Get your Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 11 August, 2026
Submitting to Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's submission system.
| Element | Frontiers Cell Infect Microbiol requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract (e.g., IMRAD format recommended), single paragraph, no specific word limit stated in guidelines. Authors should follow requirements of specific article type. Clinical trial articles must include trial registry number and URL. Minimize abbreviations; do not cite references, figures, or tables in abstract |
| Main text | Word count limits by article type (main body text, footnotes, and in-text citations only; excludes abstract, section titles, captions, funding, acknowledgments, and reference list): Original Research: 12,000 words max; Systematic Review: 12,000 words max; Methods: 12,000 words max; Review: 12,000 words max; Hypothesis and Theory: 12,000 words max; Clinical Trial: 12,000 words max; Brief Research Report: 4,000 words max; Mini Review: 3,000 words max; Perspective: 3,000 words max; Opinion: 2,000 words max; Editorial: 1,000 words max |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Minimum 5, maximum 8 keywords required for all article types |
| References | Frontiers Harvard (author-date) style. The reference list should include names of the first six authors followed by et al., with DOI when available. Given names abbreviated to initials (e.g., Smith, J.). References must be accurate with accessible links. All citations in text/figures/tables must be in reference list and vice-versa |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized (also called single-blind): reviewers know the identity of the authors, but authors do not know the identity of reviewers. When a manuscript is accepted for publication, the names of the reviewers who endorsed its publication appear on the published article |
| Submission | www.frontiersin.org/submission/submit?domainid=1&fieldid=116&specialtyid=0&entitytype=2&entityid=1440 |
Read the Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Frontiers Cell Infect Microbiol papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.