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Special Issues

Life publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process.

The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

Open for Submission

Prebiotic RNA: From Autocatalysis and Chirality to Functional Evolution

Guest Editor: Paul Higgs
Viewed by 29

Deadline: 20 September 2026

Open for Submission

2nd Edition—Featured Papers on the Origins of Life

Guest Editor: James R. Lyons
5 articles | Viewed by 11,391

Deadline: 30 June 2026

Open for Submission

“Out-of-the-Organics-Box” Reflections On and Scenarios for Life’s Emergence

Guest Editor: Wolfgang Nitschke
Viewed by 130

Deadline: 30 June 2026

Open for Submission

The 15th Anniversary of Life—Alternatives to RNA World

Guest Editors: Doron Lancet, Amit Kahana
Viewed by 521

Deadline: 29 May 2026

Open for Submission

Recent Trends in Prebiotic Chemistry

Guest Editor: Maheen Gull
1 article | Viewed by 1,600

Deadline: 26 April 2026

Open for Submission

Prebiotic Chemistry: The Molecular Origins of Life

Guest Editor: Nigel Mason
Viewed by 689

Deadline: 15 February 2026

Open for Submission

Chemical Evolutionary Pathways to Origins of Life

Guest Editors: Claudia Huber, Christian Seitz
Viewed by 191

Deadline: 31 January 2026

Closed

Origin of Life in Chemically Complex Messy Environments: 3rd Edition

Guest Editors: Ranajay Saha, Alberto Vázquez-Salazar
Viewed by 290

Deadline: 31 December 2025

Closed

Early Prebiotic Reaction Networks

Guest Editors: Olga Taran, Paul J. Bracher
Viewed by 393

Deadline: 31 December 2025

Closed

Origin of Life in Chemically Complex Messy Environments: 2nd Edition

Guest Editors: Ranajay Saha, Alberto Vázquez-Salazar
11 articles | Viewed by 33,515

Deadline: 31 March 2025

Closed

Feature Papers in Origins of Life 2024

Guest Editor: James R. Lyons
10 articles | Viewed by 53,068

Deadline: 13 December 2024

Closed

Computer Simulation of the Origin of Life

Guest Editors: Wentao Ma, Paul Higgs
8 articles | Viewed by 27,124

Deadline: 29 December 2023

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Life - ISSN 2075-1729