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Molecular Biology
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Discipline name D-Index World Ranking Current World Ranking National Ranking Current National Ranking Publications Citations
Molecular Biology 144 105 92 67 59 439 78273

Thomas R. Cech publications per year

The chart shows the history of publications by Thomas R. Cech between 1973 and 2025, highlighting the no. of papers published in each year and offering an overview of the publication velocity of this scholar. Thomas R. Cech published across 53 years, from 1973 to 2025, averaging 10.1 papers a year. Output peaked at 29 publications in 1997. 16 of the 534 publications appeared in the last two years.

No. of publications
5 10 15 20 25
Bar chart. Horizontal axis: year, 1973 to 2025. Vertical axis: number of publications, 0 to 29. Peak 29 publications in 1997. 1973: 1 publication 1974: 1 publication 1975: 1 publication 1976: 4 publications 1977: 2 publications 1978: 2 publications 1979: 2 publications 1980: 3 publications 1981: 4 publications 1982: 2 publications 1983: 6 publications 1984: 6 publications 1985: 12 publications 1986: 14 publications 1987: 19 publications 1988: 11 publications 1989: 17 publications 1990: 21 publications 1991: 16 publications 1992: 11 publications 1993: 23 publications 1994: 20 publications 1995: 18 publications 1996: 18 publications 1997: 29 publications 1998: 13 publications 1999: 16 publications 2000: 11 publications 2001: 10 publications 2002: 14 publications 2003: 12 publications 2004: 10 publications 2005: 11 publications 2006: 11 publications 2007: 7 publications 2008: 6 publications 2009: 6 publications 2010: 8 publications 2011: 5 publications 2012: 8 publications 2013: 11 publications 2014: 10 publications 2015: 12 publications 2016: 6 publications 2017: 12 publications 2018: 7 publications 2019: 4 publications 2020: 9 publications 2021: 13 publications 2022: 10 publications 2023: 13 publications 2024: 11 publications 2025: 5 publications
1973 2025

534 publications in total across all disciplines

View publications per year as a table
Thomas R. Cech: publications per year, 1973 to 2025
Year Publications
1973 1
1974 1
1975 1
1976 4
1977 2
1978 2
1979 2
1980 3
1981 4
1982 2
1983 6
1984 6
1985 12
1986 14
1987 19
1988 11
1989 17
1990 21
1991 16
1992 11
1993 23
1994 20
1995 18
1996 18
1997 29
1998 13
1999 16
2000 11
2001 10
2002 14
2003 12
2004 10
2005 11
2006 11
2007 7
2008 6
2009 6
2010 8
2011 5
2012 8
2013 11
2014 10
2015 12
2016 6
2017 12
2018 7
2019 4
2020 9
2021 13
2022 10
2023 13
2024 11
2025 5
Total 534
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Thomas R. Cech publications per year - data summary

  • Thomas R. Cech, a Molecular Biology scholar from University of Colorado Boulder, has 534 publications recorded across 53 years, from 1973 to 2025.
  • The oldest publication on record dates to 1973 and the most recent to 2025.
  • The most productive year is 1997, with 29 publications.
  • The least productive years with any output are 1973, 1974 and 1975, with 1 publication each.
  • The rate of publication averages 10.1 papers per year over the whole span, or 10.1 per year counting only the 53 years with at least one publication.
  • The last 5 years on the chart (2021-2025) hold 52 publications, 10% of the career total.
  • Split into equal eras - 1973-1990: 128 publications (7.1 per year); 1991-2008: 256 publications (14.2 per year); 2009-2025: 150 publications (8.8 per year).
  • Comparing the opening and closing eras, the overall trend of publication is broadly steady.

Thomas R. Cech publication distribution in Molecular Biology in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Molecular Biology in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Thomas R. Cech sits on this spectrum.

No. of scientists
50 100 150
Bar chart with 53 bars. Horizontal axis: publications, 47–56 to 564+. Vertical axis: number of scientists, 0 to 177. Most scientists, 177, have 117–126 publications. The last bar groups every scientist with 564 publications or more. The highlighted bar, 437–446 publications, is where this scientist sits. 47–56 publications: 7 scientists 57–66 publications: 17 scientists 67–76 publications: 65 scientists 77–86 publications: 90 scientists 87–96 publications: 125 scientists 97–106 publications: 131 scientists 107–116 publications: 162 scientists 117–126 publications: 177 scientists 127–136 publications: 158 scientists 137–146 publications: 158 scientists 147–156 publications: 146 scientists 157–166 publications: 159 scientists 167–176 publications: 131 scientists 177–186 publications: 110 scientists 187–196 publications: 112 scientists 197–206 publications: 100 scientists 207–216 publications: 89 scientists 217–226 publications: 98 scientists 227–236 publications: 74 scientists 237–246 publications: 72 scientists 247–256 publications: 63 scientists 257–266 publications: 53 scientists 267–276 publications: 54 scientists 277–286 publications: 49 scientists 287–296 publications: 52 scientists 297–306 publications: 43 scientists 307–316 publications: 46 scientists 317–326 publications: 41 scientists 327–336 publications: 42 scientists 337–346 publications: 31 scientists 347–356 publications: 28 scientists 357–366 publications: 29 scientists 367–376 publications: 26 scientists 377–386 publications: 24 scientists 387–396 publications: 24 scientists 397–406 publications: 14 scientists 407–416 publications: 13 scientists 417–426 publications: 20 scientists 427–436 publications: 12 scientists 437–446 publications: 20 scientists 447–456 publications: 11 scientists 457–466 publications: 10 scientists 467–476 publications: 14 scientists 477–486 publications: 14 scientists 487–496 publications: 10 scientists 497–506 publications: 13 scientists 507–516 publications: 13 scientists 517–526 publications: 2 scientists 527–536 publications: 4 scientists 537–546 publications: 6 scientists 547–556 publications: 8 scientists 557–563 publications: 6 scientists 564+ publications: 100 scientists
47–56 publications 564+

This scientist: 439 publications — 93rd percentile

93% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 564 publications or more.

View publications distribution as a table
Number of Molecular Biology scientists by publication count, Research.com 2026 ranking edition. Based on 3,076 ranked scientists.
Publications Scientists This scientist
47–56 7
57–66 17
67–76 65
77–86 90
87–96 125
97–106 131
107–116 162
117–126 177
127–136 158
137–146 158
147–156 146
157–166 159
167–176 131
177–186 110
187–196 112
197–206 100
207–216 89
217–226 98
227–236 74
237–246 72
247–256 63
257–266 53
267–276 54
277–286 49
287–296 52
297–306 43
307–316 46
317–326 41
327–336 42
337–346 31
347–356 28
357–366 29
367–376 26
377–386 24
387–396 24
397–406 14
407–416 13
417–426 20
427–436 12
437–446 20 439
447–456 11
457–466 10
467–476 14
477–486 14
487–496 10
497–506 13
507–516 13
517–526 2
527–536 4
537–546 6
547–556 8
557–563 6
564+ 100
Download as CSV

Thomas R. Cech publication distribution in Molecular Biology in 2026 - data summary

  • The chart plots the publication count of all 3,076 Molecular Biology scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026, grouped into 53 ranges running from 47–56 to 564+ publications.
  • Thomas R. Cech, a Molecular Biology scholar from University of Colorado Boulder, records 439 publications - the 93rd percentile of the discipline.
  • 93% of ranked Molecular Biology scientists score the same or lower than Thomas R. Cech, and about 7% score higher.
  • The median of the discipline falls in the 177–186 publications range, and Thomas R. Cech ranks above the median.
  • The most crowded range is 117–126 publications, holding 177 scientists (6% of the field).
  • 53% of the field sits in the lowest quarter of the value range (up to 177–186 publications), so the distribution is heavily right-skewed and high scores are rare.
  • The final bar has no upper bound: it groups every scientist with 564 publications or more, 100 scientists in all (3% of the field).

Thomas R. Cech D-index placement in Molecular Biology in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Molecular Biology scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Thomas R. Cech sits on this spectrum.

No. of scientists
25 50 75 100 125
Bar chart with 54 bars. Horizontal axis: D-Index, 40–41 to 145+. Vertical axis: number of scientists, 0 to 131. Most scientists, 131, have 64–65 D-Index. The last bar groups every scientist with 145 D-Index or more. The highlighted bar, 144 D-Index, is where this scientist sits. 40–41 D-Index: 36 scientists 42–43 D-Index: 101 scientists 44–45 D-Index: 115 scientists 46–47 D-Index: 121 scientists 48–49 D-Index: 118 scientists 50–51 D-Index: 130 scientists 52–53 D-Index: 106 scientists 54–55 D-Index: 116 scientists 56–57 D-Index: 113 scientists 58–59 D-Index: 129 scientists 60–61 D-Index: 120 scientists 62–63 D-Index: 105 scientists 64–65 D-Index: 131 scientists 66–67 D-Index: 95 scientists 68–69 D-Index: 97 scientists 70–71 D-Index: 106 scientists 72–73 D-Index: 83 scientists 74–75 D-Index: 89 scientists 76–77 D-Index: 77 scientists 78–79 D-Index: 70 scientists 80–81 D-Index: 73 scientists 82–83 D-Index: 60 scientists 84–85 D-Index: 48 scientists 86–87 D-Index: 45 scientists 88–89 D-Index: 50 scientists 90–91 D-Index: 31 scientists 92–93 D-Index: 51 scientists 94–95 D-Index: 43 scientists 96–97 D-Index: 38 scientists 98–99 D-Index: 39 scientists 100–101 D-Index: 41 scientists 102–103 D-Index: 29 scientists 104–105 D-Index: 33 scientists 106–107 D-Index: 35 scientists 108–109 D-Index: 20 scientists 110–111 D-Index: 38 scientists 112–113 D-Index: 19 scientists 114–115 D-Index: 28 scientists 116–117 D-Index: 13 scientists 118–119 D-Index: 23 scientists 120–121 D-Index: 16 scientists 122–123 D-Index: 15 scientists 124–125 D-Index: 11 scientists 126–127 D-Index: 21 scientists 128–129 D-Index: 7 scientists 130–131 D-Index: 13 scientists 132–133 D-Index: 14 scientists 134–135 D-Index: 17 scientists 136–137 D-Index: 9 scientists 138–139 D-Index: 8 scientists 140–141 D-Index: 16 scientists 142–143 D-Index: 7 scientists 144 D-Index: 7 scientists 145+ D-Index: 100 scientists
40–41 D-Index 145+

This scientist: 144 D-Index — 97th percentile

97% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 145 D-Index or more.

View D-Index distribution as a table
Number of Molecular Biology scientists by D-index, Research.com 2026 ranking edition. Based on 3,076 ranked scientists.
D-Index Scientists This scientist
40–41 36
42–43 101
44–45 115
46–47 121
48–49 118
50–51 130
52–53 106
54–55 116
56–57 113
58–59 129
60–61 120
62–63 105
64–65 131
66–67 95
68–69 97
70–71 106
72–73 83
74–75 89
76–77 77
78–79 70
80–81 73
82–83 60
84–85 48
86–87 45
88–89 50
90–91 31
92–93 51
94–95 43
96–97 38
98–99 39
100–101 41
102–103 29
104–105 33
106–107 35
108–109 20
110–111 38
112–113 19
114–115 28
116–117 13
118–119 23
120–121 16
122–123 15
124–125 11
126–127 21
128–129 7
130–131 13
132–133 14
134–135 17
136–137 9
138–139 8
140–141 16
142–143 7
144 7 144
145+ 100
Download as CSV

Thomas R. Cech D-index placement in Molecular Biology in 2026 - data summary

  • The chart plots the discipline H-index (D-index) of all 3,076 Molecular Biology scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026, grouped into 54 ranges running from 40–41 to 145+ D-Index.
  • Thomas R. Cech, a Molecular Biology scholar from University of Colorado Boulder, records 144 D-Index - the 97th percentile of the discipline.
  • 97% of ranked Molecular Biology scientists score the same or lower than Thomas R. Cech, and about 3% score higher.
  • The median of the discipline falls in the 68–69 D-Index range, and Thomas R. Cech ranks above the median.
  • The most crowded range is 64–65 D-Index, holding 131 scientists (4% of the field).
  • 50% of the field sits in the lowest quarter of the value range (up to 66–67 D-Index), so the distribution leans towards the lower end of the scale.
  • The final bar has no upper bound: it groups every scientist with 145 D-Index or more, 100 scientists in all (3% of the field).

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Molecular Biology in United States Leader Award
  • 2000 - Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)
  • 1999 - Member of Academia Europaea
  • 1995 - US President's National Medal of Science "For his discoveries regarding RNA catalysis that have added new dimensions to the understanding of the role of RNA in living systems.", Awarded by President Clinton at a White House ceremony on October 18, 1995.
  • 1991 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 1989 - Nobel Prize for their discovery of catalytic properties of RNA
  • 1988 - Canada Gairdner International Award
  • 1988 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 1988 - Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, Lasker Foundation
  • 1988 - Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, Columbia University
  • 1987 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1985 - Fellow of John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

Overview

Thomas R. Cech is affiliated with the University of Colorado Boulder in the United States. Their research primarily lies within the field of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with a strong focus on Molecular Biology, Physiology, and Cancer Research among other subfields. The work covers diverse topics including RNA modifications and cancer, telomeres and senescence, RNA research and splicing, epigenetics and DNA methylation, genomics and chromatin dynamics, advanced biosensing techniques, and DNA and nucleic acid chemistry.

Several recent papers authored or co-authored by Thomas R. Cech demonstrate the scope and focus of their research:

  • "Shaping human telomeres: from shelterin and CST complexes to telomeric chromatin organization" (2021), published in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
  • "RNA is essential for PRC2 chromatin occupancy and function in human pluripotent stem cells" (2020), published in Nature Genetics
  • "The structure of human CST reveals a decameric assembly bound to telomeric DNA" (2020), published in Science
  • "Polycomb-mediated genome architecture enables long-range spreading of H3K27 methylation" (2022), published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • "Competition between PRC2.1 and 2.2 subcomplexes regulates PRC2 chromatin occupancy in human stem cells" (2020), published in Molecular Cell

Their frequent co-authors include Arthur J. Zaug, Anne R. Gooding, Wayne O. Hemphill, Karen J. Goodrich, and John L. Rinn.

Thomas R. Cech often publishes in venues such as bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nucleic Acids Research, RNA, and Science. This distribution highlights their involvement in well-regarded and diverse scientific journals.

The scientist has received numerous awards throughout their career. Notable recognitions include:

  • Member of the National Academy of Medicine (2000)
  • Member of Academia Europaea (1999)
  • US President's National Medal of Science (1995) for discoveries regarding RNA catalysis
  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1991)
  • Nobel Prize (1989) for discovery of catalytic properties of RNA
  • Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, Columbia University (1988)
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1988)
  • Canada Gairdner International Award (1988)
  • Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (1988)
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1987)
  • Fellow of John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (1985)

Best Publications

  • Self-splicing RNA: Autoexcision and autocyclization of the ribosomal RNA intervening sequence of tetrahymena

    Kelly Kruger;Paula J. Grabowski;Arthur J. Zaug;Julie Sands

  • Telomerase catalytic subunit homologs from fission yeast and human

    Toru M. Nakamura;Gregg B. Morin;Gregg B. Morin;Karen B. Chapman;Karen B. Chapman;Scott L. Weinrich;Scott L. Weinrich

  • The noncoding RNA revolution-trashing old rules to forge new ones.

    Thomas R. Cech;Thomas R. Cech;Joan A. Steitz

  • Crystal Structure of a Group I Ribozyme Domain: Principles of RNA Packing

    Jamie H. Cate;Anne R. Gooding;Anne R. Gooding;Elaine Podell;Elaine Podell;Kaihong Zhou

  • Reverse Transcriptase Motifs in the Catalytic Subunit of Telomerase

    Joachim Lingner;Timothy R. Hughes;Andrej Shevchenko;Matthias Mann

  • Monovalent cation-induced structure of telomeric DNA: The G-quartet model

    James R. Williamson;M.K. Raghuraman;Thomas R. Cech;Thomas R. Cech

  • Inhibition of telomerase by G-quartet DNA structures.

    Alan M. Zahler;James R. Williamson;James R. Williamson;Thomas R. Cech;David M. Prescott

  • Pot1, the Putative Telomere End-Binding Protein in Fission Yeast and Humans

    Peter Baumann;Thomas R. Cech

  • In vitro splicing of the ribosomal RNA precursor of tetrahymena: Involvement of a guanosine nucleotide in the excision of the intervening sequence

    Thomas R. Cech;Arthur J. Zaug;Paula J. Grabowski

  • Self-splicing of group I introns.

    Thomas R. Cech

  • The RNA World

    Gesteland;Thomas Cech

  • Rna ribozyme polymerases, dephosphorylases, restriction endoribonucleases and methods.

    Thomas R. Cech;Arthur J. Zaug;Michael D. Been

  • Biological catalysis by RNA.

    Thomas R. Cech;Brenda L. Bass

  • The POT1-TPP1 telomere complex is a telomerase processivity factor

    Feng Wang;Elaine R. Podell;Arthur J. Zaug;Yuting Yang

  • The chemistry of self-splicing RNA and RNA enzymes.

    Thomas R. Cech

  • The intervening sequence RNA of Tetrahymena is an enzyme.

    Arthur J. Zaug;Thomas R. Cech

  • How do lncRNAs regulate transcription

    Yicheng Long;Xueyin Wang;Daniel T. Youmans;Daniel T. Youmans;Thomas R. Cech

  • Regulation of telomere length and function by a Myb-domain protein in fission yeast

    Julia Promisel Cooper;Elaine R. Nimmo;Robin C. Allshire;Thomas R. Cech

  • The generality of self-splicing RNA: Relationship to nuclear mRNA splicing

    Thomas R. Cech

  • Conserved sequences and structures of group I introns: building an active site for RNA catalysis — a review

    Thomas R. Cech

Frequent Co-Authors

Joachim Lingner
Joachim Lingner École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Gregg B. Morin
Gregg B. Morin University of British Columbia
Calvin B. Harley
Calvin B. Harley Geron (United States)
Michael D. Been
Michael D. Been Duke University
Daniel Herschlag
Daniel Herschlag Stanford University
John L. Rinn
John L. Rinn University of Colorado Boulder
Scott A. Strobel
Scott A. Strobel Yale University
Thomas Jung
Thomas Jung Mendel University Brno
Anna Marie Pyle
Anna Marie Pyle Yale University
Jennifer A. Doudna
Jennifer A. Doudna University of California, Berkeley

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