Editorial pubs.acs.org/bc
Science in a Global Community hings have continued to progress and evolve at Bioconjugate Chemistry in 2016. Scientifically, we are continuing to expand the scope of the journal into new areas, while building on our strength in delivery and imaging. While expanding the scope of BC, we have maintained our ∼40 day submission to online publication average. Along with our publishing efforts, we presented the inaugural Bioconjugate Chemistry Lecturer award to Shawn Chen. We have also had dramatic growth in the BC social media community, with over 1000 Twitter followers and 1500 likes on Facebook. We have a busy year ahead in 2017. In January we published a special issue on “Interfacing Inorganic Nanoparticles with Biology” and we will be putting out an issue on “Peptide Conjugates for Biological Applications” in March. We will also be presenting the next BC lecturer award in August at the National ACS meeting in Washington, DC. And, as you can see below, we at BC are working to expand the global presence of both the journal and the scientific community. As you can see from the messages from the BC team, we are happy to reach out to researchers around the world to help you publish your work. We also want to go beyond the walls of the journal. Our goal is to do everything we can as a journal and as scientists to knit together the global community of researchers working at the interface between biology and chemistry. Best wishes for the coming year, Jan, Erin, Brad, Gang, and Vince
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Gang Zheng
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Vincent M. Rotello AUTHOR INFORMATION
ORCID
Jan van Hest: 0000-0001-7973-2404 Bradley D. Smith: 0000-0003-4120-3210 Vincent M. Rotello: 0000-0002-5184-5439 Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the ACS. Biographies
Jan van Hest Erin Lavik. I was a young graduate student when Contact came out in 1997. One of my favorite parts was watching how different researchers had to work together across boundaries to track the signals from space. It was mesmerizing to see everyone communicating around the world in pursuit of a single goal. Science is at its best and scientists are at our best when we work together to solve problems. Our different backgrounds and experiences are critical to the kinds of questions we ask and how we design experiments to investigate the answers. In some cases, we can only do experiments across the globe whether our work involves understanding salamander regeneration or developing new fluorophores inspired by marine life.
Erin B. Lavik
It is not always easy to work and communicate across borders. There are financial and political challenges that can make it difficult, but there are also constant innovations in how we can communicate to help reduce
Bradley D. Smith
Published: February 15, 2017 © 2017 American Chemical Society
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journals. Readers are attracted to BC because they know that the chemistry is innovative, the bioconjugates are well-characterized, and the biological studies are meaningful. The high international standards are maintained by the collective efforts of a large community of peer reviewers. Even when the reviews are not highly favorable I know that the authors are still grateful for the reviewer comments if they perceive them to be thoughtful and balanced. While it takes time to rigorously review a detailed experimental manuscript, especially one that contains large amounts of chemistry and biology, the process always leads to an improved publication that produces higher impact with both the specialist and the general reader.
these barriers to conversation. Engage with us not just as the fantastically dedicated authors and reviewers with whom we work, but as colleagues and friends across social media and in person whenever possible at the ACS meetings. What are the greatest challenges in science and to doing science? What do you think the Apollo mission should look like for Bioconjugate Chemistry? All of our ears are open. We want to learn from you and work with you in this year and for many to come.
So, why do people participate in peer review? Surveys indicate that the number one reason is scientific interest. But I think it is more than that. For most of us, it is a deep commitment to a like-minded community whose overall purpose is to seek truth and improve the quality of life for all. These are universal goals that permeate international barriers and the passage of time. When I meet a fellow scientist I immediately feel a sense of respect and connection. This is especially true if I have read some of their scientific papers, or interacted with them through peer review. The text and graphics reflect core personal characteristics such as breadth of vocabulary, mathematical aptitude, attention to fine detail, and willingness to engage in speculation. In many ways, meeting a scientist whose name you know from the literature is like connecting with a kindred soul. The BC community is especially broad and encompasses a wide range of scientific disciplines, but our core values are very similar. I am as excited as ever to help build the community and learn of scientific advances that can hardly be imagined.
Vince Rotello. Even after I am past the half-century mark, I still maintain the same passion and idealism for the community of science that I had as a teenager. I see the goal of science to be finding out the truth about Nature, and using that truth as a way to improve the human condition. The fact that we pursue a common truth provides a connection between researchers across the globe that has really helped advance science. We can see so many examples across different disciplines where working together we have helped humanity: fighting diseases, developing new and sustainable technologies, and helping us to better understand the world we live in. With the above being said, what I would really like to focus on is the satisfaction that I’ve gained from living and working in such a global community. The common meeting ground of science has allowed me to interact with people from around the world on both a professional and personal level. I currently have researchers from six different countries working in my lab. We all work and socialize with each other in ways that I wish the nations that we come from could learn from. And along with the global research group, I have collaborations with researchers in six continents, giving me reasons to travel around the world. Now if I could just figure out how to connect with Antarctica...
Jan van Hest. As an associate editor of BC I have come to appreciate even more the special character of the journal. On one hand, it provides a focused platform for science at the interface of chemistry and biology, which is directed to the development of sophisticated conjugation methodologies. On the other hand, bioconjugation chemistry can be implemented in so many different ways that scientists across a wide range of disciplines feel that BC belongs to their natural publishing domain, whether they are active in nanoscience, polymer science, or chemical biology. This is illustrated by the special and virtual issues that will be launched this year. BC’s attractiveness is furthermore global. ACS is recognized by the scientific community as one of the leading publishers, providing researchers with a highly professional reviewing and publishing process. As associate editor I feel it is my task to ensure that we maintain and even increase our high standards, and at the same time help scientists from all over the world to find their way to the journal and get their research published. Over the years I have seen a growing number of researchers from different countries be involved with the journal, either as authors or as reviewers, and it would be good to see these numbers increase even further. After all, excellent science is meant to cross and overcome borders, and the best way to achieve this is by global participation from the scientific community.
We at BC (and more broadly the American Chemical Society) are continuing our efforts to reach out to the global community. I am looking forward to activities like ACS on Campus and other initiatives, and hope that I will see you soon on one of my travels.
Brad Smith. As an associate editor for BC it is a privilege to play a helping role in the rigorous peer review process that is the hallmark of ACS 280
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Gang Zheng. While the perception of a lone researcher making brilliant discoveries in the lab lingers in popular culture, the modern reality is quite different across the STEM disciplines. As our understanding of natural and man-made worlds becomes increasingly complex, techniques more specialized, and problems more difficult, it is simply not possible to know everything. Bioconjugate research, by its very nature, is an interdisciplinary pursuit with achievements built from successful collaborations. At the institutional level, we as researchers can surround ourselves with specialists in complementary fields and build teams that reflect the diversity of our research. As an organic chemist by training, I have spent my career associated with research hospitals. This has proven to be an environment conducive to exploring biological applications, and provided insight and impetus for developing new chemistries. Looking beyond the local level, global partnerships have proven instrumental to the success of many projects in my lab. The world of research is highly competitive, and collaborations between leading experts, particularly across long distances, can be challenging but they are well worth the effort. As an Associate Editor for BC, I am encouraged by the manuscripts passing my desk every day that are testament to the success of these global partnerships. BC plays an important role in recognizing and bringing awareness to global achievements in bioconjugates. The broad readership that BC attracts can only encourage conversations between researchers across the globe and accelerate growth of the field. I look forward to the new discoveries that await us this year and want to hear from you about how BC can continue to serve as your forum for global research.
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