Over recent years, the journal Microbial Ecology has been revamped to provide an international forum for the presentation of high-quality scientific investigations into microbial ecology, and how microorganisms interact with their biotic and abiotic environments, with each other as well as with their neighbors and hosts. The journal presents high quality peer reviewed manuscripts in multiple formats inclusive of full-length manuscripts, commentaries and notes. Brief reviews and topical position papers are also encouraged. The journal has a rapid average turn around rate of 6 weeks. Founding Editor Ralph Mitchell, PhD, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA NOTES Microbial Ecology accepts shorter contributions in the forms of NOTES. A Note should be continuous text with a length of no more than 1200 words. There should be no more than three figures or tables with brief legends. Methods should be included as well as references. Journal coverage includes the ecology of microorganisms in natural and engineered environments; genomic, metagenomic and molecular advances in understanding of microbial interactions and phylogeny; microbial drivers of biogeochemical processes; inter- and intraspecific microbial communication; ecological studies of animal, plant and insect microbiology and disease; microbial processes and interactions in extreme or unusual environments; microbial population and community ecology, and more. Technological advances that allow us to increase our understanding of microbial diversity and interactions are also welcome. Other topics that are covered in our journal include. 1. Pathogens in the environment 2. Key players in the carbon cycle and aquatic ecosystems 3. Phage plasmids and mobile elements in ecology 4. Biofilms 5. Soil-microbe interactions 6. Technology developments to study microbial ecology 7. Host microbe interactions 8. Aquatic Microbiology 9. Genes and Genomes 10. Microbial Evolution.