Editorials

Understanding the molecules and mechanisms that microbes use to interact with each other and their environments can lead to better antimicrobial drug design as well as a richer understanding of bacterial physiology, ecology and evolution.

Chemical synthesis plays a critical and creative role in chemical biology, providing new chemical materials to investigate biological systems.

Professional editors provide the perspective, consistency and responsiveness needed to identify and communicate groundbreaking scientific advances.

Defining the scope and venue of a scientific paper requires a balance between the authors' goals for the study and reasonable feedback gleaned through peer review.

The sensors and switches that convert environmental inputs to specific biological outputs inspire the tools chemical biologists engineer and apply to better understand these complex systems.

Balancing big science projects with smaller-scale mechanistic studies provides a collaborative approach for integrating scientific knowledge and addressing major scientific challenges.

Unsupported assumptions have no place in scientific research, so why should they be tolerated when judging the talents and motivations of women in science?

If scientists do not participate in public conversations about science, decisions affecting science will be made without them.

Scientists must be attentive to ensure the integrity of the published record and find new ways to facilitate scientific debate in the electronic age.

Earnest revisions based on editorial and referee feedback improve published papers.

In this special issue, Nature Chemical Biology takes a look at the past, present and future of chemical biology.

Optimal use of the extensive data sets being generated in the post-genomic era will require clear standards and a commitment to open communication.

The search for mechanisms and meaning within structurally and functionally diverse systems requires different expectations and approaches.

Chemical biology contributions will become increasingly important as we enter the second decade of the postgenomic era.

The expanding biotechnology landscape offers new intersections with traditional strengths in chemical biology.

Progress in understanding the functions of individual lipids has lagged behind that for other bioactive molecules, but recent technologies that enable the monitoring of individual lipids provide hope.

In reviewing five years of progress in chemical biology, we consider the scientific and organizational challenges ahead for the field.

What can be done to reduce the burden on scientific referees while ensuring the continuity and quality of peer review?

Scientific referees accept a critical role in the peer review process. What do we expect of Nature Chemical Biology reviewers?

Increased transparency and consistency in reporting well-validated chemical probes will further enhance the impact of this exciting and rapidly advancing area of chemical biology.