- International Journal of Biochemistry Advances
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
Aims and Scope
Biochemistry, from molecular mechanism to application. IJBA publishes research on the chemistry of living systems, including enzymology, protein and nucleic-acid chemistry, metabolism, structural and analytical biochemistry, and their applications in health, agriculture and biotechnology.
What the journal sets out to do
- To publish rigorous research on the structure, function and interactions of biological molecules, and on the chemical processes that sustain living systems.
- To advance the methods of biochemistry, from catalysis and structure determination to bioanalysis and computation, and to share the data and protocols on which they depend.
- To report work that connects molecular mechanism to application in health, nutrition, agriculture, the environment and biotechnology.
- To make this research openly available, so that researchers, clinicians, educators and industry scientists can read and reuse it freely.
Research areas
IJBA considers research on any aspect of biochemistry. The areas listed are illustrative and form part of a wider field; a topic that is not named here is within scope when its central contribution is biochemical.
The journal welcomes work from the full range of biochemistry, including:
- Enzymology and catalysisMechanisms, kinetics, inhibition and enzyme engineering
- Protein and nucleic-acid chemistryFolding, modification, structure and molecular interactions
- Metabolism and bioenergeticsPathways, regulation, redox chemistry and metabolite analysis
- Lipid and carbohydrate biochemistryMembranes, glycans and their chemistry
- Structural and biophysical biochemistryCrystallography, NMR, cryo-EM, binding and dynamics
- Bioanalytical methodsChromatography, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy and biosensors
- Chemical and computational biochemistryProbes, bioactive compounds, docking and simulation
- Plant and agricultural biochemistryPhytochemicals, secondary metabolism and photosynthesis
- Clinical and translational biochemistryBiochemical mechanisms of health, nutrition and disease
Methods and systems welcomed
Experimental, computational and theoretical work is considered. Study types are reported within the article types listed below.
- In vitro biochemistry
- Purified enzymes, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and carbohydrates; reconstituted systems; kinetic, thermodynamic and binding studies.
- Structure and biophysics
- Structures solved by X-ray crystallography, NMR or cryo-EM; spectroscopy, calorimetry and single-molecule methods.
- Cells and organisms
- Studies in cell culture, microbes, plants and animal models that establish a biochemical mechanism or pathway.
- Analytical methods
- New, adapted or validated methods for the separation, detection and quantification of biomolecules.
- Computation and modeling
- Molecular docking, simulation, bioinformatic analysis and kinetic or network models, supported by experimental evidence where possible.
- Applied biochemistry
- Biocatalysis, bioprocessing, nutritional and agricultural biochemistry, and biochemical markers in health and disease.
- Evidence synthesis
- Reviews, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of biochemical questions.
What makes a manuscript a fit
The test is whether the central contribution of the manuscript is biochemical. Studies using cells, organisms, plants or patient-derived material are considered when that is the case, so plant, agricultural and clinical biochemistry sit within the journal's scope. Manuscripts are assessed for relevance to biochemistry, the soundness of their methods and whether their conclusions are proportionate to the evidence.
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Translational work
Biochemical studies of disease mechanisms, biomarkers, drug targets and diagnostics are welcome when the biochemical question is central.
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Perspectives and letters
Perspectives and Letters are accepted when they make a reasoned argument, supported by evidence and cited sources, on a biochemical question or on work published in IJBA.
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Applied and plant biochemistry
Phytochemical, nutritional, agricultural and biotechnological studies are accepted when they establish a biochemical mechanism, pathway or method.
Manuscripts whose central contribution is not biochemical, for example clinical-outcome or health-service studies without a biochemical question, fall outside the journal's scope, as does unsupported opinion, meaning assertion without evidence or reasoned argument.
Article types
The journal publishes the article types below. Guidance on structure, abstract and reporting standards for each type is given in the Instructions for Authors.
- Original Research. Empirical, computational or theoretical studies that report new biochemical findings.
- Review Article. Authoritative, critical surveys of a defined area of biochemistry.
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Systematic syntheses of evidence on a defined biochemical question, with or without meta-analysis.
- Methods and Protocols. New, adapted or validated methods, with the detail others need to apply them.
- Short Communication. Concise reports of a focused or preliminary finding of biochemical importance.
- Technical Note. Brief descriptions of a technique, instrument, reagent or software tool and its performance.
- Data Note. Descriptions of datasets of biochemical value, their collection, quality and access.
- Perspective. Evidence-based argument on a current question in biochemistry or on published research.
- Letter. Brief responses to articles published in IJBA, or short observations of biochemical relevance.
Where a manuscript sits between types, authors choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter, and the editors confirm the classification. A protocol is classified as Methods and Protocols, and a brief description of a tool as a Technical Note.
Scope questions
Is my topic within scope?
A manuscript is within scope when its central contribution is biochemical, whatever its discipline or system. If you are unsure, send the title and abstract to the editorial office at info@openaccesspub.org before submitting.
Does IJBA consider work on cells, plants or patient samples?
Yes. Studies using cells, organisms, plants or patient-derived material are considered when the central contribution is biochemical, for example the characterization of an enzyme, pathway, metabolite or molecular interaction.
Does IJBA consider computational studies?
Yes. Docking, simulation, bioinformatic and modeling studies are considered, and are strengthened by experimental validation or by a clear account of how the model was assessed.
Can I submit work that has been posted as a preprint?
Yes. Posting a preprint is compatible with submission to IJBA. Disclose the preprint in the cover letter.
Preparing a submission
Read the Instructions for Authors and the Editorial Policies before submitting.