Insect–Microbe Symbiosis
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiomes".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: insect microbiome; Wolbachia; insect-microbe interactions
Interests: environmental microbiology; plant-microbe interaction; mycorrhizal symbiosis; fungal biology; microbial genomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear colleagues,
The current Special Issue of the journal Microorganisms, entitled “Insect–Microbe Symbiosis”, invites researchers to publish their latest research findings and advancements, aiming to jointly explore the complex interactions between insects and microbes, as well as the multifaceted impacts brought about by their symbiotic relationships. This Special Issue intends to deeply investigate the important roles played by insect–microbe symbiosis in evolutionary processes, ecosystems, and the development of biotechnology.
Insect–microbe symbiosis is one of the most fascinating evolutionary partnerships in nature. These complex relationships drive ecological adaptation, shape community dynamics, and provide innovative solutions to global challenges. Symbiotic microbes endow insects with various key traits such as nutrient acquisition, detoxification, immune defense, and heat resistance, while insects offer a stable microenvironment for the survival of microbes. This interdisciplinary field integrates entomology, microbiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology, and holds transformative potential in sustainable agricultural development, vector control, and synthetic biology.
We are pleased to invite original research papers and review articles focused on deciphering the molecular mechanisms, ecological significance, and application potential of insect–microbe symbiosis. Suitable topics for this Special Issue include (but are not limited to) research on microbial community dynamics in insect hosts; symbiosis-driven evolutionary innovations; cross-kingdom signaling and metabolic co-evolution; practical applications in pest management/biological control; and omics-based research methods for symbiosis.
Dr. Yu-Xi Zhu
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Hijri
Dr. Tongpu Li
Guest Editors
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
- insect–microbe symbiosis
- endosymbionts
- microbiome
- horizontal gene transfer
- metabolic co-evolution
- biological control
- ecological resilience
- antibiotic resistance
- microbial ecology
- host–symbiont co-evolution
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