Marine Antimicrobial Peptides and Antibiotic Resistance: From Oceanic Defense Systems to Translational Applications
A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2299
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Marine antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a crucial component of innate immunity across diverse marine taxa, ranging from micro- to multicellular organisms. These molecules exhibit potent activity against a wide array of pathogens and have garnered attention as promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics. This Special Issue aims to comprehensively capture the current progress and future directions in the discovery, characterization, and application of marine-derived AMPs and antimicrobial agents.
We welcome submissions covering the full spectrum of marine AMP research, including but not limited to novel AMP discovery and design; AMP databases and computational platforms; AMP–microbiome interactions in marine environments; advanced techniques for extraction, purification, and structural analysis; antibiotic resistance in marine bacteria; the interplay between AMPs and resistance genes; resistome dynamics; AMP-based alternatives to antibiotics; and strategies for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) control. Studies leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), synthetic biology, and systems biology to accelerate AMP development are particularly encouraged. Contributions addressing the implications for human health, aquaculture sustainability, and environmental microbiology are also highly welcome.
This Special Issue will serve as a broad and integrative platform for interdisciplinary research connecting marine biology, microbiology, drug discovery, and precision health, advancing both the fundamental understanding and translational applications of marine antimicrobial agents.
Dr. Pengfei Cui
Guest Editor
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. Marine Drugs 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.
Keywords
- antimicrobial peptides
- marine peptides
- bioactive compounds
- antibiotic resistance
- marine microbiology
- resistome
- peptidomics
- host–pathogen interaction
- drug discovery
- AI-driven peptide discovery
- synthetic biology
- microbial ecology
- peptide engineering
- marine genomics
- therapeutic peptides
- natural product biosynthesis
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