand that some widely accepted practices may be unethical. This paper describes the various types of publication misconduct and offers guidance to authors, reviewers and journal editors about ways to detect and prevent them.
Life from space: Astrobiology and panspermia
Authors: Wickramasinghe Chandra
Published: October 2019

Darwin's allegorical ‘warm little pond’ was most probably located outside the Earth and Darwinian evolution, including genetic exchanges and transfers, occurred over a vast galactic scale.
Nobel work
Authors: Sansom Clare
Published: October 2019

Serendipity. Not much in that for a Cyberbiochemist theme, I thought a fortnight ago. But then there came the announcement of the 2009 Chemistry Nobel Prize. The structure and function of the ribosome – the exquisite molecular machine that translates RNA into protein – makes an ideal subject for a Cyberbiochemist, and the timing of that announcement makes a perfect fit for this issue.
Introducing the new Education team…
Authors: Garrett Gemma
Published: October 2019

The Education department at the Biochemical Society has gone through some exciting changes recently. As the new Head of Education, I'm pleased to take this opportunity to introduce myself and the rest of the team and to let you know what we're up to and how you can get involved.
Heroes and villains: Scientists on the small and big screens
Authors: Rohn Jennifer
Published: October 2019

Science and its offspring, technology and medicine, are so imbedded in today's society that most people fail to even register them. We are increasingly reliant on gadgets whose workings we don't understand; we pop pills whose biochemical mechanisms are obscure to us; we communicate via fibre-optic networks and a platoon of orbiting satellites. In some ways, science is a bit like oxygen. We breathe in and out, while, behind the scenes, our endeavours are quietly sustained at the molecular level, making it possible to live our lives. It is only when our air supply is under threat – when climbing a mountain, say, or getting caught out on a scuba dive – that we suddenly realize the extent to which we are underpinned by this invisible helper, and how much we normally take it for granted. From the parents whose child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness to the seaside village threatened with rising sea levels, science and its possibilities for salvation – and in many cases, its inevitable limitations – can become abruptly personal.
Computing behaviour in complex synapses: Synapse proteome complexity and the evolution of behaviour and disease
Authors: Grant Seth G.N.
Published: October 2019

Synapses are the defining feature of the cellular organization of the brain, connecting each neuron with thousands of others. The great morphological diversity of neurons was recognized in the 19th Century, but only in the last 10 years has the remarkable degree of molecular complexity within synapses become apparent. Over 1000 proteins are found in the proteome of the postsynaptic terminal of mammalian synapses. This complexity is organized into networks providing combinatorial signalling for physiological processes, diversity of synapse types and disease susceptibility, as well as providing a new paradigm for the evolution of the brain.
The dynamic cell: Livecell imaging and membrane traffic pathways
Authors: Jepson Mark , Verkade Paul , Martin Paul , Banting George
Published: October 2019

Text books published 15 or more years ago presented lovely cartoons to illustrate the organization of a mammalian cell, highlighting the different subcellular organelles, the cytoskeletal components and the nuclear architecture. Many still do, but the better ones complement these static images with animations and/or movies from imaging of living cells (see Figure 1). The cartoons provide a reason able overview of cellular organization, but they cannot capture the fact that cells are highly dynamic entities with ongoing constitutive and regulated movement between compartments.
Q&A: Professor Maurice Moloney
Authors: Theodoulou Freddie
Published: October 2019

Professor Maurice Moloney is the new director and chief executive of Rothamsted Research. He has written more than 80 scientific papers and holds more than 300 patents in plant biotechnology worldwide. Professor Moloney is also a leading authority on plant cell biology, especially seed biology and its biotechnological applications in crop improvement. He is the 12th director of Rothamsted since 1843, succeeding Professor Ian Crute CBE, who retired from the institute in 2009.
A light for life: The impact of X-rays on structural biology and its pioneers
Authors: Stuart David
Published: October 2019

In Gallery 38 of the National Portrait Gallery in London there is a portrait of Dorothy Hodgkin in her study, her desk littered with papers, and in the foreground is a model of the structure of insulin (Figure 1). The portrait is naturalistic apart from one small detail: Dorothy has four hands. Perhaps this goes some way to explaining her extraordinary achievements, which are still having a huge impact a century after her birth.
Lasting impressions?: Imprinted gene clusters in the mouse
Authors: Peters Jo
Published: October 2019

Genomic imprinting in mammals was recognized around 25 years ago from two very different experimen tal approaches in the mouse. From nuclear transplantation experiments, it was shown that both a paternal genome and a maternal genome were required in order for normal development of an embryo to birth1,2. At the same time, sophisticated genetic techniques were being used to generate mice that were chromo somally balanced, but had inherited both copies of a single chromosome or part of a chromosome from one parent only. Uniparental inheritance of some chromosome regions (called imprinting regions), but not others, resulted in the birth of mice with abnormal phenotypes3. The finding that phenotypic effects could be localized to particular chromosome regions implied that specific genes were involved, and this led to the startling conclusion that, contrary to Mendel's principles, some mammalian genes functioned differ ently depending on whether they had been inherited from the mother or the father. From further genetic experiments, 13 imprinting regions on eight autosomes were identified. The developmental phenotypes associated with uniparental inheritance of these regions ranged from pre and postnatal growth defects, reduced viability as well as postnatal behavioural deficits (Figure 1). Furthermore, the genetic experiments in the mouse indicated that imprinting may affect human disease and a number of human disorders with developmental defects involving growth and/or neurological anomalies resulting from mutations in im printed genes or affecting epigenetic imprinting marks have been identified.
Genomic imprinting and cancer: Remembering the parental origin
Authors: Murrell Adele , Uribe-Lewis Santiago
Published: October 2019

Genomic imprinting results in only one copy of a diploid pair of alleles being expressed in a parentof-origin-specific manner. The ‘imprint’ encodes a memory of whether a gene came through the maternal or paternal line and contains the information that decides which parental copy will be active or silent. Imprints are established in the developing gametes, passed on to the next generation after fertilization where they are read and maintained in the somatic cells or erased and reset in the germ cells. The components of the ‘memory’ are a combination of epigenetic features such as DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications and protein/RNA factors that can bind to DNA and label the genes such that a cell's transcription machinery can distinguish between maternal and paternal alleles. Most imprinted genes are associated with sequences that are methylated on only one parental allele, known as differentially methylated regions (DMRs).
The experiences of a STEM Ambassador
Authors: Roberts Mark
Published: October 2019

I wasn't sure quite what I expected when I got involved with the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Ambassador scheme. I first signed up because I was interested in doing more scientific outreach activities as I think it's important to communicate the excitement and relevance of science, but wasn't sure how to start. The scheme provided me with both the contacts and the support to do further public engagement.
The clumsy flies: Krebs Memorial Scholarship
Authors: Chalak Salma
Published: October 2019

I am a Lebanese international student at the University of York. I was born in Beirut in November 1987 towards the end of the civil war which started in 1975.
The future of science funding
Authors: Smith Beck
Published: October 2019

The release of the allocation of science and research funding and research council delivery plans provides new information on the future of capital funding and allows for the identification of key themes which will shape UK science over the next 4 years.
A little Centenary miracle
Authors: Garrett Gemma
Published: October 2019

To celebrate the Society's Centenary year, the Education Department has combined science with the arts to create an exciting new play. Little Miracles has just finished its first tour of the UK, receiving positive feedback from students, teachers and scientists alike…
Science Communication Competition
Authors: Garrett Gemma
Published: October 2019

In January 2011, the Society launched a new competition to help celebrate our Centenary year. We aimed to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published. The competition attracted lots of entries and the overall winner was William Brandler, a postgraduate from the University of Oxford.
Controlling what we eat: How circulating peptide hormones influence taste and appetite
Authors: Dando Robin , Roper Stephen D.
Published: October 2019

What we eat and how much of it we do are decisions controlled by an interacting system comprising the brain, the digestive tract, peripheral sensory organs and the body's fat stores (adipose tissue). This entire system is orchestrated in large part by tiny clusters of neurons at the base of our brain, specifically in the hypothalamus. These neurons are influenced by blood glucose levels and by circulating peptides that originate in the gut and the body's fat stores. Hypothalamic neurons control appetite and satiety – how much we eat and why we stop eating. These same neurons receive signals from other brain centres, such as the hippocampus, frontal cortex and amygdala that are involved in less direct influences on appetite, such as learning and memory. Input to the hypothalmus from the frontal lobe, amygdala, and other regions also provides information about what foods do or do not provide pleasure and comfort and what foods we recall make us nauseous. Finally, the hypothalamic feeding and satiety centres receive information from peripheral sensory organs, including visual, somatosensory, olfactory and, most importantly for this brief review, gustatory receptor cells. A normal, smoothly-operating system with appropriate positive and negative feedback maintains body weight and balances caloric intake with the energy requirements of our body. If the system spins out of control or is otherwise malfunctioning, eating disorders or obesity may result.
Testing times: The regulatory environment
Authors: Bore Jacqueline
Published: October 2019

The single dramatic episode that led to the now familiar body of legislation regulating the manufacture and supply of medicines in the United Kingdom was the thalidomide tragedy that played out in the early 1960s. The limb deformities in children born to mothers who had taken thalidomide as a treatment to prevent morning sickness early in their pregnancy were readily reproducible in tests in rabbits. But tests in appropriate species had reportedly not been carried out before thalidomide was marketed worldwide. There were proportionately fewer cases of thalidomide-induced deformities in the USA because the drug had not been marketed there, although it had been used by women in clinical trials. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had taken a more cautious approach requiring additional evidence of safety in pregnant women.
The dream team meets liver perfusion: From gluconeogenesis to hepatic physiology
Authors: Brosnan John T. , Brosnan Margaret E.
Published: October 2019

This Biochemical Journal ‘Classic Paper’ article describes the development in the Krebs laboratory of a simple and robust procedure for perfusion of the rat liver. Although initially designed for the study of gluconeogenesis, the procedure has been widely used for a variety of studies which require a physiological in vitro liver preparation.
Open access publishing: supporting the scientific endeavour
Authors: Kahn Deborah
Published: October 2019

When studying for a postgraduate qualification in 1999, if I wanted a copy of an article, I had to find the right journal volume in the library, stagger down a flight of stairs and through two sets of swing doors balancing a pile of big dusty tomes, and queue for the photocopier, which more often than not was broken. This was certainly not the most efficient way to research the literature, and my efforts were being mirrored all over the world by researchers looking for information.
Society of Biology launches new professional registers
Authors: Nesbit Rebecca
Published: October 2019

In June, the Society of Biology launched a new professional register to support the development of biologists. This builds on its current provision of Chartered Biologist status, and now there are three levels of recognition suitable for those at different stages of their scientific career.
Managing your online presence to boost your career: An introduction to social media as a tool
Authors: Hime Alexa
Published: October 2019

Engaging with social media platforms is becoming increasingly important when managing your career and looking for your next steps. It is a great way of creating and maintaining useful links with those in your sector, leading to collaborations or even funding opportunities, and it is a quick and effective way of finding relevant information. As online information about people becomes easily accessible, it is often the first port of call for employers when seeking potential employees.
Careers support for members
Authors: Hime Alexa
Published: October 2019

As a biochemistry undergraduate or PhD student, there are numerous different career options available to you; bioscience graduates can be found in a variety of jobs, and are highly sought after by many employers.
Synthetic biology goes live
Authors: Woolfson Dek
Published: October 2019

On 14 November last year, the Biochemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the think-tank BioCentre and the University of Bristol co-hosted a debate on synthetic biology, which was webcast live. Dek Woolfson co-chaired the event from Bristol. Here are his reflections and conclusions from the evening, including some advice on how we might approach the broader issues of the subject and events like this in the future.
Psychosis and dopamine High D2 receptors: Schizophrenia is a state of behavioural dopamine supersensitivity
Authors: Seeman Philip
Published: October 2019

Individuals with psychosis, particularly schizophrenia, are behaviorally supersensitive to dopamine-like drugs such as amphetamine or methylphenidate. Such supersensitivity may be associated with an increased pre-synaptic release of dopamine or a post-synaptic elevation of D2 receptors or of D2High receptors. The pre-synaptic release of dopamine is normal in remitted patients with schizophrenia. Brain imaging studies find that D2 receptors are only increased by 6% in anti-psychotic-naive schizophrenia patients. Therefore it is probable that the behavioural supersensitivity may arise from more D2High receptors in schizophrenia. After reducing endogenous dopamine, recent studies revealed an increase in apparent D2High receptors in schizophrenia. Animal models of psychosis, including dopamine-supersensitive animals pre-treated with amphetamine, marijuana or phencyclidine, or animals with gene knockouts in various neurotransmitter pathways, including those for glutamate receptors, have elevated levels of D2High receptors, consistent with behavioural dopamine supersensitivity in schizophrenia.
Biochemical Society and the Biochemical Journal visit Beijing: Society News
Authors: Davies Helen , Starley Pauline
Published: October 2019

The Biochemical Society and Portland Press have a strong history in recent years of fostering collaborative initiatives in China. In September 2007, a delegation comprising Professor George Banting (the then outgoing Chair of the Biochemical Journal Editorial Board), Professor Peter Shepherd (the then incoming Chair) and key staff visited institutions in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Hong Kong to raise awareness of the Society and its publishing portfolio in China. The relationships established during this initial trip were further strengthened over the following 2 years and subsequently led, in May 2011, to the opening of an Editorial Office for the Biochemical Journal at the prestigious Institute of Biophysics (IBP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing under the direction of Professor Tao Xu, Vice Chair Asia-Pacific [see The Biochemist volume 33, no. 5 (October 2011), pp. 30–35].
Conservative innovation: The mixed-up evolutionary history of the heat-shock proteins
Authors: Waters Elizabeth R.
Published: October 2019

In this review, I briefly describe the distinct evolutionary history of each of the major heat-shock protein families (HSPs). If you view the cell as a complex and optimized machine and study only the heat-shock response and chaperone network in a single species, such as humans, yeast or Arabidopsis, you would find a complex molecular machinery with many ‘parts’ or proteins that work in a co-ordinate fashion to disaggregate and fold proteins. The close association and importance of these proteins parts would lead you to believe that this cellular machine could not work if some parts were missing, had been differentially manufactured or were present in differing amounts. Yet, this is just what we find when we look at the evolution of the HSPs. What makes the evolution of the HSPs and the chaperone network so fascinating is that, on the one hand, the HSPs are highly conserved, work in a collaborative fashion and are necessary for life. On the other hand, each domain of life (Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya) has a different subset of HSPs, and each HSP family has a unique evolutionary history.
Protein goldendoodles: Designing new proteins
Authors: Sawyer Nicholas , Williams Danielle M. , Regan Lynne
Published: October 2019

The goldendoodle (Figure 1) is a breed of dog created to combine the desirable features of the golden retriever (calm personality, good with people and an excellent service dog) with those of the poodle (low shedding and hypoallergenic). The result surpasses expectations: not only does the goldendoodle have a great personality and low shedding, but also the animal is exceedingly cute and in great demand. Protein design, the creation of novel proteins either de novo or by extensive mutagenesis of natural proteins, has likewise produced many ‘goldendoodle-esque’ proteins whose unprecedented combination of stability and function have revolutionized academic and clinical research. Here, we discuss the history of protein design and highlight some particularly successful protein designs of this type.
ECG in a dish: A credible alternative to animal pre-clinical cardiovascular safety models?
Authors: Clements Mike
Published: October 2019

The rhythmic beating of the heart is attributable to the interplay of numerous ion channels expressed in the cardiac muscle. One of these ion channels, the human ether-à-go-go related gene (hERG) K+ channel, is responsible for curtailing the excitability or action potential that initiates the cardiac muscle contraction. Unfortunately, the pore of the hERG K + channel is particularly susceptible to blockade by drugs. Disruption of hERG K+ channel activity can prolong the depolarization of the heart sufficiently to perturb regular beating which, if not corrected, can result in sudden cardiac death. When this drug-induced irregular beating of the heart, or proarrhythmia, is associated with ventricular arrhythmias, this phenomenon is termed Torsades de Pointes (TdP). TdP has resulted in many marketed drug withdrawals (e.g. the antihistamine terfenadine) and termination of promising pre-clinical and clinical drug development candidates.
Invasive animal research: Weighing the harms and benefits
Authors: Knight Andrew
Published: October 2019

In ancient Greece, social taboos about dissecting human corpses greatly hampered early physicians during their investigations of anatomy and physiology1. Perhaps out of desperation, some turned to animals. A few, such as Alcmaeon of Croton (6th–5th Century BCE), went further still, practicing surgical or other invasive procedures on living animals (vivisection)2,3. These were among the very first animal experiments ever recorded.
Elements of life: The role of phosphorus in abiogenesis
Authors: Pasek Matthew
Published: October 2019

The element phosphorus performs several key roles in modern-day biochemistry. These include acting as a store of chemical energy in phosphate anhydride bonds such as ATP, linking together nucleosides as part of DNA and RNA, and separating cells from the outside environment as phospholipid membranes. Phosphorus is critical to these roles broadly due to capacity for a triple negative charge at high pH. At physiological pH, the charge on phosphate is typically -1 or -2, and the spare hydroxy group(s) may link to one or two organic compounds, forming a molecule with a net negative charge. This negative charge helps to ensure molecular stability in water by fending off hydrolysis of key bonds, increases solubility and inhibits diffusion, and provides a recognition element for binding as a molecular substrate to enzymes.
Clues to the early solar system: Extraterrestrial organic molecules in meteorites
Authors: Martins Zita
Published: October 2019

Meteorites are extraterrestrial objects that survive the impact on the Earth's surface. A particular class of meteorites, carbonaceous chondrites, are very old, having remained nearly unaltered since the formation of the solar system approximately 4.6 billion years ago. They contain a rich organic inventory of abiotic molecules with important roles in present day biochemistry. The present article describes the organic compounds present in meteorites, their sources and how to distinguish extraterrestrial organic matter from their terrestrial counterparts.
Second genesis: The search for life on other worlds
Authors: McKay Christopher P.
Published: October 2019

The primary goal of astrobiology is the search for evidence of life beyond the Earth. It is worth asking why is this search of interest and how can it be done? I submit that the answer to the first question is also the answer to the second question and the answer is rooted in biochemistry.