Aims & Scope
Core Research Domains
Resistance Mechanisms & Molecular Biology
- Genetic determinants of antimicrobial resistance
- Horizontal gene transfer and mobile genetic elements
- Efflux pumps and membrane permeability alterations
- Target site modifications and enzymatic inactivation
- Biofilm formation and persistence mechanisms
- Metabolic adaptations in resistant strains
Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
- Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections (MRSA, VRE, CRE)
- Drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB, XDR-TB)
- Antiviral resistance (HIV, influenza, hepatitis)
- Antifungal resistance (Candida, Aspergillus)
- Antimalarial resistance and parasitic drug resistance
- Healthcare-associated and community-acquired resistant infections
Diagnostics & Surveillance
- Rapid molecular diagnostic platforms for resistance detection
- Whole-genome sequencing for resistance prediction
- Point-of-care testing for antimicrobial susceptibility
- Epidemiological surveillance and outbreak investigation
- Resistance biomarkers and predictive modeling
- Global and regional resistance monitoring networks
Therapeutic Strategies & Drug Development
- Novel antibiotic discovery and development
- Antibiotic combination therapies and synergy studies
- Repurposing existing drugs for resistant pathogens
- Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics optimization
- Drug delivery systems for enhanced antimicrobial efficacy
- Clinical trial outcomes for new antimicrobial agents
Secondary Focus Areas
Alternative & Adjunctive Therapies
- Bacteriophage therapy and phage-antibiotic combinations
- Antimicrobial peptides and host defense peptides
- Immunotherapies targeting resistant pathogens
- Probiotics and microbiome modulation
- Photodynamic and photothermal antimicrobial approaches
Stewardship & Public Health
- Antibiotic stewardship program implementation and outcomes
- Infection prevention and control strategies
- Policy interventions for resistance mitigation
- Economic burden and cost-effectiveness analyses
- Educational interventions for prescribers and patients
One Health & Environmental Reservoirs
- Veterinary antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic transmission
- Agricultural use of antimicrobials and food safety
- Environmental reservoirs and wastewater surveillance
- Resistance in aquaculture and companion animals
- Cross-sector transmission dynamics
Computational & Systems Approaches
- Machine learning for resistance prediction
- Network analysis of resistance gene dissemination
- Structural biology and in silico drug design
- Proteomics and metabolomics of resistant pathogens
- Mathematical modeling of resistance evolution
Emerging & Frontier Areas
AI-Driven Drug Discovery
Artificial intelligence and deep learning applications for identifying novel antimicrobial compounds and predicting resistance emergence patterns.
Precision Medicine Approaches
Personalized antimicrobial therapy based on host genetics, microbiome composition, and pathogen genomic profiles.
CRISPR-Based Interventions
Gene editing technologies for reversing resistance mechanisms or selectively targeting resistant bacterial populations.
Nanotechnology Applications
Nanoparticle-based antimicrobial delivery systems and novel nanomaterials with intrinsic antimicrobial properties.
Explicitly Out of Scope
Drug Toxicity Without Resistance Context
Studies examining drug toxicity, adverse effects, or pharmacovigilance that do not address antimicrobial resistance mechanisms or resistant pathogen treatment. Rationale: These topics belong in pharmacology or toxicology journals.
General Immunology & Host Defense
Broad immunological studies, vaccine development for non-resistant pathogens, or innate immunity research without specific focus on drug-resistant pathogen interactions. Rationale: Requires direct connection to antimicrobial resistance.
Non-Infectious Disease Topics
Cancer research, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, neurological conditions, or lifestyle factors (nutrition, habits) unless directly linked to antimicrobial resistance in infectious disease contexts. Rationale: Outside infectious disease scope.
Unrelated Viral Pathology
Studies on viral infections without antiviral resistance component (e.g., general virology, viral oncogenesis, non-resistant viral epidemiology). Rationale: Must focus on drug resistance aspects.
Basic Microbiology Without Resistance Focus
General microbial physiology, taxonomy, or ecology studies that do not address antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, evolution, or clinical implications. Rationale: Requires clear resistance relevance.
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
High-Impact Research
- Original Research Articles (full-length)
- Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
- Clinical Trial Reports (Phase II-IV)
- Novel Methods & Protocols
- Genomic Epidemiology Studies
Focused Contributions
- Short Communications (rapid findings)
- Data Notes & Genome Announcements
- Perspectives & Expert Commentaries
- Technical Notes & Validation Studies
- Outbreak Investigation Reports
Limited Acceptance
- Case Reports (only exceptional/novel cases)
- Opinion Pieces (by invitation)
- Letters to the Editor (post-publication discussion)
- Conference Abstracts (by invitation only)
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
- CONSORT for randomized controlled trials
- STROBE for observational studies
- PRISMA for systematic reviews
- ARRIVE for animal research
- STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies
- CARE for case reports
Data & Ethics Requirements
- Raw data deposition in public repositories
- Genome sequences in NCBI/ENA/DDBJ
- Ethics approval for human/animal studies
- Informed consent documentation
- Clinical trial registration (ICMJE standards)
- Conflict of interest disclosure
Preprint & Prior Publication Policy
- Preprints on recognized servers accepted
- Conference abstracts do not preclude submission
- No duplicate publication of same data
- Related manuscripts must be disclosed
- Preprint DOI must be declared at submission
Peer Review Process
- Double-blind peer review standard
- Minimum two independent reviewers
- Statistical review for complex analyses
- Ethics review when applicable
- Post-publication peer review enabled
