CSHL Press News

COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. (Wednesday, October 1, 2008) – Biological research has long relied on a small number of model organisms, species chosen because they are amenable to laboratory research and suitable for the study of a range of biological problems. However, the variety of organisms studied is currently undergoing a massive expansion, as the time and costs of sequencing genomes drops, as techniques for selectively altering the expression patterns of genes become more generally applicable, and as more and more biologists expand their interests from the purely mechanistic to include evolutionary considerations. Instead of focusing on the few standard model organisms, researchers are now introducing new species to the laboratory, opening up new avenues of research and allowing comparison and refinement of our understanding of already-established models. This month’s issue of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (www.cshprotocols.org/TOCs/toc10_08.dtl) introduces a new series of articles introducing the reader to this new generation of model organisms.

Each article presents a new organism and provides a detailed explanation of why it is useful for laboratory research, along with information on husbandry, genetics and genomics, pointers towards further resources, and a set of basic laboratory protocols for working with that organism. The next few issues of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols will include organisms ranging from bat and butterfly to cave fish and choanoflagellates; cricket and finch, to quail, snail and tomato (see http://www.cshprotocols.org/emo for a complete list). These articles will also be published as a printed laboratory manual, scheduled for release by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press in November, 2008 (http://www.cshlpress.com/link/emop.htm).

October’s issue of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols includes material on five emerging model organisms. Featured organisms include planarians, contributed by Michael Levin and colleagues (http://www.drmichaellevin.org/) and the snapdragon, from Andrew Hudson’s laboratory (http://www.biology.ed.ac.uk/research/institutes/plant/pages/staff_pages/A_Hudson_staffpage.htm). Planarians have shown great value in the study of mechanisms of tissue regeneration, stem cell regulation, tissue turnover, pharmacological action of diverse drugs, cancer, and aging. The article about planarians is freely accessible on the website for Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (http://www.cshprotocols.org/cgi/content/full/2008/11/pdb.emo101). The snapdragon is a valuable model for biochemical and developmental genetics and is often used to examine the genetic basis for plant diversity. This article is also freely accessible on the website for Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (http://www.cshprotocols.org/cgi/content/full/2008/11/pdb.emo100).

About Cold Spring Harbor Protocols:
Cold Spring Harbor Protocols ( www.cshprotocols.org ) is a monthly peer-reviewed journal of methods used in a wide range of biology laboratories. It is structured to be highly interactive, with each protocol cross-linked to related methods, descriptive information panels, and illustrative material to maximize the total information available to investigators. Each protocol is clearly presented and designed for easy use at the bench—complete with reagents, equipment, and recipe lists. Life science researchers can access the entire collection via institutional site licenses, and can add their suggestions and comments to further refine the techniques.

About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press:
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is an internationally renowned publisher of books, journals, and electronic media, located on Long Island, New York. Since 1933, it has furthered the advance and spread of scientific knowledge in all areas of genetics and molecular biology, including cancer biology, plant science, bioinformatics, and neurobiology. It is a division of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an innovator in life science research and the education of scientists, students, and the public. For more information, visit www.cshlpress.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
For content and submission information: David Crotty (crotty@cshl.edu; 516-422-4007), Executive Editor, Cold Spring Harbor Protocols

For access, subscription, and free trial information:
Stephanie Novara (novara@cshl.edu; 516-422-4159), Journals Marketing Manager, CSHL Press