Decoding 50 Years of Biochemical Breakthroughs: A Look Back & Ahead
"Celebrating a half-century of The FEBS Journal: From its origins in Germany to its current digital frontier, explore the pivotal moments, key discoveries, and future trends shaping biochemical research."
This year marks the 50th anniversary of The FEBS Journal, a publication with roots stretching back over a century. Originally launched in 1906 as the Biochemische Zeitschrift, a German-language journal, it was reborn in April 1966 when the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) partnered with Springer-Verlag. This collaboration led to its continuation under a new name: the European Journal of Biochemistry.
Under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Claude Liébecq, the journal's editorial board convened for the first time in July 1966. The first submission arrived in September of the same year, and the inaugural issue of the European Journal of Biochemistry was published on March 1, 1967. In 2005, the journal adopted its current title, The FEBS Journal.
From its humble beginnings, accepting manuscripts in German, French, or English, The FEBS Journal has evolved significantly. In its first year, it published just over 150 manuscripts. Today, it boasts an archive of over 32,000 manuscripts and publishes around 320 articles annually. This article explores the key milestones, influential research, and future directions of this esteemed publication.
Reach Across Molecular Life Sciences
The FEBS Journal describes its scope as all aspects of the molecular life sciences. It says its commitment to publishing rigorous, high-impact research brings together diverse communities. The supplied source gives no publication counts, citation figures, or other quantitative impact statistics.
Comparing Standard-Addition Strategies
A 2021 study compares the extrapolation approach traditionally used with standard additions against interpolation, reversed-axis, and normalization strategies. Its interpolation approach uses twice the analytical signal recorded for the sample (ysam) to determine an unknown analyte concentration. The reversed-axis strategy swaps the x- and y-axes. The supplied excerpt describes these approaches but does not report which performs best or detail their limitations.
From Biochemische Zeitschrift to The FEBS Journal
The FEBS Journal’s history traces back to Biochemische Zeitschrift, founded in 1906. In April 1966, FEBS, the German Gesellschaft für Biologische Chemie, and Springer-Verlag agreed that FEBS would continue publishing the journal under a different name. The European Journal of Biochemistry first appeared on 1 March 1967, and it was renamed The FEBS Journal in 2005. These milestones chart the journal’s changing name and publishing arrangements, rather than specific biochemical discoveries.
Key Moments and Milestones in The FEBS Journal's Evolution
The FEBS Journal's journey is marked by several pivotal moments that reflect the changing landscape of biochemical research and publishing:
- 1966: European Journal of Biochemistry is approved at the 3rd FEBS Congress; Claude Liébecq is named as the first Editor in Chief, and the first editorial meeting is held in Heidelberg.
- 1967: The European Journal of Biochemistry is officially launched.
- 1986: Publication of the first review article, focusing on 'Micellar enzymology.'
- 1988: Philipp Christen becomes the second Editor-in-Chief, and the editorial office moves from Liège to Zürich.
- 1998: Richard Perham takes over as the third Editor-in-Chief; the office relocates from Zürich to Cambridge, and the journal begins publishing with Blackwell.
- 2002: The journal implements an online submission system and introduces 'early view' online publication.
- 2004: Launch of the annual Prize for Young Scientists
- 2005: The journal is renamed The FEBS Journal.
- 2008: Recognized as a 'rising star' by Science Watch.
- 2010: Accepted articles are published online.
- 2011: The journal begins publishing Special Issues.
- 2013: Adoption of online-only publication and signing of DORA (Declaration on Research Assessment).
- 2014: Seamus Martin appointed fourth Editor-in-Chief and the launch of State-of-the-Art Reviews.
- 2015: Launch of Structural Snapshots and Viewpoints.
- 2016: Formal support for preprints and open data.
A Chemical-Biology Interface
The supplied listing describes an ACS journal for chemical biology research at the chemistry-biology interface. It does not name a specific study, research finding, or review. Accordingly, this source supports a brief description of the journal’s stated subject area, not a summary of recent results.
Pressures on Life-Science Publishing
An EBSCO article says peer-reviewed journals remain the gold standard for communicating life-science findings, but argues that the gold has been debased in the digital age. It lists reviewer fatigue, fraud, paper mills, risks from artificial intelligence, predatory journals, and continued use of journal impact factor as a proxy among the problems. The supplied excerpt identifies these concerns but does not quantify their prevalence.
Metrics for Comparing Journals
An Exaly comparison page defines 2-year impact as citations in the last two years per citable item, describing this as a window familiar to authors. Another Exaly comparison of The FEBS Journal and Essays in Biochemistry lists publication speed, impact, self-citation, retractions, and the citation advantage of open-access publishing as comparison dimensions. The supplied summaries give no comparative values or rankings for these journals.
The Next 50 Years: Embracing Change and Championing Scientific Integrity
As scientific publishing evolves, The FEBS Journal remains committed to serving and supporting scientists. This includes providing open access options, fast peer review, and limiting the number of revisions. By eliminating page and color figure charges and ensuring high visibility for every published paper, the journal continues to prioritize authors and readers.
Supporting a Research Community
FEBS describes itself as a charitable organization supporting research and education in the molecular life sciences. Its activities include journals, a congress, advanced courses, fellowships, awards, and other initiatives. FEBS also says it brings together thousands of members of national biochemistry and molecular biology societies in Europe and neighbouring regions.
Future Visions for Molecular Life Sciences
The current issue page for Trends in Biochemical Sciences features a special series titled “TIBS at 50 – Regional reflections and future visions.” It includes an article titled “Building scientific communities for the future of the molecular life sciences: The role of FEBS.” A separate hub post dated March 4, 2026, highlights 10 future trends in biochemistry and says each trend links to an in-depth article, but the supplied summary does not name those trends.
The FEBS Journal has introduced a figure-checking step to ensure data integrity, demonstrating a commitment to robust and reliable research. The journal is also planning several Special Issues for 2018 and 2019, including a Cancer and Inflammation Special Issue.
The FEBS Journal embraces the future while upholding its core values of scientific rigor, accessibility, and community support. As preprints and postpublication review gain prominence, the journal will adapt and innovate to meet the evolving needs of researchers worldwide. Consider submitting your next manuscript and become a part of FEBS Journal's ongoing story.