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Aims and scope

Aims and scope

BMC Microbiology is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that considers articles on all microorganisms - bacteria, archaea, algae and fungi, viruses, unicellular parasites and helminths. It considers studies on all aspects of the biology and biochemistry of microorganisms including but not limited to cell biology, genomics, signalling, the interaction of the microbes with the environment and host, mechanistic and functional insights into infection and disease, and biotechnological application in science and industry.

The journal welcomes manuscripts on all microorganisms - bacteria, archaea, algae and fungi, viruses, unicellular parasites and helminths. Submissions within scope are those studies that focus on the biology of the microorganism rather than that of the host during infection.  

The journal welcomes manuscripts in the following broad sub-topics of microbiology. 

  • Applied microbiology and microbial biotechnology* including studies relating to the application of microbiology, including environmental applications, soil degradation and bioremediation, food safety and degradation, and probiotics. It also includes studies on bacteria and yeasts: genetic manipulation, bioproduction, fermentation, metabolic engineering and downstream processing, bioremediation and biodegradation, fermentation, metabolic engineering, biocatalysis and biofilms, and also in environmental applications among other uses and applications. 
  • Clinical microbiology and vaccines^ including studies on looking at all aspects of clinical microbiology, including virology, epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, vaccines and immune responses, from a pathogen angle rather than a reaction from the host. This section also considers AMR epidemiological studies.
  • Ecological and evolutionary microbiology including studies on all aspects of ecological and evolutionary microbiology, including microbial ecology, ecosystems, biodiversity, evolution, population genetics, phylogenetics, microbial communities and biofilms, marine and freshwater microbiology.This section aims to publish studies looking at all aspects of ecological and evolutionary microbiology, including microbial ecology, ecosystems, biodiversity, evolution, population genetics, phylogenetics, microbial communities and biofilms, marine and freshwater microbiology.
  • Microbe-host interactions and microbial pathogenicity# including studies on microbe-host interactions and pathogenicity including pathogenic mechanisms, virulence factors, host invasion, immune evasion and the effect on the pathogen, effect of immunity on the pathogen, and symbiotic interactions.
  • Microbial biochemistry, physiology and metabolism including studies on microbial biochemistry, physiology and metabolism, including enzymology, metabolic pathways and regulation, growth, development and stress responses and similar. It also includes microbial cell biology. 
  • Microbial biotechnology including aspects of manipulation of microbes for their use in research, clinic and industry
  • Microbial genetics, genomics and proteomics including studies on all aspects of microbial genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and systems biology.
  • Microbiome with studies all aspects of human and animal gut, tissue and environmental microbiome. The journal also considers clinical microbiome or FMT studies including trials. 
  • Signaling and cellular microbiology includes studies on all aspects of signaling and cellular microbiology, including cell growth and division, cell cycle, membrane biosynthesis and transport, subcellular organization and ultrastructure, signalling pathways, cell to cell communication, quorum signaling and chemotaxis.

*If the manuscript focuses more on the technology behind the manipulation rather than the microorganism, please consider our sister journal, BMC Biotechnology to ensure broader reach of the new method or manipulation. 

^If the manuscript is on hospital surveillance of infectious diseases, then please consider our sister journal, BMC Infectious diseases.

#If the manuscript is rather about downstream, host molecular pathways following infection, or host reaction to infection, then please consider one of our sister journals like BMC Immunology or BMC Infectious diseases, depending on the subject of your manuscript.

BMC Microbiology does not make editorial decisions on the basis of the interest of a study or its likely impact. Studies must be scientifically valid; for research articles this includes a scientifically sound research question, the use of suitable methods and analysis, and following community-agreed standards relevant to the research field. Specific criteria for other article types can be found in the submission guidelines.