Journal profile · Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Systematic and Applied Microbiology
ISSN 0723-2020 · eISSN 1618-0984 · Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena · GERMANY · Tri-annual · Founded 1983
Systematic and Applied Microbiology: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.23; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,010; median 105 days to acceptance (98 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: moderate; 69 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Systematic and Applied Microbiology is published by Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies, Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology and Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis, together about 44.8% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Systematic and Applied Microbiology deals with various aspects of microbial diversity and systematics of prokaryotes. It focuses on Bacteria and Archaea; eukaryotic microorganisms will only be considered in rare cases. The journal perceives a broad understanding of microbial diversity and encourages the submission of manuscripts from the following branches of microbiology:Systematics: Theoretical and practical issues dealing with classification and taxonomy, i.e. • New descriptions or revisions of prokaryotic taxa, including in particular descriptions of not-yet cultured taxa in the category Candidatus, • innovative methods for the determination of taxonomical and genealogical relationships • evaluation of intra-taxon diversity through multidisciplinary approaches • identification methods.Applied Microbiology: polyphasic studies combining multiple methods yielding in-depth data on the diversity and function of particular clades of Bacteria and Archaea in all aspects of agricultural, food, and industrial microbiology, including water and wastewater treatment. Also these studies must have a focus on prokaryotic systematics.Comparative biochemistry and genomics: studies concerning biochemical/metabolic and genomic diversity of cultured as well as yet-uncultured Bacteria and Archaea.Ecology: polyphasic descriptions of the microbial diversity and community composition of natural and man-made ecosystems; studies quantifying the size, dynamics, and function of prokaryotic populations; innovative research on the interaction of Bacteria and Archaea with each other and their biotic and abiotic environments. The description of candidate taxa is highly encouraged but should be based on high quality metagenomic information, as well as the in situ identification of the target bacterial or archaeal populations.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 4%); most named Spain 12, Germany 11, United States 6, United Kingdom 3, Mainland China 2 (48 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology21.6%
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science16.1%
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing SymbiosisAgricultural and Biological Sciences7.1%
- Probiotics and Fermented FoodsAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.9%
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal DiseasesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.3%
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactionsEnvironmental Science3.3%
- Plant Pathogenic Bacteria StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.2%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.23LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.12LetPub ·
- h-index
- 88LetPub ·
- h-index
- 160OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,583OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.41OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 34.93%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 56LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,378 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 53 | 19 | 19 |
| 2025 | 69 | 31 | 192 |
| 2024 | 60 | 30 | 409 |
| 2023 | 46 | 25 | 430 |
| 2022 | 55 | 17 | 829 |
| 2021 | 79 | 26 | 1,618 |
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.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
105 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 69 days – 144 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (98 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 107 days
- Sample
- 98 articles with submission and acceptance dates (132 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- ModerateLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 31 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 112 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
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.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,010 / EUR 3,750 / GBP 3,210 / JPY 497,360 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,130 | — | — |
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.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted5
- full-length papersFull-length papers should be as concise as possible.Length not stated
- minireviewsMinireviews are short review papers, normally not exceeding 6 printed pages, concerned with matters of particular interest and current importance. They must be …Length not stated
- short communicationMinireviews are short review papers, normally not exceeding 6 printed pages, concerned with matters of particular interest and current importance. They must be …Length not stated
- short communicationsShort communications should not exceed 3 printed pages, including illustrations. The paper should be preceded by a brief summary, and division of the text into …Length not stated
- short reviewMinireviews are short review papers, normally not exceeding 6 printed pages, concerned with matters of particular interest and current importance. They must be …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed, does not count as prior publication Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
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.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Tri-annual
- Founded
- 1983
- ISSN
- 0723-2020
- Electronic ISSN
- 1618-0984
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Systematic and Applied Microbiology
What CAS zone is Systematic and Applied Microbiology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Systematic and Applied Microbiology is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology / Microbiology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Systematic and Applied Microbiology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.23; CiteScore 6.5, h-index 160.
How long does peer review take at Systematic and Applied Microbiology?
Based on the dates recorded on 98 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 105 days (interquartile range 69–144 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Systematic and Applied Microbiology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Vancouver; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Systematic and Applied Microbiology based?
Of the 48 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Spain (12), Germany (11) and United States (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Systematic and Applied Microbiology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Systematic and Applied Microbiology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Systematic and Applied Microbiology open access, and what is the APC?
Systematic and Applied Microbiology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,010.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .