Announcements
6 November 2025
MDPI Launches the Michele Parrinello Award for Pioneering Contributions in Computational Physical Science
MDPI is delighted to announce the establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award. Named in honor of Professor Michele Parrinello, the award celebrates his exceptional contributions and his profound impact on the field of computational physical science research.
The award will be presented biennially to distinguished scientists who have made outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of computational physical science—spanning physics, chemistry, and materials science.
About Professor Michele Parrinello
"Do not be afraid of new things. I see it many times when we discuss a new thing that young people are scared to go against the mainstream a little bit, thinking what is going to happen to me and so on. Be confident that what you do is meaningful, and do not be afraid, do not listen too much to what other people have to say.”
——Professor Michele Parrinello
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Born in Messina in 1945, he received his degree from the University of Bologna and is currently affiliated with the Italian Institute of Technology. Professor Parrinello is known for his many technical innovations in the field of atomistic simulations and for a wealth of interdisciplinary applications ranging from materials science to chemistry and biology. Together with Roberto Car, he introduced ab initio molecular dynamics, also known as the Car–Parrinello method, marking the beginning of a new era both in the area of electronic structure calculations and in molecular dynamics simulations. He is also known for the Parrinello–Rahman method, which allows crystalline phase transitions to be studied by molecular dynamics. More recently, he has introduced metadynamics for the study of rare events and the calculation of free energies. |
For his work, he has been awarded many prizes and honorary degrees. He is a member of numerous academies and learned societies, including the German Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, the British Royal Society, and the Italian Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, which is the major academy in his home country of Italy.
Award Committee
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The award committee will be chaired by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, a computational condensed matter physicist, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and professor at the Department of Physics, Fudan University. Professor Xin-Gao Gong will lead a panel of several senior experts in the field to oversee the evaluation and selection process. The Institute for Computational Physical Sciences at Fudan University (Shanghai, China), led by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, will serve as the supporting institute for the award. |
"We hope the Michele Parrinello Award will recognize scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of computational condensed matter physics and at the same time set a benchmark for the younger generation, providing clear direction for their pursuit—this is precisely the original intention behind establishing the award."
——Professor Xin-Gao Gong
The first edition of the award was officially launched on 1 November 2025. Nominations will be accepted before the end of March 2026. For further details, please visit mparrinelloaward.org.
About the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and MDPI Awards 
The Michele Parrinello Award is part of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing sustainable development through scientific progress and global collaboration. The foundation also oversees the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and the Tu Youyou Award. The establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award will further enrich the existing award portfolio, providing continued and diversified financial support to outstanding professionals across various fields.
In addition to these foundation-level awards, MDPI journals also recognize outstanding contributions through a range of honors, including Best Paper Awards, Outstanding Reviewer Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Editor of Distinction Awards, and others. These initiatives aim to recognize excellence across disciplines and career stages, contributing to the long-term vitality and sustainability of scientific research.
Find more information on awards here.
28 February 2026
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO’s Letter #32 - MDPI China and Thailand, China Science Daily, 1,000 Partnerships, R2R
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
Reflections from China: Year-End-Celebrations and Open Access Publishing
In February, I had the pleasure of joining over a thousand colleagues from our Tongzhou and Haidian offices at their end-of-year annual celebration in Beijing.
Spending time with our teams in China is also a powerful reminder of the scale and complexity of MDPI as a global organization. Our colleagues in Beijing, Wuhan, and across the country play a significant role in our day-to-day operations and long-term development. I’m grateful for the hospitality, collaboration, and commitment shown by our managers and teams in China, alongside colleagues worldwide, who have helped steadily build MDPI, brick by brick, over the years.
Below are some data on Open Access (OA) publishing in China and our collaboration in this important research market.
Open Access Publishing in China
China has been the world’s leading country in research and review article publication volume since 2019, exceeding one million publications in 2025. Over the past five years, the gap between China and the second-ranked country, the United States, has continued to widen.
In 2025:
- 47% of China’s research output was published Open Access
- Of those OA publications, 76% were Gold Open Access (approximately 382,930 articles)
- The overall OA distribution remained stable compared with 2024, with Gold OA increasing by 1%
Over the past five years (2021–2025):
- China published 4,398,050 research and review articles
- Approximately 48% of this output was OA
According to Dimensions, when comparing the top 20 countries by publication volume (2021–2025):
- China ranks 1st worldwide in publication volume
- China ranks 9th in citation performance within this group (for comparison, the US ranks 2nd in publication volume and 10th in citation ranking)
- Average citations per article: 12.51
Among the top 10 universities globally by publication volume, six are Chinese institutions, alongside Harvard University (USA), the University of São Paulo (Brazil), the University of Toronto (Canada), and the University of Oxford (UK).
MDPI and China
China is an important and long-standing part of MDPI’s global publishing ecosystem:
- In 2025, MDPI was the largest fully Open Access publisher in China
- MDPI published 22% of China’s Gold Open Access output (82,133 papers)
- We received 290,999 submissions from China-affiliated authors and published 82,133 articles
- There are 8,500+ active Editorial Board Members based in China
- 64% (5,438) have an H-index above 26
- MDPI works with:
- 117 Editors-in-Chief
- 103 Section Editors-in-Chief
- 71 China-based institutions currently hold IOAP agreements with MDPI, seven of which rank among the top 10 Chinese institutions by publication volume
China's scale in research output means that the publishing platforms chosen by Chinese scholars will continue to influence the direction of scholarly publishing. At the same time, MDPI’s strength comes from its international collaboration, with colleagues, editors, reviewers, and authors working together across regions and disciplines.
Thank you to all our colleagues in China, and around the world, who support MDPI’s publishing activities across departments and help advance open access research every day.
Impactful Research
“Progress in open science is built through trust, dialogue, and relationships”
Behind the Scenes: A Conversation with China Science Daily
During my trip to Beijing, I also had the opportunity to visit China Science Daily and take part in an interview and broader exchange with their team in Beijing. Visits like this matter because progress in open science is built not only through platforms and infrastructure, but also through trust, dialogue, and relationships across research communities and regions.
China Science Daily: History Museum
As part of the visit, I was given a tour of their History Museum, which offers a thorough perspective on the evolution of China’s first science and technology newspaper, established in 1959. The exhibition highlights how the organization developed into a trusted institution connecting research with the public and policymakers. It was a helpful reminder that at the core of publishing is stewardship, credibility, and long-term public engagement with science.
An Open Exchange on Open Science
During the visit, I met with Dr. Zhao Yan, Editor-in-Chief of ScienceNet. We had an open and engaging conversation about MDPI’s role in Open Access, the evolution of open science globally, and the potential for more collaboration going forward. He especially appreciated the candid and personal nature of our exchange, noting that this kind of dialogue feels important in a landscape where trust and transparency matter.
Interview on Open Access
I also participated in an interview with Ms. Yan Jie, from the Online Media Center and Editor-in-Chief of ScienceNet, China Science Daily. Our discussion covered the growth of Open Access over the past 30 years, MDPI’s mission and values, academic integrity, collaboration with the Chinese research community, and MDPI’s own 30th anniversary milestone. It was a great opportunity to reflect on how open science has matured, and where shared responsibility across publishers, institutions, and researchers continues to matter most.
“Progress in open science is built by more than scale and infrastructure”
I’m sharing a few photos from the visit as a glimpse behind the scenes. The full interview will be published by China Science Daily in due course, and I look forward to sharing it when it is available.
More broadly, visits like this reinforce something I’ve always believed in: progress in open science is built not only through scale and infrastructure, but also through continued dialogue, mutual respect, collaboration, and a willingness to listen across regions and perspectives. That remains central to our work, especially as MDPI reflects on 30 years of publishing, built together.
Inside MDPI
Bangkok Visit: Growth, Partnership, and Local Impact
In February, I also had the opportunity to visit our Bangkok office for the second time in two years to support their local meetings and deliver a training session on how we present MDPI at a corporate level.
It’s easy to spend time with our colleagues in Thailand. From Editorial and Production to Conferences, Marketing, Design, and our Regional Journal Relations Specialist (RJRS), the team continues to grow in scale and professionalism. I’d also like to recognize our local management and admin teams, who have been steadily expanding our office and supporting more than 500 colleagues on the ground.
Academic Partnerships
During the visit, we met with the Engineering Department at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). Our discussion focused on the recent MDPI developments, Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) opportunities, Author Publishing Workshops (APW), and the potential use of JAMS to support their institutional journal.
“MDPI is the third-largest OA publisher in Thailand”
We also shared insights into the growth of Open Access (OA) in Thailand and KMITL’s own publishing trends. These conversations matter because institutions are looking for sustainable ways to support their researchers. Our IOAP agreements are one simple example of how we can provide value in this area while maintaining accessibility for authors.
Thailand and MDPI: 2025 Snapshot
Our Bangkok office, officially launched in 2022, has been growing to support over 500 staff members while continuing to expand its engagement in scholar visits, workshops, and conference collaborations. As at 2025, Thailand submissions to MDPI have increased about 21% and publications by about 25%, maintaining a rejection rate close to the company average. MDPI is the third-largest OA publisher in Thailand, publishing 15% of all Gold OA output in 2025.
Representing MDPI Externally
During the visit, I delivered a training session on how we present MDPI at external events.
This session covered topics related to:
- Our aim and guiding principles
- High-level company milestones and Indexing facts and figures
- Industry partnerships and collaborations
- Market trends in OA and subscription publishing
- Country-specific publishing data and collaborations with MDPI
- Insights from our Voice of Community report
I find that while many colleagues are very familiar with the specific journal for which they have responsibility, fewer have visibility into the broader MDPI ecosystem and the company’s global positioning. These sessions help build alignment, confidence, and consistency in how we represent the company.
What stands out most is that MDPI’s growth is not abstract: it’s visible in the people, the partnerships, and the professionalism developing across our offices.
Coming Together for Science
1,000 Institutional Partners: A Milestone Built on Trust
This month, we reached an important milestone: more than 1,000 institutions worldwide are now part of MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). On paper, that is a number. In practice, it represents trust.
This milestone symbolizes thousands of conversations with libraries and institutions. It stands for negotiations, renewals, consortium expansions, and, most importantly, relationships built over time. It reflects the work of colleagues across publishing, institutional partnerships, marketing, editorial, finance, and many other teams who contribute to making these agreements operational.
In 2025 alone, more than 61,300 research articles benefited from article processing charge (APC) discounts through IOAP agreements. Tens of thousands of authors were able to publish through a simplified and structured process. At the same time, institutional administrators gained clearer oversight and streamlined workflows.
Why IOAP Matters
When we launched IOAP, the objective was straightforward: to reduce barriers for researchers while supporting institutions in navigating the evolving OA landscape. Over the past decade, the research ecosystem has changed. Funder mandates, national policies, and Plan S–aligned requirements have accelerated the transition to OA.
Institutions need publishing partners who provide transparency, scalability, and operational efficiency. IOAP was designed to support that reality.
For colleagues who would like to better understand the program, this blog-post overview of MDPI’s IOAP provides additional context, including common questions around the transition to OA and how our institutional partnerships are structured.
“Institutions need publishing partners who provide transparency, scalability, and operational efficiency”
Recent Examples
Our agreements continue to evolve across regions:
- In Sweden, MDPI signed a national Open Access publishing agreement with 96 institutions, enabling affiliated researchers to publish without managing individual APC payments.
- In Spain, we extended our flat-fee agreement with Universidad Católica de Valencia, reinforcing institutional support for OA publishing.
These examples show that institutions seek structured, predictable models that support their researchers at scale.
Looking Ahead
Crossing the threshold of 1,000 partners tells us that institutions see MDPI not just as a publisher but as a reliable operational partner in advancing open science. This milestone is not a finish line. It is a reminder that the work continues.
Thank you to the entire IOAP team and to all colleagues who contributed to reaching this achievement.
P.S. You can read about this milestone across industry outlets, including STM Publishing News, ALPSP, Research Information, EurekAlert, Brightsurf, among others. You can also read about the coverage in Poland (e.g., media-room, bomega) Korea (newstap), and Romania (EduLike).
Closing Thoughts
Reflections from the Researcher to Reader Conference
During 24–25 February, I attended the 2026 Researcher to Reader Conference in London, UK. Leaders from across scholarly publishing, research infrastructure, libraries, and technology gathered to discuss AI and research integrity, peer review reform, metadata and infrastructure, community engagement, open research policy, and the evolving role of publishers in a rapidly shifting ecosystem.
The conversations were open and honest, and at times uncomfortable – exactly what we need at times. Below are a few reflections that stayed with me.
The Battle for Knowledge: What Becomes Accepted as ‘True’?
One recurring theme was not whether science evolves but whether our infrastructure is resilient enough to sustain trust at scale. Science does not promise certainty: it promises process. As publishing systems grow more complex and become more technologically mediated, the question is how intentionally we design, monitor, and strengthen that process.
Peer Review: Speed, Credentials, and Structural Loops
Researchers consistently call for faster peer review. At the same time, reviewer credentials are often tied to publication records. This creates a structural loop. Publishing history opens reviewing opportunities, reviewing strengthens credentials, and those without early access remain outside the cycle.
There is a need for us to reflect on how opportunity circulates within our systems: we should ask how we create more inclusive pathways for researchers globally to participate in peer review.
Community Engagement Workshop
One of the highlights of R2R was the workshop format, whereby small groups met repeatedly over two days and moved from ideas to tangible strategies.
I joined the Community Engagement workshop led by Lou Peck (CEO at The International Bunch) and Godwyns Onwuchekwa (Principal Consultant at Global Tapestry Consulting). We explored two deceptively simple questions: What is a community? and What does engagement truly mean?
“Engagement requires shared design and shared responsibility”
Too often, organizations equate communication with engagement. The framework discussed mapped a maturity spectrum – from enablement (broadcasting, informing and consulting) to true engagement (collaborating and co-creating).
It was a useful reminder of the fact that if we want trust and loyalty, engagement must go beyond announcements and surveys. It requires shared design and shared responsibility.
AI: Democratization or Digital Colonialism?
I especially enjoyed the thought-provoking presentation from Nikesh Gosalia (Chief Partnership Officer at Cactus Communications), which highlighted an uncomfortable reality:
- 93% of AI-generated content is in English
- Approximately 2% is in French
- Approximately 2% is in German
- More than 7,000 languages are represented in less than 5% of the content within large AI systems
The implications are profound. Is AI democratizing access to scholarly publishing (making it easier for researchers everywhere to participate in global knowledge production)? Or are we encoding colonialism at scale (entrenching linguistic and structural hierarchies, and making it harder for voices from the Global South to be heard)?
AI is already reshaping how research is created, reviewed, discovered, and shared. Its potential is enormous. But its impact depends not only on capability, but on governance, design, and intentionality. Publishers, funders, and researchers all share responsibility in shaping how these systems evolve.
Ethicality in practice (Lightening Talk)
It was also great to have our colleague Dr Miloš Čučulović (Head of Technology Innovation at MDPI) present MDPI’s Ethicality platform during a lightning talk.
“Technology alone is not the answer”
Ethicality embeds AI-driven checks directly into the submission workflow, supporting editors proactively rather than reacting after publication. As we scale, tools like this help balance trust, efficiency, and research integrity.
This goes back into the underlying theme of the conference that technology alone is not the answer. However, technology embedded thoughtfully within clear governance frameworks can strengthen confidence in the editorial process.
Final thought
The question is no longer whether technology will transform research infrastructure: it is already doing so. The real question is what role each of us will play in shaping that transformation deliberately, with structural maturity, inclusive governance, and engagement that moves from informing to co-creating.
Science needs to evolve, responsibly. And that responsibility extends not only to what we publish, but also to how the systems behind publication are designed. Some important topics to continue reflecting on both internally and within our broader community.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
28 February 2026
World Wildlife Day—“Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods”, 3 March 2026
The 3rd of March is World Wildlife Day, a global observance dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness about the world’s wild fauna and flora. As highlighted by the UN, wildlife is fundamental to healthy ecosystems, which provide essential services—from food security and livelihood to climate regulation and cultural value. Yet an estimated one million species are now threatened by extinction due to habitat loss, illegal trade, climate change and human–wildlife conflict. Protecting wildlife safeguards biodiversity, which underpins resilient ecosystems and supports the well-being of communities worldwide, particularly Indigenous peoples and local populations who depend directly on natural resources.
Join us in observing World Wildlife Day by exploring research that advances global conservation goals, such as Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land). Together, these studies amplify the call to action, uniting scientists, policymakers, and local stewards to ensure a future where wildlife thrives and continues to sustain both people and the planet.
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Biology & Life Sciences |
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Medicine & Pharmacology |
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Engineering |
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Invited speakers:
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Prof. Dr. Vanessa Steenkamp, |
Dr. Alessandra Carrubba, |
Register for this webinar for free here!
“Preliminary Studies on In Vitro Antibacterial Activity Against Staphylococcus aureus of Supercritical Fluid Extract from Juniperus oxycedrus: Evidence on Phenols Effect”
by Ilir Mërtiri, Leontina Grigore-Gurgu, Liliana Mihalcea, Iuliana Aprodu, Mihaela Turturică, Gabriela Râpeanu and Nicoleta Stănciuc
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(2), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19020287
“Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Diversity of Greece: Biodiversity Knowledge, Ethnobotany and Sustainable Use—A Short Review”
by Alexandra D. Solomou, Aikaterini Molla and Elpiniki Skoufogianni
Diversity 2026, 18(1), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/d18010056
“Biochemical Diversity and Nutraceutical Potential of Medicinal Plant-Based Herbal Teas from Southwestern Türkiye”
by Halil Ibrahim Sagbas, Saban Kordali, Sena Sahin, Selçuk Küçükaydın and Elif Uyduran
Plants 2026, 15(1), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15010125
“Sea-Derived Organic Amendments Enhance Growth and Nitrogen Dynamics in Sage Cultivation (Salvia officinalis L.)”
by Aikaterini Molla, Alexios Lolas and Elpiniki Skoufogianni
Nitrogen 2026, 7(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen7010005
“Intercropping Medicinal and Aromatic Plants with Other Crops: Insights from a Review of Sustainable Farming Practices”
by Milica Aćimović, Juliana Navarro Rocha, Alban Ibraliu, Janko Červenski, Vladimir Sikora, Silvia Winter, Biljana Lončar, Lato Pezo and Ivan Salamon
Agronomy 2025, 15(12), 2692; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122692
“A Hybrid Deep Learning Model for Aromatic and Medicinal Plant Species Classification Using a Curated Leaf Image Dataset”
by Shareena E. M., D. Abraham Chandy, Shemi P. M. and Alwin Poulose
AgriEngineering 2025, 7(8), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering7080243
“Antioxidant Potential and Its Changes Caused by Various Factors in Lesser-Known Medicinal and Aromatic Plants”
by Sona Skrovankova and Jiri Mlcek
Horticulturae 2025, 11(1), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11010104
“Nutraceutical Value of Eleven Aromatic Medicinal Plants and Azorean Camellia sinensis: Comparison of Antioxidant Properties and Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents”
by Lisete Sousa Paiva, Madalena Hintze Motta and José António Bettencourt Baptista
Processes 2024, 12(7), 1375; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12071375
“Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) from Alentejo (South Portugal)—Ethnobotany and Potential Industrial Use”
by Orlanda Póvoa, Noémia Farinha, Violeta Lopes, Alexandra M. Machado and Ana Cristina Figueiredo
Foods 2024, 13(6), 929; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13060929
“The Most Relevant Socio-Economic Aspects of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants through a Literature Review”
by Maria Pergola, Enrica De Falco, Angelo Belliggiano and Corrado Ievoli
Agriculture 2024, 14(3), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030405
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“Omics Era in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Towards a New Age of Agriculture and Sustainability” |
“Plant Diversity Discovery and Resource Utilization” |
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“Ethnobotany in a Changing World: Strategies for Plant Conservation” |
“Progress in Wildlife Conservation, Management and Biological Research—2nd Edition” |
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“New Trends and Innovations in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and Specialty Crops, 2nd Edition” |
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25 February 2026
MDPI Webinar | World Wildlife Day, 3 March 2026
United Nations World Wildlife Day is celebrated annually on 3 March to honor wild animals and plants and to recognize the unique roles and contributions of wildlife to people and the planet.
With this year's official theme, “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods”, we turn our focus to medicinal and aromatic plants—species that have supported human health for centuries. The webinar aims to bring together researchers and experts to discuss conservation strategies, scientific advances, and sustainable use of these vital natural resources.
Date: 3 March 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. CET
Webinar ID: 865 7380 4259
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Register now for free!
| Speaker/Presentation | Time in CET | Time in CST Asia |
| Host Webinar Introduction |
10:00–10:05 a.m. | 5:00–5:05 p.m. |
| Prof. Dr. Vanessa Steenkamp Medicinal Plants As Pillars of Health: Bridging Traditional Knowledge and Scientific Knowledge |
10:05–10:25 a.m. | 5:05–5:25 p.m. |
| Dr. Alessandra Carrubba Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Mediterranean Semi-Arid Areas: Biodiversity between Tradition and Innovation |
10:25–10:45 a.m. | 5:25–5:45 p.m. |
| Q&A Session | 10:45–10:55 a.m. | 5:45–5:55 p.m. |
| Host Closing of Webinar |
10:55–11:00 a.m. | 5:55–6:00 p.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email outlining how to join this webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Keynote Speakers:
- Prof. Dr. Vanessa Steenkamp, Department of Pharmacology, University of Pretoria, South Africa;
- Dr. Alessandra Carrubba, University of Palermo, Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, Italy.
25 February 2026
Welcoming New Early Career Editorial Members of Agronomy
Agronomy (ISSN: 2073-4395) is pleased to announce that the following 25 researchers have been added to our 2026 Early Career Editorial Board. Please join us in congratulating them on joining the Agronomy community!
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Name: Dr. Alessia Staropoli |
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Name: Prof. Dr. Dener Márcio da Silva Oliveira |
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Name: Dr. Donata Arena |
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Name: Dr. Ewa Maria Furmanczyk |
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Name: Dr. Gabriella Sferra |
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Name: Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Usman Aslam |
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Name: Dr. Igor Pasković |
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Name: Dr. Ioannis Roussis |
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Name: Dr. Javad Mottaghipisheh |
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Name: Dr. Jing Li |
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Name: Dr. Kunyang Wang |
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Name: Dr. Lei Wang |
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Name: Dr. Luana Pulvirenti |
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Name: Dr. Marco Colacci |
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Name: Dr. Martyn J. Wood |
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Name: Dr. Paraskevi Agrafioti |
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Name: Dr. Rui Guo |
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Name: Dr. Saadat Ullah Malghani |
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Name: Dr. Sergio Vélez |
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Name: Dr. Sofia Maria Muscarella |
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Name: Dr. Xuechen Yang |
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Name: Dr. Yong Zhang |
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Name: Dr. Yongzong Lu |
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Name: Dr. Yucheng Wang |
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Name: Prof. Dr. Yurii Syromiatnykov |
20 February 2026
MDPI Virtual Academic Publishing Workshop (New Harvest), 25 February 2026
This Academic Publishing Workshop will be led by MDPI Regional Journal Relations Specialist, Dr. Sally Wu, on “Author Training”. Participants will receive practical advice on essential aspects of writing academic articles. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the academic publishing landscape and how to successfully contribute to it.
Date: 25 February 2026
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. EST
Schedule:
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Speaker |
Program |
Time in EST |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
Introduction |
11:30–11:40 a.m. |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
Tips for Writing Great Research Papers
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11:40 a.m.–12:15 p.m. |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
How to Respond to Peer Reviewers
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12:15–12:50 p.m. |
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Dr. Sally Wu |
AI in Publishing: Challenges and Opportunities
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12:50–13:30 p.m. |
Speakers:
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Dr. Sally Wu received a PhD in medical science from the University of Toronto in the fall of 2025. She joined MDPI in February 2025 as an Assistant Editor for Cells. She was recently promoted to Regional Journal Relations Specialist position in August. In this role, she works with many journals, liaising with authors, board members, and EiCs. She has attended several conferences across North America, hosted scholar visits, and taken part in other outreach events. |
18 February 2026
MDPI’s Open Access Program Reaches 1,000 Institutions Worldwide
11 February 2026
World Pulses Day—“Pulses of the World: From Modesty to Excellence”, 10 February 2026
World Pulses Day is celebrated on 10 February 2026, marking the 8th annual observance with the theme “Pulses of the World: From Modesty to Excellence”.
This theme elevates pulses from simple staples to celebrated, versatile foods. Pulses, such as beans and lentils, are champions of resilience. They naturally enrich soil by fixing nitrogen, requiring less water and fertilizer than other crops. Nutritionally dense, they provide essential plant-based protein, fiber, and minerals. This day calls for increased awareness and consumption of pulses, encouraging everyone to integrate them into their diet, for a healthier planet and people.
On World Pulses Day, we recommend MDPI’s Biology & Life Sciences journals, which are relevant scientific communication platforms to support the production and consumption of pulses and promote sustainable food system and healthy meals.
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“Escaping Maturation Stress: Late Sowing as a Strategy to Secure High-Vigor Soybean Seeds in Subtropical Low-Altitude Environments”
by Jose Ricardo Bagateli, Ricardo Mari Bagateli, Giovana Carla da Veiga, Ivan Ricardo Carvalho,
Willyan Junior Adorian Bandeira and Geri Eduardo Meneghello
Seeds 2025, 4(4), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds4040064
“Integration of Genetic and Imaging Data to Detect QTL for Root Traits in Interspecific Soybean Populations”
by Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, Jeong-Dong Lee, Qijian Song, Hyun Jo and Yoonha Kim
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(3), 1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26031152
“Carob-Based Functional Beverages: Nutritional Value and Health Properties”
by Carla Buzzanca, Angela D’Amico, Enrica Pistorio, Vita Di Stefano and Maria Grazia Melilli
Beverages 2025, 11(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11010001
“Harnessing Multi-Omics Strategies and Bioinformatics Innovations for Advancing Soybean Improvement: A Comprehensive Review”
by Siwar Haidar, Julia Hooker, Simon Lackey, Mohamad Elian, Nathalie Puchacz, Krzysztof Szczyglowski, Frédéric Marsolais, Ashkan Golshani, Elroy R. Cober and Bahram Samanfa
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2714; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192714
“Screening New Mungbean Varieties for Terminal Drought Tolerance”
by Sobia Ikram, Surya Bhattarai and Kerry B. Walsh
Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1328; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081328
“Solid-State Fermentation of Mucuna deeringiana Seed Flour Using Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus”
by Andrés Álvarez, Leidy Y. Rache, Sandra Chaparro, María H. Brijaldo, Luis Miguel Borras and José J. Martínez
Fermentation 2024, 10(8), 396; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10080396
“Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of CCT Gene Family from Microalgae to Legumes”
by Yi Xu, Huiying Yao, Yanhong Lan, Yu Cao, Qingrui Xu, Hui Xu, Dairong Qiao and Yi Cao
Genes 2024, 15(7), 941; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15070941
“Genotypic Variability in Response to Heat Stress and Post-Stress Compensatory Growth in Mungbean Plants (Vigna radiata [L.] Wilczek)”
by Vijaya Singh and Marisa Collins
Crops 2024, 4(3), 270-287; https://doi.org/10.3390/crops4030020
“Isolation and Identification of Salinity-Tolerant Rhizobia and Nodulation Phenotype Analysis in Different Soybean Germplasms”
by Tong Yu, Xiaodong Wu, Yunshan Song, Hao Lv, Guoqing Zhang, Weinan Tang, Zefeng Zheng,
Xiaohan Wang, Yumeng Gu, Xin Zhou et al.
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(4), 3342-3352; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46040209
“Cross-Species Transferability of SSR Markers for Analyzing Genetic Diversity of Different Vicia species Collections”
by María Isabel López-Román, Lucía De la Rosa, Teresa Marcos-Prado and Elena Ramírez-Parra
Agronomy 2024, 14(2), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14020326
“Tailoring the Techno-Functional Properties of Fava Bean Protein Isolates: A Comparative Evaluation of Ultrasonication and Pulsed Electric Field Treatments”
by Saqib Gulzar, Olga Martín-Belloso and Robert Soliva-Fortuny
Foods 2024, 13(3), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13030376
“Understanding the Molecular Regulatory Networks of Seed Size in Soybean”
by Ye Zhang, Javaid Akhter Bhat, Yaohua Zhang and Suxin Yang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(3), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25031441
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“Fermented Plant-Based Beverages: Nutritional Composition and Functional Properties” |
“Genetic and Functional Genomics Insights into the Genetic Improvement of Stress Resistance in Economic Crops” |
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“Fermented Cereals and Legumes: Innovation for the Development and Characterization of Functional Foods” |
“Functional Characterization of Key Agronomic Trait Genes in Soybean” |
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“Diversified Cropping Systems: Current Research and Future Perspectives” |
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10 February 2026
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Agronomy in 2025
3 February 2026
Agronomy | Top Viewed Papers Published in 2024
