PLOS Biologue
PLOS Biologue is the community blog for PLOS Biology, PLOS Genetics, and PLOS Computational Biology, highlighting peer-reviewed open-access research and commentary for the global scientific community under the nonprofit PLOS umbrella.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What PLOS Biologue does
PLOS Biologue is the community blog operated under the PLOS (Public Library of Science) nonprofit umbrella, serving as a research commentary and news channel spanning three flagship journals: PLOS Biology, PLOS Genetics, and PLOS Computational Biology. PLOS itself is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation (Tax ID #C2354500) headquartered in California, USA, that has built its identity around advancing scientific communication through open-access publishing. The blog surfaces recently published articles, highlights research findings, and provides editorial commentary to the global scientific community.
The underlying platform is a web-based Open Access publishing system with manuscript submission, peer review, and editorial management workflows staffed by in-house editors and supported by an external editorial board. Articles published across the PLOS portfolio are made freely available without subscription barriers, and PLOS Biologue acts as a community-facing layer that drives engagement, distributes content via RSS, email newsletters, and social media (Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram), and facilitates in-person interaction at major conferences such as SMBE 2026, EMBO events, FENS Forum 2026, and ISSCR 2026.
PLOS generates revenue through Article Processing Charges (APCs) paid by authors for open-access publication, with the specific fee structure hosted at plos.org/publication-fees. The customer base is a horizontal, long-tail of academic researchers, scientists, institutions, and libraries across biological, computational, and genetic sciences, served globally without geographic restrictions. No specific APC pricing is disclosed, and PLOS operates as an independent nonprofit without venture capital backing or parent company ownership.
PLOS Biologue firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PLOS Biologue
- Legal name
- PLOS (Public Library of Science)
- Website
- https://plosbiology.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- PLOS Biologue is the community blog for PLOS Biology, PLOS Genetics, and PLOS Computational Biology, highlighting peer-reviewed open-access research and commentary for the global scientific community under the nonprofit PLOS umbrella.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PLOS Biologue industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Publishing (Open Access)
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Knowledge Management & Scientific Collaboration / Literature Intelligence (HLAGAJAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL)
Keywords
Where PLOS Biologue is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PLOS Biologue business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Publication Fees (Article Processing Charges): PLOS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that generates revenue through publication fees charged to authors for Open Access publishing. The specific fee structure is referenced externally at plos.org/publication-fees.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
PLOS Biologue product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PLOS Biologue is a community blog platform operated by PLOS (Public Library of Science) that provides commentary, research highlights, and news coverage across the PLOS Biology, PLOS Genetics, and PLOS Computational Biology journals. The underlying PLOS Biology journal is a peer-reviewed Open Access scientific journal publishing primary research articles, short reports, essays, and community pages across all areas of biological science, with global unrestricted digital access and no subscription barriers.
Product overview
PLOS Biologue is a platform consisting of the PLOS Biology journal and its associated community blog. PLOS Biology is the core Open Access journal offering publication services for biological science research, while PLOS Biologue serves as the community-facing blog that highlights recently published articles, provides commentary, and shares research news across the PLOS Biology, PLOS Genetics, and PLOS Computational Biology journals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PLOS Biology: Open Access journal covering all areas of biological science
- PLOS Biologue
Products and services
- PLOS Biology Journal A peer-reviewed Open Access scientific journal covering all areas of biological science that publishes research articles, essays, short reports, and community pages across disciplines including neuroscience, genetics, cell biology, and ecology, targeted at biological science researchers and academic institutions worldwide.
- PLOS Biologue Community Blog Community blog for PLOS Biology, PLOS Genetics, and PLOS Computational Biology that features research highlights, commentary, and scientific news updates, targeted at the scientific research community.
Companies that use PLOS Biologue
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PLOS Biologue technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
PLOS Biologue partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
PLOS Biologue competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- bioRxiv / medRxiv: bioRxiv is a leading free preprint server for biological sciences. While not a peer-reviewed journal, it competes as a zero-cost dissemination channel that can siphon early-stage manuscripts from PLOS Biology and adjacent OA journals.
- F1000Research: F1000Research uses an open post-publication peer-review and APC-funded model covering life sciences. It overlaps with PLOS Biology on author-facing OA workflows but differs in editorial model.
- PeerJ: PeerJ publishes OA peer-reviewed research in biological and medical sciences via APCs. It is a more focused/specialized OA competitor that overlaps with PLOS Biology's author base and APC pricing model.
Direct peers
- Frontiers: Frontiers operates a large portfolio of open-access journals across biology and life sciences using an APC-funded model. It directly competes with PLOS Biology for submissions and serves similar researcher audiences.
- BioMed Central (BMC Biology): BMC Biology is an OA flagship biology journal from BioMed Central, covering similar biological sciences scope and using APC-based revenue. It directly competes for biology authors and readers against PLOS Biology.
- eLife: eLife is a nonprofit open-access journal publishing peer-reviewed research across the life sciences, including biology. It directly competes with PLOS Biology for author submissions and reader attention in the OA life-sciences space.
Broad incumbents
- PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences publishes peer-reviewed biological sciences research with broad reach. Although subscription-based with OA options, it competes with PLOS Biology for influential biology manuscripts.
- Cell Reports: Cell Reports is a broad OA journal from Cell Press covering biological sciences. It overlaps with PLOS Biology's scope and competes for high-impact biology submissions within a larger subscription/OA portfolio.
- Oxford Open Life Science / OUP journals: Oxford University Press operates a portfolio of OA and hybrid journals in biological sciences, including Oxford Open Life Science. It provides competing OA pathways for biology authors within a broader academic publishing portfolio.
- Nature Communications: Nature Communications is a broad-scope OA journal from Springer Nature covering biology and adjacent fields. As a flagship OA title from a major incumbent publisher, it competes for top biology submissions that might otherwise go to PLOS Biology.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PLOS Biologue social profiles
Digital presencePLOS Biologue financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PLOS Biologue leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PLOS Biologue funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PLOS Biologue M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PLOS Biologue
What does PLOS Biologue do?
PLOS Biologue is a community blog platform operated by PLOS (Public Library of Science) that provides commentary, research highlights, and news coverage across the PLOS Biology, PLOS Genetics, and PLOS Computational Biology journals. The underlying PLOS Biology journal is a peer-reviewed Open Access scientific journal publishing primary research articles, short reports, essays, and community pages across all areas of biological science, with global unrestricted digital access and no subscription barriers.
Is PLOS Biologue a public or private company?
PLOS Biologue is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PLOS Biologue founded?
PLOS Biologue was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is PLOS Biologue based?
PLOS Biologue is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does PLOS Biologue make money?
One revenue line is on record: publication Fees (Article Processing Charges).
Who are PLOS Biologue's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are bioRxiv / medRxiv, F1000Research and PeerJ. Direct peers are Frontiers, BioMed Central (BMC Biology) and eLife. Broad incumbents are PNAS, Cell Reports, Oxford Open Life Science / OUP journals and Nature Communications.
Does PLOS Biologue have an API?
No public API is recorded for PLOS Biologue.
What industry is PLOS Biologue in?
PLOS Biologue's product category is Scientific Publishing (Open Access). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAJAN, Knowledge Management & Scientific Collaboration / Literature Intelligence, with a secondary code of EDAGAFAL, Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing. Its NAICS code is 54171 and its SIC code is 2721.