Beautiful underwater view of an edible brown alga, Sargassum fusiforme (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) at the rocky shore in Sakurajima, Kagoshima, Japan (Photo by Ryuta Terada). Characteristic responses of the PSII photochemical efficiency on desiccation and salinity gradients in S. fusiforme are reported by Yonemori et al. in this issue.
CRISPR-Cas9 system with PEG-mediated transfection was efficient for genome editing in Ulva prolifera. U. prolifera (left) and male gametes (middle). Wild type (upper right) and the genome-edited strain (lower right) cultured in 2-FA selection medium, and each mutation site on the APT gene. See Ichihara et al. in this issue.
The detection of colon cancer by using Poincaré sphere and 2D polarimetric imaging approach. Further details can be found in the article by Deyan Ivanov, Viktor Dremin, Alexander Bykov, Ekaterina Borisova, et al. ( e202000082 ).
A multi‐wavelength Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI) utilizes structured illumination to provide absorption and reduced scattering coefficient maps of colorectal tissue. Combining SFDI with a Machine Learning algorithm ‐ AdaBoost, different types of colorectal tissues including normal, adenomatous polyp and cancer, can be differentiated with high accuracy. This new technique provides a potential method to assist in colorectal cancer screening. Further details can be found in the article by Shuying Li, Yifeng Zeng, William C. Chapman Jr, et al. ( e201960241 ).
A false‐colored and merged image of fresh, ex vivo rat kidney acquired using an excitation‐scanning hyperspectral imaging system. The spectral image was acquired using excitation wavelengths from 360 to 550 nm. Colors represent principal components extracted from a spectral image cube featuring no added labels or markers. Further details can be found in the article by Peter F. Favreau, Joshua A. Deal, Bradley Harris, et al. ( e201900183 ).
Infrared spectroscopy enables insight into light‐activated riboflavin‐induced collagen cross‐linking for future intervertebral disc treatment and repair. Further details can be found in the article by Ioannis Vasilikos, Julian Haas, Graciosa Q. Teixeira, Julia Nothelfer, Cornelia Neidlinger‐Wilke, Hans‐Joachim Wilke, Andreas Seitz, Demetrios G. Vavvas, Josef Zentner, Jürgen Beck, Ulrich Hubbe, and Boris Mizaikoff ( e202000110 ).
A tidal pool dinoflagellate, Chiharadinium hexapraecingulum (T. Horiguchi & Chihara) Dawut & T. Horiguchi gen. & comb. nov. Upper row: Light micrographs of lateral view, ventral view, epifluorescence micrograph of motile cells and scanning electron micrograph of apical view of a cell. Lower row: Scanning electron micrographs of ventral view, left lateral view and antapical view of motile cells. Establishment of a new genus Chiharadinium is reported by Dawut et al. in this issue.
A dual‐raster‐scanned photoacoustic microscope (DRS‐PAM) was reported, which integrates a two‐dimensional motorized translation stage for large field‐of‐view imaging and a two‐axis fast galvanometer scanner for real‐time imaging. The DRS‐PAM provides a flexible transition from wide‐field monitoring the vasculature of organs to real‐time imaging of local dynamics. Further details can be found in the article by Fei Yang, Zhiyang Wang, Wuyu Zhang, et al. ( e202000022 ).
Successful therapy of twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome requires accurate imaging to guide laser photocoagulation of the anastomosing placental vessels. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an alternative imaging method that provides contrast for hemoglobin, and in this study, it was used to visualize chorionic superficial and subsurface vasculature in human placentas. The strong potential of PA imaging to guide minimally invasive fetal therapies was demonstrated. Further details can be found in the article by Efthymios Maneas, Rosalind Aughwane, Nam Huynh, et al. ( e201900167 ).
A type of compact and cost‐effective light‐sheet imaging device, termed sub‐voxel‐resolving light‐sheet add‐on module (SLAM), is developed to cooperate with conventional 2D epifluorescence microscope, allowing high‐contrast, resolution‐improved 3D imaging of various biological samples at high throughput. Further details can be found in the article by Fang Zhao, Yicong Yang, Yi Li, et al. ( e201960243 ).
Jackson County, Illinois, U.S.A., Photo by Nathan Soley (right) Champaign County, Illinois, U.S.A., Photo by Nathan Soley (left) Soley and Sipes “Reproductive biology and pollinators of the invasive shrub Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata Thunberg)”. https://doi.org/10.1111/1442-1984.12307
Scanning electron micrographs of two members of the marine diatom genus Nagumoea, N. africana (the left four photos) and N. serrata (the right two). This genus is characterized as unique by the ladder-like structure of its internal valve as shown in the image. Morphology and molecular phylogeny of this genus are reported by Sugawara et al. in this issue.
Cover Image The pistillate-phase flowers of Artabotrys (Annonaceae): A. blumei (left) and A. brachypetalus (right). Photos by Junhao Chen, taken in Hong Kong and South Africa, respectively (DOI: 10.1111/1442-1984.12273 ).
Lake Inle, a pristine lake in Myanmar, is known to harbor a number of endemic aquatic species and is a home to an enigmatic cyanobacterium Oscillatoria kawamurae, which was first reported in Lake Biwa (Japan). Macroscopic trichome (upper left), microscopic image (upper middle). Photos by Phong San (Lake Inle) and Nanda Kyaw Thu (O. kawamurae). See Thu et al. in this issue. Cover picture from: Article link here
Optical Coherence Tomography angiography (OCTA) is widely used to image chorioretinal vasculature, with contrast that derives from scattering and motion of red blood cells (RBCs). In the rat eye, a scattering tracer highlights vertical vessels which are not visualized by intrinsic RBC scattering alone. The dependence of microvessel OCTA on angular orientation, explored in this work, represents a potential artifact that should be considered in the clinical interpretation of OCTA. Further details can be found in the article by Jun Zhu, Marcel T. Bernucci, Conrad W. Merkle, and Vivek J. Srinivasan ( e202000090) .
Leptocereus santamarinae. In Herradura beach in Las Tunas Province. Photo by Duniel Barrios. Flores et al. https://esj-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1442-1984.12334 (right) Echinocereus enneacanthus (Cactaceae). Spring of 2020, Mapimi Biosphere Reserve, Southern Chihuahuan Desert, Durango, Mexico. Photo by José Antonio Aranda-Pineda. Aranda-Pineda et al. https://esj-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1442-1984.12329 (left)