A brief foreword by Mina Bissell:“The last thing we need is another journal!” This is the response many of us give every time someone asks if a particular new journal would be a good idea. Given the multitude of journals that already exist (some of which we hardly even know the names of, let alone find the time to read), the busy lives we all lead and the time it takes to digest what we do read, this is a sentiment I myself have expressed many times.So why have I decided not only to help launch another journal but also to become the Chair of the Editorial Board?The simple answer is that, as someone who switched disciplines from chemistry and bacterial genetics into cell and cancer biology as a postdoctoral fellow,I am convinced that finally the time is right to launch a truly unique and multidisciplinary journal that strives to introduce novel technologies–not for their own sake, but to answer important and significant questions in biology.In 1982, I wrote: “The task of solving the puzzle of how the ECM (microenvironment) regulates gene expression will consume many decades of combined efforts of biologists, chemists and perhaps even engineers and physicists, since the postulated “dynamic reciprocity” undoubtedly is physical as well as biochemical. The magnitude of the puzzle is enormous and the quest for solution will touch upon the fundamental problems in development, differentiation, cancer, aging and disease.” (Bissellet al.,J. Theor. Biol.., 1982,99, 31–68.)Almost three decades later, we are finally ready to integrate, and indeed if the goal is to seek larger advances in biology, then we must “only connect” to other relevant scientific disciplines, especially those that can provide the tools that will give us a much better understanding of biological processes and systems. Many existing paradigms need to be broken down to better understand why we become who we are (biologically), how we maintain tissue specificity with a constant genome in 10 trillions of cells, why and how we age, and why controls break down as we get sick and/or get cancer. No single scientific discipline can answer the complexity of the biological problems that we confront today. These problems are exacerbated by the fact that even within the broad field of biology, biochemists read one set of journals, cell and molecular biologists another, and biophysicists, bioengineers and structural biologists yet others. In journals that do cater to many disciplines such asScienceandNature, the articles come from different disciplines, yet very rarely do they integrate the different disciplines within the same article to answer a new biological problem. Thus, there is a significant need to connect to and involve different disciplines within the same scientific research project, to communicate with members of other disciplines to ensure that there is a clear and common understanding of the problems and issues at hand, and answer outstanding questions from different perspectives. This is essential if we are to introduce, inspire and expose younger scientists to the excitement of discoveries at the interface of disciplines and expertise with one or more of the other sciences.The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is undertaking a new challenge withIntegrative Biology: they are launching this journal with a strong will and determination to make it a huge success. To this end they have committed themselves for the long term and have an excellent track record of launching successful new journals, as well as having a long and well-established history publishing journals since 1841.The RSC has also taken the bold step of making this journal available completely free of charge for the next two years (no page charges, no open access charges and no subscription charges). In order to allowIntegrative Biologypapers to reach the largest possible audience, the RSC is also NIH compliant with respect to deposition of the accepted version and will deposit your paper with PubMed Central on your behalf, if you ask.I am not the only one with a strong belief in this journal as you will see from the list of highly distinguished scientists associated with the Editorial Board from a variety of disciplines. It is also our good fortune to count Professor Roger Tsien, who just won the 2008 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, as one of our Editorial Board members.The content of this first issue exemplifies some of what we are hoping to achieve in terms of “Insight, innovation and integration”—which is not only the motto of this journal but the basic assessment criterion for publication:Insight: what contribution does the paper make to our insight on the biological mechanism/process/phenomenon explored?Innovation: to what extent does the technology used enable the biological insight?Integration: to what extent does the paper demonstrate integration of technology and biology?Editorial Board members are giving this journal their complete backing and “putting their money where their mouth is” as the proverbial saying goes: a number of us have submitted some of our current best papers into these first few issues. The papers have then undergone a pre-screening process before full and vigorous critical assessment by competent reviewers.It is my sincere hope that many of you reading this inaugural editorial will follow suit and consider submission of your own pioneering research that builds a bridge and/or connects to one or more other disciplines.Mina BissellEditorial Board Chair,Integrative Biology, January 2009