Journal decision profile

Nature Chemical Biology

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Nature Chemical Biology's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 9.9, ranking Q1 in Molecular Biology and 1 other subfield. Two-year citation average from OpenAlex data, updated August 2026.

Nature PortfolioUnited StatespISSN 1552-4450eISSN 1552-4469
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Bookmark this page — track observed submission-to-acceptance timing, FWCI and field-normalized citation data for this journal in one view.

Journal Metrics Score
i
Journal Metrics ScoreThe raw score is citations received in the latest complete year by works from the two previous years, divided by the number of those works. It is calculated from OpenAlex open data (CC0) and is not a percentage grade.
2026
9.9

Journal Metrics Score 2026 · 2021–2024 window citedness 8.93.

Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceCalendar days between the received and accepted dates reported in recent PubMed records. This interval includes editorial handling and author revisions, so it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
PUBMED
308 daysmedian

Middle 50%: 226–403 days

82 of 100 PubMed-indexed articles · 82% coverage · 2024–2025

Indicative APC
i
Indicative APCThis journal-level estimate comes from the OpenAlex source record. It is not a verified quote and may exclude taxes, waivers, society discounts, or article-type charges. Check the journal's official website before deciding.
OPENALEX · VERIFY
$12,690

Journal-level estimate only. Verify current charges, taxes, waivers, discounts, and article-type fees with the journal.

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Does your manuscript fit Nature Chemical Biology?

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At a glance

Journal decision profile

Each spoke is a 0–100 percentile within a comparable journal cohort—not a percentage grade or a single black-box rating.

Relative profile

Metrics ScoreThe raw 2026 Journal Metrics Score is the recent two-year citation average shown above. The radar converts it to a 0–100 cohort percentile: farther out means a higher score than more comparable journals. It is not a percentage grade.iSource outputThe raw rank compares lifetime output inside the journal’s leading-topic source set. The radar then compares that rank position across Decision Profile journals in the same primary OpenAlex field; when that field has too few profiles, it uses the broader profile set. Farther out means relatively more output, not better research quality.iTop 10% shareThe share of recent papers in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield. The radar converts that share to a 0–100 cohort percentile; it does not predict how a new paper will perform.iMedian FWCICitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected citation level for comparable papers; the radar shows its 0–100 cohort percentile.iSubmission-to-acceptanceCalendar days from the received date to the accepted date in recent PubMed records. This includes editorial handling and author revisions, so it is not the time to first decision and not pure peer-review time. The radar uses a 0–100 cohort percentile with shorter observed timing plotted farther out; it does not measure review quality.iOutput volumeAverage works published per year in the recent analysis window, converted to a 0–100 cohort percentile. Farther out means the journal publishes more papers; it does not mean those papers are better.i
Cost is intentionally excluded. Missing APC data is never converted to a zero-dollar fee or a fabricated cost score.

Raw values behind the shape

Always visible
Metrics Score
i
Metrics ScoreThe 2026 raw Journal Metrics Score shown above. The bar is its 0–100 percentile within the radar's comparable journal cohort; it is not a percentage score.
9.92026 · OPENALEX
Source output rank
i
Source output rankThis lifetime journal-wide output rank compares works published by the OpenAlex source with sources associated with the journal’s leading topic. More output does not mean higher quality.
#112 / 980LIFETIME OUTPUT
Highly cited papers
i
Highly cited papersShare of recent works in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield.
37.9%FIELD-NORMALIZED TOP 10%
Field-normalized impact
i
Field-normalized impactCitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected level for comparable work.
1.62MEDIAN FWCI
Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceReceived-to-accepted calendar days from qualified PubMed records. It includes editorial handling and author revisions; it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
308 daysIQR 226–403 DAYS
Recent output
i
Recent outputAverage works published per year across the complete analysis window. This is a volume measure, not a quality score.
275 / yr2021–2024 AVG
Field-normalized top 10% share37.9%

415 of 1,096 works · same type, year & subfield

Field-normalized top 1% share6.3%

69 works · same type, year & subfield

Median FWCI1.62×

Above field-year expectation

Source output rank#112

of 980 topic-associated OpenAlex sources by lifetime output

What does Median FWCI mean?

FWCI compares papers with the same publication year, type, and field. 1.0 is the world average; above 1.0 is above expectation. This journal's median is 1.62, so its typical recent paper runs about 62% above its field benchmark.

What does Top 10% Share mean?

37.9% of recent papers rank in the global top 10% after field normalization. This is easier to compare across specialties than raw citation totals.

Publishing pattern

Publication volume and article mix

Volume is separated from citation accumulation so newer papers are not presented as weaker simply because they are newer.

Works published by year

OpenAlex source records · 2016–2025

2712016
2652017
2492018
2282019
2632020
2532021
2652022
2882023
2922024
3052025

Recent work-type mix

1,096 OpenAlex works · 2021–2024

Article95.5%
Erratum4%
Letter0.2%
Retraction0.2%
Other0.1%
OpenAlex article is broader than “original research.” PubMed Publication Types can add case-report and clinical-study detail.
Fit signals

Topics and medical subject coverage

OpenAlex topics show research communities; MeSH keeps the medical taxonomy recognizable.

Major MeSH signals

PubMed-indexed works

Select a MeSH signal to see how much Nature Chemical Biology publishes on it, from PubMed counts for the last five complete years.

Leading OpenAlex topics

2021–2024 works
CRISPR and Genetic Engineering64
RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms53
Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis49
Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling42
Protein Degradation and Inhibitors37
RNA Research and Splicing30
Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction28
Click Chemistry and Applications26
Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways23
Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology22
Methodology: OpenAlex snapshot 2026-10-16. FWCI, percentile badges, topics, and type mix use 1,096 works published 2021–2024. Radar normalization is versioned in the cached profile, and no cost score is assigned without reliable APC data.

Subject Category Quartiles

Quartiles computed within each OpenAlex subfield
CategoryQuartile
Molecular BiologyQ1
PharmacologyQ1

Is Nature Chemical Biology a good journal?

Yes. One of the most-cited journals in Chemistry

Yes. By citation data, Nature Chemical Biology is one of the most-cited journals in Chemistry: it ranks #35 of 877 Chemistry journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 4%) and is Q1 in Molecular Biology and 1 other subfield. Nature Chemical Biology's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 9.9. Recent papers took a median of 308 days from submission to acceptance, according to PubMed dates. OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $12,690 USD. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, so check that your topic fits its scope.

Best quartile
Q1
Molecular Biology
Rank in Chemistry
#35 of 877
Top 4%
2026 Journal Metrics Score
9.9
Acceptance rate
Not published
By the journal or publisher
Submission to acceptance
308 days
Median, PubMed records
Indicative APC
$12,690
OpenAlex, verify with the journal
Papers published in 2025
304
OpenAlex works

Check before you submit

  • Confirm the current article processing charge, waivers, and any institutional agreement on the journal website; the OpenAlex figure is indicative.
  • Confirm the journal is indexed where your institution or funder requires (for example Scopus or PubMed) before you submit.

Verdict from citation data only: quartile and field rank by Journal Metrics Score (OpenAlex), publisher-reported acceptance rates, and PubMed submission and acceptance dates. See how we rank journals and how to verify indexing.

Q1
Subfield Quartile
B1
CAS Block

Ranking and source check

#35
of 877 Chemistry field journals
#35
among Q1 Chemistry journals

Confirm the exact title and ISSNs against the publisher homepage before a high-stakes submission decision.

Nature journals compared

2026 Journal Metrics Scores for 13 of 59 Nature journals published by Nature Portfolio, highest score first. Each journal is scored separately; there is no combined score for the Nature family.

  1. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology41.7Q1
  2. Nature Reviews Microbiology32.8Q1
  3. Nature Nanotechnology26.0Q1
  4. Nature Reviews Cancer24.1Q1
  5. Nature Reviews Chemistry21.9Q1
  6. Nature Methods21.2Q1
  7. Nature Protocols19.3Q1
  8. Nature Chemistry18.2Q1
  9. Nature18.0Q1
  10. Nature Genetics17.4Q1
  11. Nature Metabolism17.0Q1
  12. Nature Reviews Genetics16.8Q1
  13. Nature Chemical Biologythis journal9.9Q1

Journal Details

OpenAlex Works
5,483
H-Index
318
Fully Open Access
No
Recent OA Works
2,610
Subject Areas
Molecular BiologyPharmacology

Source: the current OpenAlex source record. OpenAlex works can include multiple work types. Fully Open Access is a source-level flag. Recent OA Works is summed from OpenAlex's counts_by_year series (up to the latest ten years); it is not a lifetime OA percentage. Any APC shown here is an indicative OpenAlex value—verify current charges on the journal's official website.

How to submit to Nature Chemical Biology

  1. 1

    Check the scope

    OpenAlex classifies Nature Chemical Biology's papers in subfields including Molecular Biology and Pharmacology. Read the aims and scope page and a few recent papers close to your topic before you prepare the manuscript.

  2. 2

    Follow the author guidelines

    Article types, word and figure limits, reference style, and the required statements (data availability, ethics, conflicts of interest, author contributions) are set by the journal. Prepare the cover letter and files to match them.

    Nature Chemical Biology homepage ↗
  3. 3

    Submit online

    Use the submit link in Nature Chemical Biology's author guidelines; Nature Portfolio runs the submission site. Every author usually needs an ORCID iD, and the corresponding author needs an account on the submission site.

  4. 4

    Plan for costs

    OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $12,690 USD. Check the current fee, waivers, and any institutional agreement on the journal website.

  5. 5

    Know what to expect

    Recent accepted papers took a median of 308 days from submission to acceptance, including revisions (PubMed dates). Nature Chemical Biology does not publish an acceptance rate.

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Common questions about Nature Chemical Biology

Is Nature Chemical Biology a good journal?

Yes. By citation data, Nature Chemical Biology is one of the most-cited journals in Chemistry: it ranks #35 of 877 Chemistry journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 4%) and is Q1 in Molecular Biology and 1 other subfield. Nature Chemical Biology's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 9.9. Recent papers took a median of 308 days from submission to acceptance, according to PubMed dates. OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $12,690 USD. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, so check that your topic fits its scope.

What is Nature Chemical Biology's Journal Metrics Score in 2026?

Nature Chemical Biology's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 9.9, from the August 2026 data release. The score is a two-year citation average computed from OpenAlex (CC0) data: citations received in the most recent complete year to works published in the two prior years, divided by the number of those works.

What is the acceptance rate of Nature Chemical Biology?

We have not found an official acceptance rate published by Nature Chemical Biology or its publisher, and Journal Metrics does not estimate one because submission counts are not public. What recent PubMed records do show is speed: accepted papers took a median of 308 days from submission to acceptance. To judge selectivity, compare Nature Chemical Biology's quartile and score with similar journals, or ask the editorial office.

What quartile is Nature Chemical Biology in?

Nature Chemical Biology's best quartile is Q1. By OpenAlex subfield: Q1 in Molecular Biology; Q1 in Pharmacology. Quartiles rank journals by Journal Metrics Score within each subfield.

Is the Journal Metrics Score the same as other journal citation metrics?

No. Journal Metrics computes the score independently from OpenAlex open data. Other providers use different citation databases, document types, and counting rules, so their published figures for Nature Chemical Biology will not match this score exactly. Compare journals using one source at a time.

How long does Nature Chemical Biology take from submission to acceptance?

Across 82 recent PubMed records with both dates, Nature Chemical Biology took a median of 308 days from submission to acceptance; the middle half took 226–403 days. This interval includes editorial handling and revisions, so it is not the time to a first decision.

How much does it cost to publish in Nature Chemical Biology?

OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $12,690 USD for Nature Chemical Biology. This journal-level estimate may exclude taxes, waivers, discounts, or article-type fees, so confirm the current charge on the journal's website.

Which journals are alternatives to Nature Chemical Biology?

Comparable journals include Cell Chemical Biology, Acs Synthetic Biology, Synthetic and Systems Biotechnology, and Synthetic Biology. Compare their scores, acceptance times, and costs in the recommended alternatives on this page before choosing where to submit.

How do I submit a paper to Nature Chemical Biology?

Submit online through the link in Nature Chemical Biology's author guidelines on the journal homepage. Before submitting, check the scope, follow the author guidelines for article type, length, and required statements, and prepare a cover letter. Accepted papers took a median of 308 days from submission to acceptance in recent PubMed records.

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