Editorial pubs.acs.org/journal/aidcbc
A Role for Chemists in Microbiome Research n this month’s Viewpoint titled “Addressing Infectious Disease Challenges by Investigating Microbiomes” (DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.6b00100), Dr. Emily Balskus of Harvard University highlights the importance of the microbiome in human health and disease, and presents a high-level overview of new strategies and approaches that may help to fill the fundamental gaps in our knowledge. Ultimately, a greater understanding of the microbiome may lead to improved therapies for treating and preventing infections. To address the many outstanding questions in microbiome research, a multidisciplinary partnership among the American Chemical Society, the American Society for Microbiology, the American Physical Society, and the Kavli Foundation has been established to sponsor the Kavli Microbiome Ideas Challenge. In light of this increased focus on microbiome research, ACS Infectious Diseases aims to serve as a forum to present research on the microbiome as it pertains to infectious disease. In early 2017, ACS Infectious Diseases will publish a special issue focused on the intersection of the human microbiome and infectious disease with Dr. Balskus serving as Guest Editor. This issue will report recent advances in our understanding of the interactions of human-associated microbial communities with infectious agents, the host immune system, and antibiotics. We aim to highlight exciting opportunities in this rapidly expanding area of research, and we welcome outstanding contributions that cover any of the themes highlighted above. As the participation of chemists in this interdisciplinary field grows, this and other ACS journals will continue to provide a venue for communicating new developments in microbiome science. For more information on this special issue, visit http://pubs. acs.org/page/aidcbc/call-for-papers/microbiome.html.
I
In addition to the special issue, ACS Publications will be hosting a multijournal webinar series in July and August of 2016 that will highlight various aspects of microbiome research including the role of the microbiome in health and disease, the microbiome in the environment, and microbiome technologies. Participating journals will include ACS Infectious Diseases, Journal of Proteome Research, Environmental Science & Technology, Environmental Science & Technology Letters, Analytical Chemistry, and ACS Nano. To receive updates regarding the microbiome webinar series, visit http://connect. acspubs.org/acsmicrobiomeweb. We hope that you will join us in advancing the field of microbiome research.
■
Courtney C. Aldrich, Editor-in-Chief AUTHOR INFORMATION
Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and not necessarily the views of the ACS.
Received: June 23, 2016 Published: July 8, 2016 © 2016 American Chemical Society
451
DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.6b00118 ACS Infect. Dis. 2016, 2, 451−451
