Journal profile · Biophysics
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
ISSN 1865-5025 · eISSN 1865-5033 · Springer International Publishing · UNITED STATES · Quarterly · Founded 2008
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.48; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,690; median 152 days to acceptance (80 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 45 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering is published by Springer International Publishing and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Cellular Mechanics and Interactions, 3D Printing in Biomedical Research and Cell Adhesion Molecules Research, together about 39.5% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The field of cellular and molecular bioengineering seeks to understand, so that we may ultimately control, the mechanical, chemical, and electrical processes of the cell. A key challenge in improving human health is to understand how cellular behavior arises from molecular-level interactions. CMBE, an official journal of the Biomedical Engineering Society, publishes original research and review papers in the following seven general areas:Molecular: DNA-protein/RNA-protein interactions, protein folding and function, protein-protein and receptor-ligand interactions, lipids, polysaccharides, molecular motors, and the biophysics of macromolecules that function as therapeutics or engineered matrices, for example.Cellular: Studies of how cells sense physicochemical events surrounding and within cells, and how cells transduce these events into biological responses. Specific cell processes of interest include cell growth, differentiation, migration, signal transduction, protein secretion and transport, gene expression and regulation, and cell-matrix interactions.Mechanobiology: The mechanical properties of cells and biomolecules, cellular/molecular force generation and adhesion, the response of cells to their mechanical microenvironment, and mechanotransduction in response to various physical forces such as fluid shear stress.Nanomedicine: The engineering of nanoparticles for advanced drug delivery and molecular imaging applications, with particular focus on the interaction of such particles with living cells. Also, the application of nanostructured materials to control the behavior of cells and biomolecules. Systems Biology: Multiple-scale analysis and simulation of complex biological systems, with a special emphasis on gene-to-cellular level phenomena. Studies that compare model predictions with existing or newly collected experimental data sets are especially encouraged.Clinical and Translational: The application of cellular and molecular scale devices and concepts in clinical research, personalized medicine and point-of-care diagnostics, and the translation of bioengineering research from the bench to bedside.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biophysics
Editor-in-chief Edward SanderPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 30, Mainland China 1, Hong Kong, China 1, Canada 1, Singapore 1 (35 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Cellular Mechanics and InteractionsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology20.3%
- 3D Printing in Biomedical ResearchEngineering12.5%
- Cell Adhesion Molecules ResearchMedicine6.7%
- Force Microscopy Techniques and ApplicationsPhysics and Astronomy5%
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative MedicineMedicine4.5%
- Blood properties and coagulationMedicine4%
- Mesenchymal stem cell researchMedicine3.9%
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biophysics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell & Tissue Engineering | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Biomedical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell & Tissue Engineering | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Biomedical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biophysics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell & Tissue Engineering | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Biomedical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EmbaseCASPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 3.48LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.7LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.58LetPub ·
- h-index
- 27LetPub ·
- h-index
- 61OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 493OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.54OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 41.82%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 41LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 214,500Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 942 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 63 | 58 | 18 |
| 2025 | 45 | 41 | 124 |
| 2024 | 47 | 46 | 252 |
| 2023 | 36 | 36 | 1,069 |
| 2022 | 39 | 39 | 435 |
| 2021 | 49 | 49 | 766 |
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
152 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 108 days – 181 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (80 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 173 days
- Sample
- 80 articles with submission and acceptance dates (119 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)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer review, Double 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 3,690 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≥ 150 words, structured
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted9
- editorialSingle-blind peer review This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review proce…Length not stated
- letterReview Articles Review articles will ordinarily be brief reviews focused on particularly noteworthy, novel, and critical aspects of a field. Authors contemplati…Length not stated
- letters to the editorReview Articles Review articles will ordinarily be brief reviews focused on particularly noteworthy, novel, and critical aspects of a field. Authors contemplati…Length not stated
- methods and technical reportsSpecial communications describe new methods, new apparatuses with applications, techniques with physiological adaptability, and critiques of methods and techniq…Length not stated
- rapid communicationReview Articles Review articles will ordinarily be brief reviews focused on particularly noteworthy, novel, and critical aspects of a field. Authors contemplati…Length not stated
- rapid communicationsRapid Communications contain results of unusual interest in a short form. Review is accelerated and papers appear in the next available issue after acceptance. …Length not stated
- reviewReview Articles Review articles will ordinarily be brief reviews focused on particularly noteworthy, novel, and critical aspects of a field. Authors contemplati…Length not stated
- review articleReview Articles Review articles will ordinarily be brief reviews focused on particularly noteworthy, novel, and critical aspects of a field. Authors contemplati…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articles will ordinarily be brief reviews focused on particularly noteworthy, novel, and critical aspects of a field. Authors contemplating submission of…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria; use must be documented. Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
Single-blind peer review. Model summary
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- Springer International Publishing
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 2008
- ISSN
- 1865-5025
- Electronic ISSN
- 1865-5033
- Society / sponsor
- Biomedical Engineering Society
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 19, Issue 4 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
What CAS zone is Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biophysics / Cell & Tissue Engineering / Cell Biology / Engineering, Biomedical. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.48; CiteScore 4.6, h-index 61.
How long does peer review take at Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering?
Based on the dates recorded on 80 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 152 days (interquartile range 108–181 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. 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 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≥ 150 words, structured; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional. 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 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering based?
Of the 35 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (30), Mainland China (1) and Hong Kong, China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Embase and CAS; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering open access, and what is the APC?
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,690.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .