Anaerobe

Anaerobe is essential reading for those who wish to remain at the forefront of discoveries relating to life processes of strictly anaerobes. The journal is multi-disciplinary, and provides a unique forum for those investigating strictly anaerobic organisms that cause infections in humans and animals, as well as anaerobes that play roles in microbiomes or environmental processes. Anaerobe will consider manuscripts on anaerobic bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists as well as bacteriophages of anaerobes.

Relevant topics fall into the broad categories of:

• Anaerobes in human and animal diseases

• Anaerobes in the microbiome

• Anaerobes in the environment

• Anaerobes in industrial processes (including biofuels and waste management)

• Microbial ecology of anaerobes

• Clinical microbiology involving anaerobes

• Pathogenesis of anaerobic organisms (including their toxins)

• Molecular biology and genetics of anaerobes

• Taxonomy of anaerobes

• Physiology of anaerobes

Papers describing innovative methodologies, technologies and applications to investigate anaerobic microorganisms are also of interest. Manuscripts describing novel species of obligate anaerobes will be reviewed, if the description of the new species also includes information showing novel phenotypic characteristics, pathogenicity and/or unique metabolic activity within the microbiome from which it was isolated. Manuscripts describing novel anaerobic species that are only different from other related members of a genus based on genotype will not be reviewed.

Manuscript types accepted (see Guide for Authors for more information):

• Original research articles
  Original research reports on one or more of the above listed categories. Up to 4000 words, not including a structured abstract, figures, tables and references.

• Short Communications
  Presentation of brief observations that do not warrant a full-length publication. Up to 1500 words not including abstract, figures, tables and references. Short communications should report complete datasets and not preliminary findings.

• Reviews and minireviews
  Reviews are typically 7,000 words in length including relevant tables and/or figures. Mini-reviews are typically restricted to 2,500 words in length.*New from March 1st 2023: Anaerobe no longer accepts unsolicited reviews and standalone mini-reviews. Proposals for reviews and mini-reviews within the topics mentioned above are welcome for consideration by the journal. Please provide a proposed title and detailed outline of the topic to be covered to an editor-in-chief by email.

• Case reports
  Presentation of a short report on a significant clinical observation, preceded by a minireview (up to 2500 words) of the literature describing the background of similar cases/infections, what is known about the associated microbe, and other clinically relevant information. *New from March 2023: Case Reports will only be considered in this new format.

• Commentaries
  Occasionally, Anaerobe will consider publication of commentaries on important new work in the field. Such commentaries will be invited by the editors-in-chief. Suggestions for commentaries may be emailed to an Editor-in-Chief. Unsolicited commentaries will not be considered.

Please note:

1. Anaerobe does not accept manuscripts on descriptive, sequence-based surveys of microbiomes, even if the environments of the sampled ecosystems select for anaerobic species. However, when studies such as these are accompanied by direct, mechanistic assays of strictly anaerobic components, they will be considered for publication.
2. Anaerobe will not consider manuscripts that deal only with descriptive accounts of the beneficial effects of potentially novel probiotic strains, unless such strains belong to strictly anaerobic species that have previously not been associated with probiotic features. Anaerobe will continue to consider manuscripts for publication that address determinations of the specific mechanism(s) of action of anaerobic probiotic strains.