Entering the new millennium—equipped with all sorts of -omics data growing at an incredible speed—the biological sciences are slowly moving from a reductionistic to a holistic view of biological complexity. One such example is the complex organismal behavior based on signaling and communication processes. The extreme intricacy of these processes requires integrated systemic approaches. This new journal, Communicative & Integrative Biology, will serve as a platform for the synthesis of the biological sciences. The focus will be organismal communication, however, Communicative & Integrative Biology will deal with communication at all levels of biological organization from subcellular organelles to societies, ecosystems and the biosphere as a whole. In particular, "Sensory Ecology" represents a new rapidly emerging field which combines animal and plant communication and signaling (biosemiotics) with cognition, evolution, ecology and behavioral ecology, as well as biophysics and neuroethology.
Complex behavior is based on integrated sensory systems. These provide all organisms with positive and negative experiences and memories, culminating in an active cognition that is optimized for adaptation to and survival in an ever-changing environment, challenged by diverse abiotic and biotic stimuli. Surprisingly, this paradigm, created through studies on animals, is now emerging as valid also for plants and microorganisms. In addition, continuous communication and integrated signaling underlies stress adaptation, pathogenesis, parasitism, immunity, symbiosis, mutualism and other interorganismal interactions. All of which will be the focus of Communicative & Integrative Biology.
Articles published in CIB will be widely read because the journal is open access. There are no subscriber fees to access articles.
Articles published in CIB will be widely cited because articles will be published immediately following issue publication date and at PubMed Central with a link to the full-length paper.
CIB strives for the rapid exchange of information by ensuring prompt peer reviews.
Online manuscript submission and peer review ensures easy tracking of manuscript status.
CIB recognizes that excellent papers may have been passed over by other journals, such as Nature and Science. Papers rejected from other top journals may be submitted with previous reviews and decision letters, saving our authors time and effort.
Publication in CIB is affordable (no traditional page charges). Authors pay one Open Access fee: The required fee for open access is based on article type: Research Papers ($1000), Reviews ($750), Mini-Reviews and Article Addenda ($500).