Cell editor joins PLoS

The push to create open-access scientific journals received a major boost last week when Vivian Siegel, editor of Cell, resigned her post to become executive director of the Public Library of Science's new publishing venture.

Last month, the Public Library of Science (PLoS) announced plans to launch two journals in biology and medicine that will be freely available on the Internet. "I think open access is the right thing to do, and I'm excited about the opportunity to be a part of that," Siegel told The Scientist. Siegel has a PhD in genetics from the University of California, San Francisco. She became the editor of Cell in 1999 after working there as deputy editor for five years.

"It's an extremely good sign," said Marc Kirschner, chair of the department of cell biology at Harvard Medical School. "She's a very knowledgeable, effective editor of the leading...