Escherichia coli chromosome by forming a filamentous axial core from which DNA loops emanate, similar to the action of condensin in mitotic chromosome formation. MukBEF action, along with its interaction with the partner protein, MatP, also facilitates chromosome individualization by directing opposite chromosome arms (replichores) to different cell halves. This contrasts with the situation in many other bacteria, where SMC complexes organise chromosomes in a way that the opposite replichores are aligned along the long axis of the cell. We highlight the similarities and differences of SMC complex contributions to chromosome organization in bacteria and eukaryotes, and summarize the current mechanistic understanding of the processes.Structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) complexes are ancient and conserved molecular machines that organize chromosomes in all domains of life. We propose that the principles of chromosome folding needed to accommodate DNA inside a cell in an accessible form will follow similar principles in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. However, the exact contributions of SMC complexes to bacterial chromosome organization have been elusive. Recently, it was shown that the SMC homolog, MukBEF, organizes and individualizes the  Escherichia coli MukB was the first SMC protein to be identified through its role in chromosome segregation  complexes, play multiple important roles in chromosome organization and individualization [reviewed in  plays an essential role in determining the axial core shape. Deletion of matP led to formation of uniform circular axial cores, because MatP displaces MukBEF from ter, while MatP+ cells have linear cores as a consequence of MatP-directed displacement of MukBEF complexes from ter  in wild-type cells, while MukBEF clusters localize equally with all genetic regions tested in MatP− cells.By modestly increasing E. coli chromosome placed randomly within a cell? Early imaging studies showed that in new-born E. coli cells that have not initiated replication, the left and right replichores are organized into separate cell halves, while oriC is at midcell . Indeed, MukBEF complexes and MatP-matS are largely confined to γ-proteobacteria (Brézellec et al. oriCs located at the old pole in new borne cells and ter at the new pole (Fig. −E.coli exhibit a similar organization (Danilova et al. S systems that are the main driving force behind chromosome segregation in many bacteria and which additionally recruit SMC complexes to the chromosome at specific parS sites near oriC (Fig. Vibrio cholerae encodes for two types of ParABS system, each directed to a specific one of the two separate chromosomes, despite encoding MukBEF and MatP-matS (David et al. The action of MukBEF-MatP in individualization of chromosome arms, by directing left and right arms to opposite cell halves, contrasts with the situation in many bacteria that encode SMC–ScpAB complexes rather than MukBEF (e.g., ole Fig. e. IntrigriC Fig. . IntriguB. subtilis arms could be explained by higher order SMC action. The first in vitro single-molecule studies of loop extrusion by condensin showed asymmetric loop extrusion (Ganji et al. The mechanistic and functional differences between MukBEF and SMC–ScpAB complexes remain elusive, but in our opinion, it is likely that they both act through ATP hydrolysis-driven loop extrusion. The requirement of MukBEF dimers of dimers for function (Badrinarayanan et al. matS, along with other proteins (Brézellec et al. − and Gm+ bacteria (Petrushenko et al. SMC complexes also have co-evolved with other chromosome binding proteins that can cooperate their activity with prospective loop formation; for example, MukBEF and MatP-As in most biological systems, investigation of how SMC complexes function has been limited by the available assays. Early studies primarily exploited classical genetics and biochemistry, while later on new imaging techniques, particularly FISH-painting techniques, along with ensemble techniques like ChIP-seq and chromosome conformation capture techniques began to play important roles; in the latter case these can now be applied to single-cells [reviewed in (McCord et al.


Individuals who exercise regularly are protected from type 2 diabetes and other metabolic syndromes, in part by enhanced gene transcription and induction of many signaling pathways crucial in correcting impaired metabolic pathways associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise activates Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK)II, resulting in increased mitochondrial oxidative capacity and glucose transport. CaMKII regulates many health beneficial cellular functions in individuals who exercise compared with those who do not exercise. The role of exercise in the regulation of carbohydrate, lipid metabolism, and insulin signaling pathways are explained at the onset. Followed by the role of exercise in the regulation of glucose transporter (GLUT)4 expression and mitochondrial biogenesis are explained. Next, the main functions of Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and the mechanism to activate it are illustrated, finally, an overview of the role of CaMKII in regulating GLUT4 expression, mitochondrial biogenesis, and histone modification are discussed. In developing countries, around 50 % of people with diabetes are undiagnosed. As a result, many do not receive adequate treatment and care to manage the disease, putting them at greater risk of serious complications and even death. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) , the number of people with type 2 diabetes is increasing in every country. In 2019, diabetes affected at least 463 million people worldwide and is expected to reach 700 million by 2045 (IDF). The economic impact of diabetes is expected to continue to grow by 2045 as there is no effective cure to prevent or treat diabetes.Type 2 diabetes is one of the fast moving public health problems in both developed and developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), developing countries will likely suffer from diabetes epidemics in the 21Regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism is very important in patients with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Glucose is most commonly utilized for energy production in mammals. The regulation of glucose metabolism is very important to ensure glucose availability for the central nervous system, which almost entirely depends on glucose for its fuel. Under hyperglycemic conditions, glycogen synthesis is the major pathway in glucose metabolism, and muscle glycogen synthesis rate decreases by 50 % in type 2 diabetes as compared with healthy subjects . SkeletImpairment of insulin-mediated glucose uptake correlates with altered fatty acid metabolism as the biochemical pathways of fatty acid and glucose metabolism are fully integrated . Lipids2+) is an important second messenger involved in the regulation of many cellular events . Raisinal., 2000). It is al., 2000; Raney aal., 2000; Wu et aal., 2000). This pExercise or physical activity is one of the cornerstones for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes in both men and women . SeveraRegular exercise also reduces the risk of ectopic (non-adipose tissue) lipid accumulation and type 2 diabetes through increased lipid oxidation and lipid oxidative capacity . A studWith regards to insulin sensitivity, exercise also shows a beneficial effect on insulin sensitivity in normal as well as insulin-resistant populations. Individuals with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are characterized by impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle . HoweveReduction in the risk of diabetes by exercise is owing to increased glucose transport capacity . GlucosPlasma membrane GLUT4 content correlated with glucose transport activity in both rat and human skeletal muscle . A studSeveral studies show that exercise increases glucose transport and GLUT4 expression in skeletal muscle. A vigorous 7-day exercise program increased insulin sensitivity and muscle GLUT4 content in younger and older people . Again,A study by McGee et al. (2009) shows tRegular exercise induces mitochondrial biogenesis, resulting in increased lipid oxidation capacity and turnover and improved glucose transport . MitochFewer and smaller-sized mitochondria are found in skeletal muscle of insulin-resistant, obese, or type 2 diabetes subjects, and the size of mitochondria correlates with mitochondrial oxidative capacity  as well as in oxidative capacity   and increases markers of mitochondrial biogenesis, which include PGC-1, mitochondrial transcriptional factor a (Tfam), and citrate synthase . Increaal., 2010; Ojuka eal., 2010). Activaal., 2010). Increaal., 2010). Increa2+/Calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine-specific protein kinase . It act Figure 2 . A typiman, 2002). When Tal., 1989; Hanson al., 1989).2 max) cycling exercise increases phosphorylation of CaMKII at Thr286. Another study by Serpiello et al.  and in al. (2011) also shal. (2011). Besideal. (2011) indicat2+, AMP, and ROS . Increaal., 2003 McConellal., 2003). PGC-1 A study by Mukwevho et al. (2008) reporte3+ groups of lysine amino acid residues. Acetylation is regulated by a factor called Histone acetyltransferases (HATs). HATs help the transfer of an acetyl group from a molecule of acetyl Coenzyme-A to the NH3+ group on lysine. Deacetylation of lysine is facilitated by a factor called Histone deacetylases (HDACs), which catalyzes the removal of the acetyl group with a molecule of H2O . The splis, 1998; Grunstelis, 1998).A study by McGee and Hargreaves (2004) showed


In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how two papers, “Long-term expansion of epithelial organoids from human colon, adenoma, adenocarcinoma, and Barrett’s epithelium” by Sato et al.  and “T helper cell cytokines modulate intestinal stem cell renewal and differentiation” by Biton et al. , have influenced his research by describing the development of intestinal organoid cultures and implementation of high-throughput sequencing analysis. The combination of these forefront technologies has expanded opportunities for mechanistic interrogation of host immunity to enteric pathogens.Jose Lemme-Dumit works in the field of mucosal immunology and vaccines. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how two papers, “Long-term expansion of epithelial organoids from human colon, adenoma, adenocarcinoma, and Barrett’s epithelium” by Sato et al. (T. Sato, D. E. Stange, M. Ferrante, R. G. J. Vries, et al., Gastroenterology 141:1762–1772, 2011,  Although their use is practical, the genetic modifications and aberrant behavior of immortalized cells render results unreliable and nongeneralizable. Other models involve ex vivo primary cultures. The limited viability of human primary cells restricts and limits their use. A major advancement in tissue culture technology was achieved by the identification of the “stemness” marker Lgr5 (leucine-rich-repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5) at the intestinal crypts  human intestinal stem cells and for establishment of long-term organoid cultures. These factors included ligands for Wnt signaling  and epidermal growth factor, both of which are necessary for intestinal stem cell proliferation, as well as Noggin (a bone morphogenetic protein inhibitor), an inducer of cell expansion. The authors found that gastrin and nicotinamide improved culture efficiency, with nicotinamide being essential for prolonging culture viability for up to 1 month. Further, inhibition of MAPK (p38) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) type 1 (Alk4/5/7) signals increased intestinal stem cell stability and expansion, extending the duration of cultures by at least 6 months. Besides identifying essential factors for intestinal stem cell expansion, Sato and colleagues showed that organoids retain essential aspects of the tissue from which they were derived, including aspects such as architecture, cell type composition, self-renewal dynamics, and normal karyotype. Organoids can be biobanked, which adds practicality. The technology described in that seminal paper has been broadly applied to produce organoids from other polarized epithelial organs such as stomach, lung, bile duct and pancreas, and prostate and mammary gland. Since the original publication of that paper, conditions appropriate for use in establishing 2D organoids  have been described. Advantages of working with polarized epithelial cells in a steady monolayer include ease of handling and direct access to apical and basolateral compartments for treatment and analysis.Homeostasis and host defenses in the human gut are finely regulated. The intestinal epithelium provides a physiological and immunological barrier that protects the host from pathogens and harmful agents while maintaining a peaceful coexistence with nutrients and the gut microbiota. A variety of epithelial cell culture models have been used to study biological processes in the human gut. The majority of these l crypts . This brthelium” , CleversThe discoveries by Clevers’ group detailed in their report and follow-up studies have inspired and catalyzed not only my research but an entire field of study. Avoiding the drawbacks represented by cancer cell lines and the difficulty of working with animals and their host restriction, their approach opened a new avenue to the investigation of gut physiology and, in my case, of host-pathogen interactions and mucosal immunity. The organoid system as originally described still lacks the major cells and components that support and interact with the intestinal epithelium and that have important functional roles: innervation, fibroblasts and extracellular matrix components, and immune cells. My work has focused on the development and characterization of human enteroid-immune cell cocultures and the interrogation of immune mechanisms of host defense against enteric pathogens.+ intestinal stem cell subsets with different proliferative capacities capable of interacting with and activating naive Th cells via major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) antigen presentation. Treg and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were found to promote organoid expansion, while Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells and derived cytokines  depleted intestinal stem cells and induced organoid differentiation. In addition, luminal signals (bacteria or parasite) influenced the intestinal stem cell-Th axis and shaped epithelial cell composition, increasing levels of MHCII-expressing stem cells. While the work was conducted using murine organoid and intestinal mouse crypts, the report highlights an important form of epithelial and immune cell cross talk as a regulated response for maintenance of epithelial self-renewal or for promotion of its differentiation. These results challenge the prevailing paradigm of adaptive immune cell function by showing that they not only contribute to antimicrobial surveillance but also support intestinal tissue growth and differentiation. The role of Th cells activated by intestinal stem cells in host immunity and tolerance is wide open for investigation. Single-cell analysis is the “gold standard” for discerning cell responses and interaction. The approach of Biton and colleagues stimulated ideas that I am applying in my own research to decipher interactions between the human intestinal epithelium and immune cells in the steady state, in response to infection, and during the phase of recovery, facilitating tissue repair.The topic of the complexity of the molecular and cellular processes involved in mucosal immunity to enteric organisms brings me to my second selected paper, which illustrates the unprecedented opportunity offered by recent technological advances to fill important knowledge gaps. Cutting-edge tools, including cell imaging, gene editing, and molecular analyses such as single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), are now available for deep mechanistic interrogation of coordinated multicellular host responses. In the research article “T helper cell cytokines modulate intestinal stem cell renewal and differentiation” , the autThe two elegant publications discussed here illustrate the impact of cutting-edge technologies and their potential to advance translational research. Organoids and single-cell analyses could be powerful tools for personalized medicine; they would allow evaluation of drugs or therapies, understanding of genetic risks or disease susceptibility, and even correction of inherited defects.


Scientific evidence shows that food consumption is one of the main causes that increases the risk of developing a non-communicable disease (NCD). One of the mechanisms introduced to ensure more informed food purchases that lead to healthier diets is the introduction in the marketplace of functional food products to provide information on the nutritional and health properties that certain foods possess. This information is transmitted to consumers via different nutritional and health claims. Two studies investigated the prevalence of front-of-package (FoP) claims in Brazilian packaged food. Duran et al.  found thTwo studies explored the context of foods and drinks with healthy and nutritious attributes in the United Kingdom (UK). Cesar Revoredo-Giha et al.  indicateFour studies focused on consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for functional food products, while one study examined the role of functional food in disease prevention. Vischeccia et al.  analyzedTwo studies investigated consumers´ preferences for food products carrying sustainable and nutritional labels simultaneously. Almli et al.  observedTwo lines of investigation analyzed how consumers ranked different nutritional claims. Gracia and Barreiro-Hurlé  reportedTwo studies explored consumers’ choices for health information. Sogari et al.  tested tFour studies focused on psychological factors affecting consumers’ preferences for NCs. Guzek et al.  determinThe last two studies investigated new determinants influencing purchase intention for functional foods. Berhaupt-Glickstein et al. , investiThe present Special Issue focused on the role of nutritional properties and/or health-related claims of food products and functional food products on choice preferences, choice behavior, healthy eating/healthy diet and the willingness to pay for certain foods.


Mercury (Hg) is a well-recognized biohazard for the nervous system. Methylmercury (MeHg) is an organic methylated form of Hg, highly toxic to humans, targeting the brain, as MeHg is rapidly absorbed, and easily reaches and crosses the blood-brain barrier , and related intricate mechanisms during homeostasis and disease states. In addition, we discuss possible ways how MeHg may affect hippocampal neurogenesis and the potential lasting consequences for brain neurodegeneration.In mammals, the intestinal microbiota is first acquired either by contact with maternal skin (if a cesarean labor) or directly maternal microbiota transfer  immediately after birth  intestinal barrier function. Impaired intestinal barrier function has been associated with increased MeHg intestinal absorption  in the large intestine  ; stage 2, containing transition cells/progenitor cells type 2a  and type 2b  and stage 3 . After stage 3, NSCs reach neuronal maturity by the extension of dendritic and axon processes and functional synaptic activity into neural circuitry   7 (Falluel-Morel et al., A reduction of 22% of hilus cells and 27% of granular layer cells, without affecting CA1 to CA3 hippocampal fields, after the MeHg challenge, has been found in mice, suggesting that MeHg preferentially affects SGZ's NSC (Sokolowski et al., E. coli, Clostridium, Staphylococcus spp., and hemolytic bacteria, could affect redox-sensitive transcription factor HIF1α and ERK1/2 MAP kinase and intestinal barrier function (Holota et al., Falluel-Morel work also documented a decrease in the extracellular signaling of ERK1/2, required for the transition from G1 to S phase and inhibition of Bmi-1 gene expression, responsible for controlling the self-renewal potential of NSC. Genes linked to cell senescence have also been shown to be altered by MeHg, such as increased expression levels of HP1-γ and HMGA-1 (Falluel-Morel et al., Actinobacteria and decreases in the class Clostridia (Dunphy-Doherty et al., Interestingly, early life stress, such as social isolation, can impact neurogenesis and the intestinal microbiota. Socially isolated rats early in life show significantly fewer BrdU/NeuN positive cells in the dentate gyrus than controls and altered microbiota composition with increases in One possible crosstalk pathway between intestinal microbes and the brain may involve the vagal nerve. Vagotomy has been implicated in impaired hippocampal neurogenesis and BDNF levels (O'Leary et al., The better understanding how the MeHg-altered gut microbiota affects the hippocampal neurogenic niche, by tracking neurogenic biomarkers during NSC maturation in critical time windows of brain development, is in most need for novel therapeutic strategies to ameliorate these deleterious effects that may have lasting consequences for human health.This opinion paper discussed the role of the intestinal microbiota on MeHg neurointoxication with potential consequences for the hippocampal neurogenic niche. Novel breakthrough findings are much supportive of human neurogenesis even in elderly (Boldrini et al., Accumulating evidence implies the gut-brain axis as a pathway for MeHg harmful neurotoxic effects and a potential factor for later neurodegenerative disorders. The MeHg may induce a hormesis-related neuronal toxicity. Hormesis is an important redox dependent aging-associated neurodegenerative/ neuroprotective issue (Calabrese et al., All authors have read and approved the manuscript. All authors have equally contributed to the opinion paper.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


L. de Swart et al.  and “Long-term measles-induced immunomodulation increases overall childhood infectious disease mortality” by M.Rory de Vries works in the field of viral pathogenesis and focuses on interactions between respiratory viruses (or corresponding vaccines) and the host immune system. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how the articles “Predominant infection of CD150 + lymphocytes and dendritic cells during measles virus infection of macaques” by R. L. de Swart et al.  and “Long-term measles-induced immunomodulation increases overall childhood infectious disease mortality” by M. J. Mina et al.  made an impact on him. These articles studied interactions between measles virus and the host and influenced him by making two important points. (i) It is crucial to use nonadapted (recombinant) viruses in disease-relevant model systems when studying virus-host interactions. (ii) Studying viral pathogenesis requires a combination of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies, and a group of researchers with multiple expertises. He learned that only when all these aspects are combined, can one truly answer the question: “How does a virus cause disease?”Rory de Vries works in the field of viral pathogenesis and focuses on interactions between respiratory viruses (or corresponding vaccines) and the host immune system. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how the articles “Predominant infection of CD150 I have implemented these lessons in our current studies on virus-host interactions of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), where we make use of recombinant viruses directly based on clinical isolates and study their behavior in respiratory organoids or differentiated primary airway epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interphase , and scientists should always remain vigilant and “critical.” If one has a hypothesis that deviates from the current dogma, you should be ambitious and perform the experiments to either prove or disprove that hypothesis with perseverance and indomitable spirit.Both articles described here were game-changers in the field of measles research; combined with follow-up studies, they led to revisions of the textbooks. Shaping me as a researcher, this is one of the “life lessons” I have taken from these articles: what you read in textbooks or articles is not right


An algorithmic strategy to design stoichiometric quaternary and solid-solution quinary solids is described. The strategy involves recognition of structural inequivalences to generate ternary and quaternary cocrystals which can then be extended to five-component solid solutions through matching of suitable interactions. Ever since Gerhard Schmidt 1971 proposedet al., 2000et al., 2005et al., 2020et al., 2009et al., 2021et al., 2020et al., 2020From early work in the design of molecular crystal structures . Multidrug cocrystals can be expected to produce a synergistic therapeutic effect, while crystal engineering of the molecular packing and dominant non-covalent interactions may allow the modulation of physicochemical properties to improve drug formulation and delivery. To date, the only approaches to succeed in preparing ternary API solids have been the ‘drug–bridge–drug’ strategy developed by Liu  al. 2018 and the IUCrJ , tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), either 2,2′-bipyridine (22BP) or 2,2′-bithiophene (22TBP), and 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethane (DPE). A flowchart approach (see Fig. 1Aside from the intrinsic beauty of the resulting structures, this is an elegant example of a retrosynthetic approach being applied to systems built on noncovalent interactions. While hydrogen bonding is the dominant interaction in the examples reported here, the approach lends itself to use with other forms of supramolecular interactions such as halogen bonding, coordination bonding and π–π interactions.An algorithmic approach, such as that described here, is a positive step in the direction of developing an understanding of non-covalent interactions and their influence on synthesis of multicomponent crystals. This is essential for the advancement of crystal engineering into the new era of true design of functional materials.


In addition, microfluidics platforms enable us to measure the mechanical properties of cells by establishing defined flow or confined microstructures through viscoelastic particles/cells focusing and droplet microfluidics. Finally, the flexible microdevices have become widely employed.Microfluidics has proven to be a useful platform to understand the material properties and technical applications of soft matter, including emulsions, polymer solutions, hydrogels, and cellulose papers. The study of the characteristics of soft matter, like viscoelasticity, non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, and deformation, has greatly benefitted from using microfluidics to accurately control conditions in time and space. Microfluidics has also served as a useful platform to study biological cell and tissues systems, including mechanobiology. Using microfluidics, external mechanical stress is regulated in physiologically-relevant systems for studying cells, tissues and organisms to understand how mechanical cues are sensed and transduced into biochemical and electrical signals that influence mechano-transduction. Furthermore, the characteristics of soft matter are exploited when combined with microfluidic platforms to mimic in-vivo microenvironment mimics and (6) mechanobiology research.In this Special Issue, we highlight recent progress in microfluidics with research papers and review articles that focus on novel methodological developments and applications of microfluidics devices for soft matter and mechanobiology. It contains ten research papers and two review articles on the following aspects of microfluidic application regarding soft matter and mechanobiology: (1) droplet generation and its application (2) viscoelasticity-based handling of particles/cells (3) paper-based assays (4) flexible devices (5) Droplet generation and its application: Sánchez et al.  reviewedC. albicans [Viscoelasticity-based handling of particles/cells: Cho et al.  found thalbicans  in sheatPaper-based assays: Kim et al.  reviewedFlexible devices: Lee et al.  demonstrin-vivo microenvironments: Yue et al. [Mimic of e et al.  engineerMechanobiology research: Feng et al.  discusseWe wish to thank all authors who submitted their manuscripts to this Special Issue. We would also like to acknowledge all the reviewers for dedicating their time to provide careful and timely reviews to ensure the quality of this Special Issue.


Dear Editor,Recently, Gao and colleagues published a study about the role of Kupffer cells in hepatotoxicity . The au3 . IntereKupffer cells are known as important modifiers of hepatotoxicity (Kessler et al., 2014; Reif etThe authors declare no conflict of interest.


Although climate change is altering the productivity and distribution of marine fisheries, climate-adaptive fisheries management could mitigate many of the negative impacts on human society. We forecast global fisheries biomass, catch, and profits to 2100 under three climate scenarios  and five levels of management reform to (1) determine the impact of climate change on national fisheries and (2) quantify the national-scale benefits of implementing climate-adaptive fisheries reforms. Management reforms accounting for shifting productivity and shifting distributions would yield higher catch and profits in the future relative to today for 60–65% of countries under the two least severe climate scenarios but for only 35% of countries under the most severe scenario. Furthermore, these management reforms would yield higher cumulative catch and profits than business-as-usual management for nearly all countries under the two least severe climate scenarios but would yield lower cumulative catch for 40% of countries under the most severe scenario. Fortunately, perfect fisheries management is not necessary to achieve these benefits: transboundary cooperation with 5-year intervals between adaptive interventions would result in comparable outcomes. However, the ability for realistic management reforms to offset the negative impacts of climate change is bounded by changes in underlying biological productivity. Although realistic reforms could generate higher catch and profits for 23–50% of countries experiencing reductions in productivity, the remaining countries would need to develop, expand, and reform aquaculture and other food production sectors to offset losses in capture fisheries. Still, climate-adaptive management is more profitable than business-as-usual management in all countries and we provide guidance on implementing–and achieving the benefits of–climate-adaptive fisheries reform along a gradient of scientific, management, and enforcement capacities. Marine fisheries provide a vital source of food for over half the world’s population and support the livelihoods of over 56 million people globally . HoweverThe response of fishers and managers to these changes could either exacerbate or mitigate the impacts of climate change on human society and must be considered in forecasts of climate impacts on marine fisheries ,14. For Gaines et al.  providedHere, we use the Gaines et al.  climate-MSY) determined by aggregating values from Costello et al. [We used the Gaines et al.  climate-o et al.  S1 Fig)MSY) deteo et al. . Projecto et al.  species o et al.  bioeconoo et al.  and the The modified García Molinos et al.  species K), intrinsic growth rate (g), and a shape parameter (ϕ) that determines the proportion of carrying capacity at which production is maximized. Parameters were developed for species-stocks following the procedure detailed in Gaines et al. [The modified Costello et al.  bioeconos et al.  and are s et al.  sourced s et al.  and catcs et al.  fit to ts et al. . The shas et al. , which ms et al.  for a des et al.  which pos et al. –34 and ts et al. . AlthougThe harvest rate is based on the following five management scenarios: business-as-usual , productivity shift adaptation only, range shift adaptation only, full adaptation, and “realistic” adaptation  revenues were calculated as catch multiplied by species-specific ex-vessel prices  and (2) We evaluated the impact of climate change and management reform on the fisheries of 156 coastal sovereign countries summing across their domestic and territorial exclusive economic zones (EEZs). We scaled the projections of Gaines et al.  from theMSY, the biomass that produces MSY when fished at FMSY, by century’s end (2091–2100). This is a common target for fisheries management . This performance metric better reflects the goals of fisheries management than percent change in biomass. For example, decreasing biomass in a previously undeveloped fishery is an expected consequence of economically optimal management and should only be perceived negatively when the decrease reduces biomass below the target.For Approach 1, we compared the percent difference in harvests and profits in 2100 relative to today  under each management scenario. While Gaines et al.  performeMaximum sustainable yield (MSY) of the evaluated stocks is forecast to decrease by 2.0%, 5.0%, and 18.5% from 2012–2021 to 2091–2100 under RCPs 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5, respectively . Note thMSY ≤ 1.2 and 0.8 ≤ F/FMSY ≤ 1.2) in the initial year  management results in both lower catches and profits in the future relative to today under all three emissions scenarios . In contial year ; thus, rWhile business-as-usual management results in lower catches and profits relative to today for the majority of countries (82–85% of countries), full adaptation yields higher catches and profits for a majority of countries in all but the most severe emission scenario . In thisOverall, our results indicate that climate change will dramatically alter the distribution and productivity of marine fisheries, but plausible climate-adaptive management reforms could minimize or eliminate negative impacts in most countries. This reinforces and expands upon the work of Gaines et al.  in two iOur model predicts shifts in productivity that are consistent in both pattern and magnitude with a recent ensemble model  that aveImportantly, however, our approach differs from these studies, because, in addition to forecasting the impact of climate change on the biological potential of fisheries, we consider the impact of alternative human responses to these changes, which could either exacerbate or alleviate the impacts of changing biological potential . Indeed,The development and implementation of stock assessment methods and management strategies necessary to achieve benefits in the face of climate change is nascent but rapidly developing. For example, Skern-Mauritzen et al.  reviewedFurthermore, achieving the benefits of climate-adaptive fisheries reform will require accounting for shifting productivity and distributions along a gradient of scientific, management, and enforcement capacities. Many countries lack the monitoring programs required to detect and describe shifts in distribution and productivity, the scientific capacity for conducting either climate-agnostic or climate-adaptive stock assessments, and the management capacity for setting and enforcing fisheries regulations ,42,43. TFortunately, a growing body of literature provides guidance on accounting for shifting distributions and productivity in fisheries assessment and management ,17,45,46Historically, well-managed fisheries have been among the most resilient to climate change , and ourAdapting to climate change will require dynamic, flexible, and forward-looking management. This can be achieved by aligning management policies with the spatio-temporal scales of climate change, ecosystem change, and socioeconomic responses . In highShifting distributions are already generating management challenges and the rates of these shifts and associated conflicts are expected to increase with climate change ,18,70. NThe impact of climate change on fishing communities can be reduced through measures that increase socioeconomic resilience and adaptive capacity to environmental variability and changing fisheries ,76,77. AEven the best climate-adaptive management will be unable to maintain current catch and profits in most tropical developing countries. Although these countries should still pursue climate-adaptive reforms to maximize catch and profits from capture fisheries, they will also need to develop, expand, and reform other sectors to compensate for capture fishery losses and meet growing production demands . Marine Although climate change is expected to reduce the productivity of marine fisheries globally , climateS1 Table* See Table S1 in Gaines et al.  for eart(DOCX)Click here for additional data file.S1 FigMSY ≤ 1.2 and 0.8 ≤ F/FMSY ≤ 1.2).The transparent grey box indicates near optimal fisheries management Click here for additional data file.S2 Fig(TIFF)Click here for additional data file.S3 FigThe percentage labels indicate the percentage of countries falling in each quadrant of catch and profit outcomes.(TIFF)Click here for additional data file.S4 FigThe percentage labels indicate the percentage of countries falling in each quadrant of catch and profit outcomes.(TIFF)Click here for additional data file.


Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is a fast-growing cousin of the infamous Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Both bacteria cause difficult-to-cure lung disease. In contrast to the slow-growing obligate pathogen M. tuberculosis, Mab is an opportunistic pathogen. Ubiquitously present in soil and water, Mab typically causes disease in vulnerable populations, including immune-compromised patients and people suffering from lung disorders such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Whereas, a drug regime that cures tuberculosis within 6 months is available, cure rates for Mab with the currently recommended combinations are 50% at best (Kwak et al., in vitro potency. Instead, the cornerstone of Mab disease therapy is a macrolide, either azithromycin or clarithromycin. It is plausible that the lack of a rifamycin in Mab regimens contributes to unfavorable outcomes (Ganapathy et al., A key drug in the regimen against tuberculosis is rifampicin. Inclusion of this rifamycin in anti-tuberculosis therapy in the 1960's resulted in dramatic treatment shortening and formed the basis of the 6-month curative regimen still in use today (Ganapathy et al., in vitro (Aziz et al., In a screen of approved drugs against Mab, we were surprised to find that the rifampicin analog rifabutin (Crabol et al., To provide additional preclinical data supporting repurposing of rifabutin, we recently measured its efficacy in a murine model of Mab lung disease. Rifabutin was as efficacious as the first line drug clarithromycin, both administered at the mouse equivalent of their clinically approved doses. As expected, rifampicin lacked efficacy (Dick et al., in vitro results are emerging suggesting that rifabutin is not only active as a single agent, but also appears to suppress inducible macrolide resistance, an intrinsic resistance mechanism frequently encountered in Mab isolates (Nash et al., whiB7-erm41 system (Hurst-Hess et al., in vivo, this finding, would support a one-two punch attack against the infection.Interestingly, Concomitant to these encouraging preclinical data, a first clinical success story was recently reported (Cheng et al., Our preclinical results, together with these early clinical data suggest that rifabutin may improve outcomes of refractory Mab disease. Just as inclusion of a rifamycin was a game changer in the treatment of tuberculosis, rifabutin may both improve cure rates and reduce treatment duration of largely incurable Mab lung disease.The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Candida, Histoplasma, Blastomyces, and Coccidioides, and discuss potential strategies to manipulate monocyte responses in order to enhance anti-fungal immunity in susceptible hosts.Monocytes and their derivatives, including macrophages and dendritic cells, play diverse roles in the response to fungal pathogens. Sensing of fungi by monocytes triggers signaling pathways that mediate direct effects like phagocytosis and cytokine production. Monocytes can also present fungal antigens to elicit adaptive immune responses. These monocyte-mediated pathways may be either beneficial or harmful to the host. In some instances, fungi have developed mechanisms to evade the consequences of monocyte activation and subvert these cells to promote disease. Thus, monocytes are critically involved in mediating the outcomes of these often highly fatal infections. This review will highlight the roles of monocytes in the immune response to some of the major fungi that cause invasive human disease, including  Lineage tracing studies suggest that non-classical monocytes develop directly from classical monocytes  or a monocyte-dendritic cell progenitor (MDP) , including C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and NOD-like receptors (NLRs), can detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) like β-glucan, chitin and mannose in the fungal cell wall and trigger downstream signaling pathways to coordinate the innate immune response  production , and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS or NOS2) in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli  macrophages or anti-inflammatory, alternatively-activated (M2) macrophages  macrophages and monocytes, activation of these cells with cytokines, including IFNγ and GM-CSF, restricts the intracellular growth of H. capsulatum, in part by sequestering nutrients like zinc ions that are needed for fungal growth  can survive within unstimulated macrophages in vitro, but the addition of IFNγ or TNF enables fungal killing  requires stimulation by pro-inflammatory cytokines  cells to secrete GM-CSF that is required for neutrophil fungicidal activity  to prime T cells and induce adaptive immune responses that promote fungal clearance (Roy and Klein, C. neoformans or bind cryptococcal antigens, resulting in DC maturation and the subsequent activation and proliferation of T cells (Syme et al., H. capsulatum antigen can dampen harmful Th2 responses by reducing IL-4 production by CD4+ T cells (Szymczak and Deepe, H. capsulatum antigen acquired from apoptotic macrophages to promote CD8+ T cell cytotoxic responses under conditions where CD4+ T cells are absent or low, as might be found in HIV/AIDS patients (Lin et al., B. dermatitidis and H. capsulatum, robust CD4+ T cell priming is dependent on monocyte recruitment to the immunization site (Wuthrich et al., C. immitis antigen can induce T cell proliferation and IFNγ secretion (Richards et al., A. fumigatus conidia to the draining mediastinal lymph nodes and trigger beneficial CD4+ T cell responses (Bozza et al., C. gattii, but concurrently, the fungus is able to prevent further DC maturation that would lead to a robust adaptive immune response (Huston et al., In a murine model of chronic cryptococcosis, monocytes can differentiate into DCs that mediate the generation of a Th1 adaptive response that aids in clearance of the fungus (Osterholzer et al., The adaptive immune response, which includes the generation of memory T and B cells, is the classic mechanism by which the immune system retains memory of foreign antigens to ensure a rapid and specific response upon re-exposure. However, recent studies indicate that monocytes and other innate immune cells can also contribute to immunological memory through the process of trained immunity (Netea et al., C. albicans can cause histone modifications and metabolic changes in monocytes and macrophages (Quintin et al., C. albicans, these trained monocytes and macrophages had enhanced cytokine production and improved survival of the infected mice (Browder et al., Staphylococcus aureus (Di Luzio and Williams, Saccharomyces cerevisiae can enhance monocyte responses to C. albicans as well as gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (Rizzetto et al., Fungal antigens have been found to induce trained immunity in monocytes and their derivative cells. Exposure to β-glucan and to heat-killed or sublethal doses of the commensal fungus C. neoformans indicate that splenic DCs undergo histone modifications that enhance cytokine responses upon rechallenge with a virulent strain of C. neoformans (Hole et al., S. aureus, and C. albicans. The fungal component of C. neoformans that may be involved in stimulating this DC memory also remains to be identified.There is some evidence that DCs may also have memory-like capabilities. Studies using a vaccine strain of C. albicans infection (Saz-Leal et al., Strides are being made to further enhance the effects of trained immunity. For example, deleting SHIP-1 in trained macrophages increases their production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and improves their protection against lethal + macrophages vs. moDCs (Menezes et al., Pneumocystis jirovecii, Fusarium spp., the Zygomycetes like Rhizopus spp. and Mucor spp., and emerging pathogens like Candida auris (Friedman and Schwartz, The multiple roles of monocytes and their derivative cells in the host response to fungal pathogens highlight their importance in mediating the outcomes of infection. Dissecting the specific mechanisms by which monocytes carry out these functions may enable us to develop novel therapeutics that can target these pathways to improve the mortality rates from invasive fungal infections. With the current intense focus on the role of the microbiome in human health, it will be interesting to further uncover the roles that commensal organisms may play in the trained immunity of monocytes as a key defense mechanism against pathogenic fungi. There is ongoing work to determine whether the heterogeneity of monocyte responses may be tied to their origins in the hematopoietic tissues. For instance, there is evidence that the fate of monocytes is predetermined in the bone marrow and may originate from differences in expression of the transcription factor PU.1, which can dictate their eventual differentiation into iNOSLH conceptualized, wrote, and edited the manuscript.The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


In the field of Neuroelectronic Interfaces it seems as though the lines between reality and science-fiction/fantasy are often blurred. One of the inspirations for our most recent Gordon Research Conference in March 2018 aimed at “Bridging the Gap in Neuroelectronic Interfaces” dates back to 1999 when Chapin et al. , very muUnfortunately, after this very promising start two decades ago, these technologies were “lost in translation”  useful to further explore the foreign body responses or nano-particle based stimulations. The prospects of bioactive, so called “living electrodes” were discussed by Adewole et al., who points out several differing approaches to “trick” the brain into incorporating artificial implants. The biomechanics of neuronal adhesion may play an important role in this context and can be assessed by frequency analysis of quartz crystal oscillators, as is pointed out by Khraiche et al.. As important as microscopic biomechanics is in our field of research, it is equally difficult to quantify in brain tissue. Help is offered from localized probing of biomechanics by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) as is briefly reviewed by Viji Babu and Radmacher. Another exciting review by Aplin and Fridman extensively discusses the rarely used constant current (DC) stimulation of neural tissue, a potential new field of neuromodulation enabled by recent developments in microfluidics.Several insightful reviews support our conference's look outside the box and give an overview into microfluidic based model systems . They were able to show optogenetic stimulation of muscles in non-human primates! It goes without saying, flexibility was not a feature expected from silicon probes successfully used in large animals as reported by Ulyanova et al..As one common denominator, several groups reported on recent approaches to a long-standing idea to use of flexible or compliant substrates. For example, Electrode composition and performance was an issue investigated in several articles.Meijs et al. deposited different layers of Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) on TiN electrodes and compared them electrochemically, identifying good candidates for further in vivo testing. The article from Ferlauto et al. demonstrates a reduction of electrical noise by inserting conductive polymers as compliant intermediary on Pt-electrodes. Whereas, the work by Neto et al. informed us to stop worrying about impedances—at least of recording micro-electrodes in the usual range (0.1 to 2 MΩ)—as long as they exhibit a low shunting capacity. In contrast, potentiostatic experiments done by Harris et al. concluded that the use of Ohm's law to describe electrical stimulation over Pt-electrodes is an unwarranted oversimplification, ignoring the electrically complex, spatially varying tissue-electrode interface. In order to further the quality control with MEAs Suarez-Perez et al. introduced spectral definitions of SNR based on cortical slow oscillations (SO) providing a less disputable “signal” (LFP UP state) over a “noise” state.Several articles dealt with improvements for artificial sensing front ends:Losada et al. took the well-known mushroom electrodes . A novel simulation tool was presented by Al Abed et al. to shed light on in vivo electroporation in context of gene therapeutic improvements of the cochlea-electrode-interface.Improvements of optical techniques were presented by several other articles.Nambiar et al. demonstrated an algorithmic pipeline to reconstruct brain tissue surrounding explanted “hybrid” array electrodes. Esquibel et al. employed the label free, optical sectioning method of second harmonic generation to examine implanted brain slices and showed unusual collagen fiber patterns not found in normal brains. Quite remarkably, by applying a custom made optoacoustic imaging setup Gottschalk et al. monitored neuronal calcium dynamics under blood-free conditions deep in an ex vivo maintained whole mouse brain. It will not be the last we are going to hear from genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECI). Improvements in 2-photon imaging presented in the review by Dorand et al. show a complicated and dynamic response to BBB-rupturing, substantial immune activation and microglia participation which might warrant a systematic application of different medications. Wellman et al. further supports the quest to widen the circle of usual suspects around brain implanted devices as they reveal an involvement of a wealth of other players like oligodendrocytes or even pericytes. A view shared by Bedell et al. and Hermann et al. poihc who not only vote for minimizing the cross sectional area of implants, but propose benefits from targeting the TLR/CD14 pathway as a therapeutic mechanism—in particular focusing on infiltrating peripheral immune cells, while allowing the resident microglia to facilitate neuroprotection.As hoped for while organizing the conference, several overarching cutting-edge topics were presented to the community for the first time. The conference organizers then crystalized the momentum from the meeting into in the subsequent articles reported in this virtual issue. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the most recent installment of our meeting. Please continue to check the Gordon Research Conference website for information about the rescheduled conference.UH and JC both wrote and edited this article.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Dear Editor,st century. Individuals with COVID-19 are at an increased risk of developing lower respiratory tract disorders, such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and even death , a novel coronavirus infection, is fast becoming the epidemic of the 21al., 2020). To stoRecently, the use of vitamin D as a preventive/therapeutic intervention against COVID-19 infection has received much attention . It hasal., 2011). In addal., 2011; Moise aal., 2011; Li, 201al., 2011; Manasekal., 2011; Remmeltal., 2011). For inal., 2011). COVID-al., 2011; Sun et al., 2011). Conseqal., 2011). Vitamial., 2011), which al., 2011; Suh et al., 2011). If theal., 2011), may inin vitro and in vivo vitamin D-mediated ACE2  metabolism and its interactions with other ACE2-inducing drugs. Finally, until further data regarding the efficacy of vitamin D on the COVID-19 infection is available, clinicians should exercise caution in the overuse of vitamin D, especially in the elderly patients who also use other drugs which may alter ACE2 expression. Until further studies can fill these gaps, the single daily dose of 800-1000 IU vitamin D may be sufficient to meet the needs of most of the population. To summarize, first, the review of literature on the beneficial effects of vitamin D against COVID-19 infection leads to some doubts and controversies; therefore, well-designed clinical trials are needed to assess the potential risk-benefit of vitamin D supplementation for the prevention and/or treatment of COVID-19 infection. Second, although appropriate vitamin D doses may show some benefits in reducing the respiratory tract infections, higher doses may be harmful. Third, limited information is available on the None of the authors have any conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.Not applicable.


This research provides a guide to sweetpotato breeders for developing and deploying appropriate sweetpotato cultivars capable of meeting targeted consumer needs for sweetpotato fries and other fried sweetpotato products in distinct segments. It will also enable stakeholders in the sweetpotato value chain strategise in order to increase sweetpotato adoption. Prepared foods are increasing in popularity in West Africa alongside rapid urbanisation. Growing demand for fried products calls for targeted breeding efforts to meet consumer needs, but little is known regarding consumer preferences. This research identified the sensory attributes of fried sweetpotato preferred by different consumer groups using a combination of consumer acceptance testing and descriptive sensory analysis. Market and community surveys identified three consumer segments in Ghana and Nigeria with contrasting preferences for fried sweetpotato sensory attributes. One group preferred crispy, crunchy, mealy and sweet fried sweetpotato; another preferred characteristic yam flavour and dry texture; and the third preferred uniform orange colour appearance, ripe plantain flavour and palm nutty flavour. Such consumer segmentation can help emerging West African fried sweetpotato industries identify target markets and provides valuable information to breeders, growers and retailers to prioritise attributes in their breeding, growing or product sourcing decisions. Sweetpotato is a nutritionally important crop and increased consumption has been attributed to several factors. Though primarily a starchy staple, it is also rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in both its roots and leaves. Orange‐fleshed, provitamin A‐rich types have been well‐established for their ability to combat vitamin A deficiency, when combined with a nutrition education component . The market survey set included five contrasting sweetpotato cultivars from breeding trials of the Crop Research Institute and Savanna Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana and the International Potato Center. These included both released cultivars, and clones at the advanced stage of the varietal selection process Table ; Fig. 1.et al. . Oil was heated to a temperature of 180°C before frying for about 8–10 min. Samples were placed on a white paper towel inside a clean disposable bowl to drain excess oil for about 2 min before wrapping them with aluminium foil. Sensory evaluation was conducted within 10 mins after frying with initial inner strip temperature of about 80°C. Samples for the consumer sensory tests in the community survey were prepared by expert fryers at each community using local common practices that varied slightly as described by Ssali et al. . The majet al., Eight panellists were used to profile the two sets of sweetpotato materials Table  using a Consumer preference tests of the five varieties in the market survey were carried out in four major Ghanaian regional markets purposively selected. Three of these regions  are known to have major sweetpotato producing communities. Bawku in the Upper East Region, Cape Coast in the Central Region and Akatsi in the Volta Region were selected for being the major regional markets and Agbogbloshie, Malata, Kaneshie and Accra Mall markets in the nation’s capital, Accra, were selected due to high levels of economic activities in those markets.Sweetpotato fries were prepared and served to randomly selected consumers at the selected markets. In total, 332 consumers evaluated samples across the four regions. Samples were prepared and coded with three letters generated using XLSTAT software . Consumers were asked to evaluate fries and rate them for overall liking, using a 9‐point hedonic scale (1 = Extremely dislike through 9 = Extremely Like). Samples were served on white disposable plates with subjects handling samples with disposable white tissue papers. Consumers were asked to rinse their mouths with water between different samples.et al., Following the gendered mapping for fried sweetpotato product in Kano and Kwara States in Nigeria and Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana, consumer preference tests were conducted in the communities with 191 respondents , 101 females (F))  with means separation conducted using Tukey test at 5% significant level for each sensory attribute . Principal component (PCA) analysis using the correlation matrix of significantly different sample attributes was used to visualise how sweetpotato cultivars were differentiated across sensory attributes.Consumer liking scores in both surveys were subjected to one‐way ANOVA using JMP Pro 11 and mean separation performed by Tukey test. Cluster analysis was also carried out using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) to group consumers into different segments based on shared characteristics using XLSTAT . One‐way ANOVA was then performed on the overall liking scores for each cluster using JMP Pro 11 and mean separation by Tukey test. An external preference mapping (PREFMAP) was created using a vector model by regressing consumer cluster groups onto the factor scores of the first two principal components from the DSA.et al., et al., et al., The appearance of fried sweetpotato was measured by uniform colour, surface browning and fibrousness Table . Most ofet al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., et al., Textural attributes Table  are veryet al., et al., et al., et al., et al., Dioscorea rotundata), popularly called Pona, is the most widely consumed and preferred root and tuber variety  Table  and Kuffet al., et al., et al., Due to the overlapping usage of flavour and taste attributes in sensory descriptions, taste attributes were described as perceived by only the tongue which included the four basic taste sensations  and umami while flavour attributes were described to include aroma through the nasal cavity as well as through the mouth. Sweetpotato is generally a sweet crop due to its ability to easily breakdown starch to maltose as a result of amylase activity and to the presence of other sugars  and Kuffour (Ghana) used for the community surveys Fig. . Obare, et al., et al., et al.  across the locations), regardless of the different sensory attributes Table . This is, et al. , where n, et al. . In addi et al., . The lea et al., , where y et al.,  since swet al., et al., et al., et al., et al., Consumers were generally grouped into three segments through agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) of overall liking scores Table  in GhanaP = 0.035) value indicates that age group distribution is dependent on type of cluster. Older people are more likely to prefer sweetpotatoes with characteristic attributes of this segment. The last group was driven by flavour attributes such as doughnut, ripe plantain and palm nutty flavours and uniform colour, which were all associated with orange‐fleshed cultivars. In terms of preference for orange‐fleshed cultivars, most consumers were in this group (47.8%). Younger consumers (ages below 25 years) were highest in this group. This was in line with the findings of Tomlins et al.  compared to the less sweet type (PGA14351‐4) in Ghana. However, consumer segmentation showed that different cultivars were preferred by different consumer groups due to their unique attributes. Three consumer segments with varying attribute preferences were identified. One group preferred sweetpotatoes with sweet taste, crispy, crunchy and mealy textures, while another group was driven by dry texture and yam flavour. The third group was predominantly influenced by attractive colour, flavour and possibly softer textures. The test of independency showed that only age group was dependent on segment groupings. Community surveys in Ghana and Nigeria also indicated a similar trend. Though most currently available orange‐fleshed cultivars are generally perceived as poor candidates for fried products by processors due to higher oil consumption than other available cultivars, they command high consumer demand due to their attractive colour and unique flavour attributes. Sweetpotato cultivars of any colour, with dry, crispy, mealy texture and moderately sweet taste could be an ideal sweetpotato for many consumers. There is also a potential market for varieties with low sweetness with the above mentioned attributes. Clearly, these findings will contribute to the development of improved product profiles for sweetpotato breeders in West Africa. These findings could also aid industries to developed appropriate products to reach targeted consumers.Eric Kuuna Dery: Conceptualization ; Data curation (lead); Formal analysis (lead); Investigation (lead); Methodology (lead); Visualization (supporting); Writing‐original draft (lead); Writing‐review & editing (lead). Edward E. Carey: Conceptualization (supporting); Investigation ; Methodology (supporting); Supervision ; Writing‐original draft (supporting); Writing‐review & editing . Reuben Ssali: Investigation ; Supervision ; Writing‐original draft (supporting); Writing‐review & editing . Jan W. Low: Project administration (lead); Resources (lead); Supervision (supporting); Writing‐review & editing . Suzanne M Johanningsmeier: Methodology (supporting); Validation (supporting); Writing‐original draft ; Writing‐review & editing . IBOK NSA ODURO: Supervision (supporting); Writing‐original draft (supporting); Writing‐review & editing (supporting). Abena Boakye: Data curation (supporting); Formal analysis (supporting); Investigation (supporting); Supervision (supporting); Validation (supporting); Writing‐original draft (supporting). Rachel M. Omodamiro: Investigation (supporting). Hauwa Ladi Yusuf: Investigation (supporting); Writing‐review & editing (supporting).The authors declare no conflict of interest in this work.Children were not used in the study. Respondents were informed about the study, they could stop the interview at any point, written consent from sensory panellists and from consumers participating in this study were obtained and the research respected the rules of voluntary participation and anonymity. Food samples were prepared according to good hygiene and local practices.A blindfold or red lightening system could have been used during the descriptive evaluation to mask the effect of colour on other attributes. Again, unlike the market survey and descriptive sensory analysis that used French fries sizes, the community survey employed chunk fries which were bigger.Table S1. Average scores and standard deviations of descriptive sensory characteristics for French fried sweetpotato.Click here for additional data file.


Medical Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics”, “Medical Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics–2020” and “Medical Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics–2021” [Medical Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics—2022”  collected papers on medical genomics, human population genetics and computational biology applications in biomedicine, continuing the topic of medical genetics and genomics. Here, we focused on bioinformatics and systems biology approaches to medical genetics problems, molecular oncology and bioinformatics approaches for medical genomics.The analysis of molecular mechanisms of disease progression challenges the development of bioinformatics tools and omics data integration. We have presented an earlier series of journal special issues: “https://bgrssb.icgbio.ru/2022/, accessed on 12 May 2023). The current collection continues the series of post-conference journal special issues presenting the highlights from the set of meetings on genetics and systems biology highlighting recent trends in cancer genomics [The papers on bioinformatics applications were originally discussed at the “Bioinformatics of Genome Regulation and Structure/Systems Biology” (BGRS/SB) multiconference 2022 and its biomedical symposia in Novosibirsk, Russia  and the new IJMS journal issue New Sights into Bioinformatics of Gene Regulations and Structure . The recent special issue on computational genomics in Life  and Genes journal also has works on medical bioinformatics [Molecular mechanisms of human disease progression ,2 are beMedical Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics—2022 presents recent studies on medical genomics. It contains eight research manuscripts and one review, each concerning a bioinformatics solution for the analysis of the molecular mechanisms underlying disease progression.This issue Jeong-An Gim  presenteAlmost all the research papers in this special issue deal with NGS data to study disease mechanisms and find candidate genes. Ionut-Florin Iancu  analyzedFrontiers in genetics special journal issue . Recent work by the same team on lymphatic dissemination in prostate cancer complemented this study [Elena Pudova et al.  analyzedis study . Overallis study  have shoYaron Trink and co-authors studied heterogeneity in Wilms’ tumor pediatric malignancy related to faulty kidney development . Wilms’ The topic of cell classification is continued by Olga Krasnova and colleagues  presentiIJMS special issue, Bioinformatics of Gene Regulations and Structure–2022  the same authors’ group presented a new tool for scRNA-seq imputation via integration with single-cell ATAC-seq that increases the power of the analysis [Mark Melamud et al.  studied analysis .https://deafnessvariationdatabase.org/, accessed on 12 May 2023) for the selection of potential diagnostically important parts of this gene. Initial diagnostic testing for hearing loss was suggested. Studying genetic variants in populations is an important approach applied earlier for diabetes [Valeriia Danilchenko and colleagues  studied diabetes . Olga Sadiabetes  considerdiabetes  as a biodiabetes ,26.IJMS special issue New Sights into Bioinformatics of Gene Regulations and Structure topic at  to continue the paper selection on bioinformatics and genomics in human diseases, as well as the research topic at Frontiers in genetics .Overall, the current special issue on bioinformatics confirmed research interests in medical genomics and bioinformatics studies ,2. We no


The ongoing coronavirus disease COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) is putting our public health services under enormous strain 9 pandemi, MERS-CoEffective disinfection, sterilization, and decontamination procedures are essential for reducing the environmental contamination of pathogens. A reduction of more than a few log units is required for effective treatments. Various innovative technologies for pathogen inactivation have recently been developed. However, some pathogens display intrinsic resistance to both chemical and physical inactivation.There are five generally recognized categories in the hierarchy of resistance as follows: (i) extremely resistant (prions), (ii) significantly resistant , (iii) resistant , (iv) susceptible , and (v) highly susceptible (enveloped viruses) ,17,18. TThis Special Issue comprises two original articles, one communication and one review describing various disinfection or sterilization procedures as well as discussing the underlying mechanisms of inactivation.The article by Takashi Yokoyama et al., titled “Virucidal Effect of the Mesoscopic Structure of CAC-717 on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2” , describMicroorganisms titled “Universal Virucidal Activity of Calcium Bicarbonate Mesoscopic Crystals That Provides an Effective and Biosafe Disinfectant” [The inactivation effect of SARS-CoV-2 by CAC-717 revealed by Yokoyama et al. has recently been supported and further expanded by the results of a study by Kirisawa et al. published in an article in fectant” . The stuStaphylococcus aureus and induces growth. Intriguingly, the supernatants of S. aureus cultures incubated with the DACC-coated dressing were found to downregulate inflammation associated with the cytokine overexpression of TNF-α and TGF-β1 as well as diminishing gelatinase activity in macrophage cultures and fibroblast/macrophage co-cultures. These findings should help stimulate the application of DACC-coated dressing-based tools in the management of acute or chronic wounds.The article by Silvestre Ortega-Peña et al., titled “Dialkyl Carbamoyl Chloride–Coated Dressing Prevents Macrophage and Fibroblast Stimulation via Control of Bacterial Growth: An In Vitro Assay”  reportedS. aureus and Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative bacteria  were inhibited by treatment with CFEAS at concentrations of >95%. Furthermore, the anti-biofilm activity of CFEAS was effective at similar levels of 1.5% polyhexamethylene biguanide/betaine (PHMB). The study also found that CFEAS can be used as a safe antiseptic. Specifically, fibroblasts were shown to be less sensitive to CFEAS-induced cytotoxicity than macrophages. In addition, the authors showed that the treatment of subacute and chronically infected wounds with CFEAS significantly decreased the viable bacterial number of colony-forming units in the wound biopsies of patients with a venous leg ulcer. These findings indicate that CFEAS can effectively inhibit biofilm formation in a clinical setting. In conclusion, the use of CFEAS for antiseptic and antibiofilm treatment is a promising new approach for wound-healing.The article by Alejandro Cabrera-Wrooman et al., entitled “Antiseptic Effects and Biosafety of a Controlled-Flow Electrolyzed Acid Solution Involve Electrochemical Properties, Rather than Free Radical Presence” , investiA review by Pianpian Yan et al., titled “New Clinical Applications of Electrolyzed Water: A Review” , summariMicroorganisms, which highlights the research of eminent scientists working on the topics of disinfection, sterilization, and decontamination. The Editor thanks all the authors of this Special Issue for sharing their invaluable experience and for their help in compiling the respective articles. The Editor also wishes to thank Meirong Duan and other members of the editorial staff at the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) for their unwavering commitment throughout the publication process. I hope that this Special Issue inspires readers and contributes to the development of the research field of the disinfection, sterilization, and decontamination of microorganisms. It has been an honor to organize this Special Issue for


Nature Plants, a new study  reveals how plants assemble translational condensates to balance tissue health and disease resistance.Biomolecular condensates assembled through phase transitions regulate diverse aspects of plant growth, development, and stress responses. How biomolecular condensates control plant immunity is poorly understood. In  Nature Plants, Zhou et al.  contributes to the formation of biomolecular condensates (Molliex et al. So, what can we learn from this study? First, it reinforces the emerging roles of biomolecular condensates in plant organismal defense (Zavaliev et al. In summary, Zhou and colleagues’ discovery of a phase separation control mechanism of gene translation provides a major conceptual advance in understanding the complex plant immune system. Similar to a circuit rheostat, plants appear to fine-tune the intensity of immune signaling through HEM1 phase separation to balance cell survival and death. Future research using synthetic approaches to harness HEM1’s phase behavior could have practical applications in both agriculture and human health.


Insights in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology 2021.” These cover a wide aspect of multiple sclerosis (MS)- related themes as well as themes in autoimmune encephalitis.A total of 19 articles are published in the Frontiers Research Topic “Meca-Lallana et al. show in their article “Consensus on early detection of disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis” that such consensus statements could help clinicians to find early in the disease course patients with secondary progressive MS (SPMS). Such an early identification is important to perform adequate therapeutic management. Standardized clinical assessments are meaningful in MS care. In the article “Making every step count: minute-by-minute characterization of step counts augments remote activity monitoring in people with multiple sclerosis,” Block et al. used a model to predict disease progression over the longer term (>2 years) based on obtained measurements. These findings will be used to develop further descriptive metrics for activity. In their article “Current status and future opportunities in modeling clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis,” Liu et al. suggest that there is a strong need to develop validated models of MS clinical outcomes by using cellular or/and molecular biomarkers. In the article titled “Models of care in multiple sclerosis: a survey of Canadian health providers,” Marrie, Donkers et al. claim that the ideal MS service is multidisciplinary in nature, ideally integrated, and with prompt access to care.There is a need for consensus criteria about the identification of certain types of MS. Coerver et al. show in the article “The association between blood MxA mRNA and long-term disease activity in early multiple sclerosis” that MxA mRNA is expressed in inflammatory pathology in MS that is dependent on the endogenous type-1 interferon system and that this might be a prognostic biomarker for long-term inflammatory disease activity in MS. In the article “Genetic risk variants for multiple sclerosis are linked to differences in alternative pre-mRNA splicing” by Putscher et al., the authors show that genetic variants from MS risk loci affect pre-mRNA splicing. Amoriello et al. investigated soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) levels in MS in the article “Investigating serum sHLA-G cooperation with MRI activity and disease-modifying treatment outcome in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.” They found that the HLA-G genotype strongly influences sHLA-G levels. Autoantibodies are of importance in various neuroimmunological disorders, and their role and mechanism of action are partly undefined. In the article “Peptidylarginine deiminase 2 autoantibodies are linked to less severe disease in multiple sclerosis and post-treatment Lyme disease,” Kim et al. make the case that anti-peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (PAD2) antibodies may attenuate inflammation. This effect is observable in tissues with high expression of PAD2. The role of hemolysis was analyzed in the article “Peripheral hemolysis in relation to iron rim presence and brain volume in multiple sclerosis” by Krajnc et al. The authors found an influence of hemolysis on the brain volume but not on the presence of iron rim lesions in progressive MS. Investigations about metabolomics in neuroimmunological disorders is of increasing interest. In their study “Metabolomics of cerebrospinal fluid in multiple sclerosis compared with healthy controls: a pilot study,” Židó et al. investigated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from MS patients compared to controls regarding metabolomic profiles. They found differences in amino and fatty acids in the CSF of newly diagnosed patients with MS in comparison with controls. The most significant changes were seen in levels of arginine, histidine, and palmitic acid. They concluded that such a metabolomic profile may predict inflammatory disease activity in MS. In the article “Effects of vascular comorbidity on cognition in multiple sclerosis are partially mediated by changes in brain structure,” Marrie, Patel et al. showed that vascular comorbidity leads to changes in brain macrostructure and microstructure. In addition, this is associated with lower cognitive function in patients with MS.The myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA) has been long used as a marker for exogenous interferon-beta efficacy in MS treatment. Bridging therapies with injectable immunomodulatory drugs in the management of multiple sclerosis: a Delphi survey of an Italian expert panel of neurologists,” Marfia et al. suggest that the value of bridging therapy with injectable immunomodulatory drugs in MS disease conditions is underscored. The article focuses on patients with MS who plan to become pregnant and patients with MS at risk for cancer recurrence. Ozanimod is a selective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)-receptor 1 (S1P1) and S1P5 modulator used for the treatment of active forms of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Ziemssen et al. present their real-world and long-term study “OzEAN study to collect real-world evidence of persistent use, effectiveness, and safety of ozanimod over 5 years in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in Germany.” The results of this study will add to the safety profile and efficacy profile of ozanimod in the treatment of RRMS. In the study “Safety, adherence and persistence in a real-world cohort of German MS patients newly treated with ocrelizumab: first insights from the CONFIDENCE study,” Weber et al. describe the safety profile of ocrelizumab in the CONFIDENCE real-world MS population study. The findings were consistent with the findings in pivotal clinical trials for the anti-CD20 B cell-depleting antibody ocrelizumab used for the treatment of patients with RRMS and patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS). Importantly, high treatment persistence and adherence were seen in this real-world MS population study. Fathi et al. suggested in their article, “Dynamic changes in kynurenine pathway metabolites in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review,” that quinolinic acid is a possible player in the pathogenesis of MS. This conclusion is mainly based on the finding that quinolinic acid levels in CSF were higher in patients with MS than in healthy controls. The value of disease models induced in mice and rats on certain novel MS therapeutic approaches is outlined by Jayaraman and Jayaraman in their article “Impact of histone modifier-induced protection against autoimmune encephalomyelitis on multiple sclerosis treatment” about histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. HDAC inhibitors such as valproic acid and hydroxamates as well as others are possible candidates for future treatment of MS.In “Zhang et al. show in their article “Long-term prognosis of patients with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis who underwent teratoma removal: an observational study” that early detection and removal of teratoma resulted in a favorable long-term prognosis in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Case studies can be of importance for defining potential new disease entities and for the description of rare disease variants. In the case study “Acute cerebellitis associated with anti-homer 3 antibodies: a rare case report and literature review” by Miao et al., the authors underscore the need for immune-mediated causes to be considered in acute cerebellitis. Importantly, immunotherapy can contribute to the improvement of cerebellar syndrome. Neuropsychological assessment is important in phenotyping and care of patients with neuroimmunological disorders and especially autoimmune encephalitis. In the article by Chan et al., “Cognitive and mood profiles among patients with stiff person syndrome spectrum disorders,” it is clarified that neuropsychological testing in stiff person syndrome should include testing of verbal learning and recall, phonemic verbal fluency, attention, and processing speed.It has been shown that in paraneoplastic forms of autoimmune encephalitis, the removal of the associated cancer entity is of primary importance in long-term disease outcomes. For teratoma, Insights in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology 2021” gives novel insight into current research themes on MS and autoimmune encephalitis.In conclusion, the Research Topic “RW outlined and wrote the Editorial.


Selenium in soil-plant-animal systems and its essential role for human health published original research reports and critical reviews representing different but interrelated research disciplines involving physiochemical and biological behaviors of Se within the larger foundation topics of agricultural soil, bioavailability, plant uptake, physiological responses, genetics, molecular biology, microbial communities, Se-biofortification strategies, and animal health.With approximate 1 billion people facing some degrees of selenium (Se) deficiency worldwide, it is imperative that the Se community work together and share the latest knowledge on various inter-related aspects of Se in supporting and protecting animal, human, and ecosystem health. In collaboration with Frontiers of Plant Science, Frontiers in Nutrition, and Frontiers in Veterinary Science, this Research Topic entitled Selenium is unevenly distributed in the soil, which has consequently resulted in soil Se deficiency issues and further low Se dietary intake in many parts of the world. To increase Se intake by consumption of Se-enriched plant- and animal-derived food products, we need to better understand and identify those effective strategies for Se delivery though agricultural production systems in different geographical regions. Enhancing bioavailable Se in soil will not only increase Se accumulation in crops but also result in the accumulation of specific bioactive Se compounds in food products. Importantly, the true value of successfully increasing Se concentrations in plant- and animal-based products could be highly determined by the fractionation and the speciation of Se, such as seleno amino acids or selenoproteins in Se-biofortified food products. The different Se compounds accumulated in plant tissues would further determine their bio-accessibility and the absorption of Se through human digestion systems. Similarly, animal health and reproduction are also very much dependent on the bioavailability and the absorption of Se from feeding materials. The adequate intake of Se from the feeding materials or using supplementary Se significantly affect animal’s vital physiological functions that are related to reproduction or pregnancy health, and their auto-immune functions.In this Research Topic, 15 high-quality research papers that addressed various topics or faces of Se research, ranging from the biogeochemical cycling of Se to cellular and molecular processes that elucidate mechanistic functions of Se in human and animal health. Inorganic and organic Se transformations and physio-chemical properties of soils could all ultimately determine soil Se bioavailability for plant uptake and accumulation. Both the concentration and the speciation of Se in soil could affect the Se content and the Se status of crops, particularly in edible plant materials. Recent studies demonstrated that biofortification as an agronomic-based strategy can be utilized to mitigate a low transfer of Se and other nutrients from soil into the food chain and produce Se-enriched food products, which helps increasing dietary Se intake throughout Se-deficient susceptible regions of the world.Se biofortification of soybean genotypes in a tropical soil via Se-enriched phosphate fertilizers”, Silva et al. showed that the application of Se-amended phosphate fertilizers could be an effective method to deliver Se to the crop. Adding Se to the commonly used fertilizers could also be challenging due to the soil Se concentration baselines, soil types, redox protentional, pH, and soil microbial or invertebrate communities. Song et al. indicated in “Selenium effect threshold for soil nematodes under rice biofortification” that, with the application of selenite for rice biofortification, higher concentrations of soil Se can negatively affect soil nematodes, suggesting that the presence of soil nematodes could be used as an effective bioindicator for the soil environmental changes related to Se content. In addition to the uptake of inorganic Se, plants can also absorb Se via organic Se application, as shown in “Uptake and translocation mechanisms of different forms of organic Se in rice” by Wang, Q. et al. This rice study provides important insights into the mechanisms underlying the uptake and translocation of organic Se, especially selenomethionine (SeMet), in plants. As an alternative to soil applied Se, foliar application has been used to apply Se to plants. Schiavon et al. indicated that “Foliar Se fertilization alters the content of dietary phytochemicals in two rocket species,” while Wang, M. et al. further outlined the differences between soil and foliar Se applications in a paper entitled “Soil and foliar Se application: Impact on accumulation, speciation, and bio accessibility of Se in wheat”. In addition to foliar Se application, Malka et al. evaluated potential interactions between Se and Zn in foliar application, and indicated that “Separate foliar sodium selenate and zinc oxide application enhances Se but not Zn accumulation in pea seeds”. Foliar application of Se may additionally influence plant metabolism, as well as increasing Se content in plant tissues, as shown by de Sousa et al. in “Selenium enhances chilling stress tolerance in coffee species by modulating nutrient, carbohydrates, and amino acids context”, and demonstrated that foliar Se application improved coffee plants’ ability to tolerate chilling stress.Agronomic Se biofortification has been commonly practiced by adding Se-amended fertilizers to the soil. In Brazil, soybean is a potential major crop for biofortification. In “Banuelos et al. in “Salsola soda (agretti) as a Se biofortification crop grown under high saline and boron conditions.” Under field conditions Se-biofortified Salsola soda was produced with poor quality waters containing high levels of Se. Careful attention must, however, be paid in regions where Se-biofortified crops are grown in naturally Se-rich soils or with poor quality waters because of the potential presence of toxic metals in the environment. In “Prediction models for monitoring Se and its associated heavy-metal accumulation in four kinds of acro-foods in seleniferous area”, Jiao et al. demonstrated that models can be used to effectively predict toxic metal accumulation in Se-enriched foods in those concerned regions.To produce Se-enriched agricultural products, the biofortification strategy can also be practiced in regions where there are naturally high levels of Se in the soil and/or in irrigation waters, as demonstrated by Hu et al. reviewed the importance of “Seleno-amino acids in vegetables”, a review of their forms and metabolism and thereby affect protein structures, functional properties and antioxidant capacity in newly-germinated Se-enriched soybeans. Relatedly, Huang et al. also reported in “Selenium biofortification of soybean sprouts: effects of Se enrichment on proteins, protein structure, and functional properties” that Se-biofortified seeds also contain proteins whose quality has also been influenced by Se content. In addition, Li et al. evaluated “The use of selenium for controlling plant fungal diseases and insect pests”, indicating that Se improves the plant resistance to fungal diseases.Se-enriched food products can increase Se intake and promote human health with absorption of plant tissue containing different Se compounds including seleno-amino acids. Earlier studies have clearly demonstrated the important role of Se in plant and animal physiological processes and functions. Hall et al. discussed Se biofortification through forages raised for livestock feed in “Impact of selenium biofortification on production characteristics of forages grown following standard management practices in Oregon,” demonstrating that foliar selenate treatment increased forage Se concentrations in a dose-dependent manner, and that coupling Se amendment with standard fertilization practices promoted forage growth and forage Se concentrations. In cases of low soil Se, providing sulfur fertilization could reduce forage Se and potentially alter Se supply to livestock consuming those forages.Excessive low or high Se in soil and consequently Se concentrations in animal feeds can pose health and reproduction risks for animals. Animal-based food products for human consumption are an excellent source of dietary Se intake for the human population. Thus, safely providing Se biofortified feed materials to animals would result in increased Se concentrations in animal-based food products for humans. Dahlen et al. reviewed the role of Se in male and female reproductive process and the impacts of maternal dietary Se on offspring outcomes in ruminants in their paper “Selenium supplementation and pregnancy outcomes.” The scientific evidence indicates that Se plays a major role in both male and female reproductive processes and, therefore, as a micronutrient, Se is instrumental to ensure successful animal reproductive efficiency. Increasing the maternal supply of Se alters offspring outcomes in ways that are typical of developmental programming; thereby implying that Se supply to the mother can have significant effects into the next generation of livestock. In animals, mitochondrial function is essential to bioenergetics and consequently life functions. Clearly, the role of Se in antioxidants plays a role in normal cellular metabolism and consequently whole animal health, production, and wellbeing. In addition, Se appears to have a role in mitochondrial function besides through antioxidants. Wesolowski et al. reviewed the non-antioxidant the roles of Se in mitochondrial function in “Beyond antioxidants: Selenium and skeletal muscle mitochondria.” The review paper demonstrates our emerging understanding of the role of Se in skeletal muscle mitochondrial function beyond the traditional constructs of antioxidants, and further highlights the importance of a greater understanding of Se in mitochondrial function and energetics.A major determinant of livestock production, health, and well-being is effective and efficient reproductive process that lead to healthy offspring. Selenium is one of the most influential natural-occurring micronutrient elements for living systems. Recognizing selenium’s impact on a multitude of processes in nature requires multi-disciplinary research on Se absorption, chemical transformation, and biochemical and physiological metabolisms in soil-plant-animal systems that can help us develop and implement effective strategies to mitigate public health impacts or concerns of Se deficiencies in the world. In this Research Topic, with different contributions from original research to critical reviews, some of the most influential researchers have provided their latest research findings and demonstrated significant advances in the field concerned with Se in food chains and its effects on human and animal health.All authors  contributed to the article through writing, reviewing and editing and have approved the submitted version.