In this issue

Exploiting the endogenous proteases in blood and serum The initial version of the human genome predicted a total of 566 proteases. How many openings for proteolytic enzymes are there? Gale et al. applied their new PROTOMAP technique to clarify the interactions among coagulation cascades and reverse pathways (degradomics) that have been discovered in only the past few years. The procedure begins with a 1‐D SDS‐polyacrylamide gel, each lane of which is cut into 22 bands, each in a separate well. Each well is then subjected to analysis by in‐gel trypsin digestion and LC‐MS/MS. If the band mobility shifts, you know you have run into a new enzyme or a new substrate. Potentially very sensitive, the assay could detect the Factor VIII of the clot cascade at 1 nM. pp. 2377–2388Ghostly transformations? Do what? To whom? There was a time when microbiology was pragmatic – if you couldn't grow it, you couldn't know it unless it had a very strong substrate reaction. Then, we passed into the world of the genome and the power of genomics. All that was required was a couple of DNA sequences and a latest generation sequencing system. A few passes and you had more information than you could shake a stick at. So what does this have to do with probiotic species? Gilad et al. and other labs have recognized the beneficial effect of coexistence with them which was previously brushed off. In particular, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB‐12 has been implicated in binding of plasminogen, colonization of the GI tract and immunomodulation of the host immune system. All this and more done by<150 types of very ancient cells. pp. 2503–2514Can you really, really say that? Does your chewing gum lose its flavour on the bedpost overnight? Do your data support your claims? Do your claims make the most of your results? Levin gives a brief overview of how to evaluate the power of your data. Given the signal‐to‐noise ratio in your instrumentation, how many samples do you need to run to be able to claim a p ‐value of<0.05? Given the variability of liver extract yields, how many rats do I need to purchase to be able to claim a fourfold increase in gene expression? Free access to a site running the free software package R for planning and for retrospective evaluation is educational and productive. pp. 2565–2567