Announcements

MDPI is honored to announce the recipients of the 2025 Best Paper Awards, celebrating exceptional research for its scientific merit and broad impact. After a rigorous evaluation process conducted by Academic Editors, this year’s awards showcase papers that stand out for their innovation, relevance, and high-quality presentation.

Out of a highly competitive pool, 396 winning papers have been recognized for their exceptional contributions. We congratulate these authors for pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines.

At MDPI, we are dedicated to broadening the reach of innovative science. To learn more about the award-winning papers and explore research projects in your field of study, please visit the following links:

• Biology and Life Sciences;
• Business and Economics;
• Chemistry and Materials Sciences;
• Computer Sciences and Mathematics;
• Engineering;
• Environmental and Earth Sciences;
• Medicine and Pharmacology;
• Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities;
• Physical Sciences;
• Public Health and Healthcare.

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the global research community and enhance academic dialogue, MDPI journals regularly host award programs across diverse scientific disciplines. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and whose work drives the advancement of their fields.

Explore the Best Paper Awards open for participation, please click here.

Conference: Nutrients 2026—Clinical Nutrition: From Research to Practice
Date: 22–24 October 2026, CEST, Barcelona, Spain
Website: https://sciforum.net/event/Nutrients2026

We cordially invite you to attend this event organized by MDPI’s Nutrients (ISSN: 2072-6643, impact factor: 5.0, CiteScore: 9.1). It will take place on 22 to 24 October 2026, CEST, in Barcelona, Spain.

Conference Chairs:

• Prof. Dr. Maria Luz Fernandez, University of Connecticut, USA;
• Prof. Dr. Lluis Serra Majem, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.

The Topics of Interest:

S1. Personalized nutrition based on diet–gene interactions;
S2. Innovations in clinical nutrition;
S3. Novel dietary recommendations for specific chronic diseases;
S4. Understanding the role of microbiota in clinical practice;
S5. The potential role of AI in clinical practice;
S6. Lifestyle and prevention of chronic diseases.

Important Dates

Deadline for abstract submissions: 24 June 2026;
Notification of acceptance: 20 July 2026;
Deadline for early bird registration: 24 July 2026;
Deadline for covering author registration: 24 July 2026.

Guide for Authors

To submit your abstract, please click on the following link: https://sciforum.net/user/submission/create/1496.

To register for the event, please click on the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/Nutrients2026?section=#registration.

For details regarding abstract submission, poster and slide submission, and publication opportunities, you may refer to the “Instructions for Authors” section below: https://sciforum.net/event/Nutrients2026?section=#instructions.

For any enquiries regarding the event, please contact nutrients2026@mdpi.com.

We look forward to seeing you at Nutrients 2026.

We are honored to announce that Prof. Dr. William Gerwick will serve as the Chair of the 2026 Tu Youyou Award Committee.

A world-renowned authority in marine natural products chemistry and pharmacology, Professor Gerwick is a Distinguished Professor at both the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). His pioneering work at the intersection of ocean sciences and drug discovery makes him a fitting leader for an award centered on transformative medicinal breakthroughs.

Under Professor Gerwick’s stewardship, the 2026 Tu Youyou Award Committee will focus on recognizing innovative and impactful research in natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry, particularly work with the potential to drive meaningful advances in both scientific understanding and human health.

To provide further insight into his perspectives, we include below an interview with Professor Gerwick, in which he reflects on his scientific journey, his views on the field, and his vision for the Tu Youyou Award.

A Conversation with the Chair

1. Could you please introduce yourself and your research journey?

My research focuses on the natural products of marine algae and cyanobacteria, their application in medicine, their biosynthesis using genomic approaches, and innovative methods in the structure elucidation of natural products.

I received my BS degree from the University of California at Davis, my PhD from the University of California at San Diego, and conducted postdoctoral work at the University of Connecticut. After a couple of years in a junior faculty position at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, I spent 21 years as Professor of Pharmacy at Oregon State University. In 2005, I returned to my PhD institution at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at UC San Diego, where I am currently a Distinguished Professor of Oceanography and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to advancing the field through both leadership and mentorship. I have served as president of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, chaired and co-chaired several major research conferences, and served as an associate editor for the Journal of Natural Products. I am a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and of the American Society of Pharmacognosy. I have trained over 100 doctoral and postdoctoral students, and my research group has published nearly 500 papers and more than 25 patents on topics in the natural product sciences and medicinal chemistry.

2. What motivated you to accept the role of Chair of the 2026 Tu Youyou Award Committee?

Of course, I am a huge supporter of all awards that are given in recognition of excellent scientific research, and especially so in the natural products sciences and medicinal chemistry. However, this award is truly special in that it recognizes scientific excellence as well as impact, and is given in the name of an individual, Tu Youyou, who clearly had many challenges along the path to reach the pinnacle of her success. Not only was she the first Chinese person to win a Nobel prize in this area, but she was also the first Chinese woman to receive a Nobel prize, and this was achieved without graduate education in China or elsewhere. It’s a true testament to what can be achieved by hard work, determination, and vision. To read the history of her extraordinary approach to discovering novel antimalarial compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicine is truly inspirational. It is, therefore, the inspiration provided by the extraordinary life and career of Tu Youyou that motivated me to accept the Chair of the Award Committee for 2026.

3. How do you view the role of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry in today’s scientific landscape, and what major advances over the past decade have shaped this field?

A quite remarkable integration of fields is currently transforming natural products science and medicinal chemistry. In natural products, we are seeing integration of different omics methods, from metabolites to proteins to nucleic acids. Sophisticated biological and pharmacological approaches are driving the discovery of exquisitely potent and selective natural products. Advances are being made to integrate molecular-level recognition of natural products with chemical ecological studies, and sophisticated methods of structure determination using Artificial Intelligence or pioneering new tools such as microED are being applied with increasing frequency. High-level synthetic methodologies, such as protecting group-free synthetic routes, are enhancing medicinal chemistry, accelerating the identification of lead molecules with attractive pharmaceutical properties at an increasing pace.

4. How do you consider the balance between fundamental discovery (e.g., new molecules or mechanisms) and practical impact (e.g., therapeutic applications)?

Many individuals are excellent scientists and mentors, and have essential roles in developing our culture that values science and the scientific method. It should also be pointed out that not all scientific discoveries are going to have a broad societal impact, but they are nevertheless critical to the overall body and structure of science. But it is a truly remarkable individual who makes a key scientific discovery, recognizes its potential value to society in general, and then has the skills and determination to bring it forward as a useful product. That was the type of person the Tu Youyou is, and that is the type of person who is honored by the prize in her name.

5. What do you see as the key challenges or opportunities currently facing the field?

We are on the crux of an amazing revolution in many of the sciences, including natural products and medicinal chemistry; the purposeful application of Artificial Intelligence to solving many of the difficulties involved in the search for new pharmaceuticals from Nature. AI is transforming how we select organisms for study, what pharmaceutical targets to go after, rapidly resolving the chemical structures of new compounds, identifying efficient routes to their chemical synthesis, understanding their molecular mechanisms of action, and finally, designing their clinical application. The role of people in these pursuits is changing. Increasingly, the human role will be providing overall vision: what can we do? What should we do? And it is important to remember that AI is providing hypotheses, not truth. Scientists with expert domain knowledge will be critical for discerning the correctness of hypotheses put forth by AI. Altogether, advances in technology, expanding knowledge, and the appropriate use of AI methods are preparing society to be able to address emerging diseases, such as pandemics, as well as conditions that are not effectively treated by currently existing therapeutics.

6. How do you expect the Tu Youyou Award to contribute to the advancement of natural product chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and human health over the coming years?

The Tu Youyou Award is potentially transformative for the broad fields of natural products science and medicinal chemistry as it brings a significantly increased level of visibility to these topics and their contributions to human health. It will be crucial to have excellent communication to news agencies, social media and other communication outlets so that the general public is informed and educated on the high impact of these natural product/medicinal chemistry contributions. This will bring increased funding, attract promising students, and generally enrich the interface of these fields with the health sector.

7. What message would you like to convey to the research community and the public during this open nomination phase?

This prize gives broad societal visibility to the role that natural products have had in shaping a majority of our current medicines, as well as understanding the life forms with whom we share the planet. Further, it recognizes a woman scientist working under sub-optimal conditions who could persevere and make discoveries of global impact. The prize and what it represents, therefore, inspires current and future generations to engage in the study of Nature and its relationship to Human Health, to overcome adversity, and to aspire to making one’s life impactful.

About the Tu Youyou Award

Established in 2016, the Tu Youyou Award seeks to honor those who excel in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. This award offers a total prize of CHF 100,000, which will be equally divided among the winners if there is more than one, with each recipient receiving an award medal and a certificate.

The 2026 Tu Youyou Award is open for nominations until 31 October 2026. We encourage all eligible candidates to participate in this prestigious recognition, as this award not only honors individual achievement but also encourages further scientific exchange, exploration and discovery in critical areas of medicine.

If you are interested in participating, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website for more information on the nomination requirements.

We are thrilled to share the updated Exceptional Reviewers List 2026. This program was designed to recognize and honor scholars who have consistently delivered exceptional review reports to our journal. Committed to fostering rigorous research and promoting knowledge exchange, Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) recognizes the significant role our reviewers play in maintaining the quality and integrity of the articles we publish. According to surveys conducted in 2024, 92% of our authors rate the peer review as good or excellent, thanks to our pool of excellent reviewers.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all the reviewers who have generously volunteered their time and expertise to assist in Plants’ peer-review process. Their dedication and attention to detail in evaluating manuscripts, offering valuable feedback, and contributing to academic rigor are truly commendable.

The Exceptional Reviewers List was introduced in April 2026. Each quarter, we will be selecting a group of outstanding reviewers and introduce them here.

Q1:
Name: Prof. Vyacheslav Dushenkov
Affiliation: Department of Natural Sciences, Hostos Community College, CUNY, Bronx, NY, USA
Interests: ecology; evolutionary biology; botanical therapeutics; phytoremediation

Name: Dr. Ricardo Alcántara-de la Cruz
Affiliation: Department of Agronomy, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
Interests: herbicide cross resistance; herbicide multiple resistance; herbicides; weeds; CytP450; GST; resistant mechanisms
“My experience as a reviewer has been consistently positive, as authors generally understand and adopt my comments. Regardless of the journal, I strive to provide objective, constructive, and impartial evaluations.”

Name: Dr. Karolina Grabowska
Affiliation: Chair of Pharmacognosy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
Interests: saponins; polyphenols; triterpenes; phytochemical analysis isolation; structure elucidation; quantification of plant metabolites; Amaranthaceae; Chenopodiaceae
“I truly value the opportunity to participate in the peer-review process. Reviewing manuscripts has been a very rewarding experience, allowing me to engage with emerging research, contribute to maintaining scientific quality, and further develop my critical evaluation skills. At the same time, it is also a process of discovering different perspectives that authors bring to similar research questions, creating space for constructive discussion and ultimately contributing to the pursuit of scientific truth.”

Name: Prof. Carlos Lara
Affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Km 10.5 Autopista Tlaxcala-San Martín Texmelucan, San Felipe Ixtacuixtla 90120, Tlaxcala, Mexico
Interests: ecology; behavioral ecology; ecology and evolution; biodiversity
“Rigorous peer review strengthens science. I aim to provide constructive feedback that helps authors improve their work while maintaining high standards for ecological research.”

Name: Dr. Bożena Szewczyk-Taranek
Affiliation: Department of Ornamental Plants and Garden Art, Faculty of Horticulture and Biotechnology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
Interests: ornamental plants; micropropagation; cryopreservation; plants quality assessment; therapeutic horticulture; landscape plant utilization
“As a specialist in ornamental plants and horticulture, I value contributing to the rigorous evaluation and advancement of high-quality research in plant sciences.”

Our portfolio of journals available for publishing up-to-date research in immediate open access format has been further expanded. In the first quarter of 2026, nine new journals released their inaugural issues and three transferred journals released their first issue as part of MDPI, covering the subjects of clinical medicine, chemistry, computer science & mathematics, engineering, environment & ecology, and social sciences & psychology.

We extend our gratitude to the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members who will shape the future course of these brand-new journals. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you would like to create a new journal, you are welcome to send an application here or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com).

Conference: Chinese Grassland Society 2026 Annual Conference
Date: 17–19 April 2026
Location: Beijing, China

MDPI will be attending the Chinese Grassland Society 2026 Annual Conference as an exhibitor, and we are welcoming researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

The 2026 Annual Conference of the Grassland Science Society of China, themed “Grand Ecology, Grand Food, Grand Grassland Industry”, aims to build an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral dialogue platform. It will bring together wisdom from government, industry, academia, research and application sectors to explore synergistic pathways for the grassland industry with ecological conservation, food security and rural revitalization.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Agronomy;
• Agriculture;
• Grasses;
• Plants;
• Land;
• Seeds.

A message from the webinar Chair:

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to invite you to the Plants Issue Cover Webinar, which will be held online from 13:20 to 15:00 EDT | 19:20 to 21:00 CEST on Thursday, 23 April 2026.

This special webinar is dedicated to celebrating the outstanding research papers featured on the Issue Cover in 2025. Since its inception, our journal has been committed to publishing cutting-edge studies in plant science, and the Issue Cover articles represent the most visually compelling and scientifically significant works we have showcased.

Issue Cover Articles are selected for their scientific breakthroughs, originality, and potential for high impact in their respective fields. The selected studies cover a wide range of topics within plant science, including plant development and regeneration mechanisms, molecular responses to environmental stress, protein complex functionality, and advanced omics applications.

In this webinar, we will explore the featured studies in greater depth and hear presentations from the corresponding authors on their latest research achievements. We look forward to your participation in this celebration of scientific excellence.

Prof. Dr. Dilantha Fernando
Editor-in-Chief of Plants

Date: Thursday, 23 April 2026
Time: 13:20 to 15:00 EDT | 19:20 to 21:00 CEST
Webinar ID: 822 0866 9962
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Webinar announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/Plants-1?subscribe

Register now for free!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic or institutional email addresses will be prioritized. 

Unable to attend? Feel free to still register; we will inform you when the recording is available.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Dilantha Fernando, Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Canada;
• Mr. Ivan Aleksieienko, ¹ Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology of Aix-Marseille (BIAM); ² Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), France;
• Dr. Kedong Da, Department of Horticultural Sciences, North Carolina State University, USA;
• Prof. Olga Zabotina, Roy J Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, USA;
• Dr. Marc Libault, Division of Plant Science & Technology; Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center; Interdisciplinary Plant Group; University of Missouri-Columbia, USA.

Relevant Selected Papers:

“Soil-Gradient-Derived Bacterial Synthetic Communities Enhance Drought Tolerance in Quercus pubescens and Sorbus domestica Seedlings”
Authored by Mr. Ivan Aleksieienko, Dr. Mariana Fernandes Hertel, Dr. Jérôme Reilhan, Dr. Marie de Castro, Dr. Bertrand Légeret, Dr. Halley Caixeta Oliveira, Dr. Ilja M. Reiter and Dr. Catherine Santaella
Edited by Dr. James Bunce and Dr. Mohammad G. Mostofa

“Multiprotein Complexes of Plant Glycosyltransferases Involved in Their Function and Trafficking”
Authored by Dr. Ning Zhang, Dr. Jordan D. Julian and Prof. Olga A. Zabotina
Edited by Prof. Nathalie Leborgne-Castel

“Overcoming Recalcitrance: A Review of Regeneration Methods and Challenges in Roses”
Authored by Dr. Anna Nelson, Dr. Thomas Ranney, Dr. Wusheng Liu, Prof. Dr. Tim Kelliher, Dr. Hui Duan and Dr. Kedong Da
Edited by Dr. Adriana Basile

We are pleased to announce that Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) was covered by Reaxys and Gale databases as of March 2026. We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to all authors, reviewers, and editors who have contributed to this journal and helped us accomplish this achievement.

Plants is an open access journal providing an advanced forum for research findings in areas related to plant function, its physiology, biology, taxonomy, stresses, and interactions with other organisms. The journal publishes original research articles, reviews, reports, conference proceedings (peer-reviewed full articles) and communications. In original research papers, it is important that full experimental details are provided. We also encourage timely reviews and commentaries on topics that interest the plant research community.

With this expanded coverage, Plants will further enhance its visibility and accessibility within the global research community. To make the most of the opportunity afforded by this coverage, we would like to invite you to submit your research to Plants. If you are working on a paper concerning any topic within the journal’s scope, please submit it via the journal’s website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/plant.

Plants Editorial Office

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Plants Outstanding Reviewer Award for 2025. This award recognizes reviewers who contribute their time to reviewing papers and display thoroughness, professionalism, and timeliness while doing so. 

We are proud to congratulate the following awardees:

• Dr. Nasratullah Habibi, from Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan;
• Dr. Maja Boczkowska, from Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute—National Research Institute, Poland;
• Dr. Yongjun Shu, from Harbin Normal University, China;
• Dr. Jose M. Mulet Salort, from Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain;
• Dr. Marco Iannaccone, from Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Italy.

As the awardees, they will each receive CHF 500, an electronic certificate and a voucher to waive the article processing charge (APC) for one submission in Plants (subject to peer review), valid for one year.

Once again, we would like to congratulate the five winners on this well-deserved recognition and additionally extend our thanks to every reviewer who has supported Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) with their time and expertise. Their collective effort helps to maintain the quality and integrity of our journal.

On behalf of the Plants Outstanding Reviewer Award Evaluation Committee