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.

We are delighted to share some of the highly cited papers from the Section “Pharmacology and Drug Metabolism” that were published in Metabolites (ISSN: 2218-1989) in 2023 and 2024. In addition, some Special Issues related to this topic are currently open for submission.

The following is a list of articles and Special Issues that we believe will be interest of you:

1. “Links between Metabolic Syndrome and Hypertension: The Relationship with the Current Antidiabetic Drugs”
by Silviu Stanciu, Emilia Rusu, Daniela Miricescu, Ana Cristina Radu, Bianca Axinia, Ana Maria Vrabie, Ruxandra Ionescu, Mariana Jinga and Carmen Adella Sirbu
Metabolites 2023, 13(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13010087
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/1/87

2. “Understanding the Consequences of Fatty Bone and Fatty Muscle: How the Osteosarcopenic Adiposity Phenotype Uncovers the Deterioration of Body Composition”
by Kelsey Hu, Elizabeth Deya Edelen, Wenqing Zhuo, Aliya Khan, Josselyne Orbegoso, Lindsey Greenfield, Berna Rahi, Michael Griffin, Jasminka Z. Ilich and Owen J. Kelly
Metabolites 2023, 13(10), 1056; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13101056
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/10/1056

3. “A Study of the Synergistic Effects of Essential Oils from Origanum compactum and Origanum elongatum with Commercial Antibiotics against Highly Prioritized Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria for the World Health Organization”
by Aziz Drioiche, Soukayna Baammi, Khalid Zibouh, Omkulthom Al Kamaly, Anwar M. Alnakhli, Firdaous Remok, Soukaina Saidi, Rachid Amaiach, Fadoua El Makhoukhi, Abdelhakim Elomri et al.
Metabolites 2024, 14(4), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14040210
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/4/210

4. “Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Drug–Drug Interactions: Research Methods and Applications”
by Lei Sun, Kun Mi, Yixuan Hou, Tianyi Hui, Lan Zhang, Yanfei Tao, Zhenli Liu and Lingli Huang
Metabolites 2023, 13(8), 897; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13080897
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/8/897

5. “Prediction of a Large-Scale Database of Collision Cross-Section and Retention Time Using Machine Learning to Reduce False Positive Annotations in Untargeted Metabolomics”
by Marie Lenski, Saïd Maallem, Gianni Zarcone, Guillaume Garçon, Jean-Marc Lo-Guidice, Sébastien Anthérieu and Delphine Allorge
Metabolites 2023, 13(2), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13020282
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/2/282

6. “Environment, Endocrine Disruptors, and Fatty Liver Disease Associated with Metabolic Dysfunction (MASLD)”
by Antonella Mosca, Melania Manco, Maria Rita Braghini, Stefano Cianfarani, Giuseppe Maggiore, Anna Alisi and Andrea Vania
Metabolites 2024, 14(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14010071
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/1/71

7. “Metabolites of Geum aleppicum and Sibbaldianthe bifurca: Diversity and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Potential”
by Nina I. Kashchenko, Daniil N. Olennikov and Nadezhda K. Chirikova
Metabolites 2023, 13(6), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13060689
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/6/689

8. “Effects of Pregnancy on Plasma Sphingolipids Using a Metabolomic and Quantitative Analysis Approach”
by Luke F. Enthoven, Yuanyuan Shi, Emily Fay, Agnes Kim, Sue Moreni, Jennie Mao, Nina Isoherranen, Rheem A. Totah and Mary F. Hebert
Metabolites 2023, 13(9), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13091026
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/9/1026

9. “Machine Learning to Predict Enzyme–Substrate Interactions in Elucidation of Synthesis Pathways: A Review”
by Luis F. Salas-Nuñez, Alvaro Barrera-Ocampo, Paola A. Caicedo, Natalie Cortes, Edison H. Osorio, Maria F. Villegas-Torres and Andres F. González Barrios
Metabolites 2024, 14(3), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14030154
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/3/154

10. “Integrative Multiomics Approach to Skin: The Sinergy between Individualised Medicine and Futuristic Precision Skin Care?”
by Angelica Dessì, Roberta Pintus, Vassilios Fanos and Alice Bosco
Metabolites 2024, 14(3), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14030157
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/3/157

Special Issues:

We are delighted to share some highly cited papers on NAFLD research that were published in our journal Metabolites (ISSN: 2218-1989) in 2023–2024. In addition, some Special Issues related to this topic are currently open for submission.

The following is a list of articles and Special Issues that we believe will be interest of you:

1. “Bilirubin Nanoparticle Treatment in Obese Mice Inhibits Hepatic Ceramide Production and Remodels Liver Fat Content”
by Zachary A. Kipp, Genesee J. Martinez, Evelyn A. Bates, Agil B. Maharramov, Robert M. Flight, Hunter N. B. Moseley, Andrew J. Morris, David E. Stec and Terry D. Hinds, Jr.
Metabolites 2023, 13(2), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13020215
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/2/215

2. “Metabolic Role of Autophagy in the Pathogenesis and Development of NAFLD”
by Lingxuan An, Ulrich Wirth, Dominik Koch, Malte Schirren, Moritz Drefs, Dionysios Koliogiannis, Hanno Niess, Joachim Andrassy, Markus Guba, Alexandr V. Bazhin et al.
Metabolites 2023, 13(1), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13010101
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/1/101

3. “Screening for NAFLD—Current Knowledge and Challenges”
by Roberta Forlano, Giordano Sigon, Benjamin H. Mullish, Michael Yee and Pinelopi Manousou
Metabolites 2023, 13(4), 536; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13040536
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/4/536

4. “Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease—Current Background, Hopes, and Perspectives”
by Georgiana-Diana Cazac, Cristina-Mihaela Lăcătușu, Gabriela Ștefănescu, Cătălina Mihai, Elena-Daniela Grigorescu, Alina Onofriescu and Bogdan-Mircea Mihai
Metabolites 2023, 13(5), 581; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13050581
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/5/581

5. “Plasma Metabolite Signatures in Male Carriers of Genetic Variants Associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease”
by Lilian Fernandes Silva, Jagadish Vangipurapu, Anniina Oravilahti, Ville Männistö and Markku Laakso
Metabolites 2023, 13(2), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13020267
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/2/267

6. “Adipose Tissue Insulin Resistance in South Asian and Nordic Women after Gestational Diabetes Mellitus”
by Ahalya Anita Suntharalingam Kvist, Archana Sharma, Christine Sommer, Elisabeth Qvigstad, Hanne Løvdal Gulseth, Stina Therese Sollid, Ingrid Nermoen, Naveed Sattar, Jason Gill, Tone Møller Tannæs et al.
Metabolites 2024, 14(5), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14050288
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/5/288

7. “The Cellular Stability Hypothesis: Evidence of Ferroptosis and Accelerated Aging-Associated Diseases as Newly Identified Nutritional Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0) Deficiency Syndrome”
by Stephanie Venn-Watson
Metabolites 2024, 14(7), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14070355
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/7/355

Special Issues:

We are delighted to share some highly cited papers on diet and metabolism research that were published in our journal Metabolites (ISSN: 2218-1989) in 2023–2024.

1. “The Effect of a Gluten-Free Diet on Vitamin D Metabolism in Celiac Disease: The State of the Art”
by Michele Di Stefano, Emanuela Miceli, Caterina Mengoli, Gino Roberto Corazza and Antonio Di Sabatino
Metabolites 2023, 13(1), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13010074
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/1/74

2. “LC-QToF-Based Metabolomics Identifies Aberrant Tissue Metabolites Associated with a Higher-Fat Diet and Their ‘Reversion to Healthy’ with Dietary Probiotic Supplementation”
by Allyson Dailey, Gloria Solano-Aguilar, Joseph F. Urban and Robin D. Couch
Metabolites 2023, 13(3), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030358
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/358

3. “Oral Administration of Chaetoceros gracilis—A Marine Microalga—Alleviates Hepatic Lipid Accumulation in Rats Fed a High-Sucrose and Cholesterol-Containing Diet”
by Bungo Shirouchi, Yuri Kawahara, Yuka Kutsuna, Mina Higuchi, Mai Okumura, Sarasa Mitsuta, Norio Nagao and Kazunari Tanaka
Metabolites 2023, 13(3), 436; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030436
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/436

4. “Mechanisms of Maternal Diet-Induced Obesity Affecting the Offspring Brain and Development of Affective Disorders”
by Daniel E. Radford-Smith and Daniel C. Anthony
Metabolites 2023, 13(3), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030455
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/455

5. “High-Fat-Diet Suppressed Ketone Body Utilization for Lipogenic Pathway in Brown Adipose Tissues”
by Masahiro Yamasaki, Shinya Hasegawa, Shotaro Ozaki, Masahiko Imai, Daisuke Saito and Noriko Takahashi
Metabolites 2023, 13(4), 519; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13040519
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/4/519

6. “Molecular Mechanisms of Western Diet-Induced Obesity and Obesity-Related Carcinogenesis—A Narrative Review”
by Dhruvi Lathigara, Devesh Kaushal and Robert Beaumont Wilson
Metabolites 2023, 13(5), 675; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13050675
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/5/675

7. “Dietary Inflammatory and Insulinemic Potentials, Plasma Metabolome and Risk of Colorectal Cancer”
by Dong Hoon Lee, Qi Jin, Ni Shi, Fenglei Wang, Alaina M. Bever, Jun Li, Liming Liang, Frank B. Hu, Mingyang Song, Oana A. Zeleznik et al.
Metabolites 2023, 13(6), 744; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13060744
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/6/744

8. “Bridging the Gap from Enterotypes to Personalized Dietary Recommendations: A Metabolomics Perspective on Microbiome Research”
by Madeline Bartsch, Andreas Hahn and Shoma Berkemeyer
Metabolites 2023, 13(12), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13121182
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/12/1182

9. “Oreo Cookie Treatment Lowers LDL Cholesterol More Than High-Intensity Statin therapy in a Lean Mass Hyper-Responder on a Ketogenic Diet: A Curious Crossover Experiment”
by Nicholas G. Norwitz and William C. Cromwell
Metabolites 2024, 14(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14010073
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/1/73

10. “Long-Term Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Reduces 20-Year Diabetes Incidence: The ATTICA Cohort Study (2002–2022)”
by Ioanna Kechagia, Thomas Tsiampalis, Evangelia Damigou, Fotios Barkas, Georgia Anastasiou, Evrydiki Kravvariti, Evangelos Liberopoulos, Petros P. Sfikakis, Christina Chrysohoou, Costas Tsioufis et al.
Metabolites 2024, 14(4), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14040182
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/4/182

11. “Can Daily Dietary Choices Have a Cardioprotective Effect? Food Compounds in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiometabolic Diseases”
by Elżbieta Szczepańska, Barbara Janota, Marika Wlazło and Magdalena Gacal
Metabolites 2024, 14(6), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14060296
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/6/296

12. “Metabolomic and Physiological Effects of a Cardiorenal Protective Diet Intervention in African American Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease”
by Meera J. Patel, Chiamaka Emerenini, Xuan Wang, Teodoro Bottiglieri and Heather Kitzman
Metabolites 2024, 14(6), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14060300
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/6/300

13. “Changes in Serum Metabolome Following Low-Energy Diet-Induced Weight Loss in Women with Overweight and Prediabetes: A PREVIEW-New Zealand Sub-Study”
by Bárbara Relva, Linda M. Samuelsson, Iola F. Duarte, Ulrike Fasol, Patrick J. B. Edwards, Mikael Fogelholm, Anne Raben, Sally D. Poppitt and Marta P. Silvestre
Metabolites 2024, 14(8), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14080401
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/8/401

14. “Machine Learning-Based Plasma Metabolomics in Liraglutide-Treated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients and Diet-Induced Obese Mice”
by Seokjae Park and Eun-Kyoung Kim
Metabolites 2024, 14(9), 483; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14090483
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/9/483

15. “Maternal Dietary Deficiencies in Folic Acid and Choline Change Metabolites Levels in Offspring after Ischemic Stroke”
by Faizan Anwar, Mary-Tyler Mosley, Paniz Jasbi, Jinhua Chi, Haiwei Gu and Nafisa M. Jadavji
Metabolites 2024, 14(10), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14100552
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/10/552

We are delighted to share some highly cited papers on salivary metabolomics research that were published 2023–2024 in our journal Metabolites (ISSN: 2218-1989).

1. “Salivary Antioxidant Capacity and Magnesium in Generalized Anxiety Disorder”
by Elena V. Proskurnina, Krystsina M. Liaukovich, Lyubov S. Bychkovskaya, Ivan V. Mikheev, Evgenia I. Alshanskaia, Mikhail A. Proskurnin, Olga V. Martynova and Galina V. Portnova
Metabolites 2023, 13(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13010073
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/1/73

2. “Qualitative and Quantitative Mass Spectrometry in Salivary Metabolomics and Proteomics”
by Paulina Grocholska, Marta Kowalska and Remigiusz Bąchor
Metabolites 2023, 13(2), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13020155
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/2/155

3. “Salivary Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Amino Acid Metabolism Shift in SARS-CoV-2 Virus Activity and Post-Infection Condition”
by Tatiana Kelly da Silva Fidalgo, Liana Bastos Freitas-Fernandes, Barbara Bruno Fagundes Marques, Caroline Souza de Araújo, Bruno Jefferson da Silva, Taísa Coelho Guimarães, Ricardo Guimarães Fischer, Eduardo Muniz Barretto Tinoco and Ana Paula Valente
Metabolites 2023, 13(2), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13020263
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/2/263

4. “Using LC-MS/MS to Determine Salivary Steroid Reference Intervals in a European Older Adult Population”
by Sarah Gregory, Scott G. Denham, Patricia Lee, Joanna P. Simpson and Natalie Z. M. Homer
Metabolites 2023, 13(2), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13020265
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/2/265

5. “Identification of a Biomarker Panel for Diagnosis of Early Childhood Caries Using Salivary Metabolic Profile”
by Seonghye Kim, Yuri Song, Seyeon Kim, Siyeong Kim, Heesam Na, Sujin Lee, Jin Chung and Suhkmann Kim
Metabolites 2023, 13(3), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030356
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/356

6. “Metabolic Profile of Whole Unstimulated Saliva in Patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome”
by Giacomo Setti, Valeria Righi, Adele Mucci, Lucia Panari, Giuditta Bernardelli, Elisabetta Tarentini, Anna Gambini, Ugo Consolo, Luigi Generali, Cristina Magnoni et al.
Metabolites 2023, 13(3), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030348
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/348

7. “Saliva Metabolomic Profile in Dental Medicine Research: A Narrative Review”
by Konstantinos Tzimas and Eftychia Pappa
Metabolites 2023, 13(3), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030379
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/379

8. “Oral Sources of Salivary Metabolites”
by Eelis Hyvärinen, Bina Kashyap and Arja M. Kullaa
Metabolites 2023, 13(4), 498; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13040498
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/4/498

9. “Saliva as Biomarker for Oral and Chronic Degenerative Non-Communicable Diseases”
by Michele Basilicata, Massimo Pieri, Giulia Marrone, Eleonora Nicolai, Manuela Di Lauro, Vincenza Paolino, Flaminia Tomassetti, Ilaria Vivarini, Patrizio Bollero, Sergio Bernardini et al.
Metabolites 2023, 13(8), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13080889
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/8/889

10. “Tear and Saliva Metabolomics in Evaporative Dry Eye Disease in Females”
by Fredrik A. Fineide, Behzod Tashbayev, Katja B. P. Elgstøen, Elise M. Sandås, Helge Rootwelt, Håvard Hynne, Xiangjun Chen, Sten Ræder, Jelle Vehof, Darlene Dartt et al.
Metabolites 2023, 13(11), 1125; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13111125
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/11/1125

MDPI will be attending the 43rd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, taking place from 26 to 30 May 2025 in Bucharest, Romania.

The 43rd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases will be held in person in Bucharest and online. This premier meeting brings together leading researchers and specialists from across Europe and beyond, all committed to advancing the study, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases in children.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Pediatric Reports;
• Children;
• Diagnostics;
• Hygiene;
• Metabolites;
• Antibiotics;
• TropicalMed.

If you plan 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 at https://espidmeeting.org/.

MDPI is excited to collaborate with Toronto Metropolitan University to host an engaging Scientific Publishing Workshop aimed at empowering scholars with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in academic publishing. This workshop will delve into the key aspects of MDPI’s open access publishing framework, offering an in-depth exploration of journal selection, the editorial workflow, and the essentials of publication ethics. Participants will also gain practical advice on improving their scientific writing and effectively addressing reviewer comments, with guidance from an experienced professional. This session promises to equip attendees with valuable skills to elevate their publishing journey.

Workshop Highlights:

• Learn How to Better Write and Structure a Research Article;
• How to Choose Where to Publish Academic Work;
• How to Respond to Reviewer Comments;
• Reasons for Rejection During Pre-Check;
• How to Navigate Through Ethics and AI Use.

Date: 15 May 2025
Time: 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Venue: Toronto Metropolitan University

Program:

Conference: Chinese Society of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology 2025 Annual Meeting
Organization: Chinese Society of Plant Biology
Date: 28 July–01 August 2025
Place: Heilongjiang, China

MDPI journals will be present as exhibitors at the Chinese Society of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology 2025 Annual Meeting, which will be held at the Sheraton Harbin Xiangfang Hotel, Heilongjiang, China, from 28 July to 1 August 2025.

This conference will cover the following topics:

1. Plant metabolism and nutritional health;
2. Plant development and cell fate;
3. Plant carbon sink and physiological ecology;
4. Phytoremediation biology and sustainable agriculture;
5. Plant adversity perception and trait plasticity;
6. Plant–microbe symbiosis and nutrition;
7. Crop molecular design breeding;
8. Plant–biotic interactions and crop disease and pest resistance;
9. Plant epigenetics;
10. Interdisciplinary forum;
11. Young scholars forum;
12. Youth forum on natural product biosynthesis;
13. Young scholars’ growth and journal development forum.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Plants;
• Current Issues in Molecular Biology (CIMB);
• Agriculture;
• International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS);
• Horticulturae;
• Agronomy;
• International Journal of Plant Biology (IJPB);
• Epigenomes;
• Cells;
• BioTech;
• Phycology;
• Metabolites;
• Microorganisms;
• Methods and Protocols.

If you will be attending this conference, please feel free to visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

We are honored to introduce the award committee for the 2024 Tu Youyou Award, composed of distinguished scientists from around the world whose research covers diverse areas of natural product chemistry, pharmacognosy, and drug discovery. Their broad expertise and pioneering contributions have significantly advanced medicinal and natural products research.

Through their collective insights, rigorous evaluation, the committee has carefully selected this year’s award recipients, recognizing exceptional achievements in the field.

We sincerely thank these distinguished scholars for their efforts and dedication to upholding the standards of the Tu Youyou Award.  Below is the list of committee members. For more information about the Tu Youyou Award, please visit https://tuyouyouprize.org/. 

Chair:

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

Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn is a leading expert in pharmacognosy and natural products research. He is recognized for his key contributions to discovering bioactive compounds from plants, especially in anticancer, cancer chemopreventive, and substances with a sweet taste and taste-modifying agents. His prolific contributions include over 590 peer-reviewed works and book chapters and edited or co-edited 40 scientific volumes.

Prof. Angelo Fontana University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy	Angelo Fontana is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Naples “Federico II” in Italy and serves as Director of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry at the National Research Council (CNR). His research focuses on bioactive small molecules derived from marine eukaryotes, with a particular interest on their pharmaceutical applications in immunology and oncology. He also explores their potential as molecular tools for probing and modulating complex biological systems. Prof. Fontana is a co-founder of BioSEArch SRL and has been recognized with numerous grants and honors, including the Apivita Award from the Phytochemical Society of Europe.
Prof. Binghe Wang Georgia State University, USA	Prof. Binghe Wang’s lab works on drug design, drug delivery, click chemistry, chemical biology, new diagnostics, and gaseous signaling molecules such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. His interdisciplinary research supports advances in cancer, infectious diseases, organ protection, inflammation, and other areas.
Dr. Diana Pinto University of Aveiro, Portugal	Dr. Diana Pinto, an Associate Professor at the University of Aveiro, specializes in organic synthesis of bioactive heterocyclic compounds, sustainable catalysis (organo-, heterogeneous, and biocatalysis), and natural product research, including isolation, characterization, and total synthesis.
Prof. Hideaki Kakeya Kyoto University, Japan	Prof. Hideaki Kakeya conducts cutting-edge research in chemical biology, high-throughput screening, and biosynthesis of bioactive natural products for system chemotherapy and other therapeutic applications.
Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel University of Strathclyde, UK	Prof. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel heads the Natural Products Metabolomics Group (NPMG), specializing in marine natural products discovery and metabolomics-driven drug development. A recognized expert in bioactive metabolites, she collaborates with industry and academia to address antimicrobial resistance and sustainable bioprospecting. She serves on the Editorial Board of Marine Drugs and holds two patents in the field.
Prof. Thomas Prisinzano University of Kentucky, USA	Prof. Thomas Prisinzano combines medicinal and natural product chemistry to explore neurotransmitter systems and develop treatments for drug abuse and pain. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Innovator Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence.
Prof. Wei Li University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA	A distinguished professor and Director of the Drug Discovery Center, Prof. Wei Li is also the founder of SEAK Therapeutics, and the 2025 Chair-Elect of the Drug Discovery and Development Division of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). His work focuses on medicinal chemistry and small molecule drug discovery, with over 200 publications and 15 issued US patents.