On September 23, Sara Monacco, Managing Editor of EMBO “Review Commons”, visited Vilnius University’s Life Sciences Center (VU LSC). During her lecture, she introduced the LSC community to the peer-review process she coordinates, emphasizing its crucial role in maintaining the quality and credibility of scientific research. She also highlighted the challenges faced by the traditional system—such as redundant reviews, a limited pool of reviewers, and lengthy publication timelines. To address these issues, EMBO launched the Review Commons platform, which enables preprints to undergo peer review before being submitted to journals.
The lecture was followed by a lively discussion, where participants explored the benefits, potential drawbacks, and practical aspects of such system. Questions ranged from technical details to the broader implications of “Review Commons” for the scientific community and international publishing culture.
Later, Sara Monacco also took part in the EMBO Young Scientists Forum, a conference co-organized by LSC researchers together with colleagues from Latvia and Estonia. There, she presented the Review Commons model to a wider international audience, encouraging further dialogue on the future of peer review and collaborative practices in science.
