Nature Publishing Group Builds On Success In China With New Open Access Journal

Nature.com--November 18, 2014--Nature Publishing Group has cemented its partnership with the Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences (SIBS) by renewing the contract for Cell Research for a second time and by launching a new open access journal, Cell Discovery. Cell Discovery will be China's first broad-spectrum life science open access journal.

Nature Publishing Group has published Cell Research, a journal by the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS) and the Chinese Society for Cell Biology, for eight years. SIBS is affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and is a national R&D organization for conducting comprehensive studies on life sciences in China.

The journal has seen phenomenal success in its ten years, increasing its Thomson Reuters Impact Factor from 3.426 to 11.981 between 2006 and 2013, making it the leading life science journal of the entire Asia-Pacific area. In light of this success, NPG and SIBS are launching Cell Discovery, an open access journal for all areas of molecular and cell biology.

Annette Thomas, CEO of Macmillan Science and Education (NPG's parent company) said: "It is one of NPG's strategic goals to introduce China’s best scientific research to the world while assisting the country in publishing world-class research journals.

"The renewed partnership with SIBS and the agreement to co-publish Cell Discovery, a new open access journal fully indicate such a strategy is fruitful and that our co-publishing initiative continues to go from strength to strength. The launch of Cell Discovery represents our confidence in our future partnership and is aligned with our long-term strategy to push forward OA publishing with all of our efforts."

Cell Discovery will be open for submissions from December 2014. It will publish results of significance and originality in all areas of molecular & cell biology, including (but not limited to) cell growth and differentiation, signal transduction, apoptosis, stem cells, development, immunology, neurosciences, plant cell biology, chromatin modulation, epigenetics and transcription.

The editorial team of Cell Discovery is led by Professors Gang Pei and Dangsheng Li, who also head Cell Research. A highly respected international Editorial Board will be working with the editorial team of Cell Discovery and with NPG to develop the journal into a highly visible platform and journal of choice for scientists all around the world.

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About Cell Research
Cell Research received its first impact factor in 2001, and its IF was around 2 from 2001 to 2005. The journal entered a rapid developing phase since 2006, as indicated by its IFs of 3.426, 4.217, 4.535, 8.151, 9.417, 8.190, 10.526, and 11.981 for the year of 2006 to 2013. It is currently the top life science journal in the entire Asia-Pacific area and also has joined the group of premium international journals in the field. Cell Research remains committed to innovative publishing and service to academic communities.

About Nature Publishing Group (NPG)
Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is a publisher of high impact scientific information in print and online. NPG publishes journals, online databases and services across the life, physical, chemical and applied sciences.

Focusing on the needs of scientists, Nature (founded in 1869) is the leading weekly, international scientific journal. NPG publishes a range of Nature research journals and Nature Reviews journals, and a range of prestigious academic and partner journals including society-owned publications. Online, nature.com provides over 8 million visitors per month with access to NPG publications and services, including news and comment from Nature, and the leading scientific jobs board Naturejobs.

Scientific American is at the heart of NPG's consumer media division, meeting the needs of the general public. Founded in 1845, Scientific American is the oldest continuously published magazine in the US and the leading authoritative publication for science in the general media. Together with scientificamerican.com and 14 local language editions around the world it reaches over 5 million consumers and scientists. Other titles include Scientific American Mind and Spektrum der Wissenschaft in Germany.

Throughout all its businesses NPG is dedicated to serving the scientific community and the wider scientifically interested general public. Part of Macmillan Science and Education, NPG is a global company with principal offices in London, New York and Tokyo, and offices in cities worldwide including Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Cairo, Dubai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Melbourne, Osaka, Seoul, Barcelona, Madrid, Basingstoke, Heidelberg, Munich and Paris. For more information, please go to www.nature.com.

Contact: Amy Bourke
Corporate Communications Manager
Nature Publishing Group/Palgrave Macmillan
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