Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
PLOS BIOLOGY
ISSN 1544-9173 · eISSN 1545-7885 · Public Library of Science · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 2003
PLOS BIOLOGY: CAS Zone 1 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 6.85; fully open access; APC about USD 5,500; median 203 days to acceptance (95 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 11.66%; 576 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
PLOS BIOLOGY is published by Public Library of Science and is in Zone 1 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neural dynamics and brain function, Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research and RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms, together about 20.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
PLOS Biology is the flagship PLOS journal in the life sciences and features works of exceptional significance, originality, and relevance in all areas of biological science and at every scale; from molecules to ecosystems, including works at the interface of other disciplines. We also welcome data-driven meta-research articles that evaluate and aim to improve the standards of research in the life sciences and beyond. We evaluate research based on the important questions it answers as well as its potential to impact an international scientific community as well as educators, policy makers, patient advocacy groups, and society more broadly.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editor-in-chief Nonia ParientePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 16 in mainland China (about 6%); most named United States 110, United Kingdom 47, Mainland China 16, Germany 15, France 15 (280 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neural dynamics and brain functionNeuroscience9%
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology ResearchNeuroscience6%
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.5%
- Evolution and Genetic DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.2%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience4.8%
- RNA Research and SplicingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
- CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.4%
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceMEDLINEPMCEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, Dimensions, CNKI, AGRICOLA, Crossref
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
- 6.85LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 9.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.53LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.62LetPub ·
- h-index
- 234LetPub ·
- h-index
- 394OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,746OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.15OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 1.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 463LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 8,766 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 423 | 423 | 375 |
| 2025 | 576 | 576 | 3,226 |
| 2024 | 490 | 490 | 7,048 |
| 2023 | 485 | 485 | 11,560 |
| 2022 | 413 | 413 | 13,749 |
| 2021 | 353 | 353 | 17,890 |
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
203 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 147 days – 276 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 19 days (95 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 225 days
- Sample
- 95 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,119 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 11.66%LetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 33 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 5,500 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | USD 5,500 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 5,500 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted1
- research articleIf you are submitting content other than a research article, read the guidelines for other article types.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Open access, Preprints
- Authorship Corresponding authorship
Related manuscripts policy Model summary
Designate at least one corresponding author on the title page. Include an email address for each corresponding author listed on the title page of the manuscript. We do not restrict the number of corresponding authors that may be listed on the article in the event of publication. Whoever is designated as a corresponding author on the title page of the manuscript file will be listed as such upon pub…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Funding Disclosure
Declare any funding received for this study including details such as funder name, grant numbers, and the funder’s website in the submission system. To see what must be declared, view our financial disclosure policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data availability policy requiring deposition of data in public repositories Model summary
All data and related metadata underlying the findings reported in a submitted manuscript should be deposited in an appropriate public repository, unless already provided as part of the submitted article.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Open Access platform for research and commentary across all areas of biological science Model summary
PLOS applies the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license to works we publish. Under this license, authors agree to make articles legally available for reuse, without permission or fees, for virtually any purpose. Anyone may copy, distribute, or reuse these articles, as long as the author and original source are properly cited. Learn more.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint policy encouraging preprint posting Model summary
PLOS encourages authors to post preprints to accelerate the dissemination of research and support authors who wish to share their work early and receive feedback before formal peer review. Deposition of manuscripts with preprint servers does not impact consideration of the manuscript at any PLOS journal. Authors choosing bioRxiv may concurrently submit directly to PLOS journals through bioRxiv’s d…
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
- Public Library of Science
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 2003
- ISSN
- 1544-9173
- Electronic ISSN
- 1545-7885
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about PLOS BIOLOGY
What CAS zone is PLOS BIOLOGY in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, PLOS BIOLOGY is in Zone 1 of Biology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Biology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of PLOS BIOLOGY?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.85; CiteScore 9.2, h-index 394.
How long does peer review take at PLOS BIOLOGY?
Based on the dates recorded on 95 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 203 days (interquartile range 147–276 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 11.66%”. 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 PLOS BIOLOGY?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: Vancouver; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: 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 PLOS BIOLOGY based?
Of the 280 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 16 (about 6%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (110), United Kingdom (47) and Mainland China (16). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index PLOS BIOLOGY?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, PLOS BIOLOGY is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, MEDLINE, PMC, Embase, CAS and CAB Abstracts; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is PLOS BIOLOGY open access, and what is the APC?
PLOS BIOLOGY is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 5,500.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, 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: .