Announcements

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:

• Biology and Life Sciences;
• Business and Economics;
• Chemistry and Materials Sciences;
• Computer Sciences and Mathematics;
• Engineering;
• Environmental and Earth Sciences;
• Medicine and Pharmacology;
• Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities;
• Physical Sciences;
• Public Health and Healthcare.

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.

We are honored to announce that Prof. Dr. William Gerwick will serve as the Chair of the 2026 Tu Youyou Award Committee.

A world-renowned authority in marine natural products chemistry and pharmacology, Professor Gerwick is a Distinguished Professor at both the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). His pioneering work at the intersection of ocean sciences and drug discovery makes him a fitting leader for an award centered on transformative medicinal breakthroughs.

Under Professor Gerwick’s stewardship, the 2026 Tu Youyou Award Committee will focus on recognizing innovative and impactful research in natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry, particularly work with the potential to drive meaningful advances in both scientific understanding and human health.

To provide further insight into his perspectives, we include below an interview with Professor Gerwick, in which he reflects on his scientific journey, his views on the field, and his vision for the Tu Youyou Award.

A Conversation with the Chair

1. Could you please introduce yourself and your research journey?

My research focuses on the natural products of marine algae and cyanobacteria, their application in medicine, their biosynthesis using genomic approaches, and innovative methods in the structure elucidation of natural products.

I received my BS degree from the University of California at Davis, my PhD from the University of California at San Diego, and conducted postdoctoral work at the University of Connecticut. After a couple of years in a junior faculty position at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, I spent 21 years as Professor of Pharmacy at Oregon State University. In 2005, I returned to my PhD institution at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at UC San Diego, where I am currently a Distinguished Professor of Oceanography and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to advancing the field through both leadership and mentorship. I have served as president of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, chaired and co-chaired several major research conferences, and served as an associate editor for the Journal of Natural Products. I am a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and of the American Society of Pharmacognosy. I have trained over 100 doctoral and postdoctoral students, and my research group has published nearly 500 papers and more than 25 patents on topics in the natural product sciences and medicinal chemistry.

2. What motivated you to accept the role of Chair of the 2026 Tu Youyou Award Committee?

Of course, I am a huge supporter of all awards that are given in recognition of excellent scientific research, and especially so in the natural products sciences and medicinal chemistry. However, this award is truly special in that it recognizes scientific excellence as well as impact, and is given in the name of an individual, Tu Youyou, who clearly had many challenges along the path to reach the pinnacle of her success. Not only was she the first Chinese person to win a Nobel prize in this area, but she was also the first Chinese woman to receive a Nobel prize, and this was achieved without graduate education in China or elsewhere. It’s a true testament to what can be achieved by hard work, determination, and vision. To read the history of her extraordinary approach to discovering novel antimalarial compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicine is truly inspirational. It is, therefore, the inspiration provided by the extraordinary life and career of Tu Youyou that motivated me to accept the Chair of the Award Committee for 2026.

3. How do you view the role of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry in today’s scientific landscape, and what major advances over the past decade have shaped this field?

A quite remarkable integration of fields is currently transforming natural products science and medicinal chemistry. In natural products, we are seeing integration of different omics methods, from metabolites to proteins to nucleic acids. Sophisticated biological and pharmacological approaches are driving the discovery of exquisitely potent and selective natural products. Advances are being made to integrate molecular-level recognition of natural products with chemical ecological studies, and sophisticated methods of structure determination using Artificial Intelligence or pioneering new tools such as microED are being applied with increasing frequency. High-level synthetic methodologies, such as protecting group-free synthetic routes, are enhancing medicinal chemistry, accelerating the identification of lead molecules with attractive pharmaceutical properties at an increasing pace.

4. How do you consider the balance between fundamental discovery (e.g., new molecules or mechanisms) and practical impact (e.g., therapeutic applications)?

Many individuals are excellent scientists and mentors, and have essential roles in developing our culture that values science and the scientific method. It should also be pointed out that not all scientific discoveries are going to have a broad societal impact, but they are nevertheless critical to the overall body and structure of science. But it is a truly remarkable individual who makes a key scientific discovery, recognizes its potential value to society in general, and then has the skills and determination to bring it forward as a useful product. That was the type of person the Tu Youyou is, and that is the type of person who is honored by the prize in her name.

5. What do you see as the key challenges or opportunities currently facing the field?

We are on the crux of an amazing revolution in many of the sciences, including natural products and medicinal chemistry; the purposeful application of Artificial Intelligence to solving many of the difficulties involved in the search for new pharmaceuticals from Nature. AI is transforming how we select organisms for study, what pharmaceutical targets to go after, rapidly resolving the chemical structures of new compounds, identifying efficient routes to their chemical synthesis, understanding their molecular mechanisms of action, and finally, designing their clinical application. The role of people in these pursuits is changing. Increasingly, the human role will be providing overall vision: what can we do? What should we do? And it is important to remember that AI is providing hypotheses, not truth. Scientists with expert domain knowledge will be critical for discerning the correctness of hypotheses put forth by AI. Altogether, advances in technology, expanding knowledge, and the appropriate use of AI methods are preparing society to be able to address emerging diseases, such as pandemics, as well as conditions that are not effectively treated by currently existing therapeutics.

6. How do you expect the Tu Youyou Award to contribute to the advancement of natural product chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and human health over the coming years?

The Tu Youyou Award is potentially transformative for the broad fields of natural products science and medicinal chemistry as it brings a significantly increased level of visibility to these topics and their contributions to human health. It will be crucial to have excellent communication to news agencies, social media and other communication outlets so that the general public is informed and educated on the high impact of these natural product/medicinal chemistry contributions. This will bring increased funding, attract promising students, and generally enrich the interface of these fields with the health sector.

7. What message would you like to convey to the research community and the public during this open nomination phase?

This prize gives broad societal visibility to the role that natural products have had in shaping a majority of our current medicines, as well as understanding the life forms with whom we share the planet. Further, it recognizes a woman scientist working under sub-optimal conditions who could persevere and make discoveries of global impact. The prize and what it represents, therefore, inspires current and future generations to engage in the study of Nature and its relationship to Human Health, to overcome adversity, and to aspire to making one’s life impactful.

About the Tu Youyou Award

Established in 2016, the Tu Youyou Award seeks to honor those who excel in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. This award offers a total prize of CHF 100,000, which will be equally divided among the winners if there is more than one, with each recipient receiving an award medal and a certificate.

The 2026 Tu Youyou Award is open for nominations until 31 October 2026. We encourage all eligible candidates to participate in this prestigious recognition, as this award not only honors individual achievement but also encourages further scientific exchange, exploration and discovery in critical areas of medicine.

If you are interested in participating, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website for more information on the nomination requirements.

We are pleased to highlight eight highly cited papers on plant physiology published in Antioxidants (ISSN: 2076-3921) in 2024 and 2025. These studies offer valuable insights into stress tolerance mechanisms, antioxidant-related signaling pathways, and the adaptive physiology of plants under challenging environmental conditions. We invite you to explore these contributions, which reflect the most recent advances in plant physiology.

1. “Higher Plant-Derived Biostimulants: Mechanisms of Action and Their Role in Mitigating Plant Abiotic Stress”
   by Sara Esperanza Martínez-Lorente, José Manuel Martí-Guillén, María Ángeles Pedreño, Lorena Almagro and Ana Belén Sabater-Jara
   Antioxidants 2024, 13(3), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13030318
   Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/3/318
2. “An Overview of the Mechanisms through Which Plants Regulate ROS Homeostasis under Cadmium Stress”
   by Pan Luo, Jingjing Wu, Ting-Ting Li, Peihua Shi, Qi Ma and Dong-Wei Di
   Antioxidants 2024, 13(10), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13101174
   Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/10/1174
3. “The Regulation of ROS and Phytohormones in Balancing Crop Yield and Salt Tolerance”
   by Lei Jiang, Minggang Xiao, Rongfeng Huang and Juan Wang
   Antioxidants 2025, 14(1), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14010063
   Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/1/63
4. “Reactive Oxygen Species in Plants: Metabolism, Signaling, and Oxidative Modifications”
   by Chao Zheng, Jian-Ping Chen, Xiao-Wei Wang and Ping Li
   Antioxidants 2025, 14(6), 617; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14060617
   Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/6/617
5. “Positive Role of Trichoderma harzianum in Increasing Plant Tolerance to Abiotic Stresses: A Review”
   by Yueyao Geng, Shuying Chen, Pinke Lv, Yankai Li, Jingxuan Li, Fangling Jiang, Zhen Wu, Qirong Shen and Rong Zhou
   Antioxidants 2025, 14(7), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14070807
   Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/807
6. “Exogenous GABA Enhances Copper Stress Resilience in Rice Plants via Antioxidant Defense Mechanisms, Gene Regulation, Mineral Uptake, and Copper Homeostasis”
   by Zakirullah Khan, Rahmatullah Jan, Saleem Asif, Muhammad Farooq and Kyung-Min Kim
   Antioxidants 2024, 13(6), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13060700
   Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/6/700
7. “Seed Priming with 2,4-Epibrassionolide Enhances Seed Germination and Heat Tolerance in Rice by Regulating the Antioxidant System and Plant Hormone Signaling Pathways”
   by Jingya Qian, Xu Mo, Yue Wang and Qiang Li
   Antioxidants 2025, 14(2), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14020242
   Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/2/242
8. “Types of Membrane Transporters and the Mechanisms of Interaction between Them and Reactive Oxygen Species in Plants”
   by Ding Yuan, Xiaolei Wu, Xiangqun Jiang, Binbin Gong and Hongbo Gao
   Antioxidants 2024, 13(2), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13020221
   Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/2/221

The journal Antioxidants (ISSN: 2076-3921) is delighted to present the winner of the 2025 Young Investigator Award—Dr. Mike Lange.

Dr. Mike Lange is a lipid biochemist studying mechanisms of lipid quality control in cells. His research combines advanced lipid analytics with molecular and cell biology to uncover antioxidant mechanisms that protect organelles from oxidative lipid damage.

1. Could you please briefly introduce yourself, including your current affiliation and main research areas?

I am currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, where my research focuses on how chemical modifications of biomolecules regulate cellular metabolism. Throughout my training, I have been particularly interested in how spontaneous chemical reactions shape biological systems, first through studying protective protein modifications and later expanding into lipid biology. During my doctoral work at the University of Leipzig with Maria Fedorova, I investigated how metabolic changes alter lipid composition and influence cellular vulnerability to damage. Building on this, my postdoctoral research with James Olzmann at the University of California, Berkeley, explored how cells maintain the integrity of their lipids and how failures in these processes contribute to disease. More broadly, my work aims to uncover fundamental mechanisms of cellular homeostasis and to develop new analytical approaches to study biomolecule regulation with high precision.

2. What inspired you to pursue research in the field of lipidomics?

Lipids are major and highly diverse components of cells yet how they are damaged and regulated has long remained difficult to study due to technical limitations. For a long time, lipid peroxidation was assessed indirectly or with proxy measurements, leaving open fundamental questions about which lipids are affected, under what conditions, and with what consequences. The emergence of ferroptosis highlighted the central role of lipid damage in cell fate and provided a powerful framework to study these processes in a more systematic way. What inspired me most was the opportunity to combine this conceptual advance with emerging LC-MS-based approaches to directly map lipid damage across different lipid classes and cellular compartments. This shift from indirect observations to molecular-level understanding opens a largely unexplored area of biology with strong potential for both fundamental discovery and therapeutic innovation.

3. How does it feel to be recognized with the Antioxidants Young Investigator Award?

It feels really great to be recognized for the work I’m doing. A lot of science happens within small circles, so it’s easy to lose sight of how it’s perceived more broadly. Receiving an award like this gives me confidence that the work resonates beyond my immediate field and is actually being seen. It’s also very motivating, and a reminder of the many people who contributed along the way, from mentors to collaborators and trainees.

4. Can you tell us about the research that led to this recognition and its potential impact?

My research builds on the growing interest in lipid biology sparked by the discovery of ferroptosis, which highlighted how damaging lipid peroxidation can drive cell death. However, most work in this area has focused on lipids in the plasma membrane and the antioxidant systems that protect them. During my postdoctoral work, I became interested in a more fundamental question: are lipids in other cellular compartments also vulnerable to damage, and do cells have dedicated systems to protect them?

Because methods to study lipid damage at the level of specific organelles are still very limited, I had to develop and adapt new approaches to tackle this problem. I focused on lipid droplets, which are central hubs of cellular lipid metabolism and uniquely suited for this type of analysis. Using cell-based models and advanced lipidomics, I discovered that lipids stored in lipid droplets are indeed subject to damaging peroxidation. Importantly, I identified the first antioxidant system that directly protects these lipids and showed that this protection is essential for cell survival, as cells die when lipid droplet damage accumulates (Lange et al., Nature Cell Biology, 2025).

These findings change how we think about lipid droplets, from passive storage sites to active regulators of cell fate, and represent the first example of an organelle-specific lipid protection system. Building on this, we have proposed the concept of lipid quality control, encompassing all mechanisms that prevent or repair lipid damage (Li*, Lange* et al., Annual Reviews of Biochemistry, 2024. * = co-first author). We hypothesize that similar systems exist across cellular organelles, opening up an entirely new area of biology with strong potential for both fundamental discovery and therapeutic development.

5. What advice would you give to early career researchers or young scientists who are just starting their academic journey?

My main advice would be to enjoy the journey, be bold, and surround yourself with the right people. Science can be challenging, and experiments often fail more than they succeed, so it is important to find joy in the process itself. Stay curious, think creatively about problems, and do not be afraid to challenge assumptions or explore new ideas, even if they feel risky. That is often where the most meaningful discoveries come from.

Equally important is finding good mentors. None of my work would have been possible without the guidance and support of great mentors who gave me freedom, challenged my thinking, and helped me stay on track when needed. The right mentorship can make all the difference, and it is worth taking the time to find people who truly support your growth.

Finally, build a strong community. Science can sometimes feel isolating, but it does not have to be. Connect with colleagues, share ideas, attend conferences, and learn from others who are on a similar path. Having a supportive network not only makes the journey more enjoyable but also helps you grow as a scientist.

6. In your view, what are the most promising directions in your research that you are excited about?

One of the most exciting directions in my research is moving beyond lipid quantity toward understanding lipid quality, particularly in the context of disease. So far, lipid droplet biology has largely focused on how lipid levels are regulated, leading to important advances in metabolic disease and cancer research. In contrast, lipid quality control is a very new concept, and its roles in disease are still largely unexplored. Defining how failures in these protective systems contribute to pathology, and developing ways to modulate them for therapeutic benefit, is something I find particularly exciting.

More broadly, I believe the study of organelle-specific lipid quality control represents a largely untapped area with enormous potential. We currently do not know whether different organelles have dedicated systems to protect their lipids, or what the consequences are when these systems fail. A major reason for this is the lack of technologies to monitor and manipulate lipid damage with spatial resolution inside cells. Developing these tools, and combining them with advanced lipidomics and modern cell biology, will open the door to studying these processes in a systematic way and uncovering entirely new mechanisms of cellular homeostasis and disease.

7. Looking ahead, what are your main goals or projects for the coming years?

Looking ahead, my main goal is to expand our understanding of lipid droplet quality control by identifying additional protective factors and defining their roles in disease. Having established the first lipid droplet quality control system, I am particularly interested in understanding in which contexts its impairment contributes to pathology, and whether targeting lipid droplet quality can be leveraged as a strategy to selectively induce cancer cell death.

In parallel, I am very excited about developing new approaches to monitor and modulate lipid damage with spatial resolution inside cells. Advancing these tools has the potential to transform not only the study of lipid quality control but lipid biology more broadly, shifting the field from a largely observational discipline to one where we can directly link lipid composition and modification to cellular phenotypes and function.

Our portfolio of journals available for publishing up-to-date research in immediate open access format has been further expanded. In the first quarter of 2026, nine new journals released their inaugural issues and three transferred journals released their first issue as part of MDPI, covering the subjects of clinical medicine, chemistry, computer science & mathematics, engineering, environment & ecology, and social sciences & psychology.

We extend our gratitude to the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members who will shape the future course of these brand-new journals. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you would like to create a new journal, you are welcome to send an application here or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com).

MDPI is excited to announce its participation as an exhibitor at Paul Ehrlich MedChem 2026 conference, taking place in Cagliari, Italy, from 20 to 22 May 2026.

The conference is designed to be a significant showcase for young PhD students and researchers in the field of medicinal chemistry. It promotes knowledge exchange by sharing research results and involving production activities.

The following MDPI journals will be presented at the conference:

• Pharmaceuticals;
• DDC;
• Antioxidants;
• Medicines.

If you are attending this conference, please get in touch with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the booth and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://sites.unica.it/pe2026/.

MDPI is excited to announce its participation as an exhibitor at the 2026 American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, taking place in Salt Lake City, UT, USA, from 26 to 29 May 2026.

In 2026, ACSM’s Annual Meeting Spotlight will focus on the powerful convergence of Physical Activity, Exercise, and Technology. Technology transforms how physical activity is studied, prescribed, and experienced—from wearable devices and AI-driven interventions to virtual platforms and advanced diagnostics. This year’s spotlight will explore the intersection of basic, applied, and/or clinical science as it relates to the collective impact of physical activity, exercise, and technological advancement. Sessions in this track should reflect how innovations in technology enhance scientific understanding, clinical outcomes, performance, or population health. Through this spotlight, ACSM aims to highlight research and initiatives that are not only shaping the future of the field but also advancing its mission to extend and enrich lives through the power of movement.

The following open access journals will be represented at the conference:

• Sports;
• JFMK;
• Physiologia;
• Obesities;
• JCM;
• JAPMA;
• Diabetology;
• IJERPH;
• Antioxidants;
• Biomechanics.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please get in touch with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the booth and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://acsm.org/events-general/annual-meeting/exhibit-sponsor/.

We are delighted to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 Tu Youyou Award. Named after Nobel Laureate Tu Youyou, whose discovery of artemisinin has saved millions of lives, this award recognizes researchers whose work advances the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry, while also contributing to human health.

Prize

– CHF 100,000;
– A medal;
– A certificate.

The monetary prize will be shared equally should there be multiple recipients.

Who May Be Nominated?

– Scientists with outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Nominees must be individuals; team or group nominations are not permitted. Nominations are valid only for the current award cycle.

Who May Submit a Nomination?

– The director of the nominee’s host research institution or recognized scientists within the field.

Self-nominations will not be considered.

Nomination Materials

– A biographical sketch;
– A detailed description of the nominee’s contributions;
– 5–10 representative academic publications;
– A list of academic honors, awards, and funded projects;
– A nomination letter signed by two nominators.

How to Submit?

Submit nominations online via the following link: https://tuyouyouprize.org/nomination

Important Dates

– Nomination Deadline: 31 October 2026
– Winner Announcement: March 2027

For further information, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website (https://tuyouyouprize.org/). For any inquiries, please contact the Tu Youyou Award Team at tuyouyouaward@mdpi.com.

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.