Journal profile · Cell Biology
Biology of the Cell
ISSN 0248-4900 · eISSN 1768-322X · Wiley-Blackwell · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1981
Biology of the Cell: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.61; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,730; median 84 days to acceptance (77 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: moderate; 81 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Biology of the Cell is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Microtubule and mitosis dynamics, Cellular transport and secretion and RNA Research and Splicing, together about 22.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Biology of the cell publishes original research articles, methods papers, reviews, and commentaries covering cellular and molecular biology, developmental biology, cell physiology, and evolution. We aim to enhance our understanding of the biochemical and biophysical principles underlying the organization of living matter at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. Biology of the cell considers for publication, articles on the following topics: Autophagy and turnover of cellular components Basic molecular and cellular aging processes Biogenesis and dynamics of intracellular organelles, traffic Cell adhesion, cytoskeleton dynamics and cell migration Cell Biology of cancer and other diseases Cell cycle, growth and morphogenesis Nuclear architecture, chromatin and epigenetics Developmental biology and cell differentiation Evolution and Co-evolution of Biological Systems Host – pathogen interactions Mechanobiology across scales Molecular mechanisms of senescence, aging and cell death Physiology, Metabolism, and Diseases Plant and protist cell biology Signalling and patterning Stem cell biology, cell fate and regeneration Synthetic biology from molecules to organoids and tumoroids Tissue engineering and biomaterials Biology of the Cell, established in 1984 by the French Societies of Cell Biology and of Microscopies.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Cell Biology
Editor-in-chief Nicolas BorghiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 9%); most named France 29, United States 8, Mainland China 5, Canada 2, Singapore 2 (54 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10.1%
- Cellular transport and secretionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.8%
- RNA Research and SplicingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.5%
- Protist diversity and phylogenyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.4%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5.1%
- Reproductive Biology and FertilityMedicine4.5%
- Cell Adhesion Molecules ResearchMedicine4.4%
- Photosynthetic Processes and MechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
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
- Impact factor
- 2.61LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.93LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.63LetPub ·
- h-index
- 77LetPub ·
- h-index
- 118OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,761OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.81OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 50%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 49LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 57Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 176,165Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,261 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 44 | 13 | 3 |
| 2025 | 81 | 44 | 197 |
| 2024 | 60 | 28 | 134 |
| 2023 | 54 | 36 | 171 |
| 2022 | 59 | 26 | 246 |
| 2021 | 61 | 31 | 458 |
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 Crossref · to
84 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 49 days – 151 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 20 days (77 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 121 days
- Sample
- 77 articles with submission and acceptance dates (110 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- ModerateLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 22%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 22%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 104 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 23 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
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
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,730 / EUR 3,110 / GBP 2,510 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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)
Article types accepted13
- commentariesauthors should contact the Editor-in-Chief (rene-marc.mege@ijm.fr) before submissionLength not stated
- commentaryArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Other Requirements Research Articles Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make …Length not stated
- editorialArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Other Requirements Research Articles Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make …Length not stated
- editorialsauthors should contact the Editor-in-Chief (rene-marc.mege@ijm.fr) before submissionLength not stated
- method articleArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Other Requirements Research Articles Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make …Length not stated
- method articlesMethod articles focus on new techniques or innovations related to Cell Biology. They may include novel sample preparation methods, innovative labeling technique…Length not stated
- picture of the monthAuthors are encouraged to submit research focused images to appear in our gallery as a picture of the month.Length not stated
- research articleArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Other Requirements Research Articles Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make …Length not stated
- research articlesReports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge. Confirmatory or incremental research could be conside…Length not stated
- reviewArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Other Requirements Research Articles Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make …Length not stated
- reviewsdiscussing the state of the art of a particular and relevant topic; authors should contact the Editorial Office (BOCManagingEditor@wiley.com) before the manuscr…Length not stated
- short communicationArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Other Requirements Research Articles Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make …Length not stated
- short communicationsdescribing results that are brief, timely and/or of such importance that rapid release is warranted.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship
On initial submission, the submitting author will be prompted to provide the email address and country for all contributing authors.All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review editorial standards and scroll down for a description of authorship criteria.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing, Data Availability, and Data Reporting
Data Sharing Model summary
This journal expects data sharing. All accepted manuscripts are required to publish a Data Availability Statement to confirm the presence or absence of shared data. Review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission. Sample statements are available here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Allegations of Misconduct
If we receive an allegation of potential research or publication misconduct, we will alert those affected and ask for their response. We reserve the right to suspend the review process where necessary; to publish an expression of concern for published papers where appropriate; and/or to ask the relevant employers, or institution, or an appropriate regulatory body to investigate. If someone has con…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley’s Copyright Terms & Conditions FAQ.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
This journal is a subscription journal that offers OnlineOpen, an open access option. You’ll have the option to choose to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an APC. For more information on this journal’s APCs, please see the Open Access page.Please click here for more information on Wiley’s compliance with specific Funder Open Access Policies.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 2. Submission and Peer Review
Free Format submission Model summary
Authors should kindly note that submission of a manuscript will be held to imply that it is unpublished work which is not being considered for publication elsewhere. If accepted, it is expected that the paper will not be published in another journal or book in either the same or another format or language. Once the submission materials have been prepared in accordance with the Author Guidelines, n…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprint policy Model summary
This journal accepts articles previously published on preprint servers like arXiv, bioRxiv, or PeerJ PrePrints, or on the authors’ own website.
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
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1981
- ISSN
- 0248-4900
- Electronic ISSN
- 1768-322X
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 118, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Biology of the Cell
What CAS zone is Biology of the Cell in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Biology of the Cell is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Cell Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Biology of the Cell?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.61; CiteScore 3.8, h-index 118.
How long does peer review take at Biology of the Cell?
Based on the dates recorded on 77 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 84 days (interquartile range 49–151 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 22% (2025). 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Biology of the Cell based?
Of the 54 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 9%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are France (29), United States (8) and Mainland China (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Biology of the Cell?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Biology of the Cell is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Biology of the Cell open access, and what is the APC?
Biology of the Cell is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,730.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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 2026-08-24). Last updated: .