Biophysical Society Bulletin | May 2018

Publications

Know the Editor Amy Palmer

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Colorado Boulder Editor, Cell Biophysics

Rapid Publication Is Here

Amy Palmer

BPS is Accepting Proposals for Biophysics eBooks Have you thought about writing a book but find the idea daunting? Have you wanted to pick up a succinct well-written book on a biophysics topic but realized it didn’t exist? We want to hear from you. For those inter- ested in writing a book, the BPS-IOP ebooks program offers numerous resources as well as personal help and guidance to assist you. If you are interested in being part of this unique program, please submit your suggestion or a summary of your proposal, detailing the topic, concept, competition, and potential audience to Jessica.Fricchione@iop.org. Be sure to include a current biography and contact details. Want to know more? Visit http:/ ioppublishing.org/bio- physical-society-ebooks/ or, to simply discuss your idea for an ebook, contact Jessica Fricchione at 215/627-0880 or Jessica.Fricchione@iop.org. We understand that time to publication is critical to our authors, and so the Biophysical Journal is now publishing accepted articles ahead of proof. This will significantly reduce the time from acceptance to publication; from receipt of final files to publication will be 2–3 days. A doi will also be issued at that time. Of course we will continue to send out author queries and prepare edited, styled proofs to ensure your article communicates its message clearly and professional- ly. Corrected proofs —when ready —will replace the accepted manuscript online. Fast turnaround time is just another reason to send your best work to Biophysical Journal .

What are you currently working on that excites you? We are currently exploring the hypothesis that zinc ions can serve as a cellular signal, leading to regulation of protein function and hence cellular processes. What is exciting is that this would change the traditional paradigm in cell biology that the ion plays an important structural role, but that it is consti- tutively bound to the thousands of zinc-dependent proteins found in mammalian cells. Instead, we are exploring whether dynamic fluctuations in zinc ions titrate occupancy of zinc-de- pendent proteins, including transcription factors. Indeed, we are discovering that zinc levels in cells are dynamic and these dynamics influence fundamental cellular functions such as transcription and proliferation. What I find rewarding is that it was systematic and quantitative biophysical measure- ments of zinc ions in cells that uncovered the possibility that zinc-binding proteins might not be constitutively saturated with zinc and revealed that zinc dynamics are quite common. This research is an example of how advances in technology enable new kinds of biological measurements, leading to new insights and ultimately new questions about how cells function. What has been your biggest “aha” moment in science? I would say my most impactful “aha moment” was when I first started doing independent research as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College in the lab of Karen Wetterhahn . My “aha moment” was that for the first time I experienced the thrill of discovery, and fully realized the excitement, beauty, creativ- ity, and intellectual challenge of being a scientist. I say this was my most impactful “aha moment” because this is what inspired me to major in chemistry and become a scientist my- self. It also made me realize that the way we teach science is too often uninspiring and disconnected from the actual prac- tice of science. This motivated me to become a professor so that I could not only carry out research and provide the next generation of students the opportunity to experience the thrill of discovery and creation of new scientific knowledge, but also change the way we teach science at the university level so that we can recruit the best minds into the profession.

May 2018

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