Could your university or research institute become the host of the 7th FEBS-IUBMB-ENABLE Conference?
FEBS and the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) are inviting applications from institutions interested in hosting the 7th FEBS-IUBMB-ENABLE International Molecular Biosciences PhD and Postdoc Conference, scheduled for Autumn 2028.
This three-day international conference brings together up to 250 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from across Europe and beyond. Organised by and for early-career scientists, the event offers a dynamic programme combining cutting-edge research, career development, networking and public engagement activities.
Hosting the conference provides an excellent opportunity to increase your institution’s international visibility, showcase its research excellence and establish connections with the next generation of molecular bioscience researchers. It also gives local PhD students and postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to develop valuable organisational, leadership and teamwork skills through their active involvement in preparing and delivering the event, alongside an international committee of young scientists.
The selected host institution will benefit from financial support of up to €86,100 from FEBS and IUBMB, together with comprehensive organisational guidance throughout the preparation process. A dedicated kick-off meeting, planned for late April or early May 2027, will bring together representatives of the host institution, the organising committee, FEBS, IUBMB and ENABLE partners to facilitate knowledge exchange and ensure a successful start to the preparations.
Applications are open to universities and research institutions located in countries represented by a FEBS Constituent Society.
Interested in hosting an international conference that celebrates and supports the next generation of molecular bioscience researchers? We encourage your institution to apply!
Dr. Jin Zhang received her PhD in Chemistry from University of Chicago in 2000. After completing her postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Roger Tsien at UC San Diego, she joined the faculty of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2003. She was promoted to Professor of Pharmacology in 2013. In 2015 she moved back to UC San Diego and is currently Professor and vice Chair in Department of Pharmacology. Her lab develops innovative technologies to track and interrogate signaling molecules in their natural environment, uncovering how their spatiotemporal regulation shapes human health and disease. Dr Zhang is a recipient of several awards, including NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, NCI Outstanding Investigator Award, Robert R. Ruffolo Career Achievement Award in Pharmacology, Protein Society Christian B. Anfinsen Award and Biophysical Society Carolyn Cohen Innovation Award. She has also received awards for excellence in postdoctoral scholar and graduate student mentoring.
Joanna Wysocka is the Lorry Lokey Professor in the Department of Chemical and Systems Biology and the Department of Developmental Biology at Stanford University School of Medicine, a Member of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator. She obtained her MSc degree at the University of Warsaw, Poland and then moved to the US for her PhD work at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory with Dr. Winship Herr. She did her postdoctoral training at the Rockefeller University with Dr. C. David Allis, focusing on histone methylation. She became a faculty member at Stanford in 2006, and an HHMI investigator in 2015. Her research is focused on gene regulatory mechanisms governing human development, disease, and evolution. Honors include the Searle Scholar and W.M. Keck Foundation Distinguished Young Scholar Awards, International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Outstanding Young Investigator Award and Momentum Award, and Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an international member of EMBO.
Stephen D. Bell is Ohio Eminent Scholar and Professor of Microbiology at The Ohio State University. He obtained his BSc in Molecular Biology and PhD in Genetics from the University of Glasgow, and subsequently held research and academic positions at Cambridge University, the University of Oxford, and Indiana University, where he served as Chair of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. His research focuses on the molecular biology of Archaea, with particular emphasis on DNA replication, chromosome organization, genome dynamics, and cell division. His work has made major contributions to understanding archaeal replication machinery and the organization and evolution of prokaryotic chromosomes. Professor Bell is an elected member of EMBO and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiologists. He has published extensively in leading international journals, including Science, Cell, Nature, PNAS, and Nature Microbiology, and has received numerous invitations to speak at major international conferences.
Vladimir Parpura, MD, PhD, MAE, is a Distinguished Professor and Director of the International Translational Neuroscience Research Institute at Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Hangzhou, China). He obtained his M.D. from the University of Zagreb and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Zoology from Iowa State University.
Dr. Parpura discovered glutamate-mediated signaling from astrocytes to neurons, establishing the concept of gliotransmission and the “tripartite synapse.” His interdisciplinary research integrates neuroscience with nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and biomedical engineering.
Ranked among the top global experts in astrocyte research and nanotechnology, he served as President of the American Society for Neurochemistry and currently serves as Treasurer of the International Society for Neurochemistry (2025–2029). He is an elected Member of Academia Europaea, Fellow of the AAAS, Fellow of the American Physiological Society, and recipient of the 2025 Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumnus Award.
We are excited to highlight new research from the IUBMB Journals: IUBMB Life, BioFactors, Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education.
Please also consider submitting your own research to the IUBMB Journals. You can expect to work with distinguished Editorial Board members and benefit from worldwide circulation and readership through our publishing partnership with Wiley. For more information about the journal and submissions, feel free to peruse the IUBMB journals website.
For now, please enjoy highlights of our recent content. Happy reading!
Call to Action for Peer Reviewers
Wiley and the IUBMB are looking for referees to review manuscripts for the journals. If you are interested in acting as a peer reviewer for any of the IUBMB titles, please get in touch with the relevant Editor directly to advise them of your interest, and they would be happy to consider you for future articles:
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for IUBMB Life, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for BioFactors, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, please click here.
To learn more about being a peer reviewer for a journal, Wiley publishes a number of resources online which you can find here.
L. Ding, Z. Li, F. Deng, et al., “Causal Associations Between Plasma Metabolites and Stroke Risk Identified by Mendelian Randomization,” IUBMB Life 78, no. 10 (2026): e70124.
Stroke is a leading cause of global mortality and morbidity, yet its underlying metabolic mechanisms remain largely undefined. Elucidating the causal role of blood metabolites in stroke pathogenesis is crucial for developing effective interventions. This study employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) framework to investigate the causal relationships between 1400 plasma metabolites and the risk of stroke and its subtypes. Additional associations for steroid sulfates, bile-acid conjugates, and octadecenedioylcarnitine were nominally significant and supported by directionally consistent sensitivity analyses but did not pass FDR correction. Our MR analysis prioritizes amino-acid metabolism in cardioembolic stroke and suggests additional lipid-related metabolic pathways for follow-up. Because several associations were exploratory after FDR correction and all GWAS datasets were restricted to European ancestry, replication in larger and more diverse populations is warranted before clinical translation.
Y. Xu, F. Mo, B. Wang, et al., “Predicting Hormesis Effects of GenX in Zebrafish via Interpretable Machine Learning: Insights From SHAP Analysis,” IUBMB Life 78, no. 10 (2026): e70135.
Hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (GenX), a prominent alternative to legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), poses a significant challenge to traditional linear risk assessment models due to its ability to induce hormesis—a biphasic “low-dose stimulation, high-dose inhibition” response. This study established an interpretable machine learning (ML) framework to identify and predict GenX-induced non-monotonic dose–response (NMDR) relationships in zebrafish (Danio rerio). The findings suggest that GenX-induced hormesis stems from a strategic metabolic trade-off, where optimized electronic distribution and lipid-mediated transport trigger adaptive overcompensation via signaling pathways like oxidative stress. This research provides a quantitative tool and a robust scientific basis for the ecological risk assessment of emerging PFAS alternatives, shifting the paradigm from empirical data fitting to mechanistic predictive generalization.
IUBMB Life solicits proposals for special issues relevant to the mission of our journal in the field of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Structural Biology and Molecular Medicine and pertinent areas. This is an open call for Special Issue Proposals, and all submissions will be reviewed in a timely manner. We will provide streamlined editorial support and assistance to the special issue guest editors.
Application Process
Prospective guest editor(s) need to complete the Special Issue Proposal Form available online and submit it to pnaraya3@wiley.com, together with the CV(s) of the proposed guest editor(s). Please state “IUBMB – SI proposal submission” in the subject line of your submission email.
A special issue proposal should include the following content:
A short title that can clearly describe the scope of special issue;
A short introduction about the significance of the special issue;
Basic information and CV of Lead Guest Editor and Co-Guest Editors;
List of potential authors and their tentative article titles;
The estimated number of submissions;
Proposed timeline.
Please visit the journal homepage for more information.
S. Y. Park and Y. Kim, “Betanin Promotes Wound Closure and Drives a Context-Specific Transcriptional Repair Program in HaCaT Keratinocytes: A Multi-Evidence AI-Guided Prioritization Study,” BioFactors 52, no. 5 (2026): e70151.
Keratinocytes coordinate re-epithelialization, barrier restoration, inflammatory control, and matrix remodeling during cutaneous repair. Although betanin has reported cytoprotective and antioxidant properties, its wound-relevant transcriptional program in keratinocytes remains incompletely defined. This study therefore asked whether betanin engages barrier, inflammatory, and remodeling-related keratinocyte programs under inflammatory conditions, and whether existing wound-healing databases can account for the resulting transcriptional pattern. Three architecturally distinct machine learning models showed no evidence that database-derived wound-healing features predict betanin-induced transcriptional responses, indicating that the selected prior-knowledge annotations were insufficient to account for the observed pattern in this 15-gene, single-context dataset.
H. Yu, J. Wu, Q. Hong, et al., “Integrated Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics Reveal SERPINE1 as a Key Link Between Macro_SPP1 Macrophages and Stromal Remodeling in Gastric Cancer,” BioFactors 52, no. 5 (2026): e70145.
Macrophage heterogeneity is increasingly recognized as an important feature of the gastric cancer tumor microenvironment, yet the macrophage states linked to poor outcome and the molecules connecting them to stromal remodeling remain incompletely defined. Here, we integrated single-cell RNA sequencing data from GSE183904, spatial transcriptomic data from GSE251950, and TCGA-STAD bulk transcriptomic data to characterize macrophage diversity and identify clinically relevant macrophage-associated genes. Together, these findings identify SERPINE1 as a macro_SPP1-associated molecule with prognostic and functional relevance and suggest a potential link between macrophage-associated programs, stromal remodeling, and malignant behavior in gastric cancer.
BioFactors solicits proposals for special issues relevant to the mission of our journal in the field of biological factors and pertinent areas. This is an open call for Special Issue Proposals, and all submissions will be reviewed in a timely manner. We will provide streamlined editorial support and assistance to the special issue guest editors.
Application Process
Prospective guest editor(s) need to complete the Special Issue Proposal Form (downloadable from the BioFactors’ homepage) and submit it to pnaraya3@wiley.com, together with the CV(s) of the proposed guest editor(s). Please state “BIOF – SI proposal submission” in the subject line of your submission email.
A special issue proposal should include the following content:
A short title that can clearly describe the scope of special issue.
A short introduction about the significance of the special issue.
Basic information and CV of Lead Guest Editor and Co-Guest Editors.
List of potential authors and their tentative article titles.
The estimated number of submissions.
Proposed timeline.
Please visit the journal homepage for more information.
S. Maity, A. Santra, G. Kuruvalli, et al. “Unraveling the Time-Dependent Effects of Ethanol on Liver Disease: Insights From a Mice Model.” Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 73, no. 4 (2026): 2092–2101.
Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a significant global health concern that is characterized by hepatic triglyceride accumulation and dysregulation with impairment of oxygen homeostasis. This study investigated the time-dependent effects of ethanol exposure on liver disease progression in 2-month-old male C57/BL6 mice. The findings suggest that ethanol exposure causes triglyceride accumulation and cholesterol dysregulation, leading to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hepatocellular injury. The dysregulation of miR-21 and miR-26a contributes to ALD progression. Markers of oxidative stress, miRNAs, and disrupted metabolic pathways may serve as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for early detection and intervention in ALD.
V. Yadav, A. Sivaram, and R. Vyas, “Exploring Molecular Signature and Prognostic Biomarkers in Ovarian Cancer: Insights From Late-Stage, Recurrent, and Metastatic Tumors.” Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 73, no. 4 (2026): 1806–1827.
Ovarian Cancer is a leading cause of mortality among women globally, primarily due to lack of specific and sensitive early-stage diagnostic tools. This study aims to identify hub genes associated with recurrent, late-stage, and metastatic tumors as potential prognostic biomarkers and drug targets. Overexpression of most hub genes and reduced expression of CXCL8 correlated with worse survival outcomes. COL1A1 and FN1 showed strong diagnostic ability. Late-stage tumors showed elevated M2 macrophages and neutrophils. hsa-miR-29a-3p, hsa-miR-29b-3p, and hsa-miR-29c-3p were identified as the most interactive miRNAs. Ocriplasmin and pamidronate were identified as potential therapeutics. Our findings highlight the therapeutic relevance of these hub genes and identify them as potential drug targets and prognostic biomarkers in ovarian cancer.
M. Tiwari and E. L. Dolan, “Building Bridges: A Story of How Institutional Investment in Discipline-Based Education Research Enables Evidence-Based Teaching in Biochemistry Education,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 5 (2026): 427–429.
Scientific discoveries often advance more rapidly than they are integrated into undergraduate instruction, leaving emerging fields like glycoscience largely absent from classroom curricula. At the University of Georgia, institutional investment in discipline-based education research (DBER) faculty has set the stage for collaboration between disciplinary scientists and DBER researchers to co-develop evidence-based teaching materials that align with how students learn. The NSF-funded BioFoundry: Glycoscience Research, Education, and Training (BioF:GREAT) serves as one example of this approach. Through curricular materials and public-facing resources, the education arm of BioF:GREAT aims to broaden access to glycoscience education. This brief communication highlights how initiatives like BioF:GREAT leverage collaboration with DBER scholars to integrate emerging scientific fields into biochemistry education in ways that are both scientifically current and pedagogically effective.
L. Tyler, P. J. Kennelly, S. Engelman, et al., “Cultivating Enduring Changes in Assessment Through a Life Sciences Community of Practice,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 5 (2026): 473–484.
To provide instructors with personally relevant, discipline-based training in assessment, the Community for the Assessment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Learning (CABL) conducted a series of six participant-centered workshops between July 2020 and January 2024. Key features of the workshops included emphasizing backward design, peer editing, and the use of participant-generated questions and rubrics as teaching tools. Focus Group participants noted that transformative change could occur through both adopting best practices and disseminating knowledge to their professional networks. Together, these findings suggest that the participant-centered CABL workshops catalyzed changes in assessment perspectives and self-reported practices among a substantive portion of attendees.
K. M. Surapaneni, “Daily SPARK—A Comic Style eMicrolearning to Enhance Clinical Reasoning and Reinforce Conceptual Understanding in Biochemistry Promoting Its Application to Clinical Practice,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 5 (2026): 507–512.
eMicrolearning promotes retention through brief, repeated engagement and supports integration of knowledge over time; however, its use in medical education remains limited. Daily SPARK (Study Points for Application, Reasoning and Key concepts) was developed as a comic-based eMicrolearning intervention designed to support conceptual clarity, clinical reasoning, and consistent reinforcement in biochemistry. Daily SPARKs were shared with 732 medical students from first year through internship for a period of 6 months. Evaluation included a 10-point quantitative Likert-scale questionnaire and qualitative feedback from volunteering students. Students perceived Daily SPARKs to have strengthened concepts, clarified misconceptions, enhanced exam readiness, offered new explanations, were visually engaging, sustained attention, and is a low-cost scalable learning method.
Did you know?Wiley and Jisc have signed an agreement that allows UK authors to publish Open Access in the IUBMB Journals at no cost to them.
Thanks to a partnership our publisher Wiley has signed with Jisc, certain UK institutions now have full access to journals published by Wiley, including the IUBMB Journals. Further, the partnership enables authors at participating UK institutions to publish open access at no cost to them in the IUBMB Journals. Payment of the associated Article Publication Charges (APC) would be covered via the partnership, and authors will not need to cover the APCs from their own pockets.
Wiley has also signed similar agreements with universities in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, and many other countries and regions. A comprehensive list of our funder agreements can be found here.
The rapid development of artificial intelligence is reshaping tissue diagnostics, creating new opportunities to extract clinically meaningful information from histopathological images.
Bilal and colleagues recently published in Molecular Aspects of Medicine (MAM) journal a review in which they address a central question for the field: how should the capabilities of pathology foundation models be evaluated, compared, and ultimately translated into clinical practice? Their contribution is timely because the growing availability of increasingly powerful models has not been matched by an equally mature framework for establishing their reliability and clinical value.
In the review, authors put a valuable emphasis on the distinction between general-purpose capability and functional breadth. Performance across selected tasks does not necessarily demonstrate robustness across tissue types, staining protocols, institutions, or patient populations. Likewise, an apparent superiority on individual benchmarks may not translate into consistent advantages under different conditions of model adaptation and evaluation. By organizing the available evidence rather than relying solely on model rankings, the authors provide a useful framework for understanding both current achievements and persistent uncertainties.
The review highlights also methodological issues that deserve greater consideration in future studies. Differences in pretraining data, downstream adaptation strategies, and evaluation protocols can make comparisons difficult to interpret. Potential overlap between pretraining and evaluation datasets further complicates the assessment of generalization. These issues are not merely technical details: they influence the credibility of reported results and the extent to which conclusions can be reproduced independently. Greater transparency, standardized evaluation procedures, external validation, and systematic auditing of data overlap should therefore become integral components of foundation-model research.
A particularly important message that emerge is that technical performance and clinical utility are distinct objectives. High accuracy on retrospective datasets is an important starting point, but it does not establish that a model improves diagnostic decisions, reduces workload, supports reproducible interpretation, or benefits patients. Such claims require evaluation against clearly defined clinical and operational endpoints, with appropriate attention to calibration, distribution shifts, and the consequences of model errors. Prospective studies and carefully designed evaluations in real-world workflows will be essential to determine where these technologies provide meaningful added value.
Several challenges remain. The heterogeneity of available datasets and study designs limits direct comparisons, while the evidence reported in the literature cannot, by itself, establish performance under routine clinical conditions. Reproducibility may also be constrained when pretrained weights, training data, or evaluation pipelines are not accessible. Addressing these limitations will require coordinated efforts among researchers, clinicians, institutions, and developers, alongside more consistent reporting and independent validation.
The broader significance of this review extends beyond the performance of individual models. It encourages a shift in the way progress in computational pathology is defined: from demonstrating what foundation models can do under selected experimental conditions to establishing what they reliably contribute in clinically relevant settings. This distinction should guide both future research and the evaluation of emerging diagnostic technologies.
This review provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on the standards needed for responsible translation. The next phase of progress will depend not simply on developing more capable models, but on generating stronger evidence that their capabilities are reproducible, generalizable, and clinically meaningful. Ultimately, the success of foundation models in tissue diagnostics should be measured not by benchmark performance alone, but by the reliability and value they bring to medical practice.
Maintaining blood pH within narrow limits is essential for life, but acid–base chemistry is complex.
In a recent article in Aspects of Molecular Medicine, Andrea Bellelli presents a simplified physicochemical model of blood buffering. Despite its relative simplicity, the model describes important changes in blood pH caused by CO₂, acids, and bases, and helps interpret aspects of physiological gas exchange.
The study is an elegant example of how quantitative biochemical principles can clarify clinically relevant physiology. It also shows that useful biological models do not always need to reproduce every molecular detail: well-chosen simplifications can reveal the key mechanisms underlying complex systems.
Marina Oskomić is a PhD student at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia, in the Laboratory for Protein Biochemistry and Molecular Modelling, supervised by Dr. Mihaela Matovina. She holds a master’s degree in molecular biotechnology. Her doctoral research explores Nrf2-independent functions of Keap1, a protein best known as the key regulator of the Nrf2 antioxidant response. She studies how Keap1 contributes to actin cytoskeleton organization and cell adhesion, combining cell biology, biochemistry, advanced microscopy and proteomics.
Congratulations to the latest recipients of the IUBMB Travel Fellowships. This round of awards recognizes outstanding early-career researchers from Argentina, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the UK who have been selected to receive travel support to attend and present their research at international scientific meetings within the IUBMB region.
Angelika Długosz-Pokorska is an Assistant Professor at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland, where she has been working since 2017. Her research focuses on cancer biology, multidrug resistance, redox regulation, and the development of novel anticancer compounds. She leads and contributes to research projects investigating the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in breast cancer, with a particular interest in redox homeostasis and cellular stress responses. Her home laboratory is the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry at the Medical University of Łódź, Poland. As an IUBMB Fellowship recipient, she will attend “Overcoming Therapy Resistance: Outsmarting Intratumour Heterogeneity and Plasticity” in Lyon, France, on 20–22 April 2027. Her fellowship project will investigate redox-dependent mechanisms of Taxol resistance, focusing on the thioredoxin/thioredoxin reductase system and fluorescence-based analysis of cellular responses.
Rocío Nunez-Vazquez is an EMBO postdoctoral fellow (since 2025) in Geneviève Almouzni’s Chromatin Dynamics lab at Institut Curie (Paris, France). After a PhD in Spain on plant histone variants, she moved into mammalian chromatin biology to ask how cells organize their genome in space and time. Her research focuses on the histone chaperone HIRA and how it shapes DNA replication timing, chromatin state, and genome organization, connecting what happens at individual sites of histone deposition to the large-scale architecture of the nucleus. Alongside the science, she is part of the Leadership Committee of the IUBMB Trainee Initiative, where she works to support other early-career researchers and help build a stronger scientific community. She is grateful to attend the EMBO|EMBL Symposium “DNA Replication and Genome Maintenance” in Heidelberg this October, supported by an IUBMB Travel Fellowship.
Florencia Rodríguez is a PhD student in the final year of her doctoral studies at the RNA Photobiology Laboratory at IFIBYNE (Institute of Physiology, Molecular Biology and Neurosciences), CONICET–University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina, under the supervision of Dr. Ezequiel Petrillo. Her research focuses on understanding how alternative splicing contributes to gene regulation in plants, with particular interest in the functions of long non-coding RNAs arising from protein-coding genes. She has been awarded an IUBMB Travel Fellowship to attend the Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation in Plants (PGRP 2026) meeting in Málaga, Spain, where she will present a talk about her doctoral research entitled “Alternative Splicing of a Coding Gene Produces a Nuclear Regulatory Long Non-Coding RNA in Plants.”
Karla Valdivieso is a second-year postdoctoral researcher bridging cellular senescence and spatial multi-omics to study neurodegeneration, in the lab of Prof. Özgün Gökçe, jointly affiliated with the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany — her second postdoctoral position, following training at Mayo Clinic, USA, under Prof. Diana Jurk. She will travel to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA, to attend the Mechanisms of Aging meeting. Karla will present work from her PhD research under Dr. Mikolaj Ogrodnik at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology, Vienna, Austria, recently published in Nature Cell Biology, showing that senescence is a near-immediate response to wounding, reshaping how we think about the earliest stages of tissue repair and aging.
Raman van Wee is a 4-th year PhD student in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physiology, Genetics and Anatomy at the University of Oxford where he is supervised by Prof. Philipp Kukura and Prof. Richard Wade-Martins. He specializes in molecular biophysics and is interested in mechanisms of protein self-assembly. With the IUBMB Travel Fellowship, he will attend the International Conference on Biophysics and Biomedical Sciences in Busan, South Korea. Here, he will present his work on the quantification of early-stage protein self-assembly with Mass Photometry.
We are excited to highlight new research from the IUBMB Journals: IUBMB Life, BioFactors, Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education.
Please also consider submitting your own research to the IUBMB Journals. You can expect to work with distinguished Editorial Board members and benefit from worldwide circulation and readership through our publishing partnership with Wiley. For more information about the journal and submissions, feel free to peruse the IUBMB journals website.
For now, please enjoy highlights of our recent content. Happy reading!
Call to Action for Peer Reviewers
Wiley and the IUBMB are looking for referees to review manuscripts for the journals. If you are interested in acting as a peer reviewer for any of the IUBMB titles, please get in touch with the relevant Editor directly to advise them of your interest, and they would be happy to consider you for future articles:
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for IUBMB Life, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for BioFactors, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, please click here.
To learn more about being a peer reviewer for a journal, Wiley publishes a number of resources online which you can find here.
R. Nabi, T. Faruqui, M. S. Khan, et al., “N-Acetyl Cysteine Mitigates d-Ribose-Induced Protein Glycation and Aggregation Through Multiple Protective Mechanisms,” IUBMB Life 78, no. 9 (2026): e70126,” IUBMB Life 78, no. 9 (2026): e70126.
Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) arise from non-enzymatic reactions between reducing sugars and proteins, contributing to oxidative stress and metabolic dysfunction. Excessive AGE accumulation is implicated in chronic diabetic complications and may also be relevant to acute metabolic disturbances encountered in emergency medicine. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a naturally occurring antioxidant found in Allium species, has demonstrated potential to attenuate oxidative and glycation-mediated damage. The effect of NAC on d-ribose-induced glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated using multiple physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques. These findings demonstrate that NAC effectively attenuates d-ribose-induced glycation and protein aggregation in vitro and provide mechanistic insights into its anti-glycation properties through multiple complementary biochemical mechanisms. Further studies are warranted to evaluate its biological relevance in more complex experimental models.
M. E. Kim, Y. Kim, and J. S. Lee, “FOXO6 as a Transcriptional Regulator of Hepatic Metabolic Inflammation and Hepatocarcinogenesis,” IUBMB Life 78, no. 9 (2026): e70129.
FOXO6 is a member of the FOXO transcription factor family that differs from FOXO1, FOXO3, and FOXO4 in its nucleocytoplasmic regulation, remaining predominantly within the nucleus because it lacks a functional nuclear export sequence. FOXO6 activity can nevertheless be inhibited by insulin/AKT signaling, whereas impaired insulin signaling increases its transcriptional activity in hepatocytes under insulin-resistant and nutrient-rich conditions. Recent studies indicate that FOXO6 regulates hepatic metabolic pathways associated with oxidative injury, inflammatory signaling, and lipid accumulation. Recent studies demonstrate relationships between increased FOXO6 expression, vascular invasion, aggressive tumor phenotypes, and reduced survival in hepatocellular carcinoma. This review examines FOXO6-associated transcriptional mechanisms involved in hepatic metabolic inflammation and hepatocarcinogenesis.
IUBMB Life solicits proposals for special issues relevant to the mission of our journal in the field of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Structural Biology and Molecular Medicine and pertinent areas. This is an open call for Special Issue Proposals, and all submissions will be reviewed in a timely manner. We will provide streamlined editorial support and assistance to the special issue guest editors.
Application Process
Prospective guest editor(s) need to complete the Special Issue Proposal Form available online and submit it to pnaraya3@wiley.com, together with the CV(s) of the proposed guest editor(s). Please state “IUBMB – SI proposal submission” in the subject line of your submission email.
A special issue proposal should include the following content:
A short title that can clearly describe the scope of special issue;
A short introduction about the significance of the special issue;
Basic information and CV of Lead Guest Editor and Co-Guest Editors;
List of potential authors and their tentative article titles;
The estimated number of submissions;
Proposed timeline.
Please visit the journal homepage for more information.
M. Dong, W. Xu, J. Zhang, and G. Jia, “Multicohort Construction, Immune Landscape Analysis, and PCOLCE2 Functional Validation of an Inflammation-Related Prognostic Model in Colorectal Cancer,” BioFactors 52, no. 5 (2026): e70141.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis remains challenging due to tumor heterogeneity and immune evasion driven by aberrant inflammatory signaling, and robust multicohort validated prognostic tools with clear therapeutic implications are still lacking. To address this gap, we integrated five independent CRC cohorts and applied single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) across 15 inflammation-related signaling pathways to construct a prognostic risk score model via multicohort Cox regression and LASSO-Cox regression. Mechanistically, PCOLCE2 knockdown suppressed CRC cell migration and enhanced matrix adhesion in vitro. Critically, in vivo combination of PCOLCE2 knockdown with PD-1 blockade produced a synergistic antitumor effect superior to either monotherapy (p < 0.01), highlighting PCOLCE2 as a promising therapeutic target to enhance immunotherapy response. Together, these findings present a clinically actionable, multicohort validated inflammation-related prognostic model for CRC risk stratification, and position PCOLCE2 as a driver of invasion and immune evasion whose combination with PD-1 blockade offers a rational therapeutic strategy to improve immunotherapy efficacy in high-risk CRC patients.
C. He, C. Liu, H. Zhang, and M. Zhang, “Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals NF-κB-Associated Immune Regulatory Signatures Underlying the Regenerative Effects of Hypoxia-Preconditioned Tendon Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles,” BioFactors 52, no. 5 (2026): e70148.
Remodeling of the immune microenvironment is a critical determinant of tissue regeneration, yet the molecular programs associated with the enhanced therapeutic activity of hypoxia-preconditioned extracellular vesicles remain incompletely defined. In this study, we investigated the regenerative and immunomodulatory effects of hypoxia-preconditioned tendon stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (Hypo-EVs) and employed transcriptomic profiling to identify molecular signatures associated with their biological activity. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that hypoxic preconditioning enhances the immunomodulatory and regenerative functions of tendon stem cell-derived EVs. Transcriptomic analyses identified an NF-κB-associated immune-regulatory signature linked to the biological activity of Hypo-EVs, providing a molecular framework for understanding EV-mediated immune modulation and supporting the development of transcriptome-guided molecular signatures for regenerative therapies targeting tendon immune homeostasis.
BioFactors solicits proposals for special issues relevant to the mission of our journal in the field of biological factors and pertinent areas. This is an open call for Special Issue Proposals, and all submissions will be reviewed in a timely manner. We will provide streamlined editorial support and assistance to the special issue guest editors.
Application Process
Prospective guest editor(s) need to complete the Special Issue Proposal Form (downloadable from the BioFactors’ homepage) and submit it to pnaraya3@wiley.com, together with the CV(s) of the proposed guest editor(s). Please state “BIOF – SI proposal submission” in the subject line of your submission email.
A special issue proposal should include the following content:
A short title that can clearly describe the scope of special issue.
A short introduction about the significance of the special issue.
Basic information and CV of Lead Guest Editor and Co-Guest Editors.
List of potential authors and their tentative article titles.
The estimated number of submissions.
Proposed timeline.
Please visit the journal homepage for more information.
O. Akyıldırım, A. Aras, E. Oguz, et al. “Synthesis and in Silico Evaluation of Novel Triazolone-Derived Naphthalene-2-Sulfonates, Evaluation of Potential Antiproliferative Agents and Enzyme Inhibitory Activities.” Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 73, no. 4 (2026): 1885–1898.
This study reports the synthesis and biological evaluation of four novel N-acetyl-derived heterocyclic compounds, namely 2-((1-acetyl-3-substituted-5-oxo-1,5-dihydro-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)iminomethyl)-phenyl-naphthalene-2-sulfonates. Among the studied derivatives, compound 2a exhibited the highest affinity toward α-glucosidase, 2d showed superior binding to α-amylase and AChE, while 2c demonstrated enhanced interaction with GST. Compound 2b displayed promising anticancer potential, forming stable complexes with proteins associated with the HepG2 and U87 cell lines.
S. Y. Arslan, F. Turhan, K. Solak, H. Karabulut, M. Sisecioglu, and Y. Unver, “A New Strategy of Alternating Current Magnetic Field-Assisted Three-Phase Partitioning (ACMF-TPP) for the Concentration and Partial Purification of Recombinant Prepromelittin Produced by Komagataella phaffii.” Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 73, no. 4 (2026): 1728–1738.
The industrial-scale manufacturing and purification of melittin are of great interest due to its significant antibacterial and anticancer properties. Here, for the first time, prepromelittin (ppMEL), the precursor of melittin—a key component of bee venom—was extracellularly produced by Komagataella phaffii, and an alternating current magnetic field-assisted three-phase partitioning (ACMF-TPP) method was used to concentrate and partially purify the recombinant ppMEL (rppMEL). As a result, it was observed that rppMEL primarily precipitated at the interface and that the difference in recovery efficiency (32.5% for TPP and 66.1% for ACMF-TPP, respectively) was statistically significant. The ACMF-TPP approach exhibited more efficacy than the TPP, demonstrating superior potential for separating and purifying other biomolecules. Moreover, this approach offers a cost-effective and scalable solution for the precise isolation, purification, and concentration of mixture components.
Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry is delighted to announce the appointments of Alessandro Pellis (University of Genova, Italy), Gerard F. Fernando (University of Birmingham, UK), Michele Crotti (University College London, UK), Andres Alcantara (University of Madrid, Spain), Mirco Dindo (Università di Perugia, Italy), Rita del Giudice (GreenBioNourish AB / Malmö University, Sweden), and Elena Rosini (University of Insubria, Italy) as new Editorial Board members!
M. Costabile and B. Loveys, “Click Before You Pipette: Building Foundational Pipetting Skills and Confidence With an Interactive Prelaboratory Simulation,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 4 (2026): 377–385.
Correctly setting and reading a manual air displacement micropipette is an essential yet challenging skill for life-science students. The incorrect delivery of volumes affects both experimental outcomes and data interpretation, potentially reducing student confidence in the laboratory. To address this issue, we developed and evaluated an interactive simulation using Articulate Storyline. Students at two independent universities showed significant improvements in self-rated confidence and accuracy in reading micropipette scales after using the simulation. Student feedback was highly positive regarding the benefits of the simulation in learning these skills and enhancing their self-efficacy. This simulation is an ideal preparatory tool within a blended learning framework, significantly improving student confidence and accuracy. By mastering the cognitive prerequisite in a safe, virtual environment, students are better prepared for effective hands-on practice in a face-to-face setting.
A. Mutlu, “How Students Use ChatGPT in Biochemistry Education: Evaluating Students’ Prompts, Illustrations, and Reflective Assessments as Evidence,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 4 (2026): 386–396.
The present study aimed to investigate the utilization of ChatGPT by students in the context of learning biochemical concepts. To this end, 25 first-year students enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Techniques program were asked to illustrate a dipeptide composed of alanine and cysteine. Notably, all structural representations generated by ChatGPT were found to contain errors. Despite possessing the conceptual knowledge required to identify these inaccuracies, the students drew the flawed illustrations on their paper without critical assessment. In their reflective evaluations, students reported that ChatGPT’s failure to deliver a definitive molecular structure of dipeptide led to confusion. They expressed the need for a figure of authority to validate the accuracy of the peptide structure, identifying the instructor as the appropriate individual for this role. Furthermore, they conveyed a clear preference for instructor-led guidance over reliance on artificial intelligence in such learning contexts.
Did you know?Wiley and Jisc have signed an agreement that allows UK authors to publish Open Access in the IUBMB Journals at no cost to them.
Thanks to a partnership our publisher Wiley has signed with Jisc, certain UK institutions now have full access to journals published by Wiley, including the IUBMB Journals. Further, the partnership enables authors at participating UK institutions to publish open access at no cost to them in the IUBMB Journals. Payment of the associated Article Publication Charges (APC) would be covered via the partnership, and authors will not need to cover the APCs from their own pockets.
Wiley has also signed similar agreements with universities in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, and many other countries and regions. A comprehensive list of our funder agreements can be found here.
🧬 ctDNA: beyond simply measuring tumor DNA in the blood
A new review by Garcia et al. in Molecular Aspects of Medicine explores an increasingly important question in liquid biopsy: what does a ctDNA measurement actually tell us about a patient’s cancer?
ctDNA has emerged as one of the most clinically advanced and promising biomarkers for minimally invasive monitoring of cancer. It gives information about tumor genetics, methylation, fragmentation patterns, treatment response, minimal residual disease (MRD), and tumor evolution.
But there is an important biological caveat: the amount of ctDNA detected in plasma reflects a balance between tumor DNA shedding and its clearance from the circulation.
Tumor burden, disease stage, metastatic site, vascularization, hypoxia, necrosis and intratumoral heterogeneity can all influence shedding. At the same time, nucleases, immune mechanisms, liver and kidney clearance, and other host factors influence the time ctDNA remains detectable.
This means that the same ctDNA concentration may have different biological meanings in different patients. Conversely, a negative ctDNA result does not necessarily mean that residual or progressive disease is absent, particularly in tumors with low shedding or anatomical barriers to DNA release.
The review also highlights how ctDNA is evolving from a single molecular readout into a multi-layered biomarker, incorporating mutations, DNA methylation and fragmentomic signatures: all complementary information about tumor biology and even tissue of origin.
Clinically, ctDNA has considerable potential for detecting molecular recurrence before radiological evidence, monitoring treatment response and identifying emerging resistant clones. At the same time, analytical and pre-analytical variability, false negatives, clonal hematopoiesis and differences between assay strategies remain important challenges.
Perhaps the most intriguing point is the emerging hypothesis that ctDNA might not always be a passive biomarker. Experimental studies suggest that circulating DNA could potentially interact with recipient cells and the immune system. However, this remains a promising but unresolved hypothesis, with most evidence currently coming from experimental models.
Therefore, the future of liquid biopsy may not simply be about detecting more ctDNA, but about understanding what each ctDNA result means in its biological and clinical context.
📄 Garcia M. et al. Decoding ctDNA: biological insights for accurate clinical interpretation. Molecular Aspects of Medicine (2026), 112:101505.
Respiratory allergy affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and pollen is among its most important environmental triggers. Yet the molecular mechanisms by which pollen initiates allergic sensitization remain incompletely understood.
In a recent review in Aspects of Molecular Medicine, Dare, Hajighasemi and Davies examine the possible role of cysteine proteases, enzymes present in several sources of airborne allergens. Cysteine proteases from house-dust mites are known to disrupt epithelial barriers and promote inflammatory responses. Similar enzymes are present in pollen, raising the possibility that they may contribute directly to pollen allergenicity.
Several pollen cysteine proteases have been identified, including proteins from ragweed and Bermuda grass. However, evidence that these enzymes function as major allergens remains limited, and their importance in different allergic populations requires further investigation.
The authors also emphasize that allergenicity cannot be considered independently of the environment. Climate and microorganisms associated with pollen may influence protease activity and the resulting interaction with airway epithelium.
This review illustrates how the biological activity of an allergen may extend beyond IgE recognition: enzymes carried by pollen may actively modify the epithelial environment in which allergic sensitization develops.
We are excited to highlight new research from the IUBMB Journals: IUBMB Life, BioFactors, Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education.
Please also consider submitting your own research to the IUBMB Journals. You can expect to work with distinguished Editorial Board members and benefit from worldwide circulation and readership through our publishing partnership with Wiley. For more information about the journal and submissions, feel free to peruse the IUBMB journals website.
For now, please enjoy highlights of our recent content. Happy reading!
Wiley and the IUBMB are looking for referees to review manuscripts for the journals. If you are interested in acting as a peer reviewer for any of the IUBMB titles, please get in touch with the relevant Editor directly to advise them of your interest, and they would be happy to consider you for future articles:
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for IUBMB Life, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for BioFactors, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, please click here.
To learn more about being a peer reviewer for a journal, Wiley publishes a number of resources online which you can find here.
H. Qiu, Y. Lin, X. Wang, L. Chen, X. Chen, and F. Feng, “ALKBH4 Promotes Osteogenesis via Epigenetic Regulation of BMP2-Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Cervical Spine OPLL,” IUBMB Life 78, no. 7 (2026): e70121.
DNA N6-methyladenine (6 mA) has recently been recognized as a novel epigenetic modification, with ALKBH4 identified as a specific demethylase. However, the role of ALKBH4 and DNA 6 mA in the pathogenesis of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) remains unclear.Tissue samples from OPLL patients and normal posterior longitudinal ligaments were collected, and ligament fibroblastic cells (LFCs) were isolated from OPLL tissues using primary culture. These findings demonstrate that ALKBH4 regulates OPLL progression by modulating BMP2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling and by promoting BMP2 transcription through site-specific demethylation in human OPLL tissues and primary LFCs. ALKBH4 may therefore represent a promising therapeutic target for the management of OPLL.
R. Liu, N. Fu, S. Li, and T. Liu, “Non-Telomeric Role of RAP1 in Facilitating NF-κB Activation and Driving Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression,” IUBMB Life 78, no. 7 (2026): e70123.
RAP1 (TERF2IP) is a component of the shelterin complex that protects telomeric DNA and preserves chromosome stability. In addition to its telomeric function, accumulating evidenceindicates that mammalian RAP1 also exerts multiple extra-telomeric functions. Notably, RAP1 has been reported to regulate the NF-κB signaling pathway and to function as a transcriptional regulator, suggesting potential roles in tumorigenesis. In this study, we found that RAP1 expression was significantly upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Collectively, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for RAP1 in promoting HCC progression through activation of NF-κB signaling and identify the RAP1/NF-κB axis as a potential therapeutic target for HCC.
IUBMB Life solicits proposals for special issues relevant to the mission of our journal in the field of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Structural Biology and Molecular Medicine and pertinent areas. This is an open call for Special Issue Proposals, and all submissions will be reviewed in a timely manner. We will provide streamlined editorial support and assistance to the special issue guest editors.
Application Process
Prospective guest editor(s) need to complete the Special Issue Proposal Form available online and submit it to pnaraya3@wiley.com, together with the CV(s) of the proposed guest editor(s). Please state “IUBMB – SI proposal submission” in the subject line of your submission email.
A special issue proposal should include the following content:
A short title that can clearly describe the scope of special issue;
A short introduction about the significance of the special issue;
Basic information and CV of Lead Guest Editor and Co-Guest Editors;
List of potential authors and their tentative article titles;
The estimated number of submissions;
Proposed timeline.
Please visit the journal homepage for more information.
M.-R. Xu, H.-C. Wang, M.-S. Lee, and S.-Y. Wang, “Alpinia zerumbet-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Protect Against UVB-Induced Photoaging by Enhancing Mitochondrial Bioenergetics and Skin Barrier Function,” BioFactors 52, no. 4 (2026): e70134.
Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is a major cause of skin photoaging by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and barrier disruption. Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) have emerged as promising bioactive nanocarriers, but their roles in mitochondrial regulation and skin barrier homeostasis remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of extracellular vesicles derived from Alpinia zerumbet leaves (AZEVs) against UVB-induced photoaging in HaCaT keratinocytes. The results indicated that AZEVs exhibited typical extracellular vesicle characteristics, with an average size of 150 nm and a negative surface charge. These findings highlight AZEVs as a promising natural nanoplatform for anti-photoaging and skin repair applications.
Z. Fan, Y. Lou, X. Zhou, et al., “Integrative Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals the Tumor-Suppressive and Immunoregulatory Roles of SEMA5B in Prostate Cancer,” BioFactors 52, no. 4 (2026): e70133.
SEMA5B plays an important role in the maintenance of neural development and is highly environment dependent in tumorigenesis. The roles of SEMA5B in prostate cancer remain underexplored. This study investigates SEMA5B’s functions in prostate cancer, revealing its role as a tumor suppressor transcriptionally regulated by androgen receptor and uncovering novel biomarkers and potential immunotherapeutic mechanisms.
BioFactors solicits proposals for special issues relevant to the mission of our journal in the field of biological factors and pertinent areas. This is an open call for Special Issue Proposals, and all submissions will be reviewed in a timely manner. We will provide streamlined editorial support and assistance to the special issue guest editors.
Application Process
Prospective guest editor(s) need to complete the Special Issue Proposal Form (downloadable from the BioFactors’ homepage) and submit it to pnaraya3@wiley.com, together with the CV(s) of the proposed guest editor(s). Please state “BIOF – SI proposal submission” in the subject line of your submission email.
A special issue proposal should include the following content:
A short title that can clearly describe the scope of special issue.
A short introduction about the significance of the special issue.
Basic information and CV of Lead Guest Editor and Co-Guest Editors.
List of potential authors and their tentative article titles.
The estimated number of submissions.
Proposed timeline.
Please visit the journal homepage for more information.
H. Zeng, D. Li, Y. Li, et al. “5-Methylcytosine Analysis of miRNAs in Minimal Change Disease.” Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 73, no. 3 (2026): 1137– 1150.
Minimal change disease (MCD) is a glomerular disorder, which is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children. Additionally, the prevalence of MCD in adults has been increasing in recent years. During protein synthesis, noncoding RNAs can be regulated through a variety of modifications, which helps preserve biological diversity and complexity. This study aims to investigate the role of m5C-modified miRNAs in MCD, with the goal of identifying promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for patients with this condition. Our findings revealed a substantial number of differentially modified m5C miRNAs in patients with MCD, predominantly exhibiting downregulation of modification
R. Vergara, R. F. S. Pereira, C. C. C. R. de Carvalho, J. Prados, C. Melguizo, and R. Ortiz, “Bacterial Pigments as Potential Antitumor Agents Against Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.” Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 73, no. 3 (2026): 1626– 1646.
Gastrointestinal cancers (GICs) constitute one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite currently available therapeutic strategies, new approaches and procedures are needed for their prevention and treatment. In this context, bacterial pigments are compounds with diverse biological activities, including anticancer properties. The aim of this systematic review was toanalyze the in vitro antitumor activity of pigments derived from bacteria against GICs. In conclusion, the great ability of bacteria to produce pigments provides a potentially valuable source of novel candidate compounds for cancer therapy, but further studies in this field will be necessary to prove their value as antitumor agents.
Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry is excited to launch its Editor’s Choices collection, featuring impactful research chosen by the journal’s editor
M. Costabile and B. Loveys, “Click Before You Pipette: Building Foundational Pipetting Skills and Confidence With an Interactive Prelaboratory Simulation,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 4 (2026): 377–385.
Correctly setting and reading a manual air displacement micropipette is an essential yet challenging skill for life-science students. The incorrect delivery of volumes affects both experimental outcomes and data interpretation, potentially reducing student confidence in the laboratory. To address this issue, we developed and evaluated an interactive simulation using Articulate Storyline. Our novel approach isolated and addressed the critical cognitive task of reading a micropipette dial from the physical skill of using the tool. This simulation is an ideal preparatory tool within a blended learning framework, significantly improving student confidence and accuracy. By mastering the cognitive prerequisite in a safe, virtual environment, students are better prepared for effective hands-on practice in a face-to-face setting.
S. Tan, S. Ni, K. Zhang, et al., “Evaluation of DeepSeek-Generated Biochemistry Clinical Cases for Teaching Purpose,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 4 (2026): 397– 407.
To overcome limitations in traditional case-based teaching, this study developed an AI-driven workflow using DeepSeek to generate contemporary, interdisciplinary clinical biochemistry cases.Through human-AI collaboration, eight structured cases covering key topics such as carbohydrate and lipid metabolism were created, each including a clinical description, molecular mechanisms, and Q&A, followed by instructor review. In conclusion, DeepSeek-generated cases are efficient, interdisciplinary, and innovative. Human review remains essential for ensuring clinical rigor, particularly in nuanced scenarios. This collaborative approach enhances both the efficiency of case development and the educational quality of biochemistry teaching materials.
Did you know?Wiley and Jisc have signed an agreement that allows UK authors to publish Open Access in the IUBMB Journals at no cost to them.
Thanks to a partnership our publisher Wiley has signed with Jisc, certain UK institutions now have full access to journals published by Wiley, including the IUBMB Journals. Further, the partnership enables authors at participating UK institutions to publish open access at no cost to them in the IUBMB Journals. Payment of the associated Article Publication Charges (APC) would be covered via the partnership, and authors will not need to cover the APCs from their own pockets.
Wiley has also signed similar agreements with universities in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, and many other countries and regions. A comprehensive list of our funder agreements can be found here.
Ke Gao, Wenjin Xi, Yonghua Lei, Jianxin Ni, Chi Zhang, Wenting Feng, Yanan Ouyang, Yongpan An, Xiaoshun Li, Bin Wu, Qing Xue, Abulikemu Baihetiyaer, Gang Zhao, Guojun Wu, Rui Zhang.
Cachexia is a complex and debilitating syndrome characterized by muscle wasting, metabolic dysfunction, inflammation and, frequently, loss of appetite. Inflammation has traditionally been considered a major driver but a more complex picture has emerged in the last years.
Recently, Gao et al. published a review in Molecular Aspects of Medicine that explores the gut microbiota as a potential master regulator of neuro–immune–metabolic cross-talk in cachexia.
Gao and colleagues discussed how gut dysbiosis and microbial metabolites—including short-chain fatty acids, bile acids and tryptophan-derived metabolites—may influence:
🦠 Intestinal barrier integrity 🔥 Systemic inflammation and immune homeostasis 💪 Skeletal muscle and adipose tissue metabolism 🧠 the gut–brain axis, appetite and neuroendocrine signalling.
The therapeutic potential of microbiota-targeted approaches, including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation and metabolite-based strategies has been also examined by the authors. While the evidence is promising, significant challenges remain in translating preclinical findings into effective clinical interventions.
This review contributes to a broader understanding of cachexia but further research into the microbiota–host–organ network as a potential avenue for diagnosis and treatment is the new challenge for the future years.
Multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC), in which two or more independent tumors develop in the lung, presents an important diagnostic problem: are separate lesions independent primary tumors, or does one represent a metastasis of another? The distinction is critical for staging and treatment but cannot always be resolved by conventional histopathology.
In a recent review in Aspects of Molecular Medicine, Weining Gao, Qiang Liu and Chuxuan Jin examine how molecular approaches can help address this problem. Genomic analysis can determine whether tumors in the same patient share molecular alterations or have distinct mutational profiles, providing evidence about their origin. Proteomic and immunohistochemical information adds a functional dimension and can reveal substantial differences among individual lesions.
The integration of these approaches—multi-omics—may therefore provide a more complete molecular identity for each tumor, improving classification and potentially guiding targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
The broader message extends beyond lung cancer. Molecular medicine increasingly faces the challenge not simply of generating genomic, proteomic and other “omics” data, but of integrating them into biologically meaningful and clinically useful information. MPLC provides a clear example of how molecular profiling is moving from tumor description toward disease classification and precision medicine.
Melissa Mutepfa is an undergraduate student in her final year of training from 2026 to 2027 at the University of Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science Honors Degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology specializing in Plant Biochemistry and Medicinal Chemistry. Conducting her research within the university’s Biotechnology Lab, her academic training focuses on utilizing locally available natural resources to address critical food safety and public health challenges. Her final-year project aims to develop and validate a cost-effective, sustainable mycotoxin-binding agent from Zimbabwean agro-industrial waste to prevent chronic public health risks like liver cancer and immune suppression caused by food contamination.
The latest edition of the IUBMB Biannual Newsletter is now available.
Issue 21 highlights the Union’s activities and achievements from the past six months, featuring updates on scientific meetings, education and training initiatives, fellowships, awards, regional activities, and other programs that support the global biochemistry and molecular biology community.
We invite members, colleagues, and partners to explore the newsletter and learn more about the ongoing work and impact of the IUBMB around the world.
We are excited to highlight new research from the IUBMB Journals: IUBMB Life, BioFactors, Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education.
Please also consider submitting your own research to the IUBMB Journals. You can expect to work with distinguished Editorial Board members and benefit from worldwide circulation and readership through our publishing partnership with Wiley. For more information about the journal and submissions, feel free to peruse the IUBMB journals website.
For now, please enjoy highlights of our recent content. Happy reading!
Wiley and the IUBMB are looking for referees to review manuscripts for the journals. If you are interested in acting as a peer reviewer for any of the IUBMB titles, please get in touch with the relevant Editor directly to advise them of your interest, and they would be happy to consider you for future articles:
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for IUBMB Life, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for BioFactors, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, please click here.
To contact the Editorial Board and register your interest to act as a peer reviewer for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, please click here.
To learn more about being a peer reviewer for a journal, Wiley publishes a number of resources online which you can find here.
H. Qiu, Y. Lin, X. Wang, L. Chen, X. Chen, and F. Feng, “ALKBH4 Promotes Osteogenesis via Epigenetic Regulation of BMP2-Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Cervical Spine OPLL,” IUBMB Life 78, no. 7 (2026): e70121.
DNA N6-methyladenine (6 mA) has recently been recognized as a novel epigenetic modification, with ALKBH4 identified as a specific demethylase. However, the role of ALKBH4 and DNA 6 mA in the pathogenesis of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) remains unclear.Tissue samples from OPLL patients and normal posterior longitudinal ligaments were collected, and ligament fibroblastic cells (LFCs) were isolated from OPLL tissues using primary culture. These findings demonstrate that ALKBH4 regulates OPLL progression by modulating BMP2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling and by promoting BMP2 transcription through site-specific demethylation in human OPLL tissues and primary LFCs. ALKBH4 may therefore represent a promising therapeutic target for the management of OPLL.
R. Liu, N. Fu, S. Li, and T. Liu, “Non-Telomeric Role of RAP1 in Facilitating NF-κB Activation and Driving Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression,” IUBMB Life 78, no. 7 (2026): e70123.
RAP1 (TERF2IP) is a component of the shelterin complex that protects telomeric DNA and preserves chromosome stability. In addition to its telomeric function, accumulating evidenceindicates that mammalian RAP1 also exerts multiple extra-telomeric functions. Notably, RAP1 has been reported to regulate the NF-κB signaling pathway and to function as a transcriptional regulator, suggesting potential roles in tumorigenesis. In this study, we found that RAP1 expression was significantly upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Collectively, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for RAP1 in promoting HCC progression through activation of NF-κB signaling and identify the RAP1/NF-κB axis as a potential therapeutic target for HCC.
IUBMB Life solicits proposals for special issues relevant to the mission of our journal in the field of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Structural Biology and Molecular Medicine and pertinent areas. This is an open call for Special Issue Proposals, and all submissions will be reviewed in a timely manner. We will provide streamlined editorial support and assistance to the special issue guest editors.
Application Process
Prospective guest editor(s) need to complete the Special Issue Proposal Form available online and submit it to pnaraya3@wiley.com, together with the CV(s) of the proposed guest editor(s). Please state “IUBMB – SI proposal submission” in the subject line of your submission email.
A special issue proposal should include the following content:
A short title that can clearly describe the scope of special issue;
A short introduction about the significance of the special issue;
Basic information and CV of Lead Guest Editor and Co-Guest Editors;
List of potential authors and their tentative article titles;
The estimated number of submissions;
Proposed timeline.
Please visit the journal homepage for more information.
M.-R. Xu, H.-C. Wang, M.-S. Lee, and S.-Y. Wang, “Alpinia zerumbet-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Protect Against UVB-Induced Photoaging by Enhancing Mitochondrial Bioenergetics and Skin Barrier Function,” BioFactors 52, no. 4 (2026): e70134.
Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is a major cause of skin photoaging by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and barrier disruption. Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) have emerged as promising bioactive nanocarriers, but their roles in mitochondrial regulation and skin barrier homeostasis remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of extracellular vesicles derived from Alpinia zerumbet leaves (AZEVs) against UVB-induced photoaging in HaCaT keratinocytes. The results indicated that AZEVs exhibited typical extracellular vesicle characteristics, with an average size of 150 nm and a negative surface charge. These findings highlight AZEVs as a promising natural nanoplatform for anti-photoaging and skin repair applications.
Z. Fan, Y. Lou, X. Zhou, et al., “Integrative Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals the Tumor-Suppressive and Immunoregulatory Roles of SEMA5B in Prostate Cancer,” BioFactors 52, no. 4 (2026): e70133.
SEMA5B plays an important role in the maintenance of neural development and is highly environment dependent in tumorigenesis. The roles of SEMA5B in prostate cancer remain underexplored. This study investigates SEMA5B’s functions in prostate cancer, revealing its role as a tumor suppressor transcriptionally regulated by androgen receptor and uncovering novel biomarkers and potential immunotherapeutic mechanisms.
BioFactors solicits proposals for special issues relevant to the mission of our journal in the field of biological factors and pertinent areas. This is an open call for Special Issue Proposals, and all submissions will be reviewed in a timely manner. We will provide streamlined editorial support and assistance to the special issue guest editors.
Application Process
Prospective guest editor(s) need to complete the Special Issue Proposal Form (downloadable from the BioFactors’ homepage) and submit it to pnaraya3@wiley.com, together with the CV(s) of the proposed guest editor(s). Please state “BIOF – SI proposal submission” in the subject line of your submission email.
A special issue proposal should include the following content:
A short title that can clearly describe the scope of special issue.
A short introduction about the significance of the special issue.
Basic information and CV of Lead Guest Editor and Co-Guest Editors.
List of potential authors and their tentative article titles.
The estimated number of submissions.
Proposed timeline.
Please visit the journal homepage for more information.
H. Zeng, D. Li, Y. Li, et al. “5-Methylcytosine Analysis of miRNAs in Minimal Change Disease.” Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 73, no. 3 (2026): 1137– 1150.
Minimal change disease (MCD) is a glomerular disorder, which is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children. Additionally, the prevalence of MCD in adults has been increasing in recent years. During protein synthesis, noncoding RNAs can be regulated through a variety of modifications, which helps preserve biological diversity and complexity. This study aims to investigate the role of m5C-modified miRNAs in MCD, with the goal of identifying promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for patients with this condition. Our findings revealed a substantial number of differentially modified m5C miRNAs in patients with MCD, predominantly exhibiting downregulation of modification
R. Vergara, R. F. S. Pereira, C. C. C. R. de Carvalho, J. Prados, C. Melguizo, and R. Ortiz, “Bacterial Pigments as Potential Antitumor Agents Against Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.” Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 73, no. 3 (2026): 1626– 1646.
Gastrointestinal cancers (GICs) constitute one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite currently available therapeutic strategies, new approaches and procedures are needed for their prevention and treatment. In this context, bacterial pigments are compounds with diverse biological activities, including anticancer properties. The aim of this systematic review was toanalyze the in vitro antitumor activity of pigments derived from bacteria against GICs. In conclusion, the great ability of bacteria to produce pigments provides a potentially valuable source of novel candidate compounds for cancer therapy, but further studies in this field will be necessary to prove their value as antitumor agents.
Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry is excited to launch its Editor’s Choices collection, featuring impactful research chosen by the journal’s editor
M. Costabile and B. Loveys, “Click Before You Pipette: Building Foundational Pipetting Skills and Confidence With an Interactive Prelaboratory Simulation,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 4 (2026): 377–385.
Correctly setting and reading a manual air displacement micropipette is an essential yet challenging skill for life-science students. The incorrect delivery of volumes affects both experimental outcomes and data interpretation, potentially reducing student confidence in the laboratory. To address this issue, we developed and evaluated an interactive simulation using Articulate Storyline. Our novel approach isolated and addressed the critical cognitive task of reading a micropipette dial from the physical skill of using the tool. This simulation is an ideal preparatory tool within a blended learning framework, significantly improving student confidence and accuracy. By mastering the cognitive prerequisite in a safe, virtual environment, students are better prepared for effective hands-on practice in a face-to-face setting.
A. Vázquez-Salazar, “An Idea to Explore: From How to Why: Using Evolutionary Biochemistry to Inspire Biochemistry Education,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 3 (2026): 264–270.
Traditional biochemistry instruction often emphasizes mechanistic detail, that is, how molecules and pathways function, without equally addressing why they have their present forms. By integrating concepts from molecular evolution, origins-of-life research, and historical biochemistry, instructors can connect isolated facts into coherent stories of adaptation, innovation, and contingency across deep time. This teaching perspective argues that embedding the why into the how promotes deeper engagement, improves retention, and encourages interdisciplinary thinking. Practical strategies are proposed for incorporating evolutionary framing into existing curricula without sacrificing core content coverage.
L. Wang, Z. Yu, “A CURE for Microbiology Experiment: Isolation and Characterization of Antimicrobial-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria From Fermented Sichuan Pickle Against Pathogenic Bacteria.” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 4 (2026): 408–415.
Traditional microbiology experimental teaching methodology, often based on rigid “cookbook” experiment plans, fails to meet the growing need to cultivate skilled and innovative individuals. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide a solution by integrating research-based learning into the curriculum, offering an opportunity to improve the “hard” and “soft” skills for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. In this study, a CURE was incorporated into the microbiology experiment curriculum focusing on the isolation and characterization of antimicrobial-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from fermented Sichuan pickles. The CURE was divided into four key sections: (i) designing an experimental plan, (ii) isolation of LAB, (iii) evaluating the antibacterial effects and antibacterial active substances of LAB, and (iv) identifying LAB species and completing the experimental report. Through a tutor observation of the experiment process and a student questionnaire survey, the study demonstrated that CURE-based microbiology experiments significantly improved students’ laboratory skills and microbiological-related experimental operation ability and nurtured their scientific thinking. This approach enhances students’ preparedness for future career success and cultivates the growth of a well-rounded, skilled person in STEM disciplines.
M. Costabile, B. Loveys, “Click Before You Pipette: Building Foundational Pipetting Skills and Confidence With an Interactive Prelaboratory Simulation,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 54, no. 4 (2026): 377-385.
Correctly setting and reading a manual air displacement micropipette is an essential yet challenging skill for life-science students. The incorrect delivery of volumes affects both experimental outcomes and data interpretation, potentially reducing student confidence in the laboratory. To address this issue, we developed and evaluated an interactive simulation using Articulate Storyline. Our novel approach isolated and addressed the critical cognitive task of reading a micropipette dial from the physical skill of using the tool. This intervention offers a uniquely scalable and cost-effective solution compared to the use of physical micropipettes. Existing training often focuses on the physical action, leaving a gap for a scalable digital tool that allows students to first master the cognitive challenge of reading the dial. Using a prepost mixed methods design, we measured student perceptions of the approach and changes in student performance across confidence, unit conversion, and micropipette dial reading accuracy. Students at two independent universities showed significant improvements in self-rated confidence and accuracy in reading micropipette scales after using the simulation. Student feedback was highly positive regarding the benefits of the simulation in learning these skills and enhancing their self-efficacy. This simulation is an ideal preparatory tool within a blended learning framework, significantly improving student confidence and accuracy. By mastering the cognitive prerequisite in a safe, virtual environment, students are better prepared for effective hands-on practice in a face-to-face setting.
Did you know?Wiley and Jisc have signed an agreement that allows UK authors to publish Open Access in the IUBMB Journals at no cost to them.
Thanks to a partnership our publisher Wiley has signed with Jisc, certain UK institutions now have full access to journals published by Wiley, including the IUBMB Journals. Further, the partnership enables authors at participating UK institutions to publish open access at no cost to them in the IUBMB Journals. Payment of the associated Article Publication Charges (APC) would be covered via the partnership, and authors will not need to cover the APCs from their own pockets.
Wiley has also signed similar agreements with universities in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, and many other countries and regions. A comprehensive list of our funder agreements can be found here.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers, with limited treatment options and few patients benefiting from currently available targeted therapies. A recent review published on Molecular Aspects of Medicine, discussed how emerging biomarkers, liquid biopsy, multi-omics approaches, patient-derived models, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the future of pancreatic cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
Authors highlighted the importance of integrating tumor biology with the microenvironment and systemic factors to develop truly personalized therapeutic strategies and improve patient outcomes.
I believe this paper serve as a useful resource for researchers and clinicians working toward more effective precision oncology approaches for pancreatic cancer.
This recent study published in Aspects of Molecular Medicine explores how changes in the gut virome may contribute to colorectal cancer risk through alterations in metabolic and epigenetic pathways. Damane and colleagues investigated South African adults with HIV infection, helminth infection, HIV–helminth coinfection or colorectal cancer, alongside uninfected controls.
Using shotgun metagenomic sequencing, the researchers examined an often-overlooked component of the intestinal microbiome: its viral community. Their findings suggest that infection-associated changes in the gut virome may interact with host molecular pathways involved in carcinogenesis.
The study brings together microbiome research, infectious disease, epigenetics and cancer biology while drawing attention to the increasing burden of colorectal cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. It illustrates the importance of studying molecular disease mechanisms in diverse populations and provides new directions for biomarker development and cancer prevention research.
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