Happy New Year to all Natural Product Reports authors and readers

Monthly publication in 2009

It is the start of a new year, and with that comes the start of a new era for Natural Product Reports.

In recent years the NPR Editorial Board has sought to expand the scope of the journal to cover even more natural product related areas. Reviews on carbohydrate chemistry, bio-inorganic chemistry and natural product synthesis have found a home in NPR and, in 2008, the journal broadened its scope yet further to include articles on pharmacology. As a result of these changes the last three years have seen the publication of many bumper-sized issues of NPR.

Now, as we move into 2009, we are very pleased to announce that NPR has become a monthly publication. From now on, our readers will be able to enjoy the latest reviews on natural product research and related areas more often. With 12 issues per year, we will be bringing you even more cutting-edge reviews and Highlight articles from the leading figures in the field.

Another successful year for NPR

April 2008 saw the publication of the NPR themed issue on natural product synthesis. Guest-edited by David O'Hagan and featuring articles by some of the leading scientists in the area, the issue has been very well received by our readers. We would like to thank David and the contributing authors for their hard work in producing the issue. We aim to build on this success by continuing to publish themed issues through 2009 and beyond. Look out for details of the next themed issue later this year.

Articles on natural product synthesis have now become commonplace in NPR, and with the assistance of our commissioning editors responsible for synthetic reviews, Andy Phillips and Andreas Kirschning, we will to continue to bring you articles on a diverse range of synthetic topics throughout 2009. To assist our authors we have now produced guidelines on the preparation of synthetic reviews. These, along with our general guidelines, are available from the NPR website or on request from the Editorial Office.

Last year was also a strong one for NPR Highlight articles. Introduced in 2006, these articles focus on topics of current relevance written by high-profile authors. The first Highlight of 2009, available in this issue, is ‘Naturally diverse: highlights in versatile synthetic methods enabling target- and diversity-oriented synthesis’ by Jared Shaw (Nat. Prod. Rep., 2009, 26, DOI: 10.1039/b814468k).

Other articles in issue 1 include ‘Natural products from the extremes of life’ by Zoe E. Wilson and Margaret A. Brimble (Nat. Prod. Rep., 2009, 26, DOI: 10.1039/b800164m) and ‘Biosynthesis of polyketide synthase extender units’ by Michael Thomas et al. (Nat. Prod. Rep., 2009, 26, DOI: 10.1039/b801658p). The ever-popular marine natural product reviews will be available online and in print in early 2009.

Editorial Board changes

2008 saw two retirements from the NPR Editorial Board. Professor Rob Field (John Innes Centre, UK) retires from the Editorial Board after six years of service. In his time with the Board, Rob has played a key role in broadening the journal's scope by commissioning reviews on carbohydrate chemistry.

Professor Mike Beale (Rothamsted Research, UK) leaves the Editorial Board after three years. During his tenure Mike solicited many reviews in NPR's core area of chemical ecology. We would like to thank both Rob and Mike for their considerable efforts.

In 2009 we will welcome new members to the Editorial Board, to be announced shortly.

Natural Product Reports Lecture Award

Congratulations go to Professor Jason Micklefield, University of Manchester, UK, who was the recipient of the 2008 NPR Lecture Award. In recognition of his significant contribution to natural products research, in particular to the biosynthetic engineering of nonribosomal peptides, Jason's award was presented to him by NPR Editorial Board member Professor Daisuke Uemura at the IUPAC International Conference on Biodiversity and Natural Products in July 2008.

Nominations for the 2009 NPR Lecture Award are now closed, and the results will be announced early this year.

New improved ReSourCe

During 2009 we will release a new version of ReSourCe, our system for online manuscript submission and peer review (www.rsc.org/resource). Although our service is already popular with authors and referees, we've listened to your feedback and made further improvements to our service. We're keen to build on your experience of ReSourCe, so if you would you like to help us shape the next release by taking part in beta-testing or by supplying your comments and suggestions, please contact mailto:resourcesupport@rsc.org.

More papers and greater impact

Across RSC Publishing, we are working with more authors than ever before – 2008 saw the number of authors publishing in RSC journals increase by 30%. Titles across the collection recorded impressive rises in impact factors, and the latest immediacy indices confirm the relevance and topicality of research published by the RSC.

RSC Publishing is committed to providing a world-class publishing service and global visibility to its authors. With the number of citations increasing and immediacy and impact factors rising, it is clear to see that RSC publications are recognised by researchers worldwide as key resources for publishing and reading the very best research.

Your RSC subscriptions and free content

We know that it can be difficult to keep track of online resources that are available to you. So, we've introduced a special web page to help you to find out exactly what RSC content you can access. This new page is called Your RSC Subscriptions (www.rsc.org/Publishing/your_access.asp) and it lists all products for which your organisation has a current subscription, plus other content which may be available to you, such as the RSC Journals Archive and the RSC eBook collection.

You can also find out about RSC content that is available free – including: research articles that are free for a limited time; news articles in magazines; and free chapters from the RSC eBook Collection. Visit www.rsc.org/Publishing/freeRSCcontent.asp.

Food: the RSC theme for 2009

In 2009, the theme for RSC public engagement activities will be food; looking at all aspects of the supply chain from field to fork and eventually to waste disposal and recycling. Planned activities include the launch of a major report into securing a sustainable food supply; the publication of a new edition of the ground-breaking book Kitchen Chemistry; lectures and events at the new Chemistry Centre at Burlington House – the world's foremost venue for showcasing chemistry; and Chemistry Week 2009 (7th – 15th November), when practising scientists and science teachers will engage in a week-long festival for the chemical sciences. Please get in touch with us (mailto:food@rsc.org) if you would like to be involved.

New journals

Our journal portfolio has expanded with the launch of three new journals. Energy & Environmental Science, launched in July 2008, publishes research from all aspects of the chemical sciences relating to energy conversion and storage, alternative fuel technologies and environmental science. www.rsc.org/ees.

Metallomics: Integrated biometal science covers the research fields related to metals in biological, environmental and clinical systems. www.rsc.org/metallomics.

Integrative Biology: Quantitative biosciences from nano to macro is a unique, interdisciplinary journal covering quantitative multi-scale biology using enabling technologies and tools to exploit the convergence of biology with physics, chemistry, engineering, imaging and informatics. www.rsc.org/ibiology.

The current issue of all three journals is freely available online. Free online institutional access to all 2009 content is available for registered users – full details are on the web site.

RSC Books

The RSC eBook Collection has become a world-class electronic resource with licenses being signed to leading institutions across the globe. New content continues to be uploaded regularly, and this comprehensive resource now includes over 800 quality titles. Electronic book publications are uploaded within days of print publication, effortlessly disseminating extensive, high-quality, scientific content direct to scientists, libraries, students, teachers and researchers around the world. Please visit www.rsc.org/eBooks for further information or to visit the RSC eBook Collection.

Over 80 new print books will be published in 2009 as our list continues to grow in size and importance in the international market. Keep up-to-date with all the latest cutting-edge titles being published by the RSC by visiting www.rsc.org/ej_alert and subscribing to our eAlerts. We send regular information on discount offers, print books and new electronic content throughout the year.

On behalf of the Natural Product Reports Editorial Board and the Royal Society of Chemistry, we wish all of our readers and authors a very happy and successful 2009.

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