PLoS Computational Biology

Aims & Scope

PLOS Computational Biology features works of exceptional significance that further our understanding of living systems at all scales—from molecules and cells, to patient populations and ecosystems—through the application of computational methods.

Readers include life and computational scientists, who can take the important findings presented here to the next level of discovery.

Research articles must be declared as belonging to a relevant section.

More information about the sections can be found in the submission guidelines.

Research articles should model aspects of biological systems, demonstrate both methodological and scientific novelty, and provide profound new biological insights.

Generally, reliability and significance of biological discovery through computation should be validated and enriched by experimental studies.

Inclusion of experimental validation is not required for publication, but should be referenced where possible.

Inclusion of experimental validation of a modest biological discovery through computation does not render a manuscript suitable for PLOS Computational Biology.

Research articles specifically designated as Methods papers should describe outstanding methods of exceptional importance that have been shown, or have the promise to provide new biological insights.

The method must already be widely adopted, or have the promise of wide adoption by a broad community of users.

Enhancements to existing published methods will only be considered if those enhancements bring exceptional new capabilities.

Metrics & Ranking

Abstracting & Indexing

Journal is indexed in leading academic databases, ensuring global visibility and accessibility of our peer-reviewed research.

• Scopus
• Google Scholar
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
• Web of Science
• Embase

Subjects & Keywords

Journal’s research areas, covering key disciplines and specialized sub-topics in Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Mathematics and Neuroscience, designed to support cutting-edge academic discovery.

Licensing & Copyright

This journal operates under an Open Access model. Articles are freely accessible to the public immediately upon publication. The content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing users to share and adapt the work with proper attribution.

Copyright remains with the author(s), and no permission is required for non-commercial use, provided the original source is cited.

Policy Links

This section provides access to essential policy documents, guidelines, and resources related to the journal’s publication and submission processes.

• Aims scope
• Homepage
• Oa statement
• Author instructions
• License terms
• Review url
• Board url
• Copyright url
• Plagiarism url
• Preservation url
• Apc url
• License

Plagiarism Policy

This journal follows a plagiarism policy. All submitted manuscripts are screened using reliable plagiarism detection software to ensure originality and academic integrity. Authors are responsible for proper citation and acknowledgment of all sources, and any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, will not be tolerated.

For more details, please refer to our official: Plagiarism Policy.

APC Details

The journal’s Article Processing Charge (APC) policies support open access publishing in Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Mathematics and Neuroscience, ensuring accessibility and quality in research dissemination.

This journal requires an Article Processing Charge (APC) to support open access publishing, covering peer review, editing, and distribution. The current APC is 3,043.00 USD. Learn more.

Explore journals without APCs for alternative publishing options.

Most Cited Articles

The Most Cited Articles section features the journal's most impactful research, based on citation counts. These articles have been referenced frequently by other researchers, indicating their significant contribution to their respective fields.

• The Human Connectome: A Structural Description of the Human Brain

  Citation: 2654

  Authors: Olaf, Giulio, Rolf

• Combined Evidence Annotation of Transposable Elements in Genome Sequences

  Citation: 331

  Authors: Hadi, Casey M., Olivier, Delphine, Danielle, Michael, Dominique

• 3D Complex: A Structural Classification of Protein Complexes

  Citation: 310

  Authors: Emmanuel D., Jose B., Cyrus, Sarah A.

• Bioinformatics for Whole-Genome Shotgun Sequencing of Microbial Communities

  Citation: 289

  Authors: Kevin, Lior

• Selection of Target Sites for Mobile DNA Integration in the Human Genome

  Citation: 178

  Authors: Charles, Sridhar, Jeremy, Frederic D.

• Insight into the Structure of Amyloid Fibrils from the Analysis of Globular Proteins

  Citation: 176

  Authors: Antonio, Fabrizio, Amos, Flavio

• The Evolution of Two-Component Systems in Bacteria Reveals Different Strategies for Niche Adaptation

  Citation: 167

  Authors: Eric, Katherine, Adam

• A Curvature-Mediated Mechanism for Localization of Lipids to Bacterial Poles

  Citation: 156

  Authors: Kerwyn Casey, Ranjan, Ned S.

• Stern-Judging: A Simple, Successful Norm Which Promotes Cooperation under Indirect Reciprocity

  Citation: 151

  Authors: Jorge M., Francisco C., Fabio A. C. C.

• Prediction of Amyloidogenic and Disordered Regions in Protein Chains

  Citation: 148

  Authors: Oxana V., Sergiy O., Michail Yurievich