The Company of Biologists

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Not-for-profit publisher of Development, Journal of Cell Science, Journal of Experimental Biology, Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open. Host of community sites the Node, preLights and FocalPlane. Supporting biologists and inspiring biology.

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Call for papers - Proteostasis
As a laboratory currently operating without dedicated funding, the ability to publish fee-free Open Access through our institution’s Read & Publish agreement was absolutely crucial for us. Without this support, covering article processing charges would have been impossible. Beyond the financial relief, The Company of Biologists made the entire submission and publication process incredibly straightforward and effortless to handle. It is fantastic to have a pathway that ensures our research reaches a global audience without financial barriers, while still experiencing such smooth, professional editorial support.
Workshop - Bridging Scales and Disciplines to Understand Robust Development, early-career researchers apply for funded places
I was pleased to publish my article in the Journal of Experimental Biology Open Access through the Read & Publish agreement between the University of Oxford and The Company of Biologists. Such agreements provide valuable support for researchers by enabling Open Access publishing, particularly during periods of funding uncertainty. I also appreciate that these initiatives help sustain not-for-profit publishers like The Company of Biologists, which has a long-standing commitment to advancing scientific research and supporting the research community, and have supported me from the first year of my PhD, 22 years ago.
While Development has been my lab’s journal of choice for many years due to the ease and transparency of the review and publication process and the target audience, the fact that our institution has a Read & Publish agreement with The Company of Biologists makes this truly a no-brainer. In these times of skyrocketing APC fees and diminishing funding, we appreciate how The Company of Biologists makes it possible to get your science out there in a timely and cost-effective manner.
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Science image with details of meeting: Title: Innovative Preclinical Models for Pediatric Cancer Research Date: 13 – 15 October 2026 Location: Nationwide Children’s Hospital Conference Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA Organisers: James Amatruda, Pratiti (Mimi) Bandopadhayay, Ana Banito and Elaine Mardis
Being able to publish our research Open Access in Journal of Experimental Biology through my institutions’ Read & Publish agreement with The Company of Biologists has made it possible for our work to quickly reach a global audience.
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Exhibition stand with banners about JEB, Open Access and BiO, a table with giveaways and The Company of Biologists logo
By publishing in Biology Open, my team benefited from fast, yet thorough peer review that provided thoughtful and constructive feedback on our manuscript. On top of efficient article production and responsive editorial communications, the Read & Publish Open Access agreement with the University of Toronto allowed us to publish free of charge, making our work immediately accessible without redirecting limited grant funds away from research activities. This optimized publishing process is very valuable for students and trainees, because it helps their work reach the scientific community quickly while supporting their development as emerging researchers. I hope this agreement is continued, as it accelerates the sharing of important research findings while helping laboratories make the best use of hard-to-come-by research funds.
Science image with meeting details: Innovative Preclinical Models for Pediatric Cancer Research Date: 13 – 15 October 2026 Location: Nationwide Children’s Hospital Conference Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA Organisers: James Amatruda, Pratiti (Mimi) Bandopadhayay, Ana Banito and Elaine Mardis
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Development was our first choice to publish Fred Koitz’s dissertation research. UNC Chapel Hill’s Read & Publish agreement with The Company of Biologists allows our work to reach a broad audience of developmental biologists and satisfy our funder’s Open Access requirement, all at no additional cost to the lab. We are grateful for the opportunity!
We chose to publish our article in Biology Open for several reasons. One important factor was our wish to support The Company of Biologists, which plays an active and valuable role in supporting our scientific community. The Read & Publish agreement with our institution also made it possible for us to publish our work fee-free as Open Access, ensuring that the article is immediately accessible to everyone. Overall, the publication experience was smooth, constructive and efficient.
Integrating Physiology and Behavior in Assessment of Ectotherm Heat Tolerance Date: 7-10 March 2027 Location: Buxted Park, East Sussex, UK Organisers: Michael Ørsted and Johannes Overgaard
Group photo of Workshop attendees
I was very happy to publish fee-free Open Access through our institution’s Read & Publish agreement. For me, the real value was that this enabled not only Open Access, but also a smooth, quick, and genuinely constructive peer-review process. Biology Open’s practice of compensating reviewers is rare and, in my view, contributes to a more respectful and high-quality review culture. The fact that a tree was also planted in recognition of the article made the experience even more positive. Overall, this felt like an excellent use of university-supported publishing funds.
The Company of Biologists’ Sustainability Initiative Event carbon calculator Blogs and advice Grants Logo: The Company of Biologists
Card with event details: Workshop: Rethinking Cell Differentiation and Development: A Unicellular Perspective Organisers: Elena Casacuberta and James Gahan Date: 6 – 9 December 2026 Venue: Buxted Park, East Sussex, UK
“My co-authors and I were very pleasantly surprised to learn that our Disease Models & Mechanisms article could be published Open Access at no charge to us through the Read & Publish agreement between The Company of Biologists and The University of Utah. In recognition of our article, The Company of Biologists even planted a holly tree in the Young People’s Forest at Mead in Derbyshire!”
“The opportunity to publish our article fee-free for Open Access under the Read & Publish agreement with the University of Toronto was the cherry on the cake. Not only is Development one of my favourite journals, with a fair and streamlined review process, but publishing fee free gives our work much wider visibility and provides an opportunity to get much more feedback. In the current funding environment, agreements such as the one between The Company of Biologists and the University of Toronto are key to be able to stretch research dollars while broadly disseminating research outputs.”
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Blog series: How to make labs more sustainable photo of guest author Jeroen Dobbelaere
“Publishing this work in Journal of Experimental Biology as fee-free Open Access through the Read & Publish agreement was extremely valuable. It allowed our research to be immediately accessible to the broad community interested in animal physiology and environmental biology without the barrier of article processing charges. Agreements like this make it much easier for researchers to share their work widely and ensure that publicly funded research can reach the audiences who can build on it.”
Rethinking Cell Differentiation and Development: A Unicellular Perspective Organisers: Elena Casacuberta and James Gahan Date: 6 – 9 December 2026 Venue: Buxted Park, East Sussex, UK
“Extremely helpful to be able to publish Open Access via my institution’s Read & Publish agreement. Streamlined process that was very easy to follow, and ensures the paper reaches a broad audience with minimal hassle; plus Development is one of my favourite journals!”
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Human Development: Stem Cells, Models, Embryos Date: 7 – 9 September 2026 Location: University of Warwick, UK
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Two promotional banners: one about Fast & Fair peer review, BiO’s initiative offering high-quality peer review within 7 working days, and the other about the benefits of OA publishing: usage increase, citation advantage and altmetrics boost.
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Selection of journal issues and article collections
Conference table with giveaways, posters, a Company of Biologists logo on the table cloth and roller banners at the back promoting JCS and Open Access publishing.
“It is certainly a great pleasure to publish in Development, a journal that I have been publishing in throughout my career (from PhD to postdoc to group leader) and consider one of the major journals in the field. The Read & Publish agreement with Oxford is a huge help and speaks to the high esteem that the journals of The Company of Biologists are held.”
“Applying for a grant from the Fund for Innovations in Sustainable Conferencing offered by The Company of Biologists helped us structure the conference under a unified vision of environmental responsibility and ensure coherence with our everyday habits throughout the event—something we knew was shared by most attendees, as confirmed by the feedback we received.” Feedback received from an organiser who was awarded with a grant from the Fund for Innovations in Sustainable Conferencing
Event image card: Human Development: Stem Cells, Models, Embryos Date: 7 – 9 September 2026 Location: University of Warwick, UK
Rethinking Cell Differentiation and Development: A Unicellular Perspective Date: 6-9 December 2026 Location: Buxted Park, East Sussex, UK Organisers: Elena Casacuberta and James Gahan Early-career researchers apply for a funded place
Integrating Multi-Modal, Multi-Scale Models of Cardiovascular Disease Mechanisms. Organisers: Jennifer Davis, Christine Mummery and Beth Pruitt. Date: 8 – 11 November 2026. Venue: Buxted Park, East Sussex, UK.
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Tote bag, lunch bag, travel mug, postcards, stickers, coaster, charging cable
Reviews Editor Ingrid Tsang and the Node Community Manager Andrea Murillo will be attending BSDB Spring Meeting 2026. Feel free to reach out to them with questions you might have about publishing in the journal or other activities from our not-for-profit publisher The Company of Biologists. Collect Development and the Node goodies from The Company of Biologists’ booth. Photos of Ingrid and Andrea
“Development is one of my favorite journals for the breadth and rigor of studies they publish. I was therefore delighted when I unexpectedly learned that my institution would cover the Open Access fee to make our article accessible to all. It is great to know the University of Southern California supports a scientist-lead, non-profit journal such as Development and participates in their Read & Publish agreement.”
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