Format your manuscript to the Matrix Biology Plus requirements — abstract, Elsevier format-free at submission (any consistent style; journal style applied at proof) references, and required declarations — and submit through Editorial Manager without a formatting rejection.
4.3
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
Getting past the desk at Matrix Biology Plus is usually less about the research and more about matching the journal’s exact submission rules. This template is built around MBP’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, Elsevier format-free at submission (any consistent style; journal style applied at proof) references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the MBP Guide for Authors; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to MBP’s specifications for open-access research on the extracellular matrix. Biology Plus is published by Elsevier. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in Elsevier format-free at submission (any consistent style; journal style applied at proof) style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is a concise and factual abstract of ≤250 words, no references. The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses Elsevier format-free at submission (any consistent style; journal style applied at proof). Close with the declarations block: conflict of interest, funding, ethics approval and consent, and data availability.
Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep Elsevier format-free at submission (any consistent style; journal style applied at proof) formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through Editorial Manager — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what MBP’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, Elsevier format-free at submission (any consistent style; journal style applied at proof) reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the MBP journal home page. Matrix Biology Plus is fully open access; an article-processing charge applies — check the current APC and any waiver. Manuscripts go in through Editorial Manager, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | MBP requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | a concise and factual abstract of ≤250 words, no references |
| Main text | Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) |
| Declarations | Conflict of interest, funding, ethics approval and consent, and data availability |
| Figures / tables | Captioned, cited in order; check format and resolution rules in the guide |
| Supplemental | Large datasets, extra tables, code — uploaded separately and cited in text |
| Submission | Editorial Manager |
Read the MBP Guide for Authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set Elsevier format-free at submission (any consistent style; journal style applied at proof) as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in.
Skim two or three recent MBP papers to calibrate depth, structure, and figure style. State your contribution in the first two paragraphs, not on page ten. Write a data-availability statement that names a real repository rather than a placeholder, and disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in your cover letter. Confirm current open-access pricing and any institutional agreement before committing to a fee.
Do one focused pass against the MBP Guide for Authors: scope fit, abstract format, length, Elsevier format-free at submission (any consistent style; journal style applied at proof) references, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.