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31 March 2026
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO’s Letter #33 - 2025 Annual Report, Preprints.org, IWD, Recapping Viruses 2026 & Romania Salon

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

Scaling Open Access with Integrity: MDPI Annual Report 2025

I am pleased to share the release of MDPI’s 2025 Annual Report, reflecting our continued progress as one of the world’s leading open access publishers. The report highlights not only our growth, but also the continued evolution of our publishing model and our commitment to quality, transparency, and collaboration.

You can explore the full report here: https://mdpi-res.com/data/mdpi_annual_report_2025_0401.pdf?1775045421

Or visit the interactive page: https://www.mdpi.com/annual-report-2025/

A Year of Growth and Responsibility

2025 was a year of significant growth for MDPI. We received over 669,000 manuscript submissions, the highest in our history, while maintaining a rejection rate above 60%, reinforcing our commitment to both scale and quality.

We published 261,576 peer-reviewed open access articles across a portfolio of 500 journals, supported by a global community of more than 68,000 Editorial Board Members and 209,000 reviewers.

Scaling with Integrity

Growth alone is not the objective; how we grow matters.

Our 2025 Annual Report, Scaling Open Access with Integrity, reflects our continued focus on building the systems and processes that support reliable and trustworthy publishing. As submission volumes increase globally, so too does the importance of robust editorial workflows, research integrity frameworks, and the infrastructure required to support them.

In 2025, we continued to invest in:

  • Research integrity and quality assurance processes
  • Editorial support and reviewer engagement
  • Transparency across the publishing workflow

These efforts ensure that scale does not come at the expense of rigor, but rather reinforces it.

Validation Through Indexing and Visibility

As MDPI continues to grow, validation of quality remains essential.

In 2025, the number of MDPI journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection increased from 298 to 329, while Scopus coverage reached 355 journals, including 45 new acceptances. Coverage in major biomedical databases (PMC/Medline/PubMed) expanded to 95 journals, and indexing in Ei Compendex increased significantly.

These milestones reflect the strength of our editorial processes and the trust placed in our journals by independent indexing bodies.

Importantly:

  • 96% of all MDPI articles are indexed in Web of Science databases
  • More than 1.75 million articles are indexed, with an average of 13 citations per article

Recognition through Journal Citation Reports also continues to grow:

  • 298 journals received Impact Factors
  • 65% ranked in the top half of their categories
  • 61 journals achieved top-quartile positions

These developments demonstrate that growth and quality are advancing together, supported by strong editorial oversight and consistent performance across our journal portfolio.

Strengthening Partnerships and Community

Open access is a collaborative endeavor.

In 2025, we expanded our institutional partnerships to more than 1,000 IOAP agreements, helping simplify publishing for researchers and institutions worldwide.

We also hosted 60 in-person conferences and virtual events, bringing together more than 28,000 participants to exchange ideas, share research, and strengthen connections across the global scientific community.

At the heart of everything we do is this community of authors, editors, reviewers, and partners who make open science possible.

Looking Ahead

Open access continues to move toward becoming the standard model for sharing research globally. With that growth comes increased responsibility.

Our focus moving forward is to continue building a publishing ecosystem that is:

  • Collaborative, to serve the research community
  • Rigorous, to ensure quality
  • Transparent, to support trust
  • Scalable, to meet global demand

We believe that open access, when combined with strong editorial standards and integrity, is the most effective way to accelerate scientific progress.

Thank you to all the scholarly community who collaborated with us and our MDPI staff for your continued dedication and contributions in making 2025 a successful year.

Impactful Research

Celebrating Ten Years of Preprints.org: Accelerating Open Research

In 2026, MDPI’s preprints server Preprints.org marked its 10th anniversary as a platform dedicated to accelerating the dissemination of research. Since its launch, Preprints.org has grown into a global platform that hosts more than 120,000 preprints contributed by hundreds of thousands of researchers worldwide, generating tens of millions of views and downloads and demonstrating the value of sharing research openly and rapidly.

At MDPI, we are proud to celebrate ten years of Preprints.org supporting the mission of open science. Over the past decade, we have seen how early sharing of research can accelerate collaboration and help ideas move more quickly from discovery to impact.

The Evolution of Preprints

While Preprints.org launched in 2016, the idea behind it has deeper roots. The concept of rapid research dissemination has existed for decades, with early preprint servers showing how open sharing can accelerate scientific progress.

Over the past decade, preprints have become an increasingly important part of scholarly communication. Researchers across disciplines are looking at faster ways to share their discoveries, exchange ideas, and receive feedback from the global scientific community.

Preprints in a Growing Research Ecosystem

The global preprint landscape has expanded significantly over the past decade, with multiple platforms serving different research communities. The figure below (sourced from James Butcher newsletter), based on data from Dimensions (Digital Science), shows the growth of preprint outputs across several major platforms over time.

Among these platforms, arXiv (the pioneering preprint server) has experienced great growth in recent years. At the same time, other platforms have continued to expand their reach across disciplines, capturing increasing global interest in early research sharing.

Preprints.org contributes to this evolving ecosystem by providing a multidisciplinary platform that works in synergy with academic journals, helping researchers bridge the gap between rapid dissemination and the formal publication process.

Celebrating the First Decade

To commemorate this milestone, Preprints.org launched a 10th Anniversary celebration hub highlighting the impact of preprints and the researchers who contribute to them.

One of the central initiatives is the Popular Preprints of the Decade Award, recognizing influential preprints published between 2016 and 2026 across multiple research fields. Through community voting, the award will recognize research that has generated high engagement and visibility within the global research community.

Looking Ahead: The Next Decade of Preprints

As research communication continues to evolve, preprints will continue to play an important role in enabling faster collaboration, improving transparency, and expanding access to knowledge. The next decade may bring further integration between preprint platforms and journals, new tools for discovery and evaluation, and greater global participation in open science.

At MDPI, we remain committed to supporting researchers through platforms that encourage the open exchange of ideas. The success of Preprints.org over the past ten years reflects the engagement and trust of the global research community – authors, readers, reviewers, and collaborators who believe in the value of sharing knowledge openly.

Congratulations to everyone involved in the development and growth of Preprints.org over the past decade!

Inside MDPI

Beyond International Women’s Day: Supporting Women in Research

International Women’s Day (IWD) offers an opportunity to recognize the achievements of women around the world and reflect on how we can continue building a more inclusive future. In research and academia, this conversation carries particular importance, as scientific progress depends on diverse perspectives, and supporting women in science is essential to strengthening the global research ecosystem.

For MDPI, IWD is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women in research and highlight the initiatives, conversations, and collaborations that help support researchers across disciplines and career stages.

Highlighting Women in Science Across MDPI

This year, MDPI marked International Women’s Day with a global campaign highlighting research, awards, and perspectives that support women in science. Throughout the week, our teams shared content across MDPI’s social media channels sharing the work of women researchers and encouraging engagement across the academic community.

As part of this initiative, MDPI published several blog articles exploring important themes related to gender equity in research. One article, Give Support, Gain Progress: Retaining Women in Science, discusses the importance of mentorship, institutional support, and inclusive research environments in helping women build sustainable scientific careers.

Another featured article, Bridging the Gap in Women’s Health Research, highlights the ongoing need to address disparities in health research and ensure that women’s health receives the scientific attention and investment it deserves.

These topics capture the notion that supporting women in science benefits not only individual researchers but the entire scientific community. When researchers from diverse backgrounds can contribute their perspectives and ideas, the scope and impact of scientific discovery expand.

Creating Spaces for Dialogue

Beyond online content, MDPI is also supporting conversations about women in research through community engagement.

On 10 March, MDPI UK hosted the “Women in Research” event, bringing together researchers and professionals to share experiences and discuss the opportunities and challenges women face throughout their scientific careers. Events like these are an opportunity for open dialogue, mentorship, and networking to create more inclusive research communities.

Looking Beyond a Single Day

While IWD is an important moment of recognition, progress requires ongoing effort.

Supporting women in research involves many forms of engagement: from mentorship and collaboration to creating inclusive environments in which diverse voices are heard and valued. Publishers, institutions, and researchers all play a role in building this ecosystem.

At MDPI, we remain committed to supporting the global research community and to promoting open access publishing as a foundation for accessible and inclusive knowledge-sharing.

As we reflect on IWD this year, we recognize the many women who contribute to research as authors, reviewers, editors, mentors, and educators; we also recognize the impact they continue to have on the advancement of science. The influence of women in research extends far beyond a single day of recognition, reminding us that supporting them is a commitment that continues throughout the year.

Coming Together for Science

Highlights from Viruses 2026 – New Horizons in Virology (11–13 March)

Through 11–13 March, we successfully delivered the Viruses 2026 – New Horizons in Virology MDPI conference in Barcelona, bringing together an international community of researchers, editors, and partners dedicated to advancing the field of virology.

Conference Highlights

Viruses 2026 in numbers:

  • 198 total registrations, with 171 attendees on site
  • 233 submissions, with 122 accepted
  • 42 short talks, 9 flash talks, and 80 posters
  • 13 invited speakers and 1 keynote speaker

The strong level of participation and quality of submissions once again demonstrate the relevance of the Viruses community.

A standout moment was the keynote lecture by Dr. Ho, which also attracted an NBC documentary film crew, highlighting the broader impact of the research being presented.

Scientific Programme

The conference programme covered areas across modern virology, including viral replication, pathogenesis, immunology, and public health. Sessions explored topics on antiviral therapeutics and vaccines, innate immunity, virus–host interactions, and the structure and mechanisms of virus replication.

Together, these discussions highlighted both the fundamental biology of viruses and the translational challenges of addressing emerging infectious diseases, reflecting the breadth and continued importance of virology research in a global context. The programme also included a sponsored workshop on research data management in virology, further emphasizing the importance of data practices in advancing the field.

Thank You

Feedback from participants has been very positive, and I would like to thank the Conference team for the organization and delivery of this year’s event.

Thank you to our Viruses journal team and all colleagues involved behind the scenes in supporting the delivery of the event. As noted by Dr. Eric Freed (EiC of Viruses), the success of this edition gives us strong momentum as we look ahead to the next conference in 2028, with opportunities to further expand participation and engagement.

Closing Thoughts

Recap from MDPI Romania Salon in Cluj-Napoca (24 March)

On 24 March, we had the opportunity to meet with members of the Romanian research community in Cluj-Napoca at our MDPI Romania Salon. The event was a space for presentations, open discussion, and the exchange of perspectives on publishing and the research landscape in Romania.

We welcomed 39 participants, including 27 researchers from institutions across Romania, representing cities such as Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, and Reșița. Among them were Editorial Board Members, Associate Editors, and Guest Editors, all of whom play an important role in collaborating with MDPI and shaping the quality and direction of academic publishing.

A Shared Commitment to Research Excellence

These events reflect MDPI’s commitment to connecting with and supporting researchers by means of transparency, dialogue, and collaboration. During the day, MDPI colleagues shared a series of presentations covering different parts of our publishing ecosystem:

  • MDPI’s presence in Romania – Anamaria Vartolomei (Journal Relationship Specialist (JRS), Section Managing Editor (ME))
  • MDPI’s performance, growth, and impact in Romania – Stefan Tochev (CEO)
  • Academic services, initiatives, and projects supporting researchers – Ioana Preda (JRS, Section ME)
  • Best practices and standards in publication ethics – Lavinia Rogojina (Research Integrity Manager)
  • Panel session on ethics, AI, and peer review – Lavinia Rogojina, Ioana Preda, Doris Larisa Albu (JRS, Section ME), Cristina Georgiana Spelmezan (JRS, Section ME)
  • Closing remarks – Lavinia Dumitrela Cozma (Operations Manager, Section ME)

Feedback from participants was very positive, particularly regarding the quality of discussions, the relevance of the topics, and the opportunity to engage directly with MDPI colleagues. What stood out most was the openness of the discussion. These events are important not only for the purposes of presenting what we do, but also as an opportunity to listen, understand concerns, and continue to build alignment with the research community.

Romania and the Growth of Open Access Publishing

The Romanian research landscape continues to show growth in open access (OA) publishing.

In 2025:

  • 72% of all publications in Romania were published as OA
  • Of these, 74% were Gold Open Access

Over the past five years, Romania has produced more than 109,000 publications, with approximately 71% available openly, highlighting a sustained shift toward accessibility and knowledge-sharing.

Within this landscape, MDPI continues to play a significant role:

  • MDPI is the leading OA publisher in Romania, contributing 42% of all OA publications in 2025
  • More than 37,000 articles have been published with MDPI by Romanian institutions since 1996
  • This figure includes over 7,500 publications in 2025 alone
  • More than 400 Editorial Board Members from Romania collaborate with MDPI across disciplines

These trends show the growth of OA and the strength of collaboration between MDPI and the Romanian research community.

Looking Ahead

As academic publishing continues to evolve, maintaining open and transparent communication with researchers is essential. Events such as our Salons and Summits provide great opportunities to exchange perspectives and to build trust and collaboration.

Thank you to all participants who joined us in Cluj, and to our teams in Romania for delivering a successful event. A special thank-you to Alina-Florina Agafitei (Marketing Specialist) for her care and attention to detail in delivering the Salon.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

27 March 2026
2026 IEEE International Workshop on Measurements and Applications in Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 28–30 April 2026, Padova, Italy


Name:
2026 IEEE International Workshop on Measurements and Applications in Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Date: 28–30 April 2026
Location: Padova, Italy
Website: https://www.meaveas.org/

The IEEE International Workshop on Measurements and Applications in Veterinary and Animal Sciences (IEEE MeAVeAS) aims to comprehensively explore the various aspects of interactions among the realms of veterinary medicine and animal and food science, including bioengineering, material science, chemical, and biological measurements and instrumentation. The Workshop provides an opportunity for researchers, veterinarians, and animal scientists to engage in the exchange of ideas and knowledge, establish connections and collaborations, and stay updated on innovations in the fields of veterinary medicine and animal science.

MeAVeAS is dedicated to bringing together professionals working on the development of instrumentation and measurement methods, not only for veterinary medicine but also for ecology and for food and animal science. Our focus extends to various aspects, including cutting-edge technologies for monitoring the health of animals, metrology-assisted production in the food industry, and sensors and associated signal conditioning techniques tailored for veterinary medicine and animal science, as well as calibration methods for electronic test and measurement applications in these fields.

26 March 2026
Animals | Issue Cover Articles in the Second Half of 2025


The articles below have been selected as the Cover Articles for Issues 13–24 of Volume 15 by the Editorial Office of Animals (ISSN: 2076-2615). These articles cover multiple fields within journal’s scope, and we hope they can provide insights and references for scholars in related fields.

1. “Donkey and Hybrid Anaesthetic Mortality in an Observational, Prospective, Multicentre Cohort Study”
by Hannah Boocock, Jana Flyps, André Escobar, José I. Redondo, Polly M. Taylor, Miguel Gozalo-Marcilla, G. Mark Johnston, Regula Bettschart-Wolfensberger and Rebekah Sullivan
Animals 2025, 15(13), 1880; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15131880
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1880

2. “Cecal Metabolome Profiles of Turkey Poults in Response to Salmonella Heidelberg Challenge with or Without Turkey-Derived Lactobacillus Probiotic and Trans-Cinnamaldehyde”
by Grace Dewi, Ranjith Ramanathan and Anup Kollanoor Johny
Animals 2025, 15(15), 2016; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15142016
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/14/2016

3. “Identifying Infectious Agents in Snakes (Boidae and Pythonidae) with and Without Respiratory Disease”
by Marline M. Faulhaber, Florence Tardy, Anne V. Gautier-Bouchardon, Sabine Öfner, Sebastiaan Theuns, Sieglinde Coppens, Elisabeth Müller, Michael Pees and Rachel E. Marschang
Animals 2025, 15(15), 2187; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15152187
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/15/2187

4. “Dietary Supplementation with L-Citrulline Between Days 1 and 60 of Gestation Enhances Embryonic Survival in Lactating Beef Cows”
by Kyler R. Gilbreath, Michael Carey Satterfield, Lan Zhou, Fuller W. Bazer and Guoyao Wu
Animals 2025, 15(16), 2398; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15162398
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/16/2398

5. “Selection of Animal Welfare Indicators for Primates in Rescue Centres Using the Delphi Method: Cebus albifrons as a Case Study”
by Victoria Eugenia Pereira Bengoa and Xavier Manteca
Animals 2025, 15(17), 2473; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15172473
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/17/2473

6. “Weighted Single-Step GWAS Reveals Genomic Regions Associated with Female Fertility in the Spanish Retinta Beef Cattle”
by Rosa María Morales, Gabriel Anaya Calvo-Rubio, Chiraz Ziadi, María Ángeles Vargas-Pérez, Sebastián Demyda-Peyrás and Antonio Molina
Animals 2025, 15(18), 2665; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15182665
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/18/2665

7. “Effect of Dietary Protein Levels on Performance and Health Status of Adult Companion Rabbits”
by Bianca Palumbo and Antonella Dalle Zotte
Animals 2025, 15(19), 2748; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15192784
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/19/2784

8. “Lumbosacral Foraminal Injections in Dogs: Preliminary Assessment of an Ultrasound- and Fluoroscopy-Guided Technique in a Cadaveric Model”
by Roger Medina-Serra, Francisco Gil-Cano, Marta Soler, Francisco G. Laredo and Eliseo Belda
Animals 2025, 15(20), 2958; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15202958
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/20/2958

9. “Retrospective Analysis of Suspensory Ligament Branch Injuries in 70 Dressage Horses”
by Ana Boado, Danica Pollard and Sue Dyson
Animals 2025, 15(21), 3079; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15213079
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/21/3079

10. “Importance of Spring Habitats for Amphibians: The Case of Estavelle Ecotones in the Classical Karst Region”
by Damiano Brognoli, Elia Lo Parrino, Giorgia Terraneo, Giorgio Grassi, Veronica Zampieri, Matteo Galbiati, Valentina Balestra, Valeria Messina, Benedetta Barzaghi et al.
Animals 2025, 15(22), 3228; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15223228
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/22/3228

11. “Clinical Chemistry Reference Intervals for Health Assessment in Wild Adult Harbour Seals”
by Ailsa J. Hall, Debbie J. F. Russell, Paul M. Thompson, Ryan Milne, Simon E. Moss, Holly C. Armstrong and Joanna L. Kershaw
Animals 2025, 15(23), 3429; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15233429
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/23/3429

12. “Variations in Heat Load Nutritional Management on Animal Performance, Rumen Temperature and pH Characteristics in Grain-Fed Steers Challenged by High Heat Load”
by Stephanie L. Sammes, Grace P. James, Megan L. Sullivan, Allan T. Lisle, Angela M. Lees, Gene Wijffels and John B. Gaughan
Animals 2025, 15(24), 3615; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15243615
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/24/3615

26 March 2026
MDPI’s Journal Cluster of Animal Science Webinar | Issue Cover Authors Webinar 2025, 30 March 2026 


The Animal Science Cluster Editorial Team at MDPI is pleased to welcome you to the Issue Cover Authors Webinar of 2025.

For this webinar, we have invited three authors of publications featured on the covers of the journals Animals (ISSN: 2076-2615) and Veterinary Sciences (ISSN: 2306-7381) in 2025. During the event, they will present the research highlighted in their cover-featured publications and share related work as well as recent findings from their research groups.

This webinar aims to promote academic exchange, showcase impactful research in animal science, and encourage discussion within the research community.

We very much look forward to your participation in the Animal Science Cluster Issue Cover Authors Webinar of 2025.

Date: 30 March 2026
Time:
10:00 a.m. CEST | 4:00 p.m. CST Asia

Register now for free!

Speaker/Presentation

Time in GMT

Time in CEST

Introduction

9:00–9:10 a.m.

10:00–10:10 a.m.

Dr. Rachel Moxon
The health outcomes of neutering bitches before or after puberty

9:10–9:30 a.m.

10:10–10:30 a.m.

Dr. Amelia Cameron
Planning for your Horse Throughout their Life: Developing Resources through Stakeholder Input

9:30–9:50 a.m.

10:30–10:50 a.m.

Dr. Mario Nicotra
Nutraceuticals, social interaction, and psychophysiological influence on pet health and well-being: focus on dogs and cats

9:50–10:10 a.m.

10:50–11:10 a.m.

Q&A Session

10:10–10:25 a.m.

11:10–11:25 a.m.

Closing of Webinar

10:25–10:30 a.m.

11:25–11:30 a.m.


After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Feel free to register anyway; the session will be recorded, and we will let you know when the recording is available for viewing.

Webinar Speakers:

For more information about this webinar, please visit the following website: https://sciforum.net/event/Cluster-8?subscribe.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact journal.webinar@mdpi.com.

MDPI Webinar Secretariat

25 March 2026
Animals | Issue Cover Articles in the First Half of 2025


The articles below have been selected as the Cover Articles for Issues 1–12 of Volume 15 by the Editorial Office of Animals (ISSN: 2076-2615). These articles cover multiple fields within the journal’s scope, and we hope they can provide insights and references for scholars in related fields.


1. “Enhancing Immunoglobulin G Goat Colostrum Determination Using Color-Based Techniques and Data Science”
by Manuel Betancor-Sánchez, Marta González-Cabrera, Antonio Morales-delaNuez, Lorenzo E. Hernández-Castellano, Anastasio Argüello and Noemí Castro
Animals 2025, 15(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15010031
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/1/31


2. “A Prospective Study Investigating the Health Outcomes of Bitches Neutered Prepubertally or Post-Pubertally”
by Rachel Moxon, Sarah L. Freeman, Richard M. Payne, Sandra Corr and Gary C. W. England
Animals 2025, 15(2), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15020167
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/167


3. “Skin Appendage Proteins of Tetrapods: Building Blocks of Claws, Feathers, Hair and Other Cornified Epithelial Structures”
by Karin Brigit Holthaus, Julia Steinbinder, Attila Placido Sachslehner and Leopold Eckhart
Animals 2025, 15(3), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030457
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/3/457


4. “Oral Administration of L-Arginine Improves the Growth and Survival of Sow-Reared Intrauterine Growth-Restricted Piglets”
by David W. Long, Barry D. Long, Gayan I. Nawaratna and Guoyao Wu
Animals 2025, 15(4), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15040550
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/4/550


5. “Experiences of End-of-Life Decision-Making in Equine Veterinary and Charity Teams”
by Amelia Cameron, Megan Geldard, Tim Mair, Tim Mair, John Burford, Sarah Freeman, Kristian Pollock and Eleanor Wilson
Animals 2025, 15(5), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15050678
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/5/678


6. “Prognostic Insights in Feline Mammary Carcinomas: Clinicopathological Factors and the Proposal of a New Staging System”
by Mónica Monteiro, Gonçalo Petrucci and Felisbina L. Queiroga
Animals 2025, 15(6), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060779
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/6/779


7. “Effects of Onion Peel Inclusion on In Vitro Fermentation, Methane and Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Nutrient Degradability in Dairy Cow Diets”
by Lydia K. Olagunju, Lydia K. Olagunju, Peter A. Dele, Yasmine Shaw, Rosetta M. Brice, Oluteru E. Orimaye, Jorge A. Villarreal-González, Hye Won Kang, Ahmed E. Kholif and Uchenna Y. Anele
Animals 2025, 15(7), 969; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15070969
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/7/969


8. “Role of Seagrass as a Food Source for Benthos in Tidal Flats: Toward Conservation and Restoration of Resilient Ecosystems”
by Yumi Nagahama, Munehiro Nomura and Osamu Nishimura
Animals 2025, 15(8), 1098; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15081098
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/8/1098


9. “Environmental Gradients and Hen Spatial Distribution in a Cage-Free Aviary System: Internet of Things-Based Real-Time Monitoring for Proactive Management”
by Francesco Bordignon, Mattia Pravato, Angela Trocino, Gerolamo Xiccato, Francesco Marinello and Andrea Pezzuolo
Animals 2025, 15(9), 1225; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091225
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/9/1225


10. “Reference Values for Postmortem Examination of the Heart in the Macropod (Macropodidae) and Koala (Phascolarctidae)”
by Ella Cousins, Lucy Woolford, David McLelland, Sarah Brownrigg and Natasha Speight
Animals 2025, 15(10), 1397; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15101397
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/10/1397


11. “Individual Mechanical Energy Expenditure Regimens Vary Seasonally with Weather, Sex, Age and Body Condition in a Generalist Carnivore Population: Support for Inter-Individual Tactical Diversity”
by Julius G. Bright Ross, Andrew Markham, Michael J. Noonan, Christina D. Buesching, Erin Connolly, Denise W. Pallett, Yadvinder Malhi, David W. Macdonald and Chris Newman
Animals 2025, 15(11), 1560; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111560
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/11/1560


12. “Association Between Escherichia coli Mastitis and Acute Laminitis in Dairy Cows”
by Fabian Faustmann, Martina Baumgartner, Susanna Piechl, Birgit Fuerst-Waltl and Johann Kofler
Animals 2025, 15(12), 1709; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15121709
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/12/1709

25 March 2026
Acknowledging the Contributions of Our Reviewers in 2025


As a pioneer in open access publishing, MDPI maintains rigorous publication standards. This mission relies on the dedication and expertise of our reviewers, who invest their time and knowledge to ensure the quality and integrity of the research we publish.

In 2025, over 209,000 reviewers contributed to the peer-review process at MDPI, providing more than 1.3 million review reports for our journals. To express our gratitude, MDPI’s Reviewer Recognition Program highlights reviewers across over 400 journals, featuring those who have assessed at least one manuscript and agreed to be acknowledged.

In addition, MDPI has identified its Top 1000 Reviewers of 2024 to recognize those whose expertise, dedication, and thoughtful evaluations were particularly outstanding.

Many journals have also established Outstanding Reviewer Awards to honor our reviewers’ commitment to publication excellence. Together with the Exceptional Reviewer List, we showcase the importance of reviewers’ work and their time and dedication.

These initiatives serve to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude towards the whole reviewer community. In recognition of their contributions, we also welcome new researchers to join this community. If you would like to contribute to open access publishing, learn more about the reviewers’ benefits and sign up to join us.

23 March 2026
MDPI’s Journal Cluster of Animal Science | Title Story Authors Webinar of 2025, 23 March 2026


The Editorial Team of MDPI’s Journal Cluster of Animal Science would like to invite you to the “Title Story Authors Webinar of 2025”.

For this webinar, we have invited three authors of title story papers published in the journals Birds, Pets, and Veterinary Sciences in 2025. During the event, they will present the research discussed in their title story papers and share related work and recent findings from their research groups.

This webinar aims to promote academic exchange, highlight impactful research in animal science, and encourage discussion within the research community.

We very much look forward to your participation in the Animal Science Cluster’s Title Story Authors Webinar 2025.

Date: 23 March 2026 at 9:00 a.m. (CDT) | 3:00 p.m. (CET)
Webinar ID: 898 9481 1957

Register now for free!

Program

Speaker/Presentation

Time in CET

Time in CDT

Introduction

3:00–3:10 p.m.

9:00–9:10 a.m.

Prof. Dr. Jan S. Suchodolski
Severe Dysbiosis Reflects Changes in Important Intestinal Function

3:10–3:30 p.m.

9:10–9:30 a.m.

Dr. Nico Arcilla
What's in a Bird's Name? Bird Records and Indigenous Names in Amazonian Territories of Peru

3:30–3:50 p.m.

9:30–9:50 a.m.

Kimberly Boykin
Characterizing the Roles of Life Stage and Season on the Prevalence of Select Viral Pathogens in Acheta domesticus Crickets on a Commercial Cricket Farm in the United States

3:50–4:10 p.m.

9:50–10:10 a.m.

Q&A Session

4:10–4:25 p.m.

10:10–10:25 a.m.

Closing of Webinar

4:25–4:30 p.m.

10:25–10:30 a.m.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to join the 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.

Keynote speakers:

  • Prof. Dr. Jan S. Suchodolski, Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA;
  • Dr. Nico Arcilla, International Bird Conservation Partnership, Sweden; Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, USA ;
  • Dr. Kimberly Boykin, Veterinary Clinical Services Department, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, LA, USA.

Relevant papers:
Pets
Effects of Metronidazole on the Fecal Microbiota, Fecal Metabolites, and Serum Metabolites of Healthy Adult Cats
by Sara E. Martini, Teresa Schmidt, Wenyi Huang, Amanda B. Blake, João P. Cavasin, Jan S. Suchodolski and Kelly S. Swanson
Pets 2025, 2(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/pets2020019

Birds
What’s in a Bird’s Name? Bird Records and Aguaruna Names in Amazonian Indigenous Territories of Peru
by Nico Arcilla, Benjamín Salazar Samecash, Oscar Tsamajain Shiwig, Shan Su and Robert J. Cooper
Birds 2025, 6(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/birds6010002

Veterinary Sciences
Characterizing the Roles of Life Stage and Season on the Prevalence of Select Viral Pathogens in Acheta domesticus Crickets on a Commercial Cricket Farm in the United States
by Kimberly L. Boykin, Amy Bitter, Zoey N. Lex, John Tuminello and Mark A. Mitchell
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(3), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12030191

12 March 2026
Meet us Virtually at the 4th International Online Conference on Animals (IOCAN2026), 17–19 March 2026


We are delighted to announce the 4th International Online Conference on Animals (IOCAN2026), organized by MDPI’s open access journal Animals (ISSN: 2076-2615; Impact Factor: 2.7). This year's conference will be held online from 17 to 19 March 2026.

Conference Chairs:

  • Prof. Dr. Clive J. C. Phillips, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Estonia;
  • Prof. Dr. Colin G. Scanes, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, USA;
  • Prof. Dr. Michael Hässig, University of Zürich, Switzerland.

Topics of Interest:

  1. Sustainable Animal Welfare, Ethics and Human – Animal Interactions;
  2. One Health: Improve Disease Manifestation and Management in Animals, Humans, and the Environment;
  3. Sustainable Animal Nutrition;
  4. Animal Genetics and Genomics;
  5. Environmental Challenges to Animals and Precision Livestock Farming;
  6. Animal Physiology, Reproduction, and Sustainable Animal Production;
  7. Aquatic Animals.

Important Dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline:
6 November 2025;
Abstract Acceptance Notification: 4 December 2025;
Registration Deadline: 13 March 2026.

Guide for Authors
To submit your abstract, please follow this link: https://sciforum.net/user/submission/create/1472.

To register for this event, please follow this link: https://sciforum.net/event/IOCAN2026?section=#registration.

For details regarding the submission of abstracts, posters and slides, please refer to the “Instructions for Authors” section:  https://sciforum.net/event/IOCAN2026?section=#instructions.

For publication opportunities, please follow this link: https://sciforum.net/event/IOCAN2026?section=#Publication_Opportunity.

For any enquiries regarding this event, please contact iocan2026@mdpi.com.

We look forward to seeing you at the 4th International Online Conference on Animals.

4 March 2026
MDPI’s 2025 Best Paper Awards—Award-Winning Papers Announced


MDPI is honored to announce the recipients of the 2025 Best Paper Awards, celebrating exceptional research for its scientific merit and broad impact. After a rigorous evaluation process conducted by Academic Editors, this year’s awards showcase papers that stand out for their innovation, relevance, and high-quality presentation.

Out of a highly competitive pool, 396 winning papers have been recognized for their exceptional contributions. We congratulate these authors for pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines.

At MDPI, we are dedicated to broadening the reach of innovative science. To learn more about the award-winning papers and explore research projects in your field of study, please visit the following links:

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the global research community and enhance academic dialogue, MDPI journals regularly host award programs across diverse scientific disciplines. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and whose work drives the advancement of their fields.

Explore the Best Paper Awards open for participation, please click 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:

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.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

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