Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the “Biology 2024 Best Paper Award” for research and review articles published in Biology in 2022. One review and two research articles will receive an award each. The papers will be selected after a thorough evaluation by the journal Award Committee led by the Editors-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Jukka Finne and Prof. Dr. Andrés Moya.

Eligibility for the Award:
– Papers published in Biology in 2022;
– Open to all career levels;
– Both regular and Special Issue submissions will be considered.

Selection Criteria:
The papers will be selected by the journal Award Committee according to the following criteria:
– Scientific merit and broad impact;
– Originality of the research objectives and/or the ideas presented;
– Creativity of the study design or uniqueness of the approaches and concepts;
– Clarity of presentation;
– Citations and downloads.

The Prize:
– One review award: CHF 500 and a chance to publish a paper free of charge in Biology in 2024 after peer review;
– Two research article awards: CHF 500 and a chance to publish a paper free of charge in Biology in 2024 after peer review;
– Each winner will also receive a certificate.

The winners will be announced on the journal website on 31 March 2024.

Kind regards,
Biology Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Editors-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Jukka Finne and Prof. Dr. Andrés Moya, we wish to acknowledge our reviewers who so generously offer their time to review the papers submitted to Biology by presenting an award to the reviewers who have demonstrated their dedication, professionalism, and timeliness in reviewing manuscripts for Biology.

What are the pre-requisites to be eligible for this award?
All of the reviewers for Biology in 2023 will be automatically included.

Selection Criteria:
– Number of review reports;
– The quality and timeliness of review reports.

What will the winners receive?
There will be four winners this year, and each will receive the following:
– CHF 500; 
– An opportunity to publish a paper free of charge in Biology in 2024 after peer review;
– A certificate.

When will the winners be announced?
The winners will be announced on 15 March 2024 on the journal website.

How can I make myself eligible?
If you have not yet reviewed papers for Biology but would like to do so, you can register as a reviewer at the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/volunteer/profile/edit.

Kind regards,
Biology Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the winners of the Biology 2023 Young Investigator Award are Dr. Alessandra Pasut and Dr. Giovanni Smaldone.

Dr. Alessandra Pasut completed her PhD at the University of Ottawa, Canada. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism (VIB-KU Leuven). Her research focuses on investigating mechanisms of blood vessel heterogeneity and specifically endothelial cells, in heart failure, by combining both web lab and dry lab techniques, aiming to translate this research into effective solutions for cardiovascular diseases and regenerative medicine.

Dr. Giovanni Smaldone is currently a senior researcher at SYNLAB IRCCS SDN, Italy. His research focuses on the identification of new diagnostic biomarkers for pediatric acute leukemia. Dr. Giovanni Smaldone acts as the Principal Investigator of the research about leukemia and the role of long non-coding RNAs that were recently approved by the Ministry of Health, which is an extremely uncommon event for a young scientist.

As the first awardee, Dr. Alessandra Pasut will receive a prize of CHF 2000, and as the second awardee, Dr. Giovanni Smaldone will receive a prize of CHF 1500. All awardees also have the option to publish a paper free of charge before 31 December 2023 in Biology after completing the peer review process.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Alessandra Pasut and Dr. Giovanni Smaldone for their outstanding achievements.

We would like to thank all the nominators from various fields of study for their participation and all the Award Committee Members for their evaluation of the many excellent nominations.

Biology 2023 Young Investigator Evaluation Committee

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Biology 2023 Best Paper Award. All papers published in 2021 in Biology were considered for the award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, three winners were selected.

Article:
Phylogenomic Analyses of the Genus Pseudomonas Lead to the Rearrangement of Several Species and the Definition of New Genera
By Zaki Saati-Santamaría, Ezequiel Peral-Aranega, Encarna Velázquez, Raúl Rivas and Paula García-Fraile
Biology 2021, 10(8), 782; doi:10.3390/biology10080782

Oxidative Pentose Phosphate Pathway Enzyme 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase Plays a Key Role in Breast Cancer Metabolism
By Ibrahim H. Polat, Míriam Tarrado-Castellarnau, Rohit Bharat, Jordi Perarnau, Adrian Benito, Roldán Cortés, Philippe Sabatier and Marta Cascante
Biology 2021, 10(2), 85; doi:10.3390/biology10020085

Review:
The Unfolded Protein Response: An Overview
By Adam Read and Martin Schröer
Biology 2021, 10(5), 384; doi:10.3390/biology10050384

Each winner will receive CHF 500, a certificate and a chance to publish a paper in Biology in 2023 after peer review.

Please join us in congratulating the winners of Biology 2023 Best Paper Award. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our authors for your continued support of Biology.

Kind regards,
Biology Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of Biology 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Biology Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers in checking the manuscripts submitted to Biology. It is due to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick turnaround are maintained.

Prof. Dr. Shaohua Chen
Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection and Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Research Interests: biocontrol; biodegradation; quorum sensing; quorum quenching

Dr. Luca Poli
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Study of Bari, Bari, Italy
Research Interests: human microbiota; physical activity; physical exercise; training; microbiome; gut; muscle activation; dynamic force; bench belts; bench press; parapower lifting

Dr. Alberto Collareta
Earth Sciences Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Research Interests: marine vertebrate palaeontology; marine invertebrate palaeontology; marine palaeoecology; marine palaeobiogeography; palaeoichthyology; taxonomy; Cetacea; Elasmobranchii; Cirripedia

Dr. Gianpiero Greco
Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Study of Bari, Bari, Italy
Research Interests: exercise; wellbeing; physical activity; physical fitness; psychological fitness; human performance; healthy lifestyle; tactical population

Dr. Francisco Curate
Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Research Interests: biological anthropology; forensic anthropology; bioarcheology; sex estimation; age at death estimation; biological profile; paleopathology; paleodemography; human osteology

The Prize for Each Winner:
– 500 Swiss francs;
– An opportunity to publish a paper in Biology free of charge in 2023 after peer review;
– A certificate.

Kind regards,
Biology Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce the winners of the Biology 2022 Best Paper Award. All papers published in Biology from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 were considered for this award. After thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, the three winning papers, which were nominated by the Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Jukka Finne and Associate Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Andrés Moya, have been selected.

The following review was selected:
Apoptotic Bodies: Particular Extracellular Vesicles Involved in Intercellular Communication
By Michela Battistelli and Elisabetta Falcieri
Biology 2020, 9(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9010021

The following two research articles were selected:
Vegetation and Environmental Changes on Non-Reclaimed Spoil Heaps in Southern Poland
By Oimahmad Rahmonov, Robert Krzysztofik, Dorota Środek and Justyna Smolarek-Lach
Biology 2020, 9(7), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9070164

Formyl Peptide Receptor 1 Signaling in Acute Inflammation and Neural Differentiation Induced by Traumatic Brain Injury
By Roberta Fusco, Enrico Gugliandolo, Rosalba Siracusa, Maria Scuto, Marika Cordaro, Ramona D’Amico, Maurizio Evangelista, Angelo Peli, Alessio Filippo Peritore, Daniela Impellizzeri, Rosalia Crupi, Salvatore Cuzzocrea and Rosanna Di Paola
Biology 2020, 9(9), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9090238

Each winner (corresponding author) will receive CHF 500, as well as the chance to publish a paper in Biology in 2022.

On behalf of the assessment committee, I would like to congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups of the abovementioned exceptional papers for their contributions to Biology, and thank the award committee for voting and providing assistance for this award.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Biology 2021 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Biology Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to offer their thanks and gratitude to the reviewers for their time and energy dedicated to checking the manuscripts submitted to Biology. It is due to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick turnaround is maintained. The winners of the award are as follows:

Dr. Enrico Vito Perrino
CIHEAM, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Italy
Research Interests: botany; ethnobotany; systematics (taxonomy)

Dr. Dhirendra Kumar
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
Research Interests: computational biology; bioinformatics; proteomics; proteogenomics; integrative omics; epigenomics; embryonic development; histone modifications; polycomb

Dr. Carlos A. Viegas
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Univesity of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
Research Interests: tissue engineering; scaffolds; periodontal regeneration; scaffold; bone; biomaterials; osteogenic differentiation

Dr. Yuri Shavrukov
College of Science and Engineering (Biological Sciences), Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
Research Interests: plant biology; genetics; molecular markers; gene study and genetic analysis; genetic transformation and gene editing; tolerance to abiotic stresses; application of molecular markers; molecular plant breeding

Dr. Bipin Gaihre
Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55906, USA
Research Interests: biomaterials; bone tissue engineering; BMP delivery; printing; bioprinting

Kind regards,

Prof. Dr. Jukka Finne
Prof. Dr. Andrés Moya
Editors-in-Chief, Biology

Dear Colleagues,

As the associate editor of Biology, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Biology 2021 Best Paper Awards.

The awards have been granted to the following:

One review:

The Mammalian Circadian Timing System and the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus as Its Pacemaker
By Michael H. Hastings, Elizabeth S. Maywood and Marco Brancaccio
Biology 2019, 8(1), 13

One research article:

Combined Effects of Acute Temperature Change and Elevated pCO₂ on the Metabolic Rates and Hypoxia Tolerances of Clearnose Skate (Rostaraja eglanteria), Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), and Thorny Skate (Amblyraja radiata)
By Gail D. Schwieterman, Daniel P. Crear, Brooke N. Anderson, Danielle R. Lavoie, James A. Sulikowski, Peter G. Bushnell and Richard W. Brill
Biology 2019, 8(3), 56

Each winner (corresponding author) will receive CHF 500 and a chance to publish a paper free of charge in Biology in 2021.

On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups of the above exceptional papers for their contributions to Biology and to thank the Award Committee for voting and helping with these awards.

Associate Editor
Prof. Dr. Andrés Moya, Biology

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2019 Biology Early Career Investigator Award is Dr. Elvira Fiallo Olivé.

Dr. Elvira Fiallo-Olivé is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Mediterranean and Subtropical Horticulture “La Mayora”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - University of Málaga, Spain. Dr. Elvira Fiallo-Olivé obtained her PhD in 2012 from the University of Havana (Cuba). The results obtained in her PhD thesis on the discovery of novel Begomovirus species were awarded the 2013 Research Award from the Cuban Academy of Sciences. In 2013 she started a postdoctoral position at IHSM-CSIC-UMA. She has done research stays at Federal University of Viçosa (Brazil) and Zhejiang University (China). Dr. Fiallo-Olivé’s research interests lie in the molecular and biological diversity of plant viruses, with emphasis on those transmitted by whiteflies. Currently, her research is aimed at investigating the molecular interactions between the emergent Crinivirus tomato chlorosis virus and the insect vector, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, and the characterization of a novel class of small non-coding DNA satellites associated with begomoviruses, the deltasatellites. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Elvira Fiallo-Olivé for her outstanding achievements.

As the awardee, Dr. Elvira Fiallo-Olivé will receive an honorarium of 2000 CHF, an offer to publish a paper free-of-charge without a fixed deadline in Biology after peer-review, and an engraved plaque.

We would like to thank all the nominators from various fields of study for their participation and all the Award Committee Members for their evaluation of the abundant excellent nominations.

Prof. Dr. Chris O'Callaghan
Editor-in-Chief, Biology Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Biology, I am pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Biology Travel Awards.

The Evaluation Committee were very impressed with the high level of the work presented and, after careful consideration, the two Travel Awards have been granted to Dr. David Olagnier, a postdoctoral fellow at Aarhus University, Demark, to participate in “TOLL 2018, Editing Innate Immunity”, and present his work “NRF2 is a negative regulator of sting during metabolic reprogramming”, and to Maria Szaruga-Bracke, a Ph.D. student at VIB/KU Leuven, Belgium, to participate in the Gordon Research Conference “Neurobiology of Brain Disorders” and present her work “Alzheimer’s-causing mutations shift Aβ length by destabilizing γ– secretase–Aβn interactions”. Each award consist of 800 Swiss Francs.

It is also our pleasure to announce that, as part of the reward, Biology will waive the publication fees for the Top 35 candidates who wish to publish a paper in this journal. We would like to thank all applicants for their participation and interest in our journal.

We would also like to deliver our great thanks to the Evaluation Committee members Drs. Jukka Finne, Arthur J.L. Cooper, Douglas S. Glazier, Gerton Lunter, and Ger Rijkers, for their comprehensive evaluation of the candidates.

Prof. Dr. Chris O’Callaghan
Editor-in-Chief