Cell chemical biology: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 2451-9448 · ISSN 2451-9456 · Elsevier BV · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Cell chemical biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 179 days of submission (n = 109); the middle half took 126–238 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
179 days median
middle half 126–238 · n = 109
Acceptance → online
22 days median
middle half 21–24 · n = 79
Change since 2023
Faster than 2023: the median fell from 207 to 179 days (90% CI -53 to -3 days).
Open access · fees
Hybrid · ≈$9,350

Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026

Plan submissions to a deadline — free

How long does Cell chemical biology take to accept a paper?

days0901802703602020: middle half 75–164 days1062020n=1432021: middle half 102–202 days1502021n=1652022: middle half 184–308 days2352022n=792023: middle half 147–297 days2072023n=1592024: middle half 96–226 days1602024n=1352025: middle half 126–238 days1792025n=109
Line = median; shaded box = middle half of articles (25th–75th percentile). Year of acceptance.
Days from submission to acceptance, by year of acceptance
YearArticles (n)25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctAccepted <14 daysHave a revised date
202510912617923816.5%99%
20241359616022611.8%100%
20231591472072973.1%100%
2022791842353080.0%100%
20211651021502020.0%100%
2020143751061640.0%100%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 17% (19 articles)030–59 days: 1% (1 articles)3060–89 days: 1% (1 articles)6090–119 days: 4% (4 articles)90120–149 days: 13% (14 articles)120150–179 days: 15% (16 articles)150180–209 days: 17% (18 articles)180210–239 days: 8% (9 articles)210240–269 days: 6% (6 articles)240270–299 days: 7% (8 articles)270300–329 days: 3% (3 articles)300330–359 days: 2% (2 articles)330360+ days: 7% (8 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–291917.4%
30–5910.9%
60–8910.9%
90–11943.7%
120–1491412.8%
150–1791614.7%
180–2091816.5%
210–23998.3%
240–26965.5%
270–29987.3%
300–32932.8%
330–35921.8%
360+87.3%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 22 days (middle half 21–24 days, n = 79).

From submission to online publication, the median was 210 days (middle half 175–277 days, n = 79).

Read these numbers carefully

  • These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
  • Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
  • Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.

Open access status and publishing fees

Hybrid (subscription journal with an open-access option). Listed APC: about $9,350 (as reported by OpenAlex).

OpenAPC has fewer than 5 reported payments for this journal in 2023–2025, so no typical amount is shown.

Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.

Integrity and indexing signals

Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.

Listed in DOAJNo
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 645 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission16.5% of 2025 articles
Publication volume103 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (-27% vs 2024).

Topics and scope

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMolecular Biology journals

Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side

Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2025 figures are compared with the 2025 median of Cell chemical biology, 179 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Nature Chemical Biology322 (2025, n = 173)≈$12,690NoYes
RSC Chemical Biology80 (2025, n = 167)≈$2,831$2,295 (15 payments)YesNo
Molecular Cell224 (2025, n = 331)≈$10,400NoYes
FEBS Journal180 (2025, n = 401)≈$5,000NoYes
ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters57 (2025, n = 264)≈$4,500NoNo
The EMBO Journal196 (2025, n = 319)$8,270$8,015 (43 payments)YesYes
Biomolecules41 (2025, n = 1,761)≈$3,300$2,510 (90 payments)YesYes
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology243 (2025, n = 163)≈$12,690$11,260 (11 payments)NoYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Cell chemical biology take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Cell chemical biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 179 days of submission (n = 109); the middle half took 126–238 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Cell chemical biology articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 22 days of acceptance (n = 79).

Does Cell chemical biology charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: about $9,350 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 2451-9448; NLM ID 101676030; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 109 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.

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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.