bioRxiv Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.1101/012666

Connecting people and ideas from around the world: global innovation platforms for next-generation ecology and beyond

Peter Søgaard Jørgensen·Frédéric Barraquand·Vincent Bonhomme·Timothy J Curran·Ellen Cieraad·Thomas Ezard·Laureano Gherardi·R. Andrew Hayes·Timothée Poisot·Roberto Salguero-Gómez·Lucía DeSoto·Brian Swartz·Jennifer M. Talbot·Brian Wee·Naupaka Zimmerman
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We present a case for using global community innovation platforms (GCIPs), an approach to improve innovation and knowledge exchange in international scientific communities through a common and open online infrastructure. We highlight the value of GCIPs by focusing on recent efforts targeting the ecological sciences, where GCIPs are of high relevance given the urgent need for interdisciplinary, geographical, and cross-sector collaboration to cope with growing challenges to the environment as well as the scientific community itself. Amidst the emergence of new international institutions, organizations, and dedicated meetings, GCIPs provide a stable international infrastructure for rapid and long-term coordination that can be accessed by any individual. The accessibility can be particularly important for researchers early in their careers. Recent examples of early career GCIPs complement an array of existing options for early career scientists to improve skill sets, increase academic and social impact, and broaden career opportunities. In particular, we provide a number of examples of existing early career initiatives that incorporate elements from the GCIPs approach, and highlight an in-depth case study from the ecological sciences: the International Network of Next-Generation Ecologists (INNGE), initiated in 2010 with support from the International Association for Ecology and 18 member institutions from six continents.

Source connections

Explore related subjects

Preprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Peter Søgaard Jørgensen, Frédéric Barraquand, Vincent Bonhomme, Timothy J Curran, Ellen Cieraad, Thomas Ezard, Laureano Gherardi, R. Andrew Hayes, Timothée Poisot, Roberto Salguero-Gómez, Lucía DeSoto, Brian Swartz, Jennifer M. Talbot, Brian Wee, Naupaka Zimmerman. 2014-12-14. Connecting people and ideas from around the world: global innovation platforms for next-generation ecology and beyond. https://doi.org/10.1101/012666

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

Species-dependent accumulation of PsaA in etioplasts points to light-independent steps in Photosystem I biogenesis

Whether Photosystem I (PSI) core subunits accumulate prior to light exposure in developing angiosperm seedlings remains unresolved, with conflicting reports across species. Here, we investigated the presence and membrane colocalization of the PSI core subunit PsaA in etioplasts of dark-grown angiosperms representing dicot and monocot species. Immunoblotting showed that PsaA accumulates in etioplasts of all three dicot species examined (pea, Arabidopsis, and runner bean), whereas in the monocot oat it was detected only after prolonged etiolation, at substantially lower levels and with an anomalously high apparent molecular weight. Blue-native PAGE analysis reveals that a fraction of PsaA co-migrates with LPOR, PsaB, FNR, and chlorophyll synthase, suggesting co-localization within a shared membrane microdomain rather than stable complex formation. The thylakoid insertase Alb3 was more abundant in dicot etioplasts, consistent with a potential role in the early integration of PsaA into the membrane. Upon illumination, pea reached PSI functionality faster than oat, with P700 oxidation detectable 30 min earlier, linking the dark accumulation of PsaA to an accelerated photosynthetic onset. These findings demonstrate light-independent accumulation of a PSI core subunit in a species-dependent manner and point to early steps in PSI biogenesis that precede full photosynthetic complex assembly. HighlightContrary to prevailing models, a Photosystem I core subunit PsaA accumulates in dark-grown angiosperm seedlings before light exposure, revealing light-independent early steps in photosynthetic complex biogenesis.

Preprint↗
bioRxiv2026

Discover Novel RNA Targeting Small Molecules by Fluorescent Aptamer Screening

Discovering small molecules targeting proteins represents a major effort in drug development. RNA, however, as a class of macromolecule that carrying out important regulatory roles in the cell as drug target, only received attention recently. Although several methods have been proposed, an easy to operate, fast and robust method is still lacking. We designed a generic florescence screening method by fusing the target RNA with a florescent aptamer (fusion RNA) and then carried out screening using high-throughput format (Fluorescent Aptamer Screening, FAS). In this work, we chose SL5 on SARS-Cov-2 5UTR as the test target. SL5 is a conserved motif across several corona virus family members whose core is not prone to mutation. We screened 9528 compounds, successfully identified four molecules (Sertraline (hydrochloride), Samuraciclib (hydrochloride), Minocycline (hydrochloride), JG-98 bind direct to the full-length SL5 at micromolar or higher affinity. The design of FAS could be easily adapted to structured RNA motifs without prior knowledge of its 3D structural information. In addition, this work showed the possibility of developing generic drugs for RNA virus by targeting the conserved viral RNA genome and paved a new way for the discovery of small molecule drugs in combating human diseases.

Preprint↗
bioRxiv2026

Mechanism and key RNA determinants of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1-induced endonucleolytic cleavage of mRNA

SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1) binds to 40S ribosomal subunits and induces host protein synthesis shut off by inhibiting translation initiation and triggering endonucleolytic cleavage of cellular mRNAs. Irrespective of the mode of initiation, Nsp1-mediated cleavage is induced by the cooperative action of the N-terminal domain of Nsp1, the RRM domain of eIF3g and 40S subunits. Using in vitro reconstitution, we determined that cleavage occurs by transesterification following intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the 2OH of the ribose on the adjacent phosphodiester bond yielding 5OH and 2,3 -cyclic phosphate termini. Cleavage requires a guanosine [~]10-22 nucleotides from the 5 end of mRNA, occurs within a narrow window upstream of this G, is most efficient between nucleotides at positions -6/-7 and -7/-8 relative to G, and shows a preference for Pu at positions -7 or -8 which provides the 2OH for the nucleophilic attack. Zero-length UV cross-linking of Nsp1 to nucleotides at positions -1 and -2 suggests that the critical guanosine may be recognized by Nsp1. Resistance to Nsp1-mediated cleavage of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA was ensured both by the relatively long distance between its G23G24 and the 5end and by the preceding oligoPy stretch lacking purines at positions -7 or -8 upstream of G23G24.

Preprint↗