mBio Template
Format your manuscript to the mBio requirements — abstract, the ASM numbered reference style references, and required declarations — and submit through the ASM submission system without a formatting rejection.
4.7
How to Use the mBio Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
A strong study can still bounce at mBio before review if the manuscript ignores the journal’s formatting requirements. This template is built around mBio’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, the ASM numbered reference style references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the mBio author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
What is the mBio Template?
It’s a manuscript shell set up to mBio’s specifications for the microbial sciences across disciplines. mBio is published by the American Society for Microbiology. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in the ASM numbered reference style.
What’s actually in a standard mBio submission:
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is an abstract of ≤250 words plus a short importance statement. mBio also expects a brief “Importance” statement. The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses the ASM numbered reference style. Close with the declarations block: conflict of interest, funding, and data availability.
What separates a clean submission from one that gets kicked back:
Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep the ASM numbered reference style formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through the ASM submission system — email submissions aren’t processed.
What does this mBio Template include?
The shell mirrors what mBio’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, the ASM numbered reference style reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the mBio journal home page. mBio is fully open access; an article-processing charge applies — check the current APC and any waiver. Manuscripts go in through the ASM submission system, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
Steps to Use This Template with Scispace Agent
- Click Start Writing on this page — you land on the Scispace Agent prompt screen with the template already loaded.
- Use the loaded template as-is, or upload your own version if you have one.
- Edit the prompt with your actual details: topic, article type, and any word or figure limits specific to that type.
- Run it. The agent drafts directly into the correct structure — abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) body, figure placeholders, the ASM numbered reference style references, and the full declarations block — with no manual reformatting afterward.
- Review the draft in View Outputs and regenerate any section that needs tightening.
- Export to Word or LaTeX once it’s ready for submission.
mBio Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | mBio requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | an abstract of ≤250 words plus a short importance statement |
| Main text | Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) |
| Declarations | Conflict of interest, funding, and data availability |
| Figures / tables | Captioned, cited in order; check format and resolution rules in the guide |
| Supplemental | Large datasets, extra tables, code — uploaded separately and cited in text |
| Submission | the ASM submission system |
Quick Tips for Using the mBio Template
Read the mBio author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set the ASM numbered reference style as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in. Prepare a brief “Importance” statement early rather than leaving it to the end.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent mBio papers to calibrate depth, structure, and figure style. State your contribution in the first two paragraphs, not on page ten. Write a data-availability statement that names a real repository rather than a placeholder, and disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in your cover letter. Confirm current open-access pricing and any institutional agreement before committing to a fee.
Before You Submit: Final Check
Do one focused pass against the mBio author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, the ASM numbered reference style references, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the ASM submission system.
