Goings On

On this page readers will find news, updates and announcements from BMC Biology. Come back often to find out what’s new at our journal.

Call for Papers for Our Collection “Physics of Living Matter”

June 16 2021

BMC Biology are pleased to invite submissions of research at the interface of physics and biology to our new Collection, guest edited by Senthil Arumugam, Shu Jia, Yanlan Mao, and Kandice Tanner. The Collection is open for submissions until June 16 2022.

We are recruiting new Editorial Board Members!

May 15 2021

To increase our engagement with the Editorial Board and community at large, we are recruiting new Editorial Board Members to join us in a collaborative editorial initiative. Read more here.

New Guest Editors needed!

18 January 2021

We are looking for Guest Editors for our upcoming article Collections in the fields of cell biology, neuroscience and plant pathology. If you are interested in becoming a Guest Editor please see this page.

Behind the Paper: Tentacular team up: Deep partnerships between sea anemones and bacteria

18 January 2021

Read the new Nature Research Communities blog post from Shana Goffredi, 'Tentacular team up: Deep partnerships between sea anemones and bacteria' to discover a new symbiosis between a hydrothermal vent anemone and chemosynthetic bacteria, deep in the Sea of Cortez. The original article can be found here. 

Behind the Paper: Who's a Bonehead? Novel Insights into Evolutionary History from Reptilian Skull Roof Structure

30 November 2020

Read the new Nature Research Communities blog post from Roy Ebel, 'Who's a Bonehead? Novel Insights into Evolutionary History from Reptilian Skull Roof Structure' to find out how authors unveiled a hitherto unknown case of convergent evolution and provide novel insights into the lifestyle of extinct species. The original article can be found here. 

Behind the Paper: Digging into the past of olive trees

26 October 2020

Read the new Nature Research Communities blog post from Toni Gabaldón, 'Digging into the past of olive trees' to find out how common genetic admixture with wild populations shaped a continuous process of olive tree domestication. The original article can be found here. 

BMC Biology is recruiting new reviewers! 

19 October 2020

As a broad interest journal, we are looking to expand our reviewers’ pool. Moreover, occasionally we look for researchers who would be interested in acting as Guest Editors on our future article collections. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer or Guest Editor at BMC Biology, please complete this Google form. Please note that your personal information, including name and email address, will be kept by the in-house editors for the sole purpose of identifying potential reviewers or guest editors. If you would like us to delete your information at any time, please contact us at bmcbiologyeditorial@biomedcentral.com.

Call for Papers for Our Series “Research Synthesis and Meta-research in Biology”

05 March 2020

BMC Biology are pleased to invite submissions of Research articles to be considered for our new series "Research Synthesis and Meta-Research in Biology", guest edited by Shinichi Nakagawa, Julia Koricheva, Malcolm Macleod, and Wolfgang Viechtbauer. For this series, we invite meta-research studies in biology, systematic reviews, best practice and reporting guidelines, methodologies and bibliometric analyses. 

Launch of Our Special Issue “Microbiome Biology”

June 15, 2019

We are pleased to announce the launch of a joint Special Issue “Microbiome Biology” by BMC Biology and Genome Biology. Under the Guest Editorship of Rob Knight, Ruth Ley, Elizabeth Grice, and Jeroen Raes, the series explores the pervasive influence of microbial life on ourselves and our living planet. This special issue captures some of the progress being made in a field of research that has infiltrated traditional life science domains and changed our perception of organismal biology. It includes Research articles, Reviews and Opinion pieces.

Announcing our Transfers and Portable Reviews Policy

December 17, 2018

To reduce time spent on serial submissions and iterative reviewing, we support authors who wish to submit a paper rejected by BMC Biology to journals outside of BMC and Springer Nature, by assisting the transfer of the reports and reviewer identities (subject to permission from the reviewers). We are also able to consider manuscripts on the basis of reviews received at other journals, including those outside of BMC and Springer Nature. Find out more from the Transfers and Portable Reviews Policy, and our Editorial “Tackling Waste in Publishing through Portable Peer Review”.

BMC Biology celebrates its 15th Anniversary

November 01, 2018

To mark our fifteen-year anniversary, we bring together pieces from a selection of the authors, reviewers, and editorial board members who have been part of our journey, sharing their stories and perspectives in this collection. Read the Editorial “15 Years of BMC Biology” here.

Call for Papers for Our Special Issue “Microbiome Biology”

October 09, 2018

BMC Biology and Genome Biology are pleased to invite submissions of articles to be considered for our upcoming joint Special Issue “Microbiome Biology", guest edited by Rob Knight, Ruth Ley, Elizabeth Grice and Jeroen Raes. Scheduled for publication in spring 2019, this special issue will bring together microbiome research of exceptional interest, alongside commissioned review and comment articles from leaders in the field. 

Call for Papers for Our Series “Engineering Biology”

July 10, 2018

We are pleased to invite submissions of Research articles to be considered for our new series "Engineering Biology", guest edited by James Collins, Sophien Kamoun, Nicola Patron, Pamela Silver and James Wells. This series will include Research articles, alongside Reviews and Q&As covering the recent advances in the design and manipulation of biological systems, as well as new tools and technologies inspired by biology. Learn more on the series’ website.

Call for Papers for our Special Issue “Cancer Metabolism”

July 09, 2018

We are pleased to invite submissions of Research articles to be considered for our upcoming Special Issue on Cancer Metabolism, guest edited by Navdeep Chandel, Matthew Vander Heiden, Karen Vousden and Kathryn Wellen. This issue will bring together Research of exceptional interest, highlighting advances in our understanding of cancer metabolism, alongside commissioned Reviews, Opinions and Q&As from leaders in the field. The deadline for submissions is 1st December 2018. Learn more on the series’ website.

BMC Biology joins the Neuroscience Peer Review Consortium (NPRC)

June 16, 2018

We are now part of the Neuroscience Peer Review Consortium (NPRC), an alliance of neuroscience journals that share manuscript reviews with other NPRC members at the author’s request. The NPRC system facilitates fast-track review and publication of neuroscience research, and reduces the burden on peer reviewers. See the list of participating journals on the NPRC website.

Announcement Regarding Ebola-Related Submissions

May 29, 2018

We announce that in response to the current outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo, our editors will treat relevant submissions with priority.

Registered Reports Hosted on Figshare

May 29, 2018

Authors submitting Registered Reports to BMC Biology can now use Springer Nature's Figshare repository to make their protocols and related research outputs available in a citable, shareable and discoverable manner. Find out more about this offer on the BMC Registered Reports page and the Figshare Portal.

Launch of our Thematic Collection “Environment and Sustainability"

April 20, 2018

We are pleased to announce the launch of our thematic collection Environment and Sustainability, bringing together Research articles, Commentaries, Reviews, and Q&As published in BMC Biology that address questions in ecology, sustainability and the environmental challenges of the Anthropocene.

Launch of Our Series “Protein Quality Control at Membranes”

April 13, 2018

We are pleased to announce the launch of our thematic series “Protein Quality Control at Membranes”. Under the Guest Editorship of Anne Bertolotti, Ramanujan Hegde, Peter Walter, and Jonathan Weissman, the series explores how protein quality control is ensured at membranes, as well as why quality control is needed in the first place. It includes Research articles, Reviews and Q&As. The series is open for submissions of research articles that bring fresh insights into the causes and consequences of protein misfolding at membranes, as well as papers that report new methods or techniques of broad interest. Learn more on the series’ website.

BMC Biology Provides Scoop Protection

March 23, 2018

We are pleased to provide "scoop protection" for submitted papers, providing assurance to authors that if other researchers publish similar findings after their manuscript has been submitted, or post them on a preprint server, this will not be a reason for rejection. Scoop protection is a valuable author service that reduces the pressure on authors, while allowing important findings to be published.

BMC “Flagship” Journals Introduce Co-submissions

March 23, 2018

We are pleased to announce that BMC Biology and its sister journals Genome Biology and Genome Medicine now provide the opportunity for co-submissions, where authors submit a manuscript for joint consideration at two of these journals at the same time. Co-submissions support a faster publication process, save authors’ time and avoid the need for multiple submissions. You can learn more about co-submissions on our website.

Call for Papers for our Thematic Series “Protein Quality Control at Membranes”

December 19, 2017

We are pleased to announce that our thematic series Protein Quality Control at Membranes, guest edited by Anne Bertolotti, Ramanujan Hegde, Peter Walter, and Jonathan Weissman, and launching in Spring 2018, is open for submissions of research articles that bring fresh insights into the causes and consequences of protein misfolding at membranes, as well as papers that report new methods or techniques of broad interest. Learn more on the series’ website.

BMC Biology Offers Flexible Formatting at Submission

December 06, 2017

To facilitate the submission process, we are flexible with regard to the format, style and length of initial submissions. If it is more convenient to the authors, manuscripts can be uploaded as a single PDF or a Microsoft Word file with high resolution figures, figure legends and supplemental information included. The cover letter is provided separately during the submission process. Journal-specific formatting is required only once manuscripts reach the later stages of the publication process.

Launch of our Series “New Tools for Neurobiology”

November 03, 2017

We are pleased to announce the launch of our thematic series “New Tools for Neurobiology”. Under the Guest Editorship of Michael Stryker, Mu-ming Poo, Joshua Sanes and Leslie Vosshall, the series features invited reviews, Q&As and commentaries on new methods of observation and analysis that are enhancing our understanding of the complex workings of the brain. We will consider methodology manuscripts that report a new method or technique of broad interest, or a significant improvement on an existing method that will accelerate discovery. Learn more on the series’ website.

Launch of Our Series “In the Light of Evolution”

November 01, 2017

We are pleased to announce the launch of our thematic series “In the Light of Evolution”. Under the Guest Editorship of Brian Charlesworth, Jonathan Howard, Laurence Hurst, Philip Ingham, Alexander Johnson, Marc Kirschner, Eugene Koonin and Sean Munro, the series features invited reviews, Q&As and commentaries exploring how evolutionary principles applied across the spectrum of biology can shed light on a diverse range of topics from molecules to ecosystems. Learn more on the series’ website.

BMC Biology Welcomes Registered Reports

May 03, 2017

We are pleased to announce that it now offers the option of publishing Registered Reports, a research article format designed to combat bias and promote reproducibility. For more information and how to submit, please visit our Registered Reports webpage, and read our blog posts describing their launch at BMC Biology and answering questions on Registered Reports.

BMC Biology Welcomes bioRxiv Transfers

December 19, 2016

We are happy to consider manuscripts that have been, or will be, posted on a preprint server. Authors are able to submit their manuscripts directly from bioRxiv, without having to re-upload files.

Launch of Our Series “What is Wrong With This Picture?”

August 06, 2015

We are pleased to announce the launch of our thematic series “What is Wrong With this Picture?”. Under the Guest Editorship of Buzz Baum, Karl Broman, John Brookfield and Shinichi Nakagawa, the series explores some common mistakes authors make when interpreting and presenting their results. Learn more on the series’ website.

Launch of Our Series “Plant Signals”

March 31, 2015

We are pleased to announce the launch of our thematic series “Plant Signals”. Under the Guest Editorship of Elliot Meyerowitz, Wolf Frommer and Virginia Walbot, the series explores established and less well established plant signaling pathways, reflecting what is known and what is still to be discovered. Learn more on the series’ website.