Journal profile · Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
BioDesign Research
ISSN 2693-1257 · American Association for the Advancement of Science · United States
BioDesign Research: CAS Zone 1 · Biology (2026 Xinrui edition); fully open access; APC about USD 3,000; median 60 days to acceptance (56 articles, last 24 months); 36 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus; the journal's website says it has ceased publication.
The journal's website says it has ceased publication: As of January 2025, BioDesign Research is no longer published with AAAS. Click here for the current journal homepage. Source ↗Publisher website ·
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
BioDesign Research is published by American Association for the Advancement of Science and is classed under Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction, CRISPR and Genetic Engineering and Biofuel production and bioconversion, together about 35.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
BioDesign Research is dedicated to information exchange in the interdisciplinary field of biosystems design. Its unique mission is to pave the way towards the predictable de novo design and assessment of engineered or reengineered living organisms using rational or automated methods to address global challenges in health, agriculture, and the environment. The journal publishes high quality breakthrough research, reviews, editorials, and perspectives focusing on in silico biosystems design, genetic or epigenetic modification, and genome writing or rewriting in any organism. Topics include but are not limited to: Genome writing and rewriting (gene and genome editing, synthetic viral and cellular genomes). Biological engineering at the level of chemical (e.g., unnatural nucleotides and amino acids), molecule (e.g., protein and RNA), pathway (e.g., metabolic, signaling and immunological pathways), tissue, organ (e.g., organoids), and organism (e.g., microbiome, plants, and animals). Methods/tools for biodesign (e.g., pathway/whole-cell/whole-organism modelling, machine-learning, automated design, and bioengineering using algorithm-directed in vivo evolution). Biodesign theory (e.g., control theory). Biodesign applications (e.g., gene therapy, cancer research, pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, biosensing, diagnostics, bioremediation, biofuels, carbon sequestration, crop domestication and breeding, biological computation, gene circuits, and minimal organisms).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
Editorial board by country: 59 in mainland China (about 45%); most named Mainland China 59, United States 41, United Kingdom 10, Spain 5, Germany 3 (130 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and BioproductionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology14.7%
- CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology12.8%
- Biofuel production and bioconversionEngineering7.6%
- Enzyme Catalysis and ImmobilizationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6%
- Plant biochemistry and biosynthesisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6%
- Transgenic Plants and ApplicationsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.2%
- Plant tissue culture and regenerationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.4%
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.55LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.12LetPub ·
- h-index
- 27OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 71OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 8.91OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 31LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 151 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 24 | 24 | 4 |
| 2025 | 36 | 36 | 287 |
| 2024 | 22 | 22 | 440 |
| 2023 | 18 | 18 | 401 |
| 2022 | 30 | 30 | 662 |
| 2021 | 9 | 9 | 169 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
60 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 47 days – 80 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 6 days (56 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 72 days
- Sample
- 56 articles with submission and acceptance dates (61 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 12 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 3,000 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | USD 2,500 / EUR 2,340 / GBP 2,000 / JPY 310,080 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 3,000 | Yes | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 15,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted5, with length limits
- editoriale importance to the research community. Editorials should have fewer than 1,000 words total, no abstract, a minimal number of references (no moremain text ≤ 1,000 words
- opinionwith brief and informative subheadings. Opinions should be no longer than 8,000 words, although longer manuscripts will be considered. Authors mamain text ≤ 8,000 words
- research articler tables and about 60 references. Total research article length should be under 15,000 words. Supplementary materials should be limited to information tmain text ≤ 15,000 words
- reviewline of important unresolved questions. Reviews should be no longer than 8,000 words, although longer manuscripts will be considered. Authors mamain text ≤ 8,000 words
- review articleReview articles should describe and synthesize recent developments of interdisciplinary significance and highlight future directions.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteLicense & copyright, Open access
- License & copyright Copyright and licensing
Permissions required for third-party content Model summary
BioDesign Research content is Open Access, published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) on a continuous basis. This means that content is freely available to all readers upon publication and content is published as soon as production is complete. Nanjing Agricultural University holds an exclusive license to the content, the author(s) hold copyright and retain the right to publish…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access
Open access under CC BY license Model summary
BioDesign Research content is Open Access, published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) on a continuous basis.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Country or region
- United States
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2693-1257
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about BioDesign Research
What CAS zone is BioDesign Research in?
In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
How long does peer review take at BioDesign Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 56 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 60 days (interquartile range 47–80 days); authors report an average review time of about 12 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of BioDesign Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 15,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX and Word; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Required; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of BioDesign Research based?
Of the 130 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 59 (about 45%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (59), United States (41) and United Kingdom (10). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index BioDesign Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, BioDesign Research is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is BioDesign Research open access, and what is the APC?
BioDesign Research is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,000.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .