BMC Biology Opinions

This collection presents commissioned Opinion articles published in BMC Biology, to provide coverage of current or emerging topics as well as a discussion of possibly controversial views, different models and theories in the field. Our Opinion pieces are open access and free to read and share.

The replication machinery of LUCA: common origin of DNA replication and transcription

Origin of DNA replication is an enigma because the replicative DNA polymerases (DNAPs) are not homologous among the three domains of life, Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. The homology between the archaeal repl...

Authors: Eugene V. Koonin, Mart Krupovic, Sonoko Ishino and Yoshizumi Ishino

Citation: BMC Biology 2020 18:61

Content type: Opinion Published on: 9 June 2020
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Towards a Dynamic Interaction Network of Life to unify and expand the evolutionary theory

The classic Darwinian theory and the Synthetic evolutionary theory and their linear models, while invaluable to study the origins and evolution of species, are not primarily designed to model the evolution of ...

Authors: Eric Bapteste and Philippe Huneman

Citation: BMC Biology 2018 16:56

Content type: Opinion Published on: 29 May 2018
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On causal roles and selected effects: our genome is mostly junk

The idea that much of our genome is irrelevant to fitness—is not the product of positive natural selection at the organismal level—remains viable. Claims to the contrary, and specifically that the notion of “j...

Authors: W. Ford Doolittle and Tyler D. P. Brunet

Citation: BMC Biology 2017 15:116

Content type: Opinion Published on: 5 December 2017
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Splendor and misery of adaptation, or the importance of neutral null for understanding evolution

The study of any biological features, including genomic sequences, typically revolves around the question: what is this for? However, population genetic theory, combined with the data of comparative genomics, ...

Authors: Eugene V. Koonin

Citation: BMC Biology 2016 14:114

Content type: Opinion Published on: 23 December 2016
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Archaeal ancestors of eukaryotes: not so elusive any more

The origin of eukaryotes is one of the hardest problems in evolutionary biology and sometimes raises the ominous specter of irreducible complexity. Reconstruction of the gene repertoire of the last eukaryotic ...

Authors: Eugene V. Koonin

Citation: BMC Biology 2015 13:84

Content type: Opinion Published on: 5 October 2015
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Using mathematical models to understand metabolism, genes, and disease

Mathematical models are a useful tool for investigating a large number of questions in metabolism, genetics, and gene–environment interactions. A model based on the underlying biology and biochemistry is a pla...

Authors: H. Frederik Nijhout, Janet A. Best and Michael C. Reed

Citation: BMC Biology 2015 13:79

Content type: Opinion Published on: 23 September 2015
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Aging and DNA methylation

In this Opinion article, we summarize how changes in DNA methylation occur during aging in mammals and discuss examples of how such events may contribute to the aging process. We explore mechanisms that could ...

Authors: Marc Jung and Gerd P Pfeifer

Citation: BMC Biology 2015 13:7

Content type: Opinion Published on: 31 January 2015
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Ebolavirus in West Africa, and the use of experimental therapies or vaccines

Response to the current ebolavirus outbreak based on traditional control measures has so far been insufficient to prevent the virus from spreading rapidly. This has led to urgent discussions on the use of expe...

Authors: Thomas Hoenen and Heinz Feldmann

Citation: BMC Biology 2014 12:80

Content type: Opinion Published on: 26 September 2014
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Mitochondrial network morphology: building an integrative, geometrical view

The morphology of mitochondrial networks is complex and highly varied, yet vital to cell function. The first step toward an integrative understanding of how mitochondrial morphology is generated and regulated ...

Authors: Susanne M Rafelski

Citation: BMC Biology 2013 11:71

Content type: Opinion Published on: 24 June 2013
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Thirty years on: HIV receptor gymnastics and the prevention of infection

During 30 years of research on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), our knowledge of its cellular receptors - CD4, CCR5 and CXCR4 - has illuminated aspects of the pathogenesis of the acquired immune deficiency ...

Authors: Robin A Weiss

Citation: BMC Biology 2013 11:57

Content type: Opinion Published on: 21 May 2013
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Of flies and men: insights on organismal metabolism from fruit flies

The fruit fly Drosophila has contributed significantly to our general understanding of the basic principles of signaling, cell and developmental biology, and neurobiology. However, answers to questions pertaining...

Authors: Akhila Rajan and Norbert Perrimon

Citation: BMC Biology 2013 11:38

Content type: Opinion Published on: 15 April 2013
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