Collection Overview 

Scientific Reports has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on Placental development and function.

Acting as a critical interface between mother and foetus, the placenta regulates nutrient and gas exchange, produces key hormones that sustain gestation, and orchestrates immune tolerance to protect the developing foetus. Disruptions in placental development and function are central to pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, foetal growth restriction, and preterm birth, and can have lifelong consequences for maternal and offspring health.

This will be a Collection of original research papers  and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Scientific Reports more generally. Narrative review articles are also welcomed, to our sister journal Scientific Reviews. We are welcoming submissions until 20th October 2026.

Why is this Collection important?

"Placental development and function sit at the center of lifelong health, yet remain underexplored due to biological complexity and limited model systems. This Collection is timely as emerging approaches—such as organoids, advanced imaging, and computational modeling—are transforming how we study this transient but critical organ. We are excited to bring together interdisciplinary work that bridges in vivo and in vitro insights to provide a more integrated understanding of placental biology and disease. Researchers should submit to contribute to a focused, forward-looking forum that highlights innovation and fosters collaboration across rapidly evolving methodologies."

- Dr. Victoria Roberts, Guest Editor

Why submit to a collection?  

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.  

Who is involved?

Guest Editors:

• Victoria Roberts, Oregon Health & Science University, USA
• Lotte-Elisabeth van der Meeren, LUMC Leiden & Erasmus MC Rotterdam, Netherlands

Internal Team:

• In-House Editor: Shelby Bollen, Scientific Reports, UK
• Commissioning Editor: Sophie Gray, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
• Managing Editor: Libby Symons, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK

How can I submit my paper?

Visit the Collection page for more information on the Collection, and how to submit your article.