Environmental Microbiology
A section of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607).
Section Information
Microbial communities are responsible for energy and nutrient cycling and are massively involved in the planet’s sustainability. Microbes are directly involved in the dynamics of climate change by their impact on the destabilization, mineralization and sequestration of organic matter. The facets of microbial diversity consist of morphological, structural, metabolic, ecological or evolutionary diversity; however, the central question in microbial ecology—“Who eats what, where and when?”—queries how the key player in the community is to perform the most meaningful activity. To answer this, one major task is to identify the relationships between the composition of the microbial community and the functional processes.
Here, we introduce the section Environmental Microbiology. This section will be devoted to topics that remain focused on the study of microbial processes in the environment, microbial communities and microbial interactions; including the OMICS technologies and cross-disciplinary studies dedicated to basic and/or applied research. The editorial board will review all manuscripts submitted for publication in this section. However, articles which seem to be outside the scope of the subject matter listed here may be referred to another section of Microorganisms.
Keywords
- Structure and function of microbial communities
- Microbial community genetics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics
- Microbial interaction
- Microbial communication
- Microbial ecology
- Microbial population biology
- Biogeochemical processes (C, N, P, S-cycles)
- Microbial life in extreme environments
- Evolutionary processes of microbial communities
- Biofilm formation and surfaces of microbes
- Metabolic flux analysis and stable isotope probing (DNA, RNA and protein)
- Microbiome biology of environmental habitats (e.g., soil, rhizosphere or aquifer)
- Microbial treatment: microbial biodegradation, microbial bioremediation, microbial and waste recycling, microbial pesticide, microbial fertilizer, et al.
- Microbial pollution: pathogenic microorganisms in the environment (water/soil/air/food); microbial metabolism and environmental pollution (e.g., microbial toxin), et al.
- Microbiological monitoring: testing methods and monitoring techniques development
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- State-of-the-Art Environmental Microbiology in China 2025 (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Research on Airborne Microbial Communities (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Microorganisms: Climate Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Food- and Waterborne Pathogens: Epidemiology, Genomics, Virulence, and Resistance Profiles, 2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Chemolithoautotrophic Microorganisms—Pioneers of Biospheric Evolution and Sustainable Biotechnology (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Microbial Nutrient Cycling Mechanisms (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Microbial Community Structure and Functions in Marine Sediments (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Marine Agricultural Microorganisms (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Role of Microbes in the Remediation of Pollutants in the Environment, 2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- State-of-the-Art Environmental Microbiology in Canada 2025, 2026 (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Environmental Microbes in Antimicrobial Resistance and Soil Pollution Mitigation (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Microparasites: Diversity, Phylogeny and Molecular Characterization (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Pathogens in Aquaculture Environments (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- The Notion of Microorganisms-Based Bio-Refinery: Transitioning from Wastewater Treatment to By-Products Recovery (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Microbes in Aquaculture (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Pathogenic Microbes in the Environment and Infectious Disease Control (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Fungus: Diversity, Genomics and Genetics (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Microbial Biofilms and Biofouling (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Marine Microbes, Biocontamination and Bioremediation (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Fungal Diversity and Bioactive Potential: From Taxonomy to Therapeutic Applications (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Microbial Responses and Adaptations to Environmental Changes (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Microbiota Dynamics in Environmental and Host Systems: From Ecology to Applications (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Microorganisms in Extreme Environments (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Diversity and Functions of Microbial Enzymes in Nature and Industry (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Microbial Communities and Biodegradation (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Advances in Halophilic Microorganisms (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Microbial Food Webs (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Microorganisms Around Coal Mines and Their Application, 2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Coral Microbiome and Microbial Ecology (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Insights into the Microbial Ecology of Extreme Freshwater Systems (Deadline: 31 January 2026)
- Aquatic Microorganisms and Their Application in Aquaculture, 2nd Edition (Deadline: 15 February 2026)
- Microbial Solutions for Sustainable Resource Recovery and Environmental Remediation (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
- Microbial Taxonomy and Environmental Metagenomics: Diversity, Dynamics, and Functional Genes (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
- Microbiome- and Macrobiome-Enhanced Weathering for Carbon Capture and Climate Mitigation (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
- Proactive Water Safety Plans and Remediation Solutions for Microbial Risk Reduction in Water (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
- Surveillance of Health-Relevant Pathogens Employing Wastewater (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
- Advances in Genomics and Ecology of Environmental Microorganisms (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
- Surveillance of Pathogens in the Environment (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
- Microbial Communities and Indicators of Agroecosystem Health (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
- Microbial Life and Ecology in Extreme Environments (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
- Microorganisms in Agriculture, 2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Microbial Life: Ecology, Health, and Sustainability (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Environmental Microorganisms in Sediments (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Endophytic Fungus as Producers of New and/or Bioactive Substances, Second Edition (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Microbial Responses to Nutrient and Trace Metal Stress in Marine and Extreme Environments (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Bioproducts from Cyanobacteria and Microalgae: Current Trends and Future Perspectives (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Microbial Diversity in Different Environments (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Genomics of Marine and Aquatic Bacteria: A Focus on Novel Taxa, Diversity and Biotechnological Potential, 3rd Edition (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Interaction Between Microorganisms and Environment (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Fungal Ecology on a Changing Planet (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Microbial Contamination in Indoor Environments (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Climate Warming and Eutrophication on Phytoplankton Ecology: Effects and Restoration (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Microbial Dynamics in Desert Ecosystems (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Sustainable Approaches to Mitigate Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment (Deadline: 30 April 2026)
- Microbial Communities in Soil: Drivers of Terrestrial Ecosystem Processes (Deadline: 30 April 2026)
- Advances in Magnetotactic Bacteria (Deadline: 30 April 2026)
- Advances in Soil Microbial Ecology, 3rd Edition (Deadline: 30 April 2026)
- Effect of Microbial Communities for Environmental Protection and Development of Agriculture, Second Edition (Deadline: 30 April 2026)
- Research of Soil Microbial Communities (Deadline: 30 April 2026)
- Bioaerosols and Their Health Impacts (Deadline: 30 April 2026)
- Bacteriophages in Diverse Environments—Physiology, Genetics, and Potential Biotechnological Applications (Deadline: 30 April 2026)
- Advances in Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion: Mechanisms, Microbial Communities, Early Detection and Control Strategies (Deadline: 30 April 2026)
- Role of Soil Microorganisms in Agricultural Production and Environmental Biotechnologies (Deadline: 20 May 2026)
- Phytoplankton Faced with Emergent Pollutants (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Advances in Microbial Adaptation and Evolution (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Advances in Airborne Microbial Communities (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Halophiles (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Advances in Research on Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Microbial Diversity and Ecology in Different Environments (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Sustainable Waste Biotechnologies: Biodegradation, Biotransformation, and Bioconversion (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Microbial Communities and Nitrogen Cycling (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Soil Microbial Carbon/Nitrogen/Phosphorus Cycling: 2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Microbes in Wastewater Treatment (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Microbiome-Driven Agriculture: Transforming Sustainability and Resilience Through Functional Microbial Insights and Metagenomics (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Microalgae at the Nexus of Sustainability: From Ecosystem Health to Biotechnological Innovation (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Surveillance of Pathogens in Wastewater (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Hydrothermal Microorganisms (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
Topical Collections
Following topical collections within this section are currently open for submissions: