Cells are the basic units of life — but when it comes to cells, if you think basic means simple, think again. Cells are complicated, with many millions of biochemical reactions per second seething within their confines. They also tend to be tiny, so it’s not easy to spy on their operations.
It’s getting easier, though, as technology advances and biologists adopt new methods. The new issue of Stanford Medicine magazine delves into some recent discoveries about cells — providing insights into matters ranging from the biology of cancer to the role of plankton in capturing carbon and mitigating climate change. “It’s a great time for cell biology,” says Markus Covert, PhD, the Shriram Chair of the Department of Bioengineering, in the opening article of the special report on cells.
It used to be that biology was what you went into if you loved science but were scared of math. That’s changed. There’s an influx of people who are intellectually ambidextrous, and the field has become more quantitative.
That has broken cell biology wide open.” Markus Covert, the Shriram Chair, Department of Bioengineering, Stanford Medicine Among the articles: “An unprecedented period of biomedical discovery”: A letter to readers from Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs at Stanford University, highlighting the crucial role of basic science in translational, clinical research and patient care. The stuff of life: A very brief histo.