Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Molecular Biotechnology
ISSN 1073-6085 · eISSN 1559-0305 · Springer US · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1994
Molecular Biotechnology: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.17; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,790; median 134 days to acceptance (89 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 75%; 192 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Molecular Biotechnology 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 CRISPR and Genetic Engineering, RNA Interference and Gene Delivery and Transgenic Plants and Applications, together about 20.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Molecular Biotechnology publishes original research papers on the application of molecular biology to both basic and applied research in the field of biotechnology. Particular areas of interest include the following: stability and expression of cloned gene products, cell transformation, gene cloning systems and the production of recombinant proteins, protein purification and analysis, transgenic species, developmental biology, mutation analysis, the applications of DNA fingerprinting, RNA interference, and PCR technology, microarray technology, proteomics, mass spectrometry, bioinformatics, plant molecular biology, microbial genetics, gene probes and the diagnosis of disease, pharmaceutical and health care products, therapeutic agents, vaccines, gene targeting, gene therapy, stem cell technology and tissue engineering, antisense technology, protein engineering and enzyme technology, monoclonal antibodies, glycobiology and glycomics, and agricultural biotechnology. Review articles on subjects in these areas are also welcome.Molecular Biotechnology does not accept submissions on the following topics: Basic/translational studies exploring the role of x, y, and z in molecular biotechnology involving diseases Studies describing x, y, and z implicated in cancer Bioinformatics analysis without experimental data Purely statistical analyses based on bioinformatics Review articles are considered by invitation only.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editor-in-chief Biji T. KurienPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 4 in mainland China (about 13%); most named United States 7, India 5, Mainland China 4, South Korea 3, Italy 3 (30 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.6%
- RNA Interference and Gene DeliveryBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.3%
- Transgenic Plants and ApplicationsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.7%
- Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in InsectsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.3%
- Molecular Biology Techniques and ApplicationsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.9%
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
- Cancer-related molecular mechanisms researchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.7%
- Virus-based gene therapy researchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.7%
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 | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | 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 | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | 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
EI CompendexMEDLINEINSPECEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
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
- 3.17LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.73LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.73LetPub ·
- h-index
- 73LetPub ·
- h-index
- 111OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,802OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.05OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 9.24%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 187LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 738,300Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,906 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 66 | 12 | 19 |
| 2025 | 192 | 21 | 460 |
| 2024 | 330 | 42 | 1,900 |
| 2023 | 360 | 63 | 3,787 |
| 2022 | 204 | 57 | 2,584 |
| 2021 | 143 | 30 | 2,520 |
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
134 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 91 days – 188 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 25 days (89 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 161 days
- Sample
- 89 articles with submission and acceptance dates (330 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 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 75%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 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 3,790 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Colour charges
- No colour charges
- Page charges
- No page charges
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 100–200 words
- Keywords
- 5–10
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted5
- editorialDouble-blind peer review This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout p…Length not stated
- original research articleMolecular Biotechnology publishes original research articles and reviews. All manuscript submissions should follow the general manuscript guidelines, in additio…Length not stated
- original research articlesMolecular Biotechnology publishes original research articles and reviews.Length not stated
- reviewMolecular Biotechnology publishes original research articles and reviews. All manuscript submissions should follow the general manuscript guidelines, in additio…Length not stated
- reviewsMolecular Biotechnology publishes original research articles and reviews.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, 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 ·- 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 License to Publish
Corresponding authors and/or the co-authors of a paper in production failing to complete the License to Publish form despite multiple reminders by Springer Nature should be aware their paper will be removed from production. Authors may request that their paper be reinstated one more time under a new DOI. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Molecular Biotechnology, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Double-blind peer review
Double-blind peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials. Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as …
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
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1994
- ISSN
- 1073-6085
- Electronic ISSN
- 1559-0305
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 68, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Molecular Biotechnology
What CAS zone is Molecular Biotechnology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Molecular Biotechnology is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology. 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 Molecular Biotechnology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.17; CiteScore 6, h-index 111.
How long does peer review take at Molecular Biotechnology?
Based on the dates recorded on 89 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 134 days (interquartile range 91–188 days); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 75%”. 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 Molecular Biotechnology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 100–200 words; Keywords: 5–10; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: 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 Molecular Biotechnology based?
Of the 30 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 4 (about 13%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (7), India (5) and Mainland China (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Molecular Biotechnology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Molecular Biotechnology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, MEDLINE, INSPEC, Embase, CAS and CAB Abstracts; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Molecular Biotechnology open access, and what is the APC?
Molecular Biotechnology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,790.
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: .