Harnessing Microbial Interactions: Novel Antimicrobial Targets and Bioactive Molecules
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 19
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global health crisis, necessitating the development of innovative strategies to combat resistant pathogens. This Special Issue of Microorganisms, ‘Harnessing Microbial Interactions: Novel Antimicrobial Targets and Bioactive Molecules’, will focus on leveraging microbial interactions as a cornerstone for discovering new antimicrobial targets and bioactive molecules. Microbes coexist in complex ecological networks, engaging in competitive, cooperative, or antagonistic relationships that drive the evolution of defense mechanisms and bioactive compound production. By deciphering these interactions—spanning bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses—researchers can identify novel drug targets (e.g., virulence factors, signaling pathways, or metabolic dependencies) and harness microbial-derived antimicrobial agents, such as bacteriocins, secondary metabolites, or lytic enzymes.
For this Special Issue, we invite the submission of cutting-edge research exploring interdisciplinary approaches, including metagenomics, metabolomics, and synthetic biology, to uncover microbial interaction-driven solutions. Topics of interest include interspecies communication, phage–microbe dynamics, microbiome-mediated pathogen inhibition, and evolutionary adaptations influencing antimicrobial production. Emphasis will also be placed on translational applications, such as engineering microbial consortia for therapeutic purposes, optimizing drug discovery pipelines, and repurposing microbial molecules for clinical use. By bridging ecological insights and biomedical innovation, this Special Issue will catalyze the development of next-generation antimicrobial therapies that circumvent resistance mechanisms while minimizing off-target effects. Contributions highlighting ethical, ecological, and technological challenges in translating microbial discoveries into real-world solutions are particularly encouraged.
Dr. Peipei Zhang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- antimicrobial resistance
- microbial interactions
- novel drug targets
- microbial-derived metabolites
- antibiotic discovery
- cross-species communication
- host–microbe interactions
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