Journal of Chromatography B

CHROMB (Journal of Chromatography B) publishes papers on developments in separation science relevant to biology and biomedical research including both fundamental advances and applications. Analytical techniques which may be considered include the various facets of chromatography, electrophoresis (including ion mobility) and related methods, affinity and immunoaffinity-based methodologies, hyphenated and other multi-dimensional techniques, and microanalytical approaches. The journal also considers articles reporting developments in sample preparation, detection techniques including mass spectrometry, and data handling and analysis.

Developments related to preparative separations for the isolation and purification of components of biological systems may be published, including chromatographic and electrophoretic methods, affinity separations, field flow fractionation and other preparative approaches.

Applications to the analysis of biological systems and samples will be considered when the analytical science contains a significant element of novelty. Examples are a new approach for the separation of a compound, novel combinations of analytical techniques, or significantly improved analytical performance. Areas to be considered include:

• The qualitative and quantitative analysis of biopolymers including proteins, monoclonal antibodies, peptides and their post-translational modifications as well as nucleic acids and glycans

• The comparative analysis of biological systems using proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and other “omics” approaches

• Clinical analysis, metabolism, therapeutic drug monitoring, toxicological/forensic analysis, doping analysis, veterinary applications, analysis of environmental contaminants in biological systems or biologically-related materials (e.g., foods or forensic samples)

• Methods for drugs in the preclinical phase of development will be considered only if their pharmacological activity has been established in peer reviewed journal(s)

• The screening and profiling of body fluids, tissues, cells, biological matrices and systems, analysis of endogenous compounds, biomarkers

• Identification of new bioactive compounds

• Use of chromatography, electrophoresis or related methods in the study of biologically-related interactions

Bioanalytical papers (pharmacokinetic, bioequivalence, protein and DNA binding studies) are accepted if the focus is on innovative analytical methodology. Pharmacokinetic studies will only be considered if they have a focus on novel analytical method development and/or offer new profiles of a drug(s) and its metabolite(s) or new understandings of the mechanisms in drug disposition or response of existing drugs. Papers dealing with the analytical aspects of traditional folk medicines are acceptable if they have a focus on innovative analytical approaches; regional differences in the content of traditional folk medicine will not be considered.

Research involving either animal or human subjects (including the collection and use of biological samples) must have appropriate ethical approval and provide the name of the approving committee, institution, ethics approval number and informed consent from human participants (and guardians), as well as a confirmation that the study complies with all regulations. However, the editors reserve the right to determine whether the animal experimental techniques used were appropriate in the light of evolving best practice in animal care. For example, rodent studies employing blood sampling by retro-orbital bleeding will only be considered if is limited to a single sample/eye, preferably under anaesthesia, with a minimum of 7 days allowed before repeat sampling.

Please find detailed ethical guidelines here: Elsevier’s Publishing Ethics Policy

Applications which utilize published or commercial analytical or preparative protocols with little or no modification or where the results of the application rather than the analytical methodology comprise the major element of novelty of the manuscript should be directed to more specialized journals. Modifications to a previously published method may be considered for a short communication in cases where the improvement in performance is significant. Reports of analytical methods for compounds in early pharmaceutical development often lack general interest and will not be published unless the authors can demonstrate the broader significance of the methodology involved. Quality control analyses of bulk drugs, natural products or pharmaceutical formulations of small molecules are not within scope.