Biobased Gels: Antimicrobial Design, Characterization, and Biomedical Applications

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Analysis and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 109

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: nanostructured biomaterials and biocomposites; antibacterial cellulose-based hydrogels; wound dressings
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Guest Editor
Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: nanostructured materials; plant biomass-based composites; biopolymer-based hydrogels; biomedical and agricultural applications of nanomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite manuscript submissions to this Special Issue of Gels entitled “Biobased Gels: Antimicrobial Design, Characterization, and Biomedical Applications”. We welcome both research and review manuscript submissions.

Biobased gels, derived from renewable resources such as cellulose, starch, chitosan, and alginate, represent a versatile class of materials with inherent biodegradability, biocompatibility, and sustainability—attributes that position them as ideal candidates for advanced biomedical applications. The integration of antimicrobial functionalities into biobased gels has emerged as a key research focus, addressing critical challenges in healthcare such as infection control and implantable device biocompatibility. These gels can be engineered via precise antimicrobial design strategies, including the incorporation of natural antimicrobials (e.g., essential oils, peptides), synthetic antimicrobial agents, or surface modification techniques to enhance antibacterial, antifungal, or antiviral activity. Comprehensive characterization of these gels—encompassing structural, mechanical, antimicrobial, and biocompatibility analyses—is essential to validate their performance and guide their translation into clinical use. Notably, their tunable physical forms (nanoparticles, coatings, fibers, films, and hydrogels) make them highly suitable for biomedical applications such as controlled drug delivery, wound healing, tissue engineering, and antimicrobial coatings for medical devices.

This Special Issue will highlight the latest advancements in the antimicrobial design, systematic characterization, and biomedical application of biobased gels, focusing on the underlying interactions, mechanisms, and structure–function relationships that govern their antimicrobial efficacy and biocompatibility. It aims to provide readers with an insightful overview of recent trends, technological breakthroughs, and future prospects for biobased gels in the biomedical field.

We look forward to your contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Danica Zmejkoski
Prof. Dr. Ksenija Radotić
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-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.

Keywords

  • gelation materials
  • novel gel-based delivery systems
  • intelligent hydrogels
  • in situ gels
  • emulsion gels
  • nanogels
  • vesicular gels
  • microgels
  • cellulose
  • starch
  • chitosan
  • alginate

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