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		Research article Molecular basis for prey relocation in viperid snakes Anthony J Saviola, David Chiszar, Chardelle Busch, Stephen P Mackessy BMC Biology 2013, 11:20 (1 March 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| Editor’s summary Viperid snakes bite their prey and then let them go to avoid retaliation. By measuring snake behavior and analysing venom chemistry, Stephen Mackessy and colleagues provide an answer to how they find them again.
		Research article A functional genomics screen for microRNA regulators of NF-kappaB signaling Anthony O Olarerin-George, Lauren Anton, Yih-Chii Hwang, Michal A Elovitz, John B Hogenesch BMC Biology 2013, 11:19 (28 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF
		Editorial Q&A: Re-review opt-out and painless publishing Miranda Robertson BMC Biology 2013, 11:18 (28 February 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| Editor’s summary BMC Biology operates on the principle that the function of a journal is to facilitate publication of sound research results. Miranda Robertson reviews in Q&A format the journal’s re-review opt-out policy and how it has worked over the four years of its operation.
		Comment Open questions: What is there left for cell biologists to do? Sean Munro BMC Biology 2013, 11:16 (27 February 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| Editor’s summary In a contribution to the 10^th anniversary series on open questions in biology, Sean Munro asks provocatively what there is left for cell biologists to do, and with great elan and a touch of waspish humor produces five unanswered questions on issues from the special properties of non-dividing cells to the architecture of the brain.
		Research article Genome mining for methanobactins Grace E Kenney, Amy C Rosenzweig BMC Biology 2013, 11:17 (26 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Methanotrophic bacteria have potential as a biological methane sink, and methanobactins are a set of peptides important in regulating this activity. A genome mining study highlights genes involved in methanobactin production, but also suggests that not all methanotrophs have them.
		Research article Quantifying the contribution of chromatin dynamics to stochastic gene expression reveals long, locus-dependent periods between transcriptional bursts Jose Vinuelas, Gael Kaneko, Antoine Coulon, Elodie Vallin, Valerie Morin, Camila Mejia-Pous, Jean-Jacques Kupiec, Guillaume Beslon, Olivier Gandrillon BMC Biology 2013, 11:15 (25 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary A combined biological and computational approach adds further detail to a growing body of evidence that most genes undergo short bursts of transcription interspersed between long periods of downtime.
		Commentary Predicting the evolution of antibiotic resistance Martijn F Schenk, J Arjan GM de Visser BMC Biology 2013, 11:14 (22 February 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Commenting on research in BMC Evolutionary Biology, Arjan de Visser and Martijn Schenk discuss how two genetic properties, pleiotropy and epistasis, might help us to predict the evolution of antibiotic resistance.
		Research article Notch2 is required in somatic cells for breakdown of ovarian germ-cell nests and formation of primordial follicles Jingxia Xu, Thomas Gridley BMC Biology 2013, 11:13 (13 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed
		Research article MST1, a key player, in enhancing fast skeletal muscle atrophy Bin Wei, Wen Dui, Dong Liu, Yan Xing, Zengqqiang Yuan, Guangju Ji BMC Biology 2013, 11:12 (1 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed
		Comment Open questions: Chromosome condensation - Why does a chromosome look like a chromosome? Frank Uhlmann BMC Biology 2013, 11:9 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary In his contribution to the ‘Open questions’ anniversary collection for BMC Biology, Frank Uhlmann poses the unsolved problem of chromosome packaging
		Comment Open questions - in brief: Beyond -omics, missing motor proteins, and getting from molecules to organisms Stephen J Benkovic, Julie Theriot, Dagmar Ringe BMC Biology 2013, 11:8 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
		Editorial Open questions in biology - a tenth anniversary series Miranda Robertson BMC Biology 2013, 11:7 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary To celebrate its tenth anniversary, BMC Biology asked its Editorial Board members to write a paragraph or two on their favorite open questions in biology, and this month it publishes the first contributions, on topics from the challenges of proteomics to the mechanisms of apoptosis.
		Methodology article Multi-channel acoustic recording and automated analysis of Drosophila courtship songs Benjamin J Arthur, Tomoko Sunayama-Morita, Philip Coen, Mala Murthy, David L. Stern BMC Biology 2013, 11:11 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Drosophila fruit flies' "singing" during courtship is a model system for both genetic and neural control of behaviour. A newly-designed recording system allows for analysis of the songs' various rhythms and cycles in unprecedented detail.
		Comment Open questions: missing pieces from the immunological jigsaw puzzle Gillian M Griffiths BMC Biology 2013, 11:10 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Gillian Griffiths, in her ‘Open questions’ contribution for BMC Biology, pinpoints some critical missing links in the cell-biological specializations of immune cells
		Commentary Trade-offs in cavefish sensory capacity Helen Gunter, Axel Meyer BMC Biology 2013, 11:5 (24 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Gunter and Meyer, commenting on recent research on cavefish eye evolution, explain how new interdisciplinary approaches can lead to fresh insight into old evolutionary questions.
		Research article Shift happens: trailing edge contraction associated with recent warming trends threatens a distinct genetic lineage in the marine macroalga Fucus vesiculosus Katy R Nicastro, Gerardo I Zardi, Sara Teixeira, Joao Neiva, Ester A Serrao, Gareth A Pearson BMC Biology 2013, 11:6 (23 January 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The Atlantic populations of the macroalga Fucus vesiculosus can be divided into distinguishable northern and southern populations, but a recent range shift northwards – with ocean warming a likely culprit – threatens the southern population with extinction, which would result in a significant loss of genetic diversity.
		Commentary Role of aerobic glycolysis in genetically engineered mouse models of cancer Chi V Dang BMC Biology 2013, 11:3 (23 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Chi Van Dang gives his perspective on research published in the newly launched Cancer and Metabolism suggesting a new target for intervention in the aerobic glycolysis that supports tumor development.
		Methodology article Enhanced 5-methylcytosine detection in single-molecule, real-time sequencing via Tet1 oxidation Tyson A Clark, Xingyu Lu, Khai Luong, Qing Dai, Matthew Boitano, Stephen W Turner, Chuan He, Jonas Korlach BMC Biology 2013, 11:4 (22 January 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed
		Commentary Revisiting the relationship between regenerative ability and aging Ashley W Seifert, S Voss BMC Biology 2013, 11:2 (21 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The lens can regenerate in neonate axolotl but only for a defined period. Seifert and Voss speculate that developmental understanding of regeneration may provide insight into aging.
		Research article The songbird syrinx morphome: a three-dimensional, high-resolution, interactive morphological map of the zebra finch vocal organ Daniel N Düring, Alexander Ziegler, Christopher K Thompson, Andreas Ziegler, Cornelius Faber, Johannes Müller, Constance Scharff, Coen PH Elemans BMC Biology 2013, 11:1 (8 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The three-dimensional anatomy of the zebra finch vocal organ is described in unprecedented detail, providing new insights into the biomechanics of song production in a species widely used as an experimental model for vocal learning.
		Research article Evolution of an adaptive behavior and its sensory receptors promotes eye regression in blind cavefish Masato Yoshizawa, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Kelly E O'Quin, William R Jeffery BMC Biology 2012, 10:108 (27 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary The evolutionary loss of eyes is a process repeated in different cavefish populations, and both neutral and adaptive explanations have been put forward. A study of genetic linkage in an Astyanax population suggests that an antagonostic relationship between eye development and sensors for detecting vibration - an important behaviour in the dark cave environment - is responsible.
		Research article Genomic organization, evolution, and expression of photoprotein and opsin genes in Mnemiopsis leidyi: a new view of ctenophore photocytes Christine E Schnitzler, Kevin Pang, Meghan L Powers, Adam M Reitzel, Joseph F Ryan, David Simmons, Takashi Tada, Morgan Park, Jyoti Gupta, Shelise Y Brooks, Robert W Blakesley, Shozo Yokoyama, Steven HD Haddock, Mark Q Martindale, Andreas D Baxevanis BMC Biology 2012, 10:107 (21 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi has at least ten distinct genes encoding enzymes that catalyse bioluminescence. Their evolutionary origin traces back to the earliest animals, and in Mnemiopsis they are co-expressed with light-absorbing opsin in light-detecting cells.
		Question and Answer Q&A: Extinctions and the impact of Homo sapiens Robert M May BMC Biology 2012, 10:106 (20 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Robert May explores in Q&A format the reasons for the acceleration of extinctions due to the activities of a single species (ours), and asks why it matters.
		Commentary No strings attached: new insights into epithelial morphogenesis Lance A Davidson BMC Biology 2012, 10:105 (20 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary What regulates epithelial cell bending during early development? Lance Davidson comments on a paper from Zhirong Bao and colleagues where cell ingression in worm gastrulation is driven by dynamic cytoskeletal changes and cortical flow, challenging previous “purse-string” constriction models.
		Opinion Cilia, calcium and the basis of left-right asymmetry Dominic P Norris BMC Biology 2012, 10:102 (19 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary What determines left-right asymmetry in the early embryo? Dominic Norris reviews recent insights into mechanisms, including the role of cilia, a leftward flow of liquid in the embryo and asymmetric activation gene activation.

	All
		Research article Molecular basis for prey relocation in viperid snakes Anthony J Saviola, David Chiszar, Chardelle Busch, Stephen P Mackessy BMC Biology 2013, 11:20 (1 March 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| Editor’s summary Viperid snakes bite their prey and then let them go to avoid retaliation. By measuring snake behavior and analysing venom chemistry, Stephen Mackessy and colleagues provide an answer to how they find them again.
		Research article A functional genomics screen for microRNA regulators of NF-kappaB signaling Anthony O Olarerin-George, Lauren Anton, Yih-Chii Hwang, Michal A Elovitz, John B Hogenesch BMC Biology 2013, 11:19 (28 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF
		Editorial Q&A: Re-review opt-out and painless publishing Miranda Robertson BMC Biology 2013, 11:18 (28 February 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| Editor’s summary BMC Biology operates on the principle that the function of a journal is to facilitate publication of sound research results. Miranda Robertson reviews in Q&A format the journal’s re-review opt-out policy and how it has worked over the four years of its operation.
		Comment Open questions: What is there left for cell biologists to do? Sean Munro BMC Biology 2013, 11:16 (27 February 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| Editor’s summary In a contribution to the 10^th anniversary series on open questions in biology, Sean Munro asks provocatively what there is left for cell biologists to do, and with great elan and a touch of waspish humor produces five unanswered questions on issues from the special properties of non-dividing cells to the architecture of the brain.
		Research article Genome mining for methanobactins Grace E Kenney, Amy C Rosenzweig BMC Biology 2013, 11:17 (26 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Methanotrophic bacteria have potential as a biological methane sink, and methanobactins are a set of peptides important in regulating this activity. A genome mining study highlights genes involved in methanobactin production, but also suggests that not all methanotrophs have them.
		Research article Quantifying the contribution of chromatin dynamics to stochastic gene expression reveals long, locus-dependent periods between transcriptional bursts Jose Vinuelas, Gael Kaneko, Antoine Coulon, Elodie Vallin, Valerie Morin, Camila Mejia-Pous, Jean-Jacques Kupiec, Guillaume Beslon, Olivier Gandrillon BMC Biology 2013, 11:15 (25 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary A combined biological and computational approach adds further detail to a growing body of evidence that most genes undergo short bursts of transcription interspersed between long periods of downtime.
		Commentary Predicting the evolution of antibiotic resistance Martijn F Schenk, J Arjan GM de Visser BMC Biology 2013, 11:14 (22 February 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Commenting on research in BMC Evolutionary Biology, Arjan de Visser and Martijn Schenk discuss how two genetic properties, pleiotropy and epistasis, might help us to predict the evolution of antibiotic resistance.
		Research article Notch2 is required in somatic cells for breakdown of ovarian germ-cell nests and formation of primordial follicles Jingxia Xu, Thomas Gridley BMC Biology 2013, 11:13 (13 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed
		Research article MST1, a key player, in enhancing fast skeletal muscle atrophy Bin Wei, Wen Dui, Dong Liu, Yan Xing, Zengqqiang Yuan, Guangju Ji BMC Biology 2013, 11:12 (1 February 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed
		Comment Open questions: Chromosome condensation - Why does a chromosome look like a chromosome? Frank Uhlmann BMC Biology 2013, 11:9 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary In his contribution to the ‘Open questions’ anniversary collection for BMC Biology, Frank Uhlmann poses the unsolved problem of chromosome packaging
		Comment Open questions - in brief: Beyond -omics, missing motor proteins, and getting from molecules to organisms Stephen J Benkovic, Julie Theriot, Dagmar Ringe BMC Biology 2013, 11:8 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
		Editorial Open questions in biology - a tenth anniversary series Miranda Robertson BMC Biology 2013, 11:7 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary To celebrate its tenth anniversary, BMC Biology asked its Editorial Board members to write a paragraph or two on their favorite open questions in biology, and this month it publishes the first contributions, on topics from the challenges of proteomics to the mechanisms of apoptosis.
		Methodology article Multi-channel acoustic recording and automated analysis of Drosophila courtship songs Benjamin J Arthur, Tomoko Sunayama-Morita, Philip Coen, Mala Murthy, David L. Stern BMC Biology 2013, 11:11 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Drosophila fruit flies' "singing" during courtship is a model system for both genetic and neural control of behaviour. A newly-designed recording system allows for analysis of the songs' various rhythms and cycles in unprecedented detail.
		Comment Open questions: missing pieces from the immunological jigsaw puzzle Gillian M Griffiths BMC Biology 2013, 11:10 (31 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Gillian Griffiths, in her ‘Open questions’ contribution for BMC Biology, pinpoints some critical missing links in the cell-biological specializations of immune cells
		Commentary Trade-offs in cavefish sensory capacity Helen Gunter, Axel Meyer BMC Biology 2013, 11:5 (24 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Gunter and Meyer, commenting on recent research on cavefish eye evolution, explain how new interdisciplinary approaches can lead to fresh insight into old evolutionary questions.
		Research article Shift happens: trailing edge contraction associated with recent warming trends threatens a distinct genetic lineage in the marine macroalga Fucus vesiculosus Katy R Nicastro, Gerardo I Zardi, Sara Teixeira, Joao Neiva, Ester A Serrao, Gareth A Pearson BMC Biology 2013, 11:6 (23 January 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The Atlantic populations of the macroalga Fucus vesiculosus can be divided into distinguishable northern and southern populations, but a recent range shift northwards – with ocean warming a likely culprit – threatens the southern population with extinction, which would result in a significant loss of genetic diversity.
		Commentary Role of aerobic glycolysis in genetically engineered mouse models of cancer Chi V Dang BMC Biology 2013, 11:3 (23 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Chi Van Dang gives his perspective on research published in the newly launched Cancer and Metabolism suggesting a new target for intervention in the aerobic glycolysis that supports tumor development.
		Methodology article Enhanced 5-methylcytosine detection in single-molecule, real-time sequencing via Tet1 oxidation Tyson A Clark, Xingyu Lu, Khai Luong, Qing Dai, Matthew Boitano, Stephen W Turner, Chuan He, Jonas Korlach BMC Biology 2013, 11:4 (22 January 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed
		Commentary Revisiting the relationship between regenerative ability and aging Ashley W Seifert, S Voss BMC Biology 2013, 11:2 (21 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The lens can regenerate in neonate axolotl but only for a defined period. Seifert and Voss speculate that developmental understanding of regeneration may provide insight into aging.
		Research article The songbird syrinx morphome: a three-dimensional, high-resolution, interactive morphological map of the zebra finch vocal organ Daniel N Düring, Alexander Ziegler, Christopher K Thompson, Andreas Ziegler, Cornelius Faber, Johannes Müller, Constance Scharff, Coen PH Elemans BMC Biology 2013, 11:1 (8 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The three-dimensional anatomy of the zebra finch vocal organ is described in unprecedented detail, providing new insights into the biomechanics of song production in a species widely used as an experimental model for vocal learning.
		Research article Evolution of an adaptive behavior and its sensory receptors promotes eye regression in blind cavefish Masato Yoshizawa, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Kelly E O'Quin, William R Jeffery BMC Biology 2012, 10:108 (27 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary The evolutionary loss of eyes is a process repeated in different cavefish populations, and both neutral and adaptive explanations have been put forward. A study of genetic linkage in an Astyanax population suggests that an antagonostic relationship between eye development and sensors for detecting vibration - an important behaviour in the dark cave environment - is responsible.
		Research article Genomic organization, evolution, and expression of photoprotein and opsin genes in Mnemiopsis leidyi: a new view of ctenophore photocytes Christine E Schnitzler, Kevin Pang, Meghan L Powers, Adam M Reitzel, Joseph F Ryan, David Simmons, Takashi Tada, Morgan Park, Jyoti Gupta, Shelise Y Brooks, Robert W Blakesley, Shozo Yokoyama, Steven HD Haddock, Mark Q Martindale, Andreas D Baxevanis BMC Biology 2012, 10:107 (21 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi has at least ten distinct genes encoding enzymes that catalyse bioluminescence. Their evolutionary origin traces back to the earliest animals, and in Mnemiopsis they are co-expressed with light-absorbing opsin in light-detecting cells.
		Question and Answer Q&A: Extinctions and the impact of Homo sapiens Robert M May BMC Biology 2012, 10:106 (20 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Robert May explores in Q&A format the reasons for the acceleration of extinctions due to the activities of a single species (ours), and asks why it matters.
		Commentary No strings attached: new insights into epithelial morphogenesis Lance A Davidson BMC Biology 2012, 10:105 (20 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary What regulates epithelial cell bending during early development? Lance Davidson comments on a paper from Zhirong Bao and colleagues where cell ingression in worm gastrulation is driven by dynamic cytoskeletal changes and cortical flow, challenging previous “purse-string” constriction models.
		Opinion Cilia, calcium and the basis of left-right asymmetry Dominic P Norris BMC Biology 2012, 10:102 (19 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary What determines left-right asymmetry in the early embryo? Dominic Norris reviews recent insights into mechanisms, including the role of cilia, a leftward flow of liquid in the embryo and asymmetric activation gene activation.