Abstract
Dear Reader,
In April 2010, during the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in Iceland which grounded flights and disrupted the travel plans of thousands of people, the stranded CEO of Landes Bioscience, Ron Landes, and I took the opportunity to meet in London. It was from that meeting that this journal took shape and it is with great pleasure that I am able to introduce the first issue of Mobile Genetic Elements. MGE is a truly international, peer reviewed, multidisciplinary journal focusing on all aspects of mobile genetic elements and horizontal gene transfer throughout life. The scope of the journal is necessarily broad as it is increasingly clear that the consequences of horizontal gene transfer, and the genetic movement mediated by mobile genetic elements, is of fundamental importance to cellular activity, evolution and survival.
Dear Reader,
In April 2010, during the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in Iceland which grounded flights and disrupted the travel plans of thousands of people, the stranded CEO of Landes Bioscience, Ron Landes, and I took the opportunity to meet in London. It was from that meeting that this journal took shape and it is with great pleasure that I am able to introduce the first issue of Mobile Genetic Elements. MGE is a truly international, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal focusing on all aspects of mobile genetic elements and horizontal gene transfer throughout life. The scope of the journal is necessarily broad as it is increasingly clear that the consequences of horizontal gene transfer, and the genetic movement mediated by mobile genetic elements, is of fundamental importance to cellular activity, evolution and survival.
The main purpose of MGE is to report original research associated with mobile genetic elements and horizontal gene transfer. To this end an exceptional editorial board has been assembled from across the globe, illustrating the enthusiasm for MGE. The editorial board is composed of internationally recognised experts in diverse fields. The Editors will guarantee rapid and rigorous peer review of the articles that will appear both in print and online.
Original research papers will report on any aspect of mobile genetic elements and horizontal gene transfer. Reviews on important topics will generally be invited although proposals for unsolicited reviews are welcomed. New developments in methodology and techniques are an important resource for the research community and therefore a section of the journal will be devoted to the reporting of the latest developments in translational applications of mobile genetic elements to the study of biological systems. Finally, addenda and commentaries on any aspect of mobile genetic elements will be welcome.
This last section deserves a little explanation. Its objective is to give authors of recently published high impact papers the opportunity to expand on the original publication by providing a short summary with additional insights, new interpretations or speculations on the relevant topic. These manuscripts may include data or models, which due to space constraints, were not included or discussed in the original paper. In other words, the authors may provide biased and uncensored points of view which complement their original article. It is expected that this section of the journal is likely to become a lively forum for discussion on current discoveries and controversies.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those at Landes Bioscience involved with MGE, the Editors and the authors and reviewers so far and all those that have offered advice, opinions and encouragement. While we are committed to making MGE the place to publish in the field, the journal can only ever be as good as the work it publishes. With this in mind we welcome any suggestions and feedback on the format, style and direction in order to create the most useful journal possible.
Editor-in-Chief