Announcements

We are pleased to announce that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred upon Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Richard DiMarchi Indiana University, USA	Prof. Richard DiMarchi is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University, USA. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. DiMarchi is a former Group Vice President at Eli Lilly and later at Novo Nordisk. He is recognized for his contributions to the discovery and development of rDNA-derived Humulin®, Humalog®, rGlucagon®, and Forteo®. His academic research has broadened the understanding of glucagon and incretin physiology and pioneered the discovery of single-molecule multi-mechanism agonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. The central element to success has been the chemical vision and technology to install within single molecules simultaneous agonism at related G-protein coupled receptors, coupled to the counter-intuitive discovery that glucagon and GIP agonism could synergize the therapeutic efficacy of GLP-1. These peptides and their conceptual approach have transformed the management of excessive body weight to a condition comparable to how hypertension, adult-onset diabetes, and excess cholesterol are medicinally managed.
“Professor DiMarchi was recognized by the 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members as being an exceptional leader in the medicinal chemistry of peptides and proteins of natural origin, and as a pioneer in the field of chemical biotechnology. His very important discoveries have led to breakthroughs in new drugs related to the therapy of diabetes and obesity. He has been named as an inventor on a very large number of patents, and he has had initially a highly successful scientific and administrative career in industry, which was followed by over two decades in academia as a distinguished professor.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee
Rolf Müller Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Infections Research (HZI), Germany; Saarland University, Germany	Prof. Rolf Müller is the Founding and Managing Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and Professor of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Saarland University, Germany. Having received his training from the University of Bonn, he held research positions at the University of Washington, USA, and Braunschweig University of Technology, Germany, prior to his appointment as professor to Saarland University. His laboratory has dedicated itself to the exploration of bacterial natural-product biosynthetic pathways for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in working with myxobacteria and other microbial producer strains. Starting from the isolation and characterization of new microorganisms, the scope of work includes microbiology-, biotechnology-, bioinformatics-, and chemistry-based approaches to exploit these isolates as sources of new drugs with a special focus on novel anti-infectives. Müller and his team apply a variety of state-of-the-art analytical methods and biological assays to perform biological and chemical characterizations of the identified compounds. Prof. Müller has received several awards, including the prestigious Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the PHOENIX Pharmacy Research Award, the DECHEMA Prize, and the Inhoffen Medal, as well as being an elected member of acatech, Leopoldina, and the German Academy of Sciences and Literature.
“The 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members were highly impressed by the truly outstanding past and ongoing contributions of Professor Müller in both microbial natural products isolation chemistry and in biosynthesis, as well as in the development of lead compounds for their potential in treating human diseases, through his global connections with various major funding agencies. He is also a dedicated teacher who has trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and he has lectured on his research in countries all over the world.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee

The achievements of Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller highlight the transformative impact of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. We congratulate them and invite the global academic community and public to join us in celebrating their significant contributions.

2024 Award Committee
Committee Chair:

• Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Ohio State University, USA.
  

Committee Members (listed in alphabetical order):

• Prof. Angelo Fontana, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy;
• Prof. Binghe Wang, Georgia State University, USA;
• Dr. Diana Pinto, University of Aveiro, Portugal;
• Prof. Hideaki Kakeya, Kyoto University, Japan;
• Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel, University of Strathclyde, UK;
• Prof. Thomas Prisinzano, University of Kentucky, USA
• Prof. Wei Li, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA.

About the Tu Youyou Award:
The 2024 Tu Youyou Award includes a total monetary prize of 100,000 Swiss Francs and a medal for each recipient. Established in 2016 to honor the pioneering spirit of Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, the Tu Youyou Award is an international award honoring exceptional scholars dedicated to the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

For further information about the award and the winners, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website.

Conference: The UKSB Annual Conference 2025 (UKSB2025)
Date: 30 June–2 July 2025
Venue: Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK

The UK Society for Biomaterials (UKSB) is an interdisciplinary society, with a broad membership including members in academic, clinical and industry settings, representing the UK-based community engaged in biomaterials development and their collaborators worldwide.

We are pleased to announce that the UKSB Annual Conference 2025 (UKSB2025) will be held at Lancaster University. The UKSB award winners will deliver exciting lectures, as outlined below:

• President’s Prize: Professor Sarah Cartmell, University of Manchester.
• Alan Wilson Memorial Lecture Award: Professor Maisoon Al-Jawad, University of Leeds.
• Larry Hench Award: Dr Jessica Senior, University of Huddersfield.

UKSB2025 invites researchers to contribute original findings to the conference that focus on fostering discussions related to biomaterials. We encourage submissions that cover the following topics:

1. Additive Manufacturing;
2. Advanced Antimicrobial Materials;
3. Advanced Engineering Materials;
4. Advanced Therapeutics;
5. Bioelectronics and Biosensors;
6. Dental and Orthopaedic Materials;
7. Drug Delivery;
8. Neuroscience & Neurotechnology
9. Prosthetics and Orthotics;
10. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

Conference Chair: Dr. John Hardy, Department of Chemistry, Lancaster University.

Local Organising Committee:

• Timothy Douglas, School of Engineering, Lancaster University;
• Dr Jemma Kerns, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University;
• Richard Mort, Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University;
• Benjamin Robinson, Department of Physics, Lancaster University.

Important dates:

• Deadline for academic/student poster abstract submissions: 20 June 2025;
• Deadline for industry abstract submissions: 20 June 2025;
• Registration deadline: 20 June 2025.

Guide for authors:

You can submit abstracts for oral/poster presentations via email: UKSB2025@gmail.com.

To register for the event, please click on the following link: https://registration.lancaster.ac.uk/uksocietyforbiomaterials2025.

Registration fee:

• Student: £200;
• Non-student: £230.

Note:

• We will accept abstracts for this conference only;
• There will be a Special Issue of MDPI’s Materials journal;
• There will be awards for oral and poster presentations;
• For any enquiries regarding the event, please contact via email: UKSB2025@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you at UKSB2025.

We are delighted to announce that MDPI will be participating as an exhibitor in the 21^st International Zeolite Conference (21^st IZC), organized by the Chinese Zeolite Association, and it will be held from 13 to 18 July 2025 in Dalian, China. 

This conference aims to sustain the momentum in advancing both the fundamental and applied sciences of porous materials. These materials encompass a diverse array, including microporous zeolites and zeolitic materials, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), mesoporous structural materials, and porous mixed solids, among others. 

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Molecules;
• Membranes;
• AppliedChem;
• ChemEngineering;
• Inorganics;
• Materials;
• Reactions;
• Separations;
• Chemistry. 

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to begin an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the booth and answering any questions you may have. 

For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.izc2025.com/.

Conference: European Corrosion Congress
Date: 7–11 September 2025
Location: Stavanger, Norway

MDPI will be attending the upcoming European Corrosion Congress (EuroCorr 2025) as an exhibitor. This conference will be held in Stavanger, Norway, from 7 to 11 September 2025 and is organized by the Norwegian Corrosion Society and European Federation of Corrosion.

EuroCorr 2025 aims to explore all aspects of corrosion science, technology, and engineering. The main theme of the conference is “Joining Forces for Smart and Sustainable Solutions to Fighting Corrosion in Society”.

Its scope includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Corrosion mechanism and education;
• Corrosion hazard in industrial environment;
• Materials protection and corrosion prevention.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Corrosion and Materials Degradation (CMD);
• Coatings;
• Metals;
• Surfaces;
• Microorganisms;
• Heritage;
• Materials;
• Nanomaterials;
• Buildings;
• Lubricants.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #21 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about this conference, please visit the following website: https://eurocorr2025.org/.

Conference: ACS Fall 2025
Date: 17–21 August 2025
Location: Washington, DC, USA 

MDPI will be attending ACS Fall 2025, which will be held from 17 to 21 August 2025 in Washington, DC, USA. 

The Fall 2025 conference of the American Chemical Society (ACS) will be held in Washington, D.C., the center of global policy. As the largest international academic event in the field of chemistry, this session focuses on “Chemistry Powering Multidisciplinary Solutions”, addressing global challenges such as climate change, the public health crisis, and the energy transition, and promoting the strategic shift from basic research to industrial application. The core theme forums mainly include the following points:

• Breakthroughs in Energy Materials:
• Stability regulation of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI);
• Optimization of hydrogen production efficiency through photocatalytic water cracking (target > 15%);
• Pathways for enhancing the selectivity of carbon dioxide electrocatalytic conversion to C₂+ products.
• Life Sciences and Health:
• Clinical transformation of targeted protein degradation (PROTAC) technology;
• The application of single-cell metabolomics in the early diagnosis of cancer;
• AI-driven rational design of antimicrobial peptides.
• Sustainable Development Technologies:
• Development of plastic chemical recycling catalysts (depolymerization rate ≥ 95%);
• Trace pollutant adsorption based on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs);
• Alternative evaluation of green solvents in pharmaceutical processes (PMI index optimization). 

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Molecules;
• Nanomaterials;
• Separations;
• Materials;
• Batteries;
• Polymers;
• Molbank;
• Organics;
• AppliedChem;
• Liquids;
• Reactions;
• Membranes;
• Colorants;
• Chemistry;
• Analytica;
• Coatings;
• Crystals;
• Electrochem;
• Applied Sciences;
• Catalysts;
• Sustainable Chemistry;
• Ceramics;
• C;
• CMD. 

If you are planning to attend the conference, we encourage you to visit our booth and speak to our representatives. We are eager to meet you in person and assist you with any queries that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the official website: https://www.acs.org/events/fall.html.

In collaboration with City University of Hong Kong, Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) is hosting a Scientific Publishing Workshop designed to educate attendees on the paper publication process and the ecosystem surrounding open access publishing. This session will cover a comprehensive introduction to the editorial process, providing valuable insights and instilling essential skills for structuring papers and replying to reviewers effectively. Additionally, participants will be instructed on methods to improve their scientific writing, with experts in the field leading the session to ensure a thorough understanding of how to escalate their publishing potential.

Date:10 July 2025
Time:14:00–17:00
Venue: Room LT-10, Yeung Kin Man Academic Building
Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RPY978P

Schedule:

Chair and Speakers:

International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), observed annually on 23 June, is a global initiative that celebrates the outstanding achievements of women in engineering while inspiring more young women to pursue engineering careers. Established in 2014 by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) in the UK, this observance has become a vital platform for advancing diversity and inclusion in the engineering profession.

Aligned with the 2025 theme, “Together We Engineer” and Goal 5 of the SDG Publishers Compact: Gender Equality, MDPI emphasizes the power of collective action to break down gender barriers and foster a more inclusive engineering culture. In this era of both challenges and opportunities, women engineers are driving technological innovation in unprecedented ways—from sustainable development solutions to AI ethics frameworks, their contributions are fundamentally reshaping our industry.

Join us in celebrating International Women in Engineering Day and supporting initiatives that empower women in STEM. Together, we can build a future where engineering innovation thrives through diversity, and where every aspiring engineer has equal opportunities to shape our world.

We are pleased to announce that the first Young Women in Engineering Award is open for nominations. This award was established to acknowledge the achievements of young women investigators in the field of engineering and to inspire young women to consider research and careers in engineering.

Nomination deadline: 30 November 2025.

Prize:

• CHF 1000;
• An electronic certificate;
• A voucher to waive the article processing charges (APCs) for one submission to a journal within the field of engineering (subject to peer review)—valid for one year.

For more details about the award, please visit here. Please feel free to send the nomination letter to ywe-award@mdpi.com.

We are honored to interview several outstanding female scholars in engineering field to share their research journey and your insight into being a female engineer.

	Name: Dr. Teresa Donateo Affiliation: Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Italy “Female engineers often bring a unique set of strengths to academic research, shaped by their life experiences and the challenges they routinely navigate. One particularly valuable strength is the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, a skill frequently sharpened through balancing professional responsibilities with personal commitments, such as motherhood.” Please read the full interview here.
	Name: Dr. Jelena Svorcan Affiliation: Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Serbia “Females are generally very responsible, well organized, do not do everything at the last minute, and can very successfully deal with particular, tedious tasks. They perform well under pressure and are great as team leaders and teachers since they engage more with the younger colleagues, but can also be strict when necessary.” Please read the full interview here.
	Name: Dr. Yong Wei Tiong Affiliations: 1 Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 2 Singapore Integrative Biosystems and Engineering Research (SIBER), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore “Female engineers often bring a collaborative, systems-oriented mindset that’s well-suited for complex interdisciplinary problems. They tend to approach problem-solving holistically and with strong communication skills, qualities essential for cross-functional research.” Please read the full interview here.

“Artificial Intelligence for Non-Destructive Imaging in Composite Materials”
by Mine Seckin, Pinar Demircioglu, Ahmet Cagdas Seckin, Ismail Bogrekci and Serra Aksoy
Eng 2025, 6(3), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng6030046

“Disassembly Plan Representation by Hypergraph”
by Abboy Verkuilen, Mirjam Zijderveld, Niels de Buck and Jenny Coenen
Automation 2025, 6(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/automation6010010

“Probing Solid-Binding Peptide Self-Assembly Kinetics Using a Frequency Response Cooperativity Model”
by Taylor Bader, Kyle Boone, Chris Johnson, Cindy L. Berrie and Candan Tamerler
Biomimetics 2025, 10(2), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10020107

“Fast Multi-Distance Time-Domain NIRS and DCS System for Clinical Applications”
by Marco Nabacino, Caterina Amendola, Davide Contini, Rebecca Re, Lorenzo Spinelli and Alessandro Torricelli
Sensors 2024, 24(22), 7375; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24227375

“Understanding the Effect of Carbon Nanotube Core Designs on Controlling Bandgaps and Wave Directionality in Cement”
by Nanziri Esther Kayondo and Shreya Vemuganti
Eng 2024, 5(3), 1811–1822; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng5030096

“On the Importance of Solar Radiation and Shading for the Alkali–Aggregate Reaction Prediction of Concrete Arch Dams”
by Noemi Schclar Leitão
Eng 2024, 5(3), 1673–1695; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng5030088

“Label- and Reagent-Free Optical Sensor for Absorption-Based Detection of Urea Concentration in Water Solutions”
by Carlo Anelli, Vanessa Pellicorio, Valentina Bello and Sabina Merlo
Sensors 2024, 24(9), 2754; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24092754

“Electromechanical Actuator-Based Solution for a Scissor Lift”
by Łukasz Stawiński, Viacheslav Zakharov, Andrzej Kosucki and Tatiana Minav
Actuators 2023, 12(10), 394; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12100394

“A Synthesis-Based Stateful Approach for Guiding Design Thinking in Embedded System Development”
by Hung-Fu Chang and Supannika Koolmanojwong Mobasser
Software 2023, 2(3), 332–349; https://doi.org/10.3390/software2030016

Special Issues:

“New Technologies for Sensors”	“Recent Advances in Compliant Mechanisms”
“Advanced Sensors and Signal Processing for Psychophysiological Monitoring”	“Digital Twins for Sustainable Industrial Processes”
“Micro-/Nanofluidic and Lab-on-a-Chip Devices for Biomedical Applications, 3rd Edition”	“Emerging Trends in Materials Engineering for Clean Energy Applications”

“Effect of Heat Treatment on Polymorphism and Particle Size Distribution of Calcium Carbonate Nanoparticle Synthesized via Mechanochemical Process”
by Md Nuruzzaman, Yanju Liu, Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, Saifullah Omar Nasif and Ravi Naidu
Appl. Nano 2025, 6(2), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/applnano6020008

“Skin Sensitization Potential of Sensitizers in the Presence of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles In Vitro”
by Claudia Meindl, Kristin Öhlinger, Verena Zrim, Jennifer Ober, Ramona Jeitler, Eva Roblegg and Eleonore Fröhlich
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(22), 1811; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14221811

“Two-Dimensional MoS₂ Nanosheets Derived from Cathodic Exfoliation for Lithium Storage Applications”
by Alberto Martínez-Jódar, Silvia Villar-Rodil, José M. Munuera, Alberto Castro-Muñiz, Jonathan N. Coleman, Encarnación Raymundo-Piñero and Juan I. Paredes
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(11), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14110932

“Gold Nanoparticle-Based Colorimetric and Fluorescent Dual-Mode Lateral Flow Immunoassay for SARS-CoV-2 Detection”
by Ying Gan, Hefan Zhang, Jing Liu, Fuqin He, Fengheng Li, Ao Li, Man Xing, Dongming Zhou, Shan-Yu Fung and Hong Yang
J. Funct. Biomater. 2024, 15(3), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb15030058

“Examining the Impact of Intermediate Cooling on Mechanical Properties of 22MnB5 in a Tailored Tempering Process”
by Alborz Reihani, Sebastian Heibel, Thomas Schweiker and Marion Merklein
J. Manuf. Mater. Process. 2024, 8(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp8010005

“Investigating the Effect of Interface Temperature on Molecular Interdiffusion during Laser Transmission Welding of 3D-Printed Composite Parts”
by Anh-Duc Le, André Chateau Akué Asséko, Benoît Cosson and Patricia Krawczak
Materials 2023, 16(18), 6121; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16186121

“Synthesis, Physicochemical Characteristics, and Biocompatibility of Multi-Component Collagen-Based Hydrogels Developed by E-Beam Irradiation”
by Maria Demeter, Andreea Mariana Negrescu, Ion Calina, Anca Scarisoreanu, Mădălina Albu Kaya, Marin Micutz, Marius Dumitru and Anisoara Cimpean
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(9), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14090454

“A Modelling-Based Framework for Carbon Emissions Calculation in Additive Manufacturing: A Stereolithography Case Study”
by Vasiliki C. Panagiotopoulou, Aikaterini Paraskevopoulou and Panagiotis Stavropoulos
Processes 2023, 11(9), 2574; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11092574

“Natural Polyphenols and the Corrosion Protection of Steel: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives for Green and Promising Strategies”
by Rossella Sesia, Silvia Spriano, Marco Sangermano and Sara Ferraris
Metals 2023, 13(6), 1070; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13061070

Special Issues:

“Recent Developments in Friction Stir Welding Technology and Applications”	“Women’s Special Issue Series: Functional Biomaterials (2nd Edition)”
“Healthy and Affordable Zero-Emission Buildings: A Challenge for the Near Future”	“Editorial Board Members’ Collection Series: Biomimetic Surfaces and Interfaces 2025”
“Advanced Materials and Processing Technologies”	“The 15th Anniversary of Nanomaterials—Women in Nanomaterials”

We are pleased to announce that the Young Women in Engineering Award is open for nominations. This award was established to acknowledge the achievements of young women investigators in the field of engineering and to inspire young women to consider research and careers in engineering. All the nominations will be assessed by an Award Evaluation Committee, and winners will be announced online on 8 March 2026.

Prizes:

• CHF 1000;
• An electronic certificate;
• A voucher to waive the article processing charges (APCs) for one submission to a journal within the field of engineering (subject to peer review)—valid for one year.

Number of winners: 2.

Eligibility and requirements:

• This role is designated for female candidates;
• Must have received their Ph.D. no more than 10 years prior to 31 December 2025;
• Must have produced groundbreaking research and made a significant contribution to the advancement of engineering;
• Must be nominated by senior scientists.

List of documents for nomination:

• Detailed curriculum vitae, including an updated publication list and a list of the researcher’s own research grants;
• Scanned copy of doctorate certificate;
• Signed nomination letters from two established senior scientists.

Schedule:

Open for nominations: 23 June 2025;
Nomination deadline: 30 November 2025;
Winner announcement: 8 March 2026.

Nominations and contact:

All nomination materials and award-related communications must be submitted via our official email: ywe-award@mdpi.com.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your nominations.

Young Women in Engineering Award Team

We are pleased to share that the Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) was awarded an increased Impact Factor of 3.2 in the 2024 Journal Citation Reports^TM released by Clarivate^TM in June 2025. The journal ranks in Q2 (25 among 96 titles) in the “Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering” category.

The 2024 Journal Impact Factor is calculated by dividing the number of citations received in 2024 to all publications in the journal from 2022 and 2023 by the total number of citable publications from those same years.

To learn more, visit our journal statistics website for detailed metrics or check out our new article for general information.

The support and dedication of all the editors, reviewers, authors, and readers are an integral part of the journal’s performance. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have contributed to the journal.