RNA molecules with internal 2',5'-branches are intermediates in RNA splicing, and branched RNAs have recently been proposed as retrotransposition intermediates. A broadly applicable in vitro synthetic route to branched RNA that does not require self-splicing introns or spliceosomes would substantially improve our ability to study biochemical processes that involve branched RNA. We recently desc...

We present a simple method for determining the exact noise power spectra and related statistical properties for linear chemical reaction networks. The method is applied to reaction networks which are representative of biochemical processes such as gene expression. We find, for example, that a post-translational modification reaction can reduce the noise associated with gene expression. Our resu...

The circadian clock controls 24-h rhythms in many biological processes, allowing appropriate timing of biological rhythms relative to dawn and dusk. Known clock circuits include multiple, interlocked feedback loops. Theory suggested that multiple loops contribute the flexibility for molecular rhythms to track multiple phases of the external cycle. Clear dawn- and dusk-tracking rhythms illustrat...

The study by Nakae et al. (1) in this issue of the Journal presents compelling evidence suggesting a role for (nuclear) magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy to assess heart failure in the future. No longer relegated clinically to only providing finely detailed anatomical images, the full potential of MR techniques is the ability to visualize biochemical and physiological processes. With respect...

Recent advances in the field of chaotic advection provide the impetus to revisit the dynamics of particles transported by blood flow in the presence of vessel wall irregularities. The irregularity, being either a narrowing or expansion of the vessel, mimicking stenoses or aneurysms, generates abnormal flow patterns that lead to a peculiar filamentary distribution of advected particles, which, i...

The interest of modelling biological processes with dynamically changing external conditions (temperature, relative humidity, gas conditions) increases. Several modelling approaches are currently available. Among them are approaches like modelling under standard conditions, temperature sum models and dynamic modelling. While the ®rst two approaches require huge simpli®cations that endanger the ...

Worldwide, metals have been distributed to excessive levels in the environment due to industrial and agricultural activities. Plants growing on soils contaminated with excess levels of metals experience a disturbance of the cellular redox balance, which leads to an augmentation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Even though the increased ROS levels can cause cellular damage, controlled levels pl...

Biochemical processes are gaining industrial importance because of their inherent advantages like mild operating conditions and versatility of the processes which mean lower operating costs in terms of lesser energy requirements and a number of industrially important products that could be made from a general process setup. These features have made the biochemical processes the target of intens...