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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.

    • Flora

      • ISSN: 0367-2530
      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.
    • Marine Pollution Bulletin

      • ISSN: 0025-326X
      Marine Pollution Bulletin is concerned with the rational use of maritime and marine resources in estuaries, the seas and oceans, as well as with documenting marine pollution and introducing new forms of measurement and analysis. A wide range of topics are discussed not only on effluent disposal and pollution control, but also on the management, economic aspects and protection of the marine environment in general.Papers published may include, but are not limited to:Marine debris and litter study and managementOil spills and their ecological impactsChemical pollution (including inorganic and organic contaminants, e.g., heavy metals, Persistent Organic Pollutants) in marine environmentsMicropla... and their effectsPollution from shipping and maritime activitiesEutrophica... and its consequences on marine ecosystemsHarmful algal blooms (HABs) and their impactsAcidification of oceans due to carbon dioxide absorptionNoise pollution in marine environments and its effects on marine lifePollution from coastal development and runoffRadioactive contamination in marine environmentsEmerging pollutants and their effects on marine ecosystemsPollution from aquaculture and mariculture operationsGlobal initiatives and policies for mitigating marine pollutionUsing artificial intelligence to assess marine environmental conditions and/or to provide policy decisions.A distinctive feature of Marine Pollution Bulletin is the number of different categories of articles which are published: 1. Research Papers form the core of the journal, with a typical length of 6000 words and a maximum of 10000 words. 2. Reviews are between 8000 and 20000 words, on topics cross traditional lines. 3. Short Communications are short research papers, with a typical length of 3000 words, and a maximum of 5000 words, 3 Figures or Tables. 4. Baseline Papers are less than 5000 words, contain an abstract and keywords, brief introductory remarks, methodology with mandatory quality assurance and quality control information, results and short discussion but do not have sections or subsections. These papers are baselines related with marine pollution (including toxicant levels; ecological and ecotoxicological data) and must bring original data and information to support a better understanding of marine environmental issues. 5. Micro Articles are very short papers, less than 3000 words or 2 pages. They must consist of a single, but well-described piece of information, namely: • Original Data and/or a plot plus a description • Description of a new method, experiment or instrumentation •Descriptive case study 6. Perspective papers discuss about subjective positions, viewpoints or new concepts within less than 2000 words.Marine Pollution Bulletin does not publish articles that present only model development or processes in water treatment plants.
    • Biochemical Engineering Journal

      • ISSN: 1369-703X
      endorsed by Division of Biochemical Engineering, The Society of Chemical Engineers, JapanBiochemical Engineering Journal welcomes submissions from NIH-funded authors. We deposit gold open access articles immediately in PubMed Central. For other articles, we shall deposit the accepted manuscript on behalf of the author to PubMed Central after 12 months (the normal embargo period for this journal is 24 months). For more information, please see here.The Biochemical Engineering Journal aims to promote progress in the crucial chemical engineering aspects of the development of biological processes associated with everything from raw materials preparation to product recovery relevant to industries as diverse as medical/healthcare, industrial biotechnology, and environmental biotechnology.The Journal welcomes full length original research papers, short communications, and review papers* in the following research fields:Biocatalysis (enzyme or microbial) and biotransformations, including immobilized biocatalyst preparation and kinetics Biosensors and Biodevices including biofabrication and novel fuel cell development Bioseparations including scale-up and protein refolding/renaturati... Environmental Bioengineering including bioconversion, bioremediation, and microbial fuel cellsBioreactor Systems including characterization, optimization and scale-up Bioresources and Biorefinery Engineering including biomass conversion, biofuels, bioenergy, and optimization Industrial Biotechnology including specialty chemicals, platform chemicals and neutraceuticalsBioma... and Tissue Engineering including bioartificial organs, cell encapsulation, and controlled release Cell Culture Engineering (plant, animal or insect cells) including viral vectors, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, vaccines, and secondary metabolites Cell Therapies and Stem Cells including pluripotent, mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells; immunotherapies; tissue-specific differentiation; and cryopreservation Metabolic Engineering, Systems and Synthetic Biology including OMICS, bioinformatics, in silico biology, and metabolic flux analysis Protein Engineering including enzyme engineering and directed evolution*Authors are requested to complete a Review Proposal Form for Editorial approval prior to submission of the review article. Proposals can be submitted to biochemical.engineer... or one of the Editors.
    • Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology

      • ISSN: 1532-0456
      Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology (CBP) publishes papers in comparative, environmental and evolutionary physiology.Part C: Toxicology and Pharmacology (CBPC), focuses on toxicological mechanisms at different levels of organization, primarily chemical and drug action, biotransformation of xenobiotics, endocrine disruptors, nanoparticles, pharmaceuticals, and natural products chemistry. Most studies employ a molecular approach in combination with observations of higher levels of organization to assess the mechanism by which xenobiotics affect physiology. Analytical verification of exposure concentrations is strongly recommended for manuscripts reporting toxicological studies.All four CBP journals support and follow the editorial direction from all the major societies in the field:Australia & New Zealand Society of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry (ANZSCPB)American Physiological Society (APS)Canadian Society of Zoologists (CSZ)Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft (DZG)European Society of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry (ESCPB)Japanese Society for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry (JSCPB)South American Society for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry (SASCPB)Societe de Physiologie (SDP)Society for Experimental Biology (SEB)Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology (SICB)Benefits to authorsCBP journals are focused on promoting the authors and the work published in the journal:All articles are carefully evaluated directly by the Editors-in-Chief who are leading experts in their field.Availability: contact the Editor-in-Chief for any questions you may have.The Journal will provide upon request free PDFs to all authors who may not have access to their articles via their institution or library.Publication is free to authors (no color or page charges).Supporting open access: if your funding body or institution requires your article to be open access, CBP offers that option. Please see details here.Reuse figures from any CBP article via "get rights and content" hyperlink available within each article (below author names and affiliations) on ScienceDirect.Please click here for more information on more general author services.Other CBP journals Part A (CBPA): Molecular & Integrative Physiology Part B (CBPB): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Part D (CBPD): Genomics & Proteomics
    • Current Opinion in Insect Science

      • ISSN: 2214-5745
      Current Opinion in Insect Science is a systematic review journal that provides specialists with a unique and educational platform to keep up to date with the expanding volume of information published in the field of Insect Science. For such a broad discipline, we have determined themed sections, each of which is reviewed once a year.The following 11 defined areas are covered by Current Opinion in Insect Science.MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY AND OMICS: Cell physiology, function, communication; immunity, genetics, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, post-translational processing, epigenetics, physiological genetics, application of new technological approaches, bioinformaticsDEVELO... AND SYSTEMS PHYSIOLOGY: Organism level: Morphogenesis, hormonal regulation, endocrinology, tissue physiology, developmental physiology, interaction between systems to maintain homeostasis, mechanistic physiology from cells to systems, biomechanics ECOLOGY: Behavior and physiology in relation to environment, chemical and physical ecology, population dynamics, population and community ecologyEVOLUTION: Comparative evolutionary morphology, evolutionary physiology and development, evolutionary relationships, natural selection, molecular phylogeny, speciation, behavioral ecologyPESTS AND PEST MANAGEMENT: Major pests of agriculture, invasive species, IPM, resistance and resistance management, biological control, habitat managementMEDICAL, VETERINARY AND URBAN ENTOMOLOGY: Pests of urban, human and / or animal health importance, disease vectors, management SOCIAL INSECTS: Behavior, communication, aspects within or between social insect groupsINSECTS AND THE ANTHROPOCENE: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS: Conservation, biodiversity, invasive species; impacts of climate change, pollution, urbanization, habitat change and management, pesticide regulation, monitoring and surveillanceNEUROSCI... Nervous system physiology, molecular biology of neural systems, developmental biology, toxicology, ethology / neuroethology, brain structure and function, sensory physiologyBIOTECHNOL... AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS: Use of insects or parts thereof for production of useful products, including food and feed; application of bioengineering (microbes, crops, insects) for pest management; new biotechnological approachesSYMBIOSES AND MICROBIAL INTERACTIONS: Interaction of insects with other organisms including plants, pathogens, parasites; microbiome, immunity, vectors of agricultural importanceThere is also a section that changes every year to reflect hot topics in the field.
    • Carbohydrate Polymers

      • ISSN: 0144-8617
      A Journal Devoted to Scientific and Technological Aspects of Industrially Relevant PolysaccharidesCarbo... Polymers is a major journal within the field of glycoscience, and covers the study and exploitation of polysaccharides which have current or potential application in areas such as bioenergy, bioplastics, biomaterials, biorefining, chemistry, drug delivery, food, health, nanotechnology, packaging, paper, pharmaceuticals, medicine, oil recovery, textiles, tissue engineering and wood, and other aspects of glycoscience.The role of the well-characterized carbohydrate polymer must be the major proportion of the work reported, not a peripheral topic. At least one named carbohydrate polymer must be cited and be the main focus of the paper and its title. Research must be innovative and advance scientific knowledge.Characteri... - For all polysaccharides or their derivatives, including those obtained from a supplier, essential structural information which will affect their behavior in the subsequent work should be given, along with a description of how that information was ascertained. Editors are unlikely to send papers for formal review if the glycan is not adequately characterized. Please read the guidelines Characterization of carbohydrates and related products carefully as it contains all relevant information.Hypothes... - Nearly all scientific papers benefit from inclusion of a statement of hypothesis. Such statements should be concise, declarative, and should describe the one or more key hypotheses that the studies upon which the manuscript is based were intended to confirm or refute. Inclusion of a hypothesis statement makes it simple to contrast the hypothesis with the most relevant previous literature and point out what the authors feel is distinct about the current hypothesis (novelty). It also permits the authors to describe why they feel it would be important to prove the hypothesis correct (significance).Topic... of interest to the journal: structure-property relationships analytical methods chemical, enzymatic and physical modifications biosynthesis natural functions interactions with other materialsTopics not of interest to the journal: Bibliometric reviews Studies that involve only modelling without any comparison of model results with experimental data, either carried out by the authors or from the literature. biological, physiological and pharmacological aspects of non-carbohydrate molecules attached to, or mixed with, carbohydrate polymers, unless the polysaccharide has a relevant and specific role materials science of biocomposites where there is no mention of any specific carbohydrate polymer, or the role of the carbohydrate polymer is not the major proportion of the study polyalkanoates, polylactic acid, or lignin routine studies of extraction yields without characterisation of the extracted polysaccharide under the different conditions studies of complexation of a drug with a single cyclodextrin studies of newly discovered natural polysaccharides or new polysaccharide derivatives where the structure of the polysaccharide (derivative) is unknown production and isolation of enzymes which act on polysaccharides (studies on the mode of action of an enzyme on a polysaccharide are within the journal scope)carbohydrate oligomers where the degree of polymerization is equal to or less than four treatments of cotton fabrics and cellulose-based paper where the research is largely not about the component cellulose itself use of carbohydrate polymers as a support material (e.g. in enzyme immobilization, chromatography, etc.) where there is no specific involvement of the chemistry of the carbohydrate polymer production of chars from polysaccharides, regardless of the application to which the char will be used. Such manuscripts are out of scope since they do not focus on the science of well-characterized polysaccharidesStudi... of routine preparation of polysaccharides such as cellulose nanocrystals or cellulose nanofibers where the focus is on preparation from a particular plant source, including “new” plant sources, rather than advancing the science of polysaccharide structure, properties, and synthetic methods.Carbohydrate Polymers has an open access companion journal, Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, which is devoted to scientific and technological aspects and applications of polymers and oligomers containing carbohydrate.
    • Computational Biology and Chemistry

      • ISSN: 1476-9271
      Computational Biology and Chemistry publishes high quality full-length articles and review articles in all areas of computational life sciences. It covers a very wide range of areas of research, including:Nucleic Acid and Protein Sequence ResearchMolecular EvolutionMolecular Genetics (Functional Genomics and Proteomics)Biology-S... Modeling Theory and PracticeChemical-Bio... Modeling Theory and PracticeStructural Biology of Nucleic Acids and ProteinsBioinformati... BiologyEcologyComput... PharmacologyComputat... Molecular BiophysicsMetabolism... EngineeringEpidemiol... GeneticsInnovative AI methodologies for biological data, biomolecular modelling and machine learning modelsGiven their inherent uncertainty, protein modeling and molecular docking studies should be thoroughly validated. In the absence of experimental results for validation, the use of molecular dynamics simulations along with detailed free energy calculations, for example, should be used as complementary techniques to support the major conclusions. Submissions of premature modeling exercises without additional biological insights will not be considered.
    • Aquatic Toxicology

      • ISSN: 0166-445X
      Aquatic Toxicology publishes significant contributions that increase the understanding of the impact of harmful substances (including natural and synthetic chemicals) on aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Aquatic Toxicology considers both laboratory and field studies with a focus on freshwater/marine environments. The journal strives to attract high quality original scientific papers, critical reviews and expert opinion papers in the following areas: Effects of harmful substances on molecular, cellular, sub-organismal, organismal, population, community, and ecosystem level; Mechanisms of toxicity; Genetic disturbances, transgenerational effects, behavioral and adaptive responses; Impacts of harmful substances on structure, function of and services provided by aquatic ecosystems; Mixture and multiple toxicity assessment; Acute and chronic exposure; Environmental realistic scenarios; Impact of emerging substances and environmental pollutants of high actuality; Statistic... approaches to predict exposure to and hazards of contaminants. The journal also considers manuscripts in other areas, such as the development of innovative concepts, approaches, and methodologies, which promote the wider application of toxicological datasets to the protection of aquatic environments and inform ecological risk assessments and decision making by relevant authorities. Aquati... Toxicology does not publish articles that focus on the health of aquaculture organisms associated with aquaculture practices, unless these studies enhance our understanding of the potential effects of chemical stressors associated with aquaculture (e.g. pesticides use, water quality degradation) on aquatic organisms and/or ecosystems. Aquatic Toxicology does not consider articles that focus on monitoring the presence of chemicals in the environment unless these studies further investigate the impacts of the chemicals on aquatic organisms and/or ecological systems. Furthermore, studies that characterize the potential risks of contaminated fish or other aquatic food products on humans or livestock are outside of the scope of the journal.
    • Fish & Shellfish Immunology

      • ISSN: 1050-4648
      The official journal of the International Society of Fish and Shellfish Immunology (ISFSI)Fish and Shellfish Immunology rapidly publishes high-quality, peer-refereed contributions in the expanding fields of fish and shellfish immunology. It presents studies on the basic mechanisms of both the specific and non-specific defense systems, the cells, tissues, and humoral factors involved, their dependence on environmental and intrinsic factors, response to pathogens, response to vaccination, and applied studies on the development of specific vaccines for use in the aquaculture industry.Database coverage includes Biological Abstracts (BIOSIS); Current Contents; SciSearch and Research Alert. Science Citation Index and Focus on: Veterinary Science and Medicine.Fish and Shellfish Immunology is the companion title to the open access journal Comparative Immunology ReportsBenefits 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
    • Food Hydrocolloids

      • ISSN: 0268-005X
      Food Hydrocolloids publishes original and innovative research concerned with the characterisation, functional properties and applications of hydrocolloid materials used in food products. Hydrocolloids are defined as polysaccharides and proteins of commercial importance that are added to food products to control, for example, the texture, stability, rheology and sensory properties. The key focus of the research should be on the hydrocolloids themselves. The source and nature of the hydrocolloid materials should be fully described and details of their physicochemical characteristics provided. Manuscripts should clearly outline the specific aims and objectives of the research and must include a fundamental discussion of the research findings at the molecular level and their significance. Manuscripts that simply report data without providing a detailed interpretation of the results will not be accepted for publication in the journal. Studies on hydrocolloids in complex formulations should focus on their influence on the overall properties and their mechanism of action. Simple formulation development studies that primarily aim to optimize proportions of mixed ingredients and/or processing conditions to enhance formulated product properties will not be considered for publication.The main areas of interest are:Chemical and physicochemical characterisation of hydrocolloid materialsThe rheological properties of hydrocolloid solutions including viscosity, viscoelastic properties and gelation behaviourThe influence of hydrocolloids on food microstructure, texture and organoleptic propertiesThe interfacial properties of hydrocolloids including stabilisation of dispersions, emulsions and foamsInteractions in mixed hydrocolloid systems including phase behaviour, complexation and conjugationThe film forming properties of hydrocolloids with application in edible films, coatings and active packagingThe function and performance of hydrocolloids in 3D printing formulations for food applicationsThe encapsulation and controlled release of active compounds for inclusion in food formulationsThe modification of hydrocolloid functionality through chemical, biochemical and physical processesThe physicochemical characteristics and application of hydrocolloid materials from non-traditional sources with commercial potential in foodsHealth aspects, particularly the role of hydrocolloids as dietary fibreManuscripts that deal with the use of hydrocolloids in medical settings such as encapsulation of drugs, wound dressings and tissue engineering or research involving animal studies will not be considered for publication in Food Hydrocolloids. Such work would be more appropriate for publication in Food Hydrocolloids for Health. This is an open access companion Journal devoted to hydrocolloids applied in human health and nutrition.The Food Hydrocolloids Journal publishes Review articles that provide a focussed overview of the latest developments in emerging topics of specific interest to researchers in this field of activity.