Biophysics and Physicobiology Editors' Choice Award

日本生物物理学会では、前年にBiophysics and Physicobiology誌に掲載された論文（依頼論文は原則対象外）の中から、編集委員会による選考を経て、生物物理学に寄与するユニークな論文に対して、「Biophysics and Physicobiology Editors' Choice Award」を授与します。

歴代受賞者

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Biophysics and Physicobiology Editors' Choice Award選考規定

第11回Biophysics and Physicobiology Editors' Choice Award受賞論文（2024）

“Removing the parachuting artifact using two-way scanning data in high¬speed atomic force microscopy”
Shintaroh Kubo, Kenichi Umeda, Noriyuki Kodera, Shoji Takada
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol.20, e200006 (2023)

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge : Makoto Miyata

High-speed AFM is a powerful method for analyzing the behavior of biomolecules and cells. This method is well used particularly in the Biophysical Society of Japan. The problem with this method is the parachuting artifact caused by the inability of the probe to move from a high position to a low position quickly when scanning a tall object. In this paper, the authors, who are experts in high-speed AFM, developed a computational method to remove the parachuting artifact. The paper evaluated the effectiveness, for some representative specimens. This method is expected to be widely used for high-speed AFM in the near future.

“Regulation of motor activity of ciliary outer-arm dynein by the light chain 1; Implications from the structure of the light chain bound to the microtubule-binding domain of the heavy chain”
Toshiki Yagi, Akiyuki Toda, Muneyoshi Ichikawa, Genji Kurisu
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 20, e200008 (2023)

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Keiko Hirose

This manuscript is an interesting and informative review summarizing recent advances in the study of the regulatory mechanisms of Light Chain 1 on the motor activity of axonemal dyneins.
Axonemal outer-arm dynein has more than 10 different light chains, but LC1 is unique in that it is the only light chain that binds to the motor domain of dynein and that it also interacts with microtubules. In this review article, researchers in different groups specializing in axonemal dynein functional studies, electron microscopy, and X-ray analyses describe recent advances in the structural and functional studies of LC1. The article is based on the paper published in Seibutsu-Butsuri, but with additional figures, tables, and up-to-date information to make it a more detailed review. In addition to present the authors’ own results, it also summarizes results from other groups, providing useful information.

“Recent progress in primitive polyester synthesis and membraneless microdroplet assembly”
Tony Z. Jia, Kuhan Chandru
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 20, e200012 (2023)

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Kenichi Yoshikawa

In the present review article, a working-hypothesis on Origins fo Life is discussed based on physico-chemical evidences. This article may attract much interests from the scientist of wide discipline such as biophysics, biochemistry, physics, chemistry, polymer science, biology, etc.

“Molecular mechanisms of the high performance of spider silks revealed through multi-omics analysis”
Yasuha Watanabe, Kazuharu Arakawa
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 20, e200014 (2023)

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Tomoaki Matsuura

Spider silk is an interesting natural material which yet have not been fully understood. In this review, the authors aim to described the correlation between the protein sequence and the properties of the silks. The analysis of silks from different species makes the review very interesting and attractive for wide range of readers of the journal.

“Controlling complex dynamical systems based on the structure of the networks”
Atsushi Mochizuki
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 20, e200019 (2023)

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Tamiki Komatsuzaki

The theorem developed by Prof.Mochizuki et al. is that the range of responses to enzyme changes in chemical reaction systems observed in living organisms is determined solely by the local shape of the network, regardless of the details of the interactions. This enables to provide us some clues which chemical species are missing in a representation of reaction network, and its potential is very high, and this can be considered one of the notable achievements in the field of mathematical biology in Japan. The paper is well written and two reviewers also have given it the highest ratings.
This is the review of the author's last ten year activity to infer the missing link in a reaction network based on network topology. This should be very versatile for system biologists.

“Inhibition of amyloid-β(16–22) aggregation by polyphenols using replica permutation with solute tempering molecular dynamics simulation”
Daiki Fukuhara, Satoru G. Itoh, Hisashi Okumura
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 20, e200045 (2023)

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Yuko Okamoto

The authors have published many papers on amyloid fibril formations and deformations of Amyloid beta peptides in the past using powerful conformational sampling techniques. This manuscript is another example of such simulations. However, this time the authors study the inhibition of amyloid fibril formations by polyphenols, which is directly related to drug development for Alzheimer’s disease and so the importance of the work increases. They used a powerful conformational sampling method, replica-exchange permutation with solute tempering, and they could elucidate the “inhibition mechanism” with atomistic details and accuracy. I think this is an important work and would like to recommend it to Editor’s Choice Award.

“Residue-based correlation between equilibrium and rate constants is an experimental formulation of the consistency principle for smooth structural changes of proteins”
Daisuke Kohda, Seiichiro Hayashi, Daisuke Fujinami
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 20, e200046 (2023)

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Haruki Nakamura

This article provides the new findings by the authors’ analysis that the residue-based correlation between equilibrium and rate constants is an experimental formulation of the consistency principle (Go-model) for protein structural changes. One of the characteristic features of their current analytical method is that it is not necessary to use mutated proteins like other methods such as the mutational f-value and y-value analyses to obtain residue-specific folding procedures. The authors use the results of their own previous studies of NMR and MD simulations during the recent years.

“Binding free-energy landscapes of small molecule binder and non-binder to FMN riboswitch: All-atom molecular dynamics”
Junichi Higo, Gert-Jan Bekker, Narutoshi Kamiya, Ikuo Fukuda, Yoshifumi Fukunishi
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 20, e200047 (2023)

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Gautam Basu

Using generalized-ensemble simulations. Higo et al. identified differential free energy signatures of ligand specificity towards FMN riboswitch by a binder and a non-binder. Ligand orientation restriction at the binding pocket was the selection criterion for the binder, while a “rear gate” ligand entry associated with a high free energy barrier was identified as an alternative gate to the binding site. The work provides new insights on ligand binding and selection by riboswitches.

“Potassium-selective channelrhodopsins”
Elena G. Govorunova, Oleg A. Sineshchekov, John L. Spudich
Biophysics and Physicobiology, Vol. 20, e201011 (2023)

【授賞理由】Editor-in-Charge: Yuki Sudo

The manuscript has been given high scores from the reviewers.
In this review article, the authors, who discovered a new type of microbial rhodopsin called potassium channelrhodopsin (KCR) and published their findings in Nature Neuroscience in 2021, summarized KCR primarily from the viewpoints of molecular mechanisms and the application of optogenetics. Thus, this article is essential for understanding both photoactive proteins and optogenetics. Therefore, I recommend this article as a candidate for the Editor's Choice Award.

2024年7月
Biophysics and Physicobiology編集委員会