by Joel Dacks
It is my pleasure to greet you in the first ISOP newsletter of 2025. To start this year, we have unveiled a new static cover image for the Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology.
Final image for the cover of the Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology.
This hand-drawn image shows a field of protists, in brilliant colored detail. It represents the beauty and diversity of the creatures that fascinate and captivate us. Though best viewed as a large image to showcase the intricate detail of the individual organisms, we also put thought into how this cover will be seen by most people online, i.e. as a thumbnail image. At this scale, the image is meant to evoke an impression of a globe, the world of protists and of protistologists.
thumbnail image
The immensely collaborative process of how we chose an image is worth sharing. We first assembled a collection of young protistologists including Tristan Henderson, Kristína Záhonová, and Anna Novák Vanclová. Together with the JEM Managing Editor, Donna Huber, we brainstormed ideas for cover designs and Dr. Vanclová agreed to develop drafts of each.
Drafts of other images considered for the cover.
The Board of Associate Editors voted on the choice of cover design, with the suggestion to incorporate the concept of a map into the microscopy field, which Dr. Vanclová developed into the final image. At a time when many commercial entities are choosing AI-generated images, rather than valuing the authenticity of human contributions, I am so proud to have original hand-drawn art to grace the cover of the journal. This harkens back to the tradition of illustration by protistologists in capturing the organisms that were observed under the microscope. It is also a concrete demonstration of the value that I place on the intellectual and creative input by scientists in our field.
