Scope

This is an interdisciplinary Specialty that features the modelling and discovery of emergent properties in complex biological systems. One of the main objectives is to relate the structure and dynamics of biological systems with their physiology and phenotypic traits through an approach that integrates theoretical models, computational analysis and empirical data. Such analysis can be conducted at any scale of biological organization, ranging from single cells to ecological systems. Contrary to the reductionist paradigm commonly used in Molecular Biology, in Systems Biology the understanding of the behaviour and evolution of complex biological systems need not necessarily be based on a detailed molecular description of the interactions between the system’s constituent parts. Therefore, we welcome Systems Biology research with or without underlying molecular mechanisms justifying the system-level description. Translation of system-level approaches into computer-aided diagnosis and treatment of disease, health-maintenance interventions, and the clinical practice are also welcome.

The scope of the section embraces a wide range of topics in systems biology, physiology, and medicine, including (but not limited to): dynamics and evolution of metabolic and gene regulatory networks, integrative and computational neuroscience, evolutionary genomics, cell dynamics, organismal development, computational biology, ecosystem dynamics, integrative and behavioural medicine, etc. The section's main focus is on analytical and computational models that are strongly supported and inspired by real biological systems and that integrate current empirical knowledge. Work presenting experimental data without a theoretical or computational modelling component will not be considered and neither will work with theoretical models only tangentially inspired by biological systems. Manuscripts that center on Microbial Systems should be submitted to the Systems Microbiology section of Frontiers in Microbiology.

Please consider the content and article type specifications as stated below 

Articles that address purely pathological processes or treatment/management of disease do not fall within the areas covered by Frontiers in Physiology. Articles of this type must be submitted to a more appropriate clinical journal. As an example, all cancer related articles should be submitted to an appropriate section of Frontiers in Oncology. Articles that focus exclusively on disease processes will be returned to authors without review, and/or with a suggestion to submit to a more appropriate Frontiers journal. Similarly, all articles with a research focus on genes and genomes should be submitted to an appropriate section of Frontiers in Genetics; these submissions will not be considered for review in Frontiers in Physiology.

Please note that not all Article Types are available in all Sections. Some article types, such as those that mention medicine, are section specific. Authors are encouraged to refer to the section specific 'About' pages for available article types. Special circumstances related to sections cross-listed between two or more journals also apply, read more below. Only article types that appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process are available for submission to the selected section.

Frontiers in Physiology no longer accepts Clinical Trials and Case Reports, including pilot studies.

The WHO defines a clinical trial as "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". 

In most cases, these submissions should be directed to one of the Frontiers medically related journals. Articles of this nature submitted to Frontiers in Physiology will be returned to authors without review, and/or with a suggestion to submit to a more appropriate Frontiers journal.

Due to the nature of our publishing program, sections cross-listed between two or more journals (for e.g. Systems Biology) may continue to welcome these article types, and others, by submission through the other relevant field journal. However, authors should not proceed with submission of a clinical trial, case report or pilot study through Frontiers in Physiology. As stated, articles of this nature submitted to Frontiers in Physiology will be returned to authors without review, and/or with a suggestion to submit to a more appropriate Frontiers journal.

In the case of General Commentaries, the journal will only consider those which comment on a paper already published with Frontiers. Special exception may be given if a commentary addresses a body of knowledge, pending approval from section Chief Editors.

Submission

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