Editorial

As I write my final editorial on a cool, golden September morning, I have just returned to Norwich from a series of conferences and holidays that have given me opportunities to travel with my own set of microbes and to pick up others.

Despite robust efforts with regular bouts of hand washing and ‘avoiding the ice’, I have collected at least a couple of self-limiting colds along the way. On the cold front, I look forward to the next couple of weeks as the new cohort of students arrive on campus bringing the inevitable ‘freshers' flu’ (that I manage to catch on an annual basis) with them.

Travel is a constant backdrop to life on Earth and it is here to stay. The impact that travel and microbiology has on our modern lives cannot be underestimated and creates an exciting topic that underpins my final edition of Microbiology Today. September 2016 also marks a significant milestone in our global battle with a fundamental threat. The United Nations has just signed a declaration to combat the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance. Without a shadow of a doubt, the spread of antimicrobial resistance has been exacerbated by the travel and migration of microbes, flora and fauna across the globe. The articles that we have brought together for this exciting, joint edition emphasise this concern. The set of articles that we have been lucky enough to commission for this edition hark back to the past, report on the present and project into the future. I would like to thank each author who has generously spent time writing the fantastic articles that populate this issue. Firstly, Alan P. Johnson and Joanne Freedman for ‘Global surveillance and response to the threat posed by infectious diseases’; Meredith Stewart with ‘A spotlight on Bluetongue virus’; ‘Chytridiomycosis as a cause of global amphibian declines’ by Thomas J. Burns, Mark S. Greener and Paul A. Hoskisson; ‘Cracking the genetic code of our cities’: researchers around the world aim to map the urban genome’ written by Sofia Ahsanuddin, Ebrahim Afshinnekoo and Christopher E. Mason; and finally to David M. Livermore for his article ‘Globalisation of antibiotic resistance’. Personally, I was delighted to have had one last opportunity to write for Microbiology Today with my article on syphilis, ‘The Great Pox’. Finally, I would like to give a sincere thank you to Derek Gatherer for his wonderfully timely Comment on ‘The voyages of Zika virus’.

My last three years as Editor of Microbiology Today have been an absolute privilege. I have enjoyed my tenure hugely, and each edition of this magazine has given me a sense of great pride and pleasure. Each article that has crossed my desk has emphasised the marvel of microbiology and engaged with new audiences and new readers. As Editor I am incredibly proud of the opportunities that we have given to young researchers to develop their writing skills, and communicate their knowledge and passion about their own research and research interests.

Lastly, as I step down from this role I would like to give special thanks to Ruth Paget, our Managing Editor: you have been brilliant. Also, a big thank you to each and every member of the Editorial Board for your sparky ideas, the generous access to your individual research networks and your amazing problem-solving skills. I know I leave the incoming Editor in safe hands. Rowena Jenkins I would like to introduce you to our readers and to wish you well. I know that you will learn a lot and enjoy this new challenge hugely. Well, that’s it from me except to say a warm goodbye and thank you for three great years.

Laura Bowater

Editor
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