Journal Guide
Publishing in Cells & Development: Fit, Timeline & Submission Guide
Cell and developmental biology, including quantitative and theoretical approaches
Should you submit here?
Submit if make the cell- or developmental-biology question and its supported inference clear before the editor has to infer it from the technique. Be careful if the publisher explicitly excludes descriptive gene-expression studies and molecular screens.
Best fit if
Make the cell- or developmental-biology question and its supported inference clear before the editor has to infer it from the technique
Not ideal if
The publisher explicitly excludes descriptive gene-expression studies and molecular screens
Also compare
Not verified as a current 2025 JCR value
Impact Factor
Not publicly disclosed
Acceptance Rate
Not publicly verified
Time to First Decision
Readiness Scan
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What Cells & Development Publishes
Cells & Development publishes cell and developmental biology across animal and plant systems, including cellular, biomechanical, molecular, quantitative, computational, and theoretical approaches. It excludes descriptive gene-expression studies and molecular screens.
- Cell and tissue morphogenesis
- Cell adhesion, migration, shape, and polarity
- Biomechanics and quantitative biology
- Theoretical and computational cell and developmental biology
- Stem cells, differentiation, regeneration, and organoid development
Editor Insight
“Cells & Development fit depends on a clear biological question, evidence that carries the inference, and a contribution that goes beyond an excluded descriptive expression study or screen.”
What Cells & Development Editors Look For
A biological question carried by the evidence
Make the cell- or developmental-biology question and its supported inference clear before the editor has to infer it from the technique.
Quantitative or theoretical relevance
Where the manuscript uses a model, computation, mechanics, or quantitative analysis, state what it explains, predicts, or distinguishes in the biological setting.
A route beyond descriptive output
Do not make a descriptive expression pattern or molecular screen the paper's endpoint; the official scope excludes those submission shapes.
A complete editable package
Provide editable Word or LaTeX source files with complete figures, tables, declarations, and relevant data information.
Why Papers Get Rejected
These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Cells & Development's editorial review:
A descriptive atlas framed as the conclusion
The publisher explicitly excludes descriptive gene-expression studies and molecular screens.
A quantitative visualization without an inference boundary
Measurements or models need the comparison, assumptions, and limits that support the biological conclusion.
A PDF-only initial package
Elsevier requires editable source files for manuscript text, figures, tables, and text graphics.
Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?
The Free Readiness Scan reads your full manuscript against Cells & Development's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.
Insider Tips from Cells & Development Authors
Start with the biological problem
Make the title, abstract, and first figure reveal what the study resolves before foregrounding the platform or technique.
Inspect the generated peer-review PDF
The online system converts uploaded files to one PDF, so verify equations, figures, captions, references, and author metadata before final submission.
Make a theory extension visibly new
An expanded supplementary-theory route must add significant material and discussion and explicitly reference the original article.
The Cells & Development Submission Process
Classify the manuscript
Before uploadConfirm that the central contribution is cell or developmental biology with a supported inference, not an excluded descriptive expression study or molecular screen.
Prepare editable files
Initial submissionBuild editable Word or LaTeX manuscript source, figures, tables, text graphics, declarations, and relevant data and supplementary materials.
Check title-page and abstract inputs
Initial submissionConfirm author metadata, a concise factual abstract of at most 250 words, and one to seven English keywords.
Review the generated PDF
Before final submissionUse the online system's conversion output to inspect the package that will be used in peer review.
Cells & Development by the Numbers
| Online ISSN | 2667-2901 |
| Publisher status(Current ScienceDirect journal page) | Supports open access |
| Review model(Publisher Guide for Authors) | Single anonymized |
| Abstract limit(Publisher Guide for Authors) | 250 words |
Before you submit
Cells & Development accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.
Start with the Free Readiness Scan. Unlock the Full Review from $39, with local pricing shown before checkout. If you need deeper submission planning, choose the Submission-Ready Dossier. The full report is calibrated to Cells & Development.
Article Types
Research article
Cell or developmental biology research across the journal's stated biological and quantitative approaches.
Extended supplementary theory
A substantially expanded theoretical treatment of work previously published as supplementary theory, with new material and discussion.
Special issue contribution
A research contribution aligned with a current Cells & Development collection.
Landmark Cells & Development Papers
Papers that defined fields and changed science:
- Cell and tissue morphogenesis studies
- Quantitative developmental biology
- Biomechanics and cell migration research
Preparing a Cells & Development Submission?
Get pre-submission feedback from reviewers who've published in Cells & Development and know exactly what editors look for.
Run Free Readiness ScanNeed expert depth? See Expert Review Options
Primary Fields
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Related Journal Guides
- Publishing in Cell
- Publishing in Developmental Cell
- Publishing in RNA
- Publishing in Journal of Cell Biology
Latest Journal-Specific Guides
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