Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Empower Synthetic and Systems Biology: Theory, Design, Optimization and Application
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Synthetic Biology and Systems Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: origins of life; synthetic biology; artificial life; systems chemistry and liposome technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: synthetic biology; genetics; protein production; virology; vaccine; liposome; experimental evolution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are rapidly transforming synthetic biology and systems biology, accelerating both research and innovation across basic and applied science. From enhancing the design and optimization of genetic circuits to improving protein structure prediction and enabling the analysis of complex, unwieldy datasets, these computational approaches are reshaping how scientists explore and engineer living systems. Their growing role in boosting the accuracy of gene-editing workflows and supporting the creation of custom organisms for medicine, agriculture, and industry underscores the timely need for this Special Issue.
We invite submissions that highlight innovative AI‑ and ML‑enabled approaches in bioengineering, modeling, design automation, and the study of complex systems. Contributions may include original research, perspectives, or reviews that demonstrate how these tools deepen biological insight, automate sophisticated tasks, or open new avenues for exploration. This Special Issue is also open to critical discussions about current approaches as well as to more theoretical contributions on the intersection between AI, ML, and synthetic and systems biology.
By gathering cutting‑edge work from across the community, this Special Issue aims to showcase emerging opportunities and inspire future directions in biotechnologies at the intersection of AI, ML, synthetic biology, and systems biology.
Prof. Pasquale Stano
Dr. Jian Xu
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. Life 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 2600 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
- AI (artificial intelligence)
- AI driven drug discovery
- automated laboratory platforms
- basic and applied science
- bioengineering
- biological exploration
- biological network analysis
- complex systems
- computational genomics
- computational modeling
- data driven biology
- deep learning
- design automation
- digital twins in biology
- evolutionary design algorithms
- gene editing
- genetic circuit design
- machine learning
- metabolic engineering
- multi omics integration
- predictive biology
- protein structure prediction
- systems bioinformatics
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
