Abstract
It is with pleasure, excitement, and a sense of awe that I take over as Editor-in-Chief from Jim Inglese. The first issue of ASSAY and Drug Development Technologies came out in November 2002 with the focus of creating a journal to help “fill the gap between discovery and application,” providing a medium to display ideas, methods, and technologies in drug discovery. Under Jim's leadership the Journal has since become firmly established as a leading forum for presentation and discussion of cutting–edge drug discovery and development technologies. The success of ASSAY is a testament to Jim's rigorous emphasis on quality, and the intelligent, conscientious, and honest manner in which he approaches scientific discovery. Thanks to Jim's mentorship during my five years as deputy editor of ASSAY, I feel ready to maintain his high standards and to lead the journal in new and exciting directions.
We have a very strong editorial leadership team to propel ASSAY through 2015 and beyond. Michelle Arkin, Haian Fu, and Thomas Lundbäck were recently appointed as associate editors; readers will learn more about their accomplishments and interests in a series of “Meet the Editors” interviews in upcoming issues. Doug Auld and Anton Simeonov will continue as literature editors and, along with Mindy Davis and Wendy Lea, will continue to produce the popular “Literature Search and Review.” As consulting editor, Vicki Glaser is invaluable in producing interviews and commissioning articles and special issues, as well as helping authors and editors to ensure these efforts are completed on time. Without the managing editor, Susan Jensen, there would be no journal; Susan, along with her production team, takes a collection of documents and files and turns them into 10 eye-catching publications per year. Jim Inglese will remain as founding editor; his continued advice and suggestions will be invaluable. Finally, Sophie Mohin, Vicki Cohn, and others “behind the scenes” at Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., provide the support and guidance essential for success.
This is also an opportune time to thank all the members of the editorial board for their contributions: reviewing articles, suggesting other reviewers, and providing advice based on their areas of expertise. The board members exert influence in a broad swath of the drug discovery field, and can do much to promote ASSAY among the scientific community. In addition to the editorial board, there are many reviewers who seldom receive recognition for the essential job they perform in upholding the quality of this Journal. Anonymity ensures honest and impartial reviews, but following a year of dedicated and diligent effort, we can at least list all of those who have graciously given their time to help authors communicate their research as effectively and convincingly as possible.
This first issue under the new leadership team comprises strong research articles, including two focused on high-throughput screening under the highest levels of biocontainment to allow discovery of new chemical agents against Ebola and other equally terrifying pathogens. Also, we present an interview with Mel Reichman, president of the International Chemical Biology Society (ICBS), and publication of the abstracts from the November 2014 ICBS conference in San Francisco. This focus on ICBS reflects our belief in the importance of reaching across boundaries between disciplines. Many of the greatest insights and discoveries are the result of synergistic crosstalk between scientists in different areas of research. Truly effective assay development and drug discovery are not possible without understanding the chemical biology of the disease target, and conversely much of chemical biology relies on rigorous assay design and data interpretation. Therefore, we hope both groups of scientists will be enriched and enlightened by connections fostered by this publication.
We look forward to an exciting year and second decade for ASSAY.