Although interest in and demand for sensors research and commercialization is flourishing, the field has lacked a dedicated, peer-reviewed journal to showcase high-quality research and to champion sensor-related education. Until now.

Although interest in and demand for sensors research and commercialization is flourishing, the field has lacked a dedicated, peer-reviewed journal to showcase high-quality research and to champion sensor-related education. Until now.

In January of 2016, ACS Publication will publish the first issue of ACS Sensors a new interdisciplinary journal devoted to conceptual advances in sensing research and sensor applications. ACS Sensors will showcase seminal advances related to all aspects of sensor research, including biosensors, chemical sensors, gas sensors, intracellular sensors, single molecule sensors, cell chips, arrays, and microfluidic devices. ACS Sensors began accepting manucript submissions in August.

Read about the launch in C&EN.

The monthly, online-only journal will fill a void in the sensor research community by bringing together the academic contributions of chemists, engineers, physicists, biologists, industrialists, and entrepreneurs in a way that no other journal does to further the research and commercialization of sensors. ACS Sensors will raise the bar on the field by publishing compelling papers of broad interest to sensor scientists and by elevating the focus on education to attract top quality scientists.

“This is an exciting time for sensors, with some incredible advances in the field, and now there is a new journal that will give this stunning science a focal point,” said ACS Sensors inaugural Editor-in-Chief J. Justin Gooding, Ph.D.

Providing leadership in a growing field

Sensors research encompasses the study of miniaturized devices that can detect specific biological, chemical, or physical processes, compounds, or ions in complex samples, and that transmit real-time information. Experts predict the global sensors market will surpass $110 billion by 2019 as the demand for sensors grows across industries.

As sensors continue to shrink in size, decrease in cost, and require less power, sustained innovation is paramount. So, too, is the need to bring clarity to sensor-related challenges and to foster the level of informed discussion between disciplines that leads to break-through research and novel applications.

“Sensors are important to everything, from whether water is safe to drink to understanding the inner workings of the cell,” said Dr. Gooding. “And yet there are many scientific advances still required for sensors to realize their full potential and impact our daily lives even more positively. ACS Sensors will be a respected resource that catalyzes and supports progress toward this bright new future.”

Dr. Gooding envisions ACS Sensors as a journal that will provide intellectual leadership not just by publishing the best quality sensor science, but also by educating the broader audience of scientists about sensor-related issues and opportunities.

To that end, ACS Sensors will cater to all aspects of sensing, from the conceptual to the applied. Conceptual topics could cover everything from addressing specific challenges in sensing to advances in materials or transducers used in sensing.

The potential topics for application areas are just as broad and could encompass:

  • Biomedical sensors
  • Environmental sensors
  • Gas sensors
  • Foods, water and workplace security
  • Sensors for biological discovery

Dr. Gooding emphasized that application research need not focus solely on commercialization. For example, a sensor that lacks widespread market appeal may have value for its capability to detect and uncover new scientific information. Although the journal will focus on chemical sensors, topics related to physical sensors will also be considered, especially as the market for wearable sensors expands.

“Sensors research is a diverse and interdisciplinary field involving chemists, physicists, materials scientists, engineers, technologists, and biologists, which is important for both analysis and scientific discovery,” said Dr. Gooding. “ACS Sensors will publish work from this entire field in all its wonderful diversity.”

At the forefront of publishing standards

ACS Sensors will be a journal of influence in the sensors field in part because it shares the same high-quality standards of all ACS publications. The journal is committed to a rigorous and rapid peer-review process that is overseen by researchers who are active in the field and understand the needs of researchers. Authors whose papers are accepted by ACS Sensors will benefit from timely publication on the Society’s award-winning web and mobile publishing technologies, which enable the broad dissemination of ACS Web Editions journals to more than 5,000 subscribing institutions worldwide.

The benefits to accepted authors extend well beyond publishing credentials. ACS offers many types of publishing and editing supports to authors, and it does not levy any fees on its authors. In addition, ACS offers several open-access options, all designed to make it easy for authors to stay in compliance with open-access requirements. Authors can also tap into resources through the ACS Help Desk, the ACS AuthorChoice Resource Center, and ACS ChemWorx, which offers reference management, streamlined citation tools and editing services.

Learn more about the journal, including how to submit papers, at http://pubs.acs.org/acssensors.

About Editor-in-Chief J. Justin Gooding, Ph.D.

Inaugural Editor-in-Chief J. Justin Gooding, Ph.D., brings a wealth of sensor-related research and publishing experience to his leadership role with ACS Sensors.

Scientia Professor and founding co-director of the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine at The University of New South Wales, Dr. Gooding is internationally recognized for his work in surface modification, biosensors, functional nanomaterials, cell-based diagnostic devices, and electroanalysis. In addition to his roles as Deputy Head of the School of Chemistry at The University of New South Wales, Dr. Gooding is the node leader for the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology. The recent recipient of the prestigious Australian Laureate Fellowship, Dr. Gooding has authored or co-authored nearly 300 publications and holds 11 patents.

Dr. Gooding earned a B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Melbourne in 1988 and a Ph.D. from Oxford University in 1994.

“Professor Gooding’s editorial vision, broad scientific expertise, and network of professional collaborations within the global sensors research community will rapidly establish ACS Sensors as the premier publication in the field. ACS Publications is honored to partner with him on this exciting venture,” said Penelope Lewis, Ph.D., Director, Editorial and New Product Development for ACS Publications.

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