Phoenix Rising

Rising like the phoenix?

Fungal phoenix rising from the ashes?

During May 2010, sporocarps of what appeared to be an Armillaria sp. were found in large clumps in historic Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on the foot of Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa. These sporocarps could be physically linked to the roots of unidentified dead trees and Protea spp. The aim of this study was to identify the Armillaria sp. found fruiting in Kirstenbosch. To achieve th...

Phoenix rising: gene therapy makes a comeback.

Despite the first application of gene therapy in 1990, gene therapy has until recently failed to meet the huge expectations set forth by researchers, clinicians, and patients, thus dampening enthusiasm for an imminent cure for many life-threatening genetic diseases. Nonetheless, in recent years we have witnessed a strong comeback for gene therapy, with clinical successes in young and adult subj...

Mathematical Modeling of the Phoenix Rising Pathway

Apoptosis is a tightly controlled process in mammalian cells. It is important for embryogenesis, tissue homoeostasis, and cancer treatment. Apoptosis not only induces cell death, but also leads to the release of signals that promote rapid proliferation of surrounding cells through the Phoenix Rising (PR) pathway. To quantitatively understand the kinetics of interactions of different molecules i...

Phoenix rising: new models for the research monograph?

There is significant evidence that traditional university presses are continuing to face financial crises. Outlets for research monographs are drying up, print runs are being reduced and monograph costs are increasing. The combination of the digital networked environment and openarchive initiatives may, however, provide the opportunity, through institutional repositories, to rethink the role an...