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EDITORIAL |
Baltimore, MD
Dr. Daley’s comments and the announcement last year of a new "how-to" section in STEM CELLS were welcome news for all of us in the diverse areas of stem cell research, as the techniques we use are developing right along with our findings—and often, perforce, ahead of them.
Need an example? Based on my own experience, I pick a paper published by Dr. Bert Vogelstein, one of the most influential and most cited scientists of the past 20 years [2]. In 1993, he and Dr. Andy Feinberg published a paper in Analytical Biochemistry on "DNA labeling by random priming" [3] which changed the way we do molecular biology and, by the way, made my graduate student life easier. This paper has been cited more than 20,000 times and is the second-most cited paper just after another also published in Analytical Biochemistry!
"Realizing the promise of regenerative medicine will require meticulous, painstaking attention to the details of embryonic stem cell culture, genetic manipulation, cell differentiation, and cell characterization —and these techniques must be made accessible to all researchers so that these critical reagents can be exploited widely." [1]George A. Daley, M.D., Ph.D.
Having recently accepted the invitation to join the STEM CELLS Editorial Board, I was honored to be asked to oversee the journal’s new section, Experimental Protocols for Embryonic Stem Cell Research, which is meant "to help speed effective research use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs)," including human ESCs [4]. I want to share with you some thoughts on this new section and encourage your comments and submissions.
First, this section is a departure (or evolution) from the tradition of STEM CELLS. Whereas the journal in the past accepted only those research manuscripts that contribute a high level of scientific originality and impact, for this new section we seek manuscripts that contribute meticulous explications of processes and procedures, going beyond anything already publicly available. We’ll want to see that your paper will make a difference and have a big impact, as do those original research papers we publish now in 10 issues a year. "The goal is to help you make your high-level technological expertise more accessible" [4], so that students, postdoctoral fellows, and newcomers to the field do not have to wait for printed "protocol books" or be restricted only to the information provided by human ESC line providers and commercial vendors.
Second, when you prepare your manuscript for this section, here are a few things to keep in mind. The section name appears as one of the selection options for Manuscript Type, so please use that when you upload your manuscript, and we will let you know if we disagree that your paper is appropriate for this section. The length limit is the same as original research papers: up to 5,000 words and seven figures; and we ask that you include the figures within your main manuscript file.
Your submissions for this section will be peer-reviewed, with a Lead Reviewer from among the Editorial Board members and appropriate additional reviewers.
If your expertise and interests lend themselves to the activity of reviewing in this area and you are willing to contribute to excellent peer review, we invite you to contact the editorial office so that this can be noted in the reviewer database.
REFERENCES
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