Nature Biotechnology is a monthly journal covering the science and business of biotechnology. It publishes new concepts in technology/methodology of relevance to the biological, biomedical, agricultural and environmental sciences as well as covers the commercial, political, ethical, legal, and societal aspects of this research. The first function is fulfilled by the peer-reviewed research section, the second by the expository efforts in the front of the journal. We provide researchers with news about business; we provide the business community with news about research developments.

The core areas in which we are actively seeking research papers include: molecular engineering of nucleic acids and proteins; molecular therapy (therapeutics genes, antisense, siRNAs, aptamers, DNAzymes, ribozymes, peptides, proteins); large-scale biology (genomics, functional genomics, proteomics, structural genomics, metabolomics, etc.); computational biology (algorithms and modeling), regenerative medicine (stem cells, tissue engineering, biomaterials); imaging technology; analytical biotechnology (sensors/detectors for analytes/macromolecules), applied immunology (antibody engineering, xenotransplantation, T-cell therapies); food and agricultural biotechnology; and environmental biotechnology. A comprehensive list of areas of interest is shown below.

Genetic engineering

  Strategies for controlling gene expression
  Strategies for manipulating gene structure
  Strategies for gene containment

Large-scale approaches

  Technologies for analyzing gene function (e.g., arrays, SAGE)
  Technologies for analyzing gene structure/organization (e.g., molecular beacons)
 Chemogenomics or chemical genetics
 Pharmacogenomics/SNPs
 Computational analysis

Proteomics
 Technologies for analyzing/identifying protein structure/function (e.g., 2-D gels, mass spectrometry, yeast two-hybrid, SPR, NMR, arrays and chips)
 Structural genomics
 Computational analysis

Metabolomics
 Technologies for analyzing/profiling metabolites (chromatography, mass spectrometry)
 Computational analysis

Computational biology
 
 Bioinformatics; algorithms; data deconvolution
 Modeling and systems biology: kinetics-based models and constraints-based models

Molecular engineering

 Rational approaches for proteins/antibodies/enzymes/drugs
 Molecular evolution
 Molecular breeding approaches

Metabolic engineering

 Genetic manipulation of species of interest to modify or allow the production of a commercially or therapeutically relevant compound
 Computational analysis

Novel expression systems
   
 Mammalian cells
 Insect cells
 Bacteria
 Fungi
 Plant cells

Delivery of genes, drugs, or cells

 Targeting strategies
 Viral and nonviral vector strategies

Imaging

   Reporter molecules
   Imaging approaches/technologies for visualizing whole animals, cells, or single molecules
  Computational analysis

Nucleic acid therapeutics

 Gene therapy (targeting, expression, integration, immunogenicity)
 Antisense
 RNAi
 DNAzymes and ribozymes
 Other (e.g., chimeric oligonucleotides/triple helix)

Nanobiotechnology

 Nanomaterials for use in drug delivery or as therapeutics
 Nanomaterials for use in industrial biotechnology
 Nanosensors
 Nanosystems for imaging molecules and cells

Vaccines and applied immunology

 Antibody engineering
 T-cell therapies
 Therapies exploiting innate immunity (e.g. complement)
 Antigen delivery vectors and approaches
 Nucleic acid vaccines
 Computational analysis

Regenerative medicine

 Stem cells
 Tissue engineering
 Therapeutic cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer)
 Xenotransplantation
 Biomaterials

Biosensors

 Approaches for detecting biological molecules
 Use of biological systems in detecting analytes

Assay systems

 Approaches for multiplexing and increasing throughput
 Selection/screening strategies for gene/proteins/drugs
 Microfluidics

Biomaterials
 Engineering materials for biological application
 Molecular imprinting
 Biomimetics
 Nanotechnology

Agbiotech and transgenic plants
 Crop improvement (resistance to stress, disease, pests)
 Nutraceuticals
 Forest biotechnology
 Plant vaccines
 Plants as bioreactors
 Gene-containment strategies

Pharming

  Transgenic animals
 Knockouts
 Reproductive cloning
 Biopharmaceutical and enzyme production
 Transgene targeting and expression strategies

Environmental

 Bioremediation
 Biomining
 Phytoremediation
 Monitoring