Announcements

MDPI will be attending the international conference “ncRNA2026: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Impact” in Leuven, Belgium, which will take place from 24 to 26 June 2026. In recent years, non-coding RNA studies have revolutionized our understanding of gene regulation, cellular networks, and disease mechanisms. ncRNA2026 will showcase the latest breakthroughs in ncRNA biology and technology through a program dedicated entirely to this field—from molecular mechanisms and clinical applications to data science and translational insights. The conference will feature distinguished international invited speakers, complemented by a strong selection of oral and poster presentations from submitted abstracts.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Non-Coding RNA;
• Applied Biosciences;
• BioMed;
• BioMedInformatics;
• Biomolecules;
• Cells;
• Current Issues in Molecular Biology (CIMB);
• Current Oncology;
• Diagnostics;
• Epigenomes;
• International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS);
• Targets.

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://sciforum.net/event/ncRNA2026.

Conference: National Congress of Plant Biology 2026
Organization: Chinese Society for Plant Biology
Date: 6–10 November 2026
Place: Hangzhou, China

With the vigorous development of plant science in China over the past fifteen years, the National Congress of Plant Biology has been continuously strengthened in terms of organizational scale and influence and has become the largest event in the field of plant science in China.

This conference covers topics including plant metabolism and synthesis, cell and development, genetics and genome, light signaling and photosynthesis, evolution and conservation, molecular breeding, plant–microbe interactions, abiotic stress biology, interdisciplinary studies and AI design, and smart agriculture. The conference will also feature a special forum on youth development and journal development, a graduate student forum, and a poster fund. These initiatives aim to foster new academic growth points, promote interdisciplinary integration and industry–academia research collaboration, strengthen the training of young talents, and encourage plant biology researchers to reach new academic heights, thus injecting momentum into the development of plant biology in China and internationally.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Plants;
• International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS);
• Biomolecules;
• Life;
• Stresses;
• Epigenomes;
• International Journal of Plant Biology (IJPB);
• AgriEngineering;
• Genes;
• Agronomy;
• Phycology.

If you attend this 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.

Conference: ASHG 2026 Annual Meeting
Organization: American Society of Human Genetics
Date: 20–24 October 2026
Place: Montréal, Canada
Booth: #1000

MDPI will attend the ASHG 2026 Annual Meeting, held in Montréal, Canada, from 20 to 24 October 2026.

The ASHG Annual Meeting is the largest human genetics and genomics meeting and exposition in the world. Held in the fall, it provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of cutting-edge science in all areas of human genetics. Highlights include invited symposia; abstract-driven plenary, platform, and poster sessions; education/trainee workshops; and career opportunities and networking events.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Genes;
• IJMS;
• Biomedicines;
• Vaccines;
• DNA;
• Epigenomes.

If you plan on attending this conference, please stop by our booth #1000 and speak with us. 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 website: https://meetings.ashg.org/event/EVEEGOIQACFJJ/home/.

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.

Conference: The 2026 Annual Congress of the European Association for Cancer Research
Date: 8–11 June 2026
Location: Budapest, Hungary

We are pleased to announce that MDPI will participate in the 2026 Annual Congress of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR 2026), held in Budapest, Hungary, from 8 to 11 June 2026.

The 2026 Annual Congress of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR 2026) is a four-day congress dedicated to basic, preclinical and translational cancer research across a wide range of topics. The conference will highlight the latest research and bring together the cancer research community to inspire innovation and build knowledge, connections and collaborations.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Cancers;
• JPM;
• Current Oncology;
• Onco;
• JCM;
• Cells;
• Diseases;
• Epigenomes;
• CIMB;
• Biologics;
• Life;
• Gastrointestinal Disorders;
• Clinics and Practice;
• DNA;
• IJMS;
• Diagnostics.

If you are planning to attend the above conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #101 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://2026.eacr.org/.

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 Weinstein Cardiovascular Development and Regeneration Conference 2026, which will be held from 6 to 8 May 2026, in New York, USA. 

The 40th Weinstein Cardiovascular Development and Regeneration Conference is organized in collaboration with Columbia University, Cornell University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. As a landmark international meeting founded in 1986, it is dedicated to advancing research in congenital heart disease, cardiac development, repair, and regeneration, with a long‑standing mission to share innovative scientific discoveries, build interdisciplinary collaborations, improve patient outcomes, and support the next generation of cardiovascular investigators.

The conference will feature two distinguished keynote lectures delivered by world‑leading experts: Lorenz Studer, MD (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) and Lisa Manning, PhD (Syracuse University). Complementing the keynotes are curated platform sessions selected from submitted abstracts, covering cutting‑edge themes including genetics of congenital heart disease, embryonic cardiac morphogenesis, valvular and vascular biology, cardiomyocyte function, cardiac electrophysiology, transcriptional and epigenetic regulation, stem cell models and organoids, tissue engineering, bioprinting, and cardiac regeneration.

The conference will also host specialized workshops on bioprinting advances and artificial intelligence applications in cardiovascular research, alongside poster sessions, networking receptions, and a gala dinner with an awards ceremony. These programs offer extensive opportunities for academic exchange, industrial showcase, and one‑on‑one engagement with key opinion leaders and emerging talents in cardiovascular science. 

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• JCDD;
• JDB;
• Therapeutics;
• Diseases;
• BioMed;
• Hearts;
• JVD;
• Epigenomes;
• JCRM. 

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth and speak with us. 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://weinstein-conference.oa-event.com/.

Conference: 16th International Association for Plant Biotechnology Congress 2026
Organization: The International Association for Plant Biotechnology
Date: 26–30 July 2026
Place: TCU Place, Saskatoon, Canada

The International Association for Plant Biotechnology (IAPB) is the global network for plant biotechnology scientists, providing a platform for sharing research, fostering collaboration, and advancing innovation in plant science. Every four years, the IAPB hosts a major international congress, with the next event scheduled for July 2026 in Saskatoon, Canada.

IAPB2026 will focus on the use of novel breeding tools, tissue culture, and biotechnological approaches to address pressing global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Plants;
• International Journal of Plant Biology (IJPB);
• BioTech;
• Stresses;
• Agronomy;
• SynBio;
• Agriculture;
• Epigenomes;
• J;
• Journal of Genome Biotechnology and Genetics (JGBG).

If you attend this 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.

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.