Journal Guide

Molecular Biology and Evolution (MBE) publishes research at the interface between molecular and evolutionary biology. The journal publishes investigations of molecular evolutionary patterns and processes, tests of evolutionary hypotheses that use molecular data, and studies that use molecular evolutionary information to address questions about biological function at all levels of organization. Reports of work on comparative and evolutionary genomics and the evolution of molecular structure and function are particularly welcome.

MBoC publishes research articles and essays that report the results of original research and present conceptual advances of broad interest and significance within all areas of cell biology, genetics, and developmental biology. Manuscript submissions whose scope bridges several areas of cell and developmental biology are particularly encouraged. MBoC publishes articles that describe substantial research progress in full. Therefore, authors should include with their manuscript submissions all previously unpublished data and methods essential to support the conclusions drawn. MBoC does not, in general, publish articles that are narrow in scope and better suited to more specialized journals, merely confirmatory or preliminary reports of partially completed or incompletely documented research, findings of as yet uncertain significance, or reports that simply document well-known processes in organisms or cell types not previously studied. Submissions that report new methodologies will be considered only when a new result of biological significance has been achieved or when introduction of the method will significantly accelerate progress within a field.Note that MBoC places a premium on research articles that present conceptual advances of wide interest or deep mechanistic understanding of important CELLULAR processes. As such, articles dealing principally with describing behavior or modification of specific transcription factors, or analysis of the promoter elements through which they interact, will not generally be considered unless accompanied by information supporting in vivo relevance or broad significance.

Molecular Biotechnology publishes original research papers on the application of molecular biology to both basic and applied research in biotechnology. Particular areas of interest include the 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, pharmaceuticals, 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. The journal also presents review articles on subjects in these areas.

Molecular Brain encompasses all aspects of the nervous system at the molecular, cellular, and system levels. 

Molecular Breeding is an international journal focused on applications of plant molecular biology: research most likely leading to practical applications with demonstrable benefits for farmers, the seed and processing industries, the environment and the consumer in both the industrialized and the developing world. Papers chosen for publication contribute to the understanding and progress of modern plant breeding, encompassing the scientific disciplines of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, pathology, plant breeding and ecology, among others. Topics include contemporary methods of molecular genetics and genomic analysis, structural and functional genomics in crops, proteomics and metabolic profiling, abiotic stress and field evaluation of transgenic crops containing particular traits. The journal also publishes short communications, papers describing novel methods and review papers. All submissions are subject to peer review, ensuring the highest scientific standards.

Molecular Cancer publishes high-quality original research and reviews that present or highlight significant advances in all areas of cancer-related biomedical science.

Molecular Cancer Research publishes original, novel, and well-designed studies on the molecular and cellular aspects of cancer biology. Papers should represent significant new information gathered from basic research that has implications for cancer therapeutics in one of the following areas: Angiogenesis, Metastasis, and the Cellular Microenvironment; Cancer Genes and Genomics; Cell Cycle, Cell Death, and Senescence; DNA Damage and Cellular Stress Responses; Model Organisms; and Signaling and Regulation. All submissions are peer reviewed and only those that meet high standards of scientific merit will be accepted for publication.

Molecular Cancer Therapeutics will focus on basic research that has implications for cancer therapeutics in the following areas: Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Identification of Molecular Targets, Targets for Chemoprevention, New Models, Cancer Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Molecular Classification of Tumors, and Bioinformatics and Computational Molecular Biology. The journal provides a publication forum for these emerging disciplines that is focused specifically on cancer research. Papers are stringently reviewed and only those that report results of novel, timely, and significant research and meet high standards of scientific merit will be accepted for publication.

Molecular Carcinogenesis presents information describing investigations of molecular aspects of the mechanisms involved in chemical, physical, and viral (biological) carcinogenesis. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the structure, expression, or function of genes or gene products associated with normal growth and differentiation and alterations in neoplasia; characterization of genes or gene products expressed in preneoplastic or neoplastic cells; molecular studies that define a specific function of a tumor-associated protein or its effects on cellular function; virtually all research on molecular aspects of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and their gene products; carcinogenesis studies in transgenic mice; and research on human tumor viruses.

Molecular Cell is a companion to Cell, the leading journal of biology and the highest-impact journal in the world.Launched in December 1997 and published monthly, Molecular Cell defines the field of molecular biology with a relatively small number of significant papers, up to 15 articles per issue. Coverage will extend from structure to human diseases, concentrating on molecular analyses. Topics that will be represented in the first issues include gene expression, RNA processing, replication, recombination and repair, structure, chaperones, receptors, signal transduction, cell cycle, and tumorigenesis.The majority of papers published in Molecular Cell are articles in the format familiar from Cell. However, we will also publish short papers (up to 6 published pages) that make focused contributions on points of general interest. The publication schedule will be rapid: on our regular monthly schedule, publication time should average 6 weeks from acceptance.Visit the Molecular Cell website to find out more - http://www.molecule.org/

Primarily fundamental in tenor, MCLC publishes original research papers of both an experimental and theoretical nature in three areas of specialization: molecular crystals (spectroscopy, energy, and charge transfer, solid state reactions, photo and radiation effects); low-dimensional solids (structure, electronic, magnetic, and optical properties, transport mechanisms); and liquid crystals (electro and magneto-optical phenomena, thermodynamics, phase transitions, structure, NMR and orientation controlled spectroscopy). In all three areas, experimental manuscripts describing both preparation and properties will be considered. Publication office: Taylor & Francis, Inc., 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA919106.

Molecular Cytogenetics encompasses all aspects of chromosome biology and the application of molecular cytogenetic techniques in all areas of biomedicine.

Insights into the latest molecular diagnostic and pharmacogenomic techniques and their use in personalized medicine.

Molecular Diversity presents refereed papers describing the development, application and theory of molecular diversity, and combinatorial chemistry in basic and applied research and drug discovery. The journal publishes both short and full-length papers, perspectives, news and reviews. Coverage addresses the generation of molecular diversity, application of diversity for screening against alternative targets of all types, analysis of results and their application in various scientific disciplines. Topics include combinatorial chemistry and parallel synthesis; small molecule libraries; microwave synthesis; flow synthesis; fluorous synthesis; diversity oriented synthesis (DOS); nanoreactors; click chemistry; multiplex technologies; fragment- and ligand-based design; structure/function/SAR; computational chemistry and molecular design; chemoinformatics; screening techniques and screening interfaces; analytical and purification methods; robotics, automation and miniaturization; targeted libraries; display librar

Molecular Ecology publishes papers that utilize molecular genetic techniques to address consequential questions in ecology, evolution, behaviour and conservation. Studies may employ neutral markers for inference about ecological and evolutionary processes or examine ecologically important genes and their products directly. We discourage papers that are primarily descriptive and are relevant only to the taxon being studied. Papers reporting on molecular marker development, molecular diagnostics, barcoding, or DNA taxonomy, or technical methods should be re-directed to our sister journal, Molecular Ecology Resources. Likewise, papers with a strongly applied focus should be submitted to Evolutionary Applications. Research areas of interest to Molecular Ecology include:

Molecular Ecology Resources is a vehicle for the rapid dissemination of new tools for molecular genetic studies in natural populations. Papers that report on the ecology, evolution, behaviour, and conservation of organisms, rather than on technical issues, should be submitted to our companion publication, Molecular Ecology. We recommend that empirical papers with a strongly applied focus be directed to Evolutionary Applications. The main areas covered by Molecular Ecology Resources are the development of new genotyping resources, the reporting of important new techniques and the announcement and testing of new computer software. The journal also publishes empirical and theoretical papers on DNA Barcoding and reviews of recent technical advances in the field of molecular ecology. Wiley-Blackwell and Molecular Ecology Resources maintain a user-friendly database for the information reported in Primer Notes. The database contains an archive of all notes published in Molecular Ecology. Authors submit their primer sequences, amplification conditions, polymorphism levels, and cross-species amplification data as a condition of publication, thereby providing a searchable resource for the community.