Announcements

Following from our two previous successful editions, we invite you to submit your abstracts and participate in the 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers, taking place from 2 to 7 August 2026 in Jeju, South Korea.

Organized by MDPI and the open access journals Sensors, Micromachines, AI Sensors, Micro and Remote Sensing, this in-person conference will once again bring together experts and participating researchers who will share insights and innovations in sensors, sensing technology, transducers and artificial intelligence.

Start preparing your abstracts:
Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your work to peers and leading experts in AI-enhanced sensing systems and transducers. We will be announcing the session topics at AIS 2026 soon.

Find out more about the instructions for authors: https://sciforum.net/event/AIS2026?section=#instructions.

Find out more about the publication opportunities available for authors: https://sciforum.net/event/AIS2026?section=#Publicationopportunities.
Please feel free to share the information about this conference to your colleagues and students.

We look forward to welcoming you in Jeju!

The organizing committee of the 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers (AIS 2026).

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Prof. Dr. Yangquan Chen, Section Editor-in-Chief of Drones, on 27 April 2026. We are truly grateful for his contributions to the journal and for the lasting impact of his work on the academic community.

Prof. Dr. Chen was a distinguished scholar and dedicated educator. He served as professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California, Merced, where he led the Mechatronics, Embedded Systems, and Automation (MESA) Lab. His research spanned control systems, mechatronics, unmanned aerial systems, and fractional calculus, and he was widely recognized for his innovative and interdisciplinary approach. Throughout his career, he authored a substantial body of scholarly work, mentored many students and researchers, and was named a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics for several consecutive years. His work has had a lasting influence on both the scientific community and the development of engineering applications.

He was known not only for his academic achievements, but also for his openness, generosity, and willingness to support others. He actively encouraged collaboration and contributed to advancing research across disciplines.

Within the Drones journal, Prof. Dr. Chen served as Section Editor-in-Chief of “Drones in Agriculture and Forestry” since 2021. He played a key role in shaping the Section, promoting high-quality research and fostering interdisciplinary perspectives on the use of drone technologies in agriculture, forestry, and environmental monitoring. His efforts significantly contributed to the growth and direction of the Section.

On behalf of the Drones Editorial Office and the entire journal community, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and students during this difficult time.

He will be remembered for both his scientific contributions and the positive impact he had on those who had the privilege of working with him.

A message from the webinar Chair:

Robotics innovation is rapidly transforming modern manufacturing and human–machine interaction, driven by advances in precision engineering, automation, and intelligent control systems. From prosthetics and wearable robotic devices that enhance human capability to highly accurate industrial robots optimized through advanced measurement technologies, these developments are redefining efficiency, adaptability, and performance. As part of the broader shift toward smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0, such innovations highlight the growing integration of mechanical design, sensing, and control in next-generation robotic systems. These advances are shaping a more responsive, precise, and human-centered technological future.

Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Time: 9:00 to 10:35 PDT | 17:00 to 18:35 BST
Webinar ID: 856 8247 3197
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Webinar announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/Cluster-11?subscribe

Register now for free!

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

Unable to attend? Feel free to register anyway, and we will inform you when the recording is available.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Peter L. Bishay, Director of Design SMART Lab (Design of Smart Mechanical and Reconfigurable Technologies); Andrew J. Anagnost College of Engineering and Computer Science (ACECS); California State University, Northridge (CSUN), USA;
• Dr. Mojtaba Ahmadieh Khanesar, The Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Nottingham, UK;
• Dr. Lavinia Buta, MDPI Romania.

MDPI will be attending the 2026 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, ICUAS 2026, from 15 to 18 June 2026 in Corfu, Greece. We welcome researchers from diverse backgrounds to visit our booth and share their latest ideas with us.

Organized by the ICUAS Association, Inc., ICUAS 2026 will offer unique opportunities to meet, interact, and shape the future of unmanned aviation worldwide, bringing together technical, regulatory, and legal communities.

ICUAS 2026 centers around a wide spectrum of topics, with emphasis given to:

• Soft aerial robots;
• Cooperative aerial manipulation;
• Bio-inspired aerial robots;
• Aerial robot aerodynamics;
• Multi-mode unmanned platforms;
• Reconfigurable UAVs;
• Multi-mode unmanned platforms;
• Learning-based perception;
• Navigation and control;
• Online autonomy;
• Real-time applications;
• Human factors and ethical AI for aerial robots;
• Regulations, policies, and safety.

In addition to the technical sessions, a twofold objective is:

• Industry and company participation for attendees to find out about the current state of technology and of commercially available products for civil and public domain applications;
• Understanding technical requirements and standards that are prerequisites to UAS full utilization and integration into the national airspace.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Drones;
• Aerospace;
• Standards;
• Telecom;
• Robotics;
• Safety;
• Electronics;
• Biomimetics;
• Applied Mechanics;
• Journal of Imaging;
• Actuators;
• Signals;
• Sensors;
• Inventions;
• Automation;
• Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks;
• Technologies;
• IoT.

We welcome you to visit the MDPI booth in Corfu at the Divani Corfu Palace. Our representatives are excited to meet you in person and will address any questions you may have. For further details about the conference, please visit the following website: https://uasconferences.com/2026_icuas/.

Drones (ISSN: 2504-446X) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal that focuses on the design and applications of drones (including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPASs), etc.) and also of unmanned marine/water/underwater drones, unmanned ground vehicles, fully autonomous driving and space drones. The journal is published monthly online by MDPI. More information about the journal is available at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/drones.

To further strengthen our global reach and foster cross-regional collaboration, we are actively seeking distinguished scholars, research institutions, and academic organizations across the USA to join our collaborative network. Opportunities include participation in the following roles and activities:

1. Editorial Recruitment

• Recruiting Section Editor-in-Chief for Section “Unmanned Surface and Underwater Drones”;
• Recruiting Editorial Board Members for Drones.

2. Special Issue Initiatives

• Call for Special Issue Proposals and Recruiting Guest Editors.

3. Academic Partnerships & Collaboration

• Academic Conference and Workshop Partnerships:
  We are pleased to offer support for your conference in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to marketing and advertising, conference Special Issue, award sponsorship.
• Joint Research and Publication Initiatives:
  Drones is indexed in JCR (IF: 4.8) and Scopus (CiteScore: 7.4). The journal remains in Q1 for “Remote Sensing”, ranked in the 15th percentile. Please refer to the journal’s Aims & Scope for detailed coverage and to the Instructions for Authors for submission guidelines. We warmly welcome high-quality research articles and comprehensive literature reviews from early-career researchers and established scholarly teams.

4. Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP)

• List of Participants:
  MDPI offers institutions and consortia the opportunity to join over 1000 institutions on our Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP), which provides transparency to the MDPI submission process, access to a unique institutional dashboard environment. Researchers affiliated with below list of participants can benefit from a discount on Article Processing Charge (APC) across all MDPI journals.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Drones Editorial Office if you are interested in exploring potential collaboration opportunities and would like further details or clarification.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Drones Editorial Office

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.

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 will be attending the 2026 American Control Conference (ACC 2026) in New Orleans, USA, which will take place from 26th to 29th May 2026. ACC is the annual conference of the American Automatic Control Council (AACC), the U.S. national member organization of the International Federation for Automatic Control (IFAC). National and international society co-sponsors of ACC include the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), IEEE Control Systems Society (IEEE-CSS), Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), International Society of Automation (ISA), Society for Modeling & Simulation International (SCS), and Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics (SIAM).

The following open access journals will be represented:

• Automation;
• Drones;
• Electronics;
• Aerospace;
• Applied Sciences;
• Applied System Innovation;
• Eng;
• Processes;
• Vehicles;
• Actuators;
• Modelling;
• Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Analyses — Advanced Methods for Science, Engineering, and Technology;
• Logistics;
• Machines;
• World Electric Vehicle Journal.

If you are attending the conference, please feel free to visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://acc2026.a2c2.org/.

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.