Journal profile · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Developmental Biology
Cells and Development
ISSN 2667-291X · eISSN 2667-2901 · Elsevier
Cells and Development: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.5 (journal website); subscription journal; APC about USD 3,450; median 94 days to acceptance (77 articles, last 24 months); 58 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Cells and Development is published by Elsevier 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 Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation, Cellular Mechanics and Interactions and Pluripotent Stem Cells Research, together about 31.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Cell and Developmental Biology and their Quantitative approaches The Official Journal of The International Society of Developmental BiologistsCells & Development is an international journal covering the areas of cell biology and developmental biology. In addition to publishing work at the interphase of these two disciplines, we also publish work that is purely cell biology as well as classical developmental biology.C&D is the official journal of The International Society of Developmental Biologists (ISDB) which supports the world-wide community of developmental biologists.Cells & Development will consider papers in any area of cell biology or developmental biology, in any model system like animals and plants, using a variety of approaches, such as cellular, biomechanical, molecular, quantitative, computational and theoretical biology.Areas of particular interest include:Cell and tissue morphogenesisCell adhesion and migrationCell shape and polarityBiomechanicsTheoretical modelling of cell and developmental biologyQuantitative biologyStem cell biologyCell differentiationCell proliferation and cell deathEvo-DevoMembrane trafficMetabolic regulationOrgan and organoid developmentRegenerationPublications at the interface of physics and biology often include theoretical work which is summarised in a short form in a Supplementary Text or Supplementary Theory. Authors may want to further describe, extend and give higher visibility to the theoretical work that they have published in this way. We are therefore pleased to announce that Cells & Development will now consider submissions of extended and more detailed versions of Supplementary Theory material published in other biological or generalist journals. To be considered, these articles must introduce significant additional material and discussion of previously published results. They must explicitly refer to the article where the Supplementary Theory text was originally published. Reproduction of the previously published figures or text materials should be minimal and appropriately referenced, in accordance with copyright requirements of the other journal.With this initiative, Cells & Development is aiming at promoting quantitative approaches to biology by giving the opportunity to theorists to better explain and highlight their contribution to multidisciplinary studies.Cells & Development does not publish descriptive studies of gene expression patterns and molecular screens; for submission of such studies see Gene Expression Patterns .
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Developmental Biology
Editor-in-chief Roberto MayorPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 22, France 14, United Kingdom 13, Japan 8, Germany 6 (109 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Developmental Biology and Gene RegulationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology13.9%
- Cellular Mechanics and InteractionsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology9.1%
- Pluripotent Stem Cells ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.4%
- Congenital heart defects researchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.8%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5.8%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering5.6%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science5.6%
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.8%
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 | Developmental 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 | Developmental Biology | Zone 3 |
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 | Developmental Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
ScopusLetPub
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 (publisher)
- 2.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.06LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.83LetPub ·
- h-index
- 22OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 62OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.34OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 316 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 30 | 10 | 3 |
| 2025 | 58 | 33 | 132 |
| 2024 | 61 | 61 | 511 |
| 2023 | 54 | 54 | 371 |
| 2022 | 31 | 31 | 180 |
| 2021 | 82 | 81 | 1,225 |
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
94 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 63 days – 157 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 3 days (77 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 95 days
- Sample
- 77 articles with submission and acceptance dates (86 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
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 68 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 89 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 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
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,450 / EUR 3,230 / GBP 2,760 / JPY 427,900 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,940 | — | — |
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 2667-291X
- Electronic ISSN
- 2667-2901
- Society / sponsor
- International Society of Developmental Biologists
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Cells and Development
What CAS zone is Cells and Development in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Cells and Development is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Developmental 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 Cells and Development?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 2.5; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 3.5, h-index 22.
How long does peer review take at Cells and Development?
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 94 days (interquartile range 63–157 days). 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 Cells and Development?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation. 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 Cells and Development based?
Of the 109 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (22), France (14) and United Kingdom (13). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Cells and Development?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Cells and Development is indexed in Scopus.
Is Cells and Development open access, and what is the APC?
Cells and Development is a subscription journal. APC about USD 3,450.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .