Format your manuscript to the Microbial Cell requirements — abstract, a numbered style (confirm in the author guidelines) references, and required declarations — and submit through the journal's online submission system without a formatting rejection.
4.3
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
A strong study can still bounce at Microbial Cell before review if the manuscript ignores the journal’s formatting requirements. This template is built around Microb Cell’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, a numbered style (confirm in the author guidelines) references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the Microb Cell author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to Microb Cell’s specifications for microbial cell biology, physiology, and molecular microbiology. Microbial Cell is published by Shared Science Publishers. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in a numbered style (confirm in the author guidelines) style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is an unstructured abstract of ≤250 words. The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses a numbered style (confirm in the author guidelines). Close with the declarations block: conflict of interest, funding, and data availability.
Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep a numbered style (confirm in the author guidelines) formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through the journal's online submission system — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what Microb Cell’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, a numbered style (confirm in the author guidelines) reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the Microb Cell journal home page. Microbial Cell is fully open access; an article-processing charge applies — check the current APC and any waiver. Manuscripts go in through the journal's online submission system, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | Microb Cell requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | an unstructured abstract of ≤250 words |
| 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 journal's online submission system |
Read the Microb Cell author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set a numbered style (confirm in the author guidelines) as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in.
Skim two or three recent Microb Cell 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.
Do one focused pass against the Microb Cell author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, a numbered style (confirm in the author guidelines) references, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's online submission system.