Category: Uncategorized

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!

IUBMB Life
New Issue: Volume 77, Issue 9

Exploring Macrophage Contribution to Vascular Calcification in Atherosclerosis

S. A. Dabravolski, M. A. Popov, O. N. Maltseva, V. V. Pavshintsev, A. S. Utkina, and A. N. Orekhov, “Exploring Macrophage Contribution to Vascular Calcification in Atherosclerosis,” IUBMB Life 77, no. 9 (2025): e70064.

Vascular calcification (VC) is a significant pathological feature of atherosclerosis, contributing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, particularly in populations with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review examines the pivotal role of macrophages in the development and progression of VC within atherosclerotic plaques. The authors explore the diverse phenotypes of macrophages, particularly the pro-inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 types, and their distinct functions in modulating vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) behavior. By elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning macrophage-mediated calcification, this review aims to provide insights into the dual roles of macrophages in atherosclerosis and their significance as potential therapeutic targets. Understanding these dynamics may lead to innovative strategies for preventing VC and improving cardiovascular health outcomes, particularly in patients with diabetes and CKD.

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SPECIAL ISSUES OPEN FOR SUBMISSION

• The Role of Human Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease
  • Deadline for Submissions: 31 July 2025

CALL FOR PAPERS – SPECIAL ISSUES PROPOSALS

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 adaragshet@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.

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BioFactors
New Issue: Volume 51, Issue 5

Knocking Down SKA1 Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via Apoptosis: Integrating Single-Cell Transcriptomics With In Vivo and In Vitro Validation

Q. Luo, Q. Zhang, Z. Zheng, and X. Jiang, “Knocking Down SKA1 Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via Apoptosis: Integrating Single-Cell Transcriptomics With In Vivo and In Vitro Validation,” BioFactors 51, no. 5 (2025): e70044.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer. Spindle- and kinetochore-associated complex 1 (SKA1) participates in the regulation of mitosis, playing an essential role in regulating cancer progression. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects of knocking down SKA1 on HCC.

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CALL FOR PAPERS

• Unlocking the Secrets of Lipocalins: Navigating Their Role in Cell Communication and Signalling
  • Submission deadline: Thursday, 31 December 2025
• The Role of Human Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease
  • Submission deadline: Tuesday, 31 May 2026

CALL FOR SPECIAL ISSUE PROPOSALS

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 adaragshet@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.

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Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry
New Issue: Volume 72, Issue 4

Assessment of Garbage Enzyme as a Bioremediation Method for the Wastewater Treatment

Singh, A.N., Ray, M.R., Mishra, U., Jethwa, K.B., Yadav, N., Shankhwar, N., Chauhan, G.S. and Meshram, K. (2025), “Assessment of Garbage Enzyme as a Bioremediation Method for the Wastewater Treatment,” Biotechnol Appl Biochem., 72: 1045-1055.

This study investigates the efficacy of garbage enzyme (GE), prepared from brown sugar, fruit and vegetable waste, and water (1:3:10), in reducing sewage pollution in Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Sewage samples treated with varying GE concentrations (0–20%) were monitored for pH, DO, TSS, TDS, BOD, COD, and temperature over 20 days. At 20% GE, reductions of 80.6% (BOD), 62.9% (COD), 74.3% (TSS), and 43.9% (TDS) were recorded, alongside a 67.8% increase in DO. Enzymatic activity (protease, amylase, lipase) facilitated pollutant breakdown, while odor reduction was also observed. Findings highlight GE’s strong bioremediation potential for sewage treatment and natural water conservation, with further studies needed at higher dosages.

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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education
New Issue: Volume 53, Issue 5

Efficacy and Engagement With an Immersive Virtual Learning Experience of the Citric Acid Cycle

B. C. Braga, W. Hurst, J. Barrow, et al., “Efficacy and Engagement With an Immersive Virtual Learning Experience of the Citric Acid Cycle,” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 53, no. 5 (2025): 500–508.

This randomized controlled trial assessed the comparative effectiveness of a biochemistry education program delivered through an immersive virtual reality (iVR) experience and traditional video-based instruction. Undergraduate students enrolled in three nutrition courses from a large R1 American university participated (n = 95). Students were randomly assigned to either an iVR condition (n = 48) or a video condition (n = 47). Students either viewed a nutritional biochemistry video or participated in an interactive iVR nutritional biochemistry experience. Nutritional biochemistry quiz scores improved, with a significant difference between the video condition and iVR condition (P = 0.05). Engagement scores were higher for the iVR (mean = 4.60) compared to the video (mean = 4.33; p = 0.02). Additionally, the total heuristic evaluation was higher for the iVR group compared with the video group (p = 0.01). Delivery of biochemistry education materials through iVR technology was shown to be more engaging than traditional video-based instruction.

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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, Norway, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, and with the US-based OhioLink And VIVA. A comprehensive list of our funder agreements can be found here.

Submit your research to the IUBMB Journals today.

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Molecular Aspects of Medicine

Aspects of Molecular Medicine

Congratulations to Professor Emmanuelle Charpentier from the Max Planck Society, Germany, recipient of the IUBMB Jubilee Award Lecture for her outstanding contributions in the discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, CRISPR therapeutics and ERS Genomics and for developing the CRISPR-Cas genome editing technology and will be presented at the 27^th IUBMB-FASBMB-SASBMB Congress 2027.

Congratulations to Jean Francois Collet from UCLouvain, Belgium, who presented the IUBMB Plenary Lecture at the EMBO | FEBS Lecture Course on The new Microbiology, in Spetses, Greece, from September 3 – 11, 2025, on “Bacterial Cell Envelope”.

Congratulations to Professor Alexander Sobolevsky from Columbia University, USA, who will be presenting the IUBMB Plenary Lecture at the CSMB Annual Meeting in Banff, AB, Canada, from April 8 – 12, 2026, on “Structural view of TRP channel function and pharmacology”.

Congratulations to Professor George Diallinas from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, who presented the IUBMB Plenary Lecture at the 40th Small Meeting on Yeast Transport and Energetics in Stockholm, Greece, from September 3 – 7, 2025, on “Cargo-centric membrane trafficking: insights from genetic, microscopy and high-resolution structures of the UapA purine transporters”.

Congratulations to Professor Ángel Raya from Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Spain, who will be presenting the IUBMB Plenary Lecture at the XLVIII Annual Meeting 2025 of the Chilean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in La Serena, Región de Coquimbo, Chile, from October 6 – 9, 2025, on “From Bench to Bedside: The Transformative Power of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells”.

Congratulations to Florence Nworah!

CONGRATULATIONS to the Wood Whelan Fellows from Argentina and Spain, who have received fellowships to travel to a lab in a different country for 4 months. We wish them much success in their research!

Congratulations to the 3 trainees from South Africa who have received the IUBMB MilliporeSigma ENABLE-Africa Fellowships to attend the FEBS-IUBMB-ENABLE 2025 Conference on BRIDGING MINDS – Interdisciplinary research for the future of life sciences in Glasgow, UK. We wish them much success!

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!

IUBMB Life
New Issue: Volume 77, Issue 8

Progress in Nanocarriers-Based Approaches for the Delivery of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Bone Cancer: Trends and Prospects

D. Xu, W. Zhang, Y. Pan, W. Wang, D. Wang, and J. Ding, “ Progress in Nanocarriers-Based Approaches for the Delivery of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Bone Cancer: Trends and Prospects,” IUBMB Life 77, no. 8 (2025): e70052.

Bone cancer remains a life-threatening malignancy predominantly affecting pediatric and adolescent populations, with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) emerging as promising therapeutic agents; however, their clinical utility is limited by poor bioavailability, systemic toxicity, and inadequate tumor targeting. Recent advancements in nanocarrier-based delivery systems have significantly mitigated these limitations by enhancing targeted accumulation of TKIs at tumor sites, reducing off-target effects, and enabling controlled drug release. Various nanocarrier platforms, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, micelles, dendrimers, metal- and metal oxide-based nanoparticles, carbon-based carriers, polymeric implants, and hydroxyapatite-based systems, have been systematically evaluated for their efficacy in delivering TKIs for bone cancer therapy. This comprehensive review provides critical insights into the evolving landscape of nanotechnology-driven TKI delivery strategies aimed at enhancing therapeutic outcomes in bone cancer management.

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CALL FOR PAPERS – SPECIAL ISSUES PROPOSALS

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 adaragshet@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.

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BioFactors
New Issue: Volume 51, Issue 5

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CALL FOR PAPERS

• Unlocking the Secrets of Lipocalins: Navigating Their Role in Cell Communication and Signalling
  • Submission deadline: Thursday, 31 December 2025
• The Role of Fermented Foods in Nutrition and Health
  • Submission deadline: Thursday, 30 September 2025
• The Role of Human Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease
  • Submission deadline: Tuesday, 31 May 2026

CALL FOR SPECIAL ISSUE PROPOSALS

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 adaragshet@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.

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Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry
New Issue: Volume 72, Issue 4

Cell line development and bioreactor process optimization for an atezolizumab biosimilar

Kuyucu AZ, Sayili D, Orkut R, Mert O, Tarman İO, Lulaci B, et al. Cell line development and bioreactor process optimization for an atezolizumab biosimilar. Biotechnol Appl Biochem. 2025; 72: 897–910.

Checkpoint inhibitors are widely recognized immunotherapeutic drugs, known for their effectiveness in treating various cancers. Atezolizumab, targeting the immune checkpoint programmed death-ligand 1, is successfully used to treat several types of cancers. Atezolizumab is a potential biosimilar candidate due to its huge success in the clinic but there is no literature on its production process in mammalian cells. In this study, we generated a monoclonal cell line derived from recombinant Chinese hamster ovary DG44 cells to produce atezolizumab. The selected single clone was employed for media screening and process development. Following production in a 7-L bioreactor, atezolizumab was purified using a three-step chromatographic method. Finally, the purified atezolizumab was characterized and compared with commercial atezolizumab (Tecentriq) through several chromatographic and kinetics analyses.

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Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry welcome new Editor-in-Chief!

Loredano Pollegioni is a full professor of Biochemistry at the University of Insubria (Varese, Italy), where he also serves as Executive Deputy Chancellor for Research and Innovation. He is the Coordinator of the Biotechnology group of the Italian Society of Biochemistry (SIB) and Treasurer of IUBMB.

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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education
New Issue: Volume 53, Issue 4

Using ChatGPT as a tool for training nonprogrammers to generate genomic sequence analysis code

Delcher HA, Alsatari ES, Haastrup AI, Naaz S, Hayes-Guastella LA, McDaniel AM, et al. Using ChatGPT as a tool for training nonprogrammers to generate genomic sequence analysis code. Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2025; 53(4): 433–444.

Today, due to the size of many genomes and the increasingly large sizes of sequencing files, independently analyzing sequencing data is largely impossible for a biologist with little to no programming expertise. As such, biologists are typically faced with the dilemma of either having to spend a significant amount of time and effort to learn how to program themselves or having to identify (and rely on) an available computer scientist to analyze large sequence data sets. That said, the advent of AI-powered programs like ChatGPT may offer a means of circumventing the disconnect between biologists and their analysis of genomic data critically important to their field. The work detailed herein demonstrates how implementing ChatGPT into an existing Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience curriculum can provide a means for equipping biology students with no programming expertise the power to generate their own programs and allow those students to carry out a publishable, comprehensive analysis of real-world Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) datasets.

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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, Norway, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, and with the US-based OhioLink And VIVA. A comprehensive list of our funder agreements can be found here.

Submit your research to the IUBMB Journals today.

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Molecular Aspects of Medicine

Aspects of Molecular Medicine

 
Congratulations to Cristina Padilla (University of Arizona, USA), Isabella Pecora (McGill University, Canada), Deshan Madhusanka (Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, USA), and Brigitte Meyer (UC San Francisco, USA) winners of the IUBMB Life, BioFactors, and Biotechnology & Applied Biochemistry BEST POSTER AWARD at the FASEB Conference on Protein Phosphorylation held from July 13 – 17, 2025, in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Congratulations to the 8 talented trainees from Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay, who have received the inaugural IUBMB-FEBS-PABMB PROBio-LatAm Fellowship to spend up to 6 months in a lab in Europe.  We wish them much success in their research!

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!

IUBMB Life
New Issue: Volume 77, Issue 7

A New Treatment Strategy for Lung Cancer With HDAC and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Inhibitors

E. Erturk, O. Akgun, Y. Yildiz, G. Tuna, and F. Ari, “ A New Treatment Strategy for Lung Cancer With HDAC and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Inhibitors,” IUBMB Life 77, no. 7 (2025): e70037.

Lung cancer has high morbidity and mortality rates, with limited treatment options contributing to low survival. Combining histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors with anti-cancer agents presents a promising therapeutic strategy. This study evaluated the effects of combining the HDAC inhibitor Valproic acid (VPA) with the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway inhibitor Niclosamide (Niclo) on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, cell cycle, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in A549 and H1299 lung cancer cell lines.

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SPECIAL ISSUES OPEN FOR SUBMISSION

• Special Issue on Computational Biology in Identification of Potential Biomarkers for Cancer Immunotherapy
  • Deadline for Submissions: 31 July 2025

CALL FOR PAPERS – SPECIAL ISSUES PROPOSALS

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 adaragshet@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.

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BioFactors
New Issue: Volume 51, Issue 3 & 4

Targeting Cellular Energetics via Ferroptosis Mediated Cell Death in Resistant Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells

T. Biswas, S. Mallick, U. Sen, D. Chaudhury, S. Shenoy P, and B. Bose, “Targeting Cellular Energetics via Ferroptosis Mediated Cell Death in Resistant Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells,” BioFactors 51, no. 4 (2025): e70024.

Ferroptosis, a newly discovered non-apoptotic form of cell death triggered by iron-dependent toxic membrane lipid peroxidation, establishes a link between redox biology, metabolism, and human health. By inducing ferroptosis, it is possible to selectively eliminate cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are resistant to traditional therapies. Recent research has shown that inducing ferroptosis can effectively kill colorectal cancer stem cells (CRC CSCs) that are resistant to other forms of cell death and treatment modalities, positioning it as a potentially innovative strategy for developing treatments for colorectal cancer. This review delves into the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis in colorectal CSCs, focusing on the specific pathways and signaling networks that regulate ferroptotic cell death in these cells, including the roles of iron metabolism, lipid peroxidation, amino acid metabolism, and antioxidant systems.

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CALL FOR PAPERS

• Unlocking the Secrets of Lipocalins: Navigating Their Role in Cell Communication and Signalling
  • Submission deadline: Thursday, 31 July 2025
• The Role of Fermented Foods in Nutrition and Health
  • Submission deadline: Thursday, 31 July 2025
• The Role of Human Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease
  • Submission deadline: Tuesday, 30 June 2026

CALL FOR SPECIAL ISSUE PROPOSALS

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 adaragshet@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.

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Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry
New Issue: Volume 72, Issue 3

Organ toxicities associated with diet-induced obesity in rats: Investigation of changes in activities selected enzymes

Bati B. Organ toxicities associated with diet-induced obesity in rats: Investigation of changes in activities selected enzymes. Biotechnol Appl Biochem. 2025; 72: 743–754.

Obesity stands out as one of the most significant health problems in the modern world. The prevalence of high-calorie diets (HCDs) globally exacerbates this condition. Throughout history, plants and plant- derived food products have been utilized for medicinal purposes, demonstrating their efficacy in the treatment and prevention of various diseases. Gundelia tournefortii (GT), a plant of interest, is known to possess beneficial properties. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the immunotoxic and neurotoxic effects of two different doses of GT plant extract on the liver, brain, and heart tissues of obese rats. For this purpose, Wistar male rats were divided into four groups: “CG,” “HCDG,” “HCDGUN1,” and

“HCDGUN2” At the conclusion of the study, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities, as well as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) biomarkers, were evaluated in the liver, heart, and brain tissues. The study results revealed a statistically significant increase in ADA and MPO activities in the HCDG group compared to the CG group, alongside a significant decrease in the HCDGUN groups compared to the HCDG group. Regarding AChE and BChE activities, a statistically significant decrease was observed in the HCDG group compared to the CG group, whereas an increase was noted in the HCDGUN groups relative to the HCDG group, with the latter approaching values similar to those of the control group. In conclusion, the intake of GT plant extract exhibited positive effects on the immunotoxic and neurotoxic effects induced by HCD in rats with an experimental obesity model, as evidenced by tissue biomarker evaluations.

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Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry welcome new Editor-in-Chief!

Loredano Pollegioni is a full professor of Biochemistry at the University of Insubria (Varese, Italy), where he also serves as Executive Deputy Chancellor for Research and Innovation. He is the Coordinator of the Biotechnology group of the Italian Society of Biochemistry (SIB) and Treasurer of IUBMB.

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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education
New Issue: Volume 53, Issue 4

Teaching second-year biochemistry students the principles of an enzyme-catalyzed spectrophotometric assay with an online lab simulator

Clemson M, Huang A, Denyer G, Costabile M. Teaching second-year biochemistry students the principles of an enzyme-catalyzed spectrophotometric assay with an online lab simulator. Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2025; 53(4): 370–380.

Teaching laboratory skills is essential in experimental sciences, but students often face time constraints, limited access to equipment, and few opportunities to repeat experiments. These challenges can hinder both conceptual understanding and hands-on proficiency. To address this, we developed an online data simulator replicating the laboratory quantification of ethanol in simulated blood samples. This tool allowed students to practice repeatedly and independently, closely mimicking a traditional lab environment. Implemented at two Australian universities using a mixed-methods approach, the simulator was shown to enhance students’ understanding of biochemistry lab concepts. Our findings support the use of virtual simulations as an effective supplement—or alternative—to traditional lab classes, overcoming common logistical limitations.

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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, Norway, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, and with the US-based OhioLink And VIVA. A comprehensive list of our funder agreements can be found here.

Submit your research to the IUBMB Journals today.

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Molecular Aspects of Medicine

Aspects of Molecular Medicine

Thank You Everyone!

Within the last 6 months we achieved a lot – reaching more than 3 Million people through our communications, having more scientists to join this newsletter and awarding several scholarships and prices.