Elsevier partners with the Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology

The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology (KSMCB), one of the largest and most prominent academic societies in the field of life sciences in Korea, and Elsevier, have announced a new partnership to publish Molecules and Cells, the flagship journal of KSMCB. This English-language publication will be hosted on Elsevier’s online platform of peer-reviewed literature, ScienceDirect, beginning January 1, 2024. Continuing as a Gold Open Access, online-only publication, all articles will be immediately and permanently free to read and download, added the publisher.

Junho Lee, PhD, professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University and President of KSMCB, commented: “It is with great pleasure that I would like to announce that KSMCB has entered into a co-publishing agreement with Elsevier. The rationale behind this decision is to meet the challenges of an ever-changing publishing environment and the growing needs of society members and scientific colleagues. We will be able to take advantage of the global network and professionalism that Elsevier brings, which will result in the recognition that our journal strives to achieve on the global stage. We envision that Molecules and Cells will make a giant leap forward in the near future to becoming a premier international scientific journal of which we can all be proud.”

Launched in 1990 and now in its 46th volume, Molecules and Cells is one of the leading journals in the field of molecular and cellular biology, added the publisher. It has published articles in English from more than 30 countries on its way to becoming a globally recognized journal. Since 1995, the journal has been indexed in Web of Science/Science Citation Index-Expanded, the first Korean journal in the biological sciences to be accepted for inclusion in this service.

Molecules and Cells is led by Editor-in-Chief Jae Bum Kim, PhD, supported by an eminent editorial board. After earning his doctoral degree in the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Harvard University, Prof. Kim has held a number of prestigious academic appointments in Korea and the United States. He is currently professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and serves as the Director of the Center for Adipose Tissue Remodeling, Creative Research Initiatives, Center for Studies on Structure-Function in Adipocyte at Seoul National University.

Prof. Kim noted, “The editorial team, editorial board, KSMCB leadership, and I remain passionate and committed to timely publication of the highest quality scholarly work. We anticipate that Elsevier’s exceptional level of publishing expertise and professionalism will help bring the journal to a wider worldwide audience of authors and readers more efficiently and effectively, providing greater opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing.”

The journal will expand its impact and outreach through availability via ScienceDirect, which will host 33 years of Molecules and Cells back volumes (from 1990 onwards). ScienceDirect has 1 billion annual visits and over 17,000 licenses worldwide.

Manuscripts may be submitted via Editorial Manager. Accepted manuscripts, on average, will be available online within 48 hours in a pre-release format, continued the publisher.

Elsevier says Molecules and Cells is covered in important abstracting and indexing services including Science Citation Index-Expanded (current Journal Impact Factor 3.8), Scopus (current CiteScore 6.9), PubMed, Current Contents/Life Sciences, and Chemical Abstract Service.

Louise Curtis, Elsevier senior vice president, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Economics, remarked: “We are delighted that KSMCB has selected Elsevier as its partner, and we are proud to publish this well-established, well-run open access journal. It is an excellent complement to the Elsevier molecular and cell biology journal portfolio, expanding our author base into the Korean scientific community. We are committed to providing the best possible support for KSMCB’s mission and community and fostering an international exchange of cutting-edge research.”