Matter, a sister journal to Cell, is a monthly journal encompassing the general field of materials science, from nano to macro, fundamentals to application. Recognizing that materials discovery and development facilitate groundbreaking technologies bridging multiple disciplines, Matter will embrace all significant advances in materials research, encompassing the previously unknown and the innovative. A key focus will be on transformative research, related to fundamental structure, synthesis and assembly, properties and performance of emerging material systems, as well as novel characterization methods, thereby encapsulating key aspects of materials science. Materials of focus can be any state, any scale, any composition – i.e., any Matter - with scientific or technological interest, theoretical or otherwise. Matter will highlight material type and scale of interest for each study, while also explicitly assessing the stage of material development. In this way, while still stressing fundamental science, materials advancement and progression can be tracked and put into context of potential impact, from concept to societal usage. Matter provides full-length research articles, reviews, topical perspectives, paper previews, opinions, personnel stories, and other editorial content of general interest to the global materials community. The journal aims to be the premier resource for researchers in both academia and industry, providing a platform of inspiration for the next generation of materials scientists.