鶹ýɫƬ

Editor's Note

Be special with us

Comfort Dorn
Aug. 5, 2021

Though I hear great things about Southern California, I can’t imagine living in a place without real seasons. I like some punctuation in my year: the first snowfall, the first crocus, the first red leaf drifting from a branch. I could live without the first 90-degree day, but it helps me appreciate that wonderful morning in October when I can smell the first autumn chill.

I like holidays for the same reason. They give me something to look forward to. I can make lists of stuff to buy and dig out all my best recipes. I inherited a lot of holiday traditions — especially from my mother, who loves any excuse to buy festive napkins — but now that I feel free to ditch the ones with an unbalanced work-to-pleasure ratio, holidays are a lot more fun.

I also like special issues of this magazine. This is my fourth Careers Issue — August 2018 was the first ASBMB Today that I really edited, so I have a soft spot for careers (you never forget your first issue). Last month, we published our inaugural Reimagining Issue (another tradition in the making?). And in January, if all goes according to plan, we’ll roll out our fourth Wellness Issue.

If I had to pick a favorite holiday, I’d be torn between Halloween and Christmas, but I’m pretty sure Wellness is my favorite issue of ASBMB Today. Because I’m mostly a mom (now also a grandmother), I like to take care of people, and it makes me happy to see them take care of themselves. I worry about all you scientists pipetting all day and hunching over a hot autoclave. I enjoy reading about your self-care rituals and hacks.

And even though the mercury is still dancing around 90 — at least in the metro D.C. area — it’s not too early to be thinking about January and Wellness 2022. As we creep out of our pandemic state, maybe you’ve started a new practice to care for your body, mind or spirit that you intend to continue even when the sidewalk is no longer littered with used facemasks. Maybe you have newfound appreciation for longtime healthy habits.

Whatever you do for wellness, we want to read about it. Aim for about 500 to 1,000 words for your first draft. The deadline is Oct. 15.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition weekly.

Learn more
Comfort Dorn

Comfort Dorn is the managing editor of ASBMB Today.

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in Opinions

Opinions highlights or most popular articles

Where do we search for the fundamental stuff of life?
Essay

Where do we search for the fundamental stuff of life?

Dec. 1, 2024

Recent books by Thomas Cech and Sara Imari Walker offer two perspectives on where to look for the basic properties that define living things.

Scientists around the world report millions of new discoveries every year
Essay

Scientists around the world report millions of new discoveries every year

Nov. 24, 2024

Science is a collaborative endeavor, and international teams have contributed to a huge rise in scientific output.

Who decides when a grad student graduates?
Training

Who decides when a grad student graduates?

Nov. 15, 2024

Ph.D. programs often don’t have a set timeline. Students continue with their research until their thesis is done, which is where variability comes into play.

Redefining ‘what’s possible’ at the annual meeting
President's Message

Redefining ‘what’s possible’ at the annual meeting

Nov. 1, 2024

The ASBMB Annual Meeting is “a high-impact event — a worthwhile investment for all who are dedicated to advancing the field of biochemistry and molecular biology and their careers.”

鶹ýɫƬ impressions of water as cuneiform cascade*
Essay

鶹ýɫƬ impressions of water as cuneiform cascade*

Oct. 31, 2024

Inspired by "the most elegant depiction of H2O’s colligative features," Thomas Gorrell created a seven-tiered visual cascade of Sumerian characters beginning with the ancient sign for water.

Water rescues the enzyme
Essay

Water rescues the enzyme

Oct. 31, 2024

“Sometimes you must bend the rules to get what you want.” In the case of using water in the purification of calpain-2, it was worth the risk.