Shaping the Future of Probiotics: Novel Methodologies, Applications, and Mechanisms of Action, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is the continuation of our previous special issue "Shaping the Future of Probiotics: Novel Methodologies, Applications, and Mechanisms of Action".

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms with health-promoting properties. Their beneficial activities may include anti-inflammatory, immunostimulatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antibiofilm actions, that can be exerted in a strain-specific manner. Viable probiotic cells or their metabolites can induce these effects and influence gut homeostasis by manipulating the structure and function of the intestinal microbiota. Secreted bioactive compounds can also reach remote sites, such as the central nervous system (gut-brain axis) and affect their physiology. In vitro and in vivo experimental models, in addition to clinical studies, assess the efficacy of probiotics and elucidate their mechanisms of action. Additionally, the incorporation of omics platforms and bioinformatic pipelines streamlines the systematic study of these interactions with the gut microbiota and the host in multiple layers (e.g., transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, metagenomic levels). These tools also facilitate the detailed study of the biology, phylogeny, and metabolic properties of the strains, aiming to provide mechanistic insights into their properties. This knowledge is crucial for novel applications of probiotics in the food and pharmaceutical industries, refining the concept of disease-, person- and strain-specific supplementation.

As Guest Editor of this Special Issue, Ι would like to invite you to submit original research articles, review articles, and short communications dealing with different aspects of probiotic activity, novel methodologies to study probiotic-host interactions, probiotic-related health benefits, as well as innovative applications of probiotics in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Dr. Alex Galanis
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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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.