13 February 2026

Proteome-wide analysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry reveals the role of retinoic acid during adipogenesis in human bone mesenchymal stem cells

"The LC-MS/MS data presented on the effect of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) on human bone mesenchymal stem cells advances understanding of the role of this important developmental regulator. Observations on the role of RA on adipogenesis in vitro will need to be followed by animal studies and in vivo experiments."

Clement Kent, Handling Editor

11 February 2026

Optimization of environmental DNA-based methods: a case study for detecting brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

"This article is a prominent study on the development and optimization of the eDNA method."

Sercan Yapıcı, Handling Editor

30 January 2026

Mini-review: red seaweed Hydropuntia edulis and agar derivatives for food, medicinal and agriculture applications

"This review adds useful scientific insights into research on H. edulis, which appears to be in its early stages. For example, the safety of H. edulis is important; however, not much is known. Therefore, this review highlights some of the gaps in the scientific literature."

Charles Okpala, Handling Editor

27 January 2026

The orchestrated interplay between DNA methylation and N6-methyladenosine modification: status quo and future perspectives

"The study presents a comprehensive bibliometric overview of the emerging research area investigating the interplay between DNA methylation and m6A modifications. It categorizes interaction modes systematically, thus consolidating fragmented knowledge, highlighting research trends, and offering a structured conceptual model, thereby providing a resource that can serve as a framework for future research."

Sonia Oliveira, Section Editor

8 January 2026

Non-targeted metabolomic profiling of Cremastra appendiculata providing insights for phytochemical analyses

"This work transitions C. appendiculata from empirical folk use to evidence-based herbal medicine by delivering the molecular foundation needed for reliable quality control, pharmacological research, and future drug development."

Rodolfo García-Contreras, Handling Editor

7 January 2026

Zmpste24 deficiency contributes to intervertebral disc degeneration by undermining the stability of the nuclear membrane of nucleus pulposus cells

"This manuscript makes a credible and valuable contribution by extending the ZMPSTE24 > nuclear envelope/aging axis into intervertebral disc biology. The claim is consistent with prior literature showing ZMPSTE24’s role in musculoskeletal aging and the centrality of senescence in IVDD. At present the mechanistic causal chain is plausible but not fully proven (systemic KO vs NP-cell identity; lopinavir specificity; lack of rescue experiments; small n). Altogether, his work identifies ZMPSTE24 as a previously unrecognised regulator of intervertebral disc cell aging and degeneration, directly linking nuclear-envelope biology to disc disease. By showing that loss of ZMPSTE24 drives senescence and structural disc failure, the study adds a new mechanistic pathway to the biology of spine degeneration and opens potential avenues for targeted, mechanism-based therapies against age-related disc disease."

Sonia Oliveira, Section Editor

3 December 2025

Metabolites of traffic-related volatile organic compounds in age-related macular degeneration

Worradorn Phairuang, Handling Editor

27 November 2025

Application analysis of two nucleic acid detection systems in blood detection of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus

"This study provides the first large-scale comparison of Kehua and Roche NAT systems for HBV, HCV, and HIV screening in blood donations. Analyzing over 670,000 samples, it shows Kehua performs comparably to Roche but with fewer invalid tests and lower operational costs, supporting its use as a reliable, cost-effective alternative."

Travis Beddoe, Handling Editor

18 November 2025

Machine learning classification of mango maturity based on carotene content from Raman spectra

"This article makes a meaningful step forward in non-invasive fruit quality assessment by integrating Raman spectroscopy with machine learning for mango maturity classification. This contributes new knowledge about carotenoid spectral fingerprints as reliable markers of ripening and positions Raman spectroscopy as a superior alternative to color-based or NIR methods."

Timothy Omara, Handling Editor

17 November 2025

Tryptophan-kynurenine pathway: a possible new mechanism for the prevention and treatment of reproductive system-related diseases

"This work highlights the significance of the tryptophan–kynurenine metabolic pathway as an overlooked but potentially crucial mechanism in reproductive health. By linking abnormalities in this pathway’s enzymes and metabolites to reproductive disorders, it suggests new therapeutic strategies—such as targeting pathway inhibitors or modulating gut tryptophan metabolism, presenting an interesting perspective and offering novel targets for preventing and treating reproductive diseases."

Sonia Oliveira, Handling Editor