Journal profile · BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS-BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
Biotechnology Journal
ISSN 1860-6768 · eISSN 1860-7314 · Wiley-VCH Verlag · GERMANY
Biotechnology Journal: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.56; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,780; median 92 days to acceptance (105 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 62.5%; 221 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Biotechnology Journal is published by Wiley-VCH Verlag and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects, Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction and CRISPR and Genetic Engineering, together about 29.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Biotechnology Journal welcomes submissions from all areas of biotechnology and bioengineering research. Papers are selected for publication based on the novelty and level of advance presented in the work, with an emphasis on those that are driving the scientific frontier or that present novel applications that lead to significant new discoveries. The journal primarily publishes Research Articles and Reviews. These submissions are strictly peer-reviewed and editorial decisions are made by in-house editors in partnership with an Editorial Board of active researchers. The journal also aims to cover the public, legal, ethical, and cultural aspects of biotechnological research under our Perspective, Forum and Editorial formats. Authors interested in submitting a piece under one of these formats are invited to send a presubmission enquiry. Submissions received under these formats are selected for publication based on their timeliness, the uniqueness of the presented perspective and the fit for the current editorial needs of the journal. They may be peer-reviewed at the discretion of the journal editors. Areas include: Synthetic biology, metabolic engineering and systems biology Bioenergy and the green bioeconomy Genome editing and CRISPR technologies Industrial scaling of biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals and biocatalysis Biotechnology for therapeutics and vaccines Cell, tissue, and organoid engineering Plant biotechnology Omics technologies and biotechnological application Nanobiotechnology and biomaterials Bioprocess engineering and downstream processing Methods, software or resources that support biotechnology research We will not accept the manuscript on disease diagnosis without biotechnology methods, simple modelling without biotechnology application, and simple sequencing.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS-BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
Editor-in-chief Yongjin J. ZhouPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 60%); most named Mainland China 3, South Korea 1, Germany 1 (5 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in InsectsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10.9%
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and BioproductionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10.5%
- CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.4%
- Biotechnology and Related FieldsMedicine7.7%
- Protein purification and stabilityBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.9%
- Biofuel production and bioconversionEngineering5.5%
- Enzyme Catalysis and ImmobilizationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.2%
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies ResearchMedicine4.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceMEDLINEPubMedEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsPublisher website
Other: Crossref
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 3.56LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.7Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2021
- 5.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2021
- 5.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 5.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.76LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.81LetPub ·
- h-index
- 63LetPub ·
- h-index
- 141OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,307OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.69OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 24.53%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 193LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 194Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 734,793Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,094 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 153 | 92 | 71 |
| 2025 | 221 | 95 | 905 |
| 2024 | 262 | 149 | 2,006 |
| 2023 | 258 | 154 | 2,179 |
| 2022 | 141 | 66 | 1,447 |
| 2021 | 187 | 49 | 3,179 |
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
92 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 61 days – 125 days
- Acceptance to online
- —
- Submission to online
- —
- Sample
- 105 articles with submission and acceptance dates (349 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 1.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 62.5%LetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 22%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 98 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 18 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 4,780 / EUR 3,930 / GBP 3,190 | — | — |
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 accepted1, with length limits
- commentaryfigures that support the thesis of the Commentary Recommended word limit is 2000 words (including references and figure/table legends) Perspectivemain text ≤ 2,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship
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 and Data Availability
This journal expectsdata sharing. 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.
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 Obtaining Permission to Reproduce Material.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
This journal is a subscription journal that offers an Open Access option. You’ll have the option to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an APC unless a waiver applies. Read more about APCs here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review
This journal operates a single-anonymized peer review policy. Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are peer reviewed by at least two anonymous reviewers and the Editor-in-Chief. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint your manuscript on Authorea
You can now opt to seamlessly preprint your manuscript at submission, through Wiley’s Under Review service, powered by Authorea. Make your work citable and discoverable, before it is accepted or published.
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-VCH Verlag
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1860-6768
- Electronic ISSN
- 1860-7314
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 21, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Biotechnology Journal
What CAS zone is Biotechnology Journal in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Biotechnology Journal is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biochemical Research Methods / Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology. 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 Biotechnology Journal?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.56; CiteScore 5.7, h-index 141.
How long does peer review take at Biotechnology Journal?
Based on the dates recorded on 105 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 92 days (interquartile range 61–125 days); authors report an average review time of about 1.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 62.5%”; 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 Biotechnology Journal based?
Of the 5 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 60%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (3), South Korea (1) and Germany (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Biotechnology Journal?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Biotechnology Journal is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, CAS and CAB Abstracts; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Biotechnology Journal open access, and what is the APC?
Biotechnology Journal is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,780.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .