This week Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC) publishes the first MBoC Preprint Highlights. This effort leverages the expertise of MBoC and the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) to curate preprints of interest for the scientific community.
Preprint Curation in MBoC
MBoC Preprint Highlights are prepared by the journal’s new Early-Career Editors, who will identify notable preprints in their fields. They will provide brief summaries and structured recognition of selected preprints in the form of Badges and Significance Statements. Badges will visually alert readers to valuable components of the research. These may include openly accessible data sets or software, useful instructional materials, and more. Significance Statements will give a brief and broadly accessible overview of the background, key findings, and potential impacts of the work.
MBoC Preprint Highlights will help readers discover relevant preprints and appreciate the background context and importance of the work. MBoC Preprint Highlights will be published in the journal and linked to the preprint on bioRxiv, complementing the variety of preprint review and curation efforts by other groups. And, like the preprints themselves, the highlights will be openly accessible to all readers.
This project is an experiment. Therefore, we will assess the impacts and usage of MBoC Preprint Highlights throughout this year and will share a report on our findings and our plans to expand or adapt the project. Of course, we welcome feedback from authors, readers, and the community.
As a society-published journal edited by active researchers, MBoC is a trusted source for the cell biology community. ASCB is proud to support this project and provide new opportunities for researchers to engage with the literature.
Read the editorial at MBoC, and view some of the first preprint highlights here:
- Kristina Aguilera highlights a preprint on organ-specific cell lineages.
- Alex Bisson highlights a preprint on cellular responses to physical constraints.
- Luis Bonet-Ponce highlights a preprint on ER-lysosome-mitochondria damage signaling.
- Fadie Coleman highlights a preprint on clinical immunological features of COVID-19 severity.
Acknowledgments
Design and implementation of MBoC’s curation tools are supported by a Learned Society Curation Award from the Wellcome Trust and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. We thank Bodo Stern, Jessica Polka, Anna Hatch, Stephen Curry, Kelly Cobey, Veronique Kiermer, Richard Sever, John Inglis, Aki MacFarlane, Bernd Pulverer for helpful discussions and feedback.
About the Author:
Michael Lacy is ASCB's Curation Manager.