Editorial

Acting as Editors-in-Chief for a new journal, which is the official journal of two dynamic European Societies covering the active research areas of photochemistry and photobiology, is a most exciting task. We would like to record here our sincere thanks to all those who have contributed to converting the initial ideas into today's reality, this includes, the Presidents of the European Photochemical Association (EPA) and the European Society for Photobiology (ESP), Professors Jacek Waluk and Janet Bornman, respectively, Janet Dean of the Royal Society Chemistry and all other members of the Ownership Board. Special thanks go to our publisher the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), which has much experience of publishing high quality international journals and we are especially indebted to our RSC Managing Editor, Dr Jamie Humphrey and his editorial staff, for much help and for ensuring everything was ready on time.

Previously (until the end of 2001) the official journal of the European Society for Photobiology was the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, owned and published by Elsevier, whilst the European Photochemical Association has not had an official journal. The two societies are now equal joint owners of this new international journal Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences (PPS), which sets out to encourage a dynamic synergism between these two closely related fields. One of the reasons that the two societies initiated this joint venture was because nature works in much this way. There is no clear boundary between photochemistry and photobiology, even though they span from material science to medicine, from atmospheric photochemistry to photosynthesis and from theoretical chemistry and dynamics of elementary reactions through vision related topics to chronobiology. The journal aims to bring together photochemists and photobiologists so that by knowing each other better they can choose important problems and tackle them successfully both together and separately. Many issues relating to the harmful and beneficial effects of radiation such as environmental problems (e.g. problems due to increased UV radiation – the ozone hole) and the optimisation of photodynamic therapy treatments for various cancers can be overcome and/or optimised, only if the full spectrum of the sub-disciplines involved is understood in detail. The more we learn from our colleagues working in neighbouring fields, the better we understand one of the most important aspects of science (at least for us), the consequences of interaction of light with molecules, in their pure state or in the complexity of living organisms. It is hoped that the multidisciplinary approach will promote research and training alike, generating and disseminating information that will help to safeguard our environment.

The support of the international scientific communities researching photochemical and photobiological sciences as witnessed by a steady stream of high quality articles submitted from all over the world is most welcome. We are delighted to welcome to the Editorial Board of Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences the eminent international scientists, who make up an excellent team of Scientific Advisors and Associate Editors and who, along with over one hundred referees used so far, are ensuring the establishment and maintenance of a journal with the highest of international standards.

Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences publishes three different categories of article: full papers, communications/technical notes and perspectives, which are relatively short readable review-type articles covering current areas of interest concerned with any aspect of the interaction of light with molecules, supramolecular systems or biological matter. In addition, we have a forum section, where personal views of topics of interest can be discussed and we plan to publish theme issues periodically. All of the main types of article are illustrated in this first issue. In addition the international nature of PPS is illustrated in this first issue, which includes articles from some of the best laboratories in the USA, and Canada as well as those in Europe. Among the authors are those who are or have been Presidents of the European Photochemical Association as well as of the InterAmerican Photochemical Association.

Authors have benefited from being able to submit articles electronically, which can lead to rapid publication times. In one case a revised manuscript based on 2 referees reports was accepted all within four days of the original submission due to all correspondence being electronic and referees, editors and the authors taking prompt action. Advanced articles accepted for Issues 2 are already on the web. The second quarter of 2002 will see the launch of an RSC chemical biology website, a joint venture between RSC Publishing and the Chemical Biology Forum, providing a valuable resource for the chemical biology community. A major component of this will be a virtual journal, bringing together links to all the RSC's published material in chemical biology, including papers in PPS that are at the interface between chemistry and biology. As Editors-in-Chief we are determined that only high quality, cutting edge articles will be published. It is worth noting that PPS has no page charges, allows free colour reproduction where scientifically justified and that Supplementary Information is available electronically. All this is at a competitive price well below that of comparable journals from commercial publishers. Please visit the PPS web pages at www.rsc.org/pps. We extend an invitation to all readers especially members of EPA and ESP to publish your best papers in PPS and to contact us electronically with any suggestions for improvements.

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