PLoS Pathogens

Aims & Scope

Bacteria, fungi, parasites, prions and viruses cause a plethora of diseases that have important medical, agricultural, and economic consequences.

Moreover, the study of microbes continues to provide novel insights into such fundamental processes as the molecular basis of cellular and organismal function.

PLOS Pathogens reflects the full breadth of research in these areas by publishing outstanding original articles that significantly advance the understanding of pathogens and how they interact with their host organisms.

Topics include (but are not limited to) adaptive and innate immune defenses as well as pathogen countermeasures, emerging pathogens, evolution, genomics and gene regulation, model host organisms, pathogen-cell biology, pathogenesis, prions, proteomics and signal transduction, rational vaccine design, structural biology, and virulence factors.

The journal will not consider purely descriptive studies, such as those that solely identify a new genomic sequence of a related pathogen or a series of related pathogens, the isolation of pathogen variants, or a new strain or type based only on sequence analysis or correlative studies of host and pathogen genotypes.

Genomics studies, which include functional predictions or inferences based on genome sequence analysis, will also require additional experimental validation that directly tests the prediction/inference and yields novel conclusions about mechanistic models or pathogenesis.

Instances where inferences about potential functions can be supported by association studies of genotype-phenotype combined with existing functional data, may also be appropriate, pending approval by the editors.

If a paper provides novel mechanistic insight but lacks functional validation, it may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Metrics & Ranking

Abstracting & Indexing

Journal is indexed in leading academic databases, ensuring global visibility and accessibility of our peer-reviewed research.

• Scopus
• Google Scholar
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
• Web of Science
• Medline
• PubMed
• Embase

Subjects & Keywords

Journal’s research areas, covering key disciplines and specialized sub-topics in Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology and Immunology and Microbiology, designed to support cutting-edge academic discovery.

Licensing & Copyright

This journal operates under an Open Access model. Articles are freely accessible to the public immediately upon publication. The content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing users to share and adapt the work with proper attribution.

Copyright remains with the author(s), and no permission is required for non-commercial use, provided the original source is cited.

Policy Links

This section provides access to essential policy documents, guidelines, and resources related to the journal’s publication and submission processes.

• Aims scope
• Homepage
• Oa statement
• Author instructions
• License terms
• Review url
• Board url
• Copyright url
• Plagiarism url
• Preservation url
• Apc url
• License

Plagiarism Policy

This journal follows a plagiarism policy. All submitted manuscripts are screened using reliable plagiarism detection software to ensure originality and academic integrity. Authors are responsible for proper citation and acknowledgment of all sources, and any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, will not be tolerated.

For more details, please refer to our official: Plagiarism Policy.

APC Details

The journal’s Article Processing Charge (APC) policies support open access publishing in Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology and Immunology and Microbiology, ensuring accessibility and quality in research dissemination.

This journal requires an Article Processing Charge (APC) to support open access publishing, covering peer review, editing, and distribution. The current APC is 3,043.00 USD. Learn more.

Explore journals without APCs for alternative publishing options.

Most Cited Articles

The Most Cited Articles section features the journal's most impactful research, based on citation counts. These articles have been referenced frequently by other researchers, indicating their significant contribution to their respective fields.

• A Genomic Approach to Identify Regulatory Nodes in the Transcriptional Network of Systemic Acquired Resistance in Plants

  Citation: 627

  Authors: Dong, Nita, Xinnian

• A Mouse-Adapted SARS-Coronavirus Causes Disease and Mortality in BALB/c Mice

  Citation: 430

  Authors: Anjeanette, Damon, Christopher D., Aaron, Boyd, Leatrice, Brian D., Tim, Mark, Gillian L., Sherif R., Ralph, Kanta

• Dynamics of the Cellular Metabolome during Human Cytomegalovirus Infection

  Citation: 355

  Authors: Joshua, Sunil U., Hilary A., Thomas, Joshua D.

• The Thymus Is a Common Target Organ in Infectious Diseases

  Citation: 227

  Authors: Wilson

• Effective Post-Exposure Treatment of Ebola Infection

  Citation: 222

  Authors: Heinz, Steven M., Kathleen M., Joan B., Ute, Allen, Mike, Elizabeth A., Lisa, Friederike, Lisa E., Thomas W.

• Fungal Invasion of Normally Non-Phagocytic Host Cells

  Citation: 221

  Authors: Scott G., Donald C.

• Neutralizing Antibody Fails to Impact the Course of Ebola Virus Infection in Monkeys

  Citation: 200

  Authors: Wendelien B., Thomas W., Kelly J., Joan B., Nancy J., Peter B., Paul W. H. I., Dennis R.

• The Fittest versus the Flattest: Experimental Confirmation of the Quasispecies Effect with Subviral Pathogens

  Citation: 161

  Authors: Francisco M., José-Antonio, Ricard V., Santiago F.

• Stochastic Processes Are Key Determinants of Short-Term Evolution in Influenza A Virus

  Citation: 149

  Authors: Martha I., Lone, Cecile, Mark A., Jill, Kirsten St., Sara B., Elodie, Naomi A., David J., Igor, Bryan T., David J., Jeffery K., Edward C.

• In Vitro Derived Dendritic Cells trans-Infect CD4 T Cells Primarily with Surface-Bound HIV-1 Virions

  Citation: 122

  Authors: Marielle, Jason, Jason F., Warner C.