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What did the last common ancestor of irises look like? Frontiers in Plant Science By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Plant scientists use genomic data to build a family tree of over 200 species in the highly diverse genus Iris, onto which they map traits related to flower color and morphology, and mating system. They deduce that the last common ancestor probably had nectar-producing purple flowers, pollinated by insects and self-compatible, with a crest and a spot on the falls (sepals)....

by Angharad Brewer Gillham, Frontiers science writer Scientists find that expelled air from ventilation systems can make corn and spinach grow taller and larger, recycling CO2-rich indoor air to fertilize edible plants. As the world’s cities grow, the hunt is on for ways to make them greener, more sustainable, and more livable. Rooftop farms and gardens that take advantage of underutilized roof space are a popular option, providing new food resources while simultaneously cooling the surrounding area, increasing building insulation, and improving air quality....

Specialty Chief Editor Dr Robert J. Cerfolio aims to drive a research focus on patient outcomes and improving surgical techniques. Specialty Chief Editor Dr Robert J. Cerfolio aims to drive a research focus on patient outcomes and improving surgical techniques Frontiers is pleased to announce the launch of a new section, Thoracic Surgery, as part of the established Frontiers in Surgery journal. This exciting new initiative is led by Dr. Robert J....

With an Impact Factor of 3.552, Frontiers in Neurology is the 2nd most cited open-access journal in Clinical Neurology. With an Impact Factor of 3.552, Frontiers in Neurology is the 2nd most cited open-access journal in Clinical Neurology This year, 194 journals are listed in the category of Clinical Neurology in the 2016 edition of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), of which 13 are open-access (OA). The Impact Factor (IF) is measured each year and reported in the JCR by Clarivate Analytics (formerly known as Thomson Reuters), along with citations and other metrics of journal impact....

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Researchers show for the first time that honeybee foragers exposed to the pesticides sulfoxaflor and imidacloprid have an impaired optomotor response, which makes them poor at keeping themselves on a straight trajectory while moving. This impairment is accompanied by damage to brain cells and dysregulation of detoxification genes. These results add to the growing evidence that modern pesticides are highly damaging to beneficial insects like bees....

People may not be happy with ethical decisions made by their self-driving cars: Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Human intuition is sometimes at odds with ethically acceptable behavior and political guidelines for self-driving cars — By Tania FitzGeorge-Balfour, science writer When faced with driving dilemmas, people show a high willingness to sacrifice themselves for others, make decisions based on the victim’s age and swerve onto sidewalks to minimize the number of lives lost, reveals new research published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience....

We are delighted to announce that Stockholm University has established an institutional agreement for open access publishing with Frontiers. Stockholm University supports open access publishing by covering article-processing charges (APCs) for affiliated corresponding authors, publishing in any Frontiers journal. As part of this support, eligible authors from Stockholm University are able to publish open access articles in any Frontiers journal at no charge to the author. To submit your article under this institutional agreement, please select ‘Stockholm University’ as institutional payer in the invoice section when submitting your article....

A hitherto unknown antibiotic-resistant bacteria species, in the same family as E. coli and Salmonella spp., has been found: Frontiers in Microbiology — by University of Gothenburg The proposed taxonomic name of the species — the first of the new genus — is Scandinavium goeteborgense, after the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, where the bacterium was isolated and the research was done. Knowing which bacteria cause infections, and which antibiotics are effective and ineffective against them, is crucial for treatment choices....

Your colleagues have hosted Research Topics spanning the breadth of plant science – many of which are now available as free ebooks! The Brassica Genome Edited by: Xiaowu Wang, Michael Freeling Nuclear components and dynamics during plant innate immunity Edited by: Susana Rivas, Laurent Deslandes Application of Proteomics for Improvement in Crop Protection/Artificial Regulation Edited by: Setsuko Komatsu, Hans-Peter Mock, Pingfang Yang, Birte Svensson Induced plant responses to microbes and insects...

The gruesome new field of neuro-parasitology could provide insights into the neurological basis for behavior and decision-making: Frontiers in Psychology The gruesome new field of neuro-parasitology could provide insights into the neurological basis for behavior and decision-making — By Conn Hastings, science writer Imagine a parasite that makes an animal change its habits, guard the parasite’s offspring or even commit suicide. While mind-control may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, the phenomenon is very real — and has spawned a new field, neuro-parasitology....

By Fernando Bolaños, Frontiers science writer The constant emergence of viral outbreaks has become a permanent threat to human health. Last year, Zika virus infected thousands of people in the Americas. It is also associated to several cases of neurological disorders and has raised worldwide public health alerts. Now due to the urgency, researchers are detailing the characteristics of the virus to find solutions. The study completed by a group of researchers from the Department of Biotechnology of the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria in Madrid, was published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Microbiology....

Frontiers has launched a new innovative service that allows for complete operational independence in academic publishing for their over 60,000 editors around the world. The Frontiers Digital Editorial Office launched this week and was built in-house by Frontiers’ team of IT professionals. It was at first specifically designed to assist Frontiers’ Specialty Chief Editors, who come from the world’s leading institutions, in their editorial tasks and to assist them in quality assurance, as well as to assess the performance of their specialty area....

Submitting authors can now access specially priced and subject-relevant editing, translation and review support from Editage’s highly qualified and experienced publication experts. Frontiers is partnering with Editage to offer specialized manuscript preparation services to its research community. Authors submitting manuscripts to any Frontiers journal can now access specially priced and subject-relevant editing, translation and review support from Editage’s highly qualified and experienced publication experts. The partnership aims to help authors convey precise research details and nuanced conclusions in clear, scientific English — and so speed up the article review process and help increase the impact of published articles among a global, interdisciplinary audience....

As part of a trial agreement until the end of April 2021, Indiana University Bloomington-affiliated corresponding authors benefited from a 7.5% discount on APCs when publishing in any of Frontiers’ open access journals, irrespective of what fund covers the APC. This collaboration has now been further formalized and extended, and starting from 1st May 2021, Indiana University Bloomington-affiliated corresponding authors will enjoy a 10% discount on APCs. In addition to the discount, insights into institutional publishing activity are included and regular data reports will be available directly to the library....

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer For the first time since the 11th century BCE, scientists have unwrapped – virtually, using CT scans – the mummy of pharaoh Amenhotep I (r. 1525 to 1504 BCE), the only royal mummy to remain unopened in modern times. They show that the pharaoh was around 35 years old, 169cm tall, circumcized, and in good physical health when he died, apparently from natural causes...

Stephan Kuster, head of institutional affairs, discusses Corona Immunitas, research program tracking and investigating the spread and impact of the coronavirus pandemic using seroepidemiological studies Author: Stephan Kuster, Head of Institutional Affairs Corona Immunitas, is a research program tracking and investigating the spread and impact of the coronavirus pandemic using seroepidemiological studies. The project is a brilliant example of using scientific data from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to help inform and hopefully improve the policymaking decision process, thereby strengthening the link between science and policy....

Frontiers and like-minded open science stakeholders call on the European Parliament to safeguard the open science provisions of the European Commission’s Horizon Europe proposal. Open access to the results of publicly-funded scientific research provides real benefits — not only to the research community that will work upon this foundation of knowledge, but to all parts of society, including to those who build new business based on technological innovation. Funders, universities, and research organizations worldwide have recognized these benefits and included the principles of open access into strategies, guidelines and mandates....

How do boats affect the behavior of killer whales? Frontiers in Marine Science By Michael Milstein / NOAA Study finds that females often give up foraging when vessels approach. Boat traffic within 400 yards of endangered Southern Resident killer whales interrupts their foraging, often leading female whales to cease feeding altogether. That is a key finding from a new analysis of data from suction-cup tags that track the whales’ movement underwater....

Professor Hannah Bradby of Uppsala University now leads Frontiers in Sociology Professor Hannah Bradby of Uppsala University, Sweden is the new Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Sociology. Prof Bradby has been Specialty Chief Editor for Frontiers in Sociology’s Medical Sociology section. She is committed to interdisciplinary approaches that work towards equality across socio-demographic variables and in different social groups. Her research is reflected in her vision for the journal. Prof Bradby explains the challenges that Sociology as a field addresses worldwide:...

By Allen Namagembe, PATH, Uganda and Dr Jane Cover, PATH, US Allen Namagembe is a clinical epidemiologist, a biostatistician, and a global expert on self-injection. She is the Uganda Deputy Project Director and M&E Lead on the Uganda Self-Injection Scale-Up project at PATH. Dr. Jane Cover is a Research and Evaluation Manager on PATH’s Sexual and Reproductive Health team and the PATH-JSI DMPA-SC Access Collaborative. Now, they explain their team’s two studies, published in Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, where they used a human-centered design approach to develop and implement a pilot self-injection program in Uganda....