Plants in aquatic ecosystems: current trends and future directions

Aquatic plants fulfil a wide range of ecological roles, and make a substantial contribution to the structure, function and service provision of aquatic ecosystems. Given their well-documented importance in aquatic ecosystems, research into aquatic plants continues to blossom. The 14th International Symposium on Aquatic Plants, held in Edinburgh in September 2015, brought together 120 delegates from 28 countries and six continents. This special issue of Hydrobiologia includes a select number of papers on aspects of aquatic plants, covering a wide range of species, systems and issues. In this paper we present an overview of current trends and future directions in aquatic plant research in the early 21st century. Our understanding of aquatic plant biology, the range of scientific issues being addressed and the range of techniques available to researchers have all arguably never been greater; however, substantial challenges exist to the conservation and management of both aquatic plants and the ecosystems in which they are found. The range of countries and continents represented by conference delegates and authors of papers in the special issue illustrate the global relevance of aquatic plant research in the early 21st century but also the many challenges that this burgeoning scientific discipline must address

Screening out irrelevant cell-based models of disease

The common and persistent failures to translate promising preclinical drug candidates into clinical success highlight the limited effectiveness of disease models currently used in drug discovery. An apparent reluctance to explore and adopt alternative cell-and tissue-based model systems, coupled with a detachment from clinical practice during assay validation, contributes to ineffective translational research. To help address these issues and stimulate debate, here we propose a set of principles to facilitate the definition and development of disease-relevant assays, and we discuss new opportunities for exploiting the latest advances in cell-based assay technologies in drug discovery, including induced pluripotent stem cells, three-dimensional (3D) co-culture and organ-on-a-chip systems, complemented by advances in single-cell imaging and gene editing technologies. Funding to support precompetitive, multidisciplinary collaborations to develop novel preclinical models and cell-based screening technologies could have a key role in improving their clinical relevance, and ultimately increase clinical success rates

Projekt Labe IV

Sborník obsahuje souhrn všech dílčích úkolů Labe IV za rok 2003: Cíle projektu Labe IV, Použití moderních metod pro monitoring, prognózu vývoje a obnovu volné migrace rybích společenstev, Výzkum složek vodní flóry (fytoplankton a makrofyta) ve vybraných tocích povodí Labe, Biomonitoring říčního ekosystému Labe a dolní Vltavy, Vliv ekologických zátěží na tok Labe, Teorie modelování a monitorování a její využití v praxi, Environmentální indikátory, stanovení priorit a nalýza nákladů a přínosů investic do ŽP, Ekotoxicita znečištění vodního prostředí, Využití biochemických markerů při hodnocení kontaminace vodního prostředí, Využití 15N a 18O izotopů při studiu napájení a šíření dusičnanové kontaminace na vybraných vodních zdrojích v povodí Labe, Modelování pohybu vody a rozpouštěných látek ve vadózní zóně, Dynamika polutantů v hlavním korytě a údolní nivě českého Labe. Sborník semináře ze dne 13. 1. 2004 Praha, Klub technik