Graphene meets biology

Graphene features a shining star in the material sciences since its discovery in 2004. Biomedical application of graphene-family materials has been driven recently. In this paper, we overviewed the cutting-edge research in the biomedical application of graphene-based biomaterials, such as bio-sensing and bio-imaging, drug/gene delivery and scaffold for tissue engineering. We emphasized on the effect of graphene substrates on cellular behaviors of adhesion, proliferation~ and differentiation. The develop- ment of three-dimensional scaffolds based on graphene- based nanomaterials and the potential of these constructs in tissue engineering are discussed. The perspectives and challenges are also addressed.     

Computational systems biology

To understand complex biological systems requires the integration of experimental and computational research -- in other words a systems biology approach. Computational biology, through pragmatic modelling and theoretical exploration, provides a powerful foundation from which to address critical scientific questions head-on. The reviews in this Insight cover many different aspects of this energetic field, although all, in one way or another, illuminate the functioning of modular circuits, including their robustness, design and manipulation. Computational systems biology addresses questions fundamental to our understanding of life, yet progress here will lead to practical innovations in medicine, drug discovery and engineering.     

Cranial skeletal biology

To artists, the face is a mirror of the soul. To biologists, the face reflects remarkable structural diversity--think of bulldogs and wolfhounds or galapagos finches. How do such variations in skeletal form arise? Do the same mechanisms control skeletogenesis elsewhere in the body? The answers lie in the molecular machinery that generates neural crest cells, controls their migration, and guides their differentiation to cartilage and bone.     

Funding of molecular biology

The way that molecular biology is funded in Germany is damaging the universities. Germany policy makers should follow the advice of Wilhelm von Humboldt, and concentrate teaching and research in the universities.