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Microbes and Their Products for Sustainable Human Life, 2nd Edition
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Department of Biological Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Ingram School of Engineering, Texas State University, 601 University Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
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Microbes and Their Products for Sustainable Human Life, 2nd Edition

Abstract submission deadline
31 January 2027
Manuscript submission deadline
31 March 2027
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2484

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues, 

This Topic is a continuation of the previous successful Topic “Microbes and Their Products for Sustainable Human Life” (https://www.mdpi.com/topics/C4M59NQ22R).

Microbes are omnipresent and are able to survive and continuously evolve with the changing environment. The majority of microbes are beneficial for humans and nature, and a fraction of microbes are considered to be pathogens. Understanding the world of microbes is important to mitigate their dangerous effects and harness their potential for human health, food security, sustainable energy sources to tackle climate change. Microbes are an integral part of human life, and they are used to produce various food products through fermentation. Microbial products such as polyhydroxyalkanoates and exopolysaccharides have great potential in the health sector. Microbes are also used to improve crop yields and productivity. Infectious diseases are a major cause of death around the globe. Almost one third of drugs (antibiotics, cholesterol-lowering, and anticancer medicines) are produced using microbes. A large amount of wastewater and organic waste is generated through industrial and household activities and contributes to environmental pollution; the use of microbes in waste treatment is an eco-friendly method that enables resource recovery and the production of valuable products such as lipids, hydrogen, polymers, etc. Microbes also have a direct role in the valorization of waste into bioenergy, performing anaerobic digestion, dark fermentation, and photo fermentation. Considering the beneficial role that microbes play in human health and sustainability as well as the recent advances in microbes and their product-related research, this Special Issue seeks to organize a series of review and research articles that cover the following topics:

  • Advances in cultured and uncultured microbes’ isolation and characterization.
  • Microbial fermentative products and metabolites as prebiotics/probiotics and food.
  • Role of microbes in the biotransformation and synthesis of valuable chemicals.
  • Microbial enzyme production and characterization for valuable biochemical production.
  • Microbe-derived material (polysaccharides and exopolysaccharides) production and applications.
  • Microbe-mediated synthesis of nanomaterials and their application.
  • Resource recovery from waste and production of valuables.
  • Microbes in advanced biofuel production.

Dr. Shashi Kant Bhatia
Dr. Ranjit Gurav
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • biotransformation
  • bioenergy
  • biopolymers
  • fermentation
  • nanomaterials
  • probiotics
  • resource recovery
  • valorization

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Applied Microbiology
applmicrobiol 		- 3.6 2021 16.4 Days CHF 1200 Submit
Biomolecules
biomolecules 		5.6 9.3 2011 16.6 Days CHF 2700 Submit
Energies
energies 		3.9 8.3 2008 16.7 Days CHF 2600 Submit
Foods
foods 		6.0 10.3 2012 14.8 Days CHF 2900 Submit
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
ijms 		5.6 10.0 2000 17.5 Days CHF 2900 Submit
Polymers
polymers 		5.8 11.0 2009 13.4 Days CHF 2700 Submit

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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25 pages, 754 KB  
Review
The Nexus of Gut Microbiome, Microbial Metabolites, and Colonization Resistance Against Enteric Pathogens
by Mengwan Jiang, Mingke Yang, Peixuan Du and Zhongke Sun
Biomolecules 2026, 16(9), 1291; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16091291 - 7 Sep 2026
Viewed by 197
Abstract
The gut microbiome is a complex ecological system crucial to human physiology. Commensal microbes in the gut provide resistance against pathogenic colonization, mainly due to their metabolites. Though studies have revealed a few mechanisms of microbial metabolite-mediated colonization resistance, various commensal microbes in [...] Read more.
The gut microbiome is a complex ecological system crucial to human physiology. Commensal microbes in the gut provide resistance against pathogenic colonization, mainly due to their metabolites. Though studies have revealed a few mechanisms of microbial metabolite-mediated colonization resistance, various commensal microbes in the gut produce versatile metabolites and confront different pathogens. To pave the way for microbial metabolite-based treatment, clarification of what microbes and derived metabolites contribute to colonization resistance is a central topic. This focused review addressed the nexus of the gut microbiome, microbial metabolites, and colonization resistance against three representative pathogens, namely Clostridioides difficile, Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus. Different microbes and microbial metabolites involved in colonization resistance against these pathogens are discussed. Microbial metabolites, mainly short-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, and bacteriocins, were included. The emerging role of signal molecules in combating pathogenic infections is also addressed. In contrast to others, we further discussed different strategies that can enhance microbial metabolite-mediated colonization resistance, such as precise microbial preparation, targeted proliferation of a protective metabolite-producing microbiome, regulation of dietary patterns to optimize metabolic homeostasis, enhancing the local concentration of metabolites in the gut, and host-matched intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Microbes and Their Products for Sustainable Human Life, 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 4884 KB  
Article
Serine Protease HtrA2 from Halophilic Archeon Haloarcula sp. TG1: Heterologous Expression, Characterization and Immobilization
by Aslıhan Kurt-Kızıldoğan, Ömer Konuksever, Özlem Yavuz, Çiğdem Otur, Büşra Abanoz-Seçgin and Sezer Okay
Biomolecules 2026, 16(3), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16030424 - 13 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1097
Abstract
Halophilic proteases are valuable in industrial applications due to their resistance to harsh conditions. HtrA2 serine protease is widely distributed and conserved among eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, HtrA2 proteases from archaea have been poorly characterized. In this study, htrA2 from haloarcheon Haloarcula sp. [...] Read more.
Halophilic proteases are valuable in industrial applications due to their resistance to harsh conditions. HtrA2 serine protease is widely distributed and conserved among eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, HtrA2 proteases from archaea have been poorly characterized. In this study, htrA2 from haloarcheon Haloarcula sp. TG1 was cloned and corresponding nucleotide and amino acid sequences were analyzed. Recombinant HtrA2 was produced in Escherichia coli, and biochemical properties of purified HtrA2 were characterized. HtrA2 was immobilized for the first time using polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) nanoparticles. Additionally, potential of HtrA2 as a detergent additive was evaluated by its bloodstain removal activity. Recombinant HtrA2 showed its optimum activity at 50 °C, pH 7.0, and 3.0 M NaCl. HtrA2 activity was highly retained over wide temperature (40 to 60 °C) and pH ranges (pH 5.0 to 11.0). Moreover, various organic solvents, inhibitors and metal ions were well tolerated by the enzyme. Acetone and Fe2+ significantly increased HtrA2 activity, while it was not inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and sodium dodecyl sulfate. Also, immobilization of HtrA2 onto PHB nanoparticles improved its reusability. Furthermore, HtrA2 successfully removed the bloodstain from cotton fabric. This comprehensive characterization of HtrA2 demonstrates that recombinant HtrA2 obtained from Haloarcula sp. TG1 is promising for industrial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Microbes and Their Products for Sustainable Human Life, 2nd Edition)
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