ChemComm is publishing its 60th volume in 2024. Over the past 60 years, ChemComm has been the RSC’s most cited journal, and one of the most trusted venues for rapid publication of short communications. In our anniversary year, we recognise the important contributions ChemComm has made, and continues to make, in advancing the chemical sciences.
As part of our anniversary celebrations, we’ve brought together a collection featuring the latest research from some of our most loyal and dedicated authors. From those marking the beginning of their independent academic career by publishing their first article with us, to the rising stars and established leaders publishing in our yearly ‘Emerging Investigators’ and ‘Pioneering Investigators’ collections, this collection champions the contributions of our worldwide author community. We are proud many authors choose to support our journal by regularly publishing their best work with us. This collection also features papers from our ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship winners, and our Outstanding Reviewer awardees, whose invaluable feedback has shaped our published content through the years.
To accompany the collection, we’ll be publishing interviews with contributing authors where they provide further insight into their research and reflect on their journey with ChemComm.
Check out our interview with Elena Pazos (Universidade da Coruña, Spain) below!
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Elena Pazos graduated in Chemistry from the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela in 2006, and obtained her PhD under the supervision of Prof. José L. Mascareñas and Prof. M. Eugenio Vázquez, working on luminescent sensors of proteins involved in cancer. During her PhD, she stayed as visiting PhD student with Prof. Thorfinnur Gunnlaugsson at Trinity College Dublin (2008) and with Prof. Scott Silverman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2010).
After her PhD, she joined Prof. Samuel I. Stupp at Northwestern University, where she worked for two years on the development of hybrid peptide-nanoparticle superstructures with antimicrobial properties. In October 2014, she joined Medcom Advance S.A. as a Research Officer. From December 2015 to June 2017, she worked in the group of Prof. Ramón A. Álvarez-Puebla at the Centre Tecnològic de la Química de Catalunya working on SERS-based biosensors. In July 2017 she joined the Department of Chemistry of the Faculty of Science and the CICA – Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology of the Universidade da Coruña (UDC), thanks to the InTalent UDC – Inditex Programme. She currently holds a Ramón y Cajal contract at the UDC and her research group focuses on the development of new peptide-based materials and biosensors. |
What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?
What I like most about ChemComm is the rapid publication of articles, which allows scientists to keep up to date with the latest developments in their field. The journal maintains high standards and ensures that each article undergoes a rigorous and comprehensive peer review process, guaranteeing that the research published in ChemComm is both relevant and reliable. Moreover, I also like the four-page limit for communications. I find it an excellent idea as It challenges authors to focus on the most important aspects of their work and creates a simple format for readers.
How would you describe the peer review process and interaction with the editorial team at ChemComm?
I think the peer review process is fast and highly efficient. The editorial team at ChemComm is excellent at identifying experts to review articles, despite the broad fields of chemistry covered by the journal. In addition, the editorial team is always available and I found them to be highly cooperative and eager to provide any assistance related to the publication of the manuscript.
Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?
In our feature article, we aimed to cover the use of lanthanide metallopeptides for biomolecule sensing and cellular imaging. To introduce the topic to non-experts, we summarized the main spectroscopic properties of luminescent lanthanide complexes and the requirements for lanthanide ion coordination with peptide ligands. We showed how these features can be used to develop smart luminescent biosensors and illustrated the different sensing strategies with representative works from the literature.
Be sure to read Elena’s full article, “Luminescent lanthanide metallopeptides for biomolecule sensing and cellular imaging” to learn more!
