Stanford University has recently published an update of the list of the top 2% most widely cited scientists—the World’s Top 2% Scientists.

The time node of the statistical data of this list is from 1960 to 2022, and it is divided into two lists: “Lifetime Scientific Influence Ranking” and “2022 Annual Scientific Influence Ranking”. The “Lifetime Scientific Influence Ranking” counts the comprehensive influence performance of scientists during their careers, and the “2022 Annual Influence Ranking” focuses on highlighting the academic influence of scientists in the previous year. This ranking, considered the most prestigious worldwide, is based on the bibliometric information contained in the Scopus database and includes more than 200,000 researchers from the more than 10 million scientists considered to be active worldwide, with 22 scientific fields and 176 subfields taken into account.

We are pleased to share that 174 Editorial Board Members from MDPI’s Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) were featured in Stanford University’s list of the World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2022.

The latest Stanford rankings reflect the significant influence and research excellence of the scientists, who are committed to furthering their knowledge for the benefit of the world.

We would like to congratulate our Editorial Board Members on their excellent achievement and thank them for their immense contribution to the scientific progression and development of Plants.

The “Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change” Section of the journal Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) deals with all aspects of plant (and/or other photoautotrophs, including lichens, algae, and cyanobacteria) response to abiotic stress and climate change, as regards molecular, biochemical, physiological, morphological, (ultra)structural, cellular, histo-anatomical, morphogenetic, organismic, community and ecological aspects.

As they are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 listed below:

1. “Effect of Crude Oil on Growth, Oxidative Stress and Response of Antioxidative System of Two Rye (Secale cereale L.) Varieties”
by Liubov Skrypnik, Pavel Maslennikov, Anastasia Novikova and Mikhail Kozhikin
Plants 2021, 10(1), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010157
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/157

2. “Effect of Lead and Copper on Photosynthetic Apparatus in Citrus (Citrus aurantium L.) Plants. The Role of Antioxidants in Oxidative Damage as a Response to Heavy Metal Stress”
by Anastasia Giannakoula, Ioannis Therios and Christos Chatzissavvidis
Plants 2021, 10(1), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010155
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/155

3. “Tolerance Mechanisms of the Aromatic and Medicinal Plant Salvia sclarea L. to Excess Zinc”
by Anelia Dobrikova, Emilia Apostolova, Anetta Hanć, Ekaterina Yotsova, Preslava Borisova, Ilektra Sperdouli, Ioannis-Dimosthenis S. Adamakis and Michael Moustakas
Plants 2021, 10(2), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020194
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/194

4. “Exogenous Gibberellic Acid or Dilute Bee Honey Boosts Drought Stress Tolerance in Vicia faba by Rebalancing Osmoprotectants, Antioxidants, Nutrients, and Phytohormones”
by Mostafa M. Rady, Sara H. K. Boriek, Taia A. Abd El-Mageed, Mohamed A. Seif El-Yazal, Esmat F. Ali, Fahmy A. S. Hassan and Abdelsattar Abdelkhalik
Plants 2021, 10(4), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040748
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/748

5. “Bacillus thuringiensis and Silicon Modulate Antioxidant Metabolism and Improve the Physiological Traits to Confer Salt Tolerance in Lettuce”
by Muneera ALKahtani, Yaser Hafez, Kotb Attia, Talal Al-Ateeq, Mohamed A. M. Ali, Mirza Hasanuzzaman and Khaled Abdelaal
Plants 2021, 10(5), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10051025
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/1025

6. “Exogenous Putrescine Enhances Salt Tolerance and Ginsenosides Content in Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) Sprouts”
by Md. Jahirul Islam, Byeong Ryeol Ryu, Md. Obyedul Kalam Azad, Md. Hafizur Rahman, Md. Soyel Rana, Jung-Dae Lim and Young-Seok Lim
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1313; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071313
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/7/1313

7. “Response of Tomato Genotypes under Different High Temperatures in Field and Greenhouse Conditions”
by Sophoanrith Ro, Leangsrun Chea, Sreymey Ngoun, Zachary P. Stewart, Siranet Roeurn, Penghieng Theam, Sathya Lim, Rathana Sor, Meas Kosal, Malean Roeun, Kim Sreang Dy and P. V. Vara Prasad
Plants 2021, 10(3), 449; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030449
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/449

8. “MicroRNA-Mediated Responses to Cadmium Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana”
by Joseph L. Pegler, Jackson M. J. Oultram, Duc Quan Nguyen, Christopher P. L. Grof and Andrew L. Eamens
Plants 2021, 10(1), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010130
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/130

9. “Interactive Impacts of Beneficial Microbes and Si-Zn Nanocomposite on Growth and Productivity of Soybean Subjected to Water Deficit under Salt-Affected Soil Conditions”
by Hany S. Osman, Salah M. Gowayed, Mohssen Elbagory, Alaa El-Dein Omara, Ahmed M. Abd El-Monem, Usama A. Abd El-Razek and Emad M. Hafez
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1396; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071396
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/7/1396

10. “Impact of Ecklonia maxima Seaweed Extract and Mo Foliar Treatments on Biofortification, Spinach Yield, Quality and NUE”
by Salvatore La Bella, Beppe Benedetto Consentino, Youssef Rouphael, Georgia Ntatsi, Claudio De Pasquale, Giovanni Iapichino and Leo Sabatino
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1139; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061139
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/6/1139

11. “Foliar-Applied Potassium Silicate Coupled with Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Improves Growth, Physiology, Nutrient Uptake and Productivity of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Irrigated with Saline Water in Salt-Affected Soil”
by Emad M. Hafez, Hany S. Osman, Usama A. Abd El-Razek, Mohssen Elbagory, Alaa El-Dein Omara, Mohamed A. Eid and Salah M. Gowayed
Plants 2021, 10(5), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050894
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/894

12. “Foliar Application of Different Vegetal-Derived Protein Hydrolysates Distinctively Modulates Tomato Root Development and Metabolism”
by Angela Valentina Ceccarelli, Begoña Miras-Moreno, Valentina Buffagni, Biancamaria Senizza, Youry Pii, Mariateresa Cardarelli, Youssef Rouphael, Giuseppe Colla and Luigi Lucini
Plants 2021, 10(2), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020326
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/326

The “Phytochemistry” Section of the journal Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) is devoted to the publication of papers concerning all aspects of pure and applied plant chemistry, biochemistry, structure, and bioactivities of phytochemicals, plant cellular, and molecular biology, and plant biotechnology. The Section aims to increase our knowledge of the analysis, biosynthesis, regulation, detection, extraction, separation, purification, and application of phytochemical compounds in whole plants (including algae), plant cells, tissues and organs, and plant products.

As they are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 listed below:

1. “The Role of Polyphenols in Abiotic Stress Response: The Influence of Molecular Structure”
by Dunja Šamec, Erna Karalija, Ivana Šola, Valerija Vujčić Bok and Branka Salopek-Sondi
Plants 2021, 10(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010118
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/118

2. “Impact of Environmental Factors on Stilbene Biosynthesis”
by Alessio Valletta, Lorenzo Maria Iozia and Francesca Leonelli
Plants 2021, 10(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010090
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/90

3. “Health Benefits of Uses and Applications of Moringa oleifera in Bakery Products”
by Paula García Milla, Rocío Peñalver and Gema Nieto
Plants 2021, 10(2), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020318
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/318

4. “β-Ionone: Its Occurrence and Biological Function and Metabolic Engineering”
by Antonello Paparella, Liora Shaltiel-Harpaza and Mwafaq Ibdah
Plants 2021, 10(4), 754; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040754
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/754

5. “Microbial Biostimulants as Response to Modern Agriculture Needs: Composition, Role and Application of These Innovative Products”
by Adele M. Castiglione, Giuseppe Mannino, Valeria Contartese, Cinzia M. Bertea and Andrea Ertani
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1533; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081533
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1533

6. “Comparative Study of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils and Crude Extracts of Four Characteristic Zingiberaceae Herbs”
by Milena Ivanović, Kaja Makoter and Maša Islamčević Razboršek
Plants 2021, 10(3), 501; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030501
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/501

7. “Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Usnea barbata (L.) F.H. Wigg. Dry Extracts in Different Solvents”
by Violeta Popovici, Laura Bucur, Antoanela Popescu, Verginica Schröder, Teodor Costache, Dan Rambu, Iulia Elena Cucolea, Cerasela Elena Gîrd, Aureliana Caraiane, Daniela Gherghel, Gabriela Vochita and Victoria Badea
Plants 2021, 10(5), 909; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050909
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/909

8. “Salinity Effects on Morpho-Physiological and Yield Traits of Soybean (Glycine max L.) as Mediated by Foliar Spray with Brassinolide”
by Victoria Otie, Idorenyin Udo, Yang Shao, Michael O. Itam, Hideki Okamoto, Ping An and Egrinya A. Eneji
Plants 2021, 10(3), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030541
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/541

9. “Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Properties of Mentha × piperita cv. ‘Kristinka’ Essential Oil”
by Ippolito Camele, Daniela Gruľová and Hazem S. Elshafie
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1567; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081567
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1567

10. “Piper nigrum CYP719A37 Catalyzes the Decisive Methylenedioxy Bridge Formation in Piperine Biosynthesis”
by Arianne Schnabel, Fernando Cotinguiba, Benedikt Athmer and Thomas Vogt
Plants 2021, 10(1), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010128
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/128

11. “Polysulfides Applied as Formulated Garlic Extract to Protect Tomato Plants against the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita”
by Reinhard Eder, Erika Consoli, Jürgen Krauss and Paul Dahlin
Plants 2021, 10(2), 394; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020394
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/394

12. “Bryo-Activities: A Review on How Bryophytes Are Contributing to the Arsenal of Natural Bioactive Compounds against Fungi”
by Mauro Commisso, Francesco Guarino, Laura Marchi, Antonella Muto, Amalia Piro and Francesca Degola
Plants 2021, 10(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020203
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/203

The “Plant Physiology and Metabolism” Section of the journal Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) publishes original research and timely review articles on all aspects of physiological mechanisms and biochemistry, both metabolic and structural. This Section aims to increase our knowledge on the biochemical and biophysical bases of plant and algal physiology in addition to the use of this knowledge for engineering photosynthetic organisms for enhanced biomass productivity, resistance to abiotic stress, and the synthesis of high-value products.

As they are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all of the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021, listed below:

1. “Abiotic Stress in Crop Species: Improving Tolerance by Applying Plant Metabolites”
by Francisca Godoy, Karina Olivos-Hernández, Claudia Stange and Michael Handford
Plants 2021, 10(2), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020186
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/186

2. “Salinity Stress Affects Photosynthesis, Malondialdehyde Formation, and Proline Content in Portulaca oleracea L.”
by Helena Hnilickova, Kamil Kraus, Pavla Vachova and Frantisek Hnilicka
Plants 2021, 10(5), 845; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050845
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/845

3. “Microalgal Cell Biofactory—Therapeutic, Nutraceutical and Functional Food Applications”
by Boda Ravi Kiran and S. Venkata Mohan
Plants 2021, 10(5), 836; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050836
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/836

4. “Influence of Bagging on the Development and Quality of Fruits”
by Muhammad Moaaz Ali, Raheel Anwar, Ahmed F. Yousef, Binqi Li, Andrea Luvisi, Luigi De Bellis, Alessio Aprile and Faxing Chen
Plants 2021, 10(2), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020358
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/358

5. “Salinity Duration Differently Modulates Physiological Parameters and Metabolites Profile in Roots of Two Contrasting Barley Genotypes”
by Emilia Dell’Aversana, Kamel Hessini, Selma Ferchichi, Giovanna Marta Fusco, Pasqualina Woodrow, Loredana F. Ciarmiello, Chedly Abdelly and Petronia Carillo
Plants 2021, 10(2), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020307
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/307

6. “Comparative Study of Drought Stress Effects on Traditional and Modern Apple Cultivars”
by Ines Mihaljević, Marija Viljevac Vuletić, Domagoj Šimić, Vesna Tomaš, Daniela Horvat, Marko Josipović, Zvonimir Zdunić, Krunoslav Dugalić and Dominik Vuković
Plants 2021, 10(3), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030561
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/561

7. “Hormetic Responses of Photosystem II in Tomato to Botrytis cinerea”
by Maria-Lavrentia Stamelou, Ilektra Sperdouli, Ioanna Pyrri, Ioannis-Dimosthenis S. Adamakis and Michael Moustakas
Plants 2021, 10(3), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030521
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/521

8. “Downstream Signalling from Molecular Hydrogen”
by John T. Hancock and Grace Russell
Plants 2021, 10(2), 367; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020367
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/367

9. “Comparative Effects of Different Light Sources on the Production of Key Secondary Metabolites in Plants In Vitro Cultures”
by Mariam Hashim, Bushra Ahmad, Samantha Drouet, Christophe Hano, Bilal Haider Abbasi and Sumaira Anjum
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1521; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081521
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1521

10. “LED Illumination Spectrum Manipulation for Increasing the Yield of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)”
by Md Momtazur Rahman, Mikhail Vasiliev and Kamal Alameh
Plants 2021, 10(2), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020344
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/344

11. “Rootstocks with Different Vigor Influenced Scion–Water Relations and Stress Responses in AmbrosiaTM Apple Trees (Malus Domestica var. Ambrosia)”
by Hao Xu and Danielle Ediger
Plants 2021, 10(4), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040614
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/614

12. “Impacts of Microcystins on Morphological and Physiological Parameters of Agricultural Plants: A Review”
by Alexandre Campos, El Mahdi Redouane, Marisa Freitas, Samuel Amaral, Tomé Azevedo, Leticia Loss, Csaba Máthé, Zakaria A. Mohamed, Brahim Oudra and Vitor Vasconcelos
Plants 2021, 10(4), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040639
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/639

13. “Breeding of High Cooking and Eating Quality in Rice by Marker-Assisted Backcrossing (MABc) Using KASP Markers”
by Me-Sun Kim, Ju-Young Yang, Ju-Kyung Yu, Yi Lee, Yong-Jin Park, Kwon-Kyoo Kang and Yong-Gu Cho
Plants 2021, 10(4), 804; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040804
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/804

14. “The TOR–Auxin Connection Upstream of Root Hair Growth”
by Katarzyna Retzer and Wolfram Weckwerth
Plants 2021, 10(1), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010150
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/150

15. “Canopy Size and Light Use Efficiency Explain Growth Differences between Lettuce and Mizuna in Vertical Farms”
by Theekshana C. Jayalath and Marc W. van Iersel
Plants 2021, 10(4), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040704
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/704

16. “Cryopreservation of Woody Crops: The Avocado Case”
by Chris O’Brien, Jayeni Hiti-Bandaralage, Raquel Folgado, Alice Hayward, Sean Lahmeyer, Jim Folsom and Neena Mitter
Plants 2021, 10(5), 934; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050934
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/934

17. “The Optical Properties of Leaf Structural Elements and Their Contribution to Photosynthetic Performance and Photoprotection”
by George Karabourniotis, Georgios Liakopoulos, Panagiota Bresta and Dimosthenis Nikolopoulos
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1455; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071455
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/7/1455

1. “The Past, Present and Future of Cannabis sativa Tissue Culture”
by Adrian S. Monthony et al.
Plants 2021, 10(1), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010185
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/185

2. “Health Benefits of Uses and Applications of Moringa oleifera in Bakery Products”
by Paula García Milla et al.
Plants 2021, 10(2), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020318
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/318

3. “Global Plant Virus Disease Pandemics and Epidemics”
by Roger A. C. Jones
Plants 2021, 10(2), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020233
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/233

4. “Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) as a Potential Functional Food Source of Mucilage and Bioactive Compounds with Technological Applications and Health Benefits”
by Thamires Lacerda Dantas et al.
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1683; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081683
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1683

5. “Culturable Yeasts as Biofertilizers and Biopesticides for a Sustainable Agriculture: A Comprehensive Review”
by María Hernández-Fernández et al.
Plants 2021, 10(5), 822; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050822
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/822

6. “Abiotic Stress in Crop Species: Improving Tolerance by Applying Plant Metabolites”
by Francisca Godoy et al.
Plants 2021, 10(2), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020186
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/186

7. “Shape Matters: Plant Architecture Affects Chemical Uniformity in Large-Size Medical Cannabis Plants”
by Nadav Danziger et al.
Plants 2021, 10(9), 1834; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10091834
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/9/1834

8. “Different Cannabis sativa Extraction Methods Result in Different Biological Activities against a Colon Cancer Cell Line and Healthy Colon Cells”
by Jan Rožanc et al.
Plants 2021, 10(3), 566; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030566
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/566

9. “Hairy CRISPR: Genome Editing in Plants Using Hairy Root Transformation”
by Alexey S. Kiryushkin et al.
Plants 2022, 11(1), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010051
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/1/51

10. “Xylem Parenchyma—Role and Relevance in Wood Functioning in Trees”
by Aleksandra Słupianek et al.
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1247; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061247
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/6/1247

The "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions" Section aims to increase our knowledge of plant interactions with pathogenic and beneficial symbiotic and nonsymbiotic microorganisms, arthropod pests, and weed species. Research articles using interdisciplinary approaches to unravel complex mechanisms underlying plant interactions with other organisms or to study novel strategies for plant pest management are welcomed. Aside from these biological interaction areas, the Section also focuses on disease and pest reports, diagnostics, and management, always taking into account the plant point of view. The Section also welcomes papers on all aspects of plant pathology, entomology, and weed science, especially studies which show how these organisms affect the plant.

As they are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 listed below:

1. “Global Plant Virus Disease Pandemics and Epidemics”
by Roger A. C. Jones et al.
Plants 2021, 10(2), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020233
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/233

2. “Biostimulant Properties of Seaweed Extracts in Plants: Implications towards Sustainable Crop Production”
by Omar Ali et al.
Plants 2021, 10(3), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030531
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/531

3. “Molecular Characterization of the Alfalfa mosaic virus Infecting Solanum melongena in Egypt and the Control of Its Deleterious Effects with Melatonin and Salicylic Acid”
by Ahmed R. Sofy et al.
Plants 2021, 10(3), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030459
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/459

4. “An Overview of Some Biopesticides and Their Importance in Plant Protection for Commercial Acceptance”
by Jitendra Kumar et al.
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061185
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/6/1185

5. “Differential Detection of the Tobamoviruses Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV) and Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) Using CRISPR-Cas12a”
by Dan Mark Alon et al.
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061256
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/6/1256

6. “Bioherbicidal Potential of the Essential Oils from Mediterranean Lamiaceae for Weed Control in Organic Farming”
by Giuseppe De Mastro et al.
Plants 2021, 10(4), 818; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040818
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/818

7. “Bacterial Endophytes: The Hidden Actor in Plant Immune Responses against Biotic Stress”
by Nadira Oukala et al.
Plants 2021, 10(5), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10051012
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/1012

8. “RNA-Based Technologies for Engineering Plant Virus Resistance”
by Michael Taliansky et al.
Plants 2021, 10(1), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010082
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/82

9. “First Report of Protective Activity of Paronychia argentea Extract against Tobacco Mosaic Virus Infection”
by Ahmed Abdelkhalek et al.
Plants 2021, 10(11), 2435; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112435
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/11/2435

10. “Genetic Diversity and Pathogenicity of Botryosphaeriaceae Species Associated with Symptomatic Citrus Plants in Europe”
by Jadson Diogo Pereira Bezerra et al.
Plants 2021, 10(3), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030492
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/492

11. “Identification and Mapping of Tomato Genome Loci Controlling Tolerance and Resistance to Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus”
by Avner Zinger et al.
Plants 2021, 10(1), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010179
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/179

12. “Plants under the Attack of Allies: Moving towards the Plant Pathobiome Paradigm”
by Mohamed Mannaa et al.
Plants 2021, 10(1), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010125
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/125

13. “Tremellomycetes Yeasts in Kernel Ecological Niche: Early Indicators of Enhanced Competitiveness of Endophytic and Mycoparasitic Symbionts against Wheat Pathobiota”
by Vladimir Vujanovic et al.
Plants 2021, 10(5), 905; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050905
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/905

MDPI is pleased to announce the publication of the inaugural issues of eight new Open Access journals. We wish to thank all the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members involved who will be shaping the future course of these brand-new journals.

The new titles presented below were set up as a result of our market research, which showed there is a need for Gold Open Access journals in each of these areas of research. At MDPI, the same trusted, fast, and rigorous peer-review process is employed across journals and disciplines.

MDPI is committed to promoting diverse open science exchanges and provides support to academic organizations and institutions willing to join the open access publishing model.

If you are interested in jointly creating more open access journals with us to publish cutting-edge research, please send your journal proposal application here, and please do not hesitate to contact us ([email protected]) for further details.

The Section "Plant Genomics, Genetics and Biotechnology" publishes original research and full-length review articles describing the application of genome technologies, genetics, and biotechnology to all areas of plant science investigations.

As they are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full text of all the articles published in our journal. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2021 listed below:

1. “Morphological, Physiological and Molecular Markers for Salt-Stressed Plants”
by Soltabayeva, A.; Ongaltay, A.; Omondi, J. O. and Srivastava, S.
Plants 2021, 10(2), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020243
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/243

2. “The Past, Present and Future of Cannabis sativa Tissue Culture”
by Monthony, A. S.; Page, S. R.; Hesami, M. and Jones, A. M. P.
Plants 2021, 10(1), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010185
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/185

3. “Marker-Assisted Introgression and Stacking of Major QTLs Controlling Grain Number (Gn1a) and Number of Primary Branching (WFP) to NERICA Cultivars”
by Reyes, V. P.; Angeles-Shim, R. B.; Mendioro, M. S.; Manuel, M. C. C.; Lapis, R. S.; Shim, J.; Sunohara, H.; Nishiuchi, S.; Kikuta, M.; Makihara, D.; Jena, K. K.; Ashikari, M. and Doi, K.
Plants 2021, 10(5), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050844
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/844

4. “Importance of Landraces in Cereal Breeding for Stress Tolerance”
by Marone, D.; Russo, M. A.; Mores, A.; Ficco, D. B. M.; Laidò, G.; Mastrangelo, A. M. and Borrelli, G. M.
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071267
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/7/1267

5. “Investigation and Computational Analysis of the Sulfotransferase (SOT) Gene Family in Potato (Solanum tuberosum): Insights into Sulfur Adjustment for Proper Development and Stimuli Responses”
by Faraji, S.; Heidari, P.; Amouei, H.; Filiz, E.; Abdullah and Poczai, P.
Plants 2021, 10(12), 2597; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122597
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/12/2597

6. “Omics for the Improvement of Abiotic, Biotic, and Agronomic Traits in Major Cereal Crops: Applications, Challenges, and Prospects”
by Kaur, B.; Sandhu, K. S.; Kamal, R.; Kaur, K.; Singh, J.; Röder, M. S. and Muqaddasi, Q. H.
Plants 2021, 10(10), 1989; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10101989
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/10/1989

7. “CRISPR/dCas9-Based Systems: Mechanisms and Applications in Plant Sciences”
by Karlson, C. K. S.; Mohd-Noor, S. N.; Nolte, N. and Tan, B. C.
Plants 2021, 10(10), 2055; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10102055
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/10/2055

8. “Chloroplast Genome of Rambutan and Comparative Analyses in Sapindaceae”
by Dong, F.; Lin, Z.; Lin, J.; Ming, R. and Zhang, W.
Plants 2021, 10(2), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020283
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/283

9. “Development of an Aus-Derived Nested Association Mapping (Aus-NAM) Population in Rice”
by Kitony, J.K.; Sunohara, H.; Tasaki, M.; Mori, J.-I.; Shimazu, A.; Reyes, V. P.; Yasui, H.; Yamagata, Y.; Yoshimura, A.; Yamasaki, M.; Nishiuchi, S. and Doi, K.
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1255; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061255
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/6/1255

10. “Rice Lesion Mimic Mutants (LMM): The Current Understanding of Genetic Mutations in the Failure of ROS Scavenging during Lesion Formation”
by Kang, S. G.; Lee, K. E.; Singh, M.; Kumar, P. and Matin, M. N.
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1598; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081598
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1598

11. “CottonGen: The Community Database for Cotton Genomics, Genetics, and Breeding Research”
by Yu, J.; Jung, S.; Cheng, C.-H.; Lee, T.; Zheng, P.; Buble, K.; Crabb, J.; Humann, J.; Hough, H.; Jones, D.; Campbell, J. T.; Udall, J. and Main, D.
Plants 2021, 10(12), 2805; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122805
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/12/2805

12. “From Genetic Maps to QTL Cloning: An Overview for Durum Wheat”
by Colasuonno, P.; Marcotuli, I.; Gadaleta, A. and Soriano, J. M.
Plants 2021, 10(2), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020315
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/315

13. “COVID-19 Crisis: How Can Plant Biotechnology Help?”
by Shohag, M. J. I.; Khan, F. Z.; Tang, L.; Wei, Y.; He, Z. and Yang, X.
Plants 2021, 10(2), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020352
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/2/352

14. “Meta-Analysis of Quantitative Traits Loci (QTL) Identified in Drought Response in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)”
by Selamat, N. and Nadarajah, K. K.
Plants 2021, 10(4), 716; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040716
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/716

15. “Influence of Climate Change on Chestnut Trees: A Review”
by Freitas, T. R.; Santos, J. A.; Silva, A. P. and Fraga, H.
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1463; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071463
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/7/1463

16. “Advances in Rootstock Breeding of Nut Trees: Objectives and Strategies”
by Vahdati, K.; Sarikhani, S.; Arab, M. M.; Leslie, C. A.; Dandekar, A. M.; Aletà, N.; Bielsa, B.; Gradziel, T. M.; Montesinos, Á.; Rubio-Cabetas, M. J.; Sideli, G. M.; Serdar, Ü.; Akyüz, B.; Beccaro, G. L.; Donno, D.; Rovira, M.; Ferguson, L.; Akbari, M.; Sheikhi, A.; Sestras, A. F.; Kafkas, S.; Paizila, A.; Roozban, M. R.; Kaur, A.; Panta, S.; Zhang, L.; Sestras, R. E. and Mehlenbacher, S. A.
Plants 2021, 10(11), 2234; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112234
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/11/2234

17. “Herbicide Resistance: Another Hot Agronomic Trait for Plant Genome Editing”
by Hussain, A.; Ding, X.; Alariqi, M.; Manghwar, H.; Hui, F.; Li, Y.; Cheng, J.; Wu, C.; Cao, J. and Jin, S.
Plants 2021, 10(4), 621; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040621
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/621

18. “From Traditional Breeding to Genome Editing for Boosting Productivity of the Ancient Grain Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter]”
by Numan, M.; Khan, A. L.; Asaf, S.; Salehin, M.; Beyene, G.; Tadele, Z. and Ligaba-Osena, A.
Plants 2021, 10(4), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040628
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/4/628

19. “Opportunities for Improving Waterlogging Tolerance in Cereal Crops—Physiological Traits and Genetic Mechanisms”
by Tong, C.; Hill, C. B.; Zhou, G.; Zhang, X.-Q.; Jia, Y. and Li, C.
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1560; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081560
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1560

20. “Comparison of Genomic Prediction Methods for Yellow, Stem, and Leaf Rust Resistance in Wheat Landraces from Afghanistan”
by Tehseen, M. M.; Kehel, Z.; Sansaloni, C. P.; Lopes, M.d.S.; Amri, A.; Kurtulus, E. and Nazari, K.
Plants 2021, 10(3), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030558
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/558

Peer Review Week began 19 September 2022 under the theme of “Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research”. Through various blog articles, podcast, and webinar, we discussed this crucial subject throughout the week, celebrating the essential role peer review plays in maintaining research quality.

To begin, we held a Webinar on the topic. Professor Peter W. Choate and Dr. Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi joined Dr. Ioana Craciun, one of MDPI’s scientific officers, for an in-depth discussion.

We invite you to view the event recording:

During the week, the MDPI Blog in a series articles highlighted how good Peer Review safeguards research integrity. The following topics were covered:

• Peer Review Week 2022
• Research Integrity
• What We’ve Learned About Peer Review Reports
• 4 Steps to the Perfect Peer Review Report
• How to Write the Perfect Peer Review Report: An Interview
• Inviting Great Peer Reviewers

In a new edition of Insight Faster, an MDPI podcast, we were delighted to talk to the co-chairs of the Peer Review Week committee, Jayashree Rajagopalan (Senior Manager of Global Community Engagement for CACTUS) and Danielle Padula (Head of Marketing and Community Development at Scholastica) to get their take on this year’s event and its related topics.

You can find the Podcast here.

We hope you enjoy the contents!

We are pleased to announce that the Editor's Choice Articles for publications in 2021 are now available. Editor’s Choice Articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal. You are welcome to read them at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/plants/editors_choice.

We are pleased to invite you to read the Special Issue “10th Anniversary of Plants—Recent Advances and Perspectives” published in Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747). To mark this significant milestone and celebrate the achievements made throughout the years, Plants has set up this Special Issue to celebrate its 10th anniversary. While this Special Issue is first and foremost a celebration of the journal’s anniversary, it also serves as a guide for new discoveries in plant science, which will play a significant role in the future development of the journal.

MDPI will be attending RBMP 2022, held in Sevilla, Spain, from 14 to 16 September 2022. The Meeting of Plant Molecular Biology (RBMP) is the most important biennial event with the greatest impact on plant research, open to scientists from academia and industry. During this conference, MDPI (at the booth #25) welcomes researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share with us your latest inspirations.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• IJMS (leading journal);
• CIMB;
• Plants;
• Horticulturae;
• Applied Sciences;
• Antioxidants;
• Taxonomy.

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth #25. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: https://www.bcongresos.com/congresos/rbmp2022/.

A range of MDPI journals will be attending INTECOL 2022 as exhibitors. This meeting will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 28 August to 2 September 2022.

“Frontiers in Ecology – Science and Society” is the general theme of the conference. With an estimated number of 1500 participants coming to Geneva, and as many following the conference from a distance, the conference aims to bring the state-of-the-art expertise in ecology to the forefront of societal challenges.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Diversity (leading);
• Sustainability;
• Forests;
• Ecologies;
• Environments;
• Plants;
• Animals;
• World;
• Quaternary;
• Earth;
• Resources;
• Applied Sciences;
• Birds;
• Climate;
• Water;
• Fishes.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth #03. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit http://intecol2021.org/, or contact the Diversity Editorial Office at [email protected].

Conference: China Functional Foods Conference 2022
Date: 1–3 August 2022
Place: Nanjing, China
Booth Number: #A19
Theme: Functional Foods and Human Health

Nutrients (ISSN: 2072-6643) will be attending the China Functional Foods Conference 2022 as exhibitors from 1 to 3 August in Nanjing, China.

Conference program:

(I) Invited reports: 

1. Development status and trending of global nutritional functional foods;
2. Nutrition, healthcare for special food regulations and standards;
3. Current situation and development of a special food industry;
4. Future trends of personalized precision nutrition.

(II) Thematic forums: 

1. Technological innovation and industrial development of special medical use formula food;
2. Technological innovation and industrial development of probiotics;
3. Technological innovation and industrial development of bioactive peptides;
4. Development and application of functional food raw materials/ingredients;
5. Food nutrition and human health;
6. Functional food development and industrial development of marine resources;
7. Homology of medicine and food and development and industrial development of natural products;
8. Functional polysaccharide nutrition and development and application;
9. Cereal food nutrition and intensive processing.

Booth information:

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Nutrients;
• Beverages;
• Fermentation;
• Foods;
• Plants.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you plan on attending this conference. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you might have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: http://guohsushipn.mikecrm.com/0EYH8vK.

Horticulturae (ISSN: 2311-7524) will be attending the International Horticultural Congress 2022 as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in the online person-to-person hybrid format from 14 to 20 August 2022.

The backbone of the congress will be based on the four following challenges:

1. Competitiveness and skills for horticultural value chains;
2. Food, human health and well-being of citizens;
3. Sustainability of production systems;
4. Adaptation to climate change and effect mitigation.

These will be the leading topics of the four planned plenary sessions and keynote speakers will be invited to discuss their critical views.

These four topics will be a common thread throughout the 25 symposia. In addition, many important and topical subjects will be addressed, including breeding, biodiversity, organic farming, urban horticulture, new technologies for phenotyping, precision horticulture, and so on.

We hope that IHC2022 will be an outstanding scientific event, as well as a unique opportunity for researchers within the industry and students to exchange, discuss and collaborate with scientists.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Horticulturae;
• Sustainability;
• Plants;
• Agriculture.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference and our virtual booth, please visit the following link: https://www.ihc2022.org/

We are pleased to report that the 2021 Impact Factor of Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) increased to 4.658 in the recent release of the Journal Citation Reports ®, representing the 3rd consecutive year of continuous growth. Plants now ranks 39/238 (Q1) in the “Plant Sciences” category. We are grateful to all the scholars who have witnessed the journal’s growth with us!

Source: 2021 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ® (Clarivate, 2022)

The 2021 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:

For more information on Impact Factors and what it means to index academic journals, please visit our related blog posts.

* Journals given their first Impact Factor in 2022

Source: 2021 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2022)

It is our great pleasure to announce that Plants (ISSN 2223-7747) has received an increased CiteScore (2021 Scopus data) of 3.6 (+63.6% compared with the previous year) for the year 2021.

We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to all authors, reviewers, and editors who have contributed to the journal and enabled this achievement!

The 2021 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus!

We are pleased to announce that 182 MDPI journals are included, of which:

● 21 journals received their first CiteScore.
● 85% of journals increased their CiteScore from 2020.
● 155 journals (85%) ranked above average, in at least one category.

The following 65 MDPI journals (36%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category:

Source: 2021 CiteScores™ (Elsevier)

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who so generously dedicate their time to reviewing papers and demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer-review process.

We are proud to recognize winners for the year 2021 in the “Biology & Life Sciences” category for their outstanding contributions among extensive competition by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners on their achievement.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Biology:

• Enrico Vito Perrino, CIHEAM, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Italy
• Dhirendra Kumar, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, USA
• Carlos A. Viegas, Univesity of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
• Yuri Shavrukov, Flinders University, Australia
• Bipin Gaihre, Mayo Clinic, USA

Brain Sciences:

• Craig D. Workman, University of Iowa, USA
• Vivian Ciaramitaro, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
• Yang Zhang, University of Minnesota, USA

Cells:

• Bonam Srinivasa Reddy, Université de Paris, France
• Homma Takujiro, Yamagata University, Japan
• Hwang, In Koo, Seoul National University, South Korea
• Kobeissy Firas, University of Florida, USA
• Rebelo, Sandra, University of Aveiro, Portugal

Diversity:

• Günter Gollmann, University of Vienna, Austria
• Stephan Koblmüller, University of Graz, Austria
• Emiliano Mori, Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Italy

Horticulturae:

• Joshua D. Klein, Agricultural Research Organization—The Volcani Center, Israel
• Ana Cristina S Figueiredo, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Insects:

• Carmelo Peter Bonsignore, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Italy
• Klaus H. Hoffmann, University of Bayreuth, Germany
• Ivan Milosavljević, University of California, USA

Metabolites:

• Remigiusz Bachor, University of Wrocław, Poland
• Nguyen Phuoc Long, Inje University College of Medicine, South Korea
• Chi Chen, University of Minnesota, USA

Nutrients:

• Jadwiga Hamułka, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland
• Grace Campbell, University of Sydney, Australia
• Nicholas Norwitz, Harvard Medical School, USA
• Stefan Kabisch, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Germany
• Luis Rodrigo, University of Oviedo, Spain

Veterinary Sciences:

• Carlos Viegas, Univesity of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
• Arvind Sharma, The University of Queensland, Australia

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the 2021 winners in the “Biology & Life Sciences” category. The winners were selected by the journals’ editors.

We warmly congratulate the awarded young investigators for their outstanding contributions.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Agriculture:

• Carlos Guzmán, University of Cordoba, Spain

Animals:

• Katharina Hohlbaum, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Cells:

• Uri Ben-David, Tel Aviv University, Israel

Diversity:

• Enrico Lunghi, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China

Foods:

• Guodong Zhang, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Horticulturae:

• Luke Bell, Temperate Horticulture, University of Reading, UK

International Journal of Molecular Sciences:

• Alessandro D’Urso, University of Catania, Italy.
• Apostolos Zaravinos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus
• Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez, University of Pennsylvania, USA
• Maria Teresa Caccamo, Messina University, Italy
• Tiziana Bonifacino, University of Genoa, Italy

Journal of Fungi:

• Federico Baltar, University of Vienna, Austria
• Rebecca Drummond, University of Birmingham, UK
• Miriam Oses-Ruiz, Public University of Navarre, Spain

Life:

• João Pedro da Silva Machado Lobo, University of Porto, Portugal
• Vincenzo Russo, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy

Metabolites:

• Gabriele Rocchetti, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Italy

Nutrients:

• Fiona Lavelle, Queen's University Belfast, UK
• Matthew Snelson, Monash University, Australia

Pathogens:

• Si Ming Man, Australian National University, Australia
• Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, University of Hong Kong, China

Plants:

• Stefania Sut, University of Padova, Italy
• Mohamed Ahmed El-Esawi, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

Vaccines:

• Nicholas M. Provine, University of Oxford, UK

Viruses:

• Nicholas S. Heaton, Duke University, USA

We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in the “Biology & Life Sciences” category for their outstanding presentations and to present them with the prize.

MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage talented junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.

The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of 2021 Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Agriculture:

• Zahra Bitarafan, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Norway
• Nikolaos Tsoulias, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Germany

Fermentation:

• Michela Verni, University of Bari, Italy
• Philipp Demling, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

Horticulturae:

• Jagveer Singh, Punjab Agricultural University, India
• Ibrar Hussain, State University of Londrina, Brazil

Microorganisms:

• Francis Muchaamba, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Methods and Protocols:

• Tanja Eisemann, SBP Medical Discovery Institute, USA

Nutrients:

• Mrinalini Dey, National Institute for Health Research, UK
• Ben Kirk, University of Melbourne, Australia
• Kirrilly Pursey, University of Newcastle, Australia
• Dieuwertje Kok, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
• Hanna Huber, University of Bonn, Germany
• Marlene Lages, University of Porto, Portugal
• Zohra S. Lassi, University of Adelaide, Australia
• Rik Olde Engberink, Amsterdam University Medicial Center, the Netherlands
• Sarah Warkentin, University of Porto (ISPUP), Portugal
• Álvaro Hernáez, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
• Leila Abdelhamid, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, USA
• Maria Michela Cesare, University of Siena, Italy
• Kaisa Hiippala, University of Helsinki, Finland

Pathogens:

• Vanessa Silva, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal
• Hejun Liu, Scripps Research Institute, USA
• Tomokazu Tamura, Princeton University, USA

Toxins:

• Cecilie Knudsen, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
• Laura Biessy, Cawthron Institute, New Zealand
• Marcelo Mendes Rabelo, University of Florida, USA

Vaccines:

• Hee Chun Chung, Seoul National University, South Korea
• Alejandro Marin Lopez, Yale University, USA

The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as the scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal last year.

We are honored to present the winners in the subject areas of “Biology & Life Sciences”, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Animals:

• “Effects of Dietary Betaine on Growth Performance, Digestive Function, Carcass Traitsand Meat Quality in Indigenous Yellow-Feathered Broilers under Long-Term Heat Stress”

by Wenchao Liu, Yilin Yuan, Chenyu Sun, Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian, Zhihui Zhao and Lilong An

Animals 2019, 9(8), 506, doi 10.3390/ani9080506

• “The Ethics of Human–Animal Relationships and Public Discourse: A Case Study of Lions Bred for Their Bones”

by Peter Coals, Dawn Burnham, Andrew Loveridge, David W. Macdonald, Michael ’t Sas-Rolfes, Vivienne L. Williams and John A. Vucetich

Animals 2019, 9(2), 52; doi 10.3390/ani9020052

• “The Potential Role of Insects as Feed: A Multi-Perspective Review”

by Giovanni Sogari, Mario Amato, Ilaria Biasato, Silvana Chiesa and Laura Gasco

Animals 2019, 9(4), 119; doi 10.3390/ani9040119

Antibodies:

• “Antibody Structure and Function: The Basis for Engineering Therapeutics”

by Mark L. Chiu; Dennis R. Goulet; Alexey Teplyakov and Gary L. Gilliland

Antibodies 2019, 8(4), 55; doi 10.3390/antib8040055

Antioxidants:

• “Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Flavanones from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (licorice) Leaf Phytocomplexes: Identification of Licoflavanone as a Modulator of NF-kB/MAPK Pathway”

by Luca Frattaruolo, Gabriele Carullo, Matteo Brindisi, Sarah Mazzotta, Luca Bellissimo, Vittoria Rago, Rosita Curcio, Vincenza Dolce, Francesca Aiello and Anna Rita Cappello

Antioxidants 2019, 8(6), 186; doi 10.3390/antiox8060186

• “LC-ESI-QTOF/MS Characterisation of Phenolic Acids and Flavonoids in Polyphenol-Rich Fruits and Vegetables and Their Potential Antioxidant Activities”

by Chunhe Gu, Kate Howell, Frank R. Dunshea and Hafiz A. R. Suleria

Antioxidants 2019, 8(9), 405; doi 10.3390/antiox8090405

• “Nutritional Value, Chemical Composition and Cytotoxic Properties of Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) in Relation to Harvesting Stage and Plant Part”

by Spyridon A. Petropoulos, Ângela Fernandes, Maria Inês Dias, Ioannis B. Vasilakoglou, Konstantinos Petrotos, Lillian Barros and Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira

Antioxidants 2019, 8(8), 293; doi 10.3390/antiox8080293

• “A Comprehensive Review on Lipid Oxidation in Meat and Meat Products”

by Rubén Domínguez, Mirian Pateiro, Mohammed Gagaoua, Francisco J. Barba, Wangang Zhang and José M. Lorenzo

Antioxidants 2019, 8(10), 429; doi 10.3390/antiox8100429

Biology:

• “The Mammalian Circadian Timing System and the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus as Its Pacemaker”

by Michael H. Hastings, Elizabeth S. Maywood and Marco Brancaccio

Biology 2019, 8(1), 13; doi 10.3390/biology8010013

• “Combined Effects of Acute Temperature Change and Elevated pCO₂ on the Metabolic Rates and Hypoxia Tolerances of Clearnose Skate (Rostaraja eglanteria), Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), and Thorny Skate (Amblyraja radiata)”

by Gail D. Schwieterman, Daniel P. Crear, Brooke N. Anderson, Danielle R. Lavoie, James A. Sulikowski, Peter G. Bushnell and Richard W. Brill

Biology 2019, 8(3), 56; doi 10.3390/biology8030056

Biomolecules:

• “Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria”

by Shuichi Nakamura and Tohru Minamino

Biomolecules 2019, 9(7), 279; doi 10.3390/biom9070279

• “Systematic FTIR Spectroscopy Study of the Secondary Structure Changes in Human Serum Albumin under Various Denaturation Conditions”

by Dmitrii Usoltsev, Vera Sitnikovaandrey Kajava and Mayya Uspenskaya

Biomolecules 2019, 9(8), 359; doi 10.3390/biom9080359

• “Quantification of Fecal Short Chain Fatty Acids by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry—Investigation of Pre-Analytic Stability”

by Gerhard Liebisch, Josef Ecker, Sebastian Roth, Sabine Schweizer, Veronika Öttl, Hans-Frieder Schött, Hongsup Yoon, Dirk Haller, Ernst Holler, Ralph Burkhardt and Silke Matysik

Biomolecules 2019, 9(4), 121; doi 10.3390/biom9040121

• “Cytotoxicity of Dendrimers”

by Anna Janaszewska, Joanna Lazniewska, Przemysław Trzepiński, Monika Marcinkowska and Barbara Klajnert-Maculewicz

Biomolecules 2019, 9(8), 330; doi 10.3390/biom9080330

Cells:

• “Combined Inhibition of TGF-β Signaling and the PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Is Differentially Effective in Tumor Models”

by Heng Sheng Sow, Jiang Ren, Marcel Camps, Ferry Ossendorp and Peter ten Dijke

Cells 2019, 8(4), 320; doi 10.3390/cells8040320

• “Exosome Treatment Enhances Anti-Inflammatory M2 Macrophages and Reduces Inflammation-Induced Pyroptosis in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy”

by Dinender K. Singla, Taylor A. Johnson and Zahra Tavakoli Dargani

Cells 2019, 8(10), 1224; doi 10.3390/cells8101224

• “Overview of Extracellular Vesicles, Their Origin, Composition, Purpose, and Methods for Exosome Isolation and Analysis”

by Laura M. Doyle and Michael Zhuo Wang

Cells 2019, 8(7), 727; doi 10.3390/cells8070727

• “Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine”

by Yu Han, Xuezhou Li, Yanbo Zhang, Yuping Han, Fei Chang and Jianxun Ding

Cells 2019, 8(8), 886; doi 10.3390/cells8080886

Genes:

• “A High-Quality De novo Genome Assembly from a Single Mosquito Using PacBio Sequencing”

by Sarah B. Kingan, Haynes Heaton, Juliana Cudini, Christine C. Lambert, Primo Baybayan, Brendan D. Galvin, Richard Durbin, Jonas Korlach and Mara K. N. Lawniczak

Genes 2019, 10(1), 62; doi 10.3390/genes10010062

• “Eukaryotic 5-methylcytosine (m⁵C) RNA Methyltransferases: Mechanisms, Cellular Functions, and Links to Disease”

by Katherine E Bohnsack, Claudia Höbartner and Markus T Bohnsack

Genes 2019, 10(2), 102; doi 10.3390/genes10020102

• “Tree Lab: Portable Genomics for Early Detection of Plant Viruses and Pests in Sub-Saharan Africa”

by Laura M. Boykin, Peter Sseruwagi, Titus Alicai, Elijah Ateka, Ibrahim Umar Mohammed, Jo-Ann L. Stanton, Charles Kayuki, Deogratius Mark, Tarcisius Fute, Joel Erasto, Hilda Bachwenkizi, Brenda Muga, Naomi Mumo, Jenniffer Mwangi, Phillip Abidrabo, Geoffrey Okao-Okuja, Geresemu Omuut, Jacinta Akol, Hellen B. Apio, Francis Osingada, Monica A. Kehoe, David Eccles, Anders Savill, Stephen Lamb, Tonny Kinene, Christopher B. Rawle, Abishek Muralidhar, Kirsty Mayall, Fred Tairo and Joseph Ndunguru

Genes 2019, 10(9), 632; doi 10.3390/genes10090632

• “Transcription Factors Associated with Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance and Their Potential for Crops Improvement”

by Elamin Hafiz Baillo, Roy Njoroge Kimotho, Zhengbin Zhang and Ping Xu

Genes 2019, 10(10), 771; doi 10.3390/genes10100771

Horticulturae:

• “Recent Advances in Hormonal Regulation and Cross-Talk during Non-Climacteric Fruit Development and Ripening”

by Lida Fuentes, Carlos R. Figueroa and Monika Valdenegro

Horticulturae 2019, 5(2), 45; doi 10.3390/horticulturae5020045

• “Evaluation of Two Wild Populations of Hedge Mustard (Sisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop.) as a Potential Leafy Vegetable”

by Marta Guarise, Gigliola Borgonovo, Angela Bassoli and Antonio Ferrante

Horticulturae 2019, 5(1), 13; doi 10.3390/horticulturae5010013

Insects:

• “Olfactory Preference of Drosophila suzukii Shifts between Fruit and Fermentation Cues over the Season: Effects of Physiological Status”

by Rik Clymans, Vincent Van Kerckvoorde, Eva Bangels, Wannes Akkermans, Ammar Alhmedi, Patrick De Clercq, Tim Beliën and Dany bylemans

Insects 2019, 10(7), 200; doi 10.3390/insects10070200

• “Telenomus remus, a Candidate Parasitoid for the Biological Control of Spodoptera frugiperda in Africa, is already Present on the Continent”

by Marc Kenis, Hannalene du Plessis, Johnnie Van den Berg, Malick Niango Ba, Georg Goergen, Koffi Eric Kwadjo, Ibrahim Baoua, Tadele Tefera, Alan Buddie, Giovanni Cafà, Lisa Offord, Ivan Rwomushana and Andrew Polaszek

Insects 2019, 10(4), 92; doi 10.3390/insects10040092

• “Symbiotic Plant Biomass Decomposition in Fungus-Growing Termites”

by Rafael R. da Costa, Haofu Hu, Hongjie Li and Michael Poulsen

Insects 2019, 10(4), 87; doi 10.3390/insects10040087

International Journal of Molecular Sciences:

• “Aging, Melatonin, and the Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Networks”

by Rüdiger Hardeland

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(5), 1223; doi 10.3390/ijms20051223

• “Causative Links between Protein Aggregation and Oxidative Stress: A Review”

by Elise Lévy, Nadine El Banna, Dorothée Baïlle, Amélie Heneman-Masurel, Sandrine Truchet, Human Rezaei, Meng-Er Huang, Vincent Béringue, Davy Martin and Laurence Vernis

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(16), 3896; doi 10.3390/ijms20163896

• “Immunobiology of Atherosclerosis: A Complex Net of Interactions”

by Beatriz Herrero-Fernandez, Raquel Gomez-Bris, Beatriz Somovilla-Crespo and Jose Maria Gonzalez-Granado

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(21), 5293; doi 10.3390/ijms20215293

• “Development of a Gut-on-a-Chip Model for High Throughput Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery”

by Claudia Beaurivage, Elena Naumovska, Yee Xiang Chang, Edo D. Elstak, Arnaud Nicolas, Heidi Wouters, Guido van Moolenbroek, Henriëtte L. Lanz, Sebastiaan J. Trietsch, Jos Joore, Paul Vulto, Richard A.J. Janssen, Kai S. Erdmann, Jan Stallen and Dorota Kurek

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(22), 5661; doi 10.3390/ijms20225661

• “Triple-Negative Breast Cancer with High Levels of Annexin A1 Expression Is Associated with Mast Cell Infiltration, Inflammationand Angiogenesis”

by Maiko Okano, Masanori Oshi, Ali Linsk Butash, Eriko Katsuta, Kazunoshin Tachibana, Katsuharu Saito, Hirokazu Okayama, Xuan Peng, Li Yan, Koji Kono, Toru Ohtake and Kazuaki Takabe

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(17), 4197; doi 10.3390/ijms20174197

• “CGRP Induces Differential Regulation of Cytokines from Satellite Glial Cells in Trigeminal Ganglia and Orofacial Nociception”

by Shaista Afroz, Rieko Arakaki, Takuma Iwasa, Masamitsu Oshima, Maki Hosoki, Miho Inoue, Otto Baba, Yoshihiro Okayama and Yoshizo Matsuka

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(3), 711; doi 10.3390/ijms20030711

Life:

• “Characterization of Resistance in Gram-Negative Urinary Isolates Using Existing and Novel Indicators of Clinical Relevance: A 10-Year Data Analysis”

by Márió Gajdács, Zoltán Bátori, Marianna Ábrók, Andrea Lázár and Katalin Burián

Life 2020, 10(2), 16; doi 10.3390/life10020016

• “Neuroprotection or Neurotoxicity of Illicit Drugs on Parkinson’s Disease”

by Carla Ferreira, Catarina Almeida, Sandra Tenreiro and Alexandre Quintas

Life 2020, 10(6), 86; doi 10.3390/life10060086

Nutrients:

• “Gut Microbiome: Profound Implications for Diet and Disease”

by Ronald D. Hills, Benjamin A. Pontefract, Hillary R. Mishcon, Cody A. Black, Steven C. Sutton and Cory R. Theberge

Nutrients 2019, 11(7), 1613; doi 10.3390/nu11071613

• “Vitamin C Can Shorten the Length of Stay in the ICU: A Meta-Analysis”

by Harri Hemilä and Elizabeth Chalker

Nutrients 2019, 11(4), 708; doi 10.3390/nu11040708

• “Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves 24-Hour Glucose Levels and Affects Markers of the Circadian Clock, Aging, and Autophagy in Humans”

by Humaira Jamshed, Robbie A. Beyl, Deborah L. Della Manna, Eddy S. Yang, Eric Ravussin and Courtney M. Peterson

Nutrients 2019, 11(6), 1234; doi 10.3390/nu11061234

Pathogens:

• “Alteration of Gut Microbiota in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Cause or Consequence? IBD Treatment Targeting the Gut Microbiome”

by Israr Kha, Naeem Ullah, Lajia Zha, Yanrui Bai, Ashiq Khan, Tang Zhao, Tuanjie Che and Chunjiang Zhang

Pathogens 2019, 8(3), 126; doi 10.3390/pathogens8030126

• “Candida albicans Interactions with Mucosal Surfaces during Health and Disease”

by Spyridoula-Angeliki Nikou,Nessim Kichik, Rhys Brown, Nicole O. Ponde, Jemima Ho, Julian R. Naglik and Jonathan P. Richardson

Pathogens 2019, 8(2), 53; doi 10.3390/pathogens8020053

• “Bacteriophages in Natural and Artificial Environments”

by Steven Batinovic, Flavia Wassef, Sarah A. Knowler, Daniel T.F. Rice, Cassandra R. Stanton, Jayson Rose, Joseph Tucci, Tadashi Nittami, Antony Vinh, Grant R. Drummond, Christopher G. Sobey, Hiu Tat Chan, Robert J. Seviour, Steve Petrovski and Ashley E. Franks

Pathogens 2019, 8(3), 100; doi 10.3390/pathogens8030100

Plants:

• “Plant Disease Detection and Classification by Deep Learning”

by Muhammad Hammad Saleem, Johan Potgieter and Khalid Mahmood Arif 

Plants 2019, 8(11), 468; doi 10.3390/plants8110468

• “Involvement of Phenolic Acids in Short-Term Adaptation to Salinity Stress is Species-Specific among Brassicaceae”

by Ida Linić, Dunja Šamec, Jiří Grúz, Valerija Vujčić Bok, Miroslav Strnad and Branka Salopek-Sondi

Plants 2019, 8(6), 155; doi 10.3390/plants8060155

• “Isoform-Specific NO Synthesis by Arabidopsis thaliana Nitrate Reductase”

by Marie Agatha Mohn, Besarta Thaqi and Katrin Fischer-Schrader

Plants 2019, 8(3), 67; doi 10.3390/plants8030067

• “GWAS for Starch-Related Parameters in Japonica Rice (Oryza sativa L.)”

by Chiara Biselliandrea Volante, Francesca Desiderio, Alessandro Tondelli, Alberto Gianinetti, Franca Finocchiaro, Federica Taddei, Laura Gazza, Daniela Sgrulletta, Luigi Cattivelli and Giampiero Valè

Plants 2019, 8(8), 292; doi 10.3390/plants8080292

Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/plants) is launching a new initiative, the Plants Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program intends to provide an opportunity for early-career scientists to enhance their editing, networking, and organizational skills and to work closely with our journal to gain more editorial experience.

Early-career scientists are being asked to propose ideas for new Plants Special Issues. The early-career scientists would act as Guest Editors under the mentorship of an experienced scientist. This mentor could be a member of the Editorial Board of Plants, from other well-established research institutes or laboratories, etc.

Early career scientists would have the following responsibilities:

• Providing a CV, including a list of publications;
• Proposing a Special Issue title and a short introduction;
• Writing a brief promotion plan for the Special Issue;
• Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue;
• Reviewing and making decisions for submissions under the mentorship of our Editorial Board Members.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Plants Editorial Office ([email protected]), and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail.

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, Plants will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals based on hot research topics as usual.

It is our great honor to congratulate the Editorial Board Members and Editors in MDPI's journals who have been distinguished as 2021 Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate, according to Web of Science data. We herewith express our gratitude for the immense impact the named researchers continue to make on scientific progress and on our journals' development.

Clarivate's annual list of Highly Cited Researchers^TM identifies the most highly cited scientists for the past decade. Their impactful papers are among the top 1 per cent in the citation distribution of one or more of 22 fields analyzed in the "Essential Science Indicators", distinguishing them as hugely influential among their peers.

The full list of 2021 Highly Cited Researchers  can be accessed at the following webpage in the Web of Science^TM https://recognition.webofscience.com/awards/highly-cited/2021/.

--- Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) is a Clarivate product.

Academic editors play a crucial role in leading our journals and ensuring that each article undergoes a robust and timely peer-review. With the launch of Topics this year and addition of Topic Editors to our family of academic editors, we decided it would be a good time to restructure our academic boards, thus providing more clarity and support for each role. MDPI is pleased to announce the launch of a new position—Topical Advisory Panel Member, that will replace the previous position of Topics Board Member. The Topical Advisory Panel will be comprised of early career researchers eager to gain experience in editorial work.

The main responsibility of the new members of the Topical Advisory Panel is to regularly provide support to Guest Editors, Topic Editors, and Section Board Members. The responsibilities of the Topical Advisory Panel are available here: https://www.mdpi.com/editors.

Each year, the members’ performances are evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.

To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, applicants must:

• Have expertise and experience in the field related to the journal;
• Have received a Ph.D. in the last 10 years, approximately;
• Have at least 6-8 published papers in the last 5 years as first author or corresponding author;
• Currently hold an independent research position in academia or a government institute.

If you are interested in this role, please contact the editorial office by email.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Founded in 1996, MDPI was one of the first fully Open Access publisher. Over 25 years MDPI has grown to become the largest Open Access publisher globally, publishing over 160,000 articles across more than 350 journals in 2020. At the core, MDPI was founded in response to a pressing need of fast publication and inclusion. The scholar was set at the centre of the publication process for the first time. Acting as a service provider, rather than a product provider, MDPI exists to help scientists achive their objective to disseminate research results. At MDPI, we believe scientists deserve a better service from the publishing world.

The International Open Access Week (Open Access Week), founded by the SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) Alliance and student partners in 2008, has been successfully running for 13 years. As an advocate and pioneer of open access publishing, MDPI actively responds to the call of International Open Access Week. This year’s theme of “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity” highlights the Recommendation’s call for equitable participation from all authors and readers.

For the last 25 years, MDPI has been committed to disseminating open research. Here is a video showing MDPI’s Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for More than 25 Years.

International Open Access Week is an important opportunity to catalyze new conversations, create connections across and between communities that can facilitate this co-design, and advance progress in the building of more equitable foundations for opening knowledge—discussions and actions that need to be continued, year in and year out. MDPI has always aimed to provide professional and efficient publishing services to scholars around the world.

Our mission is to make scientific research accessible to everyone; this year, we interview and hold discussions with open science ambassadors on how to build an equal and inclusive environment for open science. Academic editors help us collaborate with more institutions to advocate for open access ideas.

Read our anniversary blog post: "Sharing 'Collective Human Knowledge': The Benefits of Open Access Publication"

Besides this, our scientific community is a key driver of our success and MDPI’s remarkable growth. Despite the pandemic, we have prepared online conferences and workshops to gather scholars from different communities.

The Basel Sustainable Publishing online forum provides an equal opportunity for stakeholders and researchers from multi-cultural environments to exchange ideas and eliminate barriers to participation.

Conference date: 25 October 2021, online
Conference website: https://bspf2021.sciforum.net/
Main topics: MDPI discusses the current dilemma of open access science from various perspectives such as governments, libraries, and publishers, and related measures on how to change the status quo of discrimination from a global perspective.

We aim to support equality, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications. We collaborate with universities and key laboratories and have scholarly communications with researchers, teachers, and students on open access workshops.

• 25 October 2021
  Energies journal and Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

• 28 October 2021
  Machines journal and State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University

• 29 October 2021
  Processes journal and Beijing Institute of Technology

• 29 October 2021
  Coatings journal and Wuhan University of Technology

MDPI is committed to providing open access and high-quality publishing services for scholars and promoting rapid dissemination of academic achievements. We hope to promote the practices and policies of open access publishing and diversify the dissemination of academic achievements.

Rigorous peer-review is the cornerstone of high-quality academic publishing. Over 369,916 scholars served as reviewers for MDPI journals in 2020. We are extremely appreciative of all those who made a contribution to the editorial process in this capacity. At the beginning of every year, journal editorial offices publish a list of all reviewers’ names to express our gratitude. In addition, this year, the MDPI Top Reviewer Award was announced, to recognize the very best reviewers for their expertise and dedication, and their high-quality, and timely review reports. We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award:

• Adriana Burlea-Schiopoiu;
• Alban Kuriqi;
• Álvaro González-Vila;
• Alessandro Alaimo;
• Alexey Beskopylny;
• Alexander Yu Churyumov;
• Alberto Fernández-Isabel;
• Andrea Mastinu;
• Antonios N. Papadopoulos;
• Anton Rassõlkin;
• Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino;
• Arkadiusz Matwijczuk;
• Artur Słomka;
• Baojie He;
• Bartłomiej Potaniec;
• Bojan Đurin;
• Camilo Arturo Rodriguez Diaz;
• Carmelo Maria Musarella;
• Chiachung Chen;
• Chiman Kwan;
• Cristian Busu;
• Danil Pimenov;
• Dan-Cristian Dabija;
• Delfín Ortega-Sánchez;
• Demetrio Antonio Zema;
• Denis Butusov;
• Elena Lucchi;
• Gaurab Dutta;
• Livia Anastasiu;
• M. R. Safaei.

For more information about how to become a reviewer of MDPI journals, please see: www.mdpi.com/reviewers.

UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In 2020 the SDG Publishers Compact was launched, aimed to inspire publishers and accelerate progress to achieve the 17 goals by 2030. Members of the programme are committed to support the publication of materials that will promote and inspire actions towards SDGs.

MDPI is an eager advocate of SDGs and has already been supporting the programme by creating Special Issues and publishing a series of books on SDGs prior to joining the Compact in 2021. MDPI's Sustainability Foundation initiated the World Sustainability Awards in 2016. We fully support UN's goals to promote sustainable actions that make the world a better place for all and, as part of its commitment, we will focus our actions on SDG10: Reduced Inequalities whilst promoting all 17 SDGs. For more details, please visit the programme’s website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-publishers-compact/.

Joining this initiative was a unanimous decision. MDPI has in its core values the dissemination of science for all, breaking the wall between research access and under-represented members of the scientific community and the general population. To support this initiative further and continue to support under-represented scientists, MDPI will take a series of actions that will be announced once ready.

The first action MDPI takes is to nominate Dr. Liliane Auwerter as the coordinator of the programme. Dr. Auwerter studied Environmental Process Technology (UTFPR, Brazil), obtained her MSc degree in Water and Environmental Engineering (University of Surrey, UK) and in 2020 completed her PhD in self-healing low-friction materials for water transport (Imperial College London, UK), always focusing on diverse scientific projects that would potentially bring sustainability to industrial processes. As a student in Brazil, she engaged in volunteering activities focused on environmental education and took part in the Millennial Development Goals meetings held at the university.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Liliane Auwerter
Scientific Officer
[email protected]

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Baohong Zhang has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Plant Systems and Synthetic Biology” in Plants.

Name: Prof. Dr. Baohong Zhang

Affiliation: Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA

Interests: genome editing; small regulatory RNAs; molecular genetics; plant biotechnology; abiotic stress; gene expression and regulation

We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Fermin Morales has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Crop Physiology and Crop Production” in Plants.

Name: Dr. Fermin Morales

Affiliation: Agrobiotechnology Institute (IdAB-CSIC)-Gobierno de Navarra, Avda. de Pamplona 123, 31192 Mutilva, Navarra, Spain

Interests: agronomy; elevated CO₂; elevated temperature; grapevine biology; photosynthesis; plant adaptation to climate change; plant nutrition; plant physiology; plant stress physiology; water stress

We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Baohong Zhang and Dr. Fermin Morales in taking up their roles as Section Editors-in-Chief and look forward to them leading Plants to achieve many more milestones.

Plants Editorial Office

We are pleased to announce the Topic “Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition for Sustainable Agriculture” (https://www.mdpi.com/topics/Fertility_Nutrition_Agriculture).

This collection invites contributions on new agricultural practices that maintain or restore soil life and fertility; new methods and technologies for mineral and organic feeding and plant fertilization; new sources of, and processes for, providing healthy food without negative impacts on the soil; the use of cultivars that efficiently valorize soil resources; and the use of plant cover or crop associations. Contributions concerning biocontrol and soilborne disease are also welcome.

The relevant journals are Horticulturae, Plants, Agronomy, Agriculture, and Sustainability. The submission deadline is 31 December 2022. Contributions to the topic are welcome.

This serves to announce to our valued authors based in Japan that value-added tax, or consumption tax will now be imposed on article processing fees and other service fees for all papers submitted, or resubmitted (assigned new paper IDs), effective from 15 August 2021. The change is in accordance with the Japanese "Act for Partial Revision of the Income Tax Act and Other Acts" (Act No. 9 of 2015), which includes a revision of consumption taxation on cross-border supplies of services such as digital content distribution.

For additional information from the National Tax Agency please see here ("Cross-border supplies of electronic services").

Contact: Setsuko Nishihara, MDPI Tokyo

The 2020 citation metrics have been officially released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR)!

We are pleased to announce that 85 MDPI journals are included, of which:

• 10 journals received their first impact factor
• 96% of journals increased their impact factor from 2019
• 32 journals (38%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category