期刊名称：NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
 期刊简介(About the journal)
投稿须知(Instructions to Authors)
编辑部信息(Editorial Board)
About the journal
Nature Microbiology is an online-only, monthly journal publishing the best research from across the field of microbiology. All editorial decisions are made by a team of full-time professional editors.
Aims & Scope
As the most abundant living entities on our planet, microorganisms are fundamental to every aspect of life on Earth. Whether bacterial, viral, archaeal or eukaryotic in nature, microorganisms impact the dynamics and function of every niche in which they dwell, both host-associated and environmental. Their ubiquity combined with their diverse metabolic repertoire means that their activities are critical to processes with vast variation in scale: from driving global elemental biogeochemical cycles to modulating the function of a single cell.
Nature Microbiology is interested in all aspects of microorganisms, be it their evolution, physiology and cell biology; their interactions with each other, with a host or with an environment; or their societal significance. Nature Microbiology provides a place where all researchers and policymakers interested in microorganisms can come together to learn about the most accomplished and significant advances in the field and to discuss topical issues. An online-only monthly journal, our broad scope ensures that the research published reaches the widest possible audience of microbiologists.
Like all Nature-branded journals, Nature Microbiology is characterized by a dedicated team of professional editors, a fair and rigorous peer-review process, high standards of copy-editing and production, swift publication and editorial independence.
In addition to publishing original research, Nature Microbiology will publish Commentaries, Reviews, News and Views, Features and Correspondence from across the full range of disciplines concerned with microorganisms.
Topics covered in the journal include:
Content Types
Primary research formats
Letter
A Letter reports an important novel research study. The text is limited to 2,500 words, including the introductory paragraph, but excluding Methods, references and figure legends. Letters should have no more than 4 display items (figures and/or tables). References are limited to 30 (excluding those cited exclusively in Methods). This format begins with a title of, at most, 150 characters (including spaces), followed by an introductory paragraph (not abstract) of approximately 200 words, summarizing the background, rationale, main results (introduced by "Here we show" or some equivalent phrase) and implications of the study. This paragraph should be fully referenced and should be considered part of the main text, so that any subsequent introductory material avoids too much redundancy with the introductory paragraph. Letters are not divided by headings, except for the Methods heading.
Letters include received/accepted dates and may be accompanied by supplementary information. Letters are peer reviewed.
Article
An Article is a substantial novel research study of high quality and general interest to the microbiology community, which often draws on several techniques or approaches. The main text (excluding introductory paragraph, Methods section, references and figure legends) is 2,500—3,500 words. Articles can have up to 6 display items (figures and/or tables). References are limited to 50 (excluding those cited exclusively in Methods). The maximum title length is 150 characters (including spaces). The introductory paragraph is typically 200 words and is unreferenced; it contains a brief account of the background and rationale of the work, followed by a statement of the main conclusions introduced by the phrase "Here we show" or some equivalent. An introduction (without heading) of up to 500 words of referenced text expands on the background of the work (some overlap with the summary is acceptable), and is followed by a concise, focused account of the findings (headed 'Results'), and one or two short paragraphs of discussion (headed 'Discussion').
Articles include received/accepted dates and may be accompanied by supplementary information. Articles are peer reviewed.
Brief Communication
A Brief Communication reports a concise study of high quality and broad interest. Brief Communications begin with a brief unreferenced abstract (3 sentences, no more than 70 words), which will appear on abstracting services. The main text is typically 1,000-1,500 words, including abstract, references and figure legends, and contains no headings. Brief Communications normally have no more than 2 display items, although this may be flexible at the discretion of the editor, provided the page limit is observed. Brief Communications include a Methods section which should not exceed 1000 words. References are limited to 20. Article titles are omitted from the reference list.
Brief Communications include received/accepted dates and may be accompanied by supplementary information. Brief Communications are peer reviewed.
Other formats
Review
A review is an authoritative, balanced survey of recent developments in a research field. Although reviews should be recognized as scholarly by specialists in the field, they should be written with a view to informing non-specialist readers. Thus, reviews should be presented using simple prose, avoiding excessive jargon and technical detail. Reviews are approximately 4,500—5,500 words long and typically include 6—8 display items (figures, tables or boxes). References are limited to 150; citations should be selective. Footnotes are not used. The scope of a Review should be broad enough that it is not dominated by the work of a single research institution, and particularly not by the authors' own work.
Reviews include received/accepted dates. Reviews are always peer reviewed to ensure factual accuracy, appropriate citations and scholarly balance.
Perspective
A Perspective is intended to provide a forum for authors to discuss models and ideas from a personal viewpoint. They are more forward looking and/or speculative than Review Articles and may take a narrower field of view. They may be opinionated but should remain balanced and are intended to stimulate discussion and new experimental approaches. Perspectives are approximately 3,000—3,500 words long and typically include 4 display items (figures, tables or boxes). References are limited to 100; citations should be selective. Footnotes are not used. As with Review Articles, many Perspectives are invited by the editors, so it is advisable to send a pre-submission enquiry including a synopsis before preparing a manuscript for formal submission.
Perspectives include received/accepted dates. Perspectives are always peer reviewed and edited by the editors in consultation with the author.
News and Views
News and Views articles inform readers about the latest advances in the microbiology, as reported in recently published papers (in Nature Microbiology or elsewhere) or at scientific meetings. Unsolicited contributions will not normally be considered, although prospective authors are welcome to make proposals. News and Views are not peer reviewed, but undergo editing in consultation with the author.
Correspondence
The Correspondence section provides readers with a forum for comment on papers published in a previous issue of the journal, or to discuss issues relevant to microbiology. A Correspondence should not exceed more than one printed page and is typically 250–500 words; it is limited to one display item and 10 references. Article titles are omitted from the reference list. Titles for correspondences are supplied by the editors.
In cases where a correspondence is critical of a previous research paper, the authors of the criticized paper are given the opportunity to publish a brief reply. The criticism of opinions or other secondary matter does not involve an automatic right of reply. Critical comments should be sent to the authors of the paper under discussion before submission to Nature Microbiology, so that disputes can be resolved directly whenever possible and points where both parties agree removed from the submitted contribution. If after 2 weeks the original authors have not responded, this should be indicated at submission. Otherwise, when the contribution is submitted to Nature Microbiology, copies of the correspondence with the original authors should be enclosed for the editor’s information.
Refutations of previous publications are always peer-reviewed. Other types of Correspondence may be peer-reviewed at the editors' discretion.
Comment
Comment articles can focus on policy, science and society or purely scientific issues related to Microbiology. Single-author articles are preferred as this is an 'opinion' section of the journal. Comments are usually commissioned by the editors, but proposals are welcome. They should be of immediate interest to a broad readership and should be written in an accessible, non-technical style. Figures and diagrams are encouraged, but are not a requirement. Comments are typically no longer than 1,500 words and include up to 15 references. Article titles are omitted from the reference list.
Comments may be peer-reviewed at the editors' discretion.
Books & Arts
The Books & Arts section comprises timely reviews of books and other cultural and pedagogical resources of interest to microbiologists. The pieces are limited to one page. They are usually commissioned, though unsolicited contributions will be considered.
Features and News Features
These sections are written and commissioned by the journal editors. They do not contain unsolicited material. We are, however, keen to accept freelance pitches of exclusive stories, particularly conference coverage from locations where we do not have staff, or reports from interesting field work.
All of our features are written with a lively, proactive tone, using language that is clear even to readers for whom English is not their native tongue. Stories should be accessible to those with a general interest and background in science.
For details on how to pitch to Nature Microbiology, contact microbiology@nature.com.
Instructions to Authors
For Authors & Referees
Please read this section before submitting anything to Nature Microbiology. This section explains our editorial criteria, and how manuscripts are handled by our editors between submission and acceptance for publication.
This section contains information about submitting your article to Nature Microbiology, including:
- Presubmission enquiries
- Initial and revised submissions
- Final submissions (after the editor has offered publication of a suitably revised manuscript)
This section contains guidelines for refereeing for Nature Microbiology.
Guide to Authors
The editorial process
For a detailed description of the editorial process used by Nature Microbiology please see Editorial process.
Initial submission
For details about the initial submission process please see Initial submission. All submissions should be made via our online submission system. Our brief guide to manuscript submission in PDF format provides a convenient overview of key information on submitting primary research for publication in Nature Microbiology.
Peer review
We offer both traditional single-blind and double-blind peer review. Double-blind peer review allows authors to remain anonymous to referees. If you want to participate in double-blind peer review, prepare your manuscript in a way that conceals the identities of all the authors and tick the appropriate box during online submission. We recommend that authors refer to our double-blind peer review guidelines when preparing a double-blind peer review manuscript. Note that editors do not ensure that the paper is properly anonymized; that is the authors' responsibility.
For further details about the peer review process and information for referee please see For referees.
Post-review
A priority of Nature Microbiology is that all papers be accessible to non-specialists. Manuscripts are subject to substantial editing to achieve this goal. The editor may perform or request substantial editing before acceptance. Likewise, after acceptance a copy editor will make further changes so that the text and figures are readable and clear to those outside the field, and so that papers conform to our style. Contributors are welcome to discuss proposed changes with the editors and are sent proofs before publication, but Nature Microbiology reserves the right to make the final decision about matters of style and the size of figures.
The editors also reserve the right to reject a paper even after it has been accepted if it becomes apparent that there are serious problems with the scientific content or with violations of our publishing policies.
Editorial and publishing policies
Please see authors and referees for detailed information about author and referee services and publication policies at the Nature family of journals. These journals, including Nature Microbiology, share a number of common policies including the following:
Author responsibilities
Licence agreement and author copyright
Compliance with open access mandates
Embargo policy and press releases
Use of experimental animals and human subjects
Competing financial interests
Availability of materials and data
Reporting requirements for life sciences articles
Digital image integrity and standards
Security concerns
Refutations, complaints and corrections
Duplicate publications
Confidentiality and pre-publicity
Plagiarism and fabrication
Covers and other artwork
Authors of accepted papers are encouraged to submit images for consideration as a cover image. Cover images are normally linked to a specific paper in that issue, but we may also be able to use other images elsewhere in the journal, such as on the table of contents. Images are selected for their scientific interest and aesthetic appeal. Please send electronic files along with a clear and concise legend explaining the image.
Editorial Board
Like the other Nature titles, Nature Microbiology has no external editorial board. Instead, all editorial decisions are made by a dedicated team of professional editors, with relevant research and editorial backgrounds.
Chief Editor: Andrew Jermy
 Andrew has been an editor at Nature Research since 2007, joining Nature Reviews Microbiology as an Associate Editor after a brief stint as locum editor on Nature Cell Biology. Over the following years Andrew developed a passion for the microbiology field, commissioning Reviews and writing on all aspects of microbiology. He also took a keen interest in developing new approaches to communicate with the microbiology community. In 2013 Andrew joined the Nature team as Senior Editor, handling primary manuscripts from across the field and championing microbiology inNature’s pages and beyond. Andrew left Nature in 2015 to launch Nature Microbiology as Chief Editor. He gained his PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Manchester, UK, studying fungal protein trafficking and secretion.
a.jermy@nature.com
orcid.org/0000-0002-7454-0670
Senior Editor: Nonia Pariente
 Nonia received a PhD in molecular biology from the Autonoma University of Madrid studying RNA virus evolution and new antiviral strategies with Esteban Domingo. She then moved to UCLA, where she focussed on developing lentiviral vectors for gene therapy in Irvin Chen’s laboratory. In 2007, Nonia joined the EMBO reports editorial team as Reviews Editor, becoming Scientific Editor two years later and Senior Editor in 2012. At EMBO reports, she was responsible for microbiology and immunology, among other areas, and spent many years broadening her understanding and love for all things microbial.
nonia.pariente@nature.com
orcid.org/0000-0002-3666-5683
Senior Editor: Cláudio Nunes-Alves
 Cláudio studied biochemistry at the University of Porto, Portugal, before earning his Ph.D. in Life and Health Sciences. He shared his time between Portugal and the United States, in the laboratories of Margarida Correia-Neves (at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, Braga, Portugal), Sam Behar (then at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA) and Christophe Benoist (at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA), studying multiple aspects of immunity to tuberculosis. These included clarifying the role of CD8+ T cells following Mycobacterium tuberculosis challenge and how infection of the thymus affects ongoing immunity to tuberculosis. After a brief postdoctoral position with Sam Behar at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA, Cláudio joined the Nature Reviews Microbiology team as an Associate Editor in April 2014 and after a successful period as locum Chief Editor in 2015, he became a Senior Editor. Cláudio joined the Nature Microbiology team in March 2016.
claudio.nunes-alves@nature.com
orcid.org/0000-0001-9639-0477
Senior Editor: Michael Chao
 Michael received a B.Sc. in Microbiology at Cornell University, where he first developed his interest in bacterial pathogenesis. He subsequently earned his PhD in Biomedical and Biological Sciences from Harvard University in Eric Rubin’s laboratory, studying cell wall remodelling in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He continued his training as a postdoctoral fellow in Matthew Waldor’s lab at Harvard Medical School, investigating the role of DNA methylation on regulating fundamental cellular processes in Vibrio cholerae. Michael joined the Nature Microbiology in August 2015.
michael.chao@nature.com
orcid.org/0000-0002-6046-585X
Associate Editor: Emily White
 Emily received a B.Sc. in Microbiology and further developed her knowledge by studying for a PhD in Microbiology at the University of Manchester. Her time was split between the laboratories of Ian Roberts and Richard Grencis, looking at the interactions between the mammalian intestinal microbiota and the intestinal helminth parasite Trichuris muris. Emily joined the Nature Microbiology team in November 2016.
emily.white@nature.com
orcid.org/0000-0002-2314-5718
Associate Editor: Libera Lo Presti
 Libera studied Medical Biotechnology at the University of Bologna, Italy, and then worked as research assistant at the Institute of Microbiology of the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland. In 2012, she received her PhD in Life Science from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, where she investigated the mechanisms underlying cell morphogenesis in fission yeast. She then moved as postdoctoral fellow to the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany, to work on the interaction between the plant pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis and its host plant, Zea mays. Libera joined the Nature Microbiology team in June 2018.
libera.presti@nature.com
orcid.org/0000-0002-2314-5718
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