Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Following a visit by Deputy Editor, Dr. Guangchen Xu, to our institution, we were delighted to be asked to coordinate a set of invited papers that would convey some of the science he had seen on that occasion. This issue contains five publications that, we believe, portray a sample of the innovative research at our institution – a “small sample” for Small Methods. This collection of papers spans a wide and emerging disciplinary range that includes biomedical engineering/materials science, frontiers in optical microscopy, and organic synthesis, as well as nanoparticle technology and a CRISPR-twist on the DNA helix to suppress mutant gene expression. Among them, in article number 1700306, Prof. Jie Song and Dr. Ben Zhang present a comprehensive review of the cutting-edge 3D-printing techniques most commonly used for tissue engineering/restoration. In particular, these techniques include a wide variety of materials, such as bioceramics, natural biopolymers, and synthetic thermoplastic polymers. Then, in article number 1700324, Prof. David Grunwald and co-workers report on the use of single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) in a 3D optical analysis of Drosophila muscle. In article number 1700323, Prof. Bernd Rieger and co-workers summarize recent studies employing fluorescence polarization control for the on–off switching of single molecules at cryogenic temperatures. In article number 1700400, Dr. Hanhui Ma et al. discuss CRISPR-based selective inhibition of gene transcription to reveal the dynamic features of a cell nucleus nanobody that relate to myotonic dystrophy disease. In article number 1700370, Prof. Gang Han and Dr. Ling Huang summarize the latest breakthroughs and thoughts on the design of organic near-infrared nanoparticles that are biocompatiable and rival their inorganic counterparts in optotheranostics. It is hoped that this special collection of articles conveys a glimpse of how multidisciplinary and innovative efforts from those in the fields of chemical biology, biomaterials, molecular imaging, as well as genomic sciences converge and contribute to life-science research. We anticipate that such a section in Small Methods will inspire readers to learn and discover more about some of the exciting and thought-provoking research advances taking place at UMMS, leading to increasing future collaboration. Last but not least, we are grateful to Dr. Guangchen Xu and the editorial team for this opportunity to spotlight innovative life-science research at our institution, as well as their enthusiastic support and editorial input which has made this special section possible. Thoru Pederson works on the functional organization of the nucleus with emphasis on transcription, RNA processing, and RNA-protein interactions. One of his laboratory's contributions has been to reveal the plurifunctional roles of the nucleolus beyond ribosome synthesis. More recently, his group has been investigating the dynamics of genomic loci by live cell, CRISPR-based labeling and tracking. Gang Han joined the faculty of University of Massachusetts – Medical School in 2010 and is currently an Associate Professor in the Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology department. His current research includes the investigation of luminescent molecules and nanoparticles in biophotonic and photonic applications.
Source: Small Methods
Authors: Thoru Pederson, Gang Han
Institution: University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Language: English
Subfield: Biophysics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2892332425