Molecular Insights into Microbial Adaptations to Marine Plastics
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 954
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The growing accumulation of plastic debris in marine environments has led to the emergence of a unique ecosystem known as the "plastisphere". This special issue aims to explore the complex biological, chemical, and ecological dimensions of the microbiome developed on marine plastic surfaces. We invite original research and review articles that investigate the diversity, adaptations, interactions, and ecological consequences of microbes associated with marine plastics with an emphasis on molecular mechanisms and functional insights. Contributions may include, but are not limited to:
- Molecular adaptations of bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic microbes to plastic surfaces
- Succession and species interactions within the plastisphere
- Microbial degradation of plastics and metabolic pathways involved
- Roles of the plastisphere in biogeochemical cycling
- Microbe–plastic–host interactions (e.g., pathogens, symbionts, vectors)
- Horizontal gene transfer, antibiotic resistance, and functional gene exchange within plastisphere biofilms
We particularly welcome studies that integrate omics approaches (metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics), experimental systems, in situ observations, and modeling. By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives, this issue seeks to advance our understanding of how microbial life interacts with synthetic substrates and influences marine ecological processes.
Dr. Matan Oren
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.
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Keywords
- plastisphere
- marine plastic debris
- microbial colonization
- biofilms
- microbial adaptation
- community assembly
- quorum sesing
- plastic biodegradation
- biogeochemical cycling
- antibiotic resistance genes
- marine microbial ecology
- metagenomics
- microbe–plastic interactions
- microbial succession
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