Journal profile · Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Journal of Biotechnology
ISSN 0168-1656 · eISSN 1873-4863 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Semimonthly · Founded 1984
Journal of Biotechnology: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.91; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,360; median 114 days to acceptance (104 articles, last 24 months); 235 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Biotechnology is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction, Biofuel production and bioconversion and Enzyme Catalysis and Immobilization, together about 31% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Biotechnology (J. Biotech.) offers publication for both full-length articles and short communications on a wide range of biotechnology-related topics. Also, review articles can be submitted if they are pre-approved by one of the editors. The journal will only accept submissions with novel scientific research results that are directly relevant to biotechnological systems and/or applications (for details, please see the list below). J. Biotech. has strict rules about plagiarism. Any submission that includes parts of already published material will be rejected. This includes any attempt to re-publish already published Materials and Methods paragraphs. The journal features a "one-pass review process," i.e., eligible submissions will be reviewed, and those that need improvements (either minor or major) can be resubmitted only once before the decision about whether to accept or reject is decided by the Chief Editor. All figures need to be submitted as high-resolution files during the initial submission. All articles must be written in English, and the quality of the English language will be one of the criteria during the review process.Main Scope of the Journal:Bioprocess engineeringSystem biology, synthetic microbiologyMetabolic engineering, microbial physiologyBiorefinery, biomass engineeringBiochemical enzyme/protein engineeringMetabolic engineeringMicrobial expression systemsBiocatalyst engineeringInsect cell-based modelsMultienzyme cascade reactionsPlant-based biotechnologyOutside of the Scope:Manuscripts lacking noveltyReview articles submitted without previous invitation/confirmation by an editorEnvironmental-related subjects, e.g., waste-water treatment, bioremediation, biodegradationReports on the cloning and/or expression of naturally occurring enzymes without direct biotechnological applicationResearch on natural products without biotechnological modificationToxicological researchPharmacological researchFood science-related research without biotechnological applicationEngineering articles that do not deal with the direct improvement of biotechnological processesGenome research, especially genome sequencing reports
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Editor-in-chief Christoph W. SensenPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 4 in mainland China (about 7%); most named Austria 13, Germany 8, Hungary 7, United States 6, South Korea 6 (61 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and BioproductionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology12.3%
- Biofuel production and bioconversionEngineering9.7%
- Enzyme Catalysis and ImmobilizationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology9%
- Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in InsectsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.8%
- Enzyme Production and CharacterizationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.3%
- Protein purification and stabilityBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.1%
- Algal biology and biofuel productionEnergy3.7%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
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
- 3.91LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.77LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.88LetPub ·
- h-index
- 140LetPub ·
- h-index
- 213OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 6,926OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.22OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 20.85%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 218LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 15,946 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 173 | 49 | 76 |
| 2025 | 235 | 49 | 819 |
| 2024 | 231 | 80 | 1,799 |
| 2023 | 131 | 35 | 1,541 |
| 2022 | 190 | 38 | 3,213 |
| 2021 | 213 | 49 | 5,086 |
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
114 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 87 days – 160 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (104 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 116 days
- Sample
- 104 articles with submission and acceptance dates (466 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)
- about 4.2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 35%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 54 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 112 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 4,360 / EUR 4,080 / GBP 3,490 / JPY 540,770 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,870 | — | — |
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 prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 1,500 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted2, with length limits
- review(1) Full-length papers, generally not exceeding 15 typewritten pagesFull-length papers should: (a) be divided into sections (Abstract, Introduction, Materials a…Length not stated
- short communication(1) Full-length papers, generally not exceeding 15 typewritten pagesFull-length papers should: (a) be divided into sections (Abstract, Introduction, Materials a…main text ≤ 1,500 words
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
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1984
- ISSN
- 0168-1656
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-4863
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Biotechnology
What CAS zone is Journal of Biotechnology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Biotechnology is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology. 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 Journal of Biotechnology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.91; CiteScore 7.2, h-index 213.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Biotechnology?
Based on the dates recorded on 104 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 114 days (interquartile range 87–160 days); authors report an average review time of about 4.2 months. 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 Journal of Biotechnology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 1,500 words; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX and Word; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 Journal of Biotechnology based?
Of the 61 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 4 (about 7%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Austria (13), Germany (8) and Hungary (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Biotechnology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Biotechnology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Biotechnology open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Biotechnology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,360.
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: .