Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY
ISSN 0022-2631 · eISSN 1432-1424 · Springer US · UNITED STATES · Semimonthly · Founded 1969
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.54; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,890; median 72 days to acceptance (68 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 34 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY is published by Springer US 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 Ion channel regulation and function, Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior and Ion Transport and Channel Regulation, together about 42.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology and Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Membrane Biology focuses on publishing high-quality scientific research related to membrane biology, biochemistry, and biophysics. Explores the nature, structure, genesis, and functions of biological membranes, and the physics and chemistry of artificial membranes. Includes transport and secretory functions, such as natural and artificial transport carrier systems, membrane channels, diffusion, pinocytosis, and more. Welcomes work that uses modern experimental or computational methods. Encourages the publication of 'negative' results from well-performed experiments or simulations. Authors have the choice to publish using either the traditional publishing route or immediate gold Open Access Did you know that The Journal of Membrane Biology takes part in Springer Nature's new Biophysics Webinar Series? Sign up to receive updates on upcoming and published webinars here: https://cassyni.com/s/springer-nature-biophysics
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editor-in-chief Amitabha ChattopadhyayPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 12, India 6, Portugal 3, Australia 2, Mainland China 1 (30 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 Biology19.3%
- Lipid Membrane Structure and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology13.5%
- Ion Transport and Channel RegulationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience7%
- Neuroscience and Neural EngineeringNeuroscience5.2%
- Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmiasMedicine5%
- Erythrocyte Function and PathophysiologyMedicine4.3%
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics researchNeuroscience4%
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 | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physiology | 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
MEDLINEEmbaseCASCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, 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
- 2.54LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.87LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.84LetPub ·
- h-index
- 92LetPub ·
- h-index
- 183OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,003OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.17OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 22.78%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 29LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 292,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,425 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 36 | 17 | 9 |
| 2025 | 34 | 13 | 91 |
| 2024 | 32 | 12 | 121 |
| 2023 | 24 | 8 | 212 |
| 2022 | 66 | 28 | 874 |
| 2021 | 52 | 18 | 604 |
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
72 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 53 days – 111 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 22 days (68 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 102 days
- Sample
- 68 articles with submission and acceptance dates (77 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 ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- 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 3,890 / EUR 2,990 / GBP 2,590 | — | — |
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 papers3, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
Article types accepted4
- brief communicationArticle types that will be considered for publication: • Original Research Article • Topical Review • Letter to the Editor • Brief Communication: up to three fi…Length not stated
- letter to the editorArticle types that will be considered for publication: • Original Research Article • Topical Review • Letter to the Editor • Brief Communication: up to three fi…Length not stated
- original research articleArticle types that will be considered for publication: • Original Research Article • Topical Review • Letter to the Editor • Brief Communication: up to three fi…Length not stated
- reviewArticle types that will be considered for publication: • Original Research Article • Topical Review • Letter to the Editor • Brief Communication: up to three fi…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, 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
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 ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
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 The Journal of Membrane Biology, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
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 US
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1969
- ISSN
- 0022-2631
- Electronic ISSN
- 1432-1424
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY
What CAS zone is JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Cell Biology / Physiology. 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.
What is the impact factor of JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.54; CiteScore 6, h-index 183.
How long does peer review take at JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY?
Based on the dates recorded on 68 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 72 days (interquartile range 53–111 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly 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 JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX and Word. 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 MEMBRANE BIOLOGY based?
Of the 30 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 (12), India (6) and Portugal (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, Embase, CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY open access, and what is the APC?
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,890.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .