English Editing and Proofreading for Life Science and Medical Papers
Dr. Laura Zonia received her undergraduate degree in Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, in 1987. Her undergraduate laboratory work included DNA sequencing, biotechnology, and the development of useful genetic markers for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tomato plants. Dr. Zonia received her PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Missouri – Columbia, in 1992. Her thesis work explored nitrogen metabolism in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and included physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological studies.
Dr. Zonia became interested in the problems and bottlenecks facing science research in non-Western countries. After finishing her PhD studies, she moved to the Institute of Experimental Botany (IEB) in Prague, Czech Republic. There she began working on the cell biology of pollen tube growth. Within three years, she served as Principle Investigator for joint funding from the National Science Foundation (USA), the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, for collaborative research projects between the IEB, North Carolina State University, and Purdue University in the USA. These projects explored lipid signaling and cytoskeletal organization during pollen germination.
Since 2004, Dr. Zonia has been at the University of Amsterdam. Her work has investigated a wide range of cell biological processes, including inositol polyphosphate and phospholipid signaling, ion flux dynamics, vesicle trafficking dynamics, differential imaging of exocytosis and endocytosis, and nonlinear dynamics analysis of growth. This work has generated a new understanding of the spatial and temporal mechanisms that drive pollen tube growth.
Dr. Zonia has authored and published articles in the top journals of her field, has been the recipient of grants in three different countries, has served as peer-reviewer for the top journals in her field (including plant sciences, cell biology, biophysics, biochemistry, and mathematical biology), and has served as peer-reviewer for national granting agencies from five different countries. In addition, she has served as editor for articles, grants, and scientific documents for numerous colleagues for whom English is a second language. Her international career and scientific experiences provide additional insights as a scientific editor.
This month, Bioedit moved into its new Manchester offices...
Avoid beginning a sentence with an antecedent (e.g., “Its”) or a demonstrative pronoun (e.g., “this”).
When a number is used to describe a single measurement, a singular verb is used (10 ml was added). However, if the subject is considered in separate parts, a plural verb is required (10 ml drops were added one by one).
The definite and indefinite articles should be used in formal writing; however, they may be partially excluded in headings, titles, figures, and lists.
Avoid pleonasms: for example, are found to be in agreement-agree, give consideration to-consider, in order to-to.
When a sentence begins with a number, the number must be written in full.
Avoid using a split infinitive unless the sentence requires it to avoid awkwardness or confusion.
Do not use the possessive apostrophe in acronyms (Incorrect: DNA’s).
Do not begin sentences with “and”.
"Hopefully, I could send you as many manuscripts as I can this year. Please continue to help the publication of our research reports. Thank you."
Tokyo University of Pharmacy & Life Sciences, Japan. May 2009.
"I am very much satisfied with your editing service. The manuscript has been beautifully overhauled and transformed in to a better communicable form. I wish I can write such good English. Your editors have done an excellent job. I owe a lot to all of you. If I can publish this paper in JAMA I will share my happiness with you all by informing you. Thank you. "
Immunobiology Div, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow 226001, UP, Indi
"It has been long since I asked you to edit our manuscripts. I appreciate for a series of your wonderful works and also, your help for my collaborators at Kyoto University. I am now a professor at Fukushima Medical University and a dean of graduate school. Your help was quite important for my career. Thank you. "
Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan. November 2010
"With your editing service, I made my papers accepted in several journals: Appl. Environ. Microbiol., ISME J., Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., and etc. I appreciate your editing service and will continue to send you more of my work in the future. "
Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Kyonggi-do, South Korea. May 2010.
"Thank you for quick and beautiful editing of our paper.Yesterday, I have re-submitted our paper. And several hours ago, the paper was accepted in Nucleic Acids Research. I appreciate you and other editors in BioEdit. Someday, I will request you to edit our next paper. "
Yokohama City University, Kanagawa, Japan. December 2010
"I'd love to inform you that our manuscript was finally accepted to Nature. I appreciate you very much that your edition of our previous version of manuscript was so helpful to be accepted. "
Osaka University, Osaka, Japan. December 2010
"I just want to thank you for your editing.The manuscript entitled “The carboxy-terminal region ....” was accepted within one day. Thank you for your good editing. "
Nara Women's University, Nara, Japan. December 2010
"I really appreciate your immediate, meticulous editing of my revised manuscript free of charge. I hope this re-edited manuscript will be accepted for publication. Thanks again. "
National Institute of Infectious Disease, Tokyo, Japan. November 2010