Opportunities and Challenges in Protein Crystallography
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 203
Special Issue Editor
Interests: protein crystallography; phasing methods; computational modeling; pair distribution function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Proteins are vital biological macromolecules that play key roles in nearly all aspects of life. The study of protein structure is essential for gaining critical insights in structural biology and related fields, such as structure-based drug discovery and design. Consequently, understanding protein structure holds great practical and fundamental significance, serving as a cornerstone for elucidating the mechanisms underlying various biological processes. In addition, biological macromolecules can inspire researchers to build artificial biomimetic molecular machines to be used to for the most diverse applications, even those not strictly related to biology. In this context, the possibility to acquire structural knowledge, both of an experimental and computational nature, is of paramount importance for optimizing design to improve efficiency. On the other hand, the advent of new computational tools based on artificial intelligence has recently boosted the field of protein crystallography, offering new routes to improve experimental and computational procedures to acquire structural information from experimental data.
This Special Issue seeks to showcase innovative methods for protein crystallization, advancements in diffraction techniques, and the integration of computational modeling with crystallographic methods for structure determination. This Special Issue will also highlight the ongoing challenges in obtaining high-quality crystals and interpreting complex structures. Importantly, we hope to receive contributions from experts reflecting on the future of protein crystallography, emphasizing its role in drug discovery, biocatalysis, and synthetic biology.
We invite the submission of contributions that elucidate the significance of protein crystallography in both fundamental research and applied sciences, setting the stage for future breakthroughs in understanding biological processes at the molecular level.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Solids.
Dr. Rocco Caliandro
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.
Keywords
- protein crystals
- X-ray diffraction
- cryo-EM
- small-angle X-ray scattering
- phasing methods
- structural analysis
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
