Nature Biotechnology: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 0733-222X · ISSN 1087-0156 · Nature Portfolio · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Half of the articles Nature Biotechnology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 275 days of submission (n = 141); the middle half took 189–394 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does Nature Biotechnology take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 141 | 189 | 275 | 394 | — | 0.0% | 1% |
| 2024 | 125 | 204 | 262 | 386 | — | 0.0% | 0% |
| 2023 | 155 | 197 | 253 | 363 | — | 0.0% | 0% |
| 2022 | 163 | 174 | 236 | 328 | — | 0.0% | 1% |
| 2021 | 137 | 189 | 270 | 421 | — | 0.0% | 4% |
| 2020 | 130 | 181 | 246 | 344 | — | 0.8% | 12% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 30–59 | 4 | 2.8% |
| 60–89 | 3 | 2.1% |
| 90–119 | 7 | 5.0% |
| 120–149 | 5 | 3.5% |
| 150–179 | 10 | 7.1% |
| 180–209 | 18 | 12.8% |
| 210–239 | 9 | 6.4% |
| 240–269 | 13 | 9.2% |
| 270–299 | 7 | 5.0% |
| 300–329 | 10 | 7.1% |
| 330–359 | 8 | 5.7% |
| 360+ | 47 | 33.3% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 42 days (middle half 35–55 days, n = 141).
From submission to online publication, the median was 325 days (middle half 226–446 days, n = 141).
Read these numbers carefully
- Only 49% of this journal's 2025 articles in PubMed carry both a submission and an acceptance date, so these figures may not represent all of its articles.
- 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 $12,690 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Institutions reported paying a median of about $12,651 per article (2023–2025, 5 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 DOAJ | No |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | Yes |
| Retractions | 0 retracted articles among 1,210 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 0.0% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 271 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (-2% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- Biotechnology and Related Fields (17% of indexed topics)
- Science, Research, and Medicine (11% of indexed topics)
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering (10% of indexed topics)
- Biomedical Ethics and Regulation (7% of indexed topics)
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms (4% of indexed topics)
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research (4% of indexed topics)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMedicine 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 Nature Biotechnology, 275 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biotechnology Journal | 98 (2025, n = 190) | ≈$4,780 | — | No | Yes |
| Trends in biotechnology | 117 (2025, n = 273) | ≈$7,030 | — | No | Yes |
| Nature Medicine | 182 (2025, n = 352) | ≈$12,690 | $11,579 (15 payments) | No | Yes |
| Molecular Biotechnology | 128 (2025, n = 171) | ≈$3,790 | — | No | Yes |
| Nature | 320 (2025, n = 1,262) | ≈$12,690 | $11,138 (50 payments) | No | Yes |
| Nature Protocols | 232 (2025, n = 171) | — | — | No | Yes |
| BMC Biotechnology | 103 (2025, n = 148) | $3,090 | — | Yes | Yes |
| Drug Discovery Today | 93 (2025, n = 264) | ≈$4,720 | — | No | Yes |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Nature Biotechnology take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles Nature Biotechnology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 275 days of submission (n = 141); the middle half took 189–394 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are Nature Biotechnology articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 42 days of acceptance (n = 141).
Does Nature Biotechnology charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: about $12,690 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 0733-222X; NLM ID 9604648; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 141 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.