September 2015 - This Month in JoVE: Measuring Greenhouse Gases and Herbicide Resistance, Bioengineering Bone, and Analyzing Neuromuscular Control with Virtual Reality

Abstract

Here's a look at what's coming up in the September 2015 issue of JoVE: The Journal of Visualized Experiments. In JoVE Environment, we've had a pretty warm summer in the northern hemisphere, so we can't help but think about all the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere that keep our planet nice and warm. These days, livestock are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane. Livestock contribute anywhere from 7 to 18% of global emissions-depending on who you ask. Naturally, climate scientists are interested in controlling enteric methane from livestock. This requires accurate and precise measurement techniques, so Hristov et al. present a method using the Automated Head-Chamber System (AHCS), which monitors methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) mass fluxes from the breath of ruminant animals (e.g., cattle). This system produces repeatable and accurate emission results, and can help efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. In JoVE Environment, we're also concerned about herbicide resistance in weeds, which poses a serious threat to food and fiber production. Plants can gain resistance to herbicides through genetic mutations or through enhanced activity of enzymes that metabolize and detoxify chemicals. In order to determine rates of herbicide metabolism in certain weeds, Ma et al. developed an excised leaf assay, which allows them to take experiments from the greenhouse into the lab so they can perform radiolabeled herbicide experiments more efficiently. As more and more plants become resistant to herbicides, this method will be useful for investigating the metabolic basis of herbicide resistance. In JoVE Bioengineering, one of the ultimate goals of tissue engineering is to regenerate large bone defects using synthetic scaffolds or templates. Most available scaffolds don't allow appreciable cell infiltration or distribution to achieve significant bone regeneration, so Oh et al. have developed a highly porous bone-like template with micro-channels and nanopores. Cells can be seeded into the biogenic templates through capillary action, and grow to confluence within days. This concept can help advance the repair of large bone defects. In JoVE Behavior, the human neuromuscular junction can be studied using a variety of noninvasive techniques, including electromyography (EMG), 3D motion capture, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. This month, Talkington et al. add the unique aspect of virtual reality to this test battery, and describe a customizable circuit that synchronizes data sampled from all of these techniques. You've just had a sneak peek of the September 2015 issue of JoVE. Visit the website to see the full-length articles, plus many more, in JoVE: The Journal of Visualized Experiments.