Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Channels
ISSN 1933-6950 · eISSN 1933-6969 · Landes Bioscience · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 2007
Channels: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.96; JCR Q2 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 2,990; median 86 days to acceptance (50 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 27 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Channels is published by Landes Bioscience 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 Ion channel regulation and function, Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias and Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research, together about 54.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology and Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Channels is a fully open access journal for all types of research related ion channels, transporters and exchangers, including studies on function, structure, biophysics, pharmacology, modulation and their regulation in health and disease. Channels aims to foster communication among the ion channel and transporter communities and facilitate advancement of the field. Studies involving ion channels as biomarkers for human disease are encouraged. Provided that ion channels or transporters are involved, the journal welcomes interdisciplinary approaches and accepts submissions from fields including, but not limited to: structure function and biophysics modulation pharmacology ion channelopathies Manuscripts should address basic and translational research into the physiology and pathophysiology of ion channels in neuroscience, cardiovascular sciences, cancer research, and endocrinology, and gastroenterology. Ion channel physiology and pathophysiology in invertebrates, plants and bacteria will also be considered. As well as lab-based research, manuscripts can utilise computational and systems biology approaches. For manuscripts that deal bioinformatics analyses of ion channels and transporters as potential biomarkers for disease, Channels requires the inclusion of functional studies that address underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Channels operates a single-anonymized peer review policy.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editor-in-chief Gerald W. ZamponiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 20%); most named Mainland China 1, United States 1, United Kingdom 1, France 1, Canada 1 (5 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ion channel regulation and functionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology29.3%
- Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmiasMedicine13.6%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience11.3%
- Ion Channels and ReceptorsNeuroscience8.8%
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors StudyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.1%
- Neuroscience and Neural EngineeringNeuroscience3.5%
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology ResearchNeuroscience3.2%
- Receptor Mechanisms and SignalingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.1%
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 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | 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 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- JCR Q2 · best quartile · 2025
- CiteScore Q1 · 2025
Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPMCEmbasePublisher website
Other: EBSCO, BIOSIS, Reactions Weekly
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
- 4.96LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 6.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.32LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 1.32Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.19LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 1.19Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 37LetPub ·
- h-index
- 68OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 645OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.99OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 23LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 261,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,062 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 22 | 22 | 17 |
| 2025 | 27 | 27 | 69 |
| 2024 | 21 | 21 | 193 |
| 2023 | 31 | 31 | 520 |
| 2022 | 20 | 20 | 268 |
| 2021 | 41 | 41 | 770 |
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
86 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 52 days – 110 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 12 days (50 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 98 days
- Sample
- 50 articles with submission and acceptance dates (53 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)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 52%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 27 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 37 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 12 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 17 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 | AUD 4,165 / EUR 2,875 / GBP 2,392 / USD 2,990 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC | |
| OpenAlex | GBP 1,880 | — | — | |
| LetPub | EUR 2,520 / USD 2,630 / GBP 2,100 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteData availability, Open access, Peer review
- Data availability
Bioinformatics manuscripts require functional studies addressing cellular and molecular mechanisms. Model summary
For manuscripts that deal bioinformatics analyses of ion channels and transporters as potential biomarkers for disease, Channels requires the inclusion of functional studies that address underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Open access journal; only publishes open access articles. Model summary
Channels is an open access journal and only publishes open access articles. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose open access? Increase the discoverability and readership of your article Make an impact and reach new readers, not just those with easy acce…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Single-anonymized peer review policy. Model summary
Channels operates a single-anonymized peer review policy.
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
- Landes Bioscience
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 2007
- ISSN
- 1933-6950
- Electronic ISSN
- 1933-6969
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 20, Issue 1 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Channels
What CAS zone is Channels in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Channels is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Channels?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.96; CiteScore 6.4, h-index 68.
How long does peer review take at Channels?
Based on the dates recorded on 50 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 86 days (interquartile range 52–110 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 52%. 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 JCR quartile is Channels in?
The journal's website gives JCR Q2 (best quartile). JCR quartiles are Clarivate's to confirm and a different system from the CAS zones; in the CAS ranking the journal is in Zone 3 of Biology.
Where are the editorial board members of Channels based?
Of the 5 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 20%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (1), United States (1) and United Kingdom (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Channels?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Channels is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PMC and Embase; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Channels open access, and what is the APC?
Channels is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,990.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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: .