At Cell Press, we're constantly trying to find new ways to help scientists bring their stories to life.

For example, the Backstory feature offers a behind-the-scenes look at a scientific paper, to give the reader insights into the scientific process. You can see examples in the 10th Anniversary of Cell Stem Cell and in a recent issue of Joule. We also talk to authors about their work, like in the Meet the Author feature at Molecular Cell and Developmental Cell on the Cell Press Podcast as well as in the more traditional author interviews (most recently on CrossTalk here and here).

The next frontier in making the scientific stories in Cell Press more accessible is with video. Video abstracts allow authors to summarize their papers in a clear and concise way, making the paper easier to share with a broad audience. With Figure360, authors create a simple video that walks the reader through an individual figure from their paper. The idea is to make a research paper more like a talk you would see at a conference. Figure360 isn't just for research papers; the Trends journals are experimenting with this feature to see how it can help reviews come to life. Since its initial launch, Figure360 has evolved to be a simple and concise complement to make a figure easier to digest in just a few minutes.

As we start 2018, we wanted to highlight some of the papers from across Cell Press that include this unique way of presenting figures.





Single-molecule imaging shows how Srs2 removes Rad51 filaments from ssDNA

During homologous recombination, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) is bound by RPA, Rad51, and Rad52 to protect it from degradation and facilitate repair from a homologous template. The helicase Srs2 is involved in the removal of these complexes from ssDNA as repair progresses, but how it does this was poorly understood.

Using single-molecule imaging of tethered ssDNA curtains, Kaniecki et al. observed Srs2 is recruited to RPA clusters, from which it rapidly strips Rad51 filaments from ssDNA. This approach, published in Cell Reports, opens a window into the dynamics of a complex cellular process.

Read more: Dissociation of Rad51 Presynaptic Complexes and Heteroduplex DNA Joints by Tandem Assemblies of Srs2

CDKs make NETs in neutrophils

One of the ways that neutrophils respond to infection is through the release of chromatin to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). These NETs literally trap pathogens, facilitating their elimination. Writing in Developmental Cell, Arturo Zychlinsky and colleagues examined how formation of NETs is regulated in neutrophils. They found that NET formation coincided with the activation of several cell cycle markers and that the protein kinases CDK4/6 (best known for their cell cycle function) are required for NET formation. Mice lacking CDK6 can't form proper NETs and are more susceptible to infection by the yeast Candida albicans.

Read more: Cell-Cycle Proteins Control Production of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps

Engineering an unprecedented aqueous lithium ion battery

State-of-the art lithium ion batteries that power our phones and increasingly our vehicles all rely on liquid electrolytes based on organic solvents. Although these non-aqueous electrolytes can support a large voltage difference (in excess of 4 V), critical to achieving high energy density, they are also flammable and can contribute to rare but catastrophic failures. Water-based electrolytes have significantly reduced safety risk, but they lack the necessary electrochemical stability against the electrode—pure water decomposes into hydrogen and oxygen gas well below 2 V. In the first issue of Joule, Kang Xu and Chunsheng Wang devise a clever approach to engineering a robust interface between the anode and water-based electrolyte that facilitates cycling at an unprecedented 4 V.

Read more: 4.0 V Aqueous Li-Ion Batteries

Resolving the paradox of BRAF oncogenes in colon cancer tumor initiation

Colon tumors frequently contain mutations in the BRAF oncogene, particularly BRAFV600E. Surprisingly, these mutations are inefficient drivers of tumorigenesis in mouse model of colorectal cancer (CRC). A new paper from Tong and colleagues in Cell Reports investigates this paradox. By adding this oncogenic BRAF mutation to mouse models that have decreased differentiation of the epithelia cells in the colon, such as with decreased levels of Cdx2 or Smad4, the authors found an increased rate of colon cancer induced by the BRAF oncogene. Interestingly, patients with BRAF-driven colorectal cancer showed decreased expression of differentiation genes. These experiments provide key insights into BRAF-mutant CRC tumor initiation.

Read more: Degree of Tissue Differentiation Dictates Susceptibility to BRAF-Driven Colorectal Cancer







The TREM2-APOE pathway drives microglia dysfunction during neurodegeneration

Microglia play an important role in maintaining brain homeostasis, but their phenotype and function changes during aging and neurodegeneration. To determine the underlying shared molecular mechanisms that regulate microglial dysfunction, Krasemann et al. analyzed the transcriptomes of microglia isolated from multiple mouse models of aging and neurodegeneration and from patients with Alzheimer's disease. They identified the TREM2-APOE pathway as a major regulator of the microglial phenotypic change in neurodegenerative diseases, which suggests that targeting this pathway could restore homeostatic microglial function.

Read more: The TREM2-APOE Pathway Drives the Transcriptional Phenotype of Dysfunctional Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases

for more examples of Figure360s published across Cell Press, and don't forget to for more examples of Figure360s published across Cell Press, and don't forget to bookmark Cell Press Videos to see all the great video content published in our journals.

Be sure to check out the Figure360 portal