Special Issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues
Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors.
Traditionally, developmental biology has primarily been seen as the study of the embryo. However, developmental processes and pathways are used throughout the life of an animal to maintain and regenerate tissues. For example, high turnover tissues rely on tissue-resident stem cells that undergo continuous cycles of cell fate specification and differentiation, while repair and regeneration require the spatiotemporal coordination of a complex suite of developmental events. Moreover, systemic inputs – either internal (such as from the hormonal or immune systems) or external (from the environment) – can induce radical changes in tissue organisation, such as experience-dependent rewiring of neuronal circuits, pregnancy-induced development of the mammary gland of mammals, or starvation-induced whole body degrowth in a range of invertebrates. In this special issue, we seek to highlight papers that look beyond the embryo and focus on how developmental processes are reused across the lifespan of an animal.
We encourage submission of Research Articles and Reports, as well as of Techniques and Resources papers. Prospective authors are welcome to send pre-submission enquiries to [email protected]. We also invite proposals for Review-type articles: if you are interested in contributing a Review, please send a summary of your proposed article to us by 15 January 2025. Please review our overview of article types and refer to our author guidelines for information about manuscript preparation.
The special issue will be published in late 2025 (although note that, in our continuous publication model, we will aim to publish articles as soon as they are accepted*). The issue will be widely promoted online and at key global conferences, guaranteeing maximum exposure for your work.
Visit our submit to Development page for more information. To submit your article, visit our online submission system; please highlight in your cover letter that the submission is to be considered for this special issue.
The deadline for submitting articles is 15 May 2025.
*Please note that, according to timing and volume of submissions, not all articles accepted for publication will be included in the special issue; they may instead be published in earlier or later issues of the journal.
Stay up to date on Development news
Never want to miss a new call for papers or a published special issue? Want to learn more about how Development supports its community through grants and meetings? Sign up to Development news and receive the latest news from the journal in your inbox. You can also follow us on X, Mastodon, Facebook and Instagram.
Why choose Development?
- Submissions handled by expert academic Editors
- Competitive decision speeds and rapid publication
- Preprint-friendly policies and format-free submission
- Strong commitment at first decision – around 95% of invited revisions accepted
- Free to publish or Open Access options available
- Easy one-click transfer option to Biology Open
- Not-for-profit publisher
Are you eligible for fee-free Open Access publishing in Development?
Development is a Transformative Journal and offers several publishing options that comply with Open Access funder mandates. We offer fee-free Open Access publishing to corresponding authors of institutions that have a Read & Publish agreement with The Company of Biologists. Check to see if your institute is taking part in our Read & Publish initiative.
Contribute to The Forest of Biologists
The Company of Biologists currently plants a native tree in a UK forest for each Research and Review article published in Development and its sister journals. In addition, we are protecting and restoring ancient woodland in recognition of our peer reviewers. The Forest of Biologists is a celebration of the work of the scientists whose research and expertise fills our journals. It aims to counteract nature loss, and safeguard some of the most critically endangered ecosystems. Visit The Forest of Biologists.
View previous special issues from Development.
Last updated: 14 November 2024
