FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | June 07, 2011

Christopher A. Voigt, Ph. D., named Editor-in-Chief of ACS Synthetic Biology

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2011 — The Publications Division of the American Chemical Society announces a new peer-reviewed journal that will cover synthetic biology and systems bioscience. Led by Editor-in-Chief Christopher A. Voigt, Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the journal will publish important advances in cutting edge molecular, systems, and synthetic research.

ACS Synthetic Biology will define the growing field of synthetic biology by publishing original research that demonstrates integrative, molecular approaches enabling us to better understand the organization and function of cells, tissues, and organisms in systems. Moreover, articles will demonstrate the application of synthetic biology to manipulate these systems.

The journal is particularly interested in fostering studies on the design and synthesis of new genetic circuits and gene products; computational methods in the design of systems; and integrative applied approaches to understanding disease and metabolism.

ACS Synthetic Biology was launched in response to the needs of the scientific community and will provide a reputable forum for the publication of research with broad appeal to chemists and chemical engineers; biologists and bioengineers; electrical engineers and computer scientists; and biophysicists interested in the chemistry of biological systems. The journal will be delivered exclusively via the award-winning ACS Web Editions platform.

Voigt recently joined the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT as an associate professor and co-director of the Center for Integrative Synthetic Biology. Previously, he was a member of the faculty in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at University of California, San Francisco. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and an Honorary Fellow at Imperial College.

His current research is focused on the reprogramming of bacterial organisms to perform coordinated, complex tasks for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.

Voigt has been honored as a Sloan Fellow, Pew Scholar, Packard Fellow, MIT TR35, NSF CAREER Award, and Vaughan Lecturer. He serves as a consultant for Genomatica, Amryis, Bayer CropScience, Flagship Ventures, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Technology from his lab has been licensed by six companies.

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