This article describes the computational design of proteins that bind the potent analgesic fentanyl.

Data management plan for the grant "IRES Track II - Cape Horn ASIs: Climate change and disease ecology at the southern end of the Americas." Research giving students the opportunity to be trained in quantitative experimental design and work as part of a multinational research collaboration to study infectious disease emergence in one of the few remaining pristine places on Earth. The Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (CHBR) off the southern tip of South America protects pristine ecosystem is perfect for this type of graduate student training. The CHBR is part of the sub-Antarctic Magellanic ecoregion, which is globally significant because it houses the worlds southernmost forest biome, contains numerous endemic species, is remote, and is relatively free of anthropogenic impacts. The research questions themselves will be flexible, but organized thematically. Specifically, this IRES Track-II will focus on the merging molecular genetic analysis using a mobile next generation sequencing lab with mist netting and arthropod trapping to investigate the impacts of wildlife disease on local biodiversity and community structure. Secondarily, eDNA and traditional wildlife disease monitoring approaches will be applied to understand the potential for zoonosis and understanding ecological factors that contribute to, or inhibit, zoonosis. Resultantly, participation in this program …

This article proposes a model for the accumulation of substantial levels of cyclopropane fatty acids (CPA) in camelina, and discusses the differences between CPA accumulation in camelina and Arabidopsis.

This article describes a study investigating the maturation of convective oxygen transport in embryos of the snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina). Measurements included: mass, oxygen consumption, heart rate, blood oxygen content and affinity and blood flow distribution at 50%, 70% and 90% of the incubation period.

This article is a study using crude oil as an example of an environmental stressor in adult zebrafish. The offspring obtained were then assessed for transgenerational epigenetic transfer of oil-induced phenotypes. The authors conclude that epigenetic transgenerational inheritance can lead to an immediate and simultaneous inheritance of both beneficial and maladaptive traits in a large proportion of the F1 larvae. The adaptive responses may help fish populations survive when facing transient environmental stressors.

Article studying water regulation during hypoxia in euryhaline killifish.

Article showing that overexpression of MsProDH in tobacco and Arabidopsis or impairment of P5C oxidation in the Arabidopsis p5cdh mutant did not change the cellular Pro to P5C ratio under ambient and osmotic stress conditions, indicating that P5C excess was reduced to Pro in a mitochondrial-cytosolic cycle. Results show that normal oxidation of P5C to Glu by P5CDH is key to prevent P5C-Pro intensive cycling and avoid ROS production from electron run-off.

Article proposing a model in which phosphorylation of sites 1 and 2 occurs sequentially. The model proposes that trypsin treatment of the inactive holoenzyme removes an inhibitory rac-binding domain which blocks MgATP access to the catalytic site. The pseudosubstrate domain at site 1 is autophosphorylated and subsequent bimolecular autophosphorylation at site 2 fully opens the catalytic site.

Article describing a novel S6 kinase isolated from human placenta which autoactivates through autophosphorylation in vitro. The data supports the hypothesis that this previously uncharacterized S6 kinase belongs to a unique family of protein kinases which utilize autophosphorylation as part of their in vivo activation mechanism.

This article describes the exposure of quail embryos in the intact egg to hypoxia during "early" or "late" incubation for their entire 16-18 day incubation to determine critical windows for viability and growth.

Article comparing the metabolism of embryos from two different maize lines, Alex and LH59, to test the hypothesis that directly changing their carbon metabolism may be the key to increasing oil content in maize kernels without affecting yield.

Article describes a study which tried to determine which of three methods (useing a drumming device to simulate a double‐knock (i.e., territorial acoustical signal), broadcasting a territorial call, or passively listening) best results in a detection of Magellanic Woodpeckers (Campephilus magellanicus ), and if weather variables influence detection probability.

This article explores DNA methylation's role in the regulation of gene expression in reptiles. Results show that embryonic hypoxia programs DNA methylation and gene expression patterns and that these changes are associated with enhanced cardiac anoxia tolerance in snapping turtles later in life.

This editorial discusses sixteen manuscripts which address the physiology and molecular biology of plant-hemipteran interactions at different levels.

This article describes the exposure of freshly laid bobwhite quail eggs to one of five thermal regimes during a 12 day pre-incubation period.

Article discusses how a bifunctional peroxidase enzyme, 4-coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H/APX), provides a parallel route to the shikimate shunt pathway for the conversion of 4-coumarate to caffeate in the early steps of lignin biosynthesis. Here, a multi-omic approach was used to characterize molecular changes resulting from C3H/APX-KD associated lignin modification and negative growth phenotype in Brachypodium distachyon.

The authors of the article used pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) across South Dakota, USA as a model species to identify environmental factors driving spatiotemporal variation in population productivity. They found that the amount of grassland at a local spatial scale was the primary factor influencing an area being a HotSpot.

This article focuses on the consequences of TiO₂ distribution on the central nervous system and particularly on the blood-brain barrier functions.

This article describes the ideal nature of the Catechyl lignin (C-lignin) via a revised compositional characterization of the vanilla seed coat fiber, new features of the C-lignin's reactivity and stability, and successful attempts at converting it to monomers in near-quantitative yields.

Article exploring the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List to examine the conservation status, distributions, threats, and conservation recommendations for all 557 raptor species.

Article proposes a dynamic mathematical model that integrates various datasets and other information regarding the lignin pathway in Brachypodium distachyon and permits explanations for some counterintuitive observations.

This article develops a method, using a single DNA construct that uses CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing to knock-out expression of an endogenous gene of lignin monomer biosynthesis while at the same time expressing a modified version of the gene’s open reading frame that escapes cutting by the Cas9 system and complements the introduced mutation in a tissue-specific manner. This method is applicable to any plant species in which transformation and gene editing are feasible and validated vessel-specific promoters are available.

This article proposes a dynamic mathematical model that integrates various datasets and other information regarding the lignin pathway in Brachypodium distachyon and permits explanations for some counterintuitive observations.

Article presents a method that provides a novel way to synthesize NPs and expose biological organisms for various toxicological analysis.