Biochemist Bruce Alberts, an American known best for his seminal textbook Molecular Biology of the Cell and an advocate of international scientific cooperation, will take over as editor-in-chief of the journal Science beginning in March.

Alberts served as president of the US National Academy of Sciences from 1993 to 2005, and is currently co-chair of the InterAcademy Council, an Amsterdam-based international collaboration of science academies from 15 countries. He is based at the University of California, San Francisco.

Alberts replaces Donald Kennedy, a biologist and former president of Stanford University in California, who has edited the journal since 2000.