Now live - Molecular Systems Biology - a first in systems biologypublishing

["Brown, Laura" <L.Brown@nature.com>]

PRESS RELEASE FROM NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

Contact: Allison Lang
Nature Publishing Group
+44 (0)20 7843 4879 

Now live - Molecular Systems Biology - a first in systems biology publishing

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and Nature Publishing
Group (NPG) announce the launch of Molecular Systems Biology. This new
online journal aims to fill a gap in the current literature. The first
journal to be dedicated solely to the emerging fields of molecular systems
biology and synthetic biology, Molecular Systems Biology is also the first
publication to implement pioneering new systems biology technologies in
the presentation of articles and their associated data.

Molecular Systems Biology publishes papers describing the properties and
behavior of complex biological systems in terms of molecular components
and their interactions. The scope extends to functional genomics,
structural genomics, metabolomics and synthetic biology. Early published
papers include:

* A global view of pleiotropy and phenotypically derived gene function in
yeast

* A coherent feed-forward loop with a SUM input function prolongs flagella
expression in Escherichia coli

* Integrative analysis of genome-wide experiments in the context of a
large high-throughput data compendium.

The journal also represents a first in technology. Unlike other journals
in the field, Molecular Systems Biology uses innovative technology to
allow formal, unambiguous descriptions of biological systems and the
sharing of related data sets. This enables readers to use data for their
own experiments and simulations, and encourages collaboration. Molecular
Systems Biology is currently the only journal in the field to accommodate
authors submitting data sets in Systems Biology Mark-Up Language (SBML)
and CellML, widely-used XML-based exchange formats for representing
biological processes and communicating related data. Users can import SBML
or CellML files and run their own simulations, or use the data in other
relevant applications. In addition, Molecular Systems Biology will be the
first NPG journal to host figures with Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), a
language for describing two-dimensional graphics and graphical
applications in XML.

Molecular Systems Biology also aims to provide a forum for dialogue within
the community on standards for data quality, format and exchange. The
journal features a 'Feedback Forum' to encourage users to comment on
published articles and data. Both authors and Senior Editors will respond
to comments, creating a dynamic platform for constructive debate.  Each
debate will be moderated by the in-house editorial team based at EMBO and
will be citable through a unique DOI. The team of highly regarded Senior
Editors comprises Ruedi Aebersold, Peer Bork, George Church, Leroy Hood
and Edison Liu. These Senior Editors are supported by an in-house Editor,
Astrid Lunkes, based at the EMBO offices in Heidelberg.

Molecular Systems Biology is an open-access journal - another first for
EMBO and NPG and an important catalyst for data-sharing. Publication costs
will be met, in part, by a publication charge for each accepted article.
The charge of �1700 ($3000) per article can be waived for authors who can
justify that they are unable to bear the costs of publication, and also
for authors from low-income countries.

NPG currently publishes The EMBO Journal and EMBO reports on behalf of
EMBO:

EMBO is dedicated to promoting the life sciences in Europe. Molecular
Systems Biology extends EMBO's tradition of publishing journals by
scientists for scientists. Like The EMBO Journal and EMBO reports, the new
journal will maintain the same standards of high-quality peer review. As
an open-access journal, Molecular Systems Biology will help disseminate
quality research both freely and openly, a principle wholly endorsed by
EMBO.
  
NPG is a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd, dedicated to serving the
academic, professional scientific and medical communities. NPG's flagship
title, Nature, is the world's most highly-cited weekly multidisciplinary
journal and was first published in 1869. Other publications include Nature
research journals, Nature Reviews, Nature Clinical Practice, and a range
of prestigious academic journals, including society-owned publications.

NPG is a global company, with headquarters in London and offices in New
York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Tokyo, Paris, Munich and
Basingstoke. For more information, please go to www.nature.com.

Contact details:

Allison Lang
Nature Publishing Group
The Macmillan Building
4 Crinan Street
London, N1 9XW, UK
T: +44 (0)20 7843 4879

Lindsay Johnson
EMBO
Meyerhofstrasse 1
69117 Heidelberg 
Germany
T: +49 (0)6221 889 1108
E: lindsay.johnson@embo.org

Links:

www.embo.org 
www.nature.com 
www.molecularsystemsbiology.com 

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This press release is also available at
http://npg.nature.com/pdf/msb_embo.doc