Antimicrobial agents form the essential shield behind which modern medicine operates. However, this shield is progressively weakening as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) escalates, posing a serious global health threat that affects humans and animals. The spread of AMR is fueled by multiple factors, including misuse and overuse of antimicrobials, inadequate diagnostic practices, and the plasticity of microbial genomes. With antimicrobials being essential in medical care, the rise of AMR jeopardizes our ability to combat common infections and increases the risks associated with routine medical procedures. To address this issue, it is vital to invest in research covering various aspects of AMR, including the genetic mechanisms underlying resistance and its evolution, and the surveillance of resistance and its spread in humans, animals, and the environment.
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology aims to offer a comprehensive collection of articles delving into the genetic factors influencing AMR. This collection covers a broad spectrum of subjects, including but not limited to epidemiological monitoring of resistance, prevalence in clinical, veterinary, and environmental settings, designing genetic strategies to address or preclude AMR, advancements in molecular diagnostic methodologies, the identification of mechanisms of action for novel antimicrobial compounds, and the exploration of novel mechanisms contributing to antimicrobial resistance.
Manuscripts will be selected primarily based on the novelty of research findings and scientific quality. We invite contributors to submit articles in one of the following types: Hypothesis and Theory, Methods, Opinion, Review, Original Research, and Perspectives, across the following primary areas:
i) Analysis of AMR in the clinical, veterinary, and environmental settings ii) Design of novel diagnostic tools to characterize AMR iii) Identification and characterization of novel AMR mechanisms iv) Investigation of the mechanisms of action for new antimicrobials v) Generation of novel genetic platforms for the screening of new antimicrobial compounds vi) Study of the regulatory networks controlling AMR
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Classification
Clinical Trial
Community Case Study
Conceptual Analysis
Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Classification
Clinical Trial
Community Case Study
Conceptual Analysis
Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
Perspective
Policy and Practice Reviews
Policy Brief
Review
Study Protocol
Systematic Review
Technology and Code
Keywords: Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), Infectious disease epidemiology, Mobile genetic elements (MBEs), Plasmids, Phages, Regulatory perspectives, Resistance mechanisms, Surveillance
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
