ASBMB’s JBC expands scientific scope

For more than a century, ASBMB’s Journal of Biological Chemistry has been committed to publishing rigorous, mechanistic studies that deepen understanding of biological processes. As the field of molecular life sciences undergoes rapid transformation, JBC is expanding its scope to adapt.

Alex Toker

Previously, JBC primarily emphasized studies that delivered detailed mechanistic insight. But over time, advances in computation, structural biology, large-scale experimental approaches and integrative analyses have allowed researchers to make important discoveries that may precede full mechanistic resolution. As these advances continue to reshape the way scientists ask and answer biological questions, and as the scientific ecosystem continues to evolve, JBC is refining its publication criteria.

Henrik Dohlman

While its focus on molecular and biochemical insights will not change, the journal is broadening its scope to also include studies that deliver conceptual advances, provide a foundation for mechanistic insight, employ rigorous approaches and contribute enabling methods or resources. The journal will consider a broader range of approaches and continue to prioritize rigorous experimental design and analysis, clear alignment between data and conclusions, transparency and reproducibility.

“As a journal with a longstanding commitment to rigor and scientific leadership, JBC must ensure that it continues to capture the most meaningful advances in molecular and biochemical biology while maintaining the standards that define its identity,” JBC Editor-in-Chief Alex Toker and JBC Deputy Editor Henrik G. Dohlman wrote in an editorial.

Toker and Dohlman noted that the shift reflects changes in how biological discoveries are now made, while preserving the standards that have long defined the journal.

“By expanding our scope in a deliberate and disciplined manner, we aim to ensure that JBC remains a trusted venue for rigorous molecular and biochemical research, a home for emerging approaches that advance biological insight and a leader in defining standards for scientific quality and reproducibility,” Toker and Dohlman wrote.