Draft for in Microbiology with confidence. The template sets the correct structure, abstract, and references up front, so your manuscript clears editorial screening.
4.8
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 25 July, 2026
Submitting to in Microbiology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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 Frontiers submission system.
| Element | in Microbiology requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Abstract must be a single paragraph, no longer than a single paragraph. Should be structured according to IMRAD format (or as specified by article type). Abbreviations should be minimized. References, figures, or tables should not be cited in the abstract. Clinical trials must include a unique identifier and registration URL. Specific word limits not stated in the guidelines; structure varies by article type (e.g., Original Research requires: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion; Reviews require: Abstract, Introduction, Subsections, Discussion). |
| Main text | Section order and length per article type |
| Declarations | Ethics, competing interests, funding, data as required |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Minimum of 5 and maximum of 8 keywords required for all article types. |
| References | Harvard (author-date) citation style. Reference lists must include the first six authors followed by et al. and include the DOI when available. |
| Peer review | Single-anonymous (single-blind). Frontiers operates a single anonymized model where reviewers' identities are hidden from authors, but authors' identities are known to reviewers. When a manuscript is accepted for publication, the names of the reviewers who endorsed its publication appear on the published article. |
| Submission | frontiersin.org |
Read the in 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 in Microbiology in under a page.
Skim two or three recent in Microbiology 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 in Microbiology journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the in Microbiology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the Frontiers submission system.