Edible Gel Platforms for Cell-Based Food Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Gels are increasingly recognized as key platforms for cell-based food systems, supporting cell growth and tissue organization. Depending on their formulation, gels can act as nutrient-delivery carriers, 3D scaffolds, or nanogel coatings that regulate the microenvironment. These edible gel systems, composed of synthetic and natural polymers, biopolymers, and polysaccharides, provide safe and tunable solutions for cultivated food applications.

This Special Issue, titled “Edible Gel Platforms for Cell-Based Food Systems”, aims to showcase the expanding roles of gels in nutrient encapsulation and release, scaffold-based tissue structuring, and functional surface engineering to enhance cell–material interactions. Advances in material engineering, responsive gel technologies, and biomimetic design continue to broaden their impact across food and biotechnology.

We invite contributions on the design, fabrication, characterization, and application of edible gel materials for cell cultivation, nutrient delivery, and tissue formation. Studies highlighting innovative edible biomaterials, functional gel coatings, or integrated gel systems for next-generation cell-based foods are particularly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Sohyeon Park
Guest Editor

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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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.