Metallomics, issue 2 editorial

Greetings from Cincinnati and welcome to issue 2, volume 1, of Metallomics. The RSC, the editors, Editorial Board, Advisory Board and I were delighted with issue 1 and the positive response to it. As Editorial Board Chair, I am particularly pleased to take part in such an important and timely new publication, serving many unmet needs of the metals research community and those who have devoted their careers to studying metals and metal species. We all strongly encourage you to submit your studies to us and help to nurture this important means of communicating your work to our colleagues across the disciplines. For me though, I get double the pleasure and double the fun. Due to a perfect storm of good luck, I am also chairing the 2009 International Symposium on Metallomics to be held June 7–10th, this year in Cincinnati, USA. I am pleased to invite you to submit your work here for presentation, as well as to Metallomics for publication. In return you will meet with old and greet new colleagues through our keynote lectures, submitted talks and posters—but don’t forget the great social interactions a small symposium like this can also provide. It is easy to register for the meeting, book accommodation and send us an abstract, plus you can plan all aspects of your trip just by going through the conference website: http://www.uc.edu/plasmachem/iswm/index.htm.

Although not yet IUPAC defined, metallomics is the study of metals and metal species, and their interactions, transformations, and functions in biological systems. While traditional approaches have focused on the role and interactions of a single (or few) metals in a protein or enzyme system, metallomics emerges as a discipline to study global, multielement interactions and relationships. As such, the metallomics challenges for chemical and biochemical characterization are significant.

The 2009 International Symposium on Metallomics is organised to immediately follow the American Society of Mass Spectrometry Conference (ASMS) in Philadelphia—a very easy one hour plane trip, or car ride to Cincinnati along the beautiful Pennsylvania turnpike.

ISM’09 builds on the outstanding meeting held in Nagoya, Japan in 2007, and will bring together scientists from the biological, chemical, environmental, clinical and measurement sciences to effect a greater understanding of the role of metals and metal compounds in biology, chemistry, the environment and in clinical systems. The symposium includes invited presentations by world leaders in the areas of systems biology, bioinorganic chemistry, instrument development, metallomics methods and approaches, environmental and clinical sciences. We also have room for 72 submitted talks as well as many posters covering the entirety of metallomics. Scientists across the spectrum of occupations, including those in industry and academia, government and graduate students, biologists, chemists, physicians and clinical scientists are encouraged to be part of this conference, which will advance the state-of-the-art in metallomics. In addition to the scientific program, ISM’09 will include participation from the leading suppliers of scientific instrumentation and a social program that will ensure opportunities to interface with colleagues from around the world. We promise a conference that will be both intellectually stimulating and personally satisfying for all participants. As a bonus we have worked to keep the prices at rock bottom. Essentially, for students and postdocs the meeting is free, when all of our amenities like a free conference dinner, receptions and entertainment are considered. So, visit the website, submit an abstract and be sure to register for the symposium and accommodation. Finally, take a little extra time to visit the beautiful mid-west places around Cincinnati, USA and you won’t be disappointed. See you then!

Joseph A. Caruso, Chair, Editorial Board

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