Thanks, Fabio Pulizzi | Nature Nanotechnology

A scholarly journal, like all editorial product, is formed by the persona, pursuits and character of their editors. The Chief Editor units the priorities for the journal as they see match, knowledgeable by their intuition, sensibility in addition to information as a way to serve their group.

Credit score: Picture courtesy of Bart Verberck

Prior to now 9 and a half years, our Chief Editor — Fabio Pulizzi — has predicated a detailed reference to the analysis group; he formed a journal that’s receptive to the stimulations coming from the fascinating small world of nanoscience and nanotechnology. ‘Small’, as in, ten to the minus 9 metres; actually not when it comes to group dimension. The variety of practitioners of the science on the nanometre scale has grown significantly since Fabio took the main function within the journal, in June 2012. Since then, the variety of articles printed worldwide with the time period ‘nano’ within the summary has roughly doubled, as per a fast Net of Science search. However the nanoscience group has not solely obtained greater, it has additionally obtained extra self-aware in its instruments to strategy real-life issues. Beneath Fabio’s editorship, the journal has grown with the group and its scope equally expanded.

We’ve noticed an elevated consideration to utilized analysis with substantial inroads into engineering options and industrial functions. This has been mirrored within the rising variety of submissions within the utilized sciences. Nevertheless, not each educational paper in an utilized science we publish reveals possible sensible options, even once they report file efficiency. As a journal with ‘know-how’ within the title, we’re snug working on this house. And beneath Fabio’s management, we’ve tried to boost the attention of the wants of the business that lies on the endpoint of utilized educational works. For instance, battery papers examined in a laboratory setting ought to abide to sure characterization requirements that may make them extra prone to develop into sensible¹. Alongside the identical line, we produced a Focus concern about nanocatalysts for industrial functions².

Fabio has all the time envisioned the journal as an open discussion board for the change of concepts and sharing ideas price sharing. For instance, we’ve supplied our pages to foster a high-level dialogue via a sequence of Correspondences and Perspective articles, inside the nanomedicine group all through the years^3,4,5. This adopted a protracted interval of analysis with no main inroads to translation in clinically permitted medicine from regulatory companies and the necessity for reporting pointers within the printed literature.

However Fabio’s most enduring legacy is the growth of the scope of the journal to the environmental points of nanotechnology. He realized that one can’t speak about nanotechnology with out elevating consciousness of the related environmental points. The evolution in the direction of functions implies a extra widespread manufacturing of nanomaterials. If industrial processes will not be correctly managed and controlled, the discharge of engineered nanomaterials within the surroundings is ready to develop. As a consequence, there may be the need to grasp the potential implications of nanomaterials for the surroundings and human well being. Analysis on environmental nanotechnology encompasses monitoring and remediation, eco-toxicology, in addition to human acceptance of merchandise containing nanomaterials and regulatory frameworks⁶. Micro- to nano-sized plastic particles that kind from the degradation technique of artificial plastics within the surroundings are additionally a priority of environmental nanotechnology⁷.

Fabio’s curiosity in environmental points has additionally reached communities finding out sustainable agriculture⁸ and clear water⁹, producing two Insights. Nanotechnology is poised to make a huge impact in clear water applied sciences, due to the potential to develop atomically managed separation membranes utilizing 2D supplies for water desalination and water purification. Publications about environmental nanotechnology constituted ~20% of our content material in 2021, in comparison with lower than 5% 9 years in the past.

No large shock then that Fabio’s ardour for environmental points has led him to Nature Water, a journal on account of launch in 2023, which is able to cowl the interplay between society and water assets past the function of nanotechnology.

We thank Fabio for his editorial imaginative and prescient and steering prior to now 9 and a half years and need him effectively for this new journey in his profession.