Lactic Acid Bacteria in Food Fermentation and Biotechnology
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2025 | Viewed by 1002
Special Issue Editor
Interests: food microbiology; food biotechnology; molecular microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Lactic acid bacteria have accompanied humans throughout ages and across civilizations as the agents that drive the biotransformation of raw materials of plant and animal origin, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, milk and meat, into products with enhanced palatability, nutritional value and shelf-life. Recently, the biotechnological potential of lactic acid bacteria has also been unfolded; their utilization as cell factories for the production of a wide range of metabolites, such as vitamins, bioactive peptides and biosurfactants, is currently under intensive investigation.
The recent conceptual and technological advances in the field of molecular biology and the introduction of novel approaches have enhanced our understanding of every aspect of lactic acid bacteria subsistence. Indeed, a more thorough microecosystem characterization has been achieved through the combination of taxonomic and metabolomic assessment, the impact of each metabolically active member of a lactic-acid-fermenting microcommunity has been revealed and the evaluation of the biotechnological potential of isolates has been accelerated. The aim of this Special Issue is to create a collection of articles that improve our understanding, update current knowledge, and identify research gaps regarding the use of lactic acid bacteria in food fermentation and biotechnology.
Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:
- Starter Cultures and Fermentation Processes: Advances in the selection, optimization, and application of lactic acid bacteria as starter cultures in various food fermentation processes, such as dairy, meat, vegetable, and cereal fermentation;
- Metabolic Diversity and Pathways: Exploration of the metabolic diversity and pathways of lactic acid bacteria, including their production of organic acids, exopolysaccharides, and antimicrobial compounds;
- Biotechnological Applications: Innovative biotechnological applications of lactic acid bacteria, including their use in the production of functional foods, probiotics, bioactive compounds, and biofuels；
- Health Benefits and Functional Properties: Research on the health-promoting properties and functional benefits of lactic acid bacteria, including their role in gut health, immunity, and disease prevention;
- Genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Systems Biology: Insights from genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and systems biology approaches to unravel the genetic, molecular, and physiological mechanisms underlying the functional properties of lactic acid bacteria.
Dr. Spiros Paramithiotis
Guest Editor
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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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
- genomics
- transcriptomics
- metabolomics
- cell factories
- bioactive compounds
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.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
