Scope
Microbiology Resource Announcements (MRA) is an online-only, fully open access journal that publishes articles announcing the availability of any microbiological resource deposited in a repository available to the community. In addition to considering genome sequences of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes and viruses in public databases, MRA will consider metagenomics sequences, amplicon sequence collections, metabolomics data, proteome data, culture collections, mutant libraries, plasmids and other genetic constructs, publicly available databases and software, and protocols and workflows. Manuscripts submitted to MRA will be peer reviewed for appropriate content and handled by a board of senior editors who will accept manuscripts at their discretion.
MRA will consider manuscripts that announce the resources listed below, for which we have provided instruction. Manuscripts providing an in-depth or comparative analysis of these resources will not be considered by MRA. Such manuscripts are more appropriate for other ASM journals, such as Applied and Environmental Microbiology®, mSphere®, the Journal of Bacteriology®, or the Journal of Virology®.
Genome sequences. MRA will consider papers that announce either a complete, closed genome sequence(s) or a draft whole-genome sequence(s). The manuscript should provide the provenance for the organism sequenced and a brief rationale for sequencing the particular organism, with an emphasis on the detailed methodologies and protocols used in the assembly and annotation of the genome sequence. Accession numbers associated with publicly available data, for both raw reads and assemblies, should be provided with the submission. Announcements of genome sequences, and raw data associated with them, will not be considered for publication until public availability of the sequence(s) in GenBank/ENA/DDBJ has been verified.
Metagenomics and metatranscriptomic data sets. MRA will consider papers that announce metagenomics or metatranscriptomic data sets. The manuscript should provide the source of the material and a brief rationale for the sequencing performed, with an emphasis on the detailed methodologies and protocols used in the generation of libraries, the assembly of the metagenomics or metatranscriptomic data set, and its annotation. Accession numbers associated with publicly available data, for both raw reads and assemblies, should be provided with the submission. Announcements of metagenomics or metatranscriptomic data sets will not be considered for publication until public availability of the data sets in an appropriate database has been verified.
Amplicon sequence collections. MRA will consider papers that announce amplicon data sets—that is, sequences derived from the amplification of genetic material targeting a specific locus. The collection description should provide the source of the material and should include the protocols used to generate the libraries, from extraction to amplification to sequencing. Accession numbers associated with publicly available data should be provided with the submission. Announcements of amplicon sequence collections will not be considered for publication until public availability of the data sets in an appropriate database has been verified.
Metabolomics data sets. MRA will consider papers that announce metabolomics data sets. The manuscript should describe the rationale and study design, including experimental factors, the type of analytical chemistry used to identify metabolites, and a detailed description of protocols (from sample collection and extraction to analysis and metabolite identification). Authors are encouraged to deposit their data set in a public repository such as MetaboLights, the NIH Metabolomics Workbench, or Dryad. The Metabolomics Association of North America includes these repositories along with a list of useful resources. Accession numbers associated with publicly available data should be provided with the submission. Announcements of metabolomics data sets will not be considered for publication until public availability of the data sets in an appropriate database has been verified.
Proteome data sets. MRA will consider papers that announce proteome data sets. The manuscript should describe the rationale and study design, including how samples were digested and processed, the type of chromatography used to identify proteins, and a detailed description of protocols (from sample collection and extraction to analysis and peptide identification). Authors are encouraged to deposit their data set in a public repository such as the PRIDE archive or Dryad. A helpful list of proteomics resources and repositories is available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908408/table/T1/. Accession numbers associated with publicly available data should be provided with the submission. Announcements of proteome data sets will not be considered for publication until public availability of the data sets in an appropriate database has been verified.
Culture collections, mutant libraries, plasmids, and other genetic resources. MRA will consider papers that announce culture collections, mutant libraries, plasmids, and other genetic resources. The manuscript should describe the motivation for the resource and describe, in detail, how the resource was collected or generated. By publishing a resource in MRA, authors agree, within reason, to make their materials available to the community, barring security restrictions. Authors are encouraged to submit their culture collections and strains to a public repository such as Addgene.
Databases and software. MRA will consider papers that announce novel databases and software. The manuscript must describe the implementation of the software and its utility. For a full 10 years following publication, the authors must make the software available to the community (via a Web link or Github repository).
Protocols and workflows. MRA will consider papers that announce novel wet or dry lab protocols. The manuscript must describe the protocol and all required reagents and software in detail, and authors must make sure that all are available to the community (either through purchase or in a public repository) before the manuscript will be considered.
Publication of an announcement does not preclude a later publication (e.g., a full comparative analysis) on the same resource in an ASM journal.