Learn More About Professor Theresa Reineke and Her Vision for Bioconjugate Chemistry.
ACS Publications is pleased to announce that Professor Theresa Reineke has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Bioconjugate Chemistry, taking over from outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Vince Rotello. She is the Prager Chair for Macromolecular Science and a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Department of Chemistry at University of Minnesota.
Reineke was a founding Associate Editor of ACS Macro Letters, where she served for 10 years. She also served on several Editorial Advisory Boards for several journals, including Bioconjugate Chemistry, Biomacromolecules, and ACS Applied Polymer Materials.
“Bioconjugate Chemistry is a premier publisher of transformative research at the chemistry-biology interface. I am honored and excited to play a lead role in shaping the future of this outstanding journal,” says Reineke. “Community building, fostering inclusivity, and promoting our next generation of diverse researchers will be the cornerstones of my leadership. I also aim to further enhance societal impact of this growing transdisciplinary field through expansion of the scientific scope of the journal.”
Learn More About Theresa Reineke and Her Vision for Bioconjugate Chemistry
What is exciting to you about Bioconjugate Chemistry?
Bioconjugate Chemistry is the nexus of many fields that encompass both fundamental and applied research from academia, industry, and national labs. Society has recently witnessed many exciting successes in the field such as mRNA vaccines, monoclonal antibody drugs, and gene therapies. The field is now poised for expansion.
For example, pharmaceutical research and development is working towards democratizing gene and cell therapy, regenerative medicine, genome editing, and immunochemistry. Synthetic biology is quickly advancing to produce bio-made and environmentally benign processes and products. These innovations coupled with artificial intelligence and automation will lead to many important advancements improving global health.
What do you hope to bring to the journal as Editor-in-Chief?
As Editor-in-Chief, I plan to focus on community building and fostering our next generation of international authors, reviewers, and editorial boards. I plan to work closely with ACS to improve inclusive review and publication practices while maintaining rapid processing times.
I also plan to expand the scientific scope of the journal while simultaneously enhancing the publication experience and ethical standards for our authors. With all of the recent clinical successes in this field, I am excited to highlight innovative research not only from academia but also industry and national labs to demonstrate the diverse and global impact of this field.
What does it mean to you be the Editor-in-Chief of this journal?
I am grateful to have worked with the two previous Editors-in-Chief, Prof. Claude Meares and Prof. Vince Rotello, who have been visionary leaders for the journal and field. I am incredibly honored and excited to be the next leader of Bioconjugate Chemistry; this journal has meant a lot to my education and career.
My first two biological chemistry articles were published back-to-back 20 years ago in the journal. My first editorial advisory board invitation was from Bioconjugate Chemistry, which I have served on since 2010. I was also honored to work with Vince Rotello and Ron Raines a few years back to coauthor an editorial and guest edit a special issue in the journal entitled “Delivery of Proteins and Nucleic Acids: Achievements and Challenges.”
What are you currently working on?
My group is currently working on several projects in the spaces of drug/nucleic acid delivery and sustainability. These fields are aligned with the common pursuit to use sustainable starting materials, greener/safe synthetic methods, and also make sure the formulations are benign and/or degradable at their end of use. We have several projects on going with companies in these spaces and hope to aid translation of methods and materials to improve health and personal care products.
What initially attracted you to chemistry?
From a very young age, I have always been fascinated by science. My interest in chemistry was solidified in high school, where I was very fortunate to take two years of chemistry, which included an independent project that sparked my research interest. These classes were led by two phenomenal teachers, who also volunteered in the coaching staff for the athletic teams I was a part of in high school. I am grateful for all their encouragement; several members of our class went on to get PhDs!
Are there any activities you try to make time for every day? Why are they important to you?
I carve out time every day for running, hiking, and yoga. Exercise helps me clear my mind to contemplate current and future directions of my research group as well as process difficulties and challenges. I also make time every day for my family as I love spending time with my partner Jeff and our two teenagers; they are my biggest supporters and help me balance work and home life.
