Call for papers/Topics

Topics of interest for submission include any topics related to:

Here are some suggested topics and subtopics for this broad field:

🧪 Chemical Biology and Biochemistry

This area explores biological problems using chemical tools and techniques, and applies biological principles to chemical synthesis.

• Chemical Genetics and Proteomics

  • Target identification and validation for drug discovery.

  • Development and application of activity-based protein probes (ABPP).

  • Small molecule perturbation of biological pathways.

• Bio-Organic and Medicinal Chemistry

  • Synthesis of novel anti-cancer, antiviral, and antimicrobial agents (e.g., drug candidates from natural products).

  • Design of molecular machines and devices for biological applications.

  • Peptide and nucleic acid chemistry (e.g., therapeutics like siRNAs).

• Biophysics and Structural Biology

  • Protein folding, misfolding, and aggregation (e.g., in neurodegenerative diseases).

  • Mechanistic studies of enzyme catalysis using advanced spectroscopy (e.g., cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography).

  • Single-molecule force measurements on biological systems.

• Biosensing and Diagnostics

  • Development of highly sensitive and selective biomarkers for disease.

  • Nanomaterial-based biosensors for point-of-care diagnostics.

  • Microfluidic systems for high-throughput biological screening.

🔬 Molecular, Cellular, and Genomic Biology

This focuses on the fundamental processes of life, often leveraging tools developed in chemical biology.

• Genetics and Gene Regulation

  • Epigenetics and its role in disease (e.g., DNA methylation, histone modification).

  • Mechanisms of RNA biology (e.g., non-coding RNAs, RNA splicing).

  • Development and application of CRISPR-based gene editing technologies.

• Immunology and Host-Pathogen Interactions

  • Chemical strategies to modulate the immune response (e.g., immunotherapies).

  • Understanding and combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

  • Viral entry and replication mechanisms, and the development of new vaccines and antivirals.

• Metabolism and Cell Signaling

  • Metabolic engineering for sustainable biofuel or bioproduct production.

  • Investigating nutrient and bioactive compound effects on cellular metabolism.

  • The role of the microbiome (gut, soil, etc.) in health and environmental processes.

🌍 Environmental Chemistry and Sustainability

This section addresses the impact of human activity on the environment and the development of sustainable solutions.

• Pollution and Remediation

  • Fate, transport, and effects of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), like pharmaceuticals and personal care products.

  • Analysis and mitigation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), or "forever chemicals," in water and soil.

  • Phytoremediation (using plants) and Environmental Microbiology for biological cleanup of pollutants.

• Climate Change and Atmospheric Science

  • Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies.

  • Atmospheric chemistry of greenhouse gases and aerosols.

  • Impact of climate change on coastal, estuarine, and polar ecosystems (e.g., ocean acidification).

• Green Chemistry and Materials

  • Development of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) as greener alternatives to traditional organic solvents.

  • Synthesis of biodegradable polymers from renewable resources (e.g., algae biomass).

  • Catalytic reactions for sustainable chemical synthesis (e.g., photocatalysis).

• Water and Waste Management

  • Membrane technology and advanced oxidation processes for water treatment and desalination.

  • Microplastic and nanoplastic pollution detection, quantification, and degradation.

  • Sustainable waste management and resource recovery (e.g., lithium from batteries).

📈 Cross-Disciplinary Methodologies

These are tools and approaches that underpin research across all three domains.

• Analytical Chemistry

  • Development of advanced separation techniques (e.g., chromatography) for complex samples.

  • Novel applications of Mass Spectrometry (MS) and spectroscopy (e.g., Raman, NMR) in environmental and biological matrices.

  • Chemometrics and data analysis for interpreting large chemical datasets.

• Computational and Theoretical Sciences

  • Computational modeling and simulation of molecular and environmental processes.

  • Bioinformatics and systems biology for analyzing genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data.

  • Development of Predictive Toxicology models for assessing chemical risk.