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 diseasesAnaerobes in the microbiomeAnaerobes in the environmentAnaerobes in industrial processes (including biofuels and waste management)Microbial ecology of anaerobesClinical microbiology involving anaerobesPathogenesis of anaerobic organisms (including their toxins)Molecular biology and genetics of anaerobesTaxonomy of anaerobesPhysiology of anaerobesPapers 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.
Food Microbiology publishes original research articles, short research communications, opinions, and review papers on all aspects of the microbiology of foods and food environments, including safety, shelf-life, diagnostics, ecology, and sensory attributes. The Journal aims to advance the microbiology of foods by discoveries, increasing knowledge, research tools, and concepts. The global audience includes academia, government, industry, and competent authorities. The journal considers articles dealing with the application, association, or prevention of viruses, bacteria, yeast, and molds related to foods or food environments through physical, biological, chemical, diagnostics, application of omics, or training/education. The application of advanced tools such as artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and omics is encouraged. The following categories and examples that are within the scope of Food Microbiology:Food processing: Papers that report on intervention methods (physical, biological or chemical) related to inactivation and control of microbes will be considered. The articles should demonstrate optimization (validation) and verification with relevant microbes for the food matrix being reported. The use of protective cultures, microbial metabolites, and bacteriophages, amongst others, will be considered provided efficacy is demonstrated within food systems. Studies relating to natural antimicrobials (for example, bacteriocins, phenolic compounds, or essential oils) can be included, although these should be chemically characterized and novel without simply confirming previous findings. Food fermentations: The ecology, performance, and functionality of fermented foods would be within the journal's scope provided the reported study can be replicated and results applied to define, improve, or contribute to the body of knowledge. Using omics to characterize, correlate, and/or identify populations or to study community assembly in fermented foods is encouraged. Findings of omics are preferably verified and not solely based on sequencing, metabolic profiles, and correlation software. Probiotic studies will be within scope but only if these relate to the interaction of stability within a food system rather than the gastrointestinal tract or effects on the immune system. Food processing environments: The prevalence of pathogens or spoilage microbes within the processing environment can be considered if linked to a production practice or process. The control of biofilms by bacterial strains or communities is within scope if evidence of biofilm formation within a simulated commercial environment exists. Biofilms formed on surfaces not encountered within food processing environments, such as microtiter plates, will not be considered. Pre-harvest microbiology of foods: Aspects of microbiology, ecology, and control of microbes encountered in animal or plant production that impact food safety and/or shelf-life are considered. Survey and prevalence studies: The prevalence of pathogens, including antimicrobial resistance, would be considered within the journal if sampled over a reasonable time period and geographical region and linked to a practice or procedure (for example, administration of antibiotics, cage-free production, amongst others). Risk assessment and predictive microbiology: Studies reporting on risk assessment or predictive microbiology, including the application of artificial intelligence, are within the journal's scope provided they relate to the activity of microbes within a food or processing environment. Microbiology diagnostics: Diagnostics, including biosensors, for detecting microbes are within scope provided they are tested using a sufficient spectrum of strains to assess selectivity and sensitivity. Detection of targets with relevant food systems should also be demonstrated. Food safety education and training tools: Training or teaching approaches and training tools can be considered, provided the learning approaches, methodological framework, delivery methods, and success metrics are provided. Fundamental research on the physiology, genetics, and/or transcriptome of food-derived isolates: Research that reports on the mechanisms of virulence, physiology, or regulation of microbes isolated from foods but not necessarily within a food system. Out of scope The following areas are out of scope for Food Microbiology:Microbiology that resides outside the food or food processing environments. Exceptions are fundamental genetics/physiology of food isolates in relation to virulence, stress resistance or food fermentation. Observations, non-hypothesis, driven research or studies that confirm previous published works. Preliminary studies that only report observations. Research supporting health claims of pre- or probiotics. Prevalence studies or surveys that don’t report on practices, process or cause of the observations. Control of phytopathogens. Drugs or treatments administered to animals, unless there is an impact on the carriage of human pathogens through to the final product.Fermentation studies that do not verify through culturing, sequence and sensory metabolite attribution. Biosensors and microbiology methods that do not demonstrate the performance of detecting relevant microbiological targets in real food systems. Confirmation of diagnostics or those detecting chemical or physical adulterants.
An official journal of the International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene (ICFMH) of the IUMSThe International Journal of Food Microbiology publishes papers dealing with all aspects of food microbiology. Articles must present information that is novel, has high impact and interest, and is of high scientific quality. They should provide scientific or technological advancement in the specific field of interest of the journal and enhance its strong international reputation. Preliminary or confirmatory results as well as contributions not strictly related to food microbiology will not be considered for publication.Full-length original research papers, review articles and book reviews in the fields of bacteriology, mycology, virology, parasitology, and immunology as they relate to the production, processing, service and consumption of foods and beverages are welcomed. Within this scope, topics of specific interest include: (1) incidence and types of food and beverage microorganisms, microbial interactions, microbial ecology of foods, intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting microbial survival and growth in foods, and food spoilage; (2) microorganisms involved in food and beverage fermentations (including probiotics and starter cultures); (3) food safety, indices of the sanitary quality of foods, microbiological quality assurance, biocontrol, microbiological aspects of food preservation and novel preservation techniques, predictive microbiology and microbial risk assessment; (4) foodborne microorganisms of public health significance, and microbiological aspects of foodborne diseases of microbial origin; (5) methods for microbiological and immunological examinations of foods, as well as rapid, automated and molecular methods when validated in food systems; and (6) the biochemistry, physiology and molecular biology of microorganisms as they directly relate to food spoilage, foodborne disease and food fermentations.Papers that do not have a direct food or beverage connection will not be considered for publication. The following examples provide some guide as to the type of papers that will not be admitted to the formal review process (for a more extensive list please refer to the journal’s Guide for Authors: Studies in animal models that determine the responses of probiotic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract;Fundamental physiology and gene expression studies of food/ beverage microorganisms, unless they directly relate to the food/ beverage ecosystem;The isolation and characterization of antimicrobial substances such as essential oils, bacteriocins etc, unless their efficacy is tested and validated in the food/beverage ecosystem;Development of new methods for the analysis of microorganisms, unless the method is tested and validated in the food/beverage ecosystem.This journal also publishes special issues of selected, peer-reviewed papers from suitable meetings, workshops, conferences, etc, related to the field of food microbiology.