Textiles and yarns in which are embedded electronic and optical devices. Catalysts that are dependent on the ability to structure crystalline materials at nanometre scales. Optical switches, amplifiers and lasers that exploit semiconductor dots designed to behave more like atoms than bulk solids. Biological and biomedical devices that exploit the behaviour and interfaces between metals and polymers. Magnetic and electronic devices that rely on electron spin. Fuel cells powered by the transformation of hydrocarbons to hydrogen-rich gas. Materials whose properties stem from mimicry of biological structures.

This diversity demonstrates how radically materials research is set to change the world around us. Many of these examples depend on advances that have taken place in recent years in our ability to engineer materials down to atomic scales. All of them depend on the skills that can be brought to bear on materials and devices by physicists, chemists, materials scientists and engineers. An increasing number of them offer opportunities to biologists too.

Small wonder, then, that Nature has long published papers in materials research. And given the field's vigour, multidisciplinarity and sheer scale, small wonder, too, that Nature's publishers have decided to launch Nature Materials, the first issue of which appears on 2 September. Surveys suggest there is room for a journal that spans all aspects of materials research, with the aim of publishing papers of outstanding interest to materials researchers from all disciplines.

Nature's own ambitions in materials research are the same as ever: to publish papers with the deepest or broadest impact on our understanding of materials' properties and behaviour. Nature and Nature Materials will be editorially independent. However, if Nature's editors find that a paper lacks the breadth of impact appropriate for Nature, for example, but is still of outstanding interest, they will, with the authors' permission, pass on the file and referees' reports to Nature Materials' editors to help save authors time.

Our experience in launching research journals shows that both Nature and its siblings flourish, not least in achieving high impact factors — in many cases (including Nature's) at the top of their respective categories. Nature Materials, its editors say, is already off to a flying start in the breadth and quality of its submissions. Readers can see for themselves at http://www.nature.com/naturematerials.