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As we enter 2017, Nature Microbiology completes its first year as a journal dedicated to publishing work of the highest quality from across the field. And what a year it has been. We take this opportunity to mark up the report card and check on our progress.
Time, the master regulator of work–life balance, is a rare commodity. Parenting further depletes its stock, so support systems are needed to help investigators navigate the early stages of parenthood and minimize the impact on scientific advancement and career progression.
The declaration of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance culminates an unprecedented period of efforts to change the politics of antimicrobials and global health. Now begins the onerous task of translating the new-found political will into real-world action.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals aim to solve the most serious global economic, societal and environmental issues. The microbiology community is in a unique position to help tackle this ambitious agenda for sustainable development.
By removing ambiguity and opacity in how we communicate with authors and by striving for timely and efficient handling of all manuscripts, Nature Microbiology is committed to providing a high-quality experience for all researchers submitting work for consideration, whether selected for publication or not.
The lead up to the Rio Olympics has been littered with concerns over Zika virus and polluted waterways rich in pathogenic viruses and potentially drug-resistant bacteria. Despite these fears, appropriate precautions should ensure the games are celebrated for their sporting triumphs, not condemned for public health failures.
If the vast potential for microbiome research is to be translated into scientific advances and real world applications, the development of standard operating procedures will be necessary to ensure reproducibility and gain regulatory approval. However, standards should not come at the expense of innovation.
Antimicrobials have been one of the biggest success stories in medical history, but the emergence of drug resistance is threatening our ability to successfully treat infections. New approaches, interdisciplinary frameworks and policies have an important role in preventing entry into a post-antimicrobial era.
World Immunization Week 2016 gives us a chance to take stock of the current vaccine landscape, celebrate some notable successes made in recent years and face up to the challenges remaining in closing the gap to ensure that the full benefits of immunization are extended to all infants worldwide.
The Nature Microbiology Community provides a space for researchers to freely share information and discuss ideas. We hope that this initiative encourages greater discourse and engagement with the microbiology research field.
During public health emergencies, such as the current increase in microcephaly and neurological syndromes potentially associated with the Zika virus outbreak, a rapid and coordinated response necessitates the immediate sharing of data. Nature Microbiology policy is fully aligned with this imperative.
The identification of plasmid-borne resistance to an antibiotic of last resort suggests that the final pharmacological barrier holding Gram-negative bacterial infections at bay may soon be breached.
The Renaissance was a time marked by renewed appreciation of the achievements that came before and the re-ignited desire to uncover new insights into the order of the natural world, a description that is equally apt for the microbiology field of today.
