FEMS Microbiology Letters

FEMS Microbiology Letters is published by Oxford University Press and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology, Bacteriophages and microbial interactions and Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies, together about 26.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)

FEMS Microbiology Letters gives priority to concise papers that merit rapid publication by virtue of their originality, general interest and contribution to new developments in microbiology. All aspects of microbiology, including virology, are covered. Sections The journal is divided into sections, which cover: Antimicrobial agents For contributions that advance understanding of antimicrobial agents and microbial responses to antimicrobial exposure, reflecting the One Health paradigm. Research submitted for consideration can cover fundamental and applied microbiology relevant to antimicrobial agents active against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Within scope are studies on the discovery and characterisation of antimicrobial compounds, their mechanism(s) of action, antimicrobial peptides, natural products, and synthetic agents, along with microbial responses including resistance, tolerance, persistence, and evolutionary adaptation. For any substance for which antimicrobial activity is reported, these studies should also include identification of the precise active compound with its structure fully elucidated (if novel). Studies submitted to the journal describing plant oils or crude extracts will not be considered unless the precise active substance has been identified. Research addressing antimicrobial resistance is welcomed when it provides mechanistic, functional, or hypothesis‑driven insights into resistance development, dissemination, or control. Studies describing alternative and adjunct antimicrobial strategies, such as combination therapies, anti-virulence approaches, bacteriophages, or host‑directed interventions, as well as work linking antimicrobial activity to xenobiotics, microbial physiology, ecology, or host-microbe interactions should be submitted here. Contributions may employ experimental, computational, or model‑based approaches and should be of broad interest to the microbiology community. In keeping with the aims of FEMS Microbiology Letters, the section prioritises concise reports that present clear advances in knowledge. Purely descriptive antimicrobial resistance or susceptibility surveillance studies without substantive analytical or mechanistic insight are outside the scope of this section. Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology All studies that utilise microorganisms to undertake a role in the production of a product, degradation or valorisation of waste or side streams should be submitted here, with the exception of those i

From the journal's Aims & Scope

Research area (LetPub): Microbiology

Editor-in-chief Clare TaylorPublisher website

Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United Kingdom 23, Germany 10, United States 9, Ireland 9, Mainland China 6 (119 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website · 2026-09-29

CAS Journal Ranking

Database indexing

SCIEScopusLetPub

International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub

Indexing the journal's website claims

MEDLINEPubMedEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website

Other: Index Medicus, EBSCO, ProQuest, AGRICOLA

As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.

Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.

Impact

Impact factor

1.97LetPub · 2026-09-13

Impact factor (publisher) 2025

2.5Publisher website · 2026-09-29

5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025

2.5Publisher website · 2026-09-29

CiteScore 2026-06

3.8LetPub · 2026-09-13

CiteScore (publisher) 2025

3.8Publisher website · 2026-09-29

SJR 2026-06

0.6LetPub · 2026-09-13

SNIP 2026-06

0.73LetPub · 2026-09-13

h-index

134LetPub · 2026-09-13

h-index

240OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

i10-index

15,478OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

2-year mean citedness

1.95OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

Self-citation rate

0%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Share of gold OA articles

25.13%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Volume

Articles per year

144LetPub · 2026-09-13

Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.

Other sources

Average review time (community reports)

about 2 monthsLetPub · 2026-09-13

Average acceptance (community reports)

EasyLetPub · 2026-09-13

Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.

A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.

The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.

Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Country or region

NETHERLANDS

Language

Multi-Language

Frequency

Semimonthly

Founded

1977

ISSN

0378-1097

Electronic ISSN

1574-6968

Official links

• Journal homepage ↗LetPub
• Submission system ↗LetPub
• Special issues ↗Publisher website