Today sees the online publication of the first issue of Metallomics: Integrated biometal science, a new interdisciplinary journal for scientists seeking to understand the role of metals in biological, clinical and environmental systems. 

The current issue of the journal - which will publish 6 issues this year and 12 in 2010 - is free online where content can be accessed as an HTML file or a downloadable pdf. And Metallomics readers also benefit from enhanced HTML articles via the award winning RSC Prospect (including structure and sub-structure searching, hyperlinked compound information and many more useful features). 

Metallomics issue 1 contains 3 critical reviews and 8 primary research articles, with the cover image provided by Hongzhe Sun and colleagues from the University of Hong Kong who review the identification and characterization of metallodrug binding proteins by (metallo)proteomics. In a landmark new paper, Hiromu Sakurai and colleagues in Japan describe how a drug based on a chemical found in garlic may be a potential new candidate for treating both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, while Jennifer A. Meyer and Dana M. Spence review the role of metals in diabetes. Issue 1 also contains a detailed outline of the journal scope and short profiles of all of our prestigious Editorial and Advisory Board members.

According to Editorial Board Chair Joseph Caruso, director of University of Cincinnati/Agilent Technologies Metallomics Center of the Americas, 'It is great to Chair an Editorial Board of such a timely and exceptional new RSC offering, Metallomics. After a professional lifetime of metals and metal speciation research, it is truly gratifying and rewarding to see this type of effort have available a publishing home where we can, with others, present our studies of metals and metal species, their interactions, transformations, and functions in biological systems.' 

Dr Robert Parker, Managing Director RSC Publishing, says, 'RSC Publishing is pleased to be launching  Metallomics in response to the need for a dedicated subject journal for the emerging research community. News of the new journal has been enthusiastically received by those working in the field and we anticipate that Metallomics will be a key voice and presence within the community, helping to support and shape its identity.' 

The publication of issue 1 of Metallomics comes just one week after Integrative Biology - a new journal covering the quantitative biosciences and the second new journal joining the RSC Publishing portfolio from January 2009 - also published its first issue online. The current issues of both journals will be freely available to all web users throughout 2009 and 2010 and institutional online access to all 2009/2010 content is also free following a simple registration process.