What is this collection about?

The term “host-pathogen interactions” refers to the dynamic interplay between the host organism (such as humans and/or animals) and the infective agent (such as parasites, fungi, viruses or bacteria). Hosts can employ various defence strategies against pathogens including immune responses or molecular defences to achieve clearance of the infection, tolerance or resistance. As a countering measure, pathogens have developed various ways to establish infection and to evade the host immune system or other defence strategies.

With this cross-journal Collection, the editors at Nature Immunology, Nature Communications, Communications Biology and Scientific Reports invite original research Articles investigating all aspects of the complex molecular interplay between pathogens and their human and/or animal hosts. Communications Biology will also consider Reviews, Perspectives and Comments on this topic.

Why submit to a collection?

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by In-House Editors who are experts in their fields and supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores, and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.

Who is involved?

This is a cross-journal collection between Nature Immunology, Communications Biology, Nature Communications, and Scientific Reports. Authors are welcome to submit to any of the participating journals. All manuscripts published in the collection are hosted on a dedicated Nature Portfolio portal, giving articles high visibility beyond the journal they are published in.

Communications Biology is edited by both in-house professional editors and Editorial Board Members.

Nature Communications is edited by in-house professional editors.

Nature Immunology is edited by in-house professional editors.

Scientific Reports is managed by in-house professional editors and edited by Editorial Board Members.

Our editors work closely together to ensure the quality of our published papers and consistency in author experience.

How can I submit my paper?

• Visit the Collection page to find out more about this collection and submit your article.