The new open-access journal eLife has launched, making its first content available in PubMed Central. In addition to publishing science of the highest quality, the journal aims to improve both the peer-review process and the presentation of new research results.
The development of colonies of cells in choanoflagellates, water-dwelling organisms that feed on bacteria, is triggered by the presence of very low concentrations of a lipid molecule produced by certain types of bacteria.
John H Koschwanez, Kevin R Foster, Andrew W Murray
The ability to share resources for the benefit of all members of a group may have driven ancient organisms to evolve from a unicellular to a multicellular state.
In the first eLife podcast we hear about the origins of multicellularity, the Irish potato famine, hepatitis viruses, how fog affects the behaviour of car drivers, and the evolution of chromatin.
