Announcements
22 August 2025
MDPI Webinar | 1st MDPI Topic Editor Club 2025, 4 September 2025
MDPI invites you to join the very first MDPI Topic Editor Club. This new initiative was designed as a platform to highlight emerging research themes, share editorial experiences, and foster meaningful connections among Topic Editors worldwide.
MDPI Topics are collections of papers on a shared theme, published across two or more MDPI journals. They allow researchers from different fields to collaborate, explore common ideas, and reach wider audiences. Each topic is led by a team of Topic Editors with expertise in different areas and supported by MDPI’s simple and efficient publishing process.
The Topic Editor Club brings together several Topic Editors from various disciplines to showcase their work, discuss both challenges and successes, and share new ideas for developing impactful topics. It presents a great opportunity to learn from one another, explore cross-disciplinary collaborations, and support the growth of open access research together.
We hope you will join us for this exciting first session of the MDPI Topic Editor Club and welcome your thoughts and questions during the live Q&A segment. Please find the schedule and speaker list below.
Date: 4 September 2025 at 2:00 p.m. CEST | 8:00 p.m. CST (Asia)
Webinar ID: 837 6434 9842
Register now for free!
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Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST |
Time in CST Asia |
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MDPI Introduction |
2:00–2:10 p.m. |
8:00–8:10 p.m. |
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Dr. Sakdirat Kaewunruen |
2:10–2:30 p.m. |
8:10–8:30 p.m. |
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Dr. Constantinos (Konstantinos) G. Tsiafoulis |
2:30–2:50 p.m. |
8:30–8:50 p.m. |
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Mr. Aleksandar Markovic |
2:50–3:10 p.m. |
8:50–9:10 p.m. |
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Q&A Session |
3:10–3:25 p.m. |
9:10–9:25 p.m. |
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Closing of Webinar |
3:25–3:30 p.m. |
9:25–9:30 p.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will inform you when the recording is available.
Webinar Keynote Speakers:
- Dr. Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Reader in Railway and Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham, UK;
- Dr. Constantinos G. Tsiafoulis, 1 NMR Centre, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Greece; 2 Collaborative Educational Personnel, School of Natural Sciences and Technology, Hellenic Open University, Greece;
- Mr. Aleksandar Markovic, Journal Relations Specialist, MDPI.
For more information about this webinar, please visit the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/MTEC2025.
14 August 2025
Nutrients | Highly Cited Papers in 2023–2024 in the “Nutrition and Metabolism” Section
14 August 2025
Nutrients | Highly Cited Papers in 2023–2024 in the “Nutrition Methodology & Assessment” Section
14 August 2025
Nutrients | Highly Cited Papers in 2023–2024 in the “Nutritional Policies and Education for Health Promotion” Section
4 August 2025
Meet Us at the 17th China Nutrition Science Congress, 21–23 September 2025, Beijing, China
1 August 2025
World Breastfeeding Week—“Invest in Breastfeeding, Invest in the Future”, 1–7 August 2025
World Breastfeeding Week 2025, celebrated in the first week of August, calls on us to recognise breastfeeding as a powerful foundation for lifelong health, development, and equity. This year’s theme shines a spotlight on the critical gaps in the support systems that women and babies need throughout their breastfeeding journey. From access to timely information and quality care, to creating supportive environments at home, in healthcare settings, and in the workplace—women deserve to be empowered to breastfeed for as long as they choose.
Aligned with WHO’s “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures” initiative, breastfeeding is more than a personal choice, it is also a public health imperative. It delivers hope not only for individual children, but for communities and nations: reducing healthcare costs, supporting cognitive development, strengthening economies, and giving every child a healthier start in life.
In recognition of this global observance, we invite you to explore a curated collection of articles and Special Issues from selected MDPI journals. These open access resources offer critical insights into the barriers to breastfeeding initiation and continuation, including the roles of sociodemographic inequities, maternal physical and mental health, and long-term child health outcomes. These insights aim to support researchers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers in building systems that uplift and protect the breastfeeding journey, from the first latch to the final feed.
Together, through science, education, and empathy, we can foster a more inclusive world where mothers and babies thrive.
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“Breastfeeding and Intersectionality in the Deep South: Race, Class, Gender and Community Context in Coastal Mississippi”
by John P. Bartkowski, Katherine Klee, Xiaohe Xu, Jacinda B. Roach and Shakeizia (Kezi) Jones
Women 2025, 5(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/women5020021
“Influence of Perceived Maternal Self-Efficacy on Exclusive Breastfeeding Initiation and Consolidation: A Systematic Review”
by Steven Saavedra Sanchez, Isabel Rodríguez-Gallego, Fatima Leon-Larios, Elena Andina-Diaz, Rosa Perez-Contreras and Juan D. Gonzalez-Sanz
Healthcare 2024, 12(23), 2347; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12232347
“Subcutaneous Semaglutide during Breastfeeding: Infant Safety Regarding Drug Transfer into Human Milk”
by Hanin Diab, Taylor Fuquay, Palika Datta, Ulrich Bickel, Jonathan Thompson and Kaytlin Krutsch
Nutrients 2024, 16(17), 2886; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16172886
“Can Breastfeeding Prevent Long-Term Overweight and Obesity in Children? A Population-Based Cohort Study”
by Carolina Roldão, Rita Lopes, Joana Matos Silva, Natália Neves, Joana Costa Gomes, Cristina Gavina and Tiago Taveira-Gomes
Nutrients 2024, 16(16), 2728; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16162728
“Association of Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”
by Sheetal Kiran Shrestha, Amit Arora, Narendar Manohar, Kanchana Ekanayake and Jann Foster
Nutrients 2024, 16(9), 1355; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16091355
“Australian Women’s Experiences of Establishing Breastfeeding after Caesarean Birth”
by Sharon L. Perrella, Sarah G. Abelha, Philip Vlaskovsky, Jacki L. McEachran, Stuart A. Prosser and Donna T. Geddes
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(3), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21030296
“Factors Influencing Duration of Breastfeeding: Insights from a Prospective Study of Maternal Health Literacy and Obstetric Practices”
by Rafael Vila-Candel, Francisco Javier Soriano-Vidal, Cristina Franco-Antonio, Oscar Garcia-Algar, Vicente Andreu-Fernandez and Desirée Mena-Tudela
Nutrients 2024, 16(5), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050690
“The Impact of Mode of Delivery and Postpartum Conditions on Breastfeeding: A Cross-Sectional Study”
by Anita Hulman, Annamária Pakai, Tímea Csákvári, Viola Keczeli and Katalin Varga
Healthcare 2024, 12(2), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12020248
“Examining the Role of Interpersonal Violence in Racial Disparities in Breastfeeding in North Dakota (ND PRAMS 2017–2019)”
by MichaeLynn Kanichy (Makah), Lexie Schmidt, RaeAnn Anderson, Grace Njau, Amy Stiffarm (Aaniiih), Matthew Schmidt, Anastasia Stepanov and Andrew Williams
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(8), 5445; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085445
“Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior, Acceptance, and Hesitancy in Relation to the COVID-19 Vaccine among Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women: A Systematic Review Protocol”
by Vincenza Gianfredi, Alessandro Berti, Marilena D’Amico, Viola De Lorenzo and Silvana Castaldi
Women 2023, 3(1), 73-81; https://doi.org/10.3390/women3010006
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“Effects of Diet During Breastfeeding on Infants” |
“What’s New in Breastfeeding?” |
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31 July 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #25 - 8,000 Staff Worldwide, Korea Visit, 100,000 Preprints, Malaysia Roundtable, Canada Consortium Deal
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Talent Drives Our Progress
For the first time in MDPI’s history, we now have over 8,000 colleagues across the company. I would like to take a moment to celebrate this milestone and acknowledge the driving force behind our growth and success: our people.
As the world’s leading fully open access publisher, MDPI has grown thanks to the dedication, talent, and teamwork of colleagues across the company. Already halfway through 2025, we’ve welcomed nearly 2,000 new colleagues.
“Our achievements are also about the people behind them”
We now manage over 475 journals, with 298 receiving an Impact Factor, and hundreds more indexed in major databases, including 343 in Scopus, and 92 by PubMed. As the reach and impact of our journals continues to grow, so does the need for dedicated and qualified teams to support that growth. Thus, attracting and retaining exceptional talent remains a cornerstone of our success.
Our achievements are not just about the results of journal expansion, however: they’re about the people behind them. From our hardworking editors to our meticulous English editing and production teams – from our journal relationship specialists, public relations, marketing and communications professionals to our conference teams and the project teams behind Preprints, Scilit, SciProfiles, JAMS and more. Our success reflects the work of thousands of people showing up each day, taking pride in their work, and committed to excellence and service.
What we’re doing to support talent:
- Investing in onboarding and training to help new colleagues feel welcomed and empowered to thrive.
- Creating clearer career paths across all functions, from editorial to communications and beyond.
- Launching mentorship programs and internal knowledge-sharing sessions to promote growth and collaboration.
- Evolving our recognition and rewards programs to better celebrate your contributions.
- Expanding our training systems and platforms.
MDPI’s in-house training department offers over 215 training courses, covering topics from editorial development to cross-cultural collaboration. In 2024 alone, we had 44 full-time trainers and 196 part-time training assistants supporting the learning and development needs of colleagues worldwide. These efforts ensure our teams are equipped with the skills and confidence to grow professionally and contribute meaningfully.
Over two-thirds of our workforce is editorial, and of our more than 5,400 editors, 87% hold a Master’s degree and 6% a PhD. Their collective contributions are central to delivering a high-quality publishing experience and supporting global academic communication.
As we celebrate this milestone, we also aim to continue on a path of steady and sustainable growth, one that balances journal expansion with investment in people, outreach, processes, and innovation. Together, we are shaping the future of open access and academic publishing. Thank you for your hard work, your ideas, and your commitment to serving the global research community.
Let’s continue working together to create a culture where great talent grows and every colleague feels valued.
Impactful Research
Visiting South Korea: Building Connections and Supporting the MDPI Seoul Office
In July, I had the opportunity to visit our team in Seoul and engage directly with academic communities in South Korea. The visit focused on deepening MDPI’s relationships with local universities, institutions, and partners, and supporting the great work of our colleagues at the MDPI Seoul office.
Korea Association of Private University Libraries (KAPUL) Conference
A highlight of the visit was our participation in the Korea Association of Private University Libraries (KAPUL) Conference, where we presented to over 100 academic librarians. I delivered a keynote speech titled “The Evolving Publishing Landscape: Open Access and Beyond,” while my colleague Dr. Jisuk Kang (Public Affairs Specialist) shared insights in her presentation, “Inside MDPI: Editorial Practices & Research Integrity.”
Our participation received media coverage, including:
NEWS1: “Publishing Open Access Papers' MDPI...Supporting the Expansion of Korean Research Influence”
UNN (University News Network): “MDPI Announces ‘Seoul Declaration’... “Presenting Standards for Authenticity and Transparency in Korea”
Beyond Post: MDPI CEO Visits Korea to 'Support for the Development of Domestic Knowledge Ecosystem'
Facts & Figures: South Korea
- South Korea is MDPI’s sixth-largest publishing country by article volume (over 90,000 MDPI papers published to date).
- In 2024, Korea ranked 16th globally by total publications, and 6th (among these top 20 countries) by citation impact.
- 52% of Korean publications in 2024 were OA – and 73% of those were Gold OA.
- MDPI published about 20% of all OA papers from Korea in 2024.
- Over 2,000 active Editorial Board Members from South Korea contribute to MDPI journals, with 11 Section Editors-in-Chief.
- We currently have 11 Institutional Open Access Program agreements and two society partnerships in Korea:
- Korean Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology (with MDPI journal Pharmaceutics)
- Korean Tribology Society (with MDPI journal Coatings)
MDPI Seoul Office and the First Korea Salon
Our Seoul office serves as a regional hub for marketing, communications, and community engagement. It continues to grow in size and influence, prioritizing supporting scholar visits, conference sponsorships, and outreach events such as the recent MDPI Korea Salon.
The inaugural Salon, themed “Exploring Research Trends in Medical Publishing, Ethics, and AI,” brought together over 20 scholars and Editorial Board members serving MDPI journals.
Thank you to our guest speakers including Professors Young-Joon Surh of Seoul National University, Kwang-Sig Lee of Korea University, and Jin-Won Noh of Yonsei University who presented on the landscape of medicine in South Korea and across the globe. The Salon also included presentations from MDPI colleagues on Open Access, ethics, and how the IOAP can support researchers in this field.
“Our Seoul office continues to grow in size and influence”
Looking Ahead
MDPI is already the leading OA publisher in South Korea, yet challenges and misconceptions around OA and APCs remain. Visits like this one, along with the ongoing efforts of our Seoul office, are important to building understanding, trust, and long-term relationships with the local academic community.
A big thank-you to our colleagues in Seoul for their warm hospitality, professionalism, and energy! Our new office is well situated, staffed, and ready to grow. This visit marked an important step forward in our continued mission to support global research communities and advance Open Science.
Inside MDPI
Preprints.org Reaches 100,000 Preprints: A Major Milestone for MDPI and Open Science
In case you missed it, Preprints.org recently surpassed 100,000 preprints posted. This is a major milestone for our platform and one worth celebrating.
Preprints are a key pillar of the Open Science movement, which promotes transparency, equity, and faster knowledge-sharing through initiatives such as Open Access, Open Data, Open Source, and Open Peer Review. The benefits of Open Science extend beyond researchers, as they support funders, educators, policymakers, and the public in advancing discovery and innovation.
What is behind the 100,000 preprints milestone?
Since its launch in 2016, Preprints.org has grown into one of the world’s leading preprint platforms, now ranked fifth globally by publication volume.
More than 350,000 researchers have contributed, helping shape this dynamic and collaborative space for sharing early-stage research across all disciplines.
Read the full announcement here:
https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/12202
“Preprints.org has grown into one of the world’s leading preprint platforms”
Some quick facts worth noting:
- About 56% of the preprints on Preprints.org are later published in peer-reviewed journals.
- The platform is now indexed in Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Europe PMC, and Crossref, helping improve visibility and trust in the preprints shared.
- Recent upgrades – including a revamped website, new features such as search subscriptions, curated reading lists, and community feedback tools (PREreview) – show our commitment to developing Preprints.org in line with researchers’ needs.
This growth and progress would not be possible without the dedication of the Preprints.org team, our Advisory Board members, screeners, and colleagues across MDPI who support the platform’s development. This milestone is a reminder of our shared mission: to accelerate scientific communication and build a more open, transparent, and inclusive research ecosystem.
I’m excited to see what’s ahead as we approach Preprints.org’s 10-year anniversary in 2026!
Coming Together for Science
Malaysia Media Roundtable: Educating on Open Access and MDPI’s Presence in Southeast Asia
At the end of June, I had the opportunity to participate in a strategic media roundtable in Kuala Lumpur, focused on raising awareness about the importance of Open Access (OA) and on MDPI’s growing presence in Southeast Asia.
We welcomed five Malaysian media outlets for an engaging private session that included presentations and open discussion.
I gave an overview of the benefits of Open Access, MDPI’s global developments, and our collaborations in Malaysia.
My colleague Yu Nwe Soe (Public Relations Specialist), presented on our editorial process, helping to clarify how MDPI supports authors and maintains research quality.
We were also joined by two local Editorial Board Members (EBMs) who offered first-hand insights into their experiences working with MDPI and how OA has shaped their publishing choices.
The discussion covered a range of questions from the press, from OA publishing models to editorial standards, and highlighted MDPI’s unique contribution to accelerating scientific communication in the region.
As the leading fully OA publisher, we see it as our responsibility to continue educating research communities and the broader public on the impact of OA, especially in emerging and high-growth academic markets.
Spotlight on Malaysia
Malaysia continues to rise as a regional research hub, with five universities ranked in the global top 200 and 11 subjects in the global top 50. In 2024, Malaysia ranked 2nd in Southeast Asia in total publication output, 10th in Asia, and 25th globally.
MDPI’s presence in Malaysia:
- Over 21,000 research articles published to date from Malaysian institutions
- More than 1,100 articles published in 2024 alone
- In the period 2020–2024, 54% of Malaysia’s total publications were OA
- 36 EBMs from Malaysia, across 27 MDPI journals
- Around 100 conferences sponsored in Malaysia in the past five years
- MDPI is hosting the 2nd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers in Kuala Lumpur (29 July- 3 August 2025)
Media Coverage & Editorial Voices
Following the roundtable, we saw positive coverage across several local outlets, with articles highlighting MDPI’s role in empowering Malaysian researchers. Notable pieces included:
- Open-Access Empowers Malaysia’s Research Future
- Empowering Malaysian Researchers to Meet the Nation’s Innovation Ambitions
- MDPI and empowering Malaysian researchers
Our local EBMs also shared their perspectives:
Prof. Denny Ng Kok Sum (Sunway University, EBM of MDPI journal Processes) and Prof. Lee (EBM of MDPI journal Bacteria) share their experiences with MDPI and the role Open Access plays in their publication decisions.
“We see it as our responsibility to continue educating research communities on the impact of OA”
“I didn’t want my work stuck behind a paywall.”
— Prof. Denny Ng Kok Sum, Sunway University, Processes Editorial Board Member
“Open Access opens doors for collaboration and visibility, especially in fast-developing regions like ours.”
— Prof. Lee, Bacteria Editorial Board Member
This roundtable marked another step in building trust, understanding, and collaboration in Southeast Asia. A big thank-you to the MDPI Malaysia team and all those who contributed to the event’s success.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI Signs First North American Agreement with Canadian Consortium
We are proud to announce a major milestone for MDPI Canada and an important step forward for OA in North America.
In July, our Toronto office finalized MDPI’s first North American consortium agreement with the Federal Science Libraries Network (FSLN). This is a significant achievement that strengthens our expansion in Canada and reinforces our global commitment to supporting Open Science.
This two-year agreement gives Canadian federal agencies access to MDPI’s IOAP, including discounted article processing charges for affiliated researchers across our portfolio of over 475 OA journals. It lowers barriers for Canadian scientists to share their work more openly and reach a global audience.
Ryan Siu, Institutional Partnerships Manager at MDPI.
“The Open Science landscape in Canada is rapidly evolving, with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy set for renewal by the end of 2025. This reflects ongoing efforts to foster greater scientific transparency and accessibility at a national policy level,” says Ryan Siu, Institutional Partnerships Manager at MDPI.
“Our new agreement with FSLN represents our shared commitment to further these efforts and foster wider readership. By aligning with these initiatives, we make progress towards research that’s both inclusive and impactful, benefiting local and global communities alike.”
Participating FSLN institutions include:
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Health Canada
- National Research Council Canada
- Natural Resources Canada
By partnering with some of Canada’s largest science-based agencies, we reaffirm our goal of advancing OA across continents. We look forward to developing our support for Canadian researchers and continuing to drive progress in Open Science across North America and beyond.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
30 July 2025
Meet Us at the United European Gastroenterology Week Berlin 2025, 4–7 October 2025, Berlin, Germany
29 July 2025
Meet Us at the 61st Annual Meeting European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD 2025), 15–19 September 2025, Vienna, Austria
28 July 2025
Nutrients Webinar | Dietary Fluoride Intake, Metabolism and Health, 28 July 2025
A message from the webinar Chair:
The upcoming webinar on Dietary Fluoride Intake, Metabolism and Health will provide an overview of recent research on fluoride and health, with a special focus on neurodevelopment. This session will discuss current research needs related to fluoride and neurocognition as well as other health outcomes. It will also discuss some late-breaking research underway on fluoride and neurodevelopment in the United States. Additionally, attendees will gain insights into different sources of dietary fluoride intake, as well as fluoride exposure assessment. This webinar is designed for researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and members of the public to help increase their understanding of what is known about potential health effects of fluoride exposure and what remains unclear.
Date: 28 July 2025
Time: 3:00 p.m. CEST | 9:00 a.m. EDT | 9:00 p.m. CST (Asia)
Webinar ID: 814 4271 2886
Register now for free.
Program:
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Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST |
Time in EDT |
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Dr. Ashley J. Malin |
3:00–3:10 p.m. |
9:00–9:10 a.m. |
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Dr. Ashley J. Malin |
3:10–3:20 p.m. |
9:10–9:20 a.m. |
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Dr. Kyla W. Taylor |
3:20–3:40 p.m. |
9:20–9:40 a.m. |
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Dr. Durdana Khan |
3:40–4:00 p.m. |
9:40–10:00 a.m. |
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Dr. Ashley J. Malin |
4:00–4:10 p.m. |
10:00–10:10 a.m. |
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Q&A Session |
4:10–4:25 p.m. |
10:10–10:25 a.m. |
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Dr. Ashley J. Malin |
4:25–4:30 p.m. |
10:25–10:30 a.m. |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Unable to attend? Please register anyway, the session will be recorded and we will let you know when the recording is available for viewing.
Webinar Chair and Speakers:
- Dr. Ashley J. Malin, College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA;
- Dr. Kyla W. Taylor, Division of Translational Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina;
- Dr. Durdana Khan, College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
Relevant Special Issue:
“Dietary Fluoride Intake, Metabolism and Health”
Guest Editor: Dr. Ashley J Malin.
Deadline for Manuscript Submissions: 5 August 2025
For more information about this webinar, please visit the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/Nutrients-22.
If you have any questions about this webinar, please contact nutrients@mdpi.com.
Nutrients Webinar Secretariat
