EDITORIAL 1887

Development 139, 1887 (2012) doi:10.1242/dev.082651 2012. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd

25 years of Development
When I arrived at Development in late 2011, I realised that the journal was about to celebrate its 25th birthday. Or perhaps its 59th, depending on how you look at things. The journal that is now Development was founded in 1953 as the Journal of Embryology and Experimental Morphology (JEEM). But in 1987, in a bold move by The Company of Biologists and the journals editors, it was rebranded, restyled and relaunched with a succinct one-word title and a mission to publish the best papers in the burgeoning field of developmental biology. That field has blossomed, matured and expanded over the last 25 years, and todays cutting edge is remarkably far from those early days of molecular genetics. We have been extremely fortunate to have had three visionary and dedicated Editors in Chief over the years: Chris Wylie, who oversaw the transition from JEEM to Development and remained at the helm until 2002; Jim Smith, who steered the ship from 2003 to 2009; and Olivier Pourqui, who now controls the tiller. And it has not been all smooth sailing over these 25 years, with challenges ranging from remaining a high-quality community journal in the face of stiff competition, through the transition from a paper-based to an online world, to the new scientific directions in which the field is moving. To look back on the trials and triumphs, and to contemplate the future, we have invited all three Editors in Chief to share their memories and thoughts on their time in charge, presented in the following editorials. We are also celebrating our quarter-century by revisiting some of Developments classic papers. Its been very interesting to look back over the articles published in our pages; although the approaches and techniques may have changed drastically, many of the fundamental questions remain the same. Perhaps its also comforting to see that, while we have answered many problems, theres still plenty to discover. Over the coming months, we will be showcasing some of Developments most influential papers in our Spotlight section, so look out to see whether your favourite paper makes it in! Finally, we hope to be able to celebrate in person with some of you later in the year. Plans are underway for a one-day symposium to be held in Cambridge in the autumn; more details will be announced shortly. For now, though, we invite you to step back in time and to follow Chris, Jim and Olivier through Developments birth, youth and coming of age, and to look forward to the next 25 years of what Im sure you will all agree is still the fascinating and fast-moving field of developmental biology. Katherine Brown Executive Editor, Development

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