Nature Microbiology

Nature Microbiology
Title	Nature Microbiology
Discipline	Microbiology
Abbreviation	Nat. Microbiol.
Publisher	Springer Nature
Country	United Kingdom
History	2016–present
Frequency	Monthly
Openaccess	Hybrid
Issn	2058-5276

Nature Microbiology Nature Microbiology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research on microorganisms and microbial systems. It publishes original research articles, reviews, and commentaries that intersect with clinical, environmental, and molecular studies. The journal is produced by a major international publisher and positioned within a family of high-profile scientific periodicals.

Overview

Nature Microbiology appears within a group that includes Nature (journal), Nature Genetics, Nature Medicine, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Communications, Nature Reviews Microbiology, and Nature Immunology. The editorial office operates alongside teams connected to Springer Nature, Macmillan Publishers, Nature Portfolio, and offices in London and New York City. The journal solicits contributions from researchers affiliated with institutions such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and Max Planck Society. Subject areas intersect with work conducted at facilities like Broad Institute, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Institut Pasteur.

History and Development

The title was launched amid shifts in scientific publishing led by organizations such as Elsevier, Wiley-Blackwell, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, American Society for Microbiology, and Taylor & Francis. Founding announcements coincided with discussions at venues including Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory conferences, sessions at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Microbe, and meetings at Gordon Research Conferences. Early editorial leadership drew on figures with connections to Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and national funders like the National Institutes of Health and UK Research and Innovation. The journal’s inception paralleled launches of other specialized titles including Nature Ecology & Evolution and revisions to Nature Communications.

Scope and Editorial Policies

The journal’s scope spans microbial genetics, microbial ecology, host–microbe interactions, pathogenesis, antimicrobial resistance, microbiome research, and synthetic biology, aligning with research hubs such as Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, University of Cambridge, UCSF, ETH Zurich, and University of Tokyo. Editorial policies reflect frameworks promoted by organizations like Committee on Publication Ethics, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, World Health Organization, and repositories such as GenBank, European Nucleotide Archive, Protein Data Bank, and Dryad. Peer review procedures are informed by practices at Cell Press, The Lancet, Science (journal), and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Data-sharing mandates echo policies adopted by Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and European Commission Horizon 2020.

Publication and Impact

Articles frequently cite or are cited alongside work from laboratories at Scripps Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, Riken, Indian Institute of Science, University of Melbourne, and McGill University. Impact metrics are discussed in the context of indicators used by Clarivate Analytics, Scopus, Google Scholar, Altmetric, and analyses from ScienceWatch. The journal’s presence influences grant applications to agencies such as National Science Foundation, European Research Council, Medical Research Council (UK), Wellcome Trust, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. High-profile editorial commentary has appeared in coordination with events at World Health Assembly and debates involving Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, and policy discussions in European Parliament.

Abstracting and Indexing

Indexing services that include the journal are comparable to listings in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, BIOSIS Previews, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Service, Google Scholar, and databases curated by ProQuest. Library networks that hold subscriptions include British Library, Library of Congress, National Library of Medicine, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and consortia such as JISC and LIBER. Institutional repositories at MIT Libraries, Harvard Library, Cambridge University Library, and University of California Library track deposits aligned with mandates from funders like NIH Public Access Policy.

Notable Papers and Controversies

The journal has published high-impact studies relevant to outbreaks and surveillance reported by organizations such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health England, China CDC, and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Papers have intersected with landmark work involving CRISPR, metagenomics, microbiome therapeutics, and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives linked to World Health Organization action plans. Controversies have arisen around reproducibility debates similar to those involving Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology, data-access disputes comparable to episodes at Elsevier and Springer Nature more broadly, and editorial decisions that drew commentary from communities at Retraction Watch, COPE, PubPeer, and academic societies including American Society for Microbiology.

Category:Academic journals