Journal of Applied Microbiology

Journal of Applied Microbiology is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Probiotics and Fermented Foods, Listeria monocytogenes in Food Safety and Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology, together about 25.9% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)

The broad scope of Journal of Applied Microbiology encompasses the full breadth of applied microbiology research with a particular focus on the following Research Themes: Microbiology in Health & Disease This Theme covers applied microbiology research that improves our understanding of how microbes influence human and animal health and disease. We welcome work that explores the roles of commensal, opportunistic, beneficial, and pathogenic microorganisms; the mechanisms that shape host–microbe interactions; and the ways microbes contribute to health and disease. Topics include, but aren't limited to, clinical and medical microbiology, food safety, public health microbiology, AMR, and microbiome. Microbial Biotechnology This Theme covers research that harnesses microorganisms and their biochemical capabilities to develop valuable products, sustainable processes, and innovative applications. We welcome submissions that present notable biotechnological innovations across agriculture, bioenergy, biopolymers, bioremediation, diagnostics, green chemistry, and pharmaceuticals. We encourage contributions that illustrate how microbial systems and microbial-based approaches can help solve practical problems and support sustainable technological progress. Systems Microbiology This Theme covers studies of microorganisms within a systems context. These systems include microbial communities in the environment and in association with humans and other hosts. Studies that use omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics, etc.) and/or computational approaches to better understand microbial systems are especially encouraged. In addition, studies that use machine learning or AI to make systems predictions based on microbial data are within the scope of this Theme. Plant & Environmental Microbiology This Theme welcomes submissions that address the diverse facets of plant-associated and environmental applied microbiology. Microorganisms associated with plants and the environment underpin primary production, soil fertility, and ecosystem functioning, and are key to sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient systems. From the rhizosphere, endosphere, and phyllosphere to soil, water, and built environments, these microbial communities interact with plants and each other, driving health, productivity, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. We particularly encourage mechanistic and applied research that harnesses microbial diversity to improve plant health, envi

From the journal's Aims & Scope

Research area (LetPub): Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology

Editor-in-chief Andrew J. McBainPublisher website

Editorial board by country: 4 in mainland China (about 7%); most named United States 9, United Kingdom 5, Australia 5, Mainland China 4, India 4 (56 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website · 2026-10-01

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: 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

2.69LetPub · 2026-09-13

Impact factor (publisher) 2025

7.9Publisher website · 2026-10-01

5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025

3.9Publisher website · 2026-10-01

CiteScore 2026-06

7.9LetPub · 2026-09-13

CiteScore (publisher) 2025

7.9Publisher website · 2026-10-01

SJR 2026-06

0.78LetPub · 2026-09-13

SNIP 2026-06

0.92LetPub · 2026-09-13

h-index

140LetPub · 2026-09-13

h-index

231OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

i10-index

7,952OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

2-year mean citedness

3.13OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

Self-citation rate

3.6%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Share of gold OA articles

23.2%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Volume

Articles per year

308LetPub · 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 2.5 monthsLetPub · 2026-09-13

Average acceptance (community reports)

52.5%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Submission to first decision

21.5 daysPublisher website · 2026-10-01

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

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Country or region

ENGLAND

Language

English

Frequency

Monthly

Founded

1997

ISSN

1364-5072

Electronic ISSN

1365-2672

Latest issue on the website

Volume 137, Issue 9 (September 2026)

Official links

• Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
• Submission system ↗Publisher website