Manuscript Preparation

Research manuscripts, structured reviews, and meta-analyses should include:

Front Matter

• Title
• Author List
• Affiliations
• Abstract
• Keywords

Main Sections:

• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion or Concluding Remarks

Back Matter

• Supplementary Materials
• Acknowledgments
• Author Contributions
• Conflicts of Interest
• References

Note: Structured reviews and meta-analyses must conform to PRISMA guidelines.

Review manuscripts should include:

Front Matter

• Title
• Author List
• Affiliations
• Abstract
• Keywords

Main Sections

• A literature review organized into specific sections and optional subsections.

Back Matter

• Acknowledgments
• Author Contributions
• Conflicts of Interest
• References

Authorship

Biology & Molecular Medicine follows the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines, which state that, in order to qualify for authorship of a manuscript, a contributor must do all of the following:

• Substantially contribute to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work.
• Substantially contribute to drafting the work or reviewing it critically for important intellectual content.
• Provide final approval of the version to be published.
• Agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of all parts of the work.

Contributors who do not qualify for authorship should be listed in the Acknowledgments. See detailed guidance on authorship by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Biology & Molecular Medicine may request confirmation that all authors meet the authorship conditions. The corresponding author should keep co-authors informed of any changes to the author list, and such changes should be approved by all authors, including those who have been removed from the list.

Submission Process

To submit your manuscript, register and log in to the submission portal.

The submitting author is responsible for the manuscript during the peer review process. All eligible co-authors should be included in the author list (read the criteria to qualify for authorship) and should read and approve the manuscript before submission.

Accepted File Formats

• Manuscripts may be submitted in .doc or .docx format.
• Convert manuscripts into a single file before submission.
• When preparing manuscripts in Microsoft Word, insert figures and graphics in the main text after the paragraph of their first citation.
• Supplementary files may be in any format, but it is recommended to use common, nonproprietary formats where possible.

Free Format Submission

Biology and Molecular Medicine does not have strict formatting requirements, but all manuscripts must include the following:

Title

• The title should be concise and specific.
• It should indicate if the paper is a trial (human or animal), systematic review, meta-analysis, or replication study.
• For studies using gene or protein names, use the abbreviated rather than the full version of the name.
• Do not include abbreviated or short forms of the title, such as a running title.

Author Full Name and Affiliation

• All names should be listed with affiliations in corresponding subscripts using the following format:Institution/University, Department/School, City State Zip-Code Country
• Examples:Johan A. Boch1, Alice Cooper2  

          1New University, Department of Biology, Manhattan NY 10029 USA  

          2New University, Sanger School of Medicine, Manhattan NY 10029 USA  

• One or two authors should be designated as the corresponding authors.
• After acceptance, no changes to authors’ names or affiliations are permitted.

Principal Authors (First Authors)

• You may identify 1 or 2 authors as principal authors, different from the corresponding author if desired.
• The principal author is typically the person who:
• Performed the central experiments, or
• Took the lead role in preparing the first draft.
• Joint principal authors can be indicated using a superscript symbol.
• The symbol must be included below the affiliations.
• Include the statement:

                        “These authors contributed equally to this work.”

Author Contributions

• The role of each author should be adequately disclosed in the Author Contributions statement.

Abstract

• Abstracts can be structured or unstructured and must not exceed 250 words.

Keywords

• Please provide up to 5 keywords that categorize the work.

Introduction

• The introduction should briefly place the study in a broader context, including the current state of the field and key publications.
• It should identify the purpose of the work, including specific hypotheses being tested.
• Finally, briefly highlight key conclusions.
• Keep the introduction comprehensible to scientists outside the paper’s specific topic.

Materials & Methods

• Describe materials and methods in enough detail to allow others to replicate published results.
• New methods and protocols should be described in detail.
• Well-established methods can be briefly described and appropriately cited.
• Research articles should include both materials and methods.
• Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and other data-generating exercises should also include methods.
• Reviews and other reports are encouraged, but not required, to note methods of data collection or literature review.
• Give the name and version of any software used and specify whether any computer code is available.
• Include any preregistration codes.

Results

• Present experimental results (or, for example, results of statistical analysis from a meta-analysis) in detail.
• Include answers to research questions and other interesting findings.

Discussion

• Discuss findings at a more abstract level than in the Results section.
• Identify the most significant results.
• Indicate their relevance to the research goals discussed in the Introduction.

Conclusions / Concluding Remarks

• Authors may include either:
• A standard Conclusion that concisely wraps up the paper (approximately 250 words), or
• A less structured Concluding Remarks section that:
• Discusses highlights of the paper
• Presents personal remarks or relevant notes of interest on the topic
• Conclusions or Concluding Remarks sections may also discuss:
• Clinical implications
• Areas for further research

Informed Consent Statement: See full instructions here (link)

Data Availability Statement

• In this section, indicate where data supporting reported results can be found, including links to publicly archived datasets analyzed or generated during the study.

Acknowledgments

• Any support you received that is not covered by the Author Contribution or Funding sections—including administrative and technical support or donations of materials—can be covered in the Acknowledgments.

Preparing Figures and Tables

• All tables and figures (diagrams, graphs, illustrations, etc.) should be:
• Inserted shortly after they are first mentioned in the text
• Numbered in order of appearance (e.g., Figure 1, Table 1, Figure 2, Table 2, Figure 3, etc.)
• All figures and tables should include:
• A short informative title
• An explanatory caption
• Each table column should have an explanatory heading
• Table text should be no smaller than 8 points.
• Tables should be created using the Table option in Microsoft Word or an alternative program such as LibreOffice.
• We suggest preparing figures in color. There is no additional cost for color figures.

Publishing Full-Color Graphics

There is no additional cost for publishing full-color graphics.

Original Images Requirements

The following applies to images provided in original research papers:

• To ensure the integrity and scientific validity of images (e.g., gels, blots, microscopy images), we reserve the right to request original, uncropped, and unadjusted versions of images included in submissions.
• Original images must be:
• Provided in a single zip archive as Supplementary Material files
• At a minimum resolution of 1000 pixels in width/height, or 300 dpi or higher
• Alternatively, provided via a link where unprocessed images were deposited at the time of initial submission
• Preferred formats for gels, blots, and microscopy images (e.g., light and electron microscopy: TEM, SEM, Cryo-EM):
• TIFF, PNG, GIF, EPS
• Failing to provide original images before the final decision may result in rejection of the paper, and we may raise the issue with the authors’ institutions.

Digital Image Processing Guidelines

• Digital images should be minimally processed:
• Final images may be slightly edited for clarity and visibility, but must correctly represent original data
• Electron microscopy images should be presented in full (not cropped), with all relevant details clearly visible
• If your paper includes cropped images, submit:
• Scans of the full original images as Supplementary Materials
• If control images are re-used for illustrative purposes:
• Declare this clearly in the figure legend
• If any image processing was used:
• Identify the software and enhancement technique in the Methods section
• Clearly state if images have been grouped or spliced
• Avoid using software filters to improve image quality. If necessary:
• Adjust contrast, brightness, intensity, and saturation only if applied uniformly to the entire image
• Image manipulations applied only to one area of an image are considered unethical as they may misrepresent data.
• Do not combine images from different times or locations into a single image without clarification. If such combination is necessary:
• Clearly state that the image is, e.g., a product of time-averaged data or a time-lapse sequence
• Ensure each image in the figure has clear borders
• Describe the source of each image in the legend

Electrophoretic Gels and Blots

• Comparative analysis should be performed on the same blot or gel
• If controls were run on different gels, indicate this in the figure legend

Requirements:

• Include or indicate molecular weight markers on the raw image
• Mark with an “X” any lanes not included in the final figure
• Ensure labeling does not obscure data or background bands
• If processing images (e.g., adjusting brightness/contrast):
• Apply changes to every pixel uniformly
• Ensure processing does not alter the information
• High-contrast blots/gels are discouraged
• Cropped blots/gels must retain all important information (e.g., bands)
• Annotate each original image to correspond to the figure in the main article or supplementary materials
• Label each lane or loading order
• Check figures for duplications and review figure legends for clarity and accuracy
• If splicing fragments from the same original image:
• Indicate alterations by including a thin white or black line between pieces
• Describe this in the figure legend
• Images must retain original background “noise”
• Do not clean up the background with rubber stamps, “wipe” tools, or excessive adjustments
• Provide blots or gels used for independent biological replicates used in qualitative analysis
• Perform quantitative comparisons between samples on different gels/blots only if unavoidable
• If gels/blots were processed in parallel, state this in the figure legend

Methods Section Requirements

The Methods section should specify:

• Type of equipment used:
• Microscopes/objective lenses, cameras, detectors, filter model, batch number
• The software used
• Magnification or scale bar in the figure captions
• Equipment settings for important measurements
• Name any processing software or image manipulation, such as:
• Deconvolution
• 3D reconstructions
• Surface/volume rendering
• “Gamma changes”
• Projection
• Filtering

Image Data Sharing and Metadata

• Make unprocessed image files available in a publicly available database
• Include a link to the downloadable table from the Data Availability section
• Provide relevant metadata, including:
• Time and space resolution data (xyzt and pixel dimensions)
• Image bit depth
• Experimental conditions (e.g., temperature)
• Any excitation and emission wavelengths or ranges, filters, and dichroic beam splitters

Ethical Guidelines for Digital Images

For detailed guidelines, refer to the Office of Research Integrity: http://ori.hhs.gov/images/ddblock/data.pdf

Funding Information

• Disclose any sources of funding for the research or article preparation.
• If there were no funding sources, include the following statement: “This research received no external funding.”

Conflict of Interest

• Authors must disclose any personal circumstances that could be perceived as influencing the interpretation of reported results.

These include:

• Financial interests:
• Employment
• Grants or research funding
• Paid expert testimony
• Ownership of assets (e.g., stocks, shares, patent license arrangements)
• Nonfinancial interests:
• Personal beliefs
• Ties to interested individuals that might introduce bias
• Authors should not enter into agreements with study sponsors that interfere with their ability to:
• Design the study
• Analyze and interpret data
• Prepare the manuscript independently
• Manuscripts should include a Conflicts of Interest section placed just before the reference list.

Sample Statements

• If conflicts exist:Conflicts of Interest: Author A has received research grants from Company A. Author B has received a speaker honorarium from Company X and owns stocks in Company Y. Author C has been involved as a consultant and expert witness in Company Z. Author D is the inventor of patent X.
• If no conflicts exist:Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
• If the research was sponsored: The sponsors had no role in the design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study.

Ethics Statement

• Research involving human subjects, material/tissue, or data must follow the Declaration of Helsinki (1975, revised 2013).
• Authors must include a statement confirming compliance with this declaration.

Institutional Review Board Statement

• As required by point 23 of the Declaration, researchers must obtain approval from the local IRB or ethics committee.
• Include the following:
• Project identification code
• Date of approval
• Name of the ethics committee/institutional review board

Sample Statement:

“The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of XXX (Project identification code) on [date of approval].”

For Noninterventional Studies

(e.g., surveys and questionnaires)

Inform participants of the following:

• Purpose of the research
• How their data will be used
• Whether their data will remain anonymous
• Risks involved, if any

If Ethical Approval Is Not Required

• The Institutional Review Board Statement should:
• Cite the ethics committee, or
• Reference national/local legislation indicating the study is exempt
• Include an explanation of why ethical approval was not required

References / Citations

• References will appear in ACS style with the addition of a corresponding DOI (Digital Object Identifier) number at the end of each reference.
• When preparing your manuscript for submission, you may provide a citation library using bibliography software such as:
• Endnote
• Zotero
• Mendeley
• Reference Manager
• In-text citations can be in any style, and there is no need to submit a reference list as long as a citation library is provided.
• Citations and references in supplementary files are permitted only if they also appear in the main text and in the reference list/citation library.

SI Units

• Imperial and other units should be converted to SI units where possible.

Additional requirements:

• Accession numbers of RNA, DNA, and protein sequences used should be included in the Materials and Methods section.
• Equations:
• In Microsoft Word, use the Microsoft Equation Editor or the MathType add-on.
• Equations must be editable, not submitted as images.
• Research data and supplementary materials:
• Make all materials, data, and protocols available to readers as far as possible.
• If any restrictions apply, disclose them at the submission stage.
• Refer to the guidelines on Supplementary Materials and Data Deposit for more information.
• Preregistration:
• If the study is preregistered, include a link in the manuscript.

Front Matter

These sections should appear in all manuscript types:

• Title
• Author List and Affiliations
• Abstract
• Keywords

Research Manuscript Sections

• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions (optional, but recommended for summarizing long or complex Discussion sections)
• Patents (add this section if any patents resulted from the study)

Back Matter

• Supplementary Materials
• Author Contributions
• Funding
• Institutional Review Board Statement

Supplementary Materials, Data Deposit, and Software Source Code

In line with the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines, authors are encouraged to share all research data, including:

• Raw and processed data
• Protocols
• Analytic methods
• Code and software
• Algorithms
• Study materials

Data should be FAIR — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable — by other researchers.

Data Sharing and Repository Use

• Deposit data and code in a trusted public repository whenever possible.
• Data should be shared in accordance with:
• Participant consent
• Anonymity requirements
• Local data protection laws

If ethical, legal, or privacy concerns prevent public sharing, explain this in the Data Availability Statement, and offer the materials on request when feasible.

• If data is withheld due to confidentiality or proprietary reasons:
• Authors must still be prepared to share them for peer review purposes upon request.

Data Availability Statements

All articles must include a Data Availability Statement. If data is not included in the article, it may be requested during peer review.

Data Availability Status	Recommended Statement
Publicly accessible repository	The original data presented in the study are openly available in [repository name] at [DOI/URL] or [reference/accession number].
Available on request (restrictions apply)	Data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author due to [specify reason].
Third-party data	Restrictions apply to the availability of these data. Data were obtained from [third party] and are available [from authors/at URL] with permission from [third party].
Embargo due to commercialization	The data that support the findings will be available in [repository name] at [URL/DOI] following an embargo from the date of publication to allow for commercialization.
Restrictions due to ongoing study/technical reasons	Datasets presented in this article are not readily available because [reason]. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to [contact].
Public domain resources	The data presented in this study are available in [repository name] at [URL/DOI], reference number [ref. no.]. Derived from: [list resources and URLs].
No new data generated	No new data were created or analyzed in this study. Data sharing is not applicable.
All data in article/supplementary material	Original contributions are included in the article/supplementary material. Direct inquiries to the corresponding author.
Data available on request	The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors on request.

Data Citation

• Any datasets stored in external repositories should be formally cited in the manuscript.
• When citing previously published datasets, include both:
• The research article, and
• The dataset itself

Computer Code and Software

• Clearly indicate:
• Name
• Version
• Company name
• Location
• Parameters used for all software mentioned
• If new computer code was developed:
• Deposit it in a public repository (e.g., GitHub), or
• Upload it as supplementary information

Supplementary Material

• Relevant data and files not in the main manuscript can be uploaded as supplementary files.
• These files will be considered during peer review.
• Acceptable formats include any common, nonproprietary file types.

Note: Citations and references in supplementary files should also appear in the main reference list.

Remote Hosting and Large Data Sets

• Files larger than 60 MB must be deposited in a specialized service or subject-specific repository, preferably one using the DataCite mechanism.
• Cite and link to the repository in the paper.

 Useful resources: databib.org | re3data.org

Deposition of Sequences and Expression Data

New sequence data must be deposited in the appropriate database and cited in the manuscript. Include sequence names and accession numbers in the Materials and Methods section.

Type of Sequence	Appropriate Database
New nucleic acid sequences	GenBank, EMBL, or DDBJ
High-throughput sequencing (HTS) datasets (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, degradome analysis, etc.)	GEO database or NCBI’s Sequence Read Archive (SRA)
Microarray data	GEO or ArrayExpress (Follow MIAME guidelines)
New protein sequences	[Database name – continue entry if needed]

Deposition of Proteomics Data

• Proteomics data should comply with the HUPO’s Minimum Information About a Proteomics Experiment guidelines.
• Mass spectrometry raw data must be deposited in a public repository such as:
• ProteomeXchange
• PRIDE
• jPOST
• Include full access details in the Materials and Methods section.

Informed Consent Statement

All manuscripts reporting studies involving human subjects, human data, or tissue must include an informed consent statement.

Examples of Informed Consent Statements:

• “Informed consent for participation was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.”
• “Informed consent for participation is not required as per local legislation [specify].”
• “Verbal informed consent was obtained… because [state the reason].”
• “Informed consent for publication was obtained from all identifiable human participants.”

Additional Requirements:

• Signed informed consent is usually required for publication of identifying details.
• A blank version of the permission form should be submitted.
• Verbal consent is acceptable for specific contexts (e.g., ethnographic studies); include:
• Rationale for verbal consent
• The script used to obtain it
• Consent forms should allow publication in all formats, languages, and versions.
• Patient/participant details should be anonymized unless essential to the research.
• If demographic categories (e.g., race, gender) are used, explain why.
• Data should be de-identified or obfuscated to preserve privacy.
• The Editorial Office may request signed consent forms, particularly for vulnerable groups.
• Manuscripts involving organ transplantation must:
• Specify source institutions
• Reject unethical practices (e.g., from executed prisoners)

Ethical Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research

• Include details on housing, animal care, and pain management.
• Procedures must:
• Have potential benefits that outweigh the harm
• Follow the 3 Rs: • Replacement (use alternatives if possible) • Reduction (use the fewest animals possible) • Refinement (minimize harm)

Adhere to:

• ARRIVE Guidelines
• Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals
• American Association for Laboratory Animal Science
• European Animal Research Association

Requirements:

• Research must comply with national and institutional laws.
• Include:
• Project identification code
• Date of ethics approval
• Name of approving committee
• If exempt, explain and name the relevant ethics authority.
• Clinical studies on animals may require oversight by veterinary ethics committees.
• Informed consent must be obtained from animal owners, if applicable.
• If ethics committee review is not possible, provide a justification. Editors will assess ethical acceptability.

Research Involving Cell Lines

• State the origin of cell lines in the Methods section.
• For established lines, cite a published source or commercial vendor.
• For new or previously unpublished lines:
• Provide details of IRB/ethics approval
• Include written informed consent for human-derived lines

Sample Ethical Statement:

The HCT116 cell line was obtained from XXXX. The MLH1+ cell line was provided by XXXXX, Ltd. The DLD-1 cell line was obtained from Dr. XXXX. The DR-GFP and SA-GFP reporter plasmids were obtained from Dr. XXX and the Rad51K133A expression vector was obtained from Dr. XXXX.

Research Involving Plants

• Comply with institutional, national, and international guidelines.
• Follow:
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• CITES (Convention on Trade in Endangered Species)

Required Information:

• Genetic and origin details of plants
• Site of collection (with GPS coordinates)
• Date of collection
• Plant parts used, if applicable

For nonmodel or rare species:

• Deposit voucher specimens in an herbarium or museum
• If species are threatened/endangered, explain any waiver in the cover letter

Sample Statements:

Torenia fournieri plants were used in this study. White-flowered Crown White (CrW) and violet-flowered Crown Violet (CrV) cultivars were kindly provided by Dr. XXX (XXX Institute, City, Country).

Arabidopsis mutant lines (SALKxxxx, SAILxxxx, …) were kindly provided by Dr. XXX, institute, city, country.

Clinical Trials Registration

At this time, the journal will not accept articles pertaining to clinical trials.

Registration Guidelines (for applicable cases):

• Trials must be registered before first patient enrollment in a public trial registry:
• clinicaltrials.gov
• EU Clinical Trials Register
• WHO ICTRP -approved registries
• The Methods section must reference the registration.

Definitions:

• “Clinical trial” = Participant randomization and group assignment
• Observational studies are not considered clinical trials.

CONSORT Statement

• Use the CONSORT 2010 checklist and flow diagram when reporting results from randomized trials .
• Refer to CONSORT extensions for designs beyond parallel two-group studies.

Dual Use Research of Concern

• Manuscripts must disclose any research that may pose threats to:
• Biosecurity
• Nuclear safety
• Chemical/military/national security

Submissions will only be reviewed if public benefit outweighs potential harm . Refer to: COPE – Research, Audit and Service Evaluations: Guidance for Editors

Sex and Gender in Research

• Follow Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines.
• Use terms appropriately:
• Sex = biological attributes
• Gender = social and cultural roles

Requirements:

• Clearly indicate applicable sex(es) in the title and abstract.
• Discuss any sex or gender differences and how they were accounted for in the design.
• Provide disaggregated data where applicable.

Author Fees

There are no fees for article submission or publication in Biology and Molecular Medicine .

A processing fee of $20 is payable only upon acceptance of the manuscript.This fee covers:

• Typesetting
• Website maintenance
• Administrative processing