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Taking research from the lab to the clinic
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Taking research from the lab to the clinic
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Ask the Editors 6 This year, IOP Publishing is launching two new journals for the biosciences community. Tami Freeman talks to the journals’ Founding Editors to find out more.
Ed Egelman sets the agenda p9 Q&A: Ed Egelman 9 Ed Egelman, president of the Biophysical Society, explains how numerical techniques have become a powerful tool for understanding biological processes.
Research news 11 ● Robotic arm gets the thumbs up ● Complex networks probe secrets of the human body ● Power-line link to leukaemia puzzles researchers ● Physicists sound warning to ‘nail beauty fanatics’ ● Sweet-smelling breath offers diabetes test ● Proton radiographs improve range prediction Proton radiographs to improve treatment ● Morphing wings avoid drone collisions accuracy p13 ● Biomaterial promises more successful implants ● Tumour metastasis: environment matters ● Signal processing reveals cardiovascular secrets ● Scientists bridge the cultural gap ● Lasers offer new route to tissue scaffolds ● Nanocomposites encourage bone repair
News from IOP Publishing 18 ● New director expands publishing horizons ● Open access made easier for Chinese researchers ● IOP staff raise £8000 for local food charity Drone design mimics nature p14 ● JPhysD embraces the life sciences ● Innovation drives IOP ebooks
Editor Susan Curtis Contributing Editor Tami Freeman Production Editor Alison Gardiner Adding value to IOP authors 20 Senior Marketing Executive Emma Watkins How IOP Publishing can help you to promote and share your research. Advertisement Sales Chris Thomas Advertisement Production Mark Trimnell Diagram Artist Alison Tovey Art Director Andrew Giaquinto IOP journals in the biosciences 22 Publishing Manager Pernille Hammelsø Find out more about all journals published by IOP Publishing in medical physics, Copyright © 2015 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors. All rights reserved biophysics and biomedical engineering.
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“If the 20th century was the century of physics, the 21st will be the century of biology,” asserted Craig Venter, one of the pioneering scientists who first sequenced the human genome, in 2004. The phrase has since become part of the scientific lexicon, but does not accurately reflect the true revolution that is taking place within the research community. While more science funding is certainly directed towards improving healthcare, the real change is that scientists who were once bounded by their individual disciplines are now working together to understand and fight disease.
One vital element of this newly convergent approach is that quantitative techniques rooted in physics are now being applied to understanding complex biological processes. Most obvious are the diverse array of imaging techniques routinely Cover image: Physicists are increasingly working alongside used to study everything from individual cells to parts of the human body. But some biologists and biochemists to understand and fight disease. In this image, fluorescent imaging techniques developed by physicists of the research highlighted in this special collection from IOP Publishing reveals have been used to study cancer cells in epithelial tissue, which covers and lines all of our internal organs. These cells form how physicists are working alongside bioscientists and medical practitioners carcinomas, the most common form of human cancer, and in this on problems as diverse as designing new biomaterials, developing improved image the nucleus is labelled with a red fluorescent dye, the cytoskeleton filaments appear green and the cell membrane is diagnostic techniques, and understanding the complexity of human physiology. shown in blue. IOP Publishing has long been a champion of this multidisciplinary approach, and now publishes 11 journals spanning medical physics, biophysics and biomedical engineering (see pp22–23). Many of these journals are leaders in their field, including Journal of Breath Research, Biofabrication and Biomedical Materials, while several are published in partnership with high-profile scientific organizations. As a result, we are now the second-largest publisher of papers in medical physics.
Further strengthening the IOP biosciences portfolio are two new titles, both of which embrace the multidisciplinary ethos. Convergent Science™ Physical Oncology (CSPO) enables scientists and clinicians to discuss collaborative research to understand, diagnose and treat cancer, and for the first time provides a voice for patient groups aiming to improve outcomes and wellbeing. Meanwhile, Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express (BPEX) is a broad and inclusive journal that offers rapid review for all manuscripts in the biomedical sciences. You can find out more from our Founding Editors on pp6–8.
We hope that you enjoy this special collection, and we hope to have the opportunity to work with you soon.
Pernille Hammelsø Publishing manager, IOP Publishing [email protected]
5 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic Ask the Editors ioppublishing.org/biosciences
Convergent Science Physical Oncology Novel journal unites cancer researchers A new journal aims to stimulate a collective conversation among researchers from different disciplines but with a single mission: to understand how cancer forms and grows. Tami Freeman finds out more from two of the journal’s Founding Editors.
Physical oncology – the use of phys- Pulling together Baas explains. “Physiology is one of ical sciences to better understand Founding Editors the most complicated systems out how cancer works – is a unique Peter Kuhn, Kelly there, so we need all voices to come research field that brings together Bethel, Carole Baas together to solve this great question.” experts in chemistry, physics and and Jorge Nieva offer biomedical engineering, along with different A new journal emerges mathematics and computer science. perspectives on So how can all these disparate groups It also encompasses medical speci- physical oncology. of researchers communicate their alities including oncology, pathol- results in an effective way? Previ- ogy, surgery and radiotherapy, as ously, physical oncology research well as research at the human scale, was scattered among many different such as investigating how to quantify types of journals. Research papers the impact of disease and treatments would be reviewed and published in on a patient’s physical performance a journal in one specific field, but few and wellbeing. outside of that particular area were While studies in physical oncol- another of CSPO’s Founding Edi- likely to read it. “One of the missing ogy have progressed rapidly over tors. “There was a lot of research pieces was how to actually commu- the last five or six years, there has being done that wasn’t traditional nicate with one another,” explains been no obvious home for publish- cancer research, with people in dif- Kuhn. “And that is really how CSPO ing such cross-disciplinary research. ferent areas of science taking a look was born. The idea was that during One particular challenge has been at cancer.” the peer-review process, you have to to offer researchers a peer-review Baas explains that one example have as equal partners the patient mechanism that recognizes the target area for such research is the research advocate, the pathologist, combined contributions from many tumour microenvironment. Study- the oncologist and the physicist.” different fields, and IOP Publishing ing the physical properties of tissue As a consequence, IOP Publish- believes it has found a solution in its surrounding a tumour, for instance, ing launched the journal with four new journal, Convergent Science™ could reveal whether certain aspects Founding Editors representing these Physical Oncology (CSPO). The aim of the microenvironment make it different stakeholder communities. for CSPO is to bring together all conducive to cancer cells, providing Along with Kuhn (the physicist) and researchers working within the phys- information that could be exploited Baas (the patient advocate), Kelly ics of cancer and create a new forum therapeutically. Bethel from Scripps Clinic and Jorge for this exciting field of research. “Right now, we don’t know why Nieva from the University of South- “It’s the physical properties of cancers metastasize and why they ern California provide the patholo- the body that enable the dissemi- decide to go where they do. If we are gist and oncologist points of view. “If nation of cancer through the body,” able to draw together many differ- the four of us can talk to one another explains Peter Kuhn, Dean’s Pro- ent areas of science and look at this and understand one another, then all fessor of Biological Sciences at USC from a really broad perspective – not of a sudden we have brought together Dornsife and one of CSPO’s four just the biology – maybe that can very distant fields to look at this prob- Founding Editors. “Cancer cells give us insight into what's going on,” lem,” says Kuhn. “Then we might interact with one another, they bump actually be able to make progress.” against walls, break through vessels Encompassing such a wide range
and travel through the blood. There NEW LAUNCH of subjects can prove tricky when it Convergent Science is both biology and physics at play at Physical Oncology A multidisciplinary journal focusing comes to peer review of submitted the same time.” on understanding cancer complexity papers. To tackle this challenge, the “Several years ago, it became Launch Issue – March 2015 as it evolves in the patient, and to CSPO team is implementing a new apparent that there was a need to the development of more effective type of review process, in which refer- look at cancer in a new and differ- ees from different fields are actively ent way,” adds Carole Baas, lead diagnostics and treatment. encouraged to discuss a paper among patient advocate for the National themselves. Cancer Institute's Physical Sciences- “Typically, a paper in, say, mathe- Oncology Centers (PS-OC), and matics and cancer might get sent to
6 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic ioppublishing.org/biosciences Ask the Editors a mathematicianIntroducing and a cancer biolo- all of whom were really keen to hear understand. “Hopefully this break- gist. But the biologist can only judge patients’ thoughts on their work. ing down of barriers will increase theConvergent biology and the mathematician Science “In some cases, the researchers had interest, and subsequently funding, can only judge the maths,” explains never even talked to a patient with in this area,” says Baas. Kuhn. “If that work is truly built in a the type of cancer that they were Looking forward, Kuhn predicts convergentPhysical framework, then theOncology sep- studying,” she notes. “The opportu- that CSPO could “play a true leader- arate reviewers have to have a conver- nity to connect with patients is not so ship role” in publishing manuscripts sation – otherwise they can’t evaluate easy if, for example, you’re a mathe- from the many high-ranking groups theConvergent total value Science of that™ Physicalmanuscript. Oncology I (CSPO) is the first matician working in this space.” worldwide working in physical oncol- thinkinterdisciplinary it will streamline journal the dedicated refereeing to integrating physical In parallel, patient groups are ogy. “I think it will enable not just processsciences and with make cancer it way biology more and fun.” clinical oncology to advance excited about the new journal and communication, but the application our understanding and treatment of cancer in patients. this novel section, and are eager to of outcomes and will really propel the The patient voice learn more about research being field forward,” he said. “Everyone Another keyVisit differentiator iopscience.org/cspo for CSPO to register your performed. The idea is that CSPO finds convergence a really attractive is the inclusion of a novel section, pro- will also provide a unique outlet for process, but doing it is brutally hard visionallyinterest called “Outcomes”, for the latest which news about the journal. non-scientists to share their ideas. because we all have different per- might include patient-authored per- “At one event, a research advocate spectives. The question we are rais- spectives, commentaries on topical presented a great analysis of qual- ing with CSPO is ‘can we understand issues, and cutting-edge science pre- ity-of-life parameters,” says Kuhn. the physical aspects of cancer in the sented at a lay level. A clinical oncolo- “What was really interesting was the human and can we bring that data gist may, for example, write about how way she put together and analysed together so we better understand the their research will impact patients; or the data in a way I’ve never seen. I human body?’ The only way to do this a mathematician might explain how thought this would be great for my is for all of us to participate equally.” their modelling work will change the students to read, but there was no “As a patient advocate, I see all way that drugs are delivered. place for her to publish this.” different types of cancer research “I am absolutely delighted that Ultimately, the aim is to create a going on, but this is the one that truly they have chosen to do this,” says section that will be relevant to the excites me,” adds Baas. “I want to go Baas. “It’s pretty much unheard of entire readership. Patients, caregiv- out and tell the world what’s happen- to have a patient voice in a journal ers and other interested parties who ing in this space and this journal is my that is this technical.” She explains don’t traditionally read technical way of doing it.” that in her role as the lead advocate journals should be able to pick up ●● CSPO is now open for for the PS-OCs, she visited all 12 this journal and find something that submissions. Find out more at centres and talked to researchers, sparks their interest and that they can iopscience.org/cspo.
Introducing Convergent Science Physical Oncology Now open for submissions Convergent Science™ Physical Oncology (CSPO) is the first interdisciplinary journal dedicated to integrating physical sciences with cancer biology and clinical oncology to advance our understanding and treatment of cancer in patients. The journal will be free to read throughout 2015 and will bring together all researchers in the field of physical oncology to address the major questions andbarriers in cancer research.
Founding co-editors • Carole Baas, National Cancer Institute, Irving, TX, USA • Kelly Bethel, Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, CA, USA • Peter Kuhn, University of Southern California, CA, USA • Jorge Nieva, University of Southern California, CA, USA
Visit iopscience.org/cspo to register your interest for the latest news about the journal. Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic Ask the Editors ioppublishing.org/biosciences
Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express Bridging the gaps between the biosciences
The new multidisciplinary journal Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express aims to provide researchers working in all parts of the world with a forum to explore the intersections between medical physics, biophysics and biomedical engineering.
Researchers in fields such as medi- “That’s why we have the team rather tinues. “This is a great way to bring cal physics, biophysics and biomed- than just a single editor.” them together and combine the most ical engineering are well served by brilliant ideas in these disciplines traditional journals. But for those Global ambitions from everywhere. I’ve already seen working on the edges between disci- One important goal of the new jour- extremely high enthusiasm from plines or in interdisciplinary groups, nal is to establish a broad geograph- groups around the world. They feel the route to publication may be less ical coverage, so the BPEX team that the journal answers their needs clear cut. has assembled an Editorial Board by focusing on scientific rigour and Enter Biomedical Physics & Engi- that comprises members from all innovation, not just on research using neering Express (BPEX), a new jour- Robert Jeraj across the globe. “Researchers will expensive equipment.” nal from IOP Publishing that aims BPEX Founding feel more comfortable submitting not just to cover all three disciplines, Editor. to a journal where they can see con- Express performance but to focus on bridging the gaps nections with people they might Another key feature of BPEX lies between individual areas. know, or from their country,” Jeraj in the “Express” in its title – which “Medical physics, biophysics and explains. “The Editorial Board is promises fast but rigorous peer biomedical engineering have devel- also tasked with identifying prom- review, with first decisions in less oped independently, but we are now ising groups and researchers within than 28 days on average. BPEX also realizing that they have a lot of things their regions, and encouraging them offers the option for transfer from in common,” explains Founding Edi- to come together and to feel at home IOP Publishing’s other titles, in par- tor Robert Jeraj of the University of with BPEX.” ticular when the paper doesn’t quite Wisconsin-Madison in the US. Jeraj notes that BPEX’s interdis- fit into a journal’s scope. One area that spans all three dis- ciplinary model will particularly suit “If the paper is appropriate for ciplines, for instance, is imaging. authors in countries where the three BPEX, if it fits the scope and the In biophysics, this mostly concerns disciplines that underpin BPEX are criteria, and the authors agree to the optical imaging and microscopy, less differentiated than in the USA transfer, then it goes on fast track,” while medical physics relies on or Europe. He also highlights the Jeraj explains. “The original reviews imaging for clinical techniques, significant contributions that can are taken into account, which speeds and biomedical engineering helps be made by researchers who may up the publication process and spares develop technologies for both parts not have access to state-of-the-art the referee pool. We are also con- of the spectrum. technologies. “Very often, people sidering the introduction of online who don’t have financial resources commenting and feedback on the Opening the doors compensate by being more innova- papers to continue the review pro- The scope of the new journal is tive,” he says. “The research may not cess post-publishing.” intended to be broad and inclusive, be really cutting-edge, but the ideas Looking ahead, Jeraj hopes that in covering any application of physics may actually be more innovative five years’ time, BPEX will emerge and/or engineering in either med- than those that just come from using as the key journal for interdiscipli- icine or biology. “We’re aiming to advanced technology. nary research of physics and/or engi- provide a common ground for dis- “There are smart people every- neering in medicine and/or biology. cussion between the disciplines,” where around the world,” he con- “The initial reactions that I've been continues Jeraj. getting have been extremely enthu- To foster this inclusive approach, siastic,” he told medicalphysicsweb.
BPEX will have three Deputy Edi- NEW LAUNCH “People think there is a real need Biomedical An inclusive, international, tors working alongside Jeraj to rep- Physics & Engineering for this interdisciplinary approach, Express resent the fields of medical physics, iopscience.org/bpex multidisciplinary journal devoted especially for research that isn’t quite biophysics and biomedical engineer- Launch Issue – March 2015 to publishing new research on within one discipline or spans subject ing, but who have been selected for any application of physics and/ fields. BPEX addresses a niche that their ability to see beyond these indi- or engineering in medicine and/or is not adequately addressed in tradi- vidual fields. “In order to be effec- tional journals.” biology. tive in bridging between disciplines, ●● BPEX is now open for we also have to be very good within submissions. Find out more at each discipline,” explains Jeraj. Iopscience.org/bpex.
8 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic ioppublishing.org/biosciences Q&A: Ed Egelman
Ed Egelman, president of the Biophysical Society, talks to Susan Curtis about his roots in physics, the ups and downs of research funding, and the role that professional societies should play in educating the public about the importance of science.
The annual meeting of the Biophysical plex Monte Carlo simulations, to develop Society, held in Baltimore, US, in February analytical formalisms, and to use them to 2015, brought together experts in all understand experimental results. areas of the biosciences. How would you Today, more people come to biophys- define biophysics? ics with a background in cell biology or The annual meeting, like the Society, cov- biochemistry, and then it can be difficult ers a broad spectrum of disciplines. It’s not for them to learn numerical techniques. always clear what biophysicists do, par- In the US, students in the first year of ticularly as the boundaries are changing graduate school receive more training all the time, but in my view the best defini- and coursework, and that provides a good tion is what they are actually working on. opportunity to get them up to speed with A good example is molecular dynamics computational methods. simulations, a physics-based tool that has been widely adopted and developed by What are the challenges for physicists chemists and biochemists – as recognized who wish to study biological systems? by the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. One problem for physicists working in this These simulations, which reveal in detail field is that they always seek simplicity in how atoms and molecules interact with complex biological systems, and some- each other, are yielding great outcomes Ed Egelman President of the Biophysical Society. times it’s just not there. There’s a legend- in biophysics by speeding up new research ary text book, called Molecular Biology of and new discoveries. Increasing compu- offered more freedom to explore the top- the Cell, which was first published in 1983. tational power will continue to accelerate ics that might interest me. If I had contin- At the time, everyone thought it would be our understanding of complex biological ued in high-energy physics, I might have complicated and difficult for students to systems; our ability to sequence DNA, for been the 151st author on a paper, but I understand. But almost everything in that instance, is following the same progression wanted to have the opportunity to shape book has been proven to be more com- as Moore’s Law for electronic devices. the research direction of a small team. plicated than originally described by the authors. You started your research career in How does your physics background help particle physics, studying for a PhD with you in your current research field? What are the prospects for students who Nobel prize-winner Carlo Rubbia. Why did My area of expertise is electron cryo-mi- aspire to pursue a research career in you decide to switch to biophysics? croscopy, which relies on understanding biophysics? I worked with a biophysicist during my the physics of scattering and image forma- Unfortunately, we now have an acute undergraduate physics honours course, tion. My physics training has provided me funding issue that’s affecting all biomed- and got the impression that biophysics with the skills and knowledge to run com- ical research in the US. Funding through
s
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9 Biomedical Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic Physics & Engineering ioppublishing.org/biosciences ExpressQ&A: Ed Engelman the National Institutes of Health doubled TheNEW Biophysics FOR Society now has 9000 experiments are still crucial, particularly iopscience.org/bpexduring the 1990s, so universities built members,2015 with a third outside of the US, in X-ray crystallography and high-resolu- new labs and scientists migrated towards and the number continues to grow. What tion microscopy. In fact, the life sciences the biomedical sciences. That was unsus- makes it so popular at a time when many have really pushed the boundaries of Atainable, broad, inclusive, and since rapid-review then the journal funding publishing has new otherresearch professional in all societies struggle to what’s possible with electron microscopy areasdeclined. of biomedical engineering, biophysics and medicalmaintain physics. membership growth? because biological samples scatter elec- This is now creating problems for The multidisciplinary approach makes trons only weakly. studentsTo findwho wantout more to follow about apublishing research your itwork more interesting, plus it’s run in a way One key issue is that some datasets career.in Universities BPEX, visit iopscience.org/bpexin the US have oper- that’s both inclusive and democratic. recorded by crystallography and micros- ated as training grounds for new research The officers of the society are elected copy are not accessible to the broader scientists, the idea being that gradu- by members, while the Editor-in-Chief research community. In crystallogra- ate students and postdocs progress to of the society’s journal, the Biophysical phy, scientists are required to make their become the faculty that train a new gen- Journal, is appointed for a fixed five-year structure factors available when they eration of scientists. But now there aren’t term. It means that we don’t have a clique publish their work, but that now needs enough faculty positions for the large at the head of the society. to be extended to other experimental numbers of postdocs who come through At the meeting, too, students and junior techniques. the system. researchers have the opportunity to pres- The NIH has launched a new initiative, Organizations such as the Biophysi- ent posters and talks in a series of focused called Big Data to Knowledge, which cal Society can play a key role in gaining platforms, while the more senior research- offers grants for projects that will make public support for research funding. That ers who speak at the headline symposia experimental data available to the wider comes down to science education in the are ineligible for speaking for the follow- research community. Alongside that, classroom, not necessarily to train new sci- ing two years. it’s equally important that the data pro- entists but to make people aware of what duced in experiments and simulations science does. In the US in particular, most How do you see the field developing in the are entirely reproducible, which means people are ignorant of science, with most next few years? that scientists should make their raw data adults here refusing to accept that evolu- Computational techniques will continue available to allow wider scrutiny by the tion happened. to speed up the pace of progress, but community.
Biomedical NEW FOR Physics & Engineering 2015 Express iopscience.org/bpex
A broad, inclusive, rapid-review journal publishing new research in all areas of biomedical engineering, biophysics and medical physics. Free to read for 2015 As part of the initial launch phase, all content in the journal will be free to read for individual users, universities and academic research institutes in 2015.
To find out more about publishing your work in BPEX, visit iopscience.org/bpex
10 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic ioppublishing.org/biosciences Research news
Robotic arm gets the thumbs up
ISSN 1741-2560 A paralysed woman taking part in JOURNALOF giving researchers “high fives” to arm, which they found was vital to a pioneering research study has for NEURAL the “thumbs up”. allow reliable, real-time interaction ENGINEERING
the first time been able to pick up Volume 12 Number 1 February 2015 The arm is controlled through a with objects. and manipulate a range of objects brain-machine interface that links “10D control allowed Jan to inter- with a robotic arm. Jan Scheuer- a computer with two grids of elec- act with objects in different ways, mann, who has been paralyzed from trodes that at the start of the study just as people use their hands to iopscience.org/jne Featured articles Chemical stimulation of rat retinal neurons: feasibility of an epiretinal neurotransmitter-based prosthesis SamSoon Inayat, Corey m rountree, John B troy the neck down since 2003, has been and Laxman Saggere were surgically implanted into pick up objects depending on their Ten-dimensional anthropomorphic arm control in a human brain−machine interface: difficulties, solutions, and limitations B WodLInger, J e doWney, e C tyLer-KaBara, a B SChWartz, involved with the research pro- m L BonInger and J L CoLLInger Scheuermann’s brain, specifically shapes and what they intend to do gramme at the University of Pitts- the regions that are responsible for with them,” said co-author Jennifer burgh for the past two years, and right arm and hand movements. Collinger. “We hope to repeat this in the latest advance – reported in Each grid of electrodes have 96 tiny level of control with additional par- detail in the Journal of Neural Engi- contact points that pick up pulses of ticipants and to make the system neering – the team has been able electricity fired between the neu- more robust, so that people who to increase the manoeuvrability of rons in Scheuermann’s brain, and might benefit from it will one day be the robotic arm from seven to ten then computer algorithms are able able to use brain-machine interfaces dimensions. to decode these firing signals and in daily life.” The extra dimensions come identify the patterns associated with Commenting on the latest results, from four hand movements – fin- a particular arm movement. Jan Scheuermann said: “This has ger abduction, a scoop, thumb To begin with, Scheuermann been a fantastic, thrilling, wild ride, extension and a pinch – that ena- could make the robotic arm reach and I am so glad I’ve done this. This ble Scheuermann to pick up, grasp out to objects by simply thinking study has enriched my life, given me and move a range of objects much about the arm movement. In the new friends and co-workers, and more precisely than with seven-di- latest work, the researchers used a helped me contribute to research mensional control. As a result, virtual reality computer program to and taken my breath away.” Scheuermann has progressed from calibrate her control over the robotic J. Neural Eng. 12 016011
New Journal of Physics Complex networks probe secrets of the human body
Numerical techniques are increas- across integrated organ systems. SOME ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ingly being used to understand bio- As examples, some of the articles logical systems, sometimes giving in the issue describe how network Identifying influential nodes in a wound
rise to entirely new fields of study. theory can help to understand the Iris W Bartisch healing-related network of biological One such example is network physi- spread of disease, improve the out- processes using mean first-passage time ology and medicine, where concepts comes from deep-brain simulation, Tomasz Arodz and Danail Bonchev emerging from the theory of com- and identify links between brain plex networks are providing fresh activity and heart-rate variability in Networks in the New J. Phys. 17 025002 insights into the physiological struc- epileptic patients. body Novel fingerprinting method characterises ture of the human body and how it “The human organism is an inte- Ideas from complex affects health and disease. grated network where complex network theory are the necessary and sufficient structural A recent focus issue in the New physiological systems, each with being used to connectivity from deep brain stimulation Journal of Physics, edited by Plamen their own regulatory mechanisms, understand the electrodes for a successful outcome Ch Ivanov of Boston University and continuously interact, and where interactions between Henrique M Fernandes et al Harvard Medical School in the US, the failure of one system can trigger different biological New J. Phys. 17 015001 explores how network physiology is a breakdown of the entire network,” processes. being used to understand a number of explained Ivanov. “A new field, Information dynamics of brain–heart different biological processes. These network physiology and medicine, physiological networks during sleep range from the genetic and sub-cel- is needed to probe the network of L Faes et al lular level through to inter-cellular interactions among these diverse interactions and communications physiological systems.” New J. Phys. 16 105005
11 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic Research news ioppublishing.org/biosciences
Journal of Radiological Protection Power-line link to leukaemia puzzles researchers A team of scientists in the UK has Power play land and Wales who were born and raised new doubts about a theory Scientists still can't diagnosed with leukaemia between suggesting that an increased risk explain the increased 1968 and 2008, and who lived within of leukaemia among children born levels of childhood 600 m of a high-voltage overhead close to overhead power lines could leukaemia reported power line. The team calculated the be linked to local air pollution. near power lines exposure of each child to corona ions The study, published in the Jour- prior to the 1980s. using a model based on parameters nal of Radiological Protection (the such as the voltage of the power line, official journal of The Society for the distance from the line, and how Radiological Protection), calls into the concentration of corona ions question the so-called “corona-ion varied with distance from the power hypothesis”, which has previously lines. The model also took into been cited as an explanation for the lungs, which could lead to serious account the wind conditions around excess of childhood leukaemia cases health problems, including child- the power lines. reported close to high-voltage over- hood leukaemia. However, the results showed no head power lines in the UK prior to “We found in earlier studies that, link between exposure to corona the 1980s. for previous decades, childhood ions and the increased rates of child- The hypothesis suggests that leukaemia rates were higher near hood leukaemia identified before corona ions – charged particles power lines,” said Kathryn Bunch the 1980s. “This new paper seems that form in the air surrounding of the University of Oxford, a co-au- to show that this wasn’t caused by overhead power lines – can become thor of the study. However, the same corona ions – but it leaves us still attached to air pollutants, such as research showed no such link since searching for the true cause,” said from traffic or smoking. Accord- the 1980s. Bunch. “We are undertaking further ing to the theory, these electrically To test the corona-ion hypothesis, investigations of the variation in risk charged particulates are more likely the researchers analysed data from over time.” to be retained in the airways or more than 7000 children in Eng- J. Radiol. Prot. 34 873
Physical Biology Physicists sound warning to ‘nail beauty fanatics’
The daily trimming of fingernails stresses can over time cause changes Nails under stress and toenails to make them more in the shape or curvature of the nail, The physical laws aesthetically pleasing could lead to which in turn can lead to more seri- governing nail growth a range of serious nail conditions, ous nail problems. offer new insights according to researchers at the Uni- The equations account for the into the causes of versity of Nottingham. strong adhesion of nails to the nail- common nail Cyril Rauch and colleagues, who bed, in particular the microscopic conditions. report their results in Physical Biol- structures that allow nails to grow ogy, have devised equations that help in a “ratchet-like” fashion by con- to explain what causes some of the tinuously binding and unbinding to most common nail problems, such the nail, as well as the mechanical as ingrown toenails, spoon-shaped stresses and energies associated with abolic edges, as otherwise they may nails and pincer nails. the nail. If the balance between these amplify the imbalance of stresses “It is remarkable what some people two stresses is broken – such as when that could lead to a number of serious are willing to do to make their nails nail grows too quickly or slowly, or conditions,” said Rauch. look good, and it is in this context that the number of adhesive structures Moving forward, Rauch believes I decided to look at what we really changes – residual stresses develop this research could be important for know about nails,” said Rauch. “I across the nail and cause it to change understanding hoof conditions in quickly realized that very little phys- shape. farm animals. “I believe that physics ics or maths had been applied to nails The results show that the resid- can make a difference by promoting and their conditions.” ual stresses are more significant in a new type of evidence-based veteri- The equations formulated by the larger nails with a flatter edge, which nary medicine,” he said. “We can help team describe the physical laws gov- explains why ingrown toenails pre- the veterinary and farrier communi- erning nail growth, and suggest that dominantly affect the big toe. “Look- ties by devising trimming methods to regular trimming – particularly when ing at our results, we suggest that nail alleviate pain and potentially remove poorly done – can create residual beauty fanatics who trim their nails the cause of serious conditions.” stresses across the nail. Such residual on a daily basis opt for straight or par- Phys. Biol. 11 066004
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Journal of Breath Research Sweet-smelling breath offers diabetes test A simple, non-invasive breath test This leads to the formation of cock. The research team obtained has the potential to quickly diag- organic compounds called ketones, breath samples from 113 children nose children with type-1 diabetes which can accumulate in the body and adolescents between the ages of before the onset of serious illness, and cause it to become acidic. 7 and 18. Isoprene and acetone col- according to research reported About one in four children diag- lected in breath bags were compared in the Journal of Breath Research. nosed with type-1 diabetes don’t with capillary blood glucose and In one of the most comprehensive know they have it until they develop ketone levels taken at the same time. breath-based studies of children DKA. Acetone, the simplest ketone, Breathe out Analysis revealed a significant with type-1 diabetes to date, sci- is one of the by-products formed in Chemicals released relationship between increased entists based in Oxford, UK, have the body as DKA develops, which is through the breath levels of acetone in the breath and linked a sweet-smelling chemical usually released through the breath. could help to increased levels of blood ketones, marker in the breath with a build-up Indeed, acetone has been known for diagnose type-1 specifically hydroxybutyrate. But of chemicals that form in the blood more than 200 years to produce a diabetes in children. there was no such link between iso- when insulin levels are low. sweet smell on the breath of diabetes prene and acetone levels in the breath The results could form the basis sufferers. and glucose levels in the blood. for a diagnostic device to identify In the new study, researchers from “We are now working on the devel- new childhood cases of diabetes the University of Oxford, Oxford opment of a small hand-held device before the condition deteriorates Medical Diagnostics and Oxford that would allow the possibility of to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a Children’s Hospital have helped to breath measurements for ketone lev- serious condition where the blood- prove the link between increased els and help to identify children with stream becomes acidic and the levels of breath acetone and higher new diabetes before DKA super- patient becomes dangerously dehy- levels of ketones in the blood. “Our venes,” said Hancock. “Testing for drated. DKA occurs when a severe results have shown that it is realisti- diabetes currently requires a blood lack of insulin prevents the body cally possible to use measurements test, which can be traumatic for from using glucose for energy, which of breath acetone to estimate blood children.” causes it to break down fat instead. ketones,” said co-author Gus Han- J. Breath Res. 8 046010
Physics in Medicine and Biology Proton radiographs improve range prediction
An international team of researchers In their sights radiograph,” he explained. has devised a patient-specific cali- UCL’s Paul Doolan In this case, a WEPL map is bration scheme that could improve and co-author Hsiao- derived from a proton radiograph the accuracy of proton therapy for Ming Lu of MGH taken in the planned direction of the treating cancer. In the new approach, perform proton therapy beam. The map is compared reported in Physics in Medicine and radiography to a digitally reconstructed radio- Biology, the scientists have exploited measurements. graph (DRR) created from the X-ray a novel proton radiograph to estimate CT scan, which provides estimates the distance a proton travels through of RSPs based on a generic conver- the patient based on water-equiva- tion, which can lead to errors in the sion. By comparing the two datasets, lent path lengths (WEPL). range prediction of up to 2%. the generic calibration curve can be “The ability to be able to more Proton CT scans could provide 3D adjusted to minimize the difference accurately predict WEPL will ulti- images of RSP directly, from which between them. mately allow for tighter treatment WEPL maps can be derived, but the This optimization technique pro- planning margins and a greater spar- technique is not yet developed for duced significantly more accurate ing of normal tissues, reducing the routine use. As a more feasible alter- WEPL values than those obtained toxicity and risk of secondary cancers native, Doolan and his collaborators with the generic calibration. The to the patient,” said Paul Doolan, a ISSN 0031-9155 from Massachusetts General Hospi- improvement was also seen in exper- Physics in team member from University Col- Medicine & tal in Boston, USA, and IBA in Bel- imental measurements where the lege London (UCL) in the UK. Biology gium, developed a hybrid approach. researchers acquired proton radio- In conventional proton treatment “Combining [2D proton imaging] graphs, along with X-ray CT scans, of
Volume 60 Number 5 7 March 2015 planning, the particle range in the Online: iopscience.org/pmb with a high-resolution X-ray CT two physical phantoms. “Following The international journal of biomedical physics published by IOP Publishing on behalf of the patient is estimated by converting Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine dataset allows us to combine the ben- successful development of the detec- the output from an X-ray CT scan efits of both techniques: the geomet- tor and the technique, we anticipate into relative stopping powers (RSP). ric, anatomical information from the the first patients could be imaged in However, the conversion relies on X-ray CT and the RSP information two to three years,” said Doolan. standard values of tissue composi- that can be derived from a proton Phys. Med. Biol. 60 1901
13 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic Research news ioppublishing.org/biosciences
Bioinspiration & Biomimetics Morphing wings avoid drone collisions
Researchers in the US have taken Inspired by nature could open out to the full wingspan inspiration from nature to create a The wings on this configuration. “Both the maths and robotic wing that can recover from drone flap in the simulations worked out, showing mid-air collisions. By examining the same way as those of that both tiny and big flapping wings movements of birds and bats, scien- birds and bats. can all morph passively within a wing tists at Stanford University have cre- beat,” said co-author David Lentink. ated a mechanism that could allow “We were surprised it worked so well.” flying robots to squeeze between The hinged wrist joint also obstacles, such as the branches of allowed the robotic wing to tempo- a tree, and fully recover after hard rarily morph its hand when it came impacts. into hard contact with a steel rod. “This finding will greatly help The robotic wing, modelled on The robotic wing moved to comply make flapping winged drones much bird and bat wings, was made from with the object at impact, and after more robust,” said co-author David standard carbon fibre and polyester impact the flapping motion enabled Lentink. “This is essential if we ever film. Each wing was made from two the wing to automatically re-extend. want to safely fly through a forest or rigid bodies – the arm wing and the This mimics the way that the flexible land in a tree like a bird.” hand wing – with a joint in between. feathers of a bird allow for impact In their study, part of a special The arm wing, which is attached to with obstacles without affecting the issue in Bioinspiration & Biomimet- the shoulder joint of the robot, ini- structural integrity of the wing. ics, the researchers demonstrate a tiates the flapping, while the hand “While birds are capable of ISSN 1748-3182 man-made mechanism that copies BIOINSPIRATION wing is attached to a hinged wrist responding to unexpected distur- &BIOMIMETICS the way that birds morph their wings, Learning from nature joint that allows the hand to freely bances to their wings, these same tucking them in close to their body to Volume 9 Number 2 June 2014 fold and unfold over the arm without disturbances would break the wings fly through narrow gaps. Unlike most any actuation. Each wing set had a of most drones,” said lead author previous mechanisms, the morphing wingspan of 400 mm and a length Amanda Stowers. “The flapping
iopscience.org/bb of the wing is completely passive, Special issue of 80 mm. wing can resist impact with minimal Bioinspired flight control making it much lighter and more reli- Guest editor: david Lentink Theoretical, numerical and phys- added weight and without any com- able because no actuation is needed ical simulations showed that, as the puter intelligence or power.” for folding and unfolding. wing flapped, the folded hand wing Bioinspir. Biomim. 10 025001
Biomedical Materials Biomaterial promises more successsful implants
A novel coating that repels bacte- Kong are hoping to reduce the fail- What’s more, the biomaterial ria and attracts healthy cells could ure rate of medical implants, which created by the researchers is com- increase the success rate for medi- can reach 40% for some procedures pletely safe for use in the body, cal implants, researchers from Sin- such as hip replacements. Rejection unlike the antibacterial silver gapore and Hong Kong report in is caused by biofilms that form on coatings currently used for med- Biomedical Materials. The bioma- the surface when the implant is first ical implants. “The total amount terial coating helps healthy cells to inserted into the body, which can be of silver used must be very care- beat off competition from bacterial initiated by bacteria sticking to the Improving implants fully controlled because high cells at the surface of the implant, implant. This prevents healthy cells Researchers are concentrations could kill mamma- which reduces the likelihood that the from adhering to the surface, and hoping that lian cells and become toxic to the implant will be rejected by the body. eventually causes the body to reject biomaterial coatings human body,” said Chan. “The bio- “The method we have devel- the implant. could reduce the selective coatings we’ve created do oped helps the host cells to win the In this study, the researchers rejection rates for not have this problem as the mate- so-called ‘race-for-surface’ battle, attached specific binding molecules medical implants. rials used are non-toxic and the forming a confluent layer on the to multilayers composed of polye- preparation process uses water as a implant surface that protects it from lectrolytes such as dextran sulphate solvent.” possible bacterial adhesion and col- and chitosan. After testing various Chan cautions though that this onization,” said Vincent Chan of concentrations of different ligands “proof-of-concept” study has a long Nanyang Technological University on cultures of healthy fibroblast cells way to go before the coating can be in Singapore. and two different bacterial cells, the used on real implants. “In future Chan and his colleagues at researchers found that the RGD studies we hope to improve the A*STAR (Agency for Science, Tech- peptide was particularly effective at long-term stability of the coating,” nology and Research) in Singapore inhibiting the attachment of bacte- he says. and the City University of Hong rial cells and attracting healthy cells. Biomed. Mater. 10 015015
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Physical Biology Physiological Measurement Tumour metastasis: environment matters Signal processing reveals
A team of US researchers has gained orubicin. In contrast, significantly cardiovascular secrets
phyVolumes X Numberic X–X moNath 20XX lbioISSNl 1478-3967ogy new insights into how cancer spreads fewer breast-cancer cells formed on Modern signal processing provides A J o u r NA l f o r t h e f u N d A m e N t A l u N d e r S t AN d IN g o f b I o l o g I c A l S y S t e m S through the body by looking at how the soft substrate, while breast-can- effective tools for describing dynam- cancer cells interact with their local cer cells grown on the hard substrates ical interactions among diverse sub- environment. Reporting their results migrated more rapidly and were systems, and is particularly powerful in Physical Biology, Michelle Dawson more resistant to doxorubicin. when studying highly integrated net- and colleagues at Georgia Institute of To understand these opposing works composed of specialized, physbio.iop.org
Communication Active motor proteins can couple cargo to the ends of growing microtubules e VA e f r I e m S l A g , m A r c e l e J ANS o N AN d m A r I l e e N d o g t e r o m Technology, hope that their findings Perspective responses, the researchers stud- dynamical components. A recent From computational quantum chemistry to computational biology: experiments and computations are (full) partners could lead to more personalized treat- b u y o N g m A AN d r u t h N u SSIN o V ied the cells’ contractile behaviour, focus issue of Physiological Measure- ment for cancer patients. which plays an important role in ment, edited by Italian researchers The researchers studied two types cell migration. They found that Alberto Porta of the University of of tumour cells that are known to breast-cancer cells are more con- Milan and Luca Faes and Giando- metastasize from one part of the tractile than ovarian-cancer cells, menico Nollo of the University of body to another: breast-cancer cells, with the contraction mediated by a Trento, highlights how these tech- which prefer rigid substrates such protein called myosin. By inhibiting niques can be applied to the human as bone, and ovarian-cancer cells, non-muscle myosin in breast-cancer body, treating it as a network of phys- which prefer compliant substrates cells, the researchers were able to iological systems connected together like fatty tissue. Dawson and col- neutralize the influence of the sur- via a series of dynamical processes. leagues assessed three important rounding matrix – which meant that A particular focus for the issue malignant characteristics – the cells’ the cells spread more aggressively on is to better understand the inter- ability to grow, to survive chemother- soft substrates and less aggressively actions between different parts of apy and to migrate – when both types on hard substrates. the cardiovascular system, as well of cells were cultured on both soft The researchers also tested the as links between the heart and the and hard gel substrates. effect of increasing the contractility brain. It comprises selected contri- “We recently discovered that ovar- of ovarian-cancer cells. This time the butions to the 8th Conference of the ian-cancer cells, which preferentially treated cells spread over larger areas European Study Group on Cardi- metastasize to a soft environment, and showed increased cell motility ovascular Oscillations (ESGCO), become more aggressive when grown on hard substrates, while on soft sub- held in Italy in May 2014. As with on soft gels – the exact opposite of strates they collapsed in same way as previous ESGCO meetings, the aim breast-cancer cells, which often the breast-cancer cells. was to bring together researchers metastasize to stiffer environments The team now hopes to apply its and medical practitioners to explore like bone,” explained lead-author findings to biopsies taken from can- how concepts from signal processing Michelle Dawson. “We performed cer patients. “However, this study can help not only to describe human this study to understand this dispa- required the generation of more than physiology but also to improve diag- rate behaviour, and to elucidate the 1000 individual substrates by hand – nosis and prognosis in a clinical pathways responsible for the differ- something far from scalable to the setting. ent mechanical preferences of ovar- clinic,” said Dawson. “To address “The contributions in this issue ian and breast-cancer cells.” this, we are developing a high- suggest the power of advanced signal The researchers found that the content method to multiplex several processing techniques in addressing ovarian-cancer cells formed and of the experiments and automate the clinical problems,” write Porta, Nollo migrated more rapidly on the soft downstream analysis to enable large- and Faes in their introduction. gel substrates, and were also more scale translation.” resistant to the anti-cancer drug dox- Phys. Biol. 12 026001 SOME ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE Linear and non-linear brain-heart and brain-brain interactions, during sleep Five reasons to publish with Physical Biology L Faes et al • Dedicated marketing support for research, including press releases, Physiol. Meas. 36 683 promotion at conferences, and features on medicalphysicsweb.org Univariate and bivariate symbolic analyses • Flexible format for submission – we only require a PDF at the submission stage of cardiovascular variability differentiate • Expert interdisciplinary peer review overseen by our experienced general anesthesia procedures international Editorial Board S Guzzetti et al • No page or colour charges Physiol. Meas. 36 715 • Automatic upload of NIH-funded ar ticles to PubMed Central QT variability improves risk stratification in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy iopscience.org/pb C Fischer et al Physiol. Meas. 36 699
15 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic Research news ioppublishing.org/biosciences
Physical Biology
and indeed learning to develop the models themselves.” Scientists bridge the cultural gap Bassler, too, values the interplay between scientists who bring dif- Ernest Rutherford, the celebrated and how did they manage to begin ferent expertise to the group. “Our physicist who first revealed the phyVolumesi 11 Numberca 5 october 2014 lbiologISSN 1478-3967 y work in such a different field? What collective imagination is our only nuclear structure of the atom, A JournAl for the fundAmentAl understAnding of BiologicAl systems advice might they have for younger limitation, not the gaps in each per- famously declared: “All science is practitioners of the art?” son’s formal training,” she said. either physics or stamp collecting”. According to physicist Ned Win- “This arrangement makes it so that Rutherford has often been accused of green and biologist Bonnie Bassler, every day each of us is challenged, arrogance, but even today scientists who have joined forces to study cell- in a friendly way, to be smarter. We,
iopscience.org/pb
Special feature: Perspectives on working at the physics-biology interface, including the articles: who work at the interface between Two cultures? Experiences at the physics-biology interface to-cell communication, the key to and our shared science, thrive in this JohN hopfield
Ask not what physics can do for biology—ask what biology can do for physics physics and biology can clearly iden- haNs fraueNfelder a successful collaboration is good atmosphere.” tify cultural differences between the communication. A crucial starting two disciplines. point is to understand enough about SOME ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE “Physics is analytical, heavily each other’s field to converse accu- dependent on mathematical equa- rately and efficiently, and then cre- Two cultures? Experiences at the physics- tions; biology is more descriptive, ate an environment where anyone biology interface heavily dependent on historical in an interdisciplinary team can ask John J Hopfield facts,” write Howard Berg of Har- questions, challenge assumptions, or Phys. Biol. 11 053002 vard University and Krastan Bla- offer solutions. goev of the US National Science “One of the great things about Working together at the interface of Foundation and Massachusetts our long-term collaboration is that physics and biology General Hospital, who have curated we have developed significant trust, a collection of insightful perspec- both in terms of sharing informa- Bonnie L Bassler and Ned S Wingreen tives from physicists and biologists tion and in terms of respecting each Phys. Biol. 11 053010 whose research depends on cross- other’s judgment and insights,” disciplinary collaboration. said Wingreen. “This is definitely a A theoretical physicist’s journey into “We thought it would be of inter- two-way street, both with physicists biology: from quarks and strings to cells est to hear from physicists who have contributing to experiments (and in and whales negotiated this cultural gap,” Berg many cases learning to do the exper- Geoffrey B West and Blagoev continue. “What did iments) and biologists suggesting Phys. Biol. 11 053013 they find challenging about biology, directions and ideas for modelling,
Biofabrication Lasers offer new route to tissue scaffolds An interdisciplinary group of sci- that help to nucleate and promote Promoting growth entists in Lithuania has for the first cell growth. To date, however, com- Artificial scaffolds time tested in vivo a complex tissue plex structures created by the tech- made with lasers can scaffold made by direct laser writing. nique have not been tested inside enable tissue growth Reporting their results in Biofabri- living organisms. inside the body. cation, the team has shown that the “The manufacturing technique is scaffold offers good performance quite sophisticated,” says Mangir- and biocompatibility, paving the das Malinauskas, a laser physicist at way for a full clinical trial of the tis- Vilnius University. “Up to now only ble the growth of cartilage cells. sue-engineering technique. state-of-the-art setups worldwide The scientists implanted versions Direct laser writing (DLW) is an can offer the required throughput of the scaffold into rabbits, and advanced fabrication method that in order to produce specimens for removed them after 1–6 months creates material structures by scan- clinical experiments.” to find out whether natural carti- ning a tightly focused laser beam That’s why Malinauskas teamed lage tissue had formed around the across a photosensitive material. up with materials scientists, manu- implant. They found that the scaf- It allows structures to be created facturing technologists, biochemists folds exhibited comparable biocom- directly from a computer model, and medics at various other Lithu- patibility to commercially available much in the same way as a 3D printer anian institutions to test a scaffold collagen membranes – a result that – but one with unmatched spatial fabricated using DLW. The scaffold bodes well for studies with human resolution and material choice. was made from SZ2080, a hybrid cells and, eventually, clinical trials. DLW is already established as a organic–inorganic photopolymer “Currently, this research is being staple tool in micro- and nanotech- consisting of organic acrylates and performed, [and we are] hoping to nology, and in principle could be inorganic silicon and zirconium, obtain positive results in the near highly effective for creating artifi- and was structured as a 3D network future,” says Malinauskas. cial scaffolds – 3D porous structures of micro-hexagons designed to ena- Biofabrication 7 015015
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Nanotechnology Nanocomposites encourage bone repair
Researchers in India have shown On the mend ing the mechanical strength offered that adding nano-sized flakes of Nanoflakes of by graphene. graphene oxide to the materials graphene oxide Their studies show that the addi- used for artificial bone implants can could improve the tion of graphene-oxide nanoflakes enhance their properties and speed clinical outcomes accelerates the formation of stem up the healing process. The new find- from bone implants. cells, which are vital for the body to ings, reported in Nanotechnology by create bone-tissue cells, called oste- Shantikumar V Nair and colleagues oblasts, that are needed to repair at the Amrita Institute of Medi- bone fractures. “Usually, we need cal Sciences and Research Centre, to include supplements,” said Nair. suggest that adding the nanoflakes “But even with just the basic culture to bone-like nanocomposites can medium, graphene oxide induces encourage bone growth and repair. differentiation of stem cells into “The greatest challenge is to osteoblasts.” design a biomaterial that matches the Further work is now needed to properties of native healthy bone,” porous phosphorous and calcium check the toxicity of the structures says team member Manitha Nair. structure – and collagen. While col- in live animals, and to test the speed “Properties like biocompatibility, lagen is too expensive to be used in and quality of bone regeneration. chemical composition, porosity, deg- artificial substitutes, gelatin has been “Around 60% of graphene oxide
radation and mechanical stability are w investigated as a possible alternative. was slowly released from the com- ISSN 0957-4484 very critical to decide the success of NANOTECHNOLOGY Nair and colleagues wanted to posite scaffold over a period of eight the biomaterial.” Volume 26 Number 16 24 April 2015 test whether graphene-oxide nano- weeks, and that concentration was Artificial bone implants are being flakes might enhance the perfor- within the toxicity limit,” says Nair. developed to avoid the pain and limi- mance of bone implants made from a She added that bone is more tolerant tations of using the patient's own bone hydroxyapatite/gelatin nanocompos- to graphene oxide than other soft in fracture treatments. Researchers ite. While pristine graphene is prone tissue, which is encouraging for the iopscience.org/nano Featured article Graphene metascreen for designing compact infrared absorbers with enhanced bandwidth have developed artificial materi- Pai-Yen Chen, Mohamed Farhat and Hakan Bag˘cı to agglomerating, graphene oxide potential adoption of this approach als that mimic natural bone, which has chemical characteristics that can for bone implants. is formed from hydroxyapatite – a benefit cell health while also retain- Nanotechnology 26 161001 Physics in Medicine & Biology IMPACT The leading international journal of biomedical physics FACTOR Fast publication • Worldwide visibility • High impact 2.922* * As listed in Thomson Reuters’ 2013 Journal Citation Reports Editor-in-Chief: S R Cherry, University of California, Davis, USA If you are working in any of the following areas then we would like to invite your submissions: • all areas of radiotherapy physics • radiation dosimetry (ionizing and non-ionizing radiation) • biomedical imaging (e.g. x-ray, MR, ultrasound, optical, nuclear medicine) • image reconstruction and kinetic modelling • image analysis and computer-aided detection • other radiation medicine applications • therapies (including non-ionizing radiation) • biomedical optics • radiation protection • radiobiology
Image: Reconstructed image for a human dynamic Tc-99m- sestamibi cardiac SPECT study. G T Gullberg et al 2010 Phys. Med. Biol. 55 R111 For more information, visit iopscience.org/pmb or e-mail us at [email protected] Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic ioppublishing.org/biosciences News from IOP Publishing New director expands publishing horizons
Jamie Hutchins has been appointed IOP publishes more than 70 jour- “As a subsidiary of a major scientific Publishing Director of IOP Publish- nals, many in partnership with society, IOP is in a unique position ing. Jamie joined the company in leading societies and scientific organ- to understand the needs and require- 2012 as Head of Journals, and now izations worldwide. Since joining the ments of our current and future part- assumes responsibility for IOP’s company Jamie has developed the ners,” Jamie added. growing portfolio of scientific jour- publishing programme to reflect ●● Pernille Hammelsø is the nals, ebooks, and specialist maga- areas where physicists collaborate Publishing Manager responsible zines and websites. closely with other disciplines, such for IOP biosciences, a portfolio “Exciting things are happening as materials research and the bio- of journals covering all aspects at IOP Publishing, and I’m looking medical sciences. This has resulted of biophysics, medical physics, forward to seeing what our talented in five new journals – including two and biomedical materials and publishing teams can achieve by in the biosciences – with two more to engineering. working closely with the wider scien- come later in 2015. “The launch of Since joining IOP Publishing in tific community to further develop the IOP biosciences brand focuses 2014, Pernille has launched two new our publishing programme,” said our commitment on the communities journals in the biosciences: Con- Jamie. “It is a period of dramatic who work within these fields,” Jamie vergent Science Physical Oncology change for the STM publishing commented. (CSPO), a cross-disciplinary jour- industry, and researchers are work- Jamie has also worked closely nal for researchers aiming to under- ing in new ways that create chal- with new and existing partners to stand the physics of cancer; and lenges and opportunities. We are enhance their publishing services, Biomedical Physics & Engineering dedicated to working alongside most recently announcing an ebook Express (BPEX), which offers rapid researchers, funding agencies and publishing partnership with the Insti- New faces review for all manuscripts in the bio- our partners to meet their changing tute of Physics and Engineering in Jamie Hutchins (top) medical sciences. More information needs and to redefine the role of a Medicine (IPEM) to help the organ- and Pernille on the two new journals can be found Society Publisher.” ization deliver its strategic objectives. Hammelsø. on pp6–8.
Open access made easier for Chinese researchers OPEN-ACCESS PILOT SCHEME IOP Publishing has been working with The National Science Library of basis. IOP and CAS will also work the library community on two pilot the Chinese Academy of Sciences together to explore longer-term sus- schemes to develop sustainable funding (NSCL) and IOP Publishing have tainable solutions for open-access reached an agreement to sup- publishing. mechanisms for open access. In Austria, port open-access publications for NSLC director Zhang Xiaolin IOP is working with the Austrian Science researchers at the Chinese Academy said: “The NSLC is committed to Fund (FWF) and the Austrian Academic of Sciences (CAS). As part of the supporting both the green and gold Consortium (KEMÖ). For research funded agreement, both organizations have options for open-access publishing by the FWF, the organization will pay for committed to work together to create as an integral part of its information researchers to publish articles in IOP sustainable open-access options for resource development. The NSLC subscription journals on a gold open- the future. believes it is time to proactively access basis. IOP will also offset the CAS introduced its Open Access experiment with the transformation open-access charges paid by the FWF Policy in May 2014 and, since then, of library subscription funds towards against the cost of subscription fees the NSCL has been working to open-access publishing funds so that establish efficient and streamlined quality subscription journals can be paid by KEMÖ. The second pilot will help processes with publishers. IOP converted to open-access ones in a UK-based researchers to comply with the has agreed to help CAS authors sustainable way.” open-access policies of funders such as self-archive their accepted manu- “The NSLC is glad to be work- the UK Research Councils. Participating scripts by directly depositing papers ing with IOP Publishing to support universities are given a rebate on their published in IOP’s journals in the this process, as we have a history of subscription and licence fees when they CAS repository. NSLC will also successful collaboration in endeav- pay for open-access publication in IOP’s fund part of the article publication ours such as creating solutions for subscription journals, enabling libraries to charges for CAS authors who pub- the local, long-term preservation of help fund article publication charges. lish with IOP on a gold open-access IOP’s journals.”
18 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic ioppublishing.org/biosciences News from IOP Publishing IOP staff raise £8000 JPhysD embraces the life sciences for local food charity
Researchers who work at the inter- ISSN 0022-3727 Journal of Physics D IOP Publishing’s long history of face between physics and the life Applied Physics RECENT BIOSCIENCES ARTICLES philanthropy continued in 2014, as sciences now have a dedicated Inward and outward membrane tubes
Volume 47 Number 20 21 May 2014 IOP staff raised more than £8000 publishing outlet within the pages Topical review Silicon carbide based one-dimensional nanostructure growth: towards electronics and biology perspectives pulled from giant vesicles for Bristol-based charity FareShare of Journal of Physics D: Applied L Latu-Romain and M Ollivier Raktim Dasgupta and Rumiana Dimova South West. During the year employ- Physics (JPhysD). A new section, ees also gave 550 hours of their time Biological Applications of Physics, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 47 282001 through our volunteering initiative, is designed to highlight quantita- Magnetic force imaging of a chain of and fulfilled many different personal tive physical approaches to under- iopscience.org/jphysd challenges to raise money for their standing biological and medical biogenic magnetite and Monte Carlo own favourite causes. processes, and will be managed by analysis of tip–particle interaction IOP supports these diverse activ- a sub-board led by section editor André Körnig et al ities through its Corporate Social Christoph Schmidt of Georg-August- J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 47 235403 Responsibility policy, which was for- Universität Göttingen, in Germany. malized in 2011 to encourage staff “I believe that there is a broad and GaN-based micro-LED arrays on flexible to get involved with local organiza- important role of applied physics substrates for optical cochlear implants tions and charities. This year IOP research in the life sciences.,” said Christian Goßler et al employees have chosen to support Schmidt. “We aim to provide an Bristol Mind, a charity working to equally broad forum in JPhysD for J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 47 205401 raise awareness of mental issues and the publication of research originat- to promote good emotional and men- ing from the physical sciences with ent this evolution explores the border tal health, with a range of fundraising applications in the life sciences.” with the life sciences. In the new sec- activities. Giorgio Margaritondo of the tion for JPhysD, authors and readers ●● Alongside the efforts of its staff, École Polytechnique, Lausanne, in will find a friendly and stimulating IOP Publishing makes a large Switzerland and Editor-in-Chief of environment, and a manuscript number of journal titles available JPhysD added: “Applied physics, as review process by colleagues with a to developing nations at no or very physics in general, is not static but background and interests similar to low cost, and waivers are in place continuously evolving, and at pres- their own.” to enable researchers in developing countries to publish in our open- access journals. Every year the Innovation drives IOP ebooks publishing business gift-aids its operating profit to the Institute of IOP Publishing’s award-winning reinvention of a core business, which IOP Expanding Physics
Physics, a thriving learned society ebooks programme now comes Fellowship Royal College of Radiologists of the Basis Scientific Scientific Basis of sets digital and the user at the heart the Royal College that today has more than 50,000 with the additional certainty that of Radiologists Fellowship of its strategy”. international members, to directly all publications will be preserved in Illustrated questions and answers The IOP ebooks programme offers Malcolm Sperrin support physics and the global the CLOCKSS Archive, a distrib- John Winder multiple options for reading on dif- scientific community. uted network of redundant archive ferent devices and incorporates ele- Malcolm Sperrin and John Winder nodes located at 12 major research ments such as mathML wherever MEET THE TEAM libraries around the world. “By possible. It has also been fully inte- archiving with CLOCKSS, IOP has grated with IOPscience, the compa- Visit us at the IOP booth at the following ensured that the scholarship in their ny’s online journals platform. 2015 events: publications will be available for a • AAPM Annual Meeting worldwide audience now and in the NEW AND UPCOMING TITLES IN 12–16 July 2015 future,” said Randy Kiefer, execu- BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES Anaheim, USA tive director of CLOCKSS Execu- tive Director. EXPANDING PHYSICS • European Biophysics Congress IOP’s ebooks programme cur- Scientific Basis of the Royal College of Radiologists 18–22 July 2015 • rently comprises more than 30 titles Fellowship Malcolm Sperrin and John Winder Dresden, Germany published across two collections: • ASTRO Annual Meeting IOP Expanding Physics, where lead- • Physics of Cancer Claudia Tanja Mierke 18–21 October 2015 ing researchers provide in-depth • Infrared Imaging: A casebook in clinical medicine Francis San Antonio, USA coverage of key topics, and IOP Ring Anna Jung and Janusz Zuber Concise Physics (published in part- RSNA Annual Meeting • nership with Morgan & Claypool), CONCISE PHYSICS 29 November – 4 December 2015 which offers briefer introductions • Nanoscopic Electrofocusing for Bio-Nanoelectronic Devices Chicago, USA to emerging research fields. In 2014, Shanmugamurthy Lakshmanan and Michael R Hamblin • ACSB Annual Meeting the programme was awarded silver 12–16 December 2015 in the ALPSP Awards for Innova- • Skin Photoaging Rui Yin San Diego, USA tion in Publishing, with the judges • Biophysics of the Senses Tennille Presley recognizing the “boldness of IOP’s
19 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic ioppublishing.org/biosciences Adding value to IOP authors
medicalphysicsweb, the leading online IOP now automatically uploads all resource for biomedical physicists and papers funded through the National engineers, offers extra visibility for Institutes of Health (NIH) to some of the best papers published in IOP journals. As part PubMed Central, unless an author requests otherwise. This of its remit to report on the latest advances in fundamental service supports the NIH’s Public Access Policy, which requires research, emerging technologies and clinical applications, all North American authors to make NIH-funded research medicalphysicsweb regularly features the work of authors publicly available in PubMed Central no later than 12 months who publish their research with IOP, and over the last few after online publication. To comply with this policy, North months has expanded its scope to include biophysics and American authors should highlight any NIH funding, including bioengineering alongside its core focus on radiation oncology. the grant number, in the acknowledgments section of the Visit medicalphysicsweb.org to get the latest updates and to manuscript. sign up for the regular newswire. Many of IOP’s biomedical journals are now Articles published in IOP journals indexed in ReadCube, an online tool that sometimes hit the headlines. Our press makes it easier for researchers to discover relations team works with authors and the and manage scholarly articles. All IOP general media to highlight research with a articles viewed within the ReadCube apps – which operates broad appeal. Notable recent successes include a paper in the across web, desktop and mobile environments - will feature Journal of Neural Engineeering about a mind-controlled robotic enhancements such as hyperlinked in-line citations, annotation arm, which was covered by the Washington Post, NBC News and tools, clickable author names, integrated altmetrics, and direct the Daily Mirror; and a study published in the Journal of Breath access to supplemental content. Research linking a chemical marker in the breath with the onset of juvenile diabetes, which was reported by ITV News, Time IOP Publishing is now compliant with two magazine and the Daily Mail. Other examples are provided on CrossRef initiatives: CrossMark, which the opposite page. acts as a cross-publisher standard to notify researchers of corrections to published content; Altmetrics allow authors to monitor the and FundRef, which offers a standard way wider impact of research articles published for researchers to acknowledge their funding in IOP Publishing’s journals. The tools sources and also provides an easy way for provide article-level information on the number of downloads funders to see articles that have been published and citations, as well as shares and bookmarking through social from the research they support. At article submission IOP now media. All the data are updated on a weekly basis, and can be collects the names and grant numbers of funding agencies, and accessed from the abstract page by any article on IOPscience. then displays them alongside the article.
SUPPORTING OPEN ACCESS All biosciences journals published by IOP Publishing offer open-access publishing options. You can select gold S S E open access at the point of submission, and you also have the option of posting your accepted manuscript into an C
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institutional or subject repository after a 12-month embargo (with reuse restrictions). This ensures that you can
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P O continue to publish your work in top-quality journals, while also meeting the requirements of funder and university policies on open access.
Many university and funder policies on open access have a requirement for authors to publish under a CC BY licence. All articles published on an open-access basis with IOP Publishing use this licence as standard.
All of the content in IOP Publishing’s journals is available free of charge in UK public libraries as part of the Access to Research project. The initiative was one of the main recommendations of the Finch Group, a committee convened by the UK government to explore how access to publicly funded research could be expanded.
A new referee reward scheme has been introduced as part of IOP Publishing’s open-access policy. Referees will be offered a 10% credit towards the cost of publishing on a gold open-access basis every time they review an article for one of IOP’s journals.
20 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic ioppublishing.org/biosciences Adding value to IOP authors
IOP biosciences hits the headlines As part of our ongoing commitment to help gain recognition for authors and their work, we regularly highlight published articles to the news media, resulting in a broad range of print, online and broadcast coverage.
Here are just a few examples of biosciences articles published in IOP Publishing journals that have made the headlines:
HEADLINE ARTICLES Drosophila olfactory receptors as classifiers for volatiles from disparate real world applications An international team of researchers reported in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics that the common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) can not only detect the familiar smell of rotting fruit, but also a range of hazardous chemicals associated with explosives, combustion products and illicit drugs. This story was covered by: • Daily Mail • The Telegraph • ITV.com • The Engineer • Yahoo! News Thomas Nowotny et al 2014 Bioinspir. Biomim. 9 046007
Ten-dimensional anthropomorphic arm control in a human brain−machine interface: difficulties, solutions, and limitations As reported in detail on p11, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh described in the Journal of Neural Engineering how they have helped a paralysed woman to control a robotic arm using a brain-machine interface. This story was covered by: • Daily Mail • Daily Mirror • NBC News • Popular Science • Washington Post B Wodlinger et al 2015 J. Neural Eng. 12 016011
Generic epitaxial graphene biosensors for ultrasensitive detection of cancer risk biomarker This paper, published in 2D Materials, describes how a graphene-based sensor can detect biomarkers associated with cancer with a sensitivity five times better than conventional assy-based techniques. This story was covered by: • R&D magazine • Physorg.com • Nanotechnology Today Z Tehrani et al 2014 2D Mater. 1 025004
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21 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic ioppublishing.org/biosciences IOP journals in the biosciences
The IOP biosciences portfolio includes more than 20 journals, as well as an award-winning books programme, dedicated to publishing essential new research, reviews and monographs. We offer a range of publication options to suit your needs, and once published we will ensure that your work gets the attention it deserves.
Oncology Medical Bioprinting physics
Biomedical Physiology engineering
Diagnostics biosciences Biomimetics
Biophysics Neuroscience
Nanomedicine Biophotonics Biomaterials
Discover our full range of titles and guidance on how to submit your work at ioppublishing.org/biosciences.
22 Biosciences: taking research from the lab to the clinic ioppublishing.org/biosciences IOP journals in the biosciences
To find out further information about our biosciences journals, visit ioppublishing.org/biosciences
™ Convergent Science NEW FOR 2015 ™ Biofabrication Physical Oncology Convergent Science Journal of iopscience.org/cspo Impact Factor: 4.302 Physical Oncology Radiological Protection
The first multidisciplinary journal for researchers working in the field of physical oncology Impact Factor: 1.319
NEW FOR 2015 Bioinspiration & Journal of Breath Physical Biology Biomimetics Research Impact Factor: 3.140 Impact Factor: 2.534 Impact Factor: 3.590
Biomedical Materials Journal of Physics in Medicine Impact Factor: 2.922 Micromechanics and & Biology Microengineering Impact Factor: 2.922 Impact Factor: 1.725
Biomedical NEW LAUNCH ISSN 1741-2560 Physics & Engineering Biomedical JOURNALOF Journal of Neural Physiological Express NEURAL iopscience.org/bpex ENGINEERING Launch Issue – March 2015 Physics & Engineering Measurement Volume 12 Number 1 February 2015 Engineering Express Impact Factor: 3.415 Impact Factor: 1.617
iopscience.org/jne Featured articles Chemical stimulation of rat retinal neurons: feasibility of an epiretinal neurotransmitter-based prosthesis SamSoon Inayat, Corey m rountree, John B troy and Laxman Saggere
Ten-dimensional anthropomorphic arm control in a human brain−machine interface: difficulties, solutions, and limitations B WodLInger, J e doWney, e C tyLer-KaBara, a B SChWartz, m L BonInger and J L CoLLInger NEW FOR 2015
Other relevant journals • Applied Physics Express • Materials Research Express • Reports on Progress in Physics • EPL • Methods and Applications in • Science and Technology of • Journal of Optics Fluorescence Advanced Materials • Journal of Physics: Condensed • Nanotechnology • Smart Materials and Structures Matter • New Journal of Physics • Translational Materials Research • Journal of Physics D: Applied • Plasma Sources Science and Physics Technology
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