Journals in Agricultural and biological sciences
Journals in Agricultural and biological sciences
The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.
- ISSN: 0921-4488
Small Ruminant Research
Small Ruminant Research is focused on articles regarding small ruminants and is the official journal of the International Goat Association.Small Ruminant Research aims to publish original, basic and applied research articles. It publishes articles on goats, sheep, deer, and New and Old World camelids.The journal publishes topics including:• Nutrition • Physiology, • Genetics, • Microbiology, • Anatomy if associated with new research on function or production, • Ethology, • Product technology and consumer health effects, • Socio-economics, • Management, sustainability and environment, • Veterinary Medicine, • Husbandry Engineering.The primary focus of the journal is on domesticated small ruminants and camelids, but contributions on non-domesticated small ruminants and camelids may be considered if these have a clear direct or indirect relevance to farmed small ruminants and camelids.Further notes on editorial priority:Small Ruminant Research will consider studies on polymorphisms if they report novel findings and have direct relevance to those species described in the aims and scope of this journal. Manuscripts can include investigations into variation on different levels (e.g. genes, proteins, transcriptomes etc.). Associations studies involving single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), should link them strongly and experimentally to production traits. Associations of a single genetic variant with a single trait within one population without support of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) will normally not be considered for publication. Genetic diversity studies are welcome, but should include more than one or a few breeds with only local importance. Reports on allelic / genotypic frequencies or gene sequences that are not accompanied by novel genetic findings will not be considered. Manuscripts with quantitative RT-PCR without multiple normalizer gene products will be declined at preliminary review.Morphometric studies are not in our scope unless they are explicitly related with a production trait of small ruminants. Papers on the use of feeds in nutrition are publishable only if these feeds have more than local importance, which should be detailed in the introduction. In many studies of nutrition, the effect on animal performance of substituting a feed with another is investigated and the hypothesis is that no effect is anticipated. We recommend a power analysis to determine sample size before planning the study. If authors want to report that they have discovered no difference they should add confidence limits to the difference between the sample means: if the sample size is indeed too small, these limits will usually be too broad to be informative. If the authors' aim is to show no effect, then the usual rule for bioequivalence is that the 90%CI for the ratio between the two means needs to lie between 0.8 and 1.25. Authors need to clearly state the experimental unit and degrees of freedom for the error term. With nutrition papers involving feeding animals in paddocks or pens with more than one animal, it is the number of paddocks or pens which determines the experimental units, not the number of animals in total, unless it is demonstrated that each animal takes independent foraging decisions. Manuscripts that deal with the effects of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) or plant extracts using in-vitro methods only are not published, unless if associated to a large-scale, long-term in vivo study. In studies with PSMs or plant extracts, advanced chemical analysis of the extracts should be documented. In vitro studies of the nutritional value of feeds are not in our scope unless they provide a background for in vivo studies in the same manuscript. Studies of the quality of semen, oocytes, embryos, following exposure to various materials (plant extracts, anti-oxidants, fatty acids and diluents) will be considered only if they are associated with in vivo experimental evidence in the same submission. Studies on estrus synchronization protocols will be considered only if the protocol used is new and supported by hormonal analysis or other biochemical measurements. Estrous or anestrous period of the animals used, must be verified by hormonal analysis. Adapting protocols to new breed of animals has local importance but is not considered a novelty.In the field of health, case reports presenting work in individual animals will not be considered. Only case reports presenting population medicine approaches will be considered for further evaluation on the condition that they have wide implications, well beyond their local interest, and good statistical evidence. Studies examining the prevalence of disease are not in our scope, unless their implications are of interest to the international readership of Small Ruminant Research. Submissions must describe in detail how the presented information will enhance the management of small ruminants nationally or internationally. For products, we will consider studies on carcasses but not on the further processing of meat products for human food. Studies on the textile processing of fibres are also excluded. Studies on the manufacture of "milk products" as mixtures of milk components or fractionated milk with non-milk ingredients will not be considered for publication. Papers on production systems will be considered only if their results can be connected to concepts and knowledge published elsewhere and/or extend them to scale up in genericity. Therefore, descriptive papers on production systems and local projects without connection to global development issues will generally not be considered. Special attention is given to the quality of methodological approaches and bibliographical references.
- ISSN: 1360-1385
Trends in Plant Science
Trends in Plant Science is the original and leading monthly review journal in plant science, featuring broad coverage of basic plant science, from molecular biology through to ecology. Succinct and readable reviews and opinions on basic research topics provide instant overviews of current thinking and new developments in plant biology. Aimed at researchers, students and teachers, our articles are always authoritative, and are written by both leaders in the field and rising stars.Articles for Trends in Plant Science are generally invited by the editor, but proposals for articles are welcome. Prospective authors should use the presubmission enquiry form at https://www.cell.com... note that Trends in Plant Science is not a primary research journal and thus cannot consider manuscripts that rely on unpublished data.ReviewsReview articles form the core of each monthly issue and are invited from leading researchers in a specific field. These articles offer a balanced account of newly emerging or rapidly progressing fields and provide a guide to the most relevant recent literature and prospects for future research.OpinionsOpi... articles present a personal viewpoint of a field- or research-related subject. They can cover timely controversial topics or debates, provide a new interpretation of an old problem or current issue, or speculate in depth on the implications of some recently published research or data. Opinion articles aim to stimulate debate rather than provide a comprehensive review of a topic.FrontmatterThe front section of the journal contains letters, forum articles, scientific life, spotlights, science and society type articles, and book reviews articles:Letters usually discuss a recent article in Trends in Plant Science or, very occasionally, a matter of general interest. Where letters discuss a Trends in Plant Science article, the author of that article will normally be invited to reply, thereby providing a forum for debate within the journal.Scientifc life are short essays written on topics relating to a scientist?s life and career aiming to provide commentary on broader issues relevant to the community.Forum articles featuring single-point hypotheses and novel models are intended to provide a forum for discussion of issues and advancements that are of broad significance to the plant science community. Possible topics can include future outlook essays that serve to introduce or encourage research in a new field, reflections and new insights on long-standing questions and debates, and general analyses of common scientific practices or tools used in a field.Spotlight articles are intended to provide a forum for discussion of events and advancements that are not limited to a discussion of previously published research articles. Possible topics can include both, future outlook essays that serve to introduce or encourage research in a new field and general analyses of common scientific practices or tools used in a field.Science and society type articles aim to discuss important issues at the interface of academic research and society, such as those relating to policy, environment or health. These articles will be aimed at a broad audience, written in a journalistic style and are intended to be provocative and to stimulate debate.Visit the Cell Press website for more information about Trends in Plant Science - http://www.cell.com/...
- ISSN: 0960-3085
Food and Bioproducts Processing
FBP aims to be the principal international journal for publication of high quality, original papers in the branches of engineering and sciencededicated to the safe processing of biological products. It is the only journal to exploit the synergy between biotechnology, bioprocessing and food engineering. Papers showing how research results can be used in engineering design, and accounts of experimental or theoretical research work bringing new perspectives to established principles, highlighting unsolved problems or indicating directions for future research, are particularly welcome. Contributions that deal with new developments in equipment or processes and that can be given quantitative expression are encouraged, including modelling and digitalisation studies. The Editorial Board is especially interested in papers that extend the boundaries of food and bioproducts processing using engineering principles.The journal publishes regular special issues focusing on specific topics. The core topic areas covered are:Biotechnology and Bioprocessing • Biocatalysis and biotransformations • Biocompatible materials and scaffolds • Bioprocess modelling and optimization • Bioreactor design and control • Bioseparation • Fermentation and bioreactor design • Microbial physiology and metabolic engineering • Product formulation • Scale-up and preservation technologyBiorefinin... and Integrated Bioresource Engineering • Process integration of biorefineries • Feedstock fractionation and separation in relation to biorefinery integration • Biorefineries and the Food-Energy-Water nexus • Biorefinery value chain optimisation • Integration of biorefinery concepts with food processing • New functional food ingredients and non-food materials made feasible through the biorefinery context • Biorefinery sustainability metrics • Dynamic modelling and analysis of biorefinery systemsFood and Drink Process Engineering • Engineering for food safety • Environmental issues in food manufacture • Minimal processing techniques • Packaging • Plant, process and product design • Processing and microstructure interactions • Unit operations, process modelling and optimization in food engineeringHygienic Manufacture and Product Safety • Fouling and cleaning • Good manufacturing practice • Hazard analysis • Heating and cooling methods, including freezing, pasteurization and thermal sterilization • Hygienic design • Non-thermal processes • Process Analytical Technology (PAT) • Regulation and validationPapers should be written in precise and concise English. Guidance on writing is available in the following open access articles:https://www... https://www.scienced... https://www.scienced... https://www.scienced... https://www.scienced... Introduction should identify, clearly, the new science or novel contribution to knowledge in the work, and how it differs from previous studies in the field. FBP has a strong engineering focus and the Discussion should indicate how the findings can be applied to other, related but different systems. Papers that are not likely to be published are those:• That use experimental design techniques to obtain response surfaces but gain little insight from them, and do not compare results to established mechanistic models; • Demonstrating the application of existing methods to particular materials without providing new insights or quantitative models that would allow the findings to be applied to other materials without extensive experimentation; • That are empirical and ignore established mechanistic models, e.g., empirical drying curves; • Concerning the extraction, encapsulation and/or antioxidant activity of a specific food or biological material without providing insight that could be applied to a similar but different material; • Containing only chemical analyses of biological materials or foodstuffs; • Primarily concerned with food formulation; • That are primarily concerned about sensory evaluation and colour
- ISSN: 0092-8674
Cell
Cell publishes findings of unusual significance in any area of experimental biology, including but not limited to cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, virology and microbiology, cancer, human genetics, systems biology, signaling, and disease mechanisms and therapeutics. The basic criterion for considering papers is whether the results provide significant conceptual advances into, or raise provocative questions and hypotheses regarding, an interesting and important biological question. In addition to primary research articles in four formats, Cell features review and opinion articles on recent research advances and issues of interest to its broad readership in the leading edge section.Visit the Cell Press website for more information about Cell - http://www.cell.com/...
- ISSN: 1286-4579
Microbes and Infection
As of the end of 2025, Elsevier will no longer publish the journal on behalf of the Institut Pasteur. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the authors, referees, and editors who contributed to the journal over past years. Published papers will remain available on ScienceDirect.A Journal on Infectious Agents and Host Defenses A publication of the Institut PasteurMicrobes and Infection publishes 8 peer-reviewed issues per year in all fields of infection and immunity, covering the different levels of host-microbe interactions, and in particular:the molecular biology and cell biology of the crosstalk between hosts (human and model organisms) and microbes (viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi), including molecular virulence and evasion mechanisms.the immune response to infection, including pathogenesis and host susceptibility.emerg... human infectious diseases.systems immunology.molecular epidemiology/genetic... of host pathogen interactions.microbi... and host "interactions".vacci... development, including novel strategies and adjuvants.Clinical studies, accounts of clinical trials and biomarker studies in infectious diseases, unless purely descriptive, are within the scope of the journal.Microbes and Infection publishes articles on human pathogens or pathogens of model systems. However, articles on other microbes can be published if they contribute to our understanding of basic mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions. Purely descriptive and preliminary studies are discouraged.Reviews of a major topic of current interest must be commissioned by a Microbes and Infection editor. Unsolicited contributions and presubmission enquiries will not be considered.Special issues focus on the present knowledge of a virulent microbe and the disease it causes, the immune response in infectious disease, or on critical issues relevant to the scope of the journal.
- ISSN: 0303-2647
BioSystems
BioSystems encourages theoretical, computational, and experimental articles that link biology, evolutionary concepts, and the information sciences. The journal is dedicated to publishing research on self-organizing information systems—with the goal of obtaining a better understanding of the origins of biochemical, genetic, epigenetic, physiological, cognitive, linguistic, sociocultural, and biological organization and evolution.The scope of the journal encompasses the fundamental nature of biological information and (self)-organization. This includes quantum phenomena in information transfer, natural computing, biological coding systems, biological complexity, theoretical biology, artificial life, computational modeling of complex biological systems, evolutionary models of computation, application of biological principles to the design of novel computing systems, and the use of biomolecular materials to synthesize artificial systems that capture essential principles of natural biological information processing.The journal does not publish purely medical, computational, or ecological research, unless it is clearly linked to the basic and conceptual aspects of biological organization.The editors encourage articles that deal, in particular, with the following topics:Biological computationMolecular recognitionPhysical foundations of biologyQuantum phenomena in biological systemsCellular controlNeuromolecula... computingBiological coding systemsMolecular computing processesSelf-organi... and self-replicating systemsOrigin of the genetic codeOrigins and evolution of genomesStochastic evolutionary algorithmsOrigins and evolution of mind and languageEcological evolutionary developmental biologyReticulate evolution (symbiosis, symbiogenesis, lateral gene transfer)Simulation of genetic and ecological systemsApplications (neural nets, machine learning, robotics)History and philosophy of scienceIn addition, the editors encourage the following types of papers for submission: Papers that extract novel biological insights from multidimensional data, using AI-driven language modelsBiological hypothesis papers producing new insights based on a body of pre-existing empirical researchPerspectives papers intended to stimulate scientific discussions and provide guidelines for future directions
- ISSN: 1383-5769
Parasitology International
The Official, International Journal of the Japanese Society of ParasitologyParasito... International provides a medium for rapid, carefully reviewed publications in the field of human and animal parasitology. Original papers, rapid communications, and original case reports from all geographical areas and covering all parasitological disciplines, including structure, immunology, cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and systematics, may be submitted. Reviews on recent developments are invited regularly, but suggestions in this respect are welcome. Letters to the Editor commenting on any aspect of the Journal are also welcome.Benefits to authors We also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services .Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our Support Center
- ISSN: 0367-2530
Flora
Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of PlantsFLORA, the scientific botanical journal with the longest uninterrupted publication sequence (since 1818), considers manuscripts in a range of areas of botany which appeal to a broad international scientific readership. The journal publishes original contributions and review articles on plant structure (morphology and anatomy), plant developmental biology (ontogeny), phytogeography (including phylogeography), plant population genetics, plant functional ecology (including ecophysiology), plant population ecology, biotic interactions between plants and other organisms, plant community ecology, and ecosystem ecology. Suggestions for Special Issues are welcome, as are compilations of manuscripts (both original and review articles) for Special Features on a specific topic. Manuscripts on the following subjects are highly welcome, especially when they integrate between areas or research approaches: comparative and evolutionary aspects of morphology, anatomy and development, ecophysiology of plant species related to their distribution, mechanisms of ecological interactions in plant communities (e.g. plant-plant interactions, plant-soil feedback, and plant-animal interactions), reproductive ecology including plant-pollinator interactions, genetic and spatial structure of plant populations, and functional diversity in plant communities. Manuscripts focused on floristics or vegetation studies will only be considered if they go beyond a purely descriptive approach and have relevance for interpreting plant structure, distribution or ecology. Manuscripts whose content is restricted to taxonomy, phylogeny, nomenclature, or geobotany of local interest, or applied agricultural, horticultural, pharmacological or silvicultural aspects, or experimental studies dealing exclusively with investigations at the cellular or subcellular level will not be considered for publication.Article typesResearch article: Reporting original results of a theoretical, explorative or experimental botanical research. Typically, 6000-8000 words in length, but longer articles are also being considered, when the content justifies the extent. See formatting guidelines for the structure of the article in the manuscript preparation guidelines below.Review article: The review articles providing an up-to-date overview of a research area and/or scientific problem fitting into the scope of the journal. Review article should go further than the simple summary of published literature and should provide an in-depth analysis of the selected topic and should indicate research gaps or further directions of research. Should be drafted up to 8000 words, but longer manuscripts also being considered when the content justifies the extent. Potential authors are invited to submit an outline, abstract and list of authors first before the full submission of the manuscript.Opinion article: short pieces with a word count to 3000 words of the main text, presenting new ideas and insights, commentaries, opinion responses or new analyses to a published paper of the journal. Opinion article submissions will be assessed first by the editors and in case the topic is of broad interest of the journals potential readership will undergo regular review process for the journal. Commentaries are possible to papers published in the last 12 months in the journal and considered when they provide constructive and well-founded critiques or provide useful arguments for further development of a formerly published research idea. Opinion articles can convey new research ideas or hypotheses for discussion, and it is not necessary to support the idea with own-data-driven analyses. Opinion articles can be single-authored or multi-authored but no more than five authors. Potential authors are invited to submit an outline, abstract and list of authors first before the full submission of the manuscript.Editorial article (for editors, editorial board members and guest editors only)Humboldt Review article (by invitation only): The “Humboldt Review” article type was named after the German scientist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), who was the first describer of the phenomenon of climatic zonation of plant communities and the describer of the first plant functional types among other numerous discoveries. The “Humboldt Review” article type has been established in 2025 to honour eminent researchers in any field covered by the journal’s scope. In each year, 1-2 researchers will be selected by the chief editor(s) based on the nominations of the section editors of the journal for being invited to provide an opinion-review or synthesis paper on their field of research. The guidelines for drafting a Humboldt Review are the same as for a review paper with the exception that the review candidate should also provide a bio sketch up to 250 words and a photograph of her- or himself, which is published together with the accepted manuscript. The Humboldt Reviews are also peer-reviewed publications assessed by invited researchers for scientific rigour and quality.Submission of Papers with Graduate or Undergraduate Students as Lead Authors FLORA has initiated a section in its journal dedicated to highlighting exceptional, original research publications that are part of PhD, graduate, or undergraduate student theses and carry the name of the student, preferably as the lead author.Papers in this category will be published under the heading "Highlighted Student Research" and will be marked accordingly in the table of content of the volume in which it is published.The papers must be recommended for this honor by FLORA Handling Editors, following the normal peer review process and additionally taking the following criteria into account:the student contribution to the work is substantialinnovativ... research question or methodologyhigh quality of study / experimental design and dataabove-average quality of data analysis, presentation and discussionwell written textStudents who wish their papers to be considered for the honor have to explain in the cover letter the main reasons why the paper represents an outstanding contribution to the field, referring to the criteria above, and should indicate such a wish by marking the appropriate box as a FLORA Highlighted Student Research paper during the online submission process. The supervisor should confirm in the cover letter that research was generated during a BSc, MSc, or PhD degree.
- ISSN: 0889-1575
Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
The Journal of Food Composition and Analysis publishes high-quality research on the chemical composition, analytical methodologies, and data management of human foods. It welcomes original research, reviews, and methodological papers that contribute to the development, validation, and application of food composition data.Research areas include:- New methods for the chemical analysis of food, including advances in analytical techniques, instrumentation, and validation procedures to accurately determine food components.- Nutrient, bioactive non-nutrient, and anti-nutrient components in food, focusing on the identification, quantification, and characterization of these components.- Flavor and taste components in food, including the analysis of volatile and non-volatile compounds that contribute to sensory properties and consumer acceptance.- Food composition database development, management, and utilization, encompassing data collection, standardization, quality assurance, and applications in research and industry.The journal does not consider papers that primarily focus on:Microbiological, or antimicrobial assays.Sensory analysis, organoleptic characteristics, or physical and technological properties and engineering aspects of foods unrelated to composition.Food formulated in the laboratory, kitchen or pilot plant. Clinical, pharmacological, or therapeutic studies.Natural medicines or herbal extracts, nutraceuticals, and supplements.Food waste materials or by-products.Meta-ana... and systematic reviews.Non-targeted metabolomics studies lacking quantitative analytical data.Emerging food processing technologies lacking quantitative analytical data.Consumer sciences.Development of analytical methods to detect food microbes.Non-specifi... colorimetric assays, such as in-vitro antioxidant assays, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content.Please also note the following additional requirements when preparing your paper: Newly developed analytical methods must be validated, with performance metrics (LOD, LOQ, analysis time, etc.) compared to existing methods, ideally in a table within the discussion.New methods should be validated against reference techniques like LC–MS.Food sample sizes should be large enough to be representative; analysing only one sample per food type is insufficient.Tentati... GC-MS identifications require confirmation with reference standards, especially for key compounds. Ion mobility spectrometry is not an acceptable means of identification.Calcu... of odor activity values (OAVs) based on semi-quantitative headspace data are not valid.The journal no longer publishes papers where the chemical, sensory, functional and/or health-promoting properties of individual food components (or groups of components) are the main topic studied.
- ISSN: 0044-8486
Aquaculture
The aim of Aquaculture is to publish and make available the highest quality international scientific contributions concerning to aquaculture. The Journal publishes disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary aquaculture research related to the science of aquaculture. The scope of Aquaculture includes the traditional priorities of its sections, but also includes papers from non-traditional scientific areas such as sustainability science, social-ecological systems, as well as aquaculture of various species for ornamental, conservation and restoration purposes.Benefits to authors We also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services.Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our Support Center. Original research papers and reviews with a regional context and focus, can be submitted to Aquaculture's open access companion title, Aquaculture Reports .