Current Biology

Current Biology
Title	Current Biology
Discipline	Biology
Abbreviation	Curr. Biol.
Editor	Benjamin Cravatt
Publisher	Cell Press
Country	United Kingdom
History	1991–present
Frequency	Biweekly
Impact	10.3
Issn	0960-9822

Current Biology

Current Biology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all areas of biological sciences, with emphasis on significant advances across molecular biology, ecology, neuroscience and evolutionary studies. The journal publishes original research articles, reviews, and commentaries that bridge disciplines such as genetics, cell biology, developmental biology and behavior. It serves an international community of researchers affiliated with institutions, societies and funding agencies.

Overview

Current Biology publishes primary research, reviews, primers and opinion pieces relevant to contemporary topics in life sciences, aiming to link findings across fields such as Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Ecology and Developmental Biology. The journal is issued on a biweekly schedule and features contributions from investigators at organizations including University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Stanford University, Max Planck Society, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Editorial content often highlights work associated with awards and events like the Nobel Prize, Lasker Award, Royal Society, Society for Neuroscience, and conferences such as the Gordon Research Conferences and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory meetings. Articles frequently cite methods and model organisms developed at centers such as European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Broad Institute, Salk Institute, Whitehead Institute, and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

History and Development

Launched in 1991 by editors seeking a multidisciplinary forum, the journal evolved alongside shifts in publishing at houses such as Elsevier and later under the imprint of Cell Press and Elsevier Science. Its trajectory intersects with milestones in biotechnology and genomics inaugurated by projects like the Human Genome Project, the rise of techniques from laboratories at MIT, and breakthroughs reported from groups led by researchers associated with Francis Crick, James Watson, Craig Venter and contemporaries. The expansion of high-throughput sequencing, CRISPR technologies popularized by teams linked to Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, and large-scale consortiums such as the ENCODE Project shaped the journal’s scope, prompting increased coverage of systems biology and computational approaches developed at institutions like Carnegie Mellon University and University of California, Berkeley. The journal’s format and editorial policies adapted in response to changing norms promoted by initiatives including the Open Access movement, mandates from funders such as the National Institutes of Health, and community standards advanced by groups like the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Editorial Structure and Policies

The editorial board comprises academic editors and professional editors with appointments at universities and research institutes such as University College London, Yale University, Columbia University, University of Oxford, and Princeton University. Manuscript handling follows peer review practices common to journals of similar standing, involving external reviewers from specialist societies including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, European Molecular Biology Organization, and Society for Experimental Biology. Policies address issues linked to authorship disputes raised in cases involving institutions like University of California, San Francisco or Johns Hopkins University, data availability consistent with recommendations from National Science Foundation, and ethical considerations informed by the World Health Organization and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. The journal enforces rigorous standards for image integrity and statistical reporting parallel to guidelines promulgated by organizations such as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Publication and Access Model

Published by Cell Press, a division of Elsevier, the journal offers hybrid publication models combining subscription access with open access options compliant with policies from funders such as the Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the European Research Council. Institutional subscriptions are common at universities like University of Toronto and national libraries including the British Library and Library of Congress. The journal’s online platform integrates with indexing services maintained by entities such as Clarivate Analytics, PubMed Central, and CrossRef, and conforms to archiving arrangements like those used by Portico and LOCKSS.

Abstracting and Indexing

Articles are abstracted and indexed in major databases and services including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, MEDLINE, and BIOSIS. Metadata and citation records are tracked by providers such as Google Scholar, Dimensions, CrossRef, and ORCID integrations facilitate author disambiguation for researchers at institutions like Imperial College London and University of Melbourne. The journal’s indexing supports bibliometric analyses conducted by groups like Clarivate Analytics and inclusion in subject-specific aggregators used by societies including the Genetics Society of America and the Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Impact and Reception

The journal is recognized for publishing high-profile studies cited in contexts ranging from award-winning work connected to the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to influential papers informing public policy deliberations at agencies such as the European Commission and National Institutes of Health. Its impact factor and citation metrics, reported by Journal Citation Reports and analyzed by bibliometricians at centers such as Leiden University and Karolinska Institute, reflect its role in disseminating cross-disciplinary advances. Scholarly reception emphasizes the journal’s contribution to rapid communication of findings alongside discussion about publishing models debated by organizations like SPARC and the Association of Research Libraries.

Category:Biology journals