BioTechniques Blog 2024: Top content and our year in review

2024 marked an exciting transition period for BioTechniques, following our acquisition by Taylor & Francis (Oxford, UK) at the end of 2023. We have been working to make the most of the vast swathe of journals that this acquisition brought us access to and are excited to see the fruits of these efforts begin to come through with new features in 2025. However, as we looked to the future and new features, we continued to publish all the content you know and love. Here is our round up of the top content published on site from 2024. Top editorial content Introducing the winners of the 2024 Ig Nobel Prizes Always a favorite of the editors on BioTechniques, this year’s Ig Nobel Prizes feature proved a favorite of our readers too! Including awards for research on organisms that can breathe through their rectums, drunk worms, copycat plants, the powerful placebo effect of pain, how dead fish can still swim and more, there was something to pique the interest of seemingly every BioTechniques member as this feature climbed to reach the top spot as our most read editorial piece. Read the full article here >>> Novel ‘kill-switch’ nanorobot selectively kills cancer cells This news piece covering the development of a pH-responsive nanorobot system that changes confirmation in the tumor microenvironment to selectively kill cancer cells, landed with a big impact. Covering several fields including cancer research, nanomedicine and bioengineering, it is clear to see the broad appeal of this article, but the true impact lies in the potential of the technology. As so many immunotherapies initially show promise but then fall victim to T-cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment, this new, cell-free approach offers an avenue for treatment untouched by this limitation. Read the full article here >>> The latest developments in microbiology from a diverse cast of characters This listicle covered some recent developments in microbiology, exploring a novel approach for rapidly identifying bacterial species, how the root microbiome in concert with fungi impacts plant genetics, new insights into the pathogenesis of the Epstein-Barr virus and an algae-based solution to retinal detachment. These listicle-style articles have proved so popular that you can expect to see more coming in 2025, with short sharp summaries of key updates in each of our topics. Read the full article here >>> Could a virus be the missing piece of the Alzheimer’s puzzle? One of our very first interviews of the year, this article delved into the career of a titan in Alzheimer’s research, Ruth Itzaki, a Visiting Professorial Fellow at the University of Oxford (UK), as well as Professor Emerita at the University of Manchester (UK). The article explores the enormous pushback Ruth received from the scientific community when, in the early 90s, she found that herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) caused the formation of β-amyloid peptides, which is a precursor to the β-amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s, in cell culture, suggesting a role for viruses in the pathogenesis of the disease. Despite frequent derision and antipathy from the community, Ruth pushed on with this research, ultimately leading to a fundamental change in our perspective on Alzheimer’s and its potential causes. Read the full article here >>> Investigating mitochondrial–ER tethering in skeletal muscle cells One of our first editorial webinars of the year, this feature was designed to bring you key insights into the techniques used to explore mitochondria and their endoplasmic reticulum (ER) tethering in skeletal muscle cells. Here, BioTechniques Learn Mentor Antentor Hinton, Jr. (Vanderbilt University, TN, USA) covered the 3D electron microscopy techniques used for mitochondrial investigations, while revealing how mitochondrial–ER contact (MERC) site tethering affects bioenergetics, how calcium changes are influenced by ATF4 and OPA1 alteration and the potential involvement of mTORC in MERC function. Watch the webinar today >>> Top sponsored content In Focus: Single-cell spatial proteomics Chiming perfectly with Nature Methods’ pick for their ever-current Method of the Year, this In Focus explored a new technique for the exploration of the cell-surface proteome in single cells. Coupled with the webinar ‘Molecular Pixelation: 3D spatial proteomics of the cell surface’, it revealed the applications of these techniques in immunology and cell biology and the impact they can have within the fields of hematology, immunotherapy, drug development and translational research. View the In Focus here >>> In Focus: DNA and mRNA transfection in the modern lab Bringing it back to basics but with a modern twist, this In Focus explored the variations in DNA vs mRNA transfection and the techniques used to accomplish them, before looking into the pros and cons of each approach for different applications. View the In Focus here >>> Infographic: Next-generation cytokines for cancer This infographic investigates the challenges associated with the design of cytokines as therapeutic modalities for the treatment of cancer and explores the process of engineering cytokines with lower toxicity and longer half-lives. Part of our In Focus, on cytokines in immunotherapy, this infographic shone through and was exceptionally well read by our audience. View the infographic today >>> Technology Digest: Flow cytometry for advancing early drug discovery efforts Flow cytometry is well adept for use in routine cell analysis workflows, allowing for the high-throughput characterization of large cell populations. As a result, flow cytometry has established itself as a key tool in the early stages of the drug discovery pipeline. This tech digest digs into how flow cytometry can be harnessed in early drug discovery, for finding therapeutic antibodies, determining viable vaccine candidates and optimizing model systems. Accompanied by an interview about high-throughput flow cytometry and a review article on assessing developability early in the discovery process for novel biologics, the tech digest is available to download today. Download the Technology Digest here >>> Choosing the right epitope-binning protocol Another cornerstone of many research projects, particularly in therapeutic design and development, epitope binning was the center of another of our most popular In Focus projects this year. Covering everything from the basics of what it is and why it’s important, to the techniques used to conduct it, this feature provided everything our users needed to navigate epitope binning for therapeutic antibody design. View the In Focus today >>> BioTechniques image competition 2024 After last year’s hugely successful image competition, launched to celebrate our 40th anniversary, we have relaunched it into a fully fledged annual competition. This year’s iteration was a resounding success, with more views, submissions and votes than last year. This year’s winner, José Manuel Martínez López (Química Tech, Chihuahua, Mexico), submitted an image (right) that shows crystals of amino acids in polarized light. After acquiring the 9 photos (3×3 mosaic) in Zen blue, the photos were exported to jpg and then stitched together using Photoshop. Read more about the competition here >>> The post 2024: Top content and our year in review appeared first on BioTechniques.