Format your manuscript to the Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews requirements — abstract, the ASM numbered reference style references, and required declarations — and submit through the ASM submission system without a formatting rejection.
4.4
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
A strong study can still bounce at Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews before review if the manuscript ignores the journal’s formatting requirements. This template is built around MMBR’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 Everything below tracks the MMBR author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to MMBR’s specifications for authoritative reviews across microbiology and molecular biology. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews is published by the American Society for Microbiology. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in a structured review with an introduction, thematic sections, and conclusions order, and a reference list in the ASM numbered reference style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is an abstract of ≤250 words. The body follows a structured review with an introduction, thematic sections, and conclusions, and the reference list uses the ASM numbered reference style. Close with the declarations block: conflict of interest and funding.
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.
The shell mirrors what MMBR’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 MMBR journal home page. MMBR offers an open-access option; check the current article-processing charge and any waiver before you commit. Manuscripts go in through the ASM submission system, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | MMBR requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | an abstract of ≤250 words |
| Main text | a structured review with an introduction, thematic sections, and conclusions |
| Declarations | Conflict of interest and funding |
| 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 |
Read the MMBR 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.
Skim two or three recent MMBR 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 MMBR 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.