Non-popular Biological Models as a Promising Tool of Cell Biology

Dear Colleagues,

Most research in cell biology today uses just a handful of model systems, including yeast, Arabidopsis, Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish, mouse, and cultured tumoral mammalian cells. When it comes to most biological questions, the best system to find their answer is likely found among these models.

While having a set of go-to models can have indisputable advantages, it also comes with a set of challenges. For example, research that does not use what has already been established tends to receive less visibility—and, as researchers are rewarded for publishing more frequently, it becomes quite hard to venture outside the realm of the dominant cellular models. However, as stated by Blackburn after their Nobel prize, “biology sometimes reveals its general principles through that which appears to be arcane and even bizarre” (Blackburn et al., 2006).

It is in that “arcane” and “bizarre” that most biological mysteries have found their answers, which are usually identified using non-conventional models. As such, we believe it is pivotal to restart “curiosity-driven research” in order for the field to move forward, as the best system for certain questions may be an unknown, little studied organism.

New and modern research tools are facilitating a renaissance and/or the development of interesting and unusual organisms as model systems. This might be a risky approach, but we believe that there is a need for new models and predict that an ever-expanding breadth of models systems may be the hallmark of future cell biology.

Based on the above, we are proposing a Special Issue on “Non-Popular Biological Models as a Promising Tool of Cell Biology” and invite you to participate with original articles that may highlight new promising discoveries. Indeed, we argue that some of the biggest future discoveries in cell biology could come from the development and study of new, atypical model organisms. 

Blackburn, E.H.; Greider, C.W.; Szostak, J.W. Telomeres and telomerase: The path from maize, Tetrahymena and yeast to human cancer and aging. Nat. Med. 2006, 12, 1133–1138.

Dr. Patrice X. Petit
Dr. Damien Arnoult
Guest Editors

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