Biosynthesis of Biologically Active Marine Natural Products 2025
A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 412
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The marine environment, with its vast biodiversity, is home to a plethora of organisms that are capable of producing a wide array of bioactive natural products. Marine organisms, including bacteria, fungi, algae, corals, and sponges, have evolved to produce these specialized compounds as part of their natural defense mechanisms or ecological interactions. These bioactive molecules represent a rich and diverse source of chemical entities with remarkable pharmacological potential. Marine natural products have attracted enhanced attention in recent years due to their unique chemical structures, novel modes of action, and considerable promise as candidates for drug discovery and development.
This Special Issue will focus on the biosynthesis of marine natural products, exploring the complex biochemical pathways through which these compounds are synthesized in marine organisms. This Special Issue aims to highlight the enzymes, genetic clusters, and regulatory networks that are responsible for the production of these bioactive molecules, and to explore how these biosynthetic processes can be harnessed to advance the discovery and production of new lead compounds. Additionally, this Special Issue will emphasize the extraction, isolation, structural elucidation and biological activities of marine natural products. We will particularly focus on the therapeutic potential of these compounds in treating complex diseases, including cancer, antimicrobial, and neurodegenerative diseases; this will emphasize the ability of marine-derived bioactive molecules to address medical needs.
We invite both academic and industry researchers to submit original research and review articles that investigate the biosynthetic pathways of marine natural products and their diverse biological activities. We encourage the submission of studies that bridge the gap between basic biosynthetic research and translational applications, particularly in addressing the therapeutic potential of these compounds in treating complex diseases.
Prof. Dr. Yiguang Zhu
Dr. Junfeng Wang
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. Marine Drugs 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 2900 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
- marine microorganisms
- marine plants and animals
- genome mining
- biosynthetic pathway enzymatic reaction mechanisms
- marine bioactive compounds
- structure elucidation
- bioactivity screening
- structure–activity relationship
- pharmacological mechanism
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.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
