The Microbiome/Virome Interface during COVID-19

Dear Colleagues,

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is causing global disruption and has burdened health systems worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 has a relatively broad tropism, due to the widespread expression of its cellular receptor ACE2; this includes the gastrointestinal (GI) system, and COVID-19 patients with COVID-related GI complications tend to develop more severe disease outcomes. Disruption of the gut barrier, intestinal dysbiosis, and associated immune alterations have been described as pathogenetic mechanisms in a plethora of health conditions, but it is still unclear how SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 affects the intestinal environment, the gut microbiome, and the progression of other viral infections in co-infected patients or vice versa. The aim of this Special Issue of The Microbiome/Virome Interface during COVID-19 is to collect recent evidence from basic and translational research to answer these questions.

We welcome submissions of original research papers, brief research reports, mini-reviews, and full reviews detailing evidence at a cellular, molecular, and/or immunological level. This includes, but is not limited to, the following two-way relationships:

• SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and intestinal cells;
• SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and bacterial or fungal intestinal dysbiosis;
• SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and intestinal phage signatures;
• SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and the gut–liver/lung/brain axes;
• SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and gut/immune interactions;
• SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and HBV/HCV/HIV infections.

Dr. Antonio Riva
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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.