This issue of Volume 2 marks the first anniversary of Microbial Biotechnology (MBT). MBT was launched by Wiley‐Blackwell to become the leading vehicle for publication of the best research in the exciting field of the application of the immense functional diversity of microbes, in particular, the genomic accessing of fascinating new catalytic activities, metabolites, polymers, etc. of culturable and thus far uncultured organisms, and the systems‐based metabolic engineering of new routes and greater efficiencies and yields in microbial cell factories. Although it is impossible to editorially cover all facets of present and future applications of microbial diversity, the current team of Editors covers a rather wide range, including pharmaceuticals and health, food and agriculture, bioenergy and biomining, chemicals and polymers, and environmental applications. More importantly, the Journal Editorial Board, comprised of the top people in the various sectors, reaches out beyond the expertise of the Editors to many other relevant areas. And it will expand in future to cover reviewing expertise needs. The high rate of acceptances of invitations to join the Board has been gratifying and emphasizes the urgent need for a flagship for microbial biotechnology research that will set and persistently raise the benchmark for quality and innovation in the field.
2008 was an exciting year for MBT.
First, MBT had an excellent launch, professionally handled by the Wiley‐Blackwell staff in Oxford and its Production Office in Singapore, with email alerts and other advertising ensuring that the launch would be noted by almost everyone in the field. One important message transmitted was that all articles of the first volume would be freely accessible. In fact, the number of article downloads in the first quarter was an unprecedented 10 000, or approximately 350 per article! Three papers on energy biotechnology (biofuel synthesis, hydrogen production) were downloaded more than 4000 times! Anyone's work published in MBT in 2008 received very wide exposure. The rate of downloads continues undiminished.
Second, the Journal received submissions, and published papers, on a wide range of topics, from identification of new drug targets, massively parallel pathogen identification by microarrays, enzyme engineering and biocatalysis, metabolic engineering, elucidation and engineering of expression systems, development of bioreporters, rhizosphere biotechnology, solvent tolerance, bioremediation, genetic tool development, biopolymer production, etc., which reflect the wide range of scope of the Journal. Some of the papers published were outstanding, the rest were very good. It was a good start to the establishment of the benchmark.
Third, in addition to original research papers, it regularly published feature articles that provide analyses of published work, important background information, and added value and interest to the Journal. Foremost among these were reviews and minireviews on a number of exciting themes: these were some of the most popular articles and Juan Luis Ramos, as Review Editor, takes all the credit for the fantastic job he has done in recruiting these excellent pieces. Also highly popular is the Web alert by Larry Wackett, which identifies and annotates the best websites for latest information on particular themes relevant to microbial biotechnology: chiral biotransformations, renewable fuels, systems biology, biosensors, polylactic acid biopolymers and fungal genomics. With genomics and other ‘omics’ having taken centre stage in life science research, the organization, archiving, and analysis of the vast data sets generated, through the development and use of bioinformatics tools, has also taken centre stage. The Genomics Update feature of Roland Siezen and his colleagues eloquently distilled the essence of new developments in this sphere for the reader, and emphasized the economic contribution that genomics can make in areas such as wine production, dairy products and the treatment of waste waters. Another highly popular feature is the editorials by colleagues of Juan Luis Ramos highlighting papers published in the previous issue.
Fourth, the rate of submission of manuscripts is good: as is to be expected for a new journal, some submissions are inappropriate, from the point of view of either scope or quality, but the rate of submissions of good‐to‐excellent papers is healthy and growing. Particularly satisfying in this regard is the faith in the Journal shown by the Editorial Board by their own submissions. The increasing flow of papers will allow the Journal to grow over the next few years at a rate compatible with our expressed goal of making it the leader in the field.
What is planned for 2009?
First, Marty Rosenberg will take up duties in January as Editor for the area of pharma/health biotech, bringing to the Journal team the wealth of experience he has acquired in industry and as Editor of top journals like Current Opinion in Biotechnology and Journal of Bacteriology. He will be joined by new additions to the Editorial Board who are currently being recruited.
Second, Issue 2 will feature Crystal Ball, a series of articles in which leaders in the field of biotechnology articulate their personal visions on the new conceptual, technical and theoretical developments that will drive the most exciting progress over the next few years. Watch out for this: it will be both stimulating and entertaining!
Third, the Journal will publish one to two themed issues per year dedicated to currently exciting topics and guest edited by leading experts in the field. The first in the early part of the year will be on bioremediation and a second in the latter half of the year will feature energy and plant–microbe interactions. Others will follow. Special Issues draw attention to new topics or topics going though exciting phases, and papers published in them acquire considerable added value in being part of a cluster reporting on a related theme. From the excitement already generated by the flyers announcing these SIs, we anticipate some super papers.
Fourth, all articles published in the Journal will be freely available for download again in 2009!
So, there we are! Already into the second year of MBT, with a great launch and first year, and a lot of exciting papers and developments to look forward to this year.
BUT: the success of the Journal depends on you, the reader, so make your contribution to the creation of a flagship for microbial biotechnology by submitting your best papers in the coming months. In addition to submissions on topics of mainstream microbial biotechnology, we particularly encourage submissions on new technical developments of generic importance, like micro‐fluidics and bionanotechnology, and systems and synthetic microbiology. We, in return, will try to give you the best reviewing possible which, at worst, will help you improve your paper and, at best, will give you new ideas and insights, in addition to your satisfaction in participating in this important endeavour.
Finally, we would like to wish you a successful and satisfying research year 2009 and at least one major breakthrough in your chosen field of study.
The Editors