Where Cell Biology and Developmental Biology Meet

Abstract

We are proud to introduce our newest monthly title, Developmental Cell, a daughter journal to Cell and a companion to Molecular Cell. Developmental Cell publishes fundamental advances in the fields of cell biology and developmental biology, providing a unique resource for scientists interested in the properties of individual cells and their regulation in a larger multicellular context.This is an exciting time to be working in life science research. The field is flourishing, and new tools are opening up avenues of investigation that would have seemed daunting if not unattainable a few years ago. Developmental biology and cell biology are both at the forefront of this progress, and great strides are being made in both disciplines. They are also becoming increasingly intertwined as we begin to unravel how developmental processes work at a cellular level and how cellular components contribute to the regulation and execution of developmental events. In fact, in some areas the distinctions between the two fields have become somewhat blurred in the overall quest to understand biological function. Although there is still a long way to go, it really does seem as though we are beginning to understand how cells function both individually and as part of multicellular organisms, and the prospect of learning more provides a great impetus for future research.It is this excitement that has inspired the launch of Developmental Cell. Prompted by the growing interaction and overlap between cell biology and developmental biology, we see a need for a journal that caters equally to both communities and promotes communication between them. Developmental Cell will fill this need, acting as a high-profile cross-disciplinary forum. The journal is aimed at a very broad audience, including developmental biologists, cell biologists, and all whose research or interests mean that they follow advances in either or both of these areas. To enable as many scientists as possible to access the journal, Developmental Cell is free online until the end of September and to Cell Press institutional site licensees through December 2001.Developmental Cell will cover a broad range of topics, including intra- and intercellular communication, cell proliferation, intracellular targeting, cell polarity, morphogenesis, cell migration, aging, and differentiation, to name but a few. The primary criterion for publication in Developmental Cell, as for all Cell Press journals, is new biological insight. We recognize that there are many ways in which such insight can be obtained, and Developmental Cell is interested in studies using the full range of methodologies available to the cell and developmental biology communities. We are happy to consider any study that leads to important new conclusions about biological function. We publish full-length articles in the familiar Cell format as well as shorter papers that make more focused contributions on points of general interest. We will also consider a small number of Techniques papers, with the principle criteria being general interest and broad applicability. Potential authors can seek informal advice on the suitability of a new manuscript by contacting the editors via email at Devcell@cell.com. Full author instructions can be found at our website, http://www.developmentalcell.com.In addition to primary research, Developmental Cell will contain a stimulating selection of review material, including full-length reviews, commentaries, meeting reports, and previews. To assist with the reviews, we are delighted that Philip Ingham, Norbert Perrimon, and Clifford Tabin have agreed to join us as Reviews Editors; they will be joined shortly by a fourth Reviews Editor with a strong cell biology orientation. Their influence over the reviews will become more evident as the months progress.Developmental Cell is a “sister” for Molecular Cell, which was launched in 1997 and has since established itself as one of the premier general interest journals in the molecular biology arena. As its partner, Developmental Cell provides an equivalent forum for cell and developmental biology. The editorial procedures for Developmental Cell are similar to those of Cell and Molecular Cell. All three journals share a single editorial team, allowing for a streamlined submission and decision process. Authors are free to submit their papers specifically to a single journal or to ask that they be considered simultaneously for multiple journals. As for all the Cell Press titles, publication will be rapid, averaging 6 weeks from acceptance. For manuscripts of unusual significance, we offer electronic review.We look forward to working with the research community to create an exciting new forum for cell and developmental biology.