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		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 \| Cited on BioMed Central \| 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.
		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, João Neiva, Ester A Serrão, Gareth A Pearson BMC Biology 2013, 11:6 (23 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| 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 \| Full text \| 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.
		Research article Sex-specific effects of a parasite evolving in a female-biased host population David Duneau, Pepijn Luijckx, Ludwig F Ruder, Dieter Ebert BMC Biology 2012, 10:104 (18 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary A bacterial parasite of Daphnia magna castrates its hosts, apparently as an adaptation to the sex-bias in Daphnia populations towards females. Castration causes the female to grow larger, making it a better host for this parasite.
		Research article Lens regeneration in axolotl: new evidence of developmental plasticity Rinako Suetsugu-Maki, Nobuyasu Maki, Kenta Nakamura, Saulius Sumanas, Jie Zhu, Katia Del Rio-Tsonis, Panagiotis A Tsonis BMC Biology 2012, 10:103 (17 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Can the lens in axolotl regenerate? Challenging previous views that this was not possible, Panagiotis Tsonis and colleagues show the lens can regenerate in neonates but only for a fixed developmental time period.
		Forum What determines cell size? Wallace F Marshall, Kevin D Young, Matthew Swaffer, Elizabeth Wood, Paul Nurse, Akatsuki Kimura, Joseph Frankel, John Wallingford, Virginia Walbot, Xian Qu, Adrienne HK Roeder BMC Biology 2012, 10:101 (14 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| 2 comments \| Editor’s summary In a Forum article in the Cell geometry series, ten experts in ten different systems explain why it matters what size a cell is, and offer ten different answers on how it is controlled – probably all of them right.
		Commentary HIV takes double hit before entry Rogier W Sanders BMC Biology 2012, 10:99 (7 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| Editor’s summary Commenting on a paper in Retrovirology, Rogier Sanders discusses the promise of a new inhibitor of HIV-1. Designed to have dual activity, it delivers a one-two punch to the viral envelope glycoprotein, crippling free virus and preventing viral entry into host cells.
		Research article Stability of toxin gene proportion in red-pigmented populations of the cyanobacterium Planktothrix during 29 years of re-oligotrophication of Lake Zürich Veronika Ostermaier, Ferdinand Schanz, Oliver Köster, Rainer Kurmayer BMC Biology 2012, 10:100 (7 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Knowledge of algal ecology is important for management of toxic blooms, and a 29-year study shows that toxic genotypes of cyanobacteria dominate blooms in Lake Zurich, contrary to evidence for advantages to nontoxic genotypes in shallower lakes.
		Commentary Segmental structure in banded mongoose calls W Fitch BMC Biology 2012, 10:98 (3 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Tecumseh Fitch explains animal communication through analogy to the elements of human speech, and how new results from mongooses represent a novel way of encoding meaning.
		Research article Segmental concatenation of individual signatures and context cues in banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) close calls David AWAM Jansen, Michael A Cant, Marta B Manser BMC Biology 2012, 10:97 (3 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Banded mongooses encode two different pieces of information in a single "syllable", showing a finer-scaled segmentation of meaning than has previously been observed in animal calls.
		Methodology article LoxP-FRT Trap (LOFT): a simple and flexible system for conventional and reversible gene targeting Barbara H Chaiyachati, Ravinder K Kaundal, Jiugang Zhao, Jie Wu, Richard Flavell, Tian Chi BMC Biology 2012, 10:96 (30 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
		Review The pupylation pathway and its role in mycobacteria Jonas Barandun, Cyrille L Delley, Eilika Weber-Ban BMC Biology 2012, 10:95 (30 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Small-molecule post-translational modification of proteins, long thought to be exclusive to eukaryotes, has recently turned up in Actinobacteria, including the pathogen M .tuberculosis, in which the structurally unrelated pupylation pathway seems functionally analogous to eukaryotic ubiquitination. Eilika Weber-Ban and colleagues review what is known of its mechanisms and meaning.
		Research article Actomyosin-based Self-organization of cell internalization during C. elegans gastrulation Christian Pohl, Michael Tiongson, Julia L Moore, Anthony Santella, Zhirong Bao BMC Biology 2012, 10:94 (30 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary A time-lapse imaging study in C. elegans shows how self-organizing modules form rosettes to remodel the embryo through actomyosin-based patterning during gastrulation.
		Methodology article Silencer-delimited transgenesis: NRSE/RE1 sequences promote neural-specific transgene expression in a NRSF/REST-dependent manner Xiayang Xie, Jonathan R Mathias, Marie-Ange Smith, Steven L Walker, Yong Teng, Martin Distel, Reinhard W Köster, Howard I Sirotkin, Meera T Saxena, Jeff S Mumm BMC Biology 2012, 10:93 (30 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Genetic tools that support in vivo manipulation are revolutionizing functional studies, in particular in the brain, but their precision can be spoiled by unwonted "off-site" expression. Xiayang Xie and colleagues deploy a neuron-restrictive silencer element to address this problem, demonstrating its efficacy when hitched to transgenes in zebrafish.

	All
		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 \| Cited on BioMed Central \| 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.
		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, João Neiva, Ester A Serrão, Gareth A Pearson BMC Biology 2013, 11:6 (23 January 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| 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 \| Full text \| 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.
		Research article Sex-specific effects of a parasite evolving in a female-biased host population David Duneau, Pepijn Luijckx, Ludwig F Ruder, Dieter Ebert BMC Biology 2012, 10:104 (18 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary A bacterial parasite of Daphnia magna castrates its hosts, apparently as an adaptation to the sex-bias in Daphnia populations towards females. Castration causes the female to grow larger, making it a better host for this parasite.
		Research article Lens regeneration in axolotl: new evidence of developmental plasticity Rinako Suetsugu-Maki, Nobuyasu Maki, Kenta Nakamura, Saulius Sumanas, Jie Zhu, Katia Del Rio-Tsonis, Panagiotis A Tsonis BMC Biology 2012, 10:103 (17 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Can the lens in axolotl regenerate? Challenging previous views that this was not possible, Panagiotis Tsonis and colleagues show the lens can regenerate in neonates but only for a fixed developmental time period.
		Forum What determines cell size? Wallace F Marshall, Kevin D Young, Matthew Swaffer, Elizabeth Wood, Paul Nurse, Akatsuki Kimura, Joseph Frankel, John Wallingford, Virginia Walbot, Xian Qu, Adrienne HK Roeder BMC Biology 2012, 10:101 (14 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| 2 comments \| Editor’s summary In a Forum article in the Cell geometry series, ten experts in ten different systems explain why it matters what size a cell is, and offer ten different answers on how it is controlled – probably all of them right.
		Commentary HIV takes double hit before entry Rogier W Sanders BMC Biology 2012, 10:99 (7 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| Editor’s summary Commenting on a paper in Retrovirology, Rogier Sanders discusses the promise of a new inhibitor of HIV-1. Designed to have dual activity, it delivers a one-two punch to the viral envelope glycoprotein, crippling free virus and preventing viral entry into host cells.
		Research article Stability of toxin gene proportion in red-pigmented populations of the cyanobacterium Planktothrix during 29 years of re-oligotrophication of Lake Zürich Veronika Ostermaier, Ferdinand Schanz, Oliver Köster, Rainer Kurmayer BMC Biology 2012, 10:100 (7 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Knowledge of algal ecology is important for management of toxic blooms, and a 29-year study shows that toxic genotypes of cyanobacteria dominate blooms in Lake Zurich, contrary to evidence for advantages to nontoxic genotypes in shallower lakes.
		Commentary Segmental structure in banded mongoose calls W Fitch BMC Biology 2012, 10:98 (3 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Tecumseh Fitch explains animal communication through analogy to the elements of human speech, and how new results from mongooses represent a novel way of encoding meaning.
		Research article Segmental concatenation of individual signatures and context cues in banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) close calls David AWAM Jansen, Michael A Cant, Marta B Manser BMC Biology 2012, 10:97 (3 December 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Banded mongooses encode two different pieces of information in a single "syllable", showing a finer-scaled segmentation of meaning than has previously been observed in animal calls.
		Methodology article LoxP-FRT Trap (LOFT): a simple and flexible system for conventional and reversible gene targeting Barbara H Chaiyachati, Ravinder K Kaundal, Jiugang Zhao, Jie Wu, Richard Flavell, Tian Chi BMC Biology 2012, 10:96 (30 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
		Review The pupylation pathway and its role in mycobacteria Jonas Barandun, Cyrille L Delley, Eilika Weber-Ban BMC Biology 2012, 10:95 (30 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Small-molecule post-translational modification of proteins, long thought to be exclusive to eukaryotes, has recently turned up in Actinobacteria, including the pathogen M .tuberculosis, in which the structurally unrelated pupylation pathway seems functionally analogous to eukaryotic ubiquitination. Eilika Weber-Ban and colleagues review what is known of its mechanisms and meaning.
		Research article Actomyosin-based Self-organization of cell internalization during C. elegans gastrulation Christian Pohl, Michael Tiongson, Julia L Moore, Anthony Santella, Zhirong Bao BMC Biology 2012, 10:94 (30 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary A time-lapse imaging study in C. elegans shows how self-organizing modules form rosettes to remodel the embryo through actomyosin-based patterning during gastrulation.
		Methodology article Silencer-delimited transgenesis: NRSE/RE1 sequences promote neural-specific transgene expression in a NRSF/REST-dependent manner Xiayang Xie, Jonathan R Mathias, Marie-Ange Smith, Steven L Walker, Yong Teng, Martin Distel, Reinhard W Köster, Howard I Sirotkin, Meera T Saxena, Jeff S Mumm BMC Biology 2012, 10:93 (30 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Genetic tools that support in vivo manipulation are revolutionizing functional studies, in particular in the brain, but their precision can be spoiled by unwonted "off-site" expression. Xiayang Xie and colleagues deploy a neuron-restrictive silencer element to address this problem, demonstrating its efficacy when hitched to transgenes in zebrafish.