Aims & Scope
International Journal of Cell (IJC) publishes fundamental research on molecular and cellular mechanisms governing cell structure, function, signaling, and regulation. We focus on basic science discoveries that advance understanding of cellular processes at the molecular level.
Core Research Domains
Molecular Genetics & Gene Regulation
- Gene expression mechanisms and transcriptional control
- DNA replication, repair, and recombination
- Chromatin structure and dynamics
- Epigenetic modifications and inheritance
- RNA biology including splicing, processing, and regulation
- Non-coding RNA functions
Cellular Signaling & Communication
- Signal transduction pathways and cascades
- Receptor-ligand interactions and binding kinetics
- Second messenger systems
- Protein phosphorylation and kinase networks
- Cell-cell communication mechanisms
- Membrane receptor dynamics
Protein Structure & Function
- Protein folding, misfolding, and quality control
- Post-translational modifications
- Protein-protein interaction networks
- Enzyme kinetics and catalytic mechanisms
- Protein localization and trafficking
- Structural biology of cellular proteins
Cellular Organization & Dynamics
- Organelle structure, biogenesis, and function
- Cytoskeleton organization and dynamics
- Membrane biology and lipid rafts
- Intracellular trafficking and transport
- Cell cycle regulation and checkpoints
- Cell division mechanisms (mitosis and meiosis)
Secondary Focus Areas
Omics Technologies & Systems Biology
- Genomics: genome-wide association studies, comparative genomics
- Transcriptomics: RNA-seq, single-cell transcriptomics
- Proteomics: mass spectrometry, protein expression profiling
- Metabolomics: metabolic pathway analysis
- Computational modeling of cellular systems
- Network biology and pathway analysis
Cellular Biochemistry & Metabolism
- Metabolic pathway regulation
- Enzyme mechanisms and regulation
- Bioenergetics and mitochondrial function
- Redox biology and oxidative stress
- Lipid metabolism and membrane biochemistry
- Nutrient sensing and metabolic adaptation
Cell Death & Survival Mechanisms
- Apoptosis pathways and regulation
- Autophagy mechanisms and cargo selection
- Necroptosis and ferroptosis
- Cellular stress responses
- DNA damage response pathways
- Survival signaling networks
Stem Cell Biology & Differentiation
- Stem cell self-renewal mechanisms
- Differentiation signaling pathways
- Lineage specification and commitment
- Pluripotency factors and networks
- Cellular reprogramming mechanisms
- Niche-stem cell interactions (molecular basis)
Emerging Research Frontiers
Explicit Exclusions
Out of Scope
Clinical trials, patient cohort studies, treatment efficacy, diagnostic accuracy, prognostic markers, or clinical case reports. Rationale: IJC focuses on fundamental molecular mechanisms, not clinical applications.
Drug screening in disease models, therapeutic efficacy studies, pharmacokinetics, or clinical pharmacology. Rationale: While we publish drug-target interactions at the molecular level, clinical therapeutic outcomes are outside our scope.
Descriptive pathology, disease classification, epidemiological studies, or clinical diagnostics without mechanistic molecular insights. Rationale: Disease studies must elucidate underlying molecular mechanisms to fit our scope.
Biomaterial development, scaffold design, tissue construct fabrication, or clinical regenerative procedures. Rationale: Applied tissue engineering falls outside our molecular biology focus, though basic mechanisms of tissue regeneration are considered.
Algorithm development, bioinformatics tools, or predictive models without experimental validation of biological predictions. Rationale: Computational work must be coupled with experimental evidence of molecular mechanisms.
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
Manuscript Categories
Expedited Review (14-21 days)
- Original Research Articles (full-length)
- Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
- Methods & Resources (novel techniques)
- Registered Reports (results-blind review)
Regular Review (28-35 days)
- Short Communications (rapid findings)
- Data Notes (datasets with analysis)
- Perspectives & Commentaries
- Technical Notes
Limited Acceptance
- Opinion Pieces (by invitation only)
- Case Reports (exceptional molecular insights only)
- Hypothesis Articles (must be highly novel)
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
- MIQE: qPCR experiments (Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments)
- ARRIVE: Animal research (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments)
- MIAME: Microarray data (Minimum Information About a Microarray Experiment)
- STROBE: Observational studies (when applicable to molecular epidemiology)
Data & Materials Policy
- Raw data deposition in public repositories (GEO, ProteomeXchange, PDB) required
- Code availability for computational analyses (GitHub, Zenodo)
- Reagent sharing: antibodies, cell lines, plasmids must be available
- Statistical methods fully described with effect sizes reported
Ethics & Integrity
- IRB/IACUC approval required for human/animal studies
- Informed consent documentation
- Competing interests disclosure mandatory
- Image manipulation: no enhancement beyond linear adjustments
- AI-generated content must be disclosed
Preprint & Prior Publication
- Preprints encouraged (bioRxiv, medRxiv) - does not affect consideration
- Conference abstracts permitted
- Thesis chapters acceptable if not previously published
- Duplicate submission results in immediate rejection and potential sanctions
Decision Metrics & Timeline
Uncertain if your manuscript fits our scope? We encourage authors to submit a pre-submission inquiry with a 250-word abstract and key findings. Our editorial team will provide guidance within 5 business days.
Contact us at [email protected] with subject line: "Pre-submission Inquiry - IJC"
