Dear Colleagues,

The year 2020 marked the 25th anniversary of Molecules. Since its launch in 1996, Molecules has published peer-reviewed papers from more than 143,000 authors. More than 45,000 reviewers have submitted at least one review report.

In recognition of our authors’ continued support, Molecules has launched the “Molecules 2020 Best Paper Award for Anniversary Special Issues”, with prizes awarded to the best papers published in the “Anniversary Special Issues”.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the “Molecules 2020 Best Paper Award for Anniversary Special Issues”. The award consists of three prizes, and each winner (corresponding author) will receive a bonus and an electronic certificate and an offer to publish a paper in Molecules with the article processing charge (APC) waived before the end of 2022.

On behalf of the assessment committee, we would like to congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups of the aforementioned exceptional papers for their contributions to Molecules and the Award Committee for voting and helping with this award.

The award has been granted to:

First Prize
Polymeric Nanoparticles: Production, Characterization, Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
By Aleksandra Zielińska, Filipa Carreiró, Ana M. Oliveira, Andreia Neves, Bárbara Pires, D. Nagasamy Venkatesh, Alessandra Durazzo, Massimo Lucarini, Piotr Eder, Amélia M. Silva, Antonello Santini and Eliana B. Souto
Molecules 2020, 25(16), 3731; DOI: 10.3390/molecules25163731

Second Prizes
Nanomaterials for Wound Dressings: An Up-to-Date Overview
By Alexandra Elena Stoica, Cristina Chircov and Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
Molecules 2020, 25(11), 2699; DOI: 10.3390/molecules25112699

PROTACs and Building Blocks: The 2D Chemical Space in Very Early Drug Discovery
By Giuseppe Ermondi, Diego Garcia-Jimenez and Giulia Caron
Molecules 2021, 26(3), 672; DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030672

Third Prizes
LncMirNet: Predicting LncRNA–miRNA Interaction Based on Deep Learning of Ribonucleic Acid Sequences
By Sen Yang, Yan Wang, Yu Lin, Dan Shao, Kai He and Lan Huang
Molecules 2020, 25(19), 4372; DOI: 10.3390/molecules25194372

Merging Ligand-Based and Structure-Based Methods in Drug Discovery: An Overview of Combined Virtual Screening Approaches
By Javier Vázquez, Manel López, Enric Gibert, Enric Herrero and F. Javier Luque
Molecules 2020, 25(20), 4723; DOI: 10.3390/molecules25204723

The Protective Role of Butyrate against Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases
By Serena Coppola, Carmen Avagliano, Antonio Calignano and Roberto Berni Canani
Molecules 2021, 26(3), 682; DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030682

Cyanogenic Glycoside Analysis in American Elderberry
By Michael K. Appenteng, Ritter Krueger, Mitch C. Johnson, Harrison Ingold, Richard Bell, Andrew L. Thomas and C. Michael Greenlief
Molecules 2021, 26(5), 1384; DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051384

Amygdalin: Toxicity, Anticancer Activity and Analytical Procedures for Its Determination in Plant Seeds
By Ewa Jaszczak-Wilke, Żaneta Polkowska, Marek Koprowski, Krzysztof Owsianik, Alyson E. Mitchell and Piotr Bałczewski
Molecules 2021, 26(8), 2253; DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082253

Kind regards,
Molecules Award Evaluation Committee