Dear Dr. Sani,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

Please submit your revised manuscript by Feb 02 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

• A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'.
• A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'.
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If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter.

If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols . Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols .

We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Abhishek Sharma, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Partly

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: This work aimed to investigate the effect of application of bio-improved laterite as a subgrade material for road construction using bacterium Bacillus Anthracis. The paper is written in understandable language and good structure, reflecting the high quality of the work. We have the following comments, which may be beneficial for the authors:

1. Section 2.3 shows a flowchart of the method of the work. I prefer to move this section to be the beginning of section 2 so the reader can see what steps the authors have taken and then explain each step in the following subsections.

2. Figure 7 require more explanation. what the numbers of the horizontal and vertical axis refer to?

How the author get the results shown in lines 310 to 312

3 . I could not find table 4

Regards,

Reviewer #2: The manuscript addresses an innovative and relevant topic: the application of microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) for improving lateritic soils in road construction. The use of Bacillus Anthracis is novel, and the systematic experimental approach is commendable. However, the manuscript would benefit from clarifications, additional analysis, and refinement in several areas.

1. The rationale for selecting Bacillus Anthracis over other urease-positive bacteria is unclear. Include a justification, addressing potential environmental or safety implications of using this bacterium.

2. The introduction discusses the environmental benefits of MICP but lacks a comparative analysis with traditional soil stabilization methods like lime or cement. Adding this would strengthen the case for MICP.

3. The manuscript reports significant improvements in CBR and UCS values but does not clearly explain why the improvement plateaus at higher bacterial concentrations. This phenomenon should be discussed in detail.

4. While regression analysis results are included, confidence intervals and statistical significance for model coefficients are missing. Incorporating these would improve the credibility of the statistical approach.

5. The field testing section briefly mentions compaction methods but does not provide sufficient details on replication or error margins, which are necessary for validating field-to-lab result comparisons.

6. Key citations are missing in the manuscript. Please include references to support the claims and findings. Consider adding the following citations at suitable sections:

a. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9554-7_10

b. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6557-8_75

c. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6557-8_78

d. https://doi.org/10.22044/jme.2023.13018.2361

e. https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2020.1848699

7. Figures presenting test results (e.g., load-penetration curves) lack consistent scales and annotations, making it difficult to interpret trends. Ensure uniform formatting and include detailed captions.

8. The study demonstrates an 80% improvement in CBR, but the final values remain below the threshold typically required for road subgrade materials. The conclusion should reflect this limitation more explicitly.

9. The methodology section does not explain why certain parameters (e.g., 3.0 × 10^8 cells/ml concentration) were chosen over others. A brief explanation or citation to prior studies would address this gap.

10. The study’s practical implications are discussed but lack a cost-benefit analysis comparing MICP treatment with traditional methods. Adding this analysis would provide a more comprehensive perspective.

11. The use of Bacillus Anthracis in MICP for road construction is novel, but the manuscript does not address potential scalability or challenges in deploying this approach at larger scales, which should be included in the discussion.

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what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes:  Dr. Akhilesh Nautiyal

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[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.]

While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org . Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step.

Dear Dr. Sani,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

Please submit your revised manuscript by Aug 03 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

• A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'.
• A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'.
• An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'.

If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter.

If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols . Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols .

We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Vasanthavigar Murugesan, M.Sc., Ph.D.,https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments:

As per reviewers suggestion manuscript need major revision

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

**********

2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions??>

Reviewer #1: Partly

Reviewer #2: Partly

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #1: N/A

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

Reviewer #1: Dear Author,

I could not find the figures in the manuscript or in a separated file

Could you please attach them

Reviewer #2: The manuscript presents valuable insights; however, it would benefit significantly from a thorough English language revision to enhance clarity, coherence, and overall readability. Several sentences are grammatically incorrect or awkwardly phrased, which may hinder the reader's understanding of the content. The use of technical terms is sometimes inconsistent, and transitions between sections can be improved to ensure a smoother flow of ideas. Additionally, the manuscript contains typographical errors and improper punctuation in multiple places. It is recommended that the authors seek assistance from a professional English editing service or a native English-speaking colleague with academic writing experience. Improving the manuscript’s language quality will not only make the arguments more persuasive but also increase its impact and accessibility to a broader academic audience. Once the language issues are addressed, the manuscript's scientific merit and contributions will be more effectively communicated

**********

what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes:  AKHILESH NAUTIYAL

**********

[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.]

While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org . Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step.

Experimental investigation of bio-improved laterite for use as a subgrade material in road construction

PONE-D-24-45961R2

Dear Dr. Sani,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Ahmed M. Yosri

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

**********

2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

**********

what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy

Reviewer #1: No

**********