How to Convert bioRxiv Preprints to EPUB — Read Life Science Papers on Kindle or Kobo
bioRxiv is the leading preprint server for life sciences — biology, biochemistry, genetics, neuroscience, and more. All preprints are free to download as PDF. Converting to EPUB makes them far more comfortable to read on e-readers, especially for long papers with many pages of methods and supplementary material.
What is bioRxiv?
bioRxiv (biorxiv.org) is a preprint server operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Researchers post their papers before (or alongside) journal peer review, making findings available immediately. Key facts:
- Launched in 2013; now hosts over 300,000 preprints
- Covers all areas of biology: cell biology, genomics, neuroscience, ecology, bioinformatics
- All papers freely downloadable as PDF — no paywall, no login required
- Many preprints are later published in Nature, Cell, Science, PNAS, and other top journals
- Companion server medRxiv covers health sciences and clinical medicine
Downloading PDFs from bioRxiv
- Go to biorxiv.org and search for the paper by title, author, or DOI
- Open the paper page
- Click the PDF button on the right side, or navigate to Full Text → PDF
- The PDF downloads immediately — no account needed
You can also find bioRxiv papers via Google Scholar — look for the biorxiv.org link in the 'All versions' list under any search result.
Converting to EPUB
- Go to pdf2epub.toolkit.bot
- Upload the bioRxiv PDF
- Wait ~30 seconds for conversion
- Download the EPUB
bioRxiv papers typically use single-column format, which converts to EPUB with excellent results. Figures, tables, and references are preserved. Transfer to your e-reader via Send to Kindle email, USB to Kobo, or any standard EPUB transfer method.
medRxiv: the medical equivalent
medRxiv (medrxiv.org) is bioRxiv's companion server for health sciences and clinical medicine. It works identically:
- All papers freely downloadable as PDF
- No login or account required
- Download the PDF → convert at pdf2epub.toolkit.bot → read on your e-reader
medRxiv became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic when vaccine and treatment research was posted there weeks before journal publication.
Frequently asked questions
What is bioRxiv and are preprints peer-reviewed?
bioRxiv (pronounced 'bio-archive') is a free preprint server run by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Preprints are research papers shared before peer review and journal publication. They are not peer-reviewed, but they represent the authors' latest findings and are widely read in the life sciences community. Many bioRxiv preprints are later published in journals like Nature, Cell, or PNAS — sometimes the preprint is identical or nearly identical to the final version.
How do I download a PDF from bioRxiv?
On any bioRxiv paper page (biorxiv.org), click the PDF button on the right side of the abstract, or click the 'Full Text' tab → PDF link. The PDF downloads directly. bioRxiv PDFs are always free — no login, no paywall, no institutional access needed. The PDF is the full paper including figures, methods, and references.
Does bioRxiv have a medrxiv equivalent for medical research?
Yes — medRxiv (medrxiv.org) is the companion preprint server for health sciences, clinical medicine, and public health. It uses the same platform as bioRxiv and works the same way for PDF download and EPUB conversion. Download the PDF from medRxiv and convert it at pdf2epub.toolkit.bot the same way as bioRxiv papers.
How do bioRxiv PDFs handle the two-column format?
Most bioRxiv preprints use a single-column format (unlike published journal articles, which often use two columns). This makes conversion to EPUB particularly clean — the text flows sequentially without column detection needed. Figures are embedded inline. References appear at the end. The conversion result is typically excellent for bioRxiv papers.
Should I read the bioRxiv preprint or wait for the published version?
For keeping up with fast-moving fields (COVID-19, AI in biology, CRISPR research), reading the bioRxiv preprint is common and accepted practice. For clinical decisions or policy, wait for peer review. Many researchers read the preprint for field awareness and refer to the final published version for citations. Converting bioRxiv PDFs to EPUB makes keeping up with preprints much more comfortable.