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Call for papers - Cilia biology and ciliopathies

Guest Editors

Camille Boutin, PhD, IBDM, France
Helen Louise May-Simera, PhD, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 26 March 2025 


BMC Molecular and Cell Biology is inviting submissions to a new Collection on Cilia biology and ciliopathies, focusing on the latest advancements in the study of the complex biology of cilia and their role in various genetic disorders known as ciliopathies. The Collection aims to highlight original research and methodological innovations that advance our understanding of the crucial and varied roles of cilia.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Camille Boutin, PhD, IBDM, France

Dr Boutin is an integrative cell biologist with a keen taste for careful observation, thorough description, and the power of comparison. After a PhD where she developed an innovative technical approach and contributed to the elucidation of several molecular checkpoints of postnatal neurogenesis, she turned her attention to the biology of multiciliated cells (MCCs). Over the past 10 years, she used this model to tackle fundamental questions on polarity, compartmentalization, and sizing.  
 

Helen Louise May-Simera, PhD, Institute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany

Helen May-Simera is a professor at the Institute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. She studied biochemistry at the University of Bath and completed her doctorate at University College London in 2008. Her research focuses on the role of cilia proteins during development and disease. She conducted postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, focusing on cilia's role in the auditory and visual system. Awarded the Sofia Kovalevskaja Award in 2014, she joined the University of Mainz as a young group leader and was awarded tenure in 2021. She is a dedicated advocate for scientific outreach and fostering bilateral exchange between ciliopathy researchers and patient communities. 

About the Collection

BMC Molecular and Cell Biology is welcoming contributions to a new Collection entitled Cilia biology and ciliopathies. This Collection aims to assemble high-quality original research articles and methodological advancements that shed light on the intricate biology of primary and motile/multi cilia and the wide array of diseases collectively known as ciliopathies.

Despite the fundamental importance of cilia in cell functionality and human health, many aspects of their biology are still poorly understood. Moreover, defects in ciliary structure, biogenesis, or function are linked to a diverse group of genetic disorders known as ciliopathies, which can affect multiple organ systems and lead to a wide range of health issues including polycystic kidney disease, retinal degeneration, and congenital heart disease.

This Collection seeks to cover the latest advancements in cilia research, from the molecular mechanisms of cilia formation and function to the pathogenesis of ciliopathies, including but not limited to:

  • Molecular and cellular mechanisms of ciliogenesis and ciliary function including polarity and positioning
  • Advances in understanding ciliary signaling pathways
  • Understanding the physics of cilia including flow generation 
  • The role of cilia in development and tissue homeostasis
  • Molecular pathogenesis of ciliopathies, including both primary and motile ciliopathies
  • Novel insights into the genetic and epigenetic regulation of ciliary dynamics
  • Innovative methodologies for studying cilia and ciliary proteins
  • Emerging models for cilia biology
  • Possible non-ciliary functions of "classical" cilia proteins


Image credit: © Science Source / mauritius images

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Cilia biology and ciliopathies" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.