Aims & Scope
Core Research Domains
Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms
- Genetic basis of resistance (chromosomal and plasmid-mediated)
- Horizontal gene transfer and mobile genetic elements
- Efflux pumps and membrane permeability alterations
- Target site modifications and enzymatic inactivation
- Multidrug resistance phenotypes and genotypes
- Rapid resistance detection techniques and molecular diagnostics
"Characterization of novel beta-lactamase variants in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae: structural analysis and kinetic properties"
Antibiotic Biosynthesis & Chemistry
- Biosynthetic pathways and gene clusters
- Enzymatic mechanisms in antibiotic production
- Natural product discovery from microbial sources
- Chemical synthesis and semi-synthesis of antibiotics
- Structure-activity relationships (SAR)
- Bioconversion and biotransformation processes
"Elucidation of the glycopeptide antibiotic biosynthetic pathway in Amycolatopsis orientalis using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing"
Molecular Mechanisms of Action
- Target identification and validation
- Protein-antibiotic interactions and binding kinetics
- Cell wall synthesis inhibition mechanisms
- Ribosomal targeting and protein synthesis disruption
- DNA/RNA synthesis interference
- Membrane disruption and bactericidal mechanisms
"Cryo-EM structure of the ribosome bound to novel oxazolidinone derivatives reveals unique binding mode and resistance implications"
Microbial Genetics & Genomics
- Comparative genomics of antibiotic-producing organisms
- Functional genomics and transcriptomics
- Metagenomics for antibiotic discovery
- CRISPR-based genetic manipulation
- Evolutionary dynamics of resistance genes
- Genome mining for biosynthetic gene clusters
"Pan-genome analysis of Streptomyces species reveals cryptic biosynthetic pathways for novel polyketide antibiotics"
Secondary Focus Areas
Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics
Molecular aspects of antibiotic absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME); PK/PD modeling at the cellular level; drug-drug interactions affecting antibiotic efficacy.
Host-Pathogen Interactions
Bacterial virulence factors; immune evasion mechanisms; biofilm formation and antibiotic tolerance; quorum sensing and its role in resistance; molecular basis of bacterial pathogenesis.
Applied Microbiology
Industrial production optimization; fermentation technology; strain improvement through genetic engineering; downstream processing; quality control methods for antibiotic production.
Proteomics & Metabolomics
Proteomic profiling of antibiotic responses; metabolic pathway analysis; systems biology approaches; mass spectrometry-based identification of resistance markers.
Antimicrobial Agents Spectrum
Antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiprotozoal agents; spectrum of activity determination; cross-resistance patterns; combination therapy at molecular level.
Toxicology & Safety
Molecular toxicology; adverse drug reactions at cellular level; genotoxicity assessment; structure-toxicity relationships; mitochondrial toxicity mechanisms.
Emerging Research Frontiers
Explicitly Out of Scope
We Do Not Consider
- Clinical Case Reports: Individual patient cases, treatment outcomes, or clinical management strategies without substantial microbiological investigation or mechanistic insight.
- Prescribing Guidelines & Stewardship Programs: Hospital protocols, antibiotic prescribing practices, empiric therapy recommendations, or antimicrobial stewardship implementation studies focused solely on clinical practice.
- Epidemiological Surveys: Pure surveillance studies, infection rate monitoring, or epidemiological reports without molecular characterization or mechanistic analysis of resistance.
- Clinical Trial Reports: Phase I-IV clinical trials, therapeutic efficacy studies, or patient outcome analyses unless accompanied by detailed microbiological and molecular investigations.
- Vaccine Development: Immunization strategies, vaccine formulations, or immunological responses unless directly related to bacterial virulence mechanisms or antibiotic resistance.
Article Types & Priorities
Fast-Track Review (14-21 days)
Standard Review (28-35 days)
Requires Strong Justification
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
- STROBE for observational studies
- PRISMA for systematic reviews
- ARRIVE for animal research
- MIAME for microarray experiments
- MIQE for qPCR studies
Data Transparency
- Raw data deposition in public repositories
- Genome sequences in NCBI/EBI databases
- Protein structures in PDB
- Plasmid maps and sequences available
- Code availability for computational studies
Ethics & Compliance
- Institutional biosafety approval required
- Ethical approval for human/animal samples
- Nagoya Protocol compliance for natural products
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- Funding source transparency
Preprint Policy
- Preprints welcomed (bioRxiv, medRxiv)
- Must disclose preprint DOI at submission
- No impact on novelty assessment
- Preprint servers do not constitute prior publication
