Calls for papers from microLife

microLife, a journal focusing on the highest standard, novelty, and significance in the field of microbiology and related disciplines, is working on publishing a variety of thematic issues covering a diverse range of topics. See below for our current calls for papers for upcoming thematic issues and view our collection of previously published thematic issues from microLife here. 

Thematic Issue on CRISPR-Cas functions in defence and beyond

Editors: Anita Marchfelder [email protected], Lennart Randau [email protected], Wolfgang Hess [email protected]

CRISPR-Cas was first identified as a prokaryotic defence system against phage infections. Later, it was realised that its Cas proteins and associated components can also be involved in functions beyond defence which include DNA repair, virulence regulation and group behaviour. This thematic issue will collect novel insights into the different mechanisms and diverse functional roles of CRISPR-Cas systems in defence and beyond.

The issue will be a collection of Short Reviews, Commentaries and Research Articles. All submitted papers will be subjected to our standard independent peer-review. Authors should specify ‘CRISPR-Cas' in the cover letter. The author guidelines are given on this page.

Accepted manuscripts are immediately published in regular issues of microLife. The Thematic Issue will be compiled in early 2024 and will get dedicated promotion from FEMS and our publishing partner Oxford University Press.

Submission deadline: 31 May 2025

Keywords: CRISPR-Cas, CRISPRi, defence systems, phages, genome engineering

Conferences:
CRISPR2025 International meeting: https://www.crispr2025.org/

Thematic Issue on Small Proteins in Prokaryotes

Editors: Lisa Hellwig, [email protected]; Ruth Schmitz-Streit, [email protected]; Kai Papenfort, [email protected]; Wolfgang Hess, [email protected]; Cynthia Sharma, [email protected], Rolf Backofen, [email protected]

In the past, small proteins were frequently overlooked due to technical and methodological challenges. However, recent advancements and evidence reveal that a huge number of small proteins with diverse functions exist across all domains of life. This thematic issue brings together new findings and broadens our understanding of the various mechanisms and functional roles of small proteins in prokaryotes.

All submitted papers will be subjected to our standard independent peer-review. Authors should specify ‘Small Proteins’ in the cover letter. The author guidelines are given on this page.

Accepted manuscripts are immediately published in regular issues of microLife. The Thematic Issue will be compiled once complete, and will get dedicated promotion from FEMS and our publishing partner Oxford University Press.

Submission deadline: 30 September 2025

Keywords: small proteins, small open reading frame, proteomics, proteogenomics

Thematic Issue on the emerging role of chromatin remodelling and nuclear targeting in the persistence or elimination of microbial pathogens

We increasingly understand how bacteria are able to manipulate host cell functions during infection, or how host cells respond to bacterial pathogens at the transcriptional or protein expression level. However, the changes in chromatin structure that are induced by bacterial infection in host cells and how they regulate host gene expression have so far been insufficiently studied. A deeper understanding of the consequences of bacterial infections at the chromatin remodeling level will help us elucidate infection strategies of pathogenic bacteria on the one hand and defence mechanisms of infected eukaryotes on the other. This special issue aims to present the current state of research in the field of chromatin dynamics in the context of host-bacterium interactions and to highlight common or different mechanisms of chromatin structure modulation that occur in the interplay of different bacterial pathogens with eukaryotes and that could potentially be used as a starting point for improved therapeutic and preventive procedures.

All submitted papers will be subjected to our standard independent peer-review. Authors should specify “Chromatin remodeling” in the cover letter. Accepted papers will be published in the journal as soon as they are available and later collated into a thematic collection alongside strategic topic selections to be prepared by leaders from the respective fields.

microLife is an Open Access journal – we’ll waive the Open Access fees for all authors in this thematic issue.

For more information on submitting your manuscript, please see the microLife's instructions to authors.