Journal profile · BIOLOGY
Emerging Topics in Life Sciences
ISSN 2397-8554 · eISSN 2397-8562 · Portland Press, Ltd.
Emerging Topics in Life Sciences: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); hybrid open access; median 146 days to acceptance (25 articles, last 24 months); 28 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Emerging Topics in Life Sciences is published by Portland Press, Ltd. 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 CRISPR and Genetic Engineering, Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Research and Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils, together about 22.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of life science research, Emerging Topics in Life Sciences is a journal jointly-owned by the Royal Society of Biology and the Biochemical Society specializing in publishing themed issues on emerging topics.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): BIOLOGY
Editor-in-chief Paula BoothPublisher website
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology9%
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.7%
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEarth and Planetary Sciences5.8%
- Lipid Membrane Structure and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.8%
- Protein Structure and DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.2%
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.4%
- RNA Research and SplicingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.4%
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences4.1%
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 | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: yes
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 9.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.39LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.29LetPub ·
- h-index
- 55OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 280OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.19OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 68.42%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 16LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 505 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 28 | 28 | 72 |
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | 26 |
| 2023 | 41 | 33 | 671 |
| 2022 | 57 | 34 | 1,109 |
| 2021 | 80 | 49 | 1,650 |
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
146 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 101 days – 201 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 26 days (8 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 177 days
- Sample
- 25 articles with submission and acceptance dates (29 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".
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.
No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.
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.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Portland Press, Ltd.
- ISSN
- 2397-8554
- Electronic ISSN
- 2397-8562
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 9, Issue 6 (December 2025)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Emerging Topics in Life Sciences
What CAS zone is Emerging Topics in Life Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Emerging Topics in Life Sciences is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biology / Biochemistry & Molecular 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.
How long does peer review take at Emerging Topics in Life Sciences?
Based on the dates recorded on 25 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 146 days (interquartile range 101–201 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.
Which databases index Emerging Topics in Life Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Emerging Topics in Life Sciences is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is Emerging Topics in Life Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
Emerging Topics in Life Sciences is a hybrid journal. Fee information is not available yet; check the journal's website.
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: .