Announcements
30 April 2025
Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller Share the 2024 Tu Youyou Award
We are pleased to announce that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred upon Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
 Richard DiMarchi Indiana University, USA |
Prof. Richard DiMarchi is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University, USA. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. DiMarchi is a former Group Vice President at Eli Lilly and later at Novo Nordisk. He is recognized for his contributions to the discovery and development of rDNA-derived Humulin®, Humalog®, rGlucagon®, and Forteo®. His academic research has broadened the understanding of glucagon and incretin physiology and pioneered the discovery of single-molecule multi-mechanism agonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. The central element to success has been the chemical vision and technology to install within single molecules simultaneous agonism at related G-protein coupled receptors, coupled to the counter-intuitive discovery that glucagon and GIP agonism could synergize the therapeutic efficacy of GLP-1. These peptides and their conceptual approach have transformed the management of excessive body weight to a condition comparable to how hypertension, adult-onset diabetes, and excess cholesterol are medicinally managed. |
| “Professor DiMarchi was recognized by the 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members as being an exceptional leader in the medicinal chemistry of peptides and proteins of natural origin, and as a pioneer in the field of chemical biotechnology. His very important discoveries have led to breakthroughs in new drugs related to the therapy of diabetes and obesity. He has been named as an inventor on a very large number of patents, and he has had initially a highly successful scientific and administrative career in industry, which was followed by over two decades in academia as a distinguished professor.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee |
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 Rolf Müller Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Infections Research (HZI), Germany; Saarland University, Germany |
Prof. Rolf Müller is the Founding and Managing Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and Professor of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Saarland University, Germany. Having received his training from the University of Bonn, he held research positions at the University of Washington, USA, and Braunschweig University of Technology, Germany, prior to his appointment as professor to Saarland University. His laboratory has dedicated itself to the exploration of bacterial natural-product biosynthetic pathways for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in working with myxobacteria and other microbial producer strains. Starting from the isolation and characterization of new microorganisms, the scope of work includes microbiology-, biotechnology-, bioinformatics-, and chemistry-based approaches to exploit these isolates as sources of new drugs with a special focus on novel anti-infectives. Müller and his team apply a variety of state-of-the-art analytical methods and biological assays to perform biological and chemical characterizations of the identified compounds. Prof. Müller has received several awards, including the prestigious Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the PHOENIX Pharmacy Research Award, the DECHEMA Prize, and the Inhoffen Medal, as well as being an elected member of acatech, Leopoldina, and the German Academy of Sciences and Literature. |
| “The 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members were highly impressed by the truly outstanding past and ongoing contributions of Professor Müller in both microbial natural products isolation chemistry and in biosynthesis, as well as in the development of lead compounds for their potential in treating human diseases, through his global connections with various major funding agencies. He is also a dedicated teacher who has trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and he has lectured on his research in countries all over the world.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee |
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The achievements of Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller highlight the transformative impact of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. We congratulate them and invite the global academic community and public to join us in celebrating their significant contributions.
2024 Award Committee
Committee Chair:
- Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Ohio State University, USA.
Committee Members (listed in alphabetical order):
- Prof. Angelo Fontana, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy;
- Prof. Binghe Wang, Georgia State University, USA;
- Dr. Diana Pinto, University of Aveiro, Portugal;
- Prof. Hideaki Kakeya, Kyoto University, Japan;
- Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel, University of Strathclyde, UK;
- Prof. Thomas Prisinzano, University of Kentucky, USA
- Prof. Wei Li, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA.
About the Tu Youyou Award:
The 2024 Tu Youyou Award includes a total monetary prize of 100,000 Swiss Francs and a medal for each recipient. Established in 2016 to honor the pioneering spirit of Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, the Tu Youyou Award is an international award honoring exceptional scholars dedicated to the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
For further information about the award and the winners, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website.
11 June 2025
Agronomy Receives an Increased CiteScore of 6.7
3 June 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #23 - MDPI Summits Spain & Italy, Ei Compendex, and Editorial Independence
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Highlights from the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona (21-22 May)
In May we hosted the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona – our second summit in the city following the inaugural one in November 2023.
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) at the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona, 22 May 2025.
Creating a space for exchange of views
The goal of our summits is to bring together Chief Editors of MDPI journals from across disciplines and institutions. These intimate gatherings provide a platform to present the latest developments at MDPI and to initiate open conversations about our journals, the future of open access, and the evolving landscape of scientific publishing.
Most importantly, these are opportunities for in-person connection, providing a more meaningful space for the exchange of views and for building long-term relationships.
Exploring the future of scientific publishing in Spain
The summit took place on 21–22 May and featured a mix of MDPI presentations (including two guest presentations), roundtable discussions, and Q&A sessions. On the first day, we held a focused session with our Chief Editors to gather feedback and have open discussions on their journal development, the peer-review process, and local accreditation systems.
Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI, presents MDPI’s Editorial Process and Peer Review Quality Metrics at the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona, 22 May 2025.
I had the pleasure of opening the Summit with a welcome address and an overview of MDPI’s recent milestones. The agenda then included the following sessions:
- MDPI and Recent Developments in the Spanish Market – Dr. Marta Colomer (Public Affairs Specialist, MDPI)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Peer Review Quality Metrics – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
- Open Access in Spain – Dr. Remedios Melero (Researcher, CSIC – guest speaker)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Dr. Enric Sayas (Business Analyst, MDPI), Daniele Raimondi (Data Scientist, MDPI), and Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull (Researcher, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya – guest speaker)
- Publication Ethics – Ana Stankovic (Research Integrity and Publication Ethics, MDPI)
- Opening and Closing remarks were provided by Rocksy Zhang (Editorial Director, MDPI)
We are extremely grateful for the strong engagement shown by our Editors, who were clearly appreciative of the event and the discussions we had. They felt seen and heard, which is a vital prerequisite for building open channels of communication and cultivating productive long-term collaborations.
MDPI colleagues during MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona (22 May 2025).
A big thank-you to the entire Barcelona team for organizing such a successful event!
Upcoming MDPI Summit events:
- Italy Summit – Rome (26–27 May)
- US Summit – Boston, MA (5–6 June)
- France Summit – Paris (12–13 June)
- US Summit – Houston, TX (26–27 June)
- UK Summit – London (16–17 September)
- Germany Summit – Berlin (18–19 September)
- Romania Summit – Bucharest (23–24 October)
...with more in between, and more to follow.
Impactful Research
50 MDPI Journals Now Indexed in Ei Compendex
Indexing is a key indicator of a journal’s scientific impact. An indexed journal gives research greater visibility and credibility within the global academic community and is recognized for its quality and relevance. While many of our journals are included in major databases such as Web of Science and Scopus, MDPI also places strong emphasis on journal inclusion in subject-specific indexing platforms that align with each journal’s scope. This ensures that when you publish with MDPI, you publish with impact.
I’m pleased to share that as at May 2025, 51 of our journals are now indexed in Ei Compendex, a leading bibliographic database for engineering and applied sciences. This is a major milestone that reflects both the quality or our editorial processes and the relevance of the research we publish in these fields.
“When you publish with MDPI, you publish with impact”
Discoverability and reach
Inclusion in Ei Compendex means greater discoverability for our authors and broader reach of our journals in the fields of engineering and technology. It improves our ability to support global research and innovation, while building MDPI’s reputation in the applied sciences. This recognition is the result of the dedicated work of our editorial teams, reviewers, and authors, and of our overall commitment to excellence in publishing.
You can read our full announcement here.
Appreciative thanks to everyone involved in reaching this milestone.
Inside MDPI
One Year of MDPI’s Seoul Office
On 29 April, we marked one year since the opening of our Seoul office, MDPI’s first local hub in South Korea. South Korea is a key market for MDPI, currently ranking as our sixth-largest contributor to the company’s total publications, with over 89,000 MDPI articles authored by individuals affiliated with Korean institutions. Over the past 12 months, the Seoul team has made great strides in building our visibility, networks, and presence in the region.
A few highlights from the past year
Claude Seo (MDPI Korea Office Manager, Seoul)
Claude Seo, who has over 15 years of experience in the academic publishing industry, is the Office Manager of the Seoul office.
In its inaugural year, the Seoul office focused primarily on marketing and promotional activities to support the MDPI brand locally. During that time, the team concentrated on scholar visits to local institutions, attending academic conferences, and hosting editorial board meetings.
The team also secured 10 Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) renewals, signed three new IOAP agreements, and established one new Society affiliation.
The Seoul office also hosted its first library book fair and reached over 1,000 followers on its LinkedIn channel, which is an encouraging indication of local visibility and engagement.
“The Seoul team has made strides in building our visibility, networks, and presence in the region”
Growth plans
Later this year, we are working on opening a new Seoul office in a more central location, with room for our growing team. The new space will bring us closer to other publishing partners and provide easier access to and from the airport. The Seoul office will continue to expand its efforts in outreach and engagement as its builds its presence in South Korea.
Warm thanks to the entire Seoul team for their hard work and dedication, and to all MDPI colleagues who have contributed to this exciting chapter in our global journey.
Coming Together for Science
Highlights from the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (26–27 May)
We closed the month of May by hosting the first MDPI Italy Summit in Rome. This was an important event for us, as Italy has consistently ranked among the top ten countries globally for open access publications over the past decade.
MDPI and Italy: Facts & Figures
- With over 144,000 publications (as at 31 May 2025), Italy is MDPI’s third largest contributor after China and the USA.
- In 2024, MDPI was the second-largest publishing house in Italy.
- The 7,165 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) drawn from Italian institutions represent 8.9% of all MDPI academic editors.
- Among these, 319 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) or Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiCs).
- Eleven Italian EBMs were recognized as 2024 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers.
- In 2024, MDPI received 24,873 review reports and collaborated with 88,578 reviewers from Italy.
- 23,131 Guest Editors from Italian institutions led 4,827 Special Issues across 248 MDPI journals.
- MDPI partners with over 900 institutions globally, of which 17 are in Italy.
The MDPI Italy Summit in Rome
Dr. Prof. Giulio Cerullo, EiC of Applied Sciences, at the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).
Held on 26–27 May, the MDPI Italy Summit brought together 25 Chief Editors from across our journal portfolio, including some of our largest journals such as Applied Sciences, to discuss MDPI’s latest developments and collaborations in the Italian market, our use of data intelligence and AI to support strategic decision-making, a look into our editorial process, peer-review quality metrics, and conversations around research integrity and community engagement.
The Summit featured MDPI presentations followed by Q&A and concluded with a roundtable discussion. On the evening of the 26th, we hosted a dinner with our Editors to connect personally, learn more about their research, and hear feedback on journal operations and the broader academic landscape in Italy.
Gathering of Editors-in-Chief and MDPI staff at the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).
Event Agenda – 27 May
Moderated by Maddalena Favaretto (Conference Scientific Advisor, MDPI), the program featured:
- MDPI Overview, Achievements, Latest News and Future Developments – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
- Country Report: Italy – Dr. Laura Perez Martin (Conference Assistant, MDPI)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI’s Actions – Dr. Andrea Perlato (Head of Data Analytics, MDPI)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Research Integrity – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
- Panel Discussion – Stefan, Andrea, Giulia
Panel Discussion with Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI), Dr. Andrea Perlato (Head of Data Analytics, MDPI) during the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).
A big thank-you to our Conference team and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make these events run smoothly.
Closing Thoughts
Upholding Editorial Independence in Scholarly Publishing
A recent MDPI blog post written by Dr. Ioana Craciun (Scientific Communications Specialist, MDPI), “Editorial Independence and Publisher Support: Collaborating to Uphold Integrity,” highlights the important balance between editorial autonomy and publisher collaboration in academic publishing.
As the leading fully Open Access scholarly publisher, we are proud to champion editorial independence within our publishing process.
Drawing from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, the article emphasizes that while editors must have the freedom to make decisions based on scholarly merit, publishers play a critical role in providing the necessary infrastructure and tools to support the editorial process. This collaborative approach ensures the integrity of the peer review process, builds trust among authors and readers, and upholds the quality and relevance of published content.
MDPI highlights its commitment to this model by investing in research integrity specialists, AI tools for plagiarism detection, and administrative support, all aimed at empowering editors to make independent, informed decisions.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
29 May 2025
Agronomy | Feature Papers in the “Crop Breeding and Genetics” Section
29 May 2025
Agronomy | Feature Papers in the “Farming Sustainability” Section
29 May 2025
Agronomy | Feature Papers from the “Soil and Plant Nutrition” Section
24 May 2025
Interview with Dr. Yongliang Qiao—Winner of the Agronomy 2024 Young Investigator Award
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Yongliang Qiao is the winner of the Agronomy 2024 Young Investigator Award. The Agronomy Young Investigator Award was established in 2019 to acknowledge the achievements of young investigators in the field of agronomy and agroecology. Nominations are accepted from May to December each year, with the winner notified by the end of March the following year.
As a winner, Dr. Qiao will receive CHF 2000 and a certificate of award. All winners were chosen by the award committee (Prof. Leslie Ann Weston, Prof. Dr. Christos G. Athanassiou, Prof. Dr. Junliang Fan, Prof. Ilias Travlos).
The following is an interview with Dr. Yongliang Qiao:
1. Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about your fields of interest?
My research centers on advancing agricultural resilience and sustainability through the deep integration of artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data analytics. I focus on enabling efficient automated perception, intelligent decision-making, and precision operations within smart agriculture, while addressing key real-world challenges such as foundation models for agriculture, agricultural machinery development, and sustainable farming practices.
2. Could you elaborate on how you initially learned about the Agronomy journal? Furthermore, what inspired you to apply for the 2024 Agronomy Young Investigator Award?
During my research journey, I have frequently read articles published in Agronomy, which has given me a deep appreciation for the journal’s professionalism and impact in the field. Later, I noticed that a scholar working in similar research areas had applied for the Young Investigator Award from the journal. I was inspired by his example and motivated to apply as well. I hope that through this application, I can not only bring greater visibility to my research achievements but also expand opportunities for academic exchange and further advance the progress of my work.
3. Do you have any advice for aspiring young researchers looking to make a meaningful impact in their respective fields?
Based on my experience, it is essential to read extensively and think deeply, with a particular focus on investigating causal relationships rather than merely identifying surface-level correlations. Only by thoroughly understanding the underlying mechanisms can we formulate meaningful and valuable research questions and produce truly impactful scientific outcomes.
4. What is the secret to a happy scientific life? Have you ever encountered any difficulties conducting research, and how did you overcome them?
I believe the key to a fulfilling life in scientific research lies in maintaining passion and curiosity. The sense of accomplishment that comes from solving a challenging problem can be incredibly rewarding. At the same time, being able to share research outcomes with the public—helping people understand science and address real-world issues—also brings a strong sense of responsibility and satisfaction.
Of course, the research journey is not without its difficulties. For example, in my work on crop and weed recognition, the specific growth cycles of plants imposed time constraints on data collection, which affected the progress of the project. To overcome this, I optimized the data acquisition plan and integrated multi-source data and augmentation techniques to ensure the study could continue smoothly. While the path of scientific research is often challenging, it is precisely these obstacles that make the process of exploration more meaningful.
5. What is your opinion of the open access model of publishing?
Open access (OA) plays a significant role in advancing scientific progress and promoting knowledge sharing. By removing paywalls, OA allows researchers and the public from diverse backgrounds around the world to access the latest scientific findings equally. From a researcher’s perspective, OA helps increase the visibility and citation of academic work. However, the high article processing charges (APCs) of some journals can impose a financial burden, particularly on early-career researchers. Therefore, it is important for the academic community and funding agencies to work together to establish a fair and sustainable support system for OA publishing.
6. Which research topics do you think are of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
In the coming years, agricultural research will focus on sustainable technologies and intelligent agricultural machinery that can adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. By integrating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and remote sensing, the goal is to achieve digital crop management that enhances resource use efficiency and agricultural productivity while addressing climate challenges. Moreover, with growing global concerns over food security and environmental pressures, the importance of research into agricultural policies and governance will continue to rise.
7. Could you share your vision for the future of your research and the contributions you aspire to make in the field of agronomy?
I aim to deeply integrate cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and robotics into agriculture to develop a smart agricultural platform that combines adaptive perception, autonomous operation, and intelligent decision-making. This platform will foster interdisciplinary collaboration across information science, agronomy, and agricultural machinery, gradually achieving an intelligent agricultural system with a closed-loop control process of “sense–perceive–decide–act”.
The ultimate goal of my research is to enhance agricultural productivity, minimize resource waste, and improve resilience to climate change through technological innovation, thereby providing robust scientific and technological support for the sustainable development of global agriculture.
8. As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express or someone you wish to thank?
I sincerely thank the Agronomy journal for establishing this meaningful Young Researcher Award, and I am deeply grateful to the review committee for recognizing my work. At the same time, I am profoundly thankful to my family for their constant understanding and support. This honor is not only a great encouragement but also strengthens my confidence to continue pursuing my research.
I am also deeply grateful to two mentors who have shaped my academic growth: Prof. Javen Qinfeng Shi, an internationally renowned scholar in causal artificial intelligence and its applications, whose rigorous research and innovative insights have greatly inspired my integration of AI with AgTech; and Prof. Salah Sukkarieh, a prominent leader in field robotics, whose vision and expertise have broadened my perspective on the forefront of agricultural innovation.
24 May 2025
Agronomy | Feature Papers from the “Agroecology Innovation: Achieving System Resilience” Section
23 May 2025
Agronomy | Feature Papers from 2024 in the “Water Use and Irrigation” Section
23 May 2025
Agronomy | Feature Papers from 2024 in the “Plant-Crop Biology and Biochemistry” Section
