Why Lyme disease is common in the northern US, but rare in the south: The roles of host choice, host-seeking behavior, a...
...Published in PLoS Biology
A unique death pathway keeps RIPK1 D325A mutant mice in check at embryonic day 10.5
Published in PLoS Biology
In this issue of PLOS Biology , Zhang and colleagues unveil a complex midgestational death during embryogenesis of mice harboring caspase-8 cleavage-resistant receptor-interacting protein (RIP) kinase (RIPK)1. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor (TNFR)1-dependent signaling drives cell death through a novel pathway requiring synergism between apopt...
Tempo and mode of morphological evolution are decoupled from latitude in birds
Published in PLoS Biology
An influential hypothesis proposes that the tempo of evolution is faster in the tropics. Emerging evidence, including a study in this issue of PLOS Biology , challenges this view, raising new questions about the causes of Earth’s iconic latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG).
Transposon debris in ciliate genomes.
Published in PLoS biology
The germline genomes of ciliated protists are replete with "junk" DNA insertions that need to be removed for gene expression. Unlike introns, these are spliced as DNA. What is their source, and why are they so abundant? A new study in PLOS Biology supports a classic model of transposon origins.
Natural experiments and long-term monitoring are critical to understand and predict marine host–microbe ecology and evol...
...Published in PLoS Biology
This Essay argues that in order to truly understand how marine hosts benefit from the immense diversity of microbes, we need to expand towards long-term, multi-disciplinary research focussing on few areas of the world’s ocean that we refer to as “natural experiments,” where processes can be studied at scales that far exceed those captured in labora...
Correction: Single-cell in vivo imaging of cellular circadian oscillators in zebrafish.
Published in PLoS biology
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000435.].
A census-based estimate of Earth's bacterial and archaeal diversity
Published in PLoS Biology
This Formal Comment provides clarifications on the authors’ recent estimates of global bacterial diversity and the current status of the field, and responds to a Formal Comment from John Wiens regarding their prior work.
A census-based estimate of Earth's bacterial and archaeal diversity
Published in PLoS Biology
The number of species on Earth is highly uncertain. A recent study has suggested that there are less than 2 million prokaryotic species on Earth; this Formal Comment suggests instead that there are more likely hundreds of millions or billions of species, and that the majority of these are bacteria associated with insects and other animals.
An open science pathway for drug marketing authorization - Registered drug approval
Published in PLoS Biology
The purpose of biomedicine is to serve society, yet its hierarchical and closed structure excludes many citizens from the process of innovation. We propose a collection of reforms to better integrate citizens within the research community, reimagining biomedicine as more participatory, inclusive, and responsive to societal needs.
Challenges in interpreting cytokine data in COVID-19 affect patient care and management
...Published in PLoS Biology
The importance of cytokine storms in COVID-19 continues to be widely debated. This Perspective article discusses the challenges in using cytokine measurement in COVID-19 and other disease states as we strive to improve our understanding and treatment of COVID-19.
