scholarly journals Biochemistry: one molecule at a time

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Dominika T. Gruszka
Keyword(s):  
Complex Networks ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Molecular Heterogeneity ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Biological Macromolecule ◽  
Exciting Field ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Mechanistic Basis

Abstract Biological processes are orchestrated by complex networks of molecules. Conventional approaches for studying the action of biomolecules operate on a population level, averaging out any inhomogeneities within the ensemble. Investigating one biological macromolecule at a time allows researchers to directly probe individual behaviours, and thus characterise the intrinsic molecular heterogeneity of the system. Single-molecule methods have unravelled unexpected modes of action for many seemingly well-characterised biomolecules and often proved instrumental in understanding the intricate mechanistic basis of biological processes. This collection of reviews aims to showcase how single-molecule techniques can be used to address important biological questions and to inspire biochemists to ‘zoom in’ to the population and probe individual molecular behaviours, beyond the ensemble average. Furthermore, this issue of Essays in Biochemistry is the very first written and edited entirely by early career researchers, and so it also highlights the strength, diversity and excellence of the younger generation single-molecule scientists who drive this exciting field of research forward.

scholarly journals Organizing gene literature retrieval, profiling, and visualization training workshops for early career researchers

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 275
Author(s):  
Fatima Al Ali ◽  
Alexandra K Marr ◽  
Zohreh Tatari-Calderone ◽  
Mohamed Alfaki ◽  
Mohammed Toufiq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Web Application ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Biomedical Literature ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Structured Information ◽  
Implementation Guidelines ◽  
Supporting Material

Developing the skills needed to effectively search and extract information from biomedical literature is essential for early-career researchers. It is, for instance, on this basis that the novelty of experimental results, and therefore publishing opportunities, can be evaluated. Given the unprecedented volume of publications in the field of biomedical research, new systematic approaches need to be devised and adopted for the retrieval and curation of literature relevant to a specific theme. Here we describe a hands-on training curriculum aimed at retrieval, profiling, and visualization of literature associated with a given topic. This curriculum was implemented in a workshop in January 2021. We provide supporting material and step-by-step implementation guidelines with the ISG15 gene literature serving as an illustrative use case. Through participation in such a workshop, trainees can learn: 1) to build and troubleshoot PubMed queries in order to retrieve the literature associated with a gene of interest; 2) to identify key concepts relevant to given themes (such as cell types, diseases, and biological processes); 3) to measure the prevalence of these concepts in the gene literature; 4) to extract key information from relevant articles, and 5) to develop a background section or summary on the basis of this information. Finally, trainees can learn to consolidate the structured information captured through this process for presentation via an interactive web application.

Support early-career researchers for post-pandemic prospects

Nature ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 580 (7802) ◽  
pp. 185-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arild Husby ◽  
Gemma Modinos
Keyword(s):  
Early Career ◽  
Early Career Researchers

Future Physiology 2019: Uniting early career researchers

2019 ◽  
pp. 25-25
Author(s):  
Katie Hesketh ◽  
Mark Viggars
Keyword(s):  
Early Career ◽  
Early Career Researchers

scholarly journals Positioning for success: building capacity in academic competencies for early-career researchers in sub-Saharan Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Merritt ◽  
H. Jack ◽  
W. Mangezi ◽  
D. Chibanda ◽  
M. Abas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Training Experience ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Academic Competencies ◽  
Sub Saharan

Background. Capacity building is essential in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to address the gap in skills to conduct and implement research. Capacity building must not only include scientific and technical knowledge, but also broader competencies, such as writing, disseminating research and achieving work–life balance. These skills are thought to promote long-term career success for researchers in high-income countries (HICs) but the availability of such training is limited in LMICs. Methods. This paper presents the contextualisation and implementation of the Academic Competencies Series (ACES). ACES is an early-career researcher development programme adapted from a UK university. Through consultation between HIC and LMIC partners, an innovative series of 10 workshops was designed covering themes of self-development, engagement and writing skills. ACES formed part of the African Mental Health Research Initiative (AMARI), a multi-national LMIC-led consortium to recruit, train, support and network early-career mental health researchers from four sub-Saharan African countries. Results. Of the 10 ACES modules, three were HIC-LMIC co-led, four led by HIC facilitators with LMIC training experience and three led by external consultants from HICs. Six workshops were delivered face to face and four by webinar. Course attendance was over 90% and the delivery cost was approximately US$4500 per researcher trained. Challenges of adaptation, attendance and technical issues are described for the first round of workshops. Conclusions. This paper indicates that a skills development series for early-career researchers can be contextualised and implemented in LMIC settings, and is feasible for co-delivery with local partners at relatively low cost.

Tradition and Innovation in Cataloguing Medieval Manuscripts

2021 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-58
Author(s):  
Orietta Da Rold
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Digital Form ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Medieval Manuscripts ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Training

Abstract In this essay, I offer a brief history of manuscript cataloguing and some observations on the innovations this practice introduced especially in the digital form. This history reveals that as the cataloguing of medieval manuscripts developed over time, so did the research needs it served. What was often considered traditional cataloguing practices had to be mediated to accommodate new scholarly advance, posing interesting questions, for example, on what new technologies can bring to this discussion. In the digital age, in particular, how do digital catalogues interact with their analogue counterparts? What skills and training are required of scholars interacting with this new technology? To this end, I will consider the importance of the digital environment to enable a more flexible approach to cataloguing. I will also discuss new insights into digital projects, especially the experience accrued by the The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220 Project, and then propose that in the future cataloguing should be adaptable and shareable, and make full use of the different approaches to manuscripts generated by collaboration between scholars and librarians or the work of postgraduate students and early career researchers.

Fast, Free, and Targeted

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itamar Shatz
Keyword(s):  
Early Career ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Online Research ◽  
Large Samples ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
The Social ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Untapped Resource

Recruiting participants is a necessary step in many studies. With the advent of online research techniques, scientists are looking for new places where participants can be recruited online, in order to overcome the limitations of current sources and avoid the issues associated with sample overuse. The social media website “Reddit” is a potential source for recruitment, as it allows for free and rapid data collection from large samples, while enabling researchers to target specific populations when needed. The ability to recruit for free is especially important because it enables students and early career researchers, for whom even low recruitment costs can be prohibitive, to benefit from the opportunity of conducting research that they otherwise would not be able to. The current article therefore aims to bring this prospective, untapped resource to the attention of the research community. The article discusses current online recruitment sources and their limitations, provides an overview of Reddit, validates its use for research purposes, examines participation data from previous studies which recruited through Reddit, highlights its advantages and limitations as a participant pool, and suggests guidelines that can improve recruitment and retention rates for scientists looking to use Reddit for their research.

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