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GUIDANCE FOR AUTHORS Selection criteria Articles Editor The criteria for selection for both theme issues and their constituent Articles are contributions containing original scientific research. articles are scientific excellence, originality and interest across the Denis Noble physical sciences / life sciences interface. The Editor is responsible Reports Publishing Editor for all editorial decisions, in part based on the reports received from Reports are short, letter-style contributions which are published the referees. Many more good proposals and articles are submitted rapidly. Preliminary and more speculative work of high quality is Tim Holt to us than we have space to print; we give preference to those that strongly encouraged. are of broad interest and of high scientific quality. Reviews Editorial Board Reviews are articles of the highest quality and aim to be of interest Publishing format to communities working at the physical sciences / life sciences Along with all Royal Society journals, we are committed to archiving Denis Noble – Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford interface. Reviews cover the latest developments in an area of cross- and providing perpetual access. The journal also offers the facility for disciplinary research. They put such research into a broader context including Electronic Supplementary Material to papers free of charge. Clemens Kaminski – Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge and are written in a style that makes them accessible to readers in a James Kirkpatrick – Pathologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz wide range of disciplines. Complete literature surveys are not Conditions of publication Alfonso Martinez-Arias – Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge encouraged. Articles must not have been published previously, nor be under Richard Templer – Chemistry, Imperial College London consideration for publication elsewhere. The main findings of the John Tyson – Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University article should not have been reported in the mass media. Like many Topics journals, Interface Focus employs a strict embargo policy where the Interface Focus welcomes articles on a diverse range of topics reporting of a scientific article by the media is embargoed until a including, but not limited to . . Publishing Editor: Tim Holt AIMS AND SCOPE specific time. The Editor has final authority in all matters relating to biocomplexity biophysics publication. (tel: +44 (0)20 7451 2649; fax: +44 (0)20 7976 1837; Each issue of Interface Focus is devoted to specific topics at the interface . biocomputation . chemical biology of the physical and life sciences. It facilitates cross-disciplinary research [email protected]) . bioengineering . medical physics across this traditional divide by acting as a forum accessible to all. Each Electronic Submission details Production Editor: Simon Addison issue aims to include a combination of high quality review and research The majority of Interface Focus issues are commissioned. However, . bioinformatics . synthetic biology articles and all contributions are peer-reviewed to the Royal Society’s suggestions for themes are welcome and initial proposals should be 6–9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG, UK . biomaterials . systems biology exacting standards. Articles are initially published online and subsequently addressed to [email protected]. For full submission rsfs.royalsocietypublishing.org . . in print. guidelines and access to all journal content please visit the biomechanics theoretical biology Interface Focus website at rsfs.royalsocietypublishing.org. . bionanoscience . tissue engineering

ISBN: 978-0-85403-934-0 Copyright © 2011 The Royal Society Except as otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any The Royal Society, the national academy of science of For further information on the Society’s activities, please form or by any other means, with the prior permission in writing of the publisher, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms the UK and the Commonwealth, is at the cutting edge contact the following departments on the extensions of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. In particular, the Society permits the making of a single photocopy of an article from this issue (under of scientific progress. We support many top young listed by dialling +44 (0)20 7839 5561, or visit the Sections 29 and 38 of this Act) for an individual for the purposes of research or private study. scientists, engineers and technologists, influence Society’s Web site (royalsociety.org). science policy, debate scientific issues with the public and much more. We are an independent, charitable Research Support (UK grants and fellowships) SUBSCRIPTIONS body and derive our authoritative status from over 1400 Research Appointments (Fellowships): 2542 Subscription prices For full details on institutional or personal subscriptions and single issue Europe USA & Canada All other countries Fellows and Foreign Members. Research Grants: 2223 2012 calendar year purchases of Interface Focus, please contact our journal fulfilment agent, Our mission: to expand knowledge and further the role International travel Grants: 2555 Portland Customer Services, Commerce Way, Colchester, CO2 8HP, Tel: +44 Newton International Fellowships: 2559 Institutional of science and engineering in making the world a better (0) 1206 796351/Fax: +44 (0) 1206 799331/email: [email protected]. subscription - £831/€1080 US$1488 £831/US$1488 place. or by visiting our website at royalsocietypublishing/info/subscriptions. From online only Science Policy Centre 2008 personal subscriptions are available for this journal – see prices. Full General enquiries: 2550 ordering information can be obtained from Portland Customer Services. Institutional The Royal Society’s strategic priorities are to subscription - These rates apply to bona fide individual use only. They may be paid by £1080/€1404 US$1934 £1080/US$1934 Science Communication personal cheque or credit card, and orders cannot be delivered to an combined online • The Royal Society’s strategic priorities are to: General enquiries: 2573 institutional address. The Royal Society is Registered Charity No 207043. and print • invest in future scientific leaders and in Library and Information Services Typeset in India by Techset Composition Limited, Salisbury, UK. Printed by Latimer Trend, Plymouth. innovation, Library/archive enquiries: 2606 This paper meets the requirements of ISO 9706:1994(E) and ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper) effective with volume 1, issue 1, 2011. • influence policymaking with the best scientific Interface Focus (ISSN No: 2042-8898) is published monthly for US$1494 per year by the Royal Society, and is distributed in the USA by Air Business, C/O Worldnet Shipping USA Inc., 149-35 177th Street, Jamaica, New York, NY11434, USA. US Postmaster: Send address changes to advice, Interface Focus, C/O Air Business Ltd/C/O Worldnet Shipping USA Inc, 149-35 177th Street, Jamaica, New York, NY11414. • invigorate science and mathematics education, • increase access to the best science internationally, and • inspire an interest in the joy, wonder and excitement of scientific discovery.

Cover image: Green arrow. (Image courtesy of Tim Holt.)