Underrepresented Pathogens: Evolution, Adaptation, and Biological Mechanisms Across Kingdoms
A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2027 | Viewed by 188
Editors
Interests: molecular microbiology; bacteriology; antimicrobial resistance; enterococcus; VRE
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Research in microbiology and infectious diseases has traditionally focused on a relatively limited number of well-characterized, high-impact pathogens. However, numerous microorganisms—including bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses—remain underrepresented in the literature despite their demonstrated or emerging biological and pathogenic relevance. These understudied organisms offer unique opportunities to uncover fundamental principles of evolution, adaptation, and host interaction.
Across biological kingdoms, underrecognized pathogens employ diverse genomic, regulatory, and ecological strategies that shape host specialization, immune evasion, persistence, and transmission. Their study can illuminate broader biological processes such as molecular adaptation under selective pressure, ecological niche transitions, cross-species transmission, and the evolutionary origins of virulence.
This Special Issue aims to provide an integrative biological perspective on underrepresented pathogens, emphasizing molecular, cellular, ecological, and evolutionary mechanisms alongside epidemiological and microbiological aspects. We welcome both original research articles and comprehensive review papers that synthesize current knowledge, propose new conceptual frameworks, or highlight emerging biological questions in the study of rare, neglected, or insufficiently explored pathogens across all domains of life.
By broadening the focus beyond classical model pathogens, this Special Issue seeks to stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue and advance our understanding of the biological principles governing pathogen emergence and adaptation.
Aims
- To explore evolutionary mechanisms driving the emergence of underrepresented pathogens across kingdoms.
- To characterize molecular and cellular determinants of adaptation, persistence, and virulence.
- To examine host–pathogen interactions from mechanistic and evolutionary perspectives.
- To integrate multi-omics and systems-level approaches in the study of rare or neglected pathogens.
- To encourage synthesis of current knowledge through high-quality review and perspective articles.
Scope
This Special Issue welcomes contributions addressing, but not limited to:
- Evolutionary transitions toward pathogenicity, genome plasticity and regulatory network evolution.
- Cross-species transmission and ecological shifts.
- Molecular determinants of virulence, quorum sensing and signaling systems, biofilm and community-level organization.
- Viral evolution and host range expansion.
- Fungal pathogenic strategies and stress adaptation.
- Parasitic life cycle evolution and host specialization.
- Experimental evolution and modeling of pathogen adaptation.
- Systems biology of emerging or neglected pathogens.
- Conceptual and integrative reviews on underrepresented pathogens.
Original research and review articles are invited.
Dr. Dan-Alexandru Țoc
Dr. Ioana Alina Colosi
Guest Editors
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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
- underrepresented
- emerging pathogens
- microbial adaptation
- evolution and pathogenicity
- genome plasticity
- host–pathogen interaction
- experimental evolution
- ecological transitions
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