BMC Biology | Most Viewed

Submit a manuscript Register Contact us Follow us on Twitter

Explore BMC Biology

Advertisement

Articles

Display/download options Articles per page: 25 | 50 | 100

Display options

Editor's summary Citation

Download options

Send
To

	All
	1. 13226 Accesses	Research article scribble mutants promote aPKC and JNK-dependent epithelial neoplasia independently of Crumbs Gregory R Leong, Karen R Goulding, Nancy Amin, Helena E Richardson, Anthony M Brumby BMC Biology 2009, 7:62 (24 September 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary Scribble, a cell polarity regulator in Drosophila, represses tumorigenesis by inhibiting atypical protein kinase C and Jun N-terminal kinase-dependent pathways, and this might be relevant for how human Scrib restrains oncogene-mediated transformation.
	2. 3246 Accesses	Research article Ancient origin of somatic and visceral neurons Marc Nomaksteinsky, Stefan Kassabov, Zoubida Chettouh, Henri-Corto Stoeklé, Laure Bonnaud, Gilles Fortin, Eric R Kandel, Jean-François Brunet BMC Biology 2013, 11:53 (30 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The great American palaeontologist and anatomist Alfred Romer speculated that early in animal life, an emerging somatic nervous system, focused on the outside world, struggled to dominate the visceral nervous system that takes care of the internal systems that keep us alive. Jean-François Brunet and colleagues identify the molecular signatures that tell the evolutionary tale of this duality.
	3. 2643 Accesses	Commentary Somatic and visceral nervous systems - an ancient duality Paola Bertucci, Detlev Arendt BMC Biology 2013, 11:54 (30 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The idea that vertebrates are composed of a ‘visceral’ and ‘somatic’ self, responding to internal and external stimuli, respectively, was first put forward in the 19th century. Now, molecular fingerprinting indicates a duality between the somatic and visceral nervous systems that appears to predate Bilataria.
	4. 2172 Accesses	Question and Answer Q&A: Antibiotic resistance: what more do we know and what more can we do? Gerard D Wright BMC Biology 2013, 11:51 (17 May 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Antibiotic resistance is both an ancient phenomenon and a worsening medical problem. Gerard Wright explains why, and what should be done about it.
	5. 2077 Accesses	Review Molecular dynamics simulations and drug discovery Jacob D Durrant, J Andrew McCammon BMC Biology 2011, 9:71 (28 October 2011) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary Modeling the movements of atoms within macromolecules can predict their conformational flexibility to inform drug discovery. Jacob Durrant and Andrew McCammon explain how this is done in molecular dynamics simulations, reviewing both the successes and current limitations of the approach.
	6. 1895 Accesses	Review LKB1 and AMPK and the cancer-metabolism link - ten years after D Hardie, Dario R Alessi BMC Biology 2013, 11:36 (15 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Ten years ago Grahame Hardie published in Journal of Biology (now BMC Biology) the discovery that the upstream activating kinase he was seeking for the multifarious energy sensor AMPK was the tumor suppressor, LKB1, that Dario Alessi was working on in a neighboring lab. For BMC Biology’s tenth anniversary they review some of what they have discovered since.
	7. 1788 Accesses	Comment Domesticating the beast Virginia Walbot BMC Biology 2013, 11:35 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary In 2009, Virginia Walbot commented ‘Are we training pit bulls to review our manuscripts?’ Revisiting the topic, she asks if we can tame our pit bull reviewers by involving students more in peer review and teaching them to see things from an authors’ perspective and the perspective of the journal that is responsible for making a decision on publication.
	8. 1639 Accesses	Interview An interview with Patrick O Brown on the origins and future of open access Patrick O Brown BMC Biology 2013, 11:33 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary In an interview for the BMC Biology tenth anniversary collection, Patrick O Brown excavates his memory for the origins of open access publishing, and finds a vision of the future still to be fulfilled.
	9. 1581 Accesses	Research article Spatial and temporal in vivo analysis of circulating and sessile immune cells in mosquitoes: hemocyte mitosis following infection Jonas G King, Julián F Hillyer BMC Biology 2013, 11:55 (30 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Observations on the number, location, phagocytic activity and cell division of hemocytes in the body cavity of mosquitoes sheds new light on the biology of insect immune system cells.
	10. 1374 Accesses	Research article Statistical support for the hypothesis of developmental constraint in marsupial skull evolution C Verity Bennett, Anjali Goswami BMC Biology 2013, 11:52 (26 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
	11. 1299 Accesses	Question and Answer Q&A: What is the Golgi apparatus, and why are we asking? Sean Munro BMC Biology 2011, 9:63 (30 September 2011) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| 2 comments \| Editor’s summary Sean Munro explains in Q&A format why the Golgi apparatus remains a gently seething cauldron of controversy more than 120 years after its discovery.
	12. 1248 Accesses	Research article On the origin of POU5F1 Stephen Frankenberg, Marilyn B Renfree BMC Biology 2013, 11:56 (9 May 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed
	13. 1182 Accesses	Anniversary Update The new micro-kingdoms of eukaryotes Jan Pawlowski BMC Biology 2013, 11:40 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	14. 1175 Accesses	Opinion Of flies and men: insights on organismal metabolism from fruit flies Akhila Rajan, Norbert Perrimon BMC Biology 2013, 11:38 (15 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary For many reasons metabolism is now a high-profile topic, and in an update to mark the tenth anniversary of BMC Biology, Norbert Perrimon and Akhila Rajan review the remarkable similarities that make Drosophila a model for mammalian metabolism, and some recent advances made possible by the advantages of this model organism.
	15. 1162 Accesses	Review Microarrays, deep sequencing and the true measure of the transcriptome John H Malone, Brian Oliver BMC Biology 2011, 9:34 (31 May 2011) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Global measures of gene expression can now be extracted either from microarrays or from RNA-seq, which do not always seem to give the same answer. Malone and Oliver review the advantages and limitations of each and conclude that, with some important exceptions, they tell the same story.
	16. 1144 Accesses	Anniversary Update White-nose syndrome in bats: illuminating the darkness Paul M Cryan, Carol Meteyer, Justin G Boyles, David S Blehert BMC Biology 2013, 11:47 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	17. 1076 Accesses	Opinion Thirty years on: HIV receptor gymnastics and the prevention of infection Robin A Weiss BMC Biology 2013, 11:57 (21 May 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Robin Weiss, in an article to mark the 30^th anniversary of the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), reviews the complex interactions of the virus with the specialized surface molecules by which it gains entry into cells, and how this has led to drugs that block it.
	18. 1068 Accesses	Interview In pursuit of an HIV vaccine: an interview with Andrew McMichael Andrew J McMichael BMC Biology 2013, 11:60 (21 May 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Can the immune system be induced to protect itself against HIV infection? Andrew McMichael gives his perspective in an interview, explaining the challenges faced in making a vaccine and why he remains optimistic about the potential of eliciting strong T cell responses for controlling the virus.
	19. 1041 Accesses	Anniversary Update Seeing the Tree of Life behind the phylogenetic forest Pere Puigbò, Yuri I Wolf, Eugene V Koonin BMC Biology 2013, 11:46 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	20. 996 Accesses	Commentary Mitochondrial genomes as living ‘fossils’ Ian Small BMC Biology 2013, 11:30 (15 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Ian Small discusses why the "fossilised" mitochondrial genome of Liriodendron could have such a slow mutation rate, and what it might tell us about the evolution of RNA editing.
	21. 980 Accesses	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.
	22. 974 Accesses	Research article The “fossilized” mitochondrial genome of Liriodendron tulipifera: ancestral gene content and order, ancestral editing sites, and extraordinarily low mutation rate Aaron O Richardson, Danny W Rice, Gregory J Young, Andrew J Alverson, Jeffrey D Palmer BMC Biology 2013, 11:29 (15 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The mitochondrial genome of the tulip tree has a remarkably slow rate of nucleotide substitution, and could offer insight into the content and organisation of this genome in the ancestral flowering plant.
	23. 918 Accesses	Anniversary Update Arthropods and inherited bacteria: from counting the symbionts to understanding how symbionts count Olivier Duron, Gregory DD Hurst BMC Biology 2013, 11:45 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	24. 878 Accesses	Research article Environmentally-acquired bacteria influence microbial diversity and natural innate immune responses at gut surfaces Imke E Mulder, Bettina Schmidt, Christopher R Stokes, Marie Lewis, Mick Bailey, Rustam I Aminov, James I Prosser, Bhupinder P Gill, John R Pluske, Claus-Dieter Mayer, Corran C Musk, Denise Kelly BMC Biology 2009, 7:79 (20 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Pigs reared indoors or in isolation have a less healthy gut microbiota than outdoor-reared pigs, and signs of immune activation in gut tissues, reinforcing human data associating childhood hygiene with inflammatory bowel disease.
	25. 871 Accesses	Research article Control of the olive fruit fly using genetics-enhanced sterile insect technique Thomas Ant, Martha Koukidou, Polychronis Rempoulakis, Hong-Fei Gong, Aris Economopoulos, John Vontas, Luke Alphey BMC Biology 2012, 10:51 (19 June 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
	26. 864 Accesses	Review Drugging Hedgehog: signaling the pathway to translation Tom J Carney, Philip W Ingham BMC Biology 2013, 11:37 (15 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Ten years ago Jeff Porter and colleagues published a screen for small-molecule modulators of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in the Journal of Biology. For BMC Biology’s 10^th anniversary, Tom Carney and Philip Ingham discuss the far-reaching clinical impact of some of the agonists and antagonists they discovered.
	27. 840 Accesses	Methodology article Advances in establishment and analysis of three-dimensional tumor spheroid-based functional assays for target validation and drug evaluation Maria Vinci, Sharon Gowan, Frances Boxall, Lisa Patterson, Miriam Zimmermann, William Court, Cara Lomas, Marta Mendiola, David Hardisson, Suzanne A Eccles BMC Biology 2012, 10:29 (22 March 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary A high throughput method to assay for the growth, invasiveness and angiogenic activity of tumor cells grown in 3-dimensions is validated by testing known cancer drugs, and offers a tool-kit for testing new ones.
	28. 844 Accesses	Research article Conditional embryonic lethality to improve the sterile insect technique in Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) Marc F Schetelig, Carlos Caceres, Antigone Zacharopoulou, Gerald Franz, Ernst A Wimmer BMC Biology 2009, 7:4 (27 January 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary A novel transgenic lethality system in the male Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata results in all progeny dying during embryogenesis, ensuring 100% effective pest control without the need for irradiation.
	29. 775 Accesses	Research article Radial glial cells play a key role in echinoderm neural regeneration Vladimir S Mashanov, Olga R Zueva, José E García-Arrarás BMC Biology 2013, 11:49 (18 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Repair of a cut radial nerve cord in a sea cucumber is mediated by radial glial cells that dedifferentiate, divide and give rise to new neurons.
	30. 755 Accesses	Forum What does the concept of the stem cell niche really mean today? Arthur D Lander, Judith Kimble, Hans Clevers, Elaine Fuchs, Didier Montarras, Margaret Buckingham, Anne L Calof, Andreas Trumpp, Thordur Oskarsson BMC Biology 2012, 10:19 (9 March 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary How do current researchers view the stem cell niche? Eight experts from different fields provide their perspective, and ask how stem cells evolve in such an environment, launching a new Forum article type within the cross-journal collection on stem cells.
	31. 750 Accesses	Question and Answer Q&A: 'Toxic' effects of sugar: should we be afraid of fructose? Luc Tappy BMC Biology 2012, 10:42 (21 May 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Before the colonial era of sugar plantations we consumed, on average, about 15-fold less fructose than we do today. Luc Tappy explains, in question and answer format, the special features of fructose metabolism and discusses the evidence that high fructose intake has contributed to the current epidemic of obesity and metabolic disease.
	32. 742 Accesses	Research article Haploinsufficiency and the sex chromosomes from yeasts to humans Michaela de Clare, Pınar Pir, Stephen G Oliver BMC Biology 2011, 9:15 (28 February 2011) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Haploinsufficient genes are highly conserved among eukaryotes, and have a special evolutionary relationship with the mating-type chromosomes of yeast and sex chromosomes of humans.
	33. 721 Accesses	Research article The first metazoa living in permanently anoxic conditions Roberto Danovaro, Antonio Dell'Anno, Antonio Pusceddu, Cristina Gambi, Iben Heiner, Reinhardt Møbjerg Kristensen BMC Biology 2010, 8:30 (6 April 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| 2 comments \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary An expedition to a deep sea hypersaline anoxic basin in the Mediterranean has discovered the first multicellular animals that live and reproduce in the absence of oxygen.
	34. 707 Accesses	Research article Copy-number variation of cancer-gene orthologs is sufficient to induce cancer-like symptoms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Michaela de Clare, Stephen G Oliver BMC Biology 2013, 11:24 (25 March 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary An analysis of the effect of copy number variation on growth, apoptosis and the cell cycle for a selected subset of Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes suggests that using this model yeast to predict the effects of similar copy number variants in human cancers is a worthwhile approach.
	35. 707 Accesses	Question and Answer Q&A: Who needs a centrosome? Mónica Bettencourt-Dias BMC Biology 2013, 11:28 (11 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary The centrosome is classically regarded as the microtubule-organizing center of the cell. But cells can divide without them, and exactly what they do is largely mysterious. In a Q&A article in a series on cell geometry, Monica Bettencourt-Dias asks what we do know and what we don’t, about normal centrosomes and the abnormalities underlying disease.
	36. 670 Accesses	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 \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
	37. 639 Accesses	Research article High-density linkage mapping in a pine tree reveals a genomic region associated with inbreeding depression and provides clues to the extent and distribution of meiotic recombination Emilie Chancerel, Jean-Baptiste Lamy, Isabelle Lesur, Céline Noirot, Christophe Klopp, François Ehrenmann, Christophe Boury, Grégoire Le Provost, Philippe Label, Céline Lalanne, Valérie Léger, Franck Salin, Jean-Marc Gion, Christophe Plomion BMC Biology 2013, 11:50 (18 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
	38. 624 Accesses	Commentary Following autophagy step by step Tom Hansen, Terje Johansen BMC Biology 2011, 9:39 (2 June 2011) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Autophagy, whereby cells digest their own contents and can remove damaging aggregates and pathogens, is a current focus of interest for therapeutic intervention. Hansen and Johansen explain in a Commentary on a paper from Brady and colleagues a new advance in screening for modulators that allows resolution of distinct steps in the pathway.
	39. 626 Accesses	Research article Functional divergence of the brain-size regulating gene MCPH1 during primate evolution and the origin of humans Lei Shi, Ming Li, Qiang Lin, Xuebin Qi, Bing Su BMC Biology 2013, 11:62 (22 May 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF
	40. 619 Accesses	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 \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| F1000 Biology \| 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.
	41. 617 Accesses	Research article Evidence that a West-East admixed population lived in the Tarim Basin as early as the early Bronze Age Chunxiang Li, Hongjie Li, Yinqiu Cui, Chengzhi Xie, Dawei Cai, Wenying Li, Victor H Mair, Zhi Xu, Quanchao Zhang, Idelisi Abuduresule, Li Jin, Hong Zhu, Hui Zhou BMC Biology 2010, 8:15 (17 February 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Genetic analysis of human remains from the Tarim Basin in China reveals that the Xiaohe people comprised an admixture of populations originating from both the East and the West dating from the early Bronze Age.
	42. 610 Accesses	Research article Extensive population genetic structure in the giraffe David M Brown, Rick A Brenneman, Klaus-Peter Koepfli, John P Pollinger, Borja Milá, Nicholas J Georgiadis, Edward E Louis, Gregory F Grether, David K Jacobs, Robert K Wayne BMC Biology 2007, 5:57 (21 December 2007) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary Giraffes can travel widely but have recently been found to comprise eleven genetically distinct populations with little interbreeding, a finding which is unprecedented among large African mammals with significant implications for giraffe conservation management.
	43. 607 Accesses	Commentary Biological functions of natural antisense transcripts Andreas Werner BMC Biology 2013, 11:31 (12 April 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
	44. 584 Accesses	Comment Open questions: Epigenetics and the role of heterochromatin in development Susan M Gasser BMC Biology 2013, 11:21 (4 March 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary As part of BMC Biology’s 10^th anniversary collection, Susan Gasser’s open questions link heterochromatin-mediated silencing, nuclear localisation and the true nature of epigenetic control.
	45. 574 Accesses	Question and Answer Q&A: ChIP-seq technologies and the study of gene regulation Edison T Liu, Sebastian Pott, Mikael Huss BMC Biology 2010, 8:56 (14 May 2010) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Edison Liu and colleagues explain in Q&A format how ChIP-seq technology allows investigation of transcriptional regulation on a genomic scale, and what is next.
	46. 571 Accesses	Anniversary Update Neurosensory transmission without a synapse: new perspectives on taste signaling Sue C Kinnamon BMC Biology 2013, 11:42 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	47. 572 Accesses	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.
	48. 572 Accesses	Research article Pair of lice lost or parasites regained: the evolutionary history of anthropoid primate lice David L Reed, Jessica E Light, Julie M Allen, Jeremy J Kirchman BMC Biology 2007, 5:7 (7 March 2007) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary The coevolution of parasitic lice on primate hosts involved cospeciation and host switching, resulting in humans sharing body lice with gorillas and head lice being shared between humans and chimpanzees.
	49. 551 Accesses	Anniversary Update Tropical rain forest evolution: palms as a model group Thomas LP Couvreur, William J Baker BMC Biology 2013, 11:48 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	50. 537 Accesses	Question and Answer Q&A: What is a pathogen? A question that begs the point Liise-anne Pirofski, Arturo Casadevall BMC Biology 2012, 10:6 (31 January 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| 1 comment \| Editor’s summary Arturo Casadevall and Liise-anne Pirofski explain in Q&A format the emergent properties of microbial pathogenesis that make the question impossible to answer, and the emergence of new pathogens almost impossible to predict.
	51. 529 Accesses	Research article A gene expression atlas of the domestic pig Tom C Freeman, Alasdair Ivens, J Kenneth Baillie, Dario Beraldi, Mark W Barnett, David Dorward, Alison Downing, Lynsey Fairbairn, Ronan Kapetanovic, Sobia Raza, Andru Tomoiu, Ramiro Alberio, Chunlei Wu, Andrew I Su, Kim M Summers, Christopher K Tuggle, Alan L Archibald, David A Hume BMC Biology 2012, 10:90 (15 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary A genome-wide transcriptional analysis of over 60 tissues of the domestic pig identifies a network of transcription factors functioning in gastrointestinal development, as part of a collection of BioMed Central papers accompanying the publication of the pig genome in Nature.
	52. 511 Accesses	Research article MST1, a key player, in enhancing fast skeletal muscle atrophy Bin Wei, Wen Dui, Dong Liu, Yan Xing, Zengqiang Yuan, Guangju Ji BMC Biology 2013, 11:12 (1 February 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
	53. 510 Accesses	Research article Thyroid hormone actions are temperature-specific and regulate thermal acclimation in zebrafish (Danio rerio) Alexander G Little, Tatsuya Kunisue, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Frank Seebacher BMC Biology 2013, 11:26 (26 March 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Thyroid hormone plays an important part in adaptation to changing ambient temperature conditions in mammals, but surprisingly, its role in such adaptation in ectotherms is not known. Alexander Little and colleagues report investigations on zebrafish that suggest it is important for cold-blooded vertebrate adaptation too.
	54. 509 Accesses	Methodology article Use of the viral 2A peptide for bicistronic expression in transgenic mice Georgios Trichas, Jo Begbie, Shankar Srinivas BMC Biology 2008, 6:40 (15 September 2008) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary Germline transmission of a bicistronic vector using the 2A peptide to allow co-translational cleavage is stable in mice and shows no developmental side-effects, giving a superior alternative to the internal ribosomal entry site for expressing multiple transgenes.
	55. 482 Accesses	Question and Answer Q&A: Antibiotic resistance: where does it come from and what can we do about it? Gerard D Wright BMC Biology 2010, 8:123 (20 September 2010) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| 1 comment \| Editor’s summary As long as we continue to use antibiotics the development of resistance is inevitable. Gerard Wright explains why it is an increasing problem, and what can be done about it.
	56. 476 Accesses	Editorial Q&A: Re-review opt-out and painless publishing Miranda Robertson BMC Biology 2013, 11:18 (28 February 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| 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.
	57. 457 Accesses	Research article Leaf-cutting ant fungi produce cell wall degrading pectinase complexes reminiscent of phytopathogenic fungi Morten Schiøtt, Adelina Rogowska-Wrzesinska, Peter Roepstorff, Jacobus J Boomsma BMC Biology 2010, 8:156 (31 December 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Leaf-cutting ants mix chewed leaves with their fecal droplets to cultivate fungal gardens. This mutualistic symbiosis involves fungal pectinases that emerge undigested from the ant’s gut, ready for active service in decomposing new leaf fragments.
	58. 447 Accesses	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 \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| 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.
	59. 443 Accesses	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.
	60. 439 Accesses	Research article Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: Resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation Klaus-Peter Koepfli, Kerry A Deere, Graham J Slater, Colleen Begg, Keith Begg, Lon Grassman, Mauro Lucherini, Geraldine Veron, Robert K Wayne BMC Biology 2008, 6:10 (14 February 2008) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary A multigene phylogeny of the weasel family, the most species-rich family of the Carnivora, provides evidence for two bursts of diversification during the Neogene period that coincide with major environmental changes and speciation events in other vertebrates.
	61. 420 Accesses	Research article Phylogenomic analyses support the position of turtles as the sister group of birds and crocodiles (Archosauria) Ylenia Chiari, Vincent Cahais, Nicolas Galtier, Frédéric Delsuc BMC Biology 2012, 10:65 (27 July 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Turtles have traditionally been hard to place taxonomically because of their unique morphology, and recent research based on microRNA has stirred the pot once again. Contrary to that work, phylogenomic analysis of a large new sequence data set adds strong support to the previous conclusion that turtles' closest evolutionary relatives are birds and crocodiles.
	62. 420 Accesses	Methodology article Rapid production of antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies from a variety of animals Nobuyuki Kurosawa, Megumi Yoshioka, Rika Fujimoto, Fuminori Yamagishi, Masaharu Isobe BMC Biology 2012, 10:80 (28 September 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Using a fluorescent dye to label the greatly expanded endoplasmic reticulum characteristic of antibody-secreting cells, Kurosawa and colleagues demonstrate how monoclonal antibodies can be produced from a variety of immunized animals in just one week.
	63. 407 Accesses	Research article The buccohypophyseal canal is an ancestral vertebrate trait maintained by modulation in sonic hedgehog signaling Roman H Khonsari, Maisa Seppala, Alan Pradel, Hugo Dutel, Gaël Clément, Oleg Lebedev, Sarah Ghafoor, Michaela Rothova, Abigael Tucker, John G Maisey, Chen-Ming Fan, Maiko Kawasaki, Atsushi Ohazama, Paul Tafforeau, Brunella Franco, Jill Helms, Courtney J Haycraft, Albert David, Philippe Janvier, Martyn T Cobourne, Paul T Sharpe BMC Biology 2013, 11:27 (28 March 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
	64. 406 Accesses	Opinion Wing pathology of white-nose syndrome in bats suggests life-threatening disruption of physiology Paul M Cryan, Carol Meteyer, Justin G Boyles, David S Blehert BMC Biology 2010, 8:135 (11 November 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary WNS, a disease caused by the invasive skin fungus Geomyces destructans, is killing hibernating bats in North America. Cryan, Meteyer, and coauthors propose that disruption of the normal physiological role of the wings during hibernation is key to explaining the mortality of this disease.
	65. 394 Accesses	Anniversary Update Fuzzy species revisited William P Hanage BMC Biology 2013, 11:41 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	66. 397 Accesses	Research article Frequency of intron loss correlates with processed pseudogene abundance: a novel strategy to test the reverse transcriptase model of intron loss Tao Zhu, Deng-Ke Niu BMC Biology 2013, 11:23 (5 March 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary It is well established that intron loss is common in gene evolution, but three competing theories have been proposed to explain it. A new study supports the model involving reverse transcription, by analysing genomic byproducts of reverse transcriptase activity.
	67. 389 Accesses	Anniversary Update Segment assembly, structure alignment and iterative simulation in protein structure prediction Yang Zhang, Jeffrey Skolnick BMC Biology 2013, 11:44 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	68. 388 Accesses	Research article Disruption of genital ridge development causes aberrant primordial germ cell proliferation but does not affect their directional migration Su-Ren Chen, Qiao-Song Zheng, Yang Zhang, Fei Gao, Yi-Xun Liu BMC Biology 2013, 11:22 (5 March 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed
	69. 390 Accesses	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.
	70. 384 Accesses	Review Following the genes: a framework for animal modeling of psychiatric disorders Kevin J Mitchell, Z Josh Huang, Bita Moghaddam, Akira Sawa BMC Biology 2011, 9:76 (11 November 2011) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Following a brief overview of the revolution in psychiatric genetics, Kevin Mitchell and colleagues explain how the effects of causal mutations can be studied in animals to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms and neurobiological phenotypes of direct relevance to human disease.
	71. 385 Accesses	Research article Origin and global diversification patterns of tropical rain forests: inferences from a complete genus-level phylogeny of palms Thomas LP Couvreur, Félix Forest, William J Baker BMC Biology 2011, 9:44 (16 June 2011) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| 2 comments \| Editor’s summary Knowing how rainforest biodiversity arose will be useful in predicting reactions to its loss. A synthesis of molecular and fossil data on palms suggests diversity has slowly accumulated over the past 100 million years, rather than being the product of a rapid diversification.
	72. 383 Accesses	Research article Excessive folate synthesis limits lifespan in the C. elegans: E. coli aging model Bhupinder Virk, Gonçalo Correia, David P Dixon, Inna Feyst, Jie Jia, Nikolin Oberleitner, Zoe Briggs, Emily Hodge, Robert Edwards, John Ward, David Gems, David Weinkove BMC Biology 2012, 10:67 (31 July 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary David Weinkove and colleagues report an accidental discovery in C. elegans that has led them to a series of studies implicating folate in excess of needs in limiting lifespan, with interesting hints from the effects of sulfonamide drugs that the same may apply to mammals.
	73. 387 Accesses	Research article Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii influence the production of mucus glycans and the development of goblet cells in the colonic epithelium of a gnotobiotic model rodent Laura Wrzosek, Sylvie Miquel, Marie-Louise Noordine, Stephan Bouet, Marie Joncquel Chevalier-Curt, Véronique Robert, Catherine Philippe, Chantal Bridonneau, Claire Cherbuy, Catherine Robbe-Masselot, Philippe Langella, Muriel Thomas BMC Biology 2013, 11:61 (21 May 2013) Abstract \| Provisional PDF \| PubMed
	74. 379 Accesses	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
	75. 376 Accesses	Anniversary Update Systematic curation of protein and genetic interaction data for computable biology Kara Dolinski, Andrew Chatr-aryamontri, Mike Tyers BMC Biology 2013, 11:43 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	76. 366 Accesses	Research article Evidence for inhibition of cholinesterases in insect and mammalian nervous systems by the insect repellent deet Vincent Corbel, Maria Stankiewicz, Cédric Pennetier, Didier Fournier, Jure Stojan, Emmanuelle Girard, Mitko Dimitrov, Jordi Molgó, Jean-Marc Hougard, Bruno Lapied BMC Biology 2009, 7:47 (5 August 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Deet, an insect repellent used by 200 million people a year, not only modifies insect behavior but also inhibits cholinesterase in insects and mammals, and interacts with the carbamate insecticides to increase their toxicity.
	77. 357 Accesses	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.
	78. 354 Accesses	Interview Two structure papers, a call from Frankfurt airport, and how to escape from reviewer delays: An interview with Peter Walter Peter Walter, Miranda Robertson BMC Biology 2013, 11:34 (15 April 2013) Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central
	79. 353 Accesses	Research article Late-acting dominant lethal genetic systems and mosquito control Hoang Phuc, Morten H Andreasen, Rosemary S Burton, Céline Vass, Matthew J Epton, Gavin Pape, Guoliang Fu, Kirsty C Condon, Sarah Scaife, Christl A Donnelly, Paul G Coleman, Helen White-Cooper, Luke Alphey BMC Biology 2007, 5:11 (20 March 2007) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary By engineering transgenic mosquitoes with a lethal genetic system that is activated late rather than early, mathematical modeling reveals it is possible to kill mosquito populations more effectively and prevent them spreading diseases such as malaria.
	80. 347 Accesses	Research article Darcin: a male pheromone that stimulates female memory and sexual attraction to an individual male's odour Sarah A Roberts, Deborah M Simpson, Stuart D Armstrong, Amanda J Davidson, Duncan H Robertson, Lynn McLean, Robert J Beynon, Jane L Hurst BMC Biology 2010, 8:75 (3 June 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary Jane Hurst and colleagues have identified a male specific signalling protein, 'darcin', in mouse urine that attracts females and is responsible for learned preference for specific males.
	81. 345 Accesses	Software MESSA: MEta-Server for protein Sequence Analysis Qian Cong, Nick V Grishin BMC Biology 2012, 10:82 (2 October 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Using amalgamated sequence alignments to generate information about local sequence properties, 3D structure and protein function, the new meta-server MESSA provides an integrated, holistic view of proteins via a user-friendly interface.
	82. 337 Accesses	Commentary Ethylene and the regulation of plant development G Schaller BMC Biology 2012, 10:9 (20 February 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary G. Eric Schaller explores the question of how plants integrate hormonal signals into particular developmental pathways, discussing research in BMC Biology on a role for the transcription factor FUSCA3, in concert with ethylene, in timing the conversion of juvenile to adult leaves.
	83. 328 Accesses	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.
	84. 325 Accesses	Research article Updating the evolutionary history of Carnivora (Mammalia): a new species-level supertree complete with divergence time estimates Katrin Nyakatura, Olaf RP Bininda-Emonds BMC Biology 2012, 10:12 (27 February 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary A new "supertree" phylogeny covering all carnivore species has been constructed, with revised groupings representing the advances in phylogenetic practice since the previous complete tree was published in 1999.
	85. 321 Accesses	Question and Answer Q&A: What is regeneration, and why look to planarians for answers? Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado BMC Biology 2012, 10:88 (8 November 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary What controls regeneration? Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado explores this old question in biology in a Q&A explaining what we understand from planarians - non-parasitic flatworms all of whose tissues can regenerate.
	86. 314 Accesses	Research article Y chromosome evidence of earliest modern human settlement in East Asia and multiple origins of Tibetan and Japanese populations Hong Shi, Hua Zhong, Yi Peng, Yong-Li Dong, Xue-Bin Qi, Feng Zhang, Lu-Fang Liu, Si-Jie Tan, Runlin Z Ma, Chun-Jie Xiao, R Spencer Wells, Li Jin, Bing Su BMC Biology 2008, 6:45 (29 October 2008) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Evidence from a newly studied Y-chromosome line suggests that the first northward expansion of humans through East Asia was much earlier than previously believed, as well as multiple independent migrations into Tibet and Japan.
	87. 316 Accesses	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.
	88. 305 Accesses	Review Assessing the human immune system through blood transcriptomics Damien Chaussabel, Virginia Pascual, Jacques Banchereau BMC Biology 2010, 8:84 (1 July 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Chaussabel and colleagues review the contributions of blood transcriptomics to identifying therapeutically relevant signatures of autoimmune and infectious disease, and the challenges of developing this approach into a mainstream tool.
	89. 294 Accesses	Review Stem cell biology and drug discovery Lee L Rubin, Kelly M Haston BMC Biology 2011, 9:42 (7 June 2011) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Lee Rubin and Kelly Haston survey recent research on the contribution of pluripotent cells to modeling disease with the aim of improving the efficiency of drug discovery and prediction of unexpected drug toxicities.
	90. 294 Accesses	Research article The colonization of land by animals: molecular phylogeny and divergence times among arthropods Davide Pisani, Laura L Poling, Maureen Lyons-Weiler, S Hedges BMC Biology 2004, 2:1 (19 January 2004) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary An unexpectedly close relationship between myriapods (millipedes, centipedes) and chelicerates (spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs) is revealed by a molecular phylogenetic study, which also suggests arthropods adapted to terrestrial environments relatively late in their evolutionary history.
	91. 292 Accesses	Research article The functional organization of mitochondrial genomes in human cells Francisco J Iborra, Hiroshi Kimura, Peter R Cook BMC Biology 2004, 2:9 (24 May 2004) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Mitochondrial genomes are organised in discrete foci that are tethered to the cytoskeleton through the mitochondrial membrane. These foci are localized close to the translation machinery inside and outside the mitochondrion.
	92. 291 Accesses	Research article Mapping cortical hubs in tinnitus Winfried Schlee, Nadia Mueller, Thomas Hartmann, Julian Keil, Isabel Lorenz, Nathan Weisz BMC Biology 2009, 7:80 (23 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Patients with tinnitus exhibit alterations in the functional coupling of long-range cortical networks, showing a top-down influence on temporal cortices related to conscious perception of the distressing tinnitus tone.
	93. 281 Accesses	Commentary A central role for p38 MAPK in the early transcriptional response to stress Alan J Whitmarsh BMC Biology 2010, 8:47 (27 April 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Alan Whitmarsh comments on a study in BMC Genomics that establishes mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 as an essential regulator of the early transcriptional response to different types of cell stress.
	94. 274 Accesses	Research article Alterations at the peptidyl transferase centre of the ribosome induced by the synergistic action of the streptogramins dalfopristin and quinupristin Jörg M Harms, Frank Schlünzen, Paola Fucini, Heike Bartels, Ada Yonath BMC Biology 2004, 2:4 (1 April 2004) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Analysis of the crystal structure of the Deinococcus radiodurans ribosome reveals how two antibiotics, streptogramin A and B, synergize to inhibit bacterial protein synthesis.
	95. 268 Accesses	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.
	96. 270 Accesses	Research article Quantifying the contribution of chromatin dynamics to stochastic gene expression reveals long, locus-dependent periods between transcriptional bursts José Viñuelas, Gaël Kaneko, Antoine Coulon, Elodie Vallin, Valérie Morin, Camila Mejia-Pous, Jean-Jacques Kupiec, Guillaume Beslon, Olivier Gandrillon BMC Biology 2013, 11:15 (25 February 2013) Abstract \| Full text \| 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.
	97. 267 Accesses	Research article Drosophila EGFR pathway coordinates stem cell proliferation and gut remodeling following infection Nicolas Buchon, Nichole A Broderick, Takayuki Kuraishi, Bruno Lemaitre BMC Biology 2010, 8:152 (22 December 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary The integrity of the gut in the face of damage and infection depends on coordinated processes of clearance and reconstruction. Lemaitre and colleagues show how in Drosophila gut cells, and important model system, this remodelling is orchestrated by the EGFR pathway
	98. 255 Accesses	Review Generation and physiological roles of linear ubiquitin chains Henning Walczak, Kazuhiro Iwai, Ivan Dikic BMC Biology 2012, 10:23 (15 March 2012) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Henning Walczak, Kazuhiro Iwai and Ivan Dikic explain what is known of the assembly of linear ubiquitin chains, and discuss the evidence for their role in the regulation of inflammatory immune responses.
	99. 254 Accesses	Commentary Altered metabolism in cancer Jason W Locasale, Lewis C Cantley BMC Biology 2010, 8:88 (25 June 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Cancer cells have metabolic requirements that differ from those of normal cells. Locasale and Cantley discuss how they reconfigure metabolic pathway fluxes to support cell-autonomous proliferation.
	100. 253 Accesses	Research article Polyploidization increases meiotic recombination frequency in Arabidopsis Ales Pecinka, Wei Fang, Marc Rehmsmeier, Avraham A Levy, Ortrun Mittelsten Scheid BMC Biology 2011, 9:24 (21 April 2011) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary In evolutionary terms, polyploidy has both costs and benefits for an organism. Help in quantifying these is given by an elegant assay involving fluorescent Arabidopsis seeds, which shows that polyploids have an elevated rate of meiotic recombination.