Synthetic Biology Brings New Opportunity for Antibiotics Discovery, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges to global health. Decades of antibiotic overuse and limited innovation have steadily eroded our therapeutic arsenal, while multidrug-resistant pathogens continue to proliferate across ecosystems and borders. Yet this crisis is also catalyzing a new scientific awakening. The convergence of genomics, genome mining, synthetic biology, advanced gene editing, and artificial intelligence is redefining how we discover, optimize, and manufacture antibiotics. By rationally rewiring microbial systems, we are entering an era where next-generation therapeutics can be designed, produced, and evolved with unprecedented precision and sustainability.

This Special Issue builds upon the success of its first edition, uniting leading voices and pioneering research from across disciplines and continents. Together, these studies illuminate how technological integration and global collaboration are reshaping the future of anti-infective innovation. Through continued creativity and partnership, the scientific community can transform today’s antibiotic crisis into an opportunity for lasting resilience in human health.

Dr. Yaojie Gao
Dr. Yaojun Tong
Prof. Dr. Zixin Deng
Prof. Dr. Lixin Zhang
Prof. Dr. Shuangjun Lin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.