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Cell culture media are typically selected on the basis of common laboratory practices but have major effects on the validity, reproducibility and physiological relevance of the scientific findings. We provide arguments and quantitative examples of why choosing an appropriate cell culture medium matters, particularly in metabolic studies.
Individual differences in physical performance in the sedentary state and in response to exercise training have been observed in rodent and human studies. The genomic variants underlying these genetic components are unknown. Nonetheless, without a rich genetic endowment, world-class athletic performance is out of reach.
As the metabolism community has grown and diversified with scientists from multidisciplinary backgrounds, metabolic terminology has evolved and expanded. In this Comment, we reflect on this new vernacular and how established terminology can guide future discussions of metabolic research.
We are approaching the 100th anniversary of Otto Warburg’s first description of the metabolic phenotype bearing his name—a propensity for tumours to metabolize glucose anaerobically rather than aerobically, even when oxygen is available. Generations of scientists have studied the Warburg effect, yet misconceptions persist about its causes and relationship to oxidative metabolism in the mitochondria. Here, we review the definition of the Warburg effect and discuss its place within a modern understanding of cancer biology.