Interactions between Microorganisms, Their Environment and Host: 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Organisms do not live alone in nature. They are inhabited by trillions of microorganisms such as archaea, bacteria, fungi, and viruses, collectively known as microbiota. Recent research efforts suggest that the associated microbiota play a crucial role in the health and development of the host, including humans and plants. For example, several diseases, such as cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and autoimmune disorders, are found to be strongly associated with human microbiota dysbiosis. Similarly, plant-associated microbiota play advantageous roles in stress tolerance and resistance to pathogens, nutrient uptake, and growth promotion.

With the help of current approaches, such as metagenomics (16S ribosomal (r)RNA amplicon and shotgun sequencing), as well as mass spectrometry-based analyses (metaproteomic and metabolomics analyses), metatranscriptomics, microfluidics, bioreactors, culturomics, and imaging technologies, we have started to understand the different microbiota and their interactions with the host. Moreover, various computational approaches, such as kinetics and constraint-based modeling, are also being employed to complement experimental approaches in exploring these complex interactions. With mounting evidence on the different microbiota's benefits to a host, researchers are focusing on engineering microbiota to enhance the health and development of the host and prevent any associated diseases. However, despite current advancements in understanding environment-dependent microorganism–microorganism and host–microorganism interactions, much more research still needs to be conducted.

This Special Issue of Life aims to showcase advancements in the study of the interactions among the host, the associated microbiota, and the environment. For this purpose, we invite the submission of research articles, review articles, and short communications that cover any aspect of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses of microbiomes (for example, human and plant/soil microbiomes), mass spectrometry-based analyses of microbiota, an understanding of microorganism–microorganism and host–microorganism interactions, the influence of diets/nutrients on these interactions, computational approaches to understand these interactions, and microbiota/microbiome engineering at the individual species level or as an ecosystem.

This Special Issue's first edition was a great achievement. We are now inviting you to contribute to the second edition (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/life/special_issues/Microorganism_Host).

Dr. Manish Kumar
Dr. Partho Sen
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

• microbiome
• microbiota
• microorganism–microorganism interactions
• host–microorganism interactions
• metagenomics
• metatranscriptomics
• metaproteomics
• metabolomics
• microbiota engineering
• modeling microbial communities