Announcements

We are pleased to announce that MDPI will be participating in the 2026 International Congress on Membranes and Membrane Processes (ICOM 2026), organized by the North American Membrane Society, taking place from 18 to 25 July 2026 in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

The ICOM 2026 presents a unique opportunity for international and regional communities to collaborate together toward the aim of advancing scalable membrane engineering. Visit our booth to discover MDPI’s latest publications, Special Issues, and open access initiatives in hydrogen technologies and related fields. Our Editors will be on hand to discuss your research and answer any questions about publishing with MDPI.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at this conference:

• Membranes;
• ChemEngineering;
• Purification;
• Materials;
• Applied Sciences;
• Separations;
• Processes;
• Water;
• Clean Technologies.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please feel free to reach out online and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at our booth and answering any questions you may have. For more information about this event, please click the following link: https://www.membranes.org/icom2026.

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the Separations Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program enables early career researchers (who must hold a PhD in a related field) to gain experience in editing a Special Issue in MDPI journals under the mentorship of our experienced Editorial Board Members or other experienced scientists. The mentor program provides an excellent opportunity for early-career scientists to gain editorial experience and cultivate their ability to edit scientific research. It is important to note that, within this program, the mentor will hold the title of Guest Editor, while the mentee will be recognized as the Guest Editor Assistant.

The mentee’s responsibilities include:

• Proposing a Special Issue title and assisting the mentor to prepare a summary (around 200–400 words) and 3–10 keywords describing the background, importance, and goal of the Special Issue;
• Writing a brief promotion plan for the Special Issue;
• Preparing a list of scholars that may be interested in the Special Issue and personally e-mailing the invitations on behalf of the Guest Editors;
• Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue together with the mentor;
• Providing opinions and suggestions to the mentor to assist them with making their final decisions (they cannot make decisions during paper processing, and the mentee will not be listed in the published papers as an Academic Editor).

The mentor’s responsibilities include:

• Conducting a final check before the Special Issue is published online;
• Performing editorial control of the Special Issue and quality control of the publications in a timely manner;
• Providing suggestions to the mentee if they have any doubts or concerns regarding submissions;
• Regularly organizing video calls with the mentee and the Editorial Office to discuss problems and suggestions for improvement for the Special Issue;
• Making and submitting decisions for the submissions with the assistance of the mentees.

Certificates and awards:

After the Special Issue closes, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all the mentors and mentees.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Separations Editorial Office, 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, Separations (ISSN: 2297-8739) will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals focusing on hot research topics.

We are pleased to announce Dr. Jiahui Zhu as the winner of the Separations 2025 Young Investigator Award. The Separations Young Investigator Award was established in 2024 to acknowledge the achievements of young investigators in the field of separation science. All winners were chosen by the journal’s award committee.

Dr. Jiahui Zhu is an associate professor at Harbin Engineering University. As an early-career researcher focused on the design of functional adsorption materials and the separation and purification of uranyl ions, her academic work has consistently addressed fundamental challenges in separation science, namely efficiency, selectivity, and engineering application. In particular, Dr. Zhu’s core research is dedicated to tackling the highly challenging separation problem of efficient and selective uranium extraction from seawater.

We were honored to interview Dr. Jiahui Zhu and learn about her views and experiences in relation to scientific research and awards. The interview is summarized below:

1. Could you please share your current research direction and the latest progress?
Certainly. My current research focuses on extracting uranium from seawater, which is a critical step toward securing a long-term, sustainable fuel supply for nuclear energy. The concentration of uranium in seawater is extremely low (about 3.3 μg/L), making selective extraction a significant challenge. In terms of the latest progress, we have been developing high-performance adsorbents based on novel dioxin-linked polymer (PAE-CN), which has been synthesized from ellagic acid (EA) and tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile (TFTPN) via the Williamson ether synthesis method, followed by amidoximation modification to obtain the polymer adsorbent PAE-AO. The maximum adsorption capacity reached 436.68 mg/g at 25 °C, and the distribution coefficient for uranium in competitive ion experiments attained 4.9 × 10⁴ mL/g.

2. Could you please share the most impressive breakthrough in your research career, either in terms of ideas or research results?
The most impressive breakthrough in my research career came from a shift in thinking—instead of only pursuing higher adsorption capacity in the lab using simulated seawater with high uranium concentration, we decided to design materials that work efficiently under real, low-concentration, multi-ion competition conditions in natural seawater. Specifically, the natural material bamboo strips (BS) were utilized due to the flexibility and richness of various functional groups, and the amidoximized bamboo strips (AOBS) could be directly prepared by a simple one-step method. The AOBS maintained its initial stitchability through flexibility adjustment and was woven into a macro-shaped adsorbent (AOBS-M). After being placed in the Yellow Sea basin for 30 days, approximately 44.75 g of crude U(VI) was obtained, and it showed excellent selectivity for U(VI). The AOBS-M not only overcame the problem that the existing adsorption materials were difficult to achieve macroscopic large-area molding but also realized the flexibility adjustment during the modification process by controlling the reaction conditions and promoted the industrial development of U(VI) extraction from seawater.

3. What motivated you to pursue a career in academia?
I chose academia because I am deeply passionate about tackling challenging yet impactful scientific problems. Uranium extraction from seawater is exactly such a problem: technically demanding, yet its breakthrough would carry profound significance for global energy security and sustainable development. Beyond research, I greatly enjoy mentoring young students and watching them grow into independent critical thinkers. Academia grants me the intellectual freedom to follow my scientific curiosity while also allowing me to pass this spirit of exploration on to the next generation. 

4. What challenges have you encountered in your work, and how did you overcome them?
In my research on uranium extraction from seawater, I have faced two major challenges:
The first one is the ultra-low uranium concentration in seawater and the strong interference from coexisting ions, especially vanadium. Vanadium has a much higher binding affinity with common adsorbents than uranium, which greatly reduces the extraction efficiency and selectivity. To overcome this, my team and I designed and modified amidoxime-functionalized porous materials with precise pore structures and surface properties. By tuning the functional groups and material morphology, we significantly improved the selective adsorption of uranium and suppressed the interference of vanadium.
The second challenge is translating lab-scale achievements into practical marine applications. Many materials perform well in simulated seawater but fail to maintain stability and efficiency in real, complex marine environments. We addressed this by conducting field trials in actual seawater and continuously optimizing the material’s durability and reusability. We also simplified the preparation process to make the materials more scalable and cost-effective.
Through persistent experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and iterative optimization, we gradually overcame these obstacles and made steady progress toward more practical uranium extraction technologies. 

5. Could you share your experiences of collaborating with the Separations journal?
I have established a very positive and constructive collaboration with Separations. Recently, I was invited to serve as a guest editor for a forthcoming Special Issue entitled “Advanced Materials for Heavy Metal Adsorption in Wastewater Treatment”.
This topic aligns very well with my own research on uranium extraction from seawater, as both fields focus on the design and application of high-performance adsorptive separation materials. Right now, we are still in the preparation and solicitation stage: we are finalizing the scope of the special issue, identifying leading experts in the field, and actively inviting high-quality contributions that cover novel material design, adsorption mechanisms, and practical applications in heavy metal removal and water remediation.
I greatly appreciate the professional support from the Separations editorial team throughout this process. The journal’s focus on both fundamental separation science and real-world environmental applications makes it an ideal platform for this special issue. I am looking forward to gathering cutting-edge research in this field and further promoting interdisciplinary exchanges through this collaborative effort. 

6. In your view, what are the most promising directions in your research that you are excited about?
I see two promising directions that I'm genuinely excited about:
First, molecularly designed adsorbents. Instead of traditional trial-and-error material development, we can now use computational modeling and AI to predict which functional groups and pore structures will work best for capturing uranium at ultra-low concentrations. This speeds up discovery significantly.
Second, real-world validation at scale. We've seen many promising materials fail when moving from the lab to the ocean. I'm excited about conducting larger-scale marine field tests—not just grams of material, but kilograms—to truly understand the engineering challenges. This bridge between materials science and marine engineering is where the real breakthrough will happen.
What excites me most is that these three directions are converging. In the next few years, I believe we will see a pilot-scale system that proves seawater uranium extraction can be both technically feasible and economically attractive. That keeps me very motivated. 

7. What advice would you give to early-career researchers or young scientists who are just starting their academic journey?
I would give three pieces of advice:
First, choose a meaningful but challenging problem. Don't just follow trends. Pick something that truly interests you and has real-world impact—even if it seems difficult. For me, seawater uranium extraction seemed almost impossible at first, but that's exactly why it's worth doing. The harder the problem, the more satisfying the progress.
Second, embrace failure as data. In research, most experiments fail. That's normal. Instead of getting frustrated, ask: what can I learn from this failure? Keep a detailed lab notebook, analyze why something didn't work, and use that knowledge to design the next experiment. Resilience is more important than intelligence in the long run.
Third, collaborate and communicate. Don't work in isolation. Talk to people from different fields—biology, engineering, oceanography—because the best solutions often come at the intersections. Also, learn to write and present well. Your brilliant idea means nothing if you can't share it effectively.
One bonus piece of advice: take care of yourself. Academia is a marathon, not a sprint. Balance work with rest, hobbies, and time with loved ones. A burned-out researcher is not a productive researcher.

8. Do you have any suggestions or advice for our journal?
If I may offer a few suggestions:
First, I hope the journal can continue to support interdisciplinary topics, especially those that connect separation science with environmental remediation, marine resource extraction, and heavy metal removal. These practical and strategic directions are growing rapidly, and more focus here will further enhance the journal’s influence.
Second, it would be great to provide more support for early-career researchers, such as special columns, publication fee waivers, or fast-track review for young scientists. This will help attract more innovative work from the next generation.
Third, I also suggest encouraging more application-oriented research, not only fundamental material design but also pilot-scale tests, real-scenario applications, and techno-economic analysis. This will make the published work more impactful for industrial and environmental practices.
Overall, I believe Separations is on a very promising path, and I look forward to seeing it become an even more leading journal in separation science and environmental engineering.

The editorial team of Separations (ISSN: 2297-8739) would like to congratulate the winners of the Separations 2025 Editor of Distinction Award, who were chosen by a selection committee chaired by the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Frank L. Dorman. Following a formal review process by the Award Evaluation Committee, two Editorial Board Members were selected as winners. The recipients are as follows:

We warmly congratulate the award recipients and sincerely thank all Editorial Board Members for their continued commitment and valuable contributions to Separations.

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.

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).

Separations (ISSN: 2297-8739) is delighted to announce the winner of the Young Investigator Award, established to acknowledge the achievements of young investigators in the field of separation and purification science and technology. This year’s award has been granted to Dr. Jiahui Zhu.

Dr. Jiahui Zhu is an Associate professor at Harbin Engineering University. As an early career researcher focused on the design of functional adsorption materials and the separation and purification of uranyl ions, her academic work has consistently addressed fundamental challenges in separation science, namely efficiency, selectivity, and engineering application. In particular, Dr. Zhu’s core research is dedicated to tackling the highly challenging separation problem of efficient and selective uranium extraction from seawater.

As the awardee, Dr. Zhu will receive CHF 2000, an electronic certificate, and a voucher to waive the Article Processing Charges (APCs) for one submission in Separations (subject to peer review), which is valid for one year.

Given the large number of high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were particularly challenging. We sincerely thank all the nominators for their participation and the Award Committee Members for their careful evaluation of the many outstanding candidates.

On behalf of the Editorial Office, we warmly congratulate Dr. Jiahui Zhu and wish her continued success in her research career.

Separations Editorial Office

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Separations 2025 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Editorial Board and editorial team of Separations (ISSN: 2297-8739) wish to acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers to checking manuscripts submitted to this journal. It is due to their efforts that the high-quality reputation and quick turnaround of Separations are maintained.

Winners:

• Dr. Marco Aquino, University of Calabria, Italy;
• Dr. Bojana Marković, University of Belgrade, Serbia;
• Dr. Marta Marszałek, Cracow University of Technology, Poland.

Prizes:

• CHF 400;
• An electronic certificate;
• A voucher to waive the Article Processing Charges (APCs) for one submission in Separations (subject to peer review)—valid for one year.

Separations Editorial Office

We are delighted to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 Tu Youyou Award. Named after Nobel Laureate Tu Youyou, whose discovery of artemisinin has saved millions of lives, this award recognizes researchers whose work advances the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry, while also contributing to human health.

Prize

– CHF 100,000;
– A medal;
– A certificate.

The monetary prize will be shared equally should there be multiple recipients.

Who May Be Nominated?

– Scientists with outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Nominees must be individuals; team or group nominations are not permitted. Nominations are valid only for the current award cycle.

Who May Submit a Nomination?

– The director of the nominee’s host research institution or recognized scientists within the field.

Self-nominations will not be considered.

Nomination Materials

– A biographical sketch;
– A detailed description of the nominee’s contributions;
– 5–10 representative academic publications;
– A list of academic honors, awards, and funded projects;
– A nomination letter signed by two nominators.

How to Submit?

Submit nominations online via the following link: https://tuyouyouprize.org/nomination

Important Dates

– Nomination Deadline: 31 October 2026
– Winner Announcement: March 2027

For further information, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website (https://tuyouyouprize.org/). For any inquiries, please contact the Tu Youyou Award Team at tuyouyouaward@mdpi.com.