Announcements

1. “Ribosomal RNA Transcription Regulation in Breast Cancer”
by Cecelia M. Harold, Amber F. Buhagiar, Yan Cheng and Susan J. Baserga
Genes 2021, 12(4), 502; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12040502
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/4/502

2. “LncRNA FENDRR Expression Correlates with Tumor Immunogenicity”
by Maria Cristina Munteanu, Sri Nandhini Sethuraman, Mohit Pratap Singh, Jerry Malayer and Ashish Ranjan
Genes 2021, 12(6), 897; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12060897
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/6/897

3. “Considerations and Suggestions for the Reliable Analysis of miRNA in Plasma Using qRT-PCR”
by Eunmi Ban and Eun Joo Song
Genes 2022, 13(2), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13020328
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/13/2/328

4. “Essential Role of the 14q32 Encoded miRNAs in Endocrine Tumors”
by Lilla Krokker, Attila Patócs and Henriett Butz
Genes 2021, 12(5), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12050698
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/5/698 

5. “Single-Cell Transcriptome and Network Analyses Unveil Key Transcription Factors Regulating Mesophyll Cell Development in Maize”
by Shentong Tao, Peng Liu, Yining Shi, Yilong Feng, Jingjing Gao, Lifen Chen, Aicen Zhang, Xuejiao Cheng, Hairong Wei, Tao Zhang et al.
Genes 2022, 13(2), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13020374
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/13/2/374

6. “The Ribosomal Gene Loci—The Power behind the Throne”
by Konstantin I. Panov, Katherine Hannan, Ross D. Hannan and Nadine Hein
Genes 2021, 12(5), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12050763
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/5/763

7. “Pincho: A Modular Approach to High-Quality De Novo Transcriptomics”
by Randy Ortiz, Priyanka Gera, Christopher Rivera and Juan C. Santos
Genes 2021, 12(7), 953; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12070953
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/7/953

8. “Harnessing the Nucleolar DNA Damage Response in Cancer Therapy”
Jiachen Xuan, Kezia Gitareja, Natalie Brajanovski and Elaine Sanij
Genes 2021, 12(8), 1156; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12081156
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/8/1156

9. “DNA Intercalators Inhibit Eukaryotic Ribosomal RNA Synthesis by Impairing the Initiation of Transcription”
by William J. Andrews, Swagat Ray, Tatiana Panova, Christoph Engel and Konstantin I. Panov
Genes 2021, 12(9), 1412; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12091412
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/9/1412

10. “Circulating miRNAs Are Associated with Inflammation Biomarkers in Children with Overweight and Obesity: Results of the I.Family Study”
by Fabio Lauria, Giuseppe Iacomino, Paola Russo, Antonella Venezia, Pasquale Marena, Wolfgang Ahrens, Stefaan De Henauw, Gabriele Eiben, Ronja Foraita, Antje Hebestreit et al.
Genes 2022, 13(4), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13040632
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/13/4/632

1. “Species-Specific Quality Control, Assembly and Contamination Detection in Microbial Isolate Sequences with AQUAMIS”
by Carlus Deneke, Holger Brendebach, Laura Uelze, Maria Borowiak, Burkhard Malorny and Simon H. Tausch
Genes 2021, 12(5), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12050644
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/5/644

2. “Optical Genome Mapping as a Next-Generation Cytogenomic Tool for Detection of Structural and Copy Number Variations for Prenatal Genomic Analyses”
by Nikhil Shri Sahajpal, Hayk Barseghyan, Ravindra Kolhe, Alex Hastie and Alka Chaubey
Genes 2021, 12(3), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12030398
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/3/398

3. “Whole Genome Sequencing in the Evaluation of Fetal Structural Anomalies: A Parallel Test with Chromosomal Microarray Plus Whole Exome Sequencing”
by Jia Zhou, Ziying Yang, Jun Sun, Lipei Liu, Xinyao Zhou, Fengxia Liu, Ya Xing, Shuge Cui, Shiyi Xiong, Xiaoyu Liu et al.
Genes 2021, 12(3), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12030376
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/3/376

4. “The Expanding Constellation of Histone Post-Translational Modifications in the Epigenetic Landscape”
by Vincenzo Cavalieri
Genes 2021, 12(10), 1596; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12101596
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/10/1596

5. “Evaluation of DNA Extraction Methods Developed for Forensic and Ancient DNA Applications Using Bone Samples of Different Age”
by Catarina Xavier, Mayra Eduardoff, Barbara Bertoglio, Christina Amory, Cordula Berger, Andrea Casas-Vargas, Johannes Pallua and Walther Parson
Genes 2021, 12(2), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12020146  
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/2/146

6. “Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (PGT-A): First Report from Saudi Arabia”
by Yusra Alyafee, Qamre Alam, Abeer Al Tuwaijri, Muhammad Umair, Shahad Haddad, Meshael Alharbi, Hayat Alrabiah, Maha Al-Ghuraibi, Sahar Al-Showaier and Majid Alfadhel
Genes 2021, 12(4), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12040461  
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/4/461

7. “4mCPred-CNN—Prediction of DNA N4-Methylcytosine in the Mouse Genome Using a Convolutional Neural Network”
by Zeeshan Abbas, Hilal Tayara and Kil To Chong
Genes 2021, 12(2), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12020296  
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/2/296

8. “The Role of Epigenetics in Congenital Heart Disease”
by Tingsen Benson Lim, Sik Yin Roger Foo and Ching Kit Chen
Genes 2021, 12(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12030390
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/3/390

9. “VIRMOTIF: A User-Friendly Tool for Viral Sequence Analysis”
by Pedram Rajaei, Khadijeh Hoda Jahanian, Amin Beheshti, Shahab S. Band, Abdollah Dehzangi and Hamid Alinejad-Rokny
Genes 2021, 12(2), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12020186  
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/2/186

10. “Human Mitochondrial Control Region and mtGenome: Design and Forensic Validation of NGS Multiplexes, Sequencing and Analytical Software”
by Cydne L. Holt, Kathryn M. Stephens, Paulina Walichiewicz, Keenan D. Fleming, Elmira Forouzmand and Shan-Fu Wu
Genes 2021, 12(4), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12040599  
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/4/599

1. “Harnessing Crop Wild Diversity for Climate Change Adaptation”
by Andrés J. Cortés and Felipe López-Hernández
Genes 2021, 12(5), 783; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12050783
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/5/783

2. “HD-ZIP Gene Family: Potential Roles in Improving Plant Growth and Regulating Stress-Responsive Mechanisms in Plants”
by Rahat Sharif, Ali Raza, Peng Chen, Yuhong Li, Enas M. El-Ballat, Abdur Rauf, Christophe Hano and Mohamed A. El-Esawi
Genes 2021, 12(8), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12081256
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/8/1256

3. “Genome-Wide Analysis of Potassium Channel Genes in Rice: Expression of the OsAKT and OsKAT Genes under Salt Stress”
by Zahra Musavizadeh, Hamid Najafi-Zarrini, Seyed Kamal Kazemitabar, Seyed Hamidreza Hashemi, Sahar Faraji, Gianni Barcaccia and Parviz Heidari
Genes 2021, 12(5), 784; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12050784
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/5/784

4. “Role of Basal ABA in Plant Growth and Development”
by Benjamin P. Brookbank, Jasmin Patel, Sonia Gazzarrini and Eiji Nambara
Genes 2021, 12(12), 1936; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12121936
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/12/1936

5. “Plants’ Epigenetic Mechanisms and Abiotic Stress”
by Matin Miryeganeh
Genes 2021, 12(8), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12081106
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/8/1106

6. “Allelic Diversity at Abiotic Stress Responsive Genes in Relationship to Ecological Drought Indices for Cultivated Tepary Bean, Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray, and Its Wild Relatives”
by María A. Buitrago-Bitar, Andrés J. Cortés, Felipe López-Hernández, Jorge M. Londoño-Caicedo, Jaime E. Muñoz-Florez, L. Carmenza Muñoz and Matthew Wohlgemuth Blair
Genes 2021, 12(4), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12040556
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/4/556

7. “The Development of Herbicide Resistance Crop Plants Using CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Editing”
by Huirong Dong, Yong Huang and Kejian Wang
Genes 2021, 12(6), 912; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12060912
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/6/912

8. “ABA and Bud Dormancy in Perennials: Current Knowledge and Future Perspective”
by Wenqiang Pan, Jiahui Liang, Juanjuan Sui, Jingru Li, Chang Liu, Yin Xin, Yanmin Zhang, Shaokun Wang, Yajie Zhao, Jie Zhang et al.
Genes 2021, 12(10), 1635; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12101635
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/10/1635

9. “Genetic Resources and Vulnerabilities of Major Cucurbit Crops”
by Rebecca Grumet, James D. McCreight, Cecilia McGregor, Yiqun Weng, Michael Mazourek, Kathleen Reitsma, Joanne Labate, Angela Davis and Zhangjun Fei
Genes 2021, 12(8), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12081222
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/8/1222

10. “Breeding for Resistance to Fusarium Wilt of Tomato: A Review”
by Jessica Chitwood-Brown, Gary E. Vallad, Tong Geon Lee and Samuel F. Hutton
Genes 2021, 12(11), 1673; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12111673
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/11/1673

1. “How Depressing Is Inbreeding? A Meta-Analysis of 30 Years of Research on the Effects of Inbreeding in Livestock”
by Harmen P. Doekes, Piter Bijma and Jack J. Windig
Genes 2021, 12(6), 926; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12060926
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/6/926

2. “Role and Evolution of the Extracellular Matrix in the Acquisition of Complex Multicellularity in Eukaryotes: A Macroalgal Perspective”
by Bernard Kloareg, Yacine Badis, J. Mark Cock and Gurvan Michel
Genes 2021, 12(7), 1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12071059
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/7/1059

3. “The Diversity and Evolution of Sex Chromosomes in Frogs”
by Wen-Juan Ma and Paris Veltsos
Genes 2021, 12(4), 483; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12040483
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/4/483

4. “Consequences of Hybridization in Mammals: A Systematic Review”
by Roya Adavoudi and Małgorzata Pilot
Genes 2022, 13(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13010050
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/13/1/50

5. “Sex Chromosome Turnover in Bent-Toed Geckos (Cyrtodactylus)”
by Shannon E. Keating, Madison Blumer, L. Lee Grismer, Aung Lin, Stuart V. Nielsen, Myint Kyaw Thura, Perry L. Wood, Jr., Evan S. H. Quah and Tony Gamble
Genes 2021, 12(1), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12010116
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/1/116

6. “How Important Are Structural Variants for Speciation?”
by Linyi Zhang, Radka Reifová, Zuzana Halenková and Zachariah Gompert
Genes 2021, 12(7), 1084; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12071084
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/7/1084

7. “Gene Duplication and Gene Fusion Are Important Drivers of Tumourigenesis during Cancer Evolution”
by Cian Glenfield and Hideki Innan
Genes 2021, 12(9), 1376; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12091376
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/9/1376

8. “Evolution of Multicellular Complexity in The Dictyostelid Social Amoebas”
by Koryu Kin and Pauline Schaap

Genes 2021, 12(4), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12040487
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/4/487

9. “Patterns of Epigenetic Diversity in Two Sympatric Fish Species: Genetic vs. Environmental Determinants”
by Laura Fargeot, Géraldine Loot, Jérôme G. Prunier, Olivier Rey, Charlotte Veyssière and Simon Blanchet
Genes 2021, 12(1), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12010107
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/1/107

10. “The Diversity of Plant Sex Chromosomes Highlighted through Advances in Genome Sequencing”
by Sarah Carey, Qingyi Yu and Alex Harkess
Genes 2021, 12(3), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12030381
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/3/381

MDPI will attend the 29th Annual Meeting of Japan Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. This event will be held at the Osaka International Convention Center for three days from Monday, 11 September, to Wednesday, 13 September 2023.

The theme of this meeting is “Gene Therapy Making a Leap Forward – A Bridge to the Future through Cooperation between Industry, Government and Academia”. Gene and cell therapy has so far been centered on blood diseases, cancers, and metabolic disorders, but gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, an intractable neurological disease, was also launched in the US and Japan. Regulations must be well discussed with government agencies, PMDA, and other agencies. The Society will develop a meaningful program to enable sufficient discussions between stakeholders. In addition, a session will be organized by the Scientific Program Committee, a new committee established by the Japan Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• IJMS;
• CIMB;
• Antioxidants;
• Cancers;
• Current Oncology;
• Metabolites;
• SynBio;
• Biologics;
• Genes;
• Hemato.

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 https://www.c-linkage.co.jp/jsgct2023/en/index_en.html.

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the winners for the year 2022 in biology and life sciences. The winners were selected by the journals’ Award Evaluation Committee.

We warmly congratulate the awarded young investigators for their outstanding contributions. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Agriculture:

• Thomas Hartinger, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria

Agronomy:

• Leontina Lipan, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Spain

Animals:

• Daniel Stec, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

Brain Sciences:

• Dibyadeep Datta, Yale Medical School, USA
• Giacomo Valle, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• Morgan H. James, Rutgers University, USA

Foods:

• Xiaonan Lu, McGill University, Canada

Genes:

• Alfredo Iacoangeli, King's College London, UK
• Elisa De Franco, University of Exeter, UK
• Riccardo Pecori, German Cancer Research Center, Germany
• Vanessa Silva, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal

Horticulturae:

• Massimiliano Renna, University of Bari Aldo Moro at Bari, Italy

Insects:

• Adam G. Dolezal, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States

Microorganisms:

• Carla Rodrigues, Institut Pasteur, France
• Lorena Rodriguez-Rubio, University of Barcelona, Spain
• Kevin Solomon, University of Delaware, USA

Nutrients:

• Colleen Deane, University of Southampton, UK

Toxins:

• Paz Otero Fuertes, University of Vigo, Spain

Pathogens:

• Marta Giovanetti, National Reference Laboratory of Flavivirus in the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil
• Carrie M. Long, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), USA

Vaccines:

• Carina Joe, University of Oxford, UK

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2022 Travel Awards in biology and life sciences for their outstanding presentations.

MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.

The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success in their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Brain Sciences:

• Liloia Donato, University of Turin, Italy
• Roberta Bettoni, University of Milano Bicocca, Italy

Diversity:

• Vanessa Silva, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal

IJMS:

• Carlo Matera, University of Milan, Italy
• Elisabetta Coppi, University of Florence, Italy
• Ilaria Tonazzini, Nanoscience Institute—National Research Council (CNR) @ NEST in Pisa, Italy

MPs:

• Pere Catala, University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands

Sports:

• Angela Blasimann, University of Antwerp, Belgium
• Angelo Sabag, Western Sydney University, Australia

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when generously dedicating their time to reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer review process.

We are proud to recognize the winners for the year 2022 in biology and life sciences for their outstanding contributions, among extensive competition, by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the winners on their achievements. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Agronomy:

• Ewa Ropelewska, The National Institute of Horticultural Research, Poland
• Marek Rašovský, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia
• Prakash Jha, Kansas State University, USA
• Vasileios Greveniotis, Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Greece

Biology:

• Alberto Collareta, University of Pisa, Italy
• Francisco Curate, University of Coimbra, Portugal
• Gianpiero Greco, University of Study of Bari, Italy
• Luca Poli, University of Study of Bari, Italy
• Shaohua Chen, South China Agricultural University, China

Brain Sciences:

• Chong Chen, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan

Children:

• Marco Sapienza, University of Catania, Italy
• Sabina Barrios-Fernández, University of Extremadura, Spain

Diversity:

• Corrado Battisti, Torre Flavia LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Station, Italy
• Daniel Stec, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
• Emilia Grzędzicka, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
• Igor Zelnik, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Endocrines:

• Eva S. Liu, ¹Harvard Medical School, USA ²Brigham and Women’s Hospital, USA

Fermentation:

• Aleksandra Szydlowska, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), Poland
• Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman, Al-Azhar University, Egypt

Fishes:

• Andrew G. Jeffs, University of Auckland, New Zealand
• Mohamed Samy-Kamal, Universitat d'Alacant, Spain

Foods:

• Baskaran Stephen Inbaraj, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
• Marzena Włodarczyk-Stasiak, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
• Minaxi Sharma, Haute Ecole Provinciale de Hainaut-Condorcet, Belgium
• Viviani Ruffo de Oliveira, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil

Genes:

• Federico Manuel Giorgi, University of Bologna, Italy
• Jan Bocianowski, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland
• Magdalena Mroczek, Center for Cardiovascular Genetics and Gene Diagnostics, Switzerland

IJMS:

• Keigi Fujiwara, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
• Tomasz W. Kaminski, University of Pittsburgh, USA
• Takujiro Homma, Yamagata University, Japan
• William Bryan Terzaghi, Wilkes University, United States
• Zong-jie Cui, Beijing Normal University, China

Insects:

• Abraão Almeida Santos, University of Florida, USA
• Agata Kaczmarek, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
• Miguel A. García-Martínez, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico

Life:

• Andrei S. Rodin, Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, USA
• Kazuhiko Kotani, Jichi Medical University, Japan

Metabolites:

• Jianing Mi, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
• Nguyen Phuoc Long, Inje University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea
• Xian Luo, University of Alberta, Canada

Pathogens:

• Guillaume Fiches, Ohio State University, USA
• Jianxuan Wu, Gilead Sciences, USA
• Tomasz M. Karpiński, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poland

Plants:

• Alicia Ayerdi Gotor, Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, France
• Andrea Mastinu, University of Brescia, Italy
• Edyta Paczos-Grzeda, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
• Narayan Bhusal, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
• Mohsen Hesami, University of Guelph, Canada

Toxins:

• Christian Müller, University of Greifswald, Germany
• Margarita Fernández-Tejedor, IRTA, Spain

Vaccines:

• Christian Napoli, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy
• Federico Marchesi, University of Parma, Italy
• Roger E. Thomas, University of Calgary, Canada

Veterinary Sciences:

• Fun-In Wang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
• Valeria Grieco, University of Milan, Italy

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are presented to recognize the young scholars who are judged to have completed the most outstanding PhD thesis in their field of research and to encourage them to continue their outstanding work and further contributions to their field.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success in their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Brain Sciences:

• “CYP2D in the Brain Alters Response to Drugs and Neurotoxins”
  by Marlaina R. Stocco, University of California, USA
• “Neural Encoding of Prior Experience in Sensorimotor Behavior”
  by Nicolas Meirhaeghe, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, France

• “Perinatal Stem Cell: Epigenetic, Biological and Differentiative Characteristics”
  by Giulia Gaggi, University "G.D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Italy

Genes:

• “Uncovering the Genetic Variation Involved in Asthma Exacerbations through Multiple Genomic Approaches”
  by Esther Herrera Luis, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain

Veterinary Sciences:

• “Development of Novel Tools for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance in Complex Microbial Communities and Their Application to Improving Our Stewardship of Antimicrobials in Livestock”
  by Ashenafi Feyisa Beyi, Iowa State University, United States

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation.

We are honored to present the winners for the year 2022 in biology and life sciences, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Agronomy:

• “From Smart Farming towards Agriculture 5.0: A Review on Crop Data Management”
  by Verónica Saiz-Rubio and Francisco Rovira-Más
  Agronomy 2020, 10(2), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10020207

• “Comparison of Biochemical, Anatomical, Morphological, and Physiological Responses to Salinity Stress in Wheat and Barley Genotypes Deferring in Salinity Tolerance”
  by Muhammad Zeeshan, Meiqin Lu, Shafaque Sehar, Paul Holford and Feibo Wu
  Agronomy 2020, 10(1), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10010127

• “The Use of a Plant-Based Biostimulant Improves Plant Performances and Fruit Quality in Tomato Plants Grown at Elevated Temperatures”
  by Silvana Francesca Carmen Arena, Bruno Hay Mele, Carlo Schettini, Patrizia Ambrosino, Amalia Barone and Maria Manuela Rigano
  Agronomy 2020, 10(3), https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10030363

• “The Management of Agricultural Waste Biomass in the Framework of Circular Economy and Bioeconomy: An Opportunity for Greenhouse Agriculture in Southeast Spain”
  by Mónica Duque-Acevedo, Luis J. Belmonte-Ureña, José A. Plaza-Úbeda and Francisco Camacho-Ferre
  Agronomy 2020, 10(4), 489; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10040489

Biology:

• “Apoptotic Bodies: Particular Extracellular Vesicles Involved in Intercellular Communication”
  by Michela Battistelli and Elisabetta Falcieri
  Biology 2020, 9(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9010021

• “Vegetation and Environmental Changes on Non-Reclaimed Spoil Heaps in Southern Poland”
  by Oimahmad Rahmonov, Robert Krzysztofik, Dorota Środek and Justyna Smolarek-Lach
  Biology 2020, 9(7), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9070164

• “Formyl Peptide Receptor 1 Signaling in Acute Inflammation and Neural Differentiation Induced by Traumatic Brain Injury”
  by Roberta Fusco, Enrico Gugliandolo, Rosalba Siracusa, Maria Scuto, Marika Cordaro, Ramona D’Amico, Maurizio Evangelista, Angelo Peli, Alessio Filippo Peritore, Daniela Impellizzeri et al.
  Biology 2020, 9(9), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9090238

Brain Sciences:

• “Cholesterol and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk: A Meta-Meta-Analysis”
  by Olalla Sáiz-Vazquez, Alicia Puente-Martínez, Silvia Ubillos-Landa, Joaquín Pacheco-Bonrostro and Javier Santabárbara
  Brain Sci. 2020, 10(6), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10060386

• “Psychosocial and Behavioral Impact of COVID-19 in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Online Parent Survey”
  by Marco Colizzi, Elena Sironi, Federico Antonini, Marco Luigi Ciceri, Chiara Bovo and Leonardo Zoccante
  Brain Sci. 2020, 10(6), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10060341

Diversity:

• “More Than a Functional Group: Diversity within the Legume–Rhizobia Mutualism and Its Relationship with Ecosystem Function”
  by Benton N. Taylor, Ellen L. Simms and Kimberly J. Komatsu
  Diversity 2020, 12(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12020050

• “A Common Approach to the Conservation of Threatened Island Vascular Plants: First Results in the Mediterranean Basin”
  by Giuseppe Fenu, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Charalambos S. Christodoulou, Donatella Cogoni, Christini Fournaraki, Giusso del Galdo Gian Pietro, Panagiota Gotsiou, Angelos Kyratzis, Carole Piazza, Magdalena Vicens et al.
  Diversity 2020, 12(4), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12040157

• “Plant Diversity Patterns and Conservation Implications under Climate-Change Scenarios in the Mediterranean: The Case of Crete (Aegean, Greece)”
  by Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis, Ioannis P. Kokkoris, Maria Panitsa, Panayiotis Trigas, Arne Strid and Panayotis Dimopoulos
  Diversity 2020, 12(7), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12070270

• “Conserving the Diversity of Ecological Interactions: The Role of Two Threatened Macaw Species as Legitimate Dispersers of ‘Megafaunal’ Fruits”
  by José L. Tella, Fernando Hiraldo, Erica Pacífico, José A. Díaz-Luque, Francisco V. Dénes, Fernanda M. Fontoura, Neiva Guedes and Guillermo Blanco
  Diversity 2020, 12(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12020045

Genes:    

• “Genomics in Bacterial Taxonomy: Impact on the Genus Pseudomonas”
  by Jorge Lalucat, Magdalena Mulet, Margarita Gomila and Elena García-Valdés
  Genes 2020, 11(2), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11020139

• “Histone Deacetylases (HDACs): Evolution, Specificity, Role in Transcriptional Complexes, and Pharmacological Actionability”
  by Giorgio Milazzo, Daniele Mercatelli, Giulia Di Muzio, Luca Triboli, Piergiuseppe De Rosa, Giovanni Perini and Federico M. Giorgi
  Genes 2020, 11(5), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11050556

• “COVID-19 and Genetic Variants of Protein Involved in the SARS-CoV-2 Entry into the Host Cells”
  by Andrea Latini, Emanuele Agolini, Antonio Novelli, Paola Borgiani, Rosalinda Giannini, Paolo Gravina, Andrea Smarrazzo, Mario Dauri, Massimo Andreoni, Paola Rogliani et al.
  Genes 2020, 11(9), 1010; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11091010

• “Clustered DNA Double-Strand Breaks: Biological Effects and Relevance to Cancer Radiotherapy”
  by Jac A. Nickoloff, Neelam Sharma and Lynn Taylor
  Genes 2020, 11(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11010099

• “Inhibition of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Ameliorates Renal Fibrosis by Mitigating DPP-4 Level and Restoring Antifibrotic MicroRNAs”
  by Swayam Prakash Srivastava, Julie E. Goodwin, Keizo Kanasaki and Daisuke Koya
  Genes 2020, 11(2), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11020211

• “Regulation of Ergosterol Biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae”
  by Tania Jordá and Sergi Puig
  Genes 2020, 11(7), 795; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11070795

IJMS:     

• “Laccase Properties, Physiological Functions, and Evolution”
  by Grzegorz Janusz, Anna Pawlik, Urszula Świderska-Burek, Jolanta Polak, Justyna Sulej, Anna Jarosz-Wilkołazka and Andrzej Paszczyński
  Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(3), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21030966

• “Lysosomal Exocytosis, Exosome Release and Secretory Autophagy: The Autophagic- and Endo-Lysosomal Systems Go Extracellular”
  by Sandra Buratta, Brunella Tancini, Krizia Sagini, Federica Delo, Elisabetta Chiaradia, Lorena Urbanelli and Carla Emiliani
  Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(7), 2576; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21072576

• “Recent Advances in Lipopolysaccharide Recognition Systems”
  by Lalita Mazgaeen and Prajwal Gurung
  Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(2), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020379

• “Redox Interactions of Vitamin C and Iron: Inhibition of the Pro-Oxidant Activity by Deferiprone”
  by Viktor A. Timoshnikov, Tatyana V. Kobzeva, Nikolay E. Polyakov and George J. Kontoghiorghes
  Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(11), 3967; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21113967

• “Modulation of Pro-Oxidant and Pro-Inflammatory Activities of M1 Macrophages by the Natural Dipeptide Carnosine”
  by Claudia G. Fresta, Annamaria Fidilio, Giacomo Lazzarino, Nicolò Musso, Margherita Grasso, Sara Merlo, Angela M. Amorini, Claudio Bucolo, Barbara Tavazzi, Giuseppe Lazzarino et al.
  Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(3), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21030776

• “SAAMBE-3D: Predicting Effect of Mutations on Protein–Protein Interactions”
  by Swagata Pahari, Gen Li, Adithya Krishna Murthy, Siqi Liang, Robert Fragoza, Haiyuan Yu and Emil Alexov
  Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(7), 2563; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21072563

Insects:  

• “Diversity and Global Distribution of Viruses of the Western Honey Bee, Apis mellifera”
  by Alexis Beaurepaire, Niels Piot, Vincent Doublet, Karina Antunez, Ewan Campbell, Panuwan Chantawannakul, Nor Chejanovsky, Anna Gajda, Matthew Heerman and Delphine Panziera
  Insects 2020, 11(4), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11040239

• “Soil Health and Arthropods: From Complex System to Worthwhile Investigation”
  by Cristina Menta and Sara Remelli
  Insects 2020, 11(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11010054

• “Influence of Temperature on Age-Stage, Two-Sex Life Tables for a Minnesota-Acclimated Population of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys)”
  by Byju N. Govindan and William D. Hutchison
  Insects 2020, 11(2), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11020108

Life:

• “Characterization of Resistance in Gram-Negative Urinary Isolates Using Existing and Novel Indicators of Clinical Relevance: A 10-Year Data Analysis”
  by Márió Gajdács, Zoltán Bátori, Marianna Ábrók, Andrea Lázár and Katalin Burián
  Life 2020, 10(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/life10020016

• “Neuroprotection or Neurotoxicity of Illicit Drugs on Parkinson’s Disease”
  by Carla Ferreira, Catarina Almeida, Sandra Tenreiro and Alexandre Quintas
  Life 2020, 10(6), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/life10060086

Metabolites:          

• “Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors Targeting Metabolism and Tumor Microenvironment”
  by Andrea Angeli, Fabrizio Carta, Alessio Nocentini, Jean-Yves Winum, Raivis Zalubovskis, Atilla Akdemir, Valentina Onnis, Wagdy M. Eldehna, Clemente Capasso, Giuseppina De Simone et al.
  Metabolites 2020, 10(10), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10100412

• “MetaboAnalystR 3.0: Toward an Optimized Workflow for Global Metabolomics”
  by Zhiqiang Pang, Jasmine Chong, Shuzhao Li and Jianguo Xia
  Metabolites 2020, 10(5), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10050186

• “Tryptophan Metabolism, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Neurovascular Disease”
  by Martin Hajsl, Alzbeta Hlavackova, Karolina Broulikova, Martin Sramek, Martin Maly, Jan E. Dyr and Jiri Suttnar
  Metabolites 2020, 10(5), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10050208

MPs:

• “Production and Purification of Artificial Circular RNA Sponges for Application in Molecular Biology and Medicine”
  by Janina Breuer and Oliver Rossbach
  Methods Protoc. 2020, 3(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/mps3020042

Pathogens:

• “Effectiveness of Chemical Compounds Used against African Swine Fever Virus in Commercial Available Disinfectants”
  by Małgorzata Juszkiewicz, Marek Walczak, Natalia Mazur-Panasiuk and Grzegorz Woźniakowski
  Pathogens 2020, 9(11), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9110878

• “Betanodavirus and VER Disease: A 30-year Research Review”
  by Isabel Bandín and Sandra Souto
  Pathogens 2020, 9(2), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9020106

• “The Bradyzoite: A Key Developmental Stage for the Persistence and Pathogenesis of Toxoplasmosis”
  by Aude Cerutti, Nicolas Blanchard and Sébastien Besteiro
  Pathogens 2020, 9(3), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9030234

• “Understanding Flavivirus Capsid Protein Functions: The Tip of the Iceberg”
  by Stephanea Sotcheff and Andrew Routh
  Pathogens 2020, 9(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9010042

Plants:

• “Photosynthetic Metabolism under Stressful Growth Conditions as a Bases for Crop Breeding and Yield Improvement”
  by Fermín Morales, María Ancín, Dorra Fakhet, Jon González-Torralba, Angie L. Gámez, Amaia Seminario, David Soba, Sinda Ben Mariem, Miguel Garriga and Iker Aranjuelo
  Plants 2020, 9(1), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9010088

• “Plant Roots Release Small Extracellular Vesicles with Antifungal Activity”
  by Monica De Palma, Alfredo Ambrosone, Antonietta Leone, Pasquale Del Gaudio, Michelina Ruocco, Lilla Turiák, Ramesh Bokka, Immacolata Fiume, Marina Tucci and Gabriella Pocsfalvi
  Plants 2020, 9(12), 1777; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121777

• “Feeding Behavior and Virus-transmission Ability of Insect Vectors Exposed to Systemic Insecticides”
  by Elisa Garzo, Aránzazu Moreno, María Plaza and Alberto Fereres
  Plants 2020, 9(7), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9070895

• “Transcriptome Analyses and Antioxidant Activity Profiling Reveal the Role of a Lignin-Derived Biostimulant Seed Treatment in Enhancing Heat Stress Tolerance in Soybean”
  by Cristina Campobenedetto, Giuseppe Mannino, Chiara Agliassa, Alberto Acquadro, Valeria Contartese, Christian Garabello and Cinzia Margherita Bertea
  Plants 2020, 9(10), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101308

Toxins:

• “Aflatoxin Biosynthesis and Genetic Regulation: A Review”
  by Isaura Caceres, Anthony Al Khoury, Rhoda El Khoury, Sophie Lorber, Isabelle P. Oswald, André El Khoury, Ali Atoui, Olivier Puel and Jean-Denis Bailly
  Toxins 2020, 12(3), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12030150

• “Diet Breadth Mediates the Prey Specificity of Venom Potency in Snakes”
  by Keith Lyons, Michel M. Dugon and Kevin Healy
  Toxins 2020, 12(2), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12020074

Vaccines:               

• “Rapid Quantification of SARS-CoV-2-Neutralizing Antibodies Using Propagation-Defective Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Pseudotypes”
  by Ferdinand Zettl, Toni Luise Meister, Tanja Vollmer, Bastian Fischer, Jörg Steinmann, Adalbert Krawczyk, Philip V’kovski, Daniel Todt, Eike Steinmann, Stephanie Pfaender et al.
  Vaccines 2020, 8(3), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8030386

• “Influences on Attitudes Regarding Potential COVID-19 Vaccination in the United States”
  by Kendall Pogue, Jamie L. Jensen, Carter K. Stancil, Daniel G. Ferguson, Savannah J. Hughes, Emily J. Mello, Ryan Burgess, Bradford K. Berges, Abraham Quaye and Brian D. Poole
  Vaccines 2020, 8(4), 582; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8040582

• “Recent Progress on the Versatility of Virus-Like Particles”
  by Ciying Qian, Xinlin Liu, Qin Xu, Zhiping Wang, Jie Chen, Tingting Li, Qingbing Zheng, Hai Yu, Ying Gu, Shaowei Li et al.
  Vaccines 2020, 8(1), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8010139

• “COVID-19: Mechanisms of Vaccination and Immunity”
  by Daniel E. Speiser and Martin F. Bachmann
  Vaccines 2020, 8(3), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8030404

Veterinary Sciences:

• “Manure as a Potential Hotspot for Antibiotic Resistance Dissemination by Horizontal Gene Transfer Events”
  by Tiago Lima, Sara Domingues and Gabriela Jorge Da Silva
  Vet. Sci. 2020, 7(3), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci7030110

• “Seasonality of Nosema ceranae Infections and Their Relationship with Honey Bee Populations, Food Stores, and Survivorship in a North American Region”
  by Berna Emsen, Alvaro De la Mora, Brian Lacey, Les Eccles, Paul G. Kelly, Carlos A. Medina-Flores, Tatiana Petukhova, Nuria Morfin and Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
  Vet. Sci. 2020, 7(3), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci7030131

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