Announcements

As a leading open access publisher, MDPI provides scholars with a high-quality and rich academic exchange platform by continuously expanding into new and exciting research areas.

In December 2022, MDPI launched five new journals, covering multiple subjects such as life sciences, biology, medicine and pharmacology, social sciences and humanities. These new journals are being edited by established scholars across the world.

If you are interested in creating more open access journals with us to publish cutting-edge research, please send your journal proposal application to newjournal-committee@mdpi.com.

MDPI is pleased to announce that we now display the co-authors’ email addresses in addition to the corresponding author’s email address on the webpage of published papers, protected by Captcha. For more information about this change, please visit the journal’s instructions for authors page. 

We believe this change will facilitate academic discussions and advance our cause of open science and research. The corresponding authors are responsible for communicating with their co-authors and indicating in our system (https://susy.mdpi.com/) if co-authors would prefer for their email addresses not to be displayed.

On 9 February 2023, Clarivate, a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics, added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science platform, streamlining the research process by allowing researchers to locate and link to preprints alongside other trusted content in the database.

The Preprint Citation Index will act as a bridge to connect cutting-edge preprints with peer-reviewed journal articles published within the Web of Science Core Collection. Alerts can be easily set to monitor new research across several repositories and authors will also be able to include preprints on their Web of Science Research Profile to more accurately display their various research outputs.

As of its launch, the Preprint Citation Index will provide nearly two million preprints from various repositories, including MDPI’s own Preprints.org.

MDPI's Preprints Platform – Preprints.org

To advance Open Science and the fast dissemination of research, MDPI offers researchers a free multidisciplinary preprint platform. Preprints.org accepts submissions from all research areas and offers authors high visibility, permanent archiving, article-level Metrics and immediately citable content by assigning a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to all preprints.

During submission to any MDPI journal, authors have the option to share their research as a preprint. After an initial screening, the manuscript is available online in 48 hours or less. Once online, preprints can be downloaded, shared, commented on, and cited, providing authors maximum visibility.

We invite you to join the ranks of the over 100k researchers using Preprints.org and share your research.

For more information, please visit Preprints.org.

We are pleased to announce that the Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN: 2079-4983) became a monthly publication as of 1 January 2023. A monthly publication allows papers to be indexed in Web of Science and other indexing databases on a monthly basis rather than every three months, and they become searchable and are cited earlier. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many valuable publications from our authors and the important contribution of our dedicated reviewers.

We are pleased to highlight the hot papers published in the Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN: 2079-4983) last year. We invite you to read the selection of published papers listed below:

1. “Printability and Cell Viability in Extrusion-Based Bioprinting from Experimental, Computational, and Machine Learning Views”
by Ali Malekpour and Xiongbiao Chen
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13020040
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/2/40

2. “The Evolution of Molecular Recognition: From Antibodies to Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) as Artificial Counterpart”
by Ortensia Ilaria Parisi, Fabrizio Francomano, Marco Dattilo, Francesco Patitucci, Sabrina Prete, Fabio Amone and Francesco Puoci
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13010012
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/1/12

3. “Surface Functionalization of Poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) Membranes with RGD-Grafted Poly(2-oxazoline) for Periodontal Tissue Engineering”
by Anna M. Tryba, Małgorzata Krok-Borkowicz, Michał Kula, Natalia Piergies, Mateusz Marzec, Erik Wegener, Justyna Frączyk, Rainer Jordan, Beata Kolesińska, Dieter Scharnweber et al.
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13010004
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/1/4

4. “Engineering 3D Printed Scaffolds with Tunable Hydroxyapatite”
by Yoontae Kim, Eun-Jin Lee, Anthony P. Kotula, Shozo Takagi, Laurence Chow and Stella Alimperti
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(2), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13020034
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/2/34

5. “Biodegradable Iron and Porous Iron: Mechanical Properties, Degradation Behaviour, Manufacturing Routes and Biomedical Applications”
by Mariana Salama, Maria Fátima Vaz, Rogério Colaço, Catarina Santos and Maria Carmezim
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(2), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13020072
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/2/72

6. “Multi-Stimulus Responsive Multilayer Coating for Treatment of Device-Associated Infections”
by Wenlong Li, Guanping Hua, Jingfeng Cai, Yaming Zhou, Xi Zhou, Miao Wang, Xiumin Wang, Baoqing Fu and Lei Ren
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13010024
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/1/24

7. “Biomimetic PLGA/Strontium-Zinc Nano Hydroxyapatite Composite Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration”
by Mozan Hassan, Mohsin Sulaiman, Priya Dharshini Yuvaraju, Emmanuel Galiwango, Ihtesham ur Rehman, Ali H. Al-Marzouqi, Abbas Khaleel and Sahar Mohsin
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13010013
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/1/13

8. “GelMA Hydrogel Reinforced with 3D Printed PEGT/PBT Scaffolds for Supporting Epigenetically-Activated Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells for Bone Repair”
by Kenny Man, Cesar Alcala, Naveen V. Mekhileri, Khoon S. Lim, Lin-Hua Jiang, Tim B. F. Woodfield and Xuebin B. Yang
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13020041
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/2/41

9. “Immunomodulation Effect of Biomaterials on Bone Formation”
by Tong Zhao, Zhuangzhuang Chu, Jun Ma and Liping Ouyang
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(3), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13030103
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/3/103

10. “Alginate-Based Bio-Composites and Their Potential Applications”
by Khmais Zdiri, Aurélie Cayla, Adel Elamri, Annaëlle Erard and Fabien Salaun
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(3), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13030117
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/3/117

11. “Biopolymer Nanoparticles for Nose-to-Brain Drug Delivery: A New Promising Approach for the Treatment of Neurological Diseases”
by Nicolò Montegiove, Eleonora Calzoni, Carla Emiliani and Alessio Cesaretti
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(3), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13030125
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/3/125

12. “Tissue-Engineered Models of the Human Brain: State-of-the-Art Analysis and Challenges”
by Giulia Tarricone, Irene Carmagnola and Valeria Chiono
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(3), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13030146
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/3/146

13.“3D Printing of Bioinert Oxide Ceramics for Medical Applications”
by Irene Buj-Corral and Aitor Tejo-Otero
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(3), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13030155
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/3/155

14. “Important Roles and Potential Uses of Natural and Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) in Oral Diseases: Cavity, Periodontal Disease, and Thrush”
by Albert Donald Luong, Alyah Buzid and John H. T. Luong
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(4), 175; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13040175
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/4/175

15. “Preparation and Use of Decellularized Extracellular Matrix for Tissue Engineering”
by Adam D. McInnes, Michael A. J. Moser and Xiongbiao Chen
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 2022, 13(4), 240; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13040240
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/4/240

Prof. Dr. Elisa Boanini is an Associate Professor of inorganic chemistry at the University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”. She received her master’s degree in chemistry from the same university in 1998 with an experimental thesis about the structure and stability of octacalcium phosphate and its interactions with polyacrylic acid. In 2003, she earned her Ph.D. in chemical sciences under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Adriana Bigi, with a thesis on the biomimetic approaches to the design of new polymeric–inorganic materials. During her Ph.D. studies, she was also in the group of Prof. Dr. Stephen Mann, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol. Between 2008 and 2010, she spent some research periods in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Matthias Epple (Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Universitat Duisburg-Essen) as part of the joint project Vigoni (Italy–Germany). In 2011, she was awarded the “Nardelli Prize” from the Italian Association of Crystallography. She served as an Editorial Board Member for Heliyon (Elsevier-Cell Press) from 2015 to 2020 and she has served for the Journal of Functional Biomaterials (MDPI) since 2019. She is a Guest Editor for Special Issues in JFB and Nanomaterials. She is a co-author of more than 100 papers in international journals and has presented many invited talks and oral communications at national and international conferences.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your fields of interest?
I study the chemical and structural aspects of calcium phosphates of biological interest as model systems for the design of new materials and, in particular, biomaterials with potential for use in the orthopedic field. I am interested in methods of biomimetic synthesis for the preparation of functionalized inorganic nano- and micro-crystals, and in the analysis of the structural and morphological modifications induced by bioactive molecules and ions on calcium phosphate-based materials.

2. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
I think that mankind will have to face many important challenges, since the world is changing so much and so fast. Research could be a key factor in many fields. Close to my research topic, the increased life expectancy in the world has led to a serious rise in the number of age-related musculoskeletal disorders, and hence to an increasing demand for materials for the repair and substitution of damaged tissues. The development of this research requires a strong integration of skills in the fields of material science, inorganic and organic chemistry, pharmacology, biology and computational chemistry, aiming toward a multidisciplinary design of multifunctional biomimetic and bioactive materials.

3. Can you briefly describe the key to a happy laboratory life?
When I was a student, I remember my enthusiastic professor of crystal engineering saying that he was a lucky man because he was paid to do his hobby as a job. Unfortunately, in the following years I realized that your career in academia means your role changes and therefore your job. It starts from the laboratory and easily ends up in an office. Actually, I never lost contact with the lab as a physical place, and I like to conduct some experiments myself or guide students in their first steps when I have time. The secret is to carve out a space and a time that is exclusively for you and your team: the rest can wait. Curiosity must be your inspiration, and you must not be in a hurry. In fact, the academy was born historically as something extraneous to the outside world, in which critical thinking and the desire for knowledge are in command.

4. What is your opinion of the Open Access model?
I think that knowledge should be open to everybody in the world, so Open Access journals are a great resource for readers. On the other hand, for economic sustainability, these kinds of journals require an effort from authors that is not always possible and can sometimes cause problems, especially when your research is curiosity-driven and has no specific financial support. I really appreciate the recognition that MDPI gives to reviewers for helping them in publishing their own works, which I think is a very smart idea.

5. As the winner of this award, is there something you would like to express?
Sincerely, I was surprised when I was informed that I had been selected as the winner of the JFB 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Award. I have always tried to carry out the role of the reviewer with the utmost attention, even if this is an additional task to my already numerous commitments. Of course, it takes time and you could be writing your own papers in the meantime. But when you submit your manuscript, you always hope that the reviewer knows the subject well and evaluates your work carefully, don’t you?

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the MDPI Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program will enable early career researchers (who must hold a Ph.D. in a related field) to experience editing a Special Issue in MDPI journals, under the mentorship of our experienced Editorial Board Members or other experienced scientists. The mentor program will provide an excellent opportunity for early career scientists to gain editorial experience, and to cultivate their ability to edit scientific research.

The mentee’s responsibilities include:

• Proposing a Special Issue title and assisting the mentor in preparing a summary (around 200–400 words) and 3–10 keywords describing the background, importance, and goal of the Issue;
• Writing a brief promotion plan for the Special Issue;
• Preparing a list of scholars who may be interested in the Issue and personally e-mailing invitations on behalf of Guest Editors;
• Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue together with the mentor.

The mentor’s responsibilities include:

• Conducting a final check before the Special Issue is published online;
• Performing editorial control of the Special Issue and quality control of the publications, both of which must be carried out in a timely manner;
• Providing suggestions to younger scholars if they have any doubts or concerns regarding submissions;
• Organizing video calls with young scholars and the Editorial Office regularly to discuss problems and improvement suggestions for the Special Issue;
• Making and submitting decisions regarding submissions with the assistance of mentees.

Certificates and awards:
After the Special Issue closes, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all the mentors and early career researchers.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Editorial Office of a journal you choose, and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail. The full list of MDPI journals is as follows: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals.

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, we will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals focusing on hot research topics.

MDPI has just become the first open access (OA) publisher to reach the milestone of one million articles published. That is one million articles freely available to all, to circulate and build upon! We are proud to share this special moment with the global scientific community.

This landmark has been reached thanks to the immeasurable support of more than 600,000 expert reviewers, 66,000 editorial board members and 6700 hard-working colleagues across MDPI’s global offices.

Within more than 25 years of publishing, our journals received 2.1 million manuscripts and generated 4.6 million peer review reports to get to one million papers published.

Reaching the milestone of one million articles published reinforces our mission to remove any existing barriers and to make scientific research accessible to all. Since its inception, MDPI’s goal has been to create reliable processes to make science open. This is a path towards facilitating the dissemination of novel insights in scientific communities.

Regular feedback from authors and reviewers shows that our service is greatly appreciated and needed. At the same time, the feedback helps us identify areas for further improvement.

As it stands, a significant share of published research findings remain closed access. More than half of the content published with the most well-known legacy publishers stays behind a paywall, and that is not including articles published in hybrid OA journals, or made available months or years after publication.

A new policy announced by the US administration in August 2022 requires that, as of January 2026, all US federally funded research be made freely and immediately available after publication. While the new policy does not mandate articles be published under an open access license, it is aligned with the open access movement in removing all barriers to research. Similarly, some of the most advanced research institutions in the world intend to have all funded research articles published in open access by 2025.

MDPI is proud to be the leading agent of the transition to open access.

"Thanks a Million" to all the contributors!

We are pleased to announce that the website of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation has been revamped! For the past couple of months, our UX UI team and front-end developers have been working hard to launch the website in time for the opening of the Sustainability Awards nominations.

The website is not the only thing that has had a remodeling. Indeed, the format of the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (ESLA) has been updated. ESLA is now a competition open to individual researchers or start-ups founded by researchers under the age of 35. Nominee applications will go through 2 rounds of selection until the final 3 are decided. The finalists will then be invited to give pitch presentations during the Award Ceremony to win either first place (10,000 USD) or runner-up (2 x 5000 USD).

The World Sustainability Award, on the other hand, remains the same: a total prize money of 100,000 USD is up for grabs by senior individual researchers or groups of researchers from the international research community.

Nominations for both the World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader award are now open! Check out our new website for more information on how to nominate.

1. “Bio-Based Electrospun Fibers for Wound Healing”
by Bahareh Azimi, Homa Maleki, Lorenzo Zavagna, Jose Gustavo De la Ossa, Stefano Linari, Andrea Lazzeri and Serena Danti
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(3), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb11030067
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/11/3/67

2. “The Role of Scaffolds in Tendon Tissue Engineering”
by Angelo V. Vasiliadis and Konstantinos Katakalos
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(4), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb11040078
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/11/4/78

3. “Printing 3D Hydrogel Structures Employing Low-Cost Stereolithography Technology”
by Leila Samara S. M. Magalhães, Francisco Eroni Paz Santos, Conceição de Maria Vaz Elias, Samson Afewerki, Gustavo F. Sousa, Andre S. A. Furtado, Fernanda Roberta Marciano and Anderson Oliveira Lobo
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb11010012
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/11/1/12

4. “Electrospun Scaffolds Containing Silver-Doped Hydroxyapatite with Antimicrobial Properties for Applications in Orthopedic and Dental Bone Surgery”
by Thomas E. Paterson, Rui Shi, Jingjing Tian, Caroline J. Harrison, Mailys De Sousa Mendes, Paul V. Hatton, Zhou Li and Ilida Ortega
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(3), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb11030058
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/11/3/58

5. “Physico-Chemical Properties and Biocompatibility of Thermosensitive Chitosan Lactate and Chitosan Chloride Hydrogels Developed for Tissue Engineering Application”
by Katarzyna Pieklarz, Grzegorz Galita, Michał Tylman, Waldemar Maniukiewicz, Ewa Kucharska, Ireneusz Majsterek and Zofia Modrzejewska
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(2), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb12020037
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/12/2/37

6. “Conductive Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering: Current State and Future Outlook”
by Damion T. Dixon and Cheryl T. Gomillion
J. Funct. Biomater. 2022, 13(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb13010001
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/13/1/1

7. “Synthesis and Properties of Zinc-Modified Hydroxyapatite”
by Daria Lytkina, Anastasiya Gutsalova, Dmitriy Fedorishin, Natalya Korotchenko, Rafik Akhmedzhanov, Vladimir Kozik and Irina Kurzina
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb11010010
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/11/1/10

8. “Natural Architectures for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine”
by Floris Honig, Steven Vermeulen, Amir A. Zadpoor, Jan de Boer and Lidy E. Fratila-Apachitei
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(3), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb11030047
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/11/3/47

9. “Effects of Process Parameters on Structure and Properties of Melt-Blown Poly(Lactic Acid) Nonwovens for Skin Regeneration”
by Ewa Dzierzkowska, Anna Scisłowska-Czarnecka, Marcin Kudzin, Maciej Boguń, Piotr Szatkowski, Marcin Gajek, Kamil Kornaus, Magdalena Chadzinska and Ewa Stodolak-Zych
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb12010016
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/12/1/16

10. “Challenges and Innovations in Osteochondral Regeneration: Insights from Biology and Inputs from Bioengineering toward the Optimization of Tissue Engineering Strategies”
by Pedro Morouço, Cristiana Fernandes and Wanda Lattanzi
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb12010017
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/12/1/17

11. “Bioactive Polymeric Materials for the Advancement of Regenerative Medicine”
by Anthony Iovene, Yuwen Zhao, Shue Wang and Kagya Amoako
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb12010014
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/12/1/14

12. “Polylactic Acid Piezo-Biopolymers: Chemistry, Structural Evolution, Fabrication Methods, and Tissue Engineering Applications”
by Amirhossein Farahani, Abbas Zarei-Hanzaki, Hamid Reza Abedi, Lobat Tayebi and Ebrahim Mostafavi
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(4), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb12040071
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/12/4/71

13. “Osteogenic Peptides and Attachment Methods Determine Tissue Regeneration in Modified Bone Graft Substitutes”
by George Bullock, Joss Atkinson, Piergiorgio Gentile, Paul Hatton and Cheryl Miller
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(2), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb12020022
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/12/2/22

14. “Mechanical and Degradation Properties of Hybrid Scaffolds for Tissue Engineered Heart Valve (TEHV)”
by Rabia Nazir, Arne Bruyneel, Carolyn Carr and Jan Czernuszka
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb12010020
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/12/1/20

15. “Bioprinting and In Vitro Characterization of an Eggwhite-Based Cell-Laden Patch for Endothelialized Tissue Engineering Applications”
by Yasaman Delkash, Maxence Gouin, Tanguy Rimbeault, Fatemeh Mohabatpour, Petros Papagerakis, Sean Maw and Xiongbiao Chen
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(3), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb12030045
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/12/3/45

16. “Poly(methyl methacrylate) Bone Cement Composite Can Be Refilled with Antibiotics after Implantation in Femur or Soft Tissue”
by Erika L. Cyphert, Ningjing Zhang, Dylan W. Marques, Greg D. Learn, Fang Zhang and Horst A. von Recum
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb12010008
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/12/1/8