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"The Andrology Lab Corner" Beginnings

From the Reproductive Medical Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Correspondence to: Christopher De Jonge, PhD, HCLD, Reproductive Medicine Center, 606 24th Ave S, Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55454 (e-mail: dejonge{at}tc.umn.edu).

Received for publication July 29, 2003; accepted for publication July 29, 2003.

It was decided that "The Corner" should be devoted to clinical andrology laboratory issues, such as new or modified methodologies and technologies, policies and procedures, quality control, and management. The purpose of "The Corner" was to provide a venue for disseminating educational and technical information, opinion, and controversy, with the intention of enhancing performance in the andrology laboratory and the quality of the service(s) delivered.

Upon review of the papers published in "The Corner" since its inception and relative to the stated purpose of the Andrology Lab Corner, I think it is fair to conclude "mission accomplished." Papers appeared on wide-ranging topics. Procedural aspects of clinical andrology laboratory practice (eg, sperm morphology assessment, computer-aided sperm analysis, gamete cryobanking, and sperm function testing) were detailed by a number of papers. Other papers attempted to stimulate "thinking outside the box" (eg, detecting differences in fertility, listing the attributes of fertile spermatozoa, and rethinking the clinical value of traditional semen parameters). Still another group of papers presented subjects that might be thought of as underappreciated with regard to the laboratory (eg, statistics and data presentation, culture media, devices and the Food and Drug Administration, and government regulation of laboratories). And there was a collection of papers that disclosed state-of-the-art techniques and procedures that the clinical andrology laboratory might be doing in the very near future and on a routine basis (eg, molecular screening techniques to identify genes and proteins that contribute to or cause male infertility and the future of using the male gamete for assisted reproduction).

Virtually all of the papers that have appeared in the Andrology Lab Corner during the past 5 years have been solicited. Very few were spontaneously contributed. This made for a very difficult task in trying to develop topics that had practical application, that might also be novel, and that would be of general interest. Then there was the equally difficult job of identifying an individual who could address the topic in a balanced and thoughtful way. I am pleased to recount that the majority of individuals who were contacted agreed and were enthusiastic about being able to make a contribution to the journal. It is equally important to acknowledge the people who served as referees for the submissions. Their critiques were always on the mark and delivered in a timely fashion. I am indebted to all of you and give my profound thanks.

The journal has new and exceptionally capable Editors-in-Chief in Drs Matt Hardy and Peter Schlegel. The transition in editors also serves as an opportune time to change the Andrology Lab Corner section editor, and the recipient of that honor is Dr Charles (Chip) Muller. Chip is widely known through his history of outstanding publications in basic and applied andrology, including an often-cited Andrology Lab Corner paper (J Androl. 2000; 21:10-30). I urge support of Chip, the Andrology Lab Corner, and the Journal of Andrology through the submission of papers that support its mission.

In closing, the Journal of Andrology stands in better stead today than it ever has. This is a tribute to the editors and editorial board, the executive council, and especially those individuals who have supported the journal by submitting their papers for publication.

Footnotes

Contact information for Dr Muller: Dr Charles Muller, Director, Male Infertility Laboratory, Box 356510, Department of Urology, University of Washington, School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195-6510 (e-mail: cmuller{at}u.washington.edu).

^* Andrology Lab Corner welcomes the submission of unsolicited manuscripts, requested reviews, and articles in a debate format. Manuscripts will be reviewed and edited by the Section Editor. Papers appearing in this section are not considered primary research reports and are thus not subjected to peer review. All submissions should be sent to the Journal of Andrology Editorial Office. Letters to the editor in response to articles as well as suggested topics for future issues are encouraged.

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