Protein Science serves as an international forum for publishing original reports on proteins in the broadest sense. The journal aims to unify this field by cutting across established disciplinary lines and focusing on “protein-centered” science.

Protein Science encompasses the structure, function, and biochemical significance of proteins; their role in molecular and cell biology, genetics, and evolution; and their regulation and mechanisms of action. Representative topics include, but are not limited to, the structure of proteins and strategies of determining protein structure by chemical, biophysical, and recombinant methods; peptides; protein domains; protein folding and molecular dynamics; novel isolation procedures; enzyme action and regulation; interactions of proteins with nucleic acids, lipids, ligands, and other proteins; receptor-mediated signal transduction and other trans-membrane phenomena; the functions of proteins in replication, supramolecular assembly, immune reactions, development, and other biological processes; protein trafficking, synthesis, and sorting; and the recognition, localization, and signaling of proteins. In addition to the investigative techniques already mentioned, the journal will publish results of protein-centered work involving sequencing, modification, and mass spectrometry; cDNA, mutagenesis, and cloning; computational analysis; isolation and characterization; thermodynamics and hydrodynamics; kinetics; and equilibrium phenomena. Reports on the crystallization of proteins must provide novel information of general interest. Examples of novel information may include new approaches to expression or isolation of proteins in a form amenable to crystallization, novel conditions for crystallization that may be employed for other proteins, or new information related to the function of the protein. Research articles on computational or theoretical investigations on protein structure or function are encouraged. The article should be of general interest to the Protein Science community, and report results with a clear connection to a significant biological problem. The conclusions or predictions must be testable by a feasible experiment. Articles reporting new approaches to predict biologically relevant properties are encouraged; modifications of current algorithms without indication of significant improvements are not acceptable. Applications of molecular dynamics, homology modeling and other generally available program packages will not receive editorial support unless they provide biological insights which are clearly novel, and lead to experimentally testable hypotheses.

A primary consideration in judging the suitability of a manuscript is its originality and timeliness, the lack of which will be grounds for rejection, even if the work is well done from a technical perspective. Because judgments of originality and interest are inherently subjective, this policy implies that the editors and reviewers reserve the prerogative to decline publication on these grounds.

[Back to Instructions for Authors]

Overview