The complexities of skeletal biology

For a long time, the skeleton was seen as an amorphous tissue of little biological interest. But such a view ignored the large number of genetic and degenerative diseases affecting this organ. Over the past 15 years, molecular and genetic studies have modified our understanding of skeletal biology. By so doing this progress has affected our understanding of diseases and suggested in many instances new therapeutic opportunities.     

Exploring biology with small organic molecules

Small organic molecules have proven to be invaluable tools for investigating biological systems, but there is still much to learn from their use. To discover and to use more effectively new chemical tools to understand biology, strategies are needed that allow us to systematically explore 'biological-activity space'. Such strategies involve analysing both protein binding of, and phenotypic responses to, small organic molecules. The mapping of biological-activity space using small molecules is akin to mapping the stars--uncharted territory is explored using a system of coordinates that describes where each new feature lies.     

The plant immune system

Many plant-associated microbes are pathogens that impair plant growth and reproduction. Plants respond to infection using a two-branched innate immune system. The first branch recognizes and responds to molecules common to many classes of microbes, including non-pathogens. The second responds to pathogen virulence factors, either directly or through their effects on host targets. These plant immune systems, and the pathogen molecules to which they respond, provide extraordinary insights into molecular recognition, cell biology and evolution across biological kingdoms. A detailed understanding of plant immune function will underpin crop improvement for food, fibre and biofuels production.     

Langmuir-Blodgett膜技术在生物膜模拟方面的应用

Langmuir—Blodgett(LB)膜是一种分子有序排列的超薄膜，这种膜技术是物理、电子学、化学、生物学等多种学科相互交叉渗透的新的研究领域，为近年来国内外研究的热点之一。对LB膜在生物膜、生物矿化的化学模拟等方面进行了综述。     

Advances in research on Shadoo,shadow of prion protein

Prion plays a central role in the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, also known as prion diseases. However, the biology of the protein and the pathophysiology of these diseases remain largely unknown. It has been speculated that additional factor or factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Recently, a PrP-like protein, recognized as shadow of prion protein （Shadoo, Sho）, is thought to be an interesting candidate factor because both the prion protein and Sho have been shown to have overlapping expression patterns and shared functions. Therefore, extensive study of Sho may advance our understanding of the enigmatical biology of prion and prion diseases. In this review, recent studies on Sho asso- ciated with prion diseases and functions are summarized. These studies have demonstrated the functional importance of Sho, and they further need to investigate its biological roles in prion diseases.     

生命有机磷化学、生化分析与生物传感研究进展

化学生物学是一门化学与生命科学高度交叉的前沿学科,它利用化学的方法、手段和策略从分子水平认识生命现象的本质,创造对生理或病理过程具有调控作用的活性物质,从而为生物医药、农业和环境科学的发展提供解决方案.本文就厦门大学化学生物学学科近5年在生命有机磷化学、生化分析与生物传感等特色研究领域的进展进行综述.     

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.     

利用病毒研究植物的生物学功能

现代病毒分子生物学的研究为植物的生物学功能研究提供了有效的工具。这类研究使我们对植物的细胞间通讯、抗病毒和基因表达调控等机制有了更深入的了解。也为进一步的研究提出了许多新的课题。     

Navigating chemical space for biology and medicine

Despite over a century of applying organic synthesis to the search for drugs, we are still far from even a cursory examination of the vast number of possible small molecules that could be created. Indeed, a thorough examination of all 'chemical space' is practically impossible. Given this, what are the best strategies for identifying small molecules that modulate biological targets? And how might such strategies differ, depending on whether the primary goal is to understand biological systems or to develop potential drugs?     

Functional waters in intraprotein proton transfer monitored by FTIR difference spectroscopy

Much progress has been made in our understanding of water molecule reactions on surfaces, proton solvation in gas-phase water clusters and proton transfer through liquids. Compared with our advanced understanding of these physico-chemical systems, much less is known about individual water molecules and their cooperative behaviour in heterogeneous proteins during enzymatic reactions. Here we use time-resolved Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (trFTIR) and in situ H2(18)O/H2(16)O exchange FTIR to determine how the membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin uses the interplay among strongly hydrogen-bonded water molecules, a water molecule with a dangling hydroxyl group and a protonated water cluster to transfer protons. The precise arrangement of water molecules in the protein matrix results in a controlled Grotthuss proton transfer, in contrast to the random proton migration that occurs in liquid water. Our findings support the emerging paradigm that intraprotein water molecules are as essential for biological functions as amino acids.     

Foundations for engineering biology

Engineered biological systems have been used to manipulate information, construct materials, process chemicals, produce energy, provide food, and help maintain or enhance human health and our environment. Unfortunately, our ability to quickly and reliably engineer biological systems that behave as expected remains quite limited. Foundational technologies that make routine the engineering of biology are needed. Vibrant, open research communities and strategic leadership are necessary to ensure that the development and application of biological technologies remains overwhelmingly constructive.     

The emerging conceptual framework of evolutionary developmental biology

Over the last twenty years, there has been rapid growth of a new approach to understanding the evolution of organismic form. This evolutionary developmental biology, or 'evo-devo', is focused on the developmental genetic machinery that lies behind embryological phenotypes, which were all that could be studied in the past. Are there any general concepts emerging from this new approach, and if so, how do they impact on the conceptual structure of traditional evolutionary biology? In providing answers to these questions, this review assesses whether evo-devo is merely filling in some missing details, or whether it will cause a large-scale change in our thinking about the evolutionary process.     

Binary switches and modification cassettes in histone biology and beyond

An immense number of post-translational modifications on histone proteins have been described and additional sites of modification are still being uncovered. Whereas many direct and indirect connections between certain histone modifications and distinct biological phenomena have now been established, concepts for comprehending the extreme density and variety of these covalent modifications are lacking. Here, we formally introduce localized 'binary switches' and 'modification cassettes' as new concepts in histone biology, elucidating mechanisms that might govern the biological readout of distinct modification patterns. Specifically, our hypotheses provide missing models for the dynamic readout of stable histone modifications and offer explanations for several long-standing questions embedded in the literature. Our ideas might also apply to non-histone proteins and are open to direct experimental examination.     

从人菌共生的角度探讨生物安全与传染病防控的新思路

 近年来发生的与传染病以及生物安全相关事件,如2003年严重急性呼吸系统综合征（SARS）和近期中东呼吸综合征（MERS）等,以及合成生物学技术在人造生命方面的安全风险,提示传染病防控和生物安全的现状不容乐观。如何重构、重建、重塑人类与微生物、尤其是病原微生物之间的关系,已成为重要的现实问题。结合国内外关于人体共生微生物尤其是肠道菌群与慢病相关性的研究进展,从生命起源与协同进化的角度考虑,提出需要正视微生物本身应有的生存空间与生存逻辑,辩证分析并重构人与病毒、人与菌群之间的平衡关系,从人菌共生、人菌共赢的角度出发,通过改善人体共生微生态环境,提高人体免疫力,为传染病防控和生物安全提供新思路。     

Genomic approaches to studying the human microbiota

The human body is colonized by a vast array of microbes, which form communities of bacteria, viruses and microbial eukaryotes that are specific to each anatomical environment. Every community must be studied as a whole because many organisms have never been cultured independently, and this poses formidable challenges. The advent of next-generation DNA sequencing has allowed more sophisticated analysis and sampling of these complex systems by culture-independent methods. These methods are revealing differences in community structure between anatomical sites, between individuals, and between healthy and diseased states, and are transforming our view of human biology.     

基因表达模型的研究进展:概率分布

定量化基因表达(包括数学建模及定性与定量分析)是理解细胞内部过程的重要一步,也是当今系统生物学的核心研究内容.基因表达模型已从最初的单状态简单模型发展到考虑细化生物过程、众多生物因素的多状态复杂模型.基于生物学的中心法则,综述了有关基因表达模型的最新研究进展,聚焦于数学模型的完善、mRNA 与蛋白质数目的概率分布等研究方面.通过综述,试图总结出有关基因表达的某些一般性规律,并提出今后需要进一步研究的问题与发展方向     

Visualizing single-molecule diffusion in mesoporous materials

Periodic mesoporous materials formed through the cooperative self-assembly of surfactants and framework building blocks can assume a variety of structures, and their widely tuneable properties make them attractive hosts for numerous applications. Because the molecular movement in the pore system is the most important and defining characteristic of porous materials, it is of interest to learn about this behaviour as a function of local structure. Generally, individual fluorescent dye molecules can be used as molecular beacons with which to explore the structure of--and the dynamics within--these porous hosts, and single-molecule fluorescence techniques provide detailed insights into the dynamics of various processes, ranging from biology to heterogeneous catalysis. However, optical microscopy methods cannot directly image the mesoporous structure of the host system accommodating the diffusing molecules, whereas transmission electron microscopy provides detailed images of the porous structure, but no dynamic information. It has therefore not been possible to 'see' how molecules diffuse in a real nanoscale pore structure. Here we present a combination of electron microscopic mapping and optical single-molecule tracking experiments to reveal how a single luminescent dye molecule travels through linear or strongly curved sections of a mesoporous channel system. In our approach we directly correlate porous structures detected by transmission electron microscopy with the diffusion dynamics of single molecules detected by optical microscopy. This opens up new ways of understanding the interactions of host and guest.     

Lymphangiogenesis in development and human disease

The lymphatic vasculature forms a vessel network that drains interstitial fluid from tissues and returns it to the blood. Lymphatic vessels are also an essential part of the body's immune defence. They have an important role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, such as cancer, lymphoedema and various inflammatory conditions. Recent biological and technological developments in lymphatic vascular biology will lead to a better understanding and treatment of these diseases.     

生物实验中心大型仪器管理及共享平台的建设

生物技术产业是国家二十一世纪重点扶持的朝阳行业,生物制品的研发具有周期长、投入大、产出高等特点。高校生物实验室是新技术、新产品的重要研发基地,在生物产品的研发、人才的培养方面发挥着巨大的作用。生物学大型仪器设备极其昂贵,是科学研究、产品研发和研究生培养重要而有限的资源,如何做到合理配置,提高使用效率,是急需解决的问题。采取集中配置,将大型仪器应用于实验教学和科研及研究生培养,采用科学的管理机制,构建良好的教学科研实验仪器共享平台,解决了大型仪器在使用和管理方面存在的问题,提高了仪器的利用率,保障了教学和科研工作的正常进行,促进了学科发展和人才培养。