This Festschrift Virtual Special Issue in The Journal of Physical Chemistry B is dedicated to the scientific contributions of Prof. José Nelson Onuchic and serves as a celebration of his years of service, mentorship, and leadership to the biological physics, theoretical chemistry, and computational biology communities. This collection of 62 articles has been compiled from an extensive network of scientists that have, in distinct ways, been impacted by the scientific legacy of Prof. Onuchic. It is a written testament to how his work has influenced many areas related to the physics and chemistry of biological systems. This Festschrift provides a good sample of the areas in which Professor Onuchic has had a direct impact via collaboration, mentorship, and scientific dissemination of his research.

Prof. Onuchic has made seminal contributions that have shaped the study of biological physics at all scales, ranging from the dynamics of individual electrons to genomes and systems of organisms. To lead in a range of areas, he has repeatedly redefined himself as a scientist, and through this process, has established fundamental theoretical concepts that have guided each field.