Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 1420-682X · ISSN 1420-9071 · Springer Nature · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences accepted in 2025 were accepted within 131 days of submission (n = 479); the middle half took 91–189 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
131 days median
middle half 91–189 · n = 479
Acceptance → online
37 days median
middle half 22–59 · n = 479
Change since 2023
Slower than 2023: the median rose from 115 to 131 days (90% CI +9 to +23 days).
Open access · fees
Open access (DOAJ) · $4,390

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 Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences take to accept a paper?

days0601201802402020: middle half 94–172 days1272020n=3022021: middle half 89–158 days1182021n=3482022: middle half 79–148 days1022022n=5492023: middle half 87–148 days1152023n=3982024: middle half 88–176 days1212024n=4412025: middle half 91–189 days1312025n=479
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
2025479911311892380.0%100%
2024441881211762410.2%100%
2023398871151481970.0%99%
2022549791021482000.2%99%
2021348891181582030.0%100%
2020302941271722160.0%100%

Research articles vs reviews (2025)

Typen25th pctMedian75th pct
Research articles40198139198
Reviews777194130

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 1% (4 articles)030–59 days: 8% (39 articles)3060–89 days: 14% (66 articles)6090–119 days: 21% (99 articles)90120–149 days: 16% (79 articles)120150–179 days: 12% (58 articles)150180–209 days: 10% (46 articles)180210–239 days: 9% (43 articles)210240–269 days: 4% (17 articles)240270–299 days: 2% (10 articles)270300–329 days: 2% (11 articles)300330–359 days: 1% (3 articles)330360+ days: 1% (4 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2940.8%
30–59398.1%
60–896613.8%
90–1199920.7%
120–1497916.5%
150–1795812.1%
180–209469.6%
210–239439.0%
240–269173.5%
270–299102.1%
300–329112.3%
330–35930.6%
360+40.8%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 37 days (middle half 22–59 days, n = 479).

From submission to online publication, the median was 175 days (middle half 131–243 days, n = 479).

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

Open access (listed in DOAJ). Listed APC: $4,390 (DOAJ).

Institutions reported paying a median of about $3,617 per article (2023–2025, 27 reported payments in OpenAPC; converted from euros at yearly ECB average rates).

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 DOAJYes (DOAJ record)
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 2,195 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission0.0% of 2025 articles
Publication volume443 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (-8% 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 Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 131 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Cell and Tissue Research112 (2025, n = 82)≈$5,290NoYes
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications59 (2025, n = 1,484)≈$3,110NoYes
Journal of Insect Physiology78 (2025, n = 100)≈$3,430NoYes
Journal of Neurochemistry133 (2025, n = 307)≈$5,330NoYes
Journal of Comparative Physiology A93 (2025, n = 52)≈$3,990NoYes
Journal of Biological Chemistry112 (2025, n = 1,252)$3,430$2,813 (121 payments)YesYes
Neurochemistry International87 (2025, n = 134)≈$4,170NoYes
Biochemical Journal107 (2025, n = 115)NoYes
Neurochemical Research85 (2025, n = 314)≈$4,590NoYes
Function68 (2025, n = 51)$3,900$3,913 (5 payments)YesYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences accepted in 2025 were accepted within 131 days of submission (n = 479); the middle half took 91–189 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 37 days of acceptance (n = 479).

Does Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: $4,390 (DOAJ).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 1420-682X; NLM ID 9705402; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 479 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.

Spotted a problem with this journal's data, or are you the publisher? Report a correction or email rafiq@gradsummit.com. Verified errors are corrected within five business days.

Get the free Journal Submission Go/No-Go Checklist

The pre-submission checks from Write and Publish a Scientific Paper: journal fit, formatting, cover letter and reviewer suggestions. We’ll email you the download link.

One email with your download, then occasional research tips. One-click unsubscribe, anytime. We never sell your data.

Get Write and Publish a Scientific Paper

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.