Advances in Bacterial Genetics and Evolution

Dear Colleagues, 

This Special Issue is a continuation of our 2024 Special Issue, titled "Advances in Bacterial Genetics".

In recent years, the widespread application of genetic and genomic approaches has revealed a bacterial world astonishing in its ubiquity and diversity. There are approximately 2×10³⁰ bacteria on Earth, forming a biomass that is only exceeded by plants. They were among the first life forms to appear on Earth and are present in most of its habitats where they may have very different ecological roles.

Because of their fast growth and the relative ease with which they can be manipulated, bacteria are the workhorses for the fields of molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry. Bacterial genetics has been the driving force of advancing modern genetics since the middle of the last century and is still at the forefront of genetic and microbiology research in several areas. The following are the topics of interest of this Special Issue:

• Evolutionary mechanisms: Bacteria are able to rapidly evolve and adapt to constantly changing environmental conditions, thanks to the constant fine tuning of their mutation rates and the horizontal transfer of genetic information among different bacteria.
• Regulatory mechanisms: The huge array of genetic tools that enable bacteria to control all levels of gene expression.
• Growth and differentiation, including cell-cycle control and spore formation.
• Pathogenic mechanisms and the spread of antibiotic resistance.
• Bacterial communication and interaction with each other and with the surrounding environment through mechanisms such as quorum sensing and production/detection of signal molecules including volatile organic compounds.
• Symbiotic lifestyle, allowing bacteria to thrive inside plant and animal hosts.
• Ecological roles: Bacteria are vital in many stages of the nutrient cycle due to recycling nutrients (e.g., ixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere).
• Systems biology and metabolic modeling: Since most bacteria have not yet been characterized and there are many species that cannot be grown in the laboratory, these disciplines can allow studying and predicting those processes, which could not be studied otherwise.

This Special Issue of Microorganisms aims to expand the current state of the art regarding all the areas of bacterial genetics, not just those mentioned above. Research articles, reviews, and short communications concerning the current challenges of bacterial genetics are of interest.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Renato Fani
Prof. Dr. Anna Maria Puglia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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