Announcements
30 April 2025
Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller Share the 2024 Tu Youyou Award
We are pleased to announce that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred upon Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
 Richard DiMarchi Indiana University, USA |
Prof. Richard DiMarchi is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University, USA. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. DiMarchi is a former Group Vice President at Eli Lilly and later at Novo Nordisk. He is recognized for his contributions to the discovery and development of rDNA-derived Humulin®, Humalog®, rGlucagon®, and Forteo®. His academic research has broadened the understanding of glucagon and incretin physiology and pioneered the discovery of single-molecule multi-mechanism agonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. The central element to success has been the chemical vision and technology to install within single molecules simultaneous agonism at related G-protein coupled receptors, coupled to the counter-intuitive discovery that glucagon and GIP agonism could synergize the therapeutic efficacy of GLP-1. These peptides and their conceptual approach have transformed the management of excessive body weight to a condition comparable to how hypertension, adult-onset diabetes, and excess cholesterol are medicinally managed. |
| “Professor DiMarchi was recognized by the 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members as being an exceptional leader in the medicinal chemistry of peptides and proteins of natural origin, and as a pioneer in the field of chemical biotechnology. His very important discoveries have led to breakthroughs in new drugs related to the therapy of diabetes and obesity. He has been named as an inventor on a very large number of patents, and he has had initially a highly successful scientific and administrative career in industry, which was followed by over two decades in academia as a distinguished professor.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee |
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 Rolf Müller Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Infections Research (HZI), Germany; Saarland University, Germany |
Prof. Rolf Müller is the Founding and Managing Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and Professor of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Saarland University, Germany. Having received his training from the University of Bonn, he held research positions at the University of Washington, USA, and Braunschweig University of Technology, Germany, prior to his appointment as professor to Saarland University. His laboratory has dedicated itself to the exploration of bacterial natural-product biosynthetic pathways for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in working with myxobacteria and other microbial producer strains. Starting from the isolation and characterization of new microorganisms, the scope of work includes microbiology-, biotechnology-, bioinformatics-, and chemistry-based approaches to exploit these isolates as sources of new drugs with a special focus on novel anti-infectives. Müller and his team apply a variety of state-of-the-art analytical methods and biological assays to perform biological and chemical characterizations of the identified compounds. Prof. Müller has received several awards, including the prestigious Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the PHOENIX Pharmacy Research Award, the DECHEMA Prize, and the Inhoffen Medal, as well as being an elected member of acatech, Leopoldina, and the German Academy of Sciences and Literature. |
| “The 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee members were highly impressed by the truly outstanding past and ongoing contributions of Professor Müller in both microbial natural products isolation chemistry and in biosynthesis, as well as in the development of lead compounds for their potential in treating human diseases, through his global connections with various major funding agencies. He is also a dedicated teacher who has trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and he has lectured on his research in countries all over the world.” —Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Chair of the Award Committee |
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The achievements of Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller highlight the transformative impact of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. We congratulate them and invite the global academic community and public to join us in celebrating their significant contributions.
2024 Award Committee
Committee Chair:
- Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Ohio State University, USA.
Committee Members (listed in alphabetical order):
- Prof. Angelo Fontana, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy;
- Prof. Binghe Wang, Georgia State University, USA;
- Dr. Diana Pinto, University of Aveiro, Portugal;
- Prof. Hideaki Kakeya, Kyoto University, Japan;
- Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel, University of Strathclyde, UK;
- Prof. Thomas Prisinzano, University of Kentucky, USA
- Prof. Wei Li, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA.
About the Tu Youyou Award:
The 2024 Tu Youyou Award includes a total monetary prize of 100,000 Swiss Francs and a medal for each recipient. Established in 2016 to honor the pioneering spirit of Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, the Tu Youyou Award is an international award honoring exceptional scholars dedicated to the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
For further information about the award and the winners, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website.
30 April 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #22 - 300 Journals in WoS, Norway & Sweden Consortiums, Self-citations
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Over 300 MDPI Journals are Indexed in Web of Science
Indexing is essential to scholarly publishing as it promotes visibility and the impact of research. I’m excited to share that MDPI now has over 300 journals indexed in the Web of Science (WoS). This milestone reflects the work of our authors, editors, reviewers, and the entire MDPI staff, contributing to greater visibility and impact for open access research.
Publish with MDPI, publish with impact.
Having over 300 MDPI journals indexed in the Web of Science is more than a numbers game. It represents a recognition of the quality, consistency, and relevance of the research published in our journals. For the academic community, it reflects the growing trust in MDPI as a reputable publisher, leading the way in open access publishing.
A closer look at the achievement
Being indexed in the WoS nvolves meeting a list of quality criteria, including 24 quality benchmarks for ESCI journals.
For MDPI, rigorous editorial standards and scientific integrity are key. These enabled over 300 journals to pass the Web of Science quality criteria for indexing.
Here we share a blog post discussing the importance of this milestone for MDPI and open scholarly research. In this post, Constanze Schelhorn, Head of Indexing, at MDPI, and Giulia Stefenelli, Scientific Communications Lead, share their thoughts and insights on what this achievement means for our commitment to high-quality research.
“MDPI has a well-structured quality assurance framework that applies to all our journals. We also apply clear, standardized peer-review policies across our portfolio, ensuring transparency and consistency.” – Constanze Schelhorn, Head of Indexing
“This achievement is a step forward for Open Access research, reinforcing the mission to share scientific knowledge globally and facilitate research progress.” – Giulia Stefenelli, Scientific Communications Lead
Read the blog here: https://blog.mdpi.com/2025/04/03/300-mdpi-journals/
Looking to the future
This milestone is a testament to MDPI’s dedication to peer review, editorial excellence, and innovation in academic publishing. It highlights our role as leaders in open access publishing.
Personally, I see this as just the beginning. We will continue to support researchers, expand our contributions to scholarly communication, and push the boundaries of academic publishing.
Impactful Research
Nearly 920 partner institutions in MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program
I’m pleased to share some exciting progress from MDPI's Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP), which now includes nearly 920 partner institutions worldwide. This is more than just a number. It reflects the growing trust and collaboration we’ve built with universities, libraries, and research organizations across the globe.
The IOAP offers institutions discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs), access to a dedicated institutional dashboard, and transparency throughout the publishing process.
Norway’s Sikt Consortium Renews national agreement with MDPI
MDPI has renewed its national agreement with the Sikt Consortium, which now supports 36 institutions across Norway. New partners, such as Kristiania University of Applied Sciences, join long-standing collaborators such as NTNU, the University of Bergen, and UiT, The Arctic University of Norway. The agreement promotes affordable, high-quality open access publishing through centralized APC funding, and reinforces Norway’s leadership in open science.
These agreements reflect MDPI’s mission to remove barriers to scientific publishing and make research freely available to all. By collaborating with national consortia and institutions, we advance the open access and strengthen our global network and collaborations.
Our IOAP Team
A big thank-you to our IOAP team for driving these important collaborations. Their work includes increasing MDPI’s visibility in scholarly communications, strengthening relationships with IOAP partners, and building trust with key stakeholders.
These efforts not only help researchers to publish their work openly and affordably but also reinforce MDPI’s position as a trusted leader in open access.
What are the benefits of MDPI’s IOAP?
For Authors: Researchers affiliated with IOAP partner institutions benefit from automatic discounts on APCs, Book Processing Charges (BPCs), JAMS, and Author Services across MDPI’s journals. The process is seamless as there is no need for codes or special applications. The publishing experience is smoother and more affordable, and centralized invoicing helps simplify the process, allowing authors to focus on their research rather than administration.
For Libraries: Participating libraries receive access to a dedicated institutional dashboard with live metadata on submissions from affiliated authors, past and present. They also benefit from flexible invoicing options (direct, collective, or prepayment) to help streamline administration, while clear, transparent agreements ensure that there are no hidden clauses or small print. Automated deposits into Institutional Repositories further reduce manual work, supporting libraries in their mission to advance open access and serve their research communities.
Inside MDPI
MDPI Self-citation study shows industry alignment
Earlier this month, Dr. Giulia Stefenelli and Dr. Enric Sayas published a thoughtful and transparent article on the ALPSP blog, presenting a self-citation analysis across MDPI’s 237 journals indexed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR).
They found that MDPI's average self-citation rate in 2024 was 14.85%, well within industry norms and ranking 6th among the top ten publishers. Only 2.3% of MDPI journals were identified as outliers with high self-citation rates, compared to 4.7% among other leading publishers. An alternative approach, using weighted average by publication volume, shows MDPI’s self-citation rate rises from 14% to 19.7%, shifting our rank from 6th to 3rd. The study also shows that the impact of self-citation on journal quartile placement is minimal.
Read the full article on the ALPSP blog: https://blog.alpsp.org/2025/03/mdpi-self-citations-study-highlights.html
Why is this important?
As explained in the full article, the results “reinforce the fact that self-citations have minimal influence on MDPI journal rankings, emphasizing the integrity of editorial practices and the absence of any deliberate efforts to manipulate impact.”
Self-citation is a hot topic, and MDPI is sometimes unfairly singled out in this area. This analysis helps put some perspective to that narrative.
At MDPI, we are committed to transparency and to using data-driven insights to address common misconceptions about open access publishing. Our focus on self-citation reflects this commitment, and we plan to extend our efforts to other areas where the Gold OA model is often misunderstood.
About the authors
Dr. Giulia Stefenelli, Scientific Communications Lead, leverages her expertise in science communication, editorial processes, and Open Access (OA) promotion to address both institutional and country-specific challenges. She collaborates with teams across PR, Editorial Procedures, Institutional Partnerships, Research Integrity, AI and more, developing strategies to engage stakeholders, including policymakers, academics, and industry leaders. Her responsibilities include enhancing MDPI’s scientific network and promoting OA initiatives at events worldwide, supporting the efforts of various departments, and ensuring effective communication to both specialist and broader audiences.
Dr. Enric Sayas is a Business Analyst specializing in the integration of AI and Machine Learning in scientific publishing.
Within MDPI’s AI team, Enric combines his editorial expertise with his passion for AI to support the development of AI-driven solutions tailored to editorial needs, enhancing efficiency and improving decision-making.
Enric’s interests extend to data science methodologies applied to scientific publishing, as well as the broader impact of AI on open science, peer review, and the future of scientific publishing.
Coming Together for Science
Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security
Prof. Dr. Dilantha Fernando presenting at Plants 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
The MDPI Conference Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security took place in Barcelona, Spain, from 31 March to 2 April 2025.
It was chaired by Editor-in-Chief of MDPI journal Plants (Q1 journal); Prof. Dr. Dilantha Fernando from the University of Manitoba, in Canada, and Section Editor-in-Chief of Plants; Dr. Fermín Morales from Instituto de Agrobiotecnología (IdAB) – CSIC, in Spain; and Prof. Dr. Oscar Vicente from Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in Spain.
The conference brought plant scientists together to discuss innovations in sustainable agriculture, crop improvement, and environmental conservation.
With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the conference addressed key challenges such as food security, climate change, and sustainable agroecosystems through keynote talks and seven specialized sessions.
The conference gathered 111 attendees from 36 different countries, featuring 1 keynote speaker, 9 invited speakers, and 41 selected talks, along with 56 posters. The event received just over 200 submissions and 102 accepted abstracts.
From insightful talks, engaging poster sessions and engaging networking moments, Plants 2025 was a special experience. You can relive the highlights from the Plants 2025 conference here with our after movie!
Awards
Four awards were presented at the conclusion of the conference, sponsored by the journal Plants: two Best Poster Awards (€250 each) and two Best Oral Presentation Awards (€300 each).
Plants 2025 Conference Team
The Plants 2025 Conference was organized by colleagues from MDPI’s Conference Team: Ana Sanchis (Conference Manager), Cédric Spinnler (Senior Conference Organizer), Raquel Sellès (Conference Organizer) and Laura Perez (Conference Assistant).
Upcoming event
5–7 May 2025
The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Metals
Location: Online event (Central European Summer Time)
As one of the pillar technologies that support the development of modern society and metallurgy, IECME 2025 will present the state-of-the-art of Metallurgy and Metals.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Closing Thoughts
Swedish consortium renews partnership with MDPI
I’m pleased to share that MDPI has renewed its national partnership with Sweden’s Bibsam Consortium. This is a continued commitment to advancing open access publishing and supporting Sweden’s vision for fully open research.
Under this renewed agreement, 22 leading institutions including KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, Linnaeus University, and Linköping University, will continue to benefit from MDPI’s IOAP. This provides discounts on APCs and a more streamlined, researcher-friendly publishing experience.
MDPI and Bibsam renew national agreement for Sweden
“With robust backing from national open science guidelines, Sweden’s open-access landscape is rapidly advancing,” says Becky Castellon, institutional partnerships manager at MDPI.
“In fact, fewer than 15% of all Swedish research outputs were locked behind paywalls in 2023. We are passionate about the positive impact our ongoing partnership with the Bibsam Consortium will have on Swedish research, paving the way for ground-breaking developments and a more inclusive, open scientific community. Through flexible solutions and tailored policies, we enable institutions to prioritize research, foster innovation, and enhance accessibility, driving the shift to full open access.”
Recent MDPI IOAP Consortium signings from 2025:
- The UK’s Jisc Consortium extended its national agreement, continuing support for more than 60 institutions across the UK.
- Switzerland’s CSAL (Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries) renewed its agreement, continuing our collaboration with top institutions such as ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne.
- In Germany, we signed a new national agreement with ZB MED that includes over 100 universities and research institutions, with 78 institutions joining under a central or flat-fee model to simplify APC coverage.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
30 April 2025
Announcing the Award Committee for the 2024 Tu Youyou Award
We are honored to introduce the award committee for the 2024 Tu Youyou Award, composed of distinguished scientists from around the world whose research covers diverse areas of natural product chemistry, pharmacognosy, and drug discovery. Their broad expertise and pioneering contributions have significantly advanced medicinal and natural products research.
Through their collective insights, rigorous evaluation, the committee has carefully selected this year’s award recipients, recognizing exceptional achievements in the field.
We sincerely thank these distinguished scholars for their efforts and dedication to upholding the standards of the Tu Youyou Award. Below is the list of committee members. For more information about the Tu Youyou Award, please visit https://tuyouyouprize.org/.
Chair:
 Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn Ohio State University, USA |
Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn is a leading expert in pharmacognosy and natural products research. He is recognized for his key contributions to discovering bioactive compounds from plants, especially in anticancer, cancer chemopreventive, and substances with a sweet taste and taste-modifying agents. His prolific contributions include over 590 peer-reviewed works and book chapters and edited or co-edited 40 scientific volumes. |
 Prof. Angelo Fontana University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy |
Angelo Fontana is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Naples “Federico II” in Italy and serves as Director of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry at the National Research Council (CNR). His research focuses on bioactive small molecules derived from marine eukaryotes, with a particular interest on their pharmaceutical applications in immunology and oncology. He also explores their potential as molecular tools for probing and modulating complex biological systems. Prof. Fontana is a co-founder of BioSEArch SRL and has been recognized with numerous grants and honors, including the Apivita Award from the Phytochemical Society of Europe. |
 Prof. Binghe Wang Georgia State University, USA |
Prof. Binghe Wang’s lab works on drug design, drug delivery, click chemistry, chemical biology, new diagnostics, and gaseous signaling molecules such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. His interdisciplinary research supports advances in cancer, infectious diseases, organ protection, inflammation, and other areas. |
 Dr. Diana Pinto University of Aveiro, Portugal |
Dr. Diana Pinto, an Associate Professor at the University of Aveiro, specializes in organic synthesis of bioactive heterocyclic compounds, sustainable catalysis (organo-, heterogeneous, and biocatalysis), and natural product research, including isolation, characterization, and total synthesis. |
 Prof. Hideaki Kakeya Kyoto University, Japan |
Prof. Hideaki Kakeya conducts cutting-edge research in chemical biology, high-throughput screening, and biosynthesis of bioactive natural products for system chemotherapy and other therapeutic applications. |
 Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel University of Strathclyde, UK |
Prof. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel heads the Natural Products Metabolomics Group (NPMG), specializing in marine natural products discovery and metabolomics-driven drug development. A recognized expert in bioactive metabolites, she collaborates with industry and academia to address antimicrobial resistance and sustainable bioprospecting. She serves on the Editorial Board of Marine Drugs and holds two patents in the field. |
 Prof. Thomas Prisinzano University of Kentucky, USA |
Prof. Thomas Prisinzano combines medicinal and natural product chemistry to explore neurotransmitter systems and develop treatments for drug abuse and pain. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Innovator Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. |
 Prof. Wei Li University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA |
A distinguished professor and Director of the Drug Discovery Center, Prof. Wei Li is also the founder of SEAK Therapeutics, and the 2025 Chair-Elect of the Drug Discovery and Development Division of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). His work focuses on medicinal chemistry and small molecule drug discovery, with over 200 publications and 15 issued US patents. |
30 April 2025
Meet Us at the 4th Joint Conference on Environmental Chemicals, 15–18 July 2025, Yamagata, Japan
16 April 2025
Toxics | Top Viewed Papers in 2024
We invite you to explore the most viewed papers in 2024 in Toxics (ISSN: 2305-6304). These papers have been carefully selected for their exceptional quality and relevance and represent the cutting edge of research in Toxics.
1. “Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils: Sources, Influencing Factors, and Remediation Strategies”
by Yanan Wan, Jiang Liu, Zhong Zhuang, Qi Wang and Huafen Li
Toxics 2024, 12(1), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12010063
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/1/63
2. “Cadmium Exposure: Mechanisms and Pathways of Toxicity and Implications for Human Health”
by Fei Qu and Weiwei Zheng
Toxics 2024, 12(6), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12060388
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/6/388
3. “Toxicity of Metal Oxides, Dyes, and Dissolved Organic Matter in Water: Implications for the Environment and Human Health”
by Haradhan Kolya and Chun-Won Kang
Toxics 2024, 12(2), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12020111
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/2/111
4. “Transgenerational Response of Germline Nuclear Hormone Receptor Genes to Nanoplastics at Predicted Environmental Doses in Caenorhabditis elegans”
by Zhengying Liu, Yuxing Wang, Qian Bian and Dayong Wang
Toxics 2024, 12(6), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12060420
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/6/420
5. “Chemical Assessment of Drinking Water Quality and Associated Human Health Risk of Heavy Metals in Gutai Mountains, Romania”
by Thomas Dippong and Maria-Alexandra Resz
Toxics 2024, 12(3), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12030168
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/3/168
6. “Degradation of Butylated Hydroxyanisole by the Combined Use of Peroxymonosulfate and Ferrate(VI): Reaction Kinetics, Mechanism and Toxicity Evaluation”
by Peiduan Shi, Xin Yue, Xiaolei Teng, Ruijuan Qu, Ahmed Rady, Saleh Maodaa, Ahmed A. Allam, Zunyao Wang and Zongli Huo
Toxics 2024, 12(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12010054
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/1/54
7. “The Easily Overlooked Effect of Global Warming: Diffusion of Heavy Metals”
by Wenqi Xiao, Yunfeng Zhang, Xiaodie Chen, Ajia Sha, Zhuang Xiong, Yingyong Luo, Lianxin Peng, Liang Zou, Changsong Zhao and Qiang Li
Toxics 2024, 12(6), 400; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12060400
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/6/400
8. “Spatial Variability of Rare Earth Elements in Groundwater in the Vicinity of a Coal-Fired Power Plant and Associated Health Risk”
by Jelena Vesković, Milica Lučić, Mirjana Ristić, Aleksandra Perić-Grujić and Antonije Onjia
Toxics 2024, 12(1), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12010062
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/1/62
9. “Binding Affinity and Mechanism of Six PFAS with Human Serum Albumin: Insights from Multi-Spectroscopy, DFT and Molecular Dynamics Approaches”
by Mingguo Peng, Yang Xu, Yao Wu, Xuewen Cai, Weihua Zhang, Lu Zheng, Erdeng Du and Jiajun Fu
Toxics 2024, 12(1), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12010043
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/1/43
10. “A Review of the Distribution and Health Effect of Organophosphorus Flame Retardants in Indoor Environments”
by Xingwei Song, Sheng Zhu, Ling Hu, Xiaojia Chen, Jiaqi Zhang, Yi Liu, Qingwei Bu and Yuning Ma
Toxics 2024, 12(3), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12030195
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/3/195
11. “Water Quality Assessment and Decolourisation of Contaminated Ex-Mining Lake Water Using Bioreactor Dye-Eating Fungus (BioDeF) System: A Real Case Study”
by Zarimah Mohd Hanafiah, Ammar Radzi Azmi, Wan Abd Al Qadr Imad Wan-Mohtar, Fabrizio Olivito, Giovanni Golemme, Zul Ilham, Adi Ainurzaman Jamaludin, Nadzmin Razali, Sarina Abdul Halim-Lim and Wan Hanna Melini Wan Mohtar
Toxics 2024, 12(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12010060
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/1/60
12. “Downscaling MERRA-2 Reanalysis PM2.5 Series over the Arabian Gulf by Inverse Distance Weighting, Bicubic Spline Smoothing, and Spatio-Temporal Kriging”
by Youssef Saliba and Alina Bărbulescu
Toxics 2024, 12(3), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12030177
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/3/177
13. “Potential Effects of Environmental and Occupational Exposure to Microplastics: An Overview of Air Contamination”
by Priscilla Boccia, Simona Mondellini, Simona Mauro, Miriam Zanellato, Marco Parolini and Elena Sturchio
Toxics 2024, 12(5), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12050320
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/5/320
14. “Food Safety and Health Concerns of Synthetic Food Colors: An Update”
by Petra Amchova, Filip Siska and Jana Ruda-Kucerova
Toxics 2024, 12(7), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12070466
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/7/466
15. “Comparison of Transgenerational Neurotoxicity between Pristine and Amino-Modified Nanoplastics in C. elegans”
by Mingxuan Song, Qinli Ruan and Dayong Wang
Toxics 2024, 12(8), 555; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12080555
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/8/555
16 April 2025
Toxics | Issue Cover Papers in 2024
We invite you to delve into the issue cover papers in 2024 in Toxics (ISSN: 2305-6304). These papers have been carefully selected for their exceptional quality and relevance, and represent the cutting edge of research in Toxics. You are welcome to click to read the 12 highlighted papers.
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1. “Acute Toxicity Assays with Adult Coral Fragments: A Method for Standardization” by David Brefeld, Valentina Di Mauro, Matthias Y. Kellermann, Samuel Nietzer, Mareen Moeller, Laura H. Lütjens, Sascha Pawlowski, Mechtild Petersen-Thiery and Peter J. Schupp Toxics 2024, 12(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12010001 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/1/1 |
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2. “Unveiling Molecular Effects of the Secondary Metabolite 2-Dodecanone in the Model Hymenopteran Nasonia vitripennis” by Rosario Planelló, Mónica Aquilino, Laureen Beaugeard, Lola Llorente, Óscar Herrero, David Siaussat and Charlotte Lécureuil Toxics 2024, 12(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12020159 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/2/159 |
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3. “Firefighters’ Occupational Exposure in Preparation for Wildfire Season: Addressing Biological Impact” by Filipa Esteves, Klara Slezakova, Joana Madureira, Josiana Vaz, Adília Fernandes, Simone Morais, Maria do Carmo Pereira, João Paulo Teixeira and Solange Costa Toxics 2024, 12(3), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12030201 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/3/201 |
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4. “An Integrated Approach of Bioassays and Non-Target Screening for the Assessment of Endocrine-Disrupting Activities in Tap Water and Identification of Novel Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals” by Siyuan Liu and Jing Liu Toxics 2024, 12(4), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12040247 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/4/247 |
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5. “Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Triphenyl Phosphate (TPhP) Impact Development in Zebrafish” by Benjamin Schmandt, Mfon Diduff, Gabrielle Smart and Larissa M. Williams Toxics 2024, 12(5), 368; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12050368 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/5/368 |
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6. “Integrated Approach for Testing and Assessment for Developmental Neurotoxicity (DNT) to Prioritize Aromatic Organophosphorus Flame Retardants” by Anna Kreutz, Oluwakemi B. Oyetade, Xiaoqing Chang, Jui-Hua Hsieh, Mamta Behl, David G. Allen, Nicole C. Kleinstreuer and Helena T. Hogberg Toxics 2024, 12(6), 437; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12060437 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/6/437 |
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7. “Widespread Myalgia and Chronic Fatigue: Phagocytes from Macrophagic Myofasciitis Patients Exposed to Aluminum Oxyhydroxide-Adjuvanted Vaccine Exhibit Specific Inflammatory, Autophagic, and Mitochondrial Responses” by Jean-Daniel Masson, Ghidaa Badran, Romain K. Gherardi, François-Jérôme Authier and Guillemette Crépeaux Toxics 2024, 12(7), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12070491 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/7/491 |
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8. “Trace Metal Bioaccumulation in Feral Pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) and Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) Residing in the Urban Environment of Iasi City, Romania” by Diana Iacob, Emanuela Paduraru, Vicentiu-Robert Gabor, Carmen Gache, Iuliana Gabriela Breaban, Silviu Gurlui, Gabriel Plavan, Roxana Jijie and Mircea Nicoara Toxics 2024, 12(8), 593; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12080593 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/8/593 |
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9. “In Vitro Hepatic Clearance Evaluations of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) across Multiple Structural Categories” by David M. Crizer, Julie R. Rice, Marci G. Smeltz, Katelyn S. Lavrich, Krishna Ravindra, John F. Wambaugh, Michael DeVito and Barbara A. Wetmore Toxics 2024, 12(9), 672; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12090672 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/9/672 |
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10. “Spatial and Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in a Sheep-Based Food System: Implications for Human Health” by Florin-Ioan Fechete, Maria Popescu, Sorin-Marian Mârza, Loredana-Elena Olar, Ionel Papuc, Florin-Ioan Beteg, Robert-Cristian Purdoiu, Andrei Răzvan Codea, Caroline-Maria Lăcătuș, Ileana-Rodica Matei et al. Toxics 2024, 12(10), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12100752 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/10/752 |
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11. “Rice Husk as a Sustainable Amendment for Heavy Metal Immobilization in Contaminated Soils: A Pathway to Environmental Remediation” by Riccardo Cecire, Aleandro Diana, Agnese Giacomino, Ornella Abollino, Paolo Inaudi, Laura Favilli, Stefano Bertinetti, Simone Cavalera, Luisella Celi and Mery Malandrino Toxics 2024, 12(11), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12110790 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/11/790 |
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12. “Energy, Aromatic, and Medicinal Plants’ Potential and Prospects for the Remediation of Potentially Toxic Element-Contaminated Agricultural Soils: A Critical Meta-Analysis” by Evangelia E. Golia, Edoardo Barbieri, Sotiria G. Papadimou and Dimitrios Alexiadis Toxics 2024, 12(12), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12120914 Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/12/914 |
2 April 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #21 - Annual Report, Swiss Consortium, IWD, ICARS, Serbia
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
MDPI Releases 2024 Annual Achievements Report
I’m pleased to share the release of MDPI’s 2024 Annual Achievements Report, which reflects our commitment to efficiency, transparency, and excellence in scholarly communication. The report showcases key themes related to our growth (highlighting our workforce expansion, new offices, journal milestones), excellence (editorial and publishing advancements), people (talent development and training), and community (partnerships, conferences, and outreach).
MDPI continues to build connections and drive scientific progress
Our mission remains clear: to support researchers worldwide by delivering an efficient, high-quality publishing experience while strengthening the global Open Access (OA) movement.
Advancing Open Access: A Global Knowledge Hub
In 2024, we published 238,000 peer-reviewed OA articles, reaching over 25 million downloads. This reinforces MDPI’s role as a global knowledge hub, breaking down barriers to access and ensuring that high-quality research is freely available to everyone. As part of the OA movement, we are actively democratizing knowledge, making scientific advancements accessible to researchers, policymakers, educators, and the public, without the restrictions of traditional paywalls.
Expanding our Workforce and Strengthening Research Integrity
Our global presence grew in 2024 with the opening of a new Seoul office, and our workforce expanded to 6,650 staff across 21 offices. This reflects our continued growth mindset and investment in global accessibility. We also continued to take a proactive stance on our commitment to research integrity, tripling our team in this area and joining STM’s Integrity Hub and United2Act. This means more rigorous quality control, stronger safeguards, and collaboration with global initiatives to detect and combat unethical publishing practices at an industry level. Our growth is about reinforcing our role as a trusted, ethical, and accessible publishing platform for researchers worldwide.
Growing Partnerships and Impact in Scholarly Communication
MDPI’s partnerships continue to thrive, with over 900 institutional collaborations, including a landmark agreement with ZB MED in Germany, covering more than 100 universities. Additionally, more than 90% of evaluated MDPI journals have been accepted into Web of Science, including 60 new acceptances in 2024, with nearly 300 journals expected to receive a Journal Impact Factor in 2025. In the same period, 37 MDPI journals were accepted into Scopus, bringing our total indexed titles to 306. Most importantly, 95% of authors rate their experience with MDPI as excellent or good – an achievement that underscores our dedication to serving the research community.
I encourage you to read through our Annual Report, which highlights these milestones and our vision for the future. Thank you for being part of MDPI’s journey in advancing open science.
Impactful Research
MDPI Renews Partnership with CSAL to Support Swiss Universities
I am pleased to announce the renewal of our partnership with the Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries (CSAL) for 2025. This extension reinforces MDPI's dedication to advancing open science through transparency, efficiency, and collaboration.
Our renewed agreement with CSAL strengthens support for Swiss universities, ensuring that gold open access publishing remains both accessible and affordable for researchers across Switzerland. Among the institutions participating in this agreement are ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne, along with 20 other leading institutions, further expanding the reach and impact of our collaborative efforts.
To date, over 3.9 million researchers have published their findings in MDPI journals, a testament to our role in enhancing Switzerland's position as a hub for university education and research.
Inside MDPI
Celebrating International Women's Day: Accelerating Action
In honour of International Women's Day, MDPI embraced the theme “Accelerate Action,” a global call to advance women's progress by implementing effective strategies and resources. As part of our commitment, we highlighted how open access publishing empowers female voices in research and academia.
Throughout March, we featured original blogs authored by MDPI’s female contributors, showcasing the successes of our journals and employees, and addressing pressing topics such as women's health.
“Open Access supports women in education”
Women Accelerating Action Outside of MDPI
MDPI employee Ana Zdravkovic is accelerating action outside of her MDPI role as a Production Assistant. Working with like-minded women at the award-winning Belgrade-based organization UZOR OsnaŽene (meaning ‘empowered women’), they identify serious flaws in cybersecurity, and help protect women and children against online predators by providing evidence to improve legislation and laws around cyber-attacks.
In this article, we interview Ana, celebrating the important and inspiring work that she and the organisation do.
How Open Access Supports Women in Education
Every day, women and girls face barriers in education or career progression. This is caused by a range of factors, including social expectations, poverty, and poor infrastructure.
Quality opportunities and participation in the education system by women is essential to achieving equality and fulfilling their human rights.
Here, we examine how Open Access supports women in education by removing barriers and ensuring that vital research is accessible.
Recent Advancements in Research on Endometriosis
March is Endometriosis Action Month. Endometriosis is a medical condition affecting women and young girls of reproductive age, often causing symptoms such as severe pelvic pain, irregular periods, and infertility.
More research on endometriosis is still urgently needed.
This research will help develop efficient diagnoses and better treatment for those struggling with the condition.
In this article, we explore what endometriosis is and discuss the latest research advancements on the disease.
We also curated a selection of MDPI journals, articles, and Special Issues focusing on gender equity, women in the workplace, and women’s health. Find out more about these by visiting our IWD – Accelerate Action landing page.
As I reflect on the month of March and International Women’s Day, I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank all of the incredible women at MDPI for your dedication to democratizing knowledge and shaping open access. Your contributions are invaluable, and they continue to shape the future of MDPI.
Coming Together for Science
The International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing (ICARS 2025)
The International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing (ICARS 2025) took place from 26–28 March 2025, in Barcelona, Spain. It was chaired by Prof. Dr. Fabio Tosti from the Faringdon Research Centre for Non-Destructive Testing and Remote Sensing (UK), Prof. Dr. Andrea Benedetto from University Roma Tre (Italy), and Prof. Dr. Luis Ángel Ruiz from Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV, Spain).
Over three days, the conference explored innovations in Earth and environmental sciences, engineering advancements, and practical applications in biological and agricultural fields.
I am pleased to share that the 1st edition of ICARS 2025 was a great success, with 133 attendees out of 146 registrations. The event featured 43 short talks, 64 posters, and 103 accepted abstracts, along with nine keynote speakers and a major panel with five expert panellists.
Over 60 attendees joined the conference dinner, and the event received outstanding feedback.
The main goal of ICARS2025 was to cover how advanced remote sensing technologies are transforming our approach to global challenges.
Awards
Four awards were presented at the conclusion of the conference, sponsored by the journal Remote Sensing: Best Poster Award (€400), Best Oral Presentation Award (€400), and two Early Career Researcher Awards (1st prize: €600 and 2nd prize: €200).
Thank you to our Partnering Societies
We are grateful for the support of our four partnering societies and nine media partners, who played an important role in promoting the conference. Special thanks to our partnering societies: the European Federation of Geologists (EFG), Geoscience Energy Society of Great Britain (GESGB), Asociación Española de Teledetección (AET) – the Spanish Association of Remote Sensing, and the International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE).
Upcoming In-Person Event
31 March–2 April 2025
Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security
Location: Barcelona, Spain
This event will gather plant scientists to discuss the latest research on how to feed a growing population while maintaining a sustainable agro-ecosystem.
Find more upcoming MDPI events here.
Closing Thoughts
MDPI Serbia Salon 2025: A Gathering of Academic Excellence
On Tuesday, 18 March, we successfully concluded our first MDPI Serbia Salon in Belgrade. This event provided a great opportunity to showcase MDPI’s achievements, strengthen connections with the Serbian academic community, and highlight our role as the largest publisher in Serbia. We were honoured to welcome Prof. Dr. Sergej M. Ostojić, Editor-in-Chief of MDPI journal Clinical Bioenergetics, as a guest speaker.
Over the past five years, MDPI has experienced continuous growth in Serbia, with an increasing number of publications, an expansion of Editorial Board memberships, and a greater number of active peer reviewers. The Salon allowed us to express our thanks to the Serbian research community while gathering feedback from attendees representing several major universities.
Discussion topics
As part of the event, I delivered an opening speech highlighting MDPI’s achievements and direction.
The event featured presentations from MDPI colleagues, including discussions on open science, publishing ethics, and our achievements in Serbia.
A special thank-you to all our MDPI presenters, panellists, and organizers who made his event a success. I hope the MDPI Serbia Salon becomes a tradition for years to come, creating connections within the Serbian research community.
Visit to the Science Fund of Serbia and The Ministry of Science
During my visit to Belgrade, I had the opportunity to join my colleagues Emir Ramadani (Operations Manager) and Nevena Blagojev (Journal Relations Manager) in meetings with the Science Fund of Serbia and the Ministry of Science, where we received strong support for our work in Serbia.
Both organizations highly value our presence in and commitment to Serbia, where we employ over 640 staff across our two offices in Belgrade and Novi Sad. We take great pride in creating job opportunities and supporting the community in Serbia.
“There’s a lot of exciting activity happening in MDPI Serbia”
Speaking with our Serbian Colleagues
Finally, I had the opportunity to speak with our Serbian colleagues about our initiatives to expand and to improve our marketing & communication and public relations activities.
It was great to have an open discussion with colleagues – both in person and with the hundreds who joined online.
This visit to Belgrade had been a long time coming for me. Serbia is our largest operation in Europe and there’s a lot of exciting activity happening in MDPI Serbia, including the launch of a new office floor in Novi Sad and the growth and expansion of our teams.
I look forward to returning soon and continuing to support our colleagues across our Serbian offices.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
10 March 2025
Toxics | Sections “Environmental Criteria and Standards” and “Hormesis in Toxicology” Are Discontinued
27 February 2025
More than 300 MDPI Journals Indexed in Web of Science
MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines.
To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data.
This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide.
As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.
18 February 2025
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Toxics in 2024
