About the journal
- Aims and scope of journal
- Enhanced online features
- Editors and contact information
- Relationship to other Nature journals
- Editorial and publishing policies
- Impact factor
- Abbreviation
- ISSN and EISSN
- Further Editorial Information
The entire guide for authors and referees is available in PDF format.
AIMS AND SCOPE OF JOURNAL
Nature Chemical Biology is a monthly multidisciplinary journal providing an international forum for the timely publication of significant new research at the interface between chemistry and biology. Published in hard copy and online, Nature Chemical Biology is a medium for rapid publication and for the exchange of ideas between scientists in both the chemical and the life sciences.
The journal publishes original research in three formats: Brief Communications, Letters, and Articles. Nature Chemical Biology also will feature Editorials, Correspondence with the chemical biology community, Research Highlights from across the field, Reviews and Perspectives, Commentaries, Book Reviews, Meeting Reports and News & Views. The editorial team seeks to make each issue stimulating, well-balanced and accessible to chemical biologists across a range of disciplines.
Topics covered by Nature Chemical Biology will include:
Chemical Synthesis
- Diversity-oriented synthesis
- Template-directed synthesis
- Biomolecular modification and labelling chemistry
- Solid-phase biomolecular synthesis: peptides, oligonucleotides, oligosaccharides
- Synthesis of small biomolecules: lipids, carbohydrates, nucleosides, amino acids
- Combinatorial chemistry
- Natural products synthesis
- Biomimetic synthesis
- Asymmetric catalysis
Expanding Chemistry through Biology
- Enzymatic synthesis
- Natural products isolation and characterization
- Combinatorial biosynthesis
- Biosynthetic engineering
- Virus-based chemistry
- Directed evolution and characterization of macromolecular catalysts and receptors
- Chemical informatics
Chemical Mechanisms in Biology
- Enzyme inhibition and reaction mechanisms
- Mechanisms of drug action in vivo
- Small molecule-biological target interactions
- Evolution and novel chemistry of catalytic nucleic acids
- Pharmacological determination of protein function in vivo
- Molecular probes of biological function
- Mechanistic analyses of post-translational modification chemistry
- Chemical insights into post-genomic approaches, including RNA interference and proteomics
- Metal ions in biological systems
- Chemical imaging agents
- Single molecule chemistry of small molecules and biomolecules
- Theoretical simulations and modelling of biomolecules
- Molecular recognition
- Small molecular model systems for metalloenzymes
- Molecular machines
- Pharmacologically active natural products
- Biosynthetic pathway elucidation
- Chemical approaches to protein interaction networks
- Chemical ecology
Expanding Biology through Chemistry
- Chemical genetics and High Throughput Screening
- Biomolecular and small molecular array fabrication and validation
- Chemical insights into drug design and development
- Synthetic biology
- Unnatural biomolecular analogs in biological systems
- Chemical genomics
- Chemical regulation of biosynthetic pathways
- Chemical methods for protein, carbohydrate and nucleic acid design
- Chemical approaches to systems biology
Nature Chemical Biology is committed to publishing the top-tier of original research in chemical biology through a fair and rapid review process that emphasizes rigorous chemical and biological characterization.
Top of pageENHANCED ONLINE FEATURES
Top of pageEDITORS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Like the other Nature titles, Nature Chemical Biology has no external editorial board. Instead, all editorial decisions are made by a team of full-time professional editors with Ph.D.s in chemistry or biology. Information about the scientific background of the editors may be found here.
Top of pageRELATIONSHIP TO OTHER NATURE JOURNALS
Nature Chemical Biology is editorially independent, and its editors make their own decisions, independent of the other Nature journals. If a paper is rejected from one Nature journal, the authors can use an automated manuscript transfer service to submit the paper to another Nature journal via a link sent to them by the editor handling the manuscript. Authors should note that referees' comments (including any confidential comments to the editor) and identities are transferred to the editor of the second journal along with the manuscript. In that case, the journal editors will take the previous reviews into account when making their decision, although in some cases the editors may choose to take advice from additional or alternative referees. Alternatively, authors may choose to request a fresh review, in which case they should not use the automated transfer link, and the editors will evaluate the paper without reference to the previous review process. Click here for details of the manuscript transfer service, and for links to NPG journals and subject areas. A general explanation of the relationships between Nature titles can be found here.
Top of pageEDITORIAL AND PUBLISHING POLICIES
The Nature Chemical Biology editorial team will publish manuscripts that describe novel results that are likely to advance thinking in the field and appeal to a broad readership of chemical biologists. The editorial team reads all submitted manuscripts and assesses the appropriateness of each manuscript for publication in Nature Chemical Biology. At this stage, the team evaluates the novelty and potential impact of the work, the conceptual or methodological advances described in the paper, and the appropriateness of the manuscript for a diverse readership of chemists and biologists. Manuscripts that meet editorial criteria are set out to external referees for further assessment. The editorial team then makes a decision on each manuscript based on the reviewers′ advice.
- More detailed information on editorial policies may be found here
- Instructions to referees may be viewed here
IMPACT FACTOR
The ISI impact factor for Nature Chemical Biology is due in 2007.
Top of pageABBREVIATION
The correct abbreviation for abstracting and indexing purposes is Nat. Chem. Biol.
Top of pageISSN and EISSN
The international standard serial number (ISSN) for Nature Chemical Biology is 1552-4450, and the electronic international standard serial number (EISSN) is 1552-4469.
Top of pageFURTHER EDITORIAL INFORMATION
Please see the following editorial for more information on various aspects of journal policy. A community of chemists and biologists (June 2005)
