Polymicrobial Biofilms and Antimicrobial Resistance Across Human, Animal, and Environmental Health
A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiofilm Strategies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2026 | Viewed by 158
Editor
Interests: antimicrobial resistance and tolerance; molecular epidemiology; biofilms; antimicrobial alternatives; One Health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health challenge that extends beyond genetic resistance mechanisms to include complex phenotypic and ecological adaptations. In particular, polymicrobial infections and biofilm-associated communities play a critical role in antimicrobial tolerance, persistence, and treatment failure. Within biofilms, interactions between species (e.g., metabolic cooperation, spatial organization, and enzymatic antibiotic degradation) can significantly reduce antimicrobial efficacy.
Across human, veterinary, and environmental settings, polymicrobial biofilms contribute to chronic and recurrent infections and facilitate the persistence and dissemination of resistant pathogens within a One Health framework. However, current surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship strategies frequently overlook community-level resistance mechanisms, especially those associated with biofilm-mediated tolerance to frontline antibiotics, including β-lactams.
This Special Issue aims to provide an integrated overview of antimicrobial resistance in polymicrobial biofilms, encompassing mechanistic insights, clinical and veterinary relevance, and environmental perspectives. We welcome original research articles and reviews addressing microbial interactions, biofilm-associated resistance, advanced analytical approaches, and strategies to improve antimicrobial stewardship and infection control.
Prof. Dr. Joana Campos
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- antimicrobial resistance
- polymicrobial biofilms
- interspecies interactions
- biofilm-associated infections
- antibiotic tolerance
- One Health
- ESKAPE pathogens
- antimicrobial stewardship
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
