Journal profile · Mathematics-Applied Mathematics
Current Opinion in Systems Biology
ISSN 2452-3100 · Elsevier
Current Opinion in Systems Biology: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,170; review about 89 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 23 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Current Opinion in Systems Biology 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 Gene Regulatory Network Analysis, Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction and Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, together about 35.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Current Opinion in Systems Biology is a new review journal that aims to provide specialists with a unique and educational platform to keep up-to-date with the expanding volume of information published in the field of Systems Biology. It publishes polished, concise and timely reviews and opinion articles. In addition to describing recent trends, the authors are encouraged to give their subjective opinion on the topics discussed. As this is such a broad discipline, we have determined themed sections each of which is regularly reviewed.The following areas will be covered by Current Opinion in Systems Biology: • Genomics and Epigenomics • Gene Regulation • Metabolic Networks • Cancer and Systemic Diseases • Mathematical Modelling • Big Data Acquisition and Analysis • Systems Pharmacology and Physiology • Synthetic Biology • Stem Cells, Development, and Differentiation • Systems Biology of Model Organisms • Systems Immunology and Host-Pathogen Interaction • Systems Ecology and EvolutionSection Editors, who are major authorities in the field, are appointed by the Editors in Chief of the journal. They divide their sections into a number of topics, ensuring that the field is comprehensively covered and that all issues of current importance are emphasised. Section Editors commission reviews from authors on each topic that they have selected and arrange for the peer review process. The papers are reviewed by 2 independent reviewers.ReviewsAuthors write short review articles in which they present recent developments in their subject, emphasizing the aspects that, in their opinion, are most important. In addition, they provide short annotations to the papers that they consider to be most interesting from all those published in their topic over the previous year.Opinion ArticlesAuthoritative opinion articles that provide an in-depth background and personal, well reasoned perspective on current, relevant as well as controversial topics within the themes of the journal will be written by the Editor-in-Chief and / or invited by the Editor-in-Chief.Editorial OverviewSection Editors write a short overview at the beginning of the section to introduce the reviews and to draw the reader's attention to any particular interesting developments.Invited authors are encouraged to visit our Guide for Authors for information on article submission.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Mathematics-Applied Mathematics
Editor-in-chief Jordi Garcia-OjalvoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United States 13, Germany 10, Spain 6, Mainland China 2, United Kingdom 2 (42 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Gene Regulatory Network AnalysisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology17.2%
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and BioproductionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10.3%
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.2%
- Bioinformatics and Genomic NetworksBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.7%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.7%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.7%
- CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.5%
- Cell Image Analysis TechniquesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.1%
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 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematical & Computational Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: yes
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematical & Computational Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
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)
- 4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.3LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.63LetPub ·
- h-index
- 54OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 300OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.18OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 57.81%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 15LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 596 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 31 | 22 | 5 |
| 2025 | 23 | 13 | 110 |
| 2024 | 25 | 17 | 136 |
| 2023 | 40 | 27 | 370 |
| 2022 | 18 | 7 | 139 |
| 2021 | 95 | 61 | 2,400 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
89 dayssubmission to acceptance
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 36 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 89 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 8 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 4,170 / EUR 3,900 / GBP 3,340 / JPY 517,210 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 2,500 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Optional
Article types accepted3, with length limits
- opinionReview ArticlesAuthors write short review articles in which they present recent developments in their subject, emphasizing the aspects that, in their opinion, a…main text ≤ 2,500 words
- reviewReview ArticlesAuthors write short review articles in which they present recent developments in their subject, emphasizing the aspects that, in their opinion, a…main text ≤ 2,500 words
- short reviewReview ArticlesAuthors write short review articles in which they present recent developments in their subject, emphasizing the aspects that, in their opinion, a…Length not stated
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
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.
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
- 2452-3100
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Current Opinion in Systems Biology
What CAS zone is Current Opinion in Systems Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Current Opinion in Systems Biology is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Mathematical & Computational Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Current Opinion in Systems Biology?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 4; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 5, h-index 54.
How long does peer review take at Current Opinion in Systems Biology?
The publisher reports about 89 days (submission to acceptance). 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 Current Opinion in Systems Biology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 2,500 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: 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 Current Opinion in Systems Biology based?
Of the 42 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (13), Germany (10) and Spain (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Current Opinion in Systems Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Current Opinion in Systems Biology is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is Current Opinion in Systems Biology open access, and what is the APC?
Current Opinion in Systems Biology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,170.
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: .