bioRxiv
bioRxiv is a website for sharing biology and life science preprints before journal peer review, giving researchers and readers early access to manuscripts, versions, subjects, and links to later publication.
What bioRxiv is
bioRxiv is a website at biorxiv.org where researchers share biology and life science manuscripts before journal peer review. It is a preprint server: a place for early public circulation, not a journal that certifies articles through peer review before posting.
Preprints before peer review
A bioRxiv manuscript can make new work visible while journal review is still pending or before a formal journal submission is complete. That speed is useful for discovery, feedback, priority, and open discussion, but it changes how the page should be read. A preprint may later be revised, withdrawn, linked to a published article, or remain available only as a preprint.
Subject coverage
The NLM Catalog summarizes bioRxiv as a preprint service for life sciences research and lists subject areas including biochemistry, bioengineering, bioinformatics, cancer biology, cell biology, ecology, evolution, genetics, genomics, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, plant biology, synthetic biology, systems biology, zoology, and scientific communication. It also notes that bioRxiv does not include clinical studies or clinical trials.
How to read a bioRxiv page
A careful reader checks the title, authors, posting date, version number, abstract, figures, methods, license, comments, metrics, and any link to a journal-published version. The most important habit is simple: treat bioRxiv as early research communication. It can be valuable evidence, but it should not be presented as if it has already passed journal peer review.
Screening, versions, and links
Preprint servers usually apply screening before public posting, but screening is not the same as peer review. Version history matters because authors can update a manuscript after feedback or new analysis. When a bioRxiv page links to a later journal article, readers should compare the preprint and published version instead of assuming they are identical.
Governance and openRxiv
openRxiv describes itself as the organizational home of bioRxiv and medRxiv, with the platforms focused on sharing biomedical research manuscripts before journal peer review. It says bioRxiv was founded at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory by John Inglis and Richard Sever in 2013, and that bioRxiv and medRxiv now operate as separate platforms with common technologies, complementary policies, and a shared team.
Why it matters
bioRxiv matters because biology moves faster when manuscripts can be read, discussed, and connected before the slower journal process finishes. It helps researchers claim priority, invite feedback, share negative or timely results, and make work visible to people without journal access. The same speed also creates risk: journalists, policymakers, investors, and readers must be clear when a claim comes from an unreviewed preprint.
WHOIS domain data
Data pulled: June 1, 2026View current WHOIS record
- Domain
- biorxiv.org
- IP address
- 104.21.50.144
- Registrar
- CSC Corporate Domains, Inc.
- WHOIS server
- whois.cscglobal.com
- Referral URL
- http://www.cscglobal.com/global/web/csc/digital-brand
- Created
- April 8, 2013
- Updated
- April 9, 2026
- Expires
- April 8, 2027
- Nameservers
- jen.ns.cloudflare.com (108.162.194.185); vin.ns.cloudflare.com (173.245.59.245)
- Domain status
- clientTransferProhibited
- DNSSEC
- unsigned