MRR 2023 Best Paper Announcement

The Editorial Office of Microbiome Research Reports (MRR) is pleased to announce the winners of the “MRR 2023 Best Paper Award”. Out of 53 exceptional papers, the journal's Editorial Board has selected 2 research articles and 1 review article as the “MRR 2023 Best Papers”.

First Prize:      
Title: The importance of the timing of microbial signals for perinatal immune system development
Authors: Dale Archer, Maria Elisa Perez-Muñoz, Stephanie Tollenaar, Simona Veniamin, Christopher C. Cheng, Caroline Richard, Daniel R. Barreda, Catherine J. Field, Prof. Jens Walter (University College Cork, Ireland)
Reason for the Award: The original article focuses on understanding a crucial mechanism involved in the succession of the microbiome and immune system, experimentally demonstrating, using animal models, that the early postnatal period is more important than the prenatal period for microbial signals contributing to immune system development. The study provides new insights into the relative importance of the prenatal and postnatal periods for the development and maturation of the immune system. This hot topic offers original data on the "timing" aspect, which has not been previously covered in other studies.
Access to the full text:
HTML: https://www.oaepublish.com/articles/mrr.2023.03
PDF: https://www.oaepublish.com/articles/download/mrr.2023.03

Second Prize:      
Title: Mode of action of Akkermansia muciniphila in the intestinal dialogue: role of extracellular proteins, metabolites and cell envelope components
Authors: Anneleen Segers, Prof. Willem M. de Vos (Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands)
Reason for the Award: This review article is highly cited and addresses a topic of extreme interest in the field. It provides a comprehensive overview of the potential mechanisms by which Akkermansia muciniphila exerts beneficial effects on the host, focusing on extracellular and secreted proteins, metabolites, and cell envelope components. The review is particularly notable for its coverage of Akkermansia in relation to probiotics and cancer, presenting a well-written narrative that includes extensive information without being overly dense, making it a pleasure to read.
Access to the full text:
HTML: https://www.oaepublish.com/articles/mrr.2023.05
PDF: https://www.oaepublish.com/articles/download/mrr.2023.05

Third Prize:      
Title: RapidAIM 2.0: a high-throughput assay to study functional response of human gut microbiome to xenobiotics
Authors: Leyuan Li, Janice Mayne, Adrian Beltran, Xu Zhang, Zhibin Ning, Prof. Daniel Figeys (University of Ottawa, Canada)
Reason for the Award: The article describes an innovative screening system with significant potential for both fundamental research and practical applications. Despite being recently published, it has already been cited and shows tremendous potential in the field. As a method development paper, it introduces a new method for higher-throughput analysis of compounds, which, if validated by other laboratories, could attract considerable attention. This advancement facilitates screening assays and enhances our understanding of microbiome responses to interventions. The original article also presents an improved tool for studying gut microbiota interactions with various drugs, encompassing sample processing, in vitro culturing, metaproteomics measurement, and data analysis.
Access to the full text:
HTML: https://www.oaepublish.com/articles/mrr.2023.57
PDF: https://www.oaepublish.com/articles/download/mrr.2023.57

The Best Papers were evaluated and selected by the journal's Editorial Board, guided by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Marco Ventura and Co-Editor-in-Chief Prof. Douwe van Sinderen. Evaluation criteria included scientific merit, broad impact, originality, uniqueness of methodologies, clarity, and citation frequency within the year.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the authors of these outstanding papers for their remarkable contributions to the field of microbiome research. Their work not only advances scientific understanding but also sets a high standard for future publications.

We are grateful to our Editorial Board members for their diligent evaluation and commend all authors for their valuable contributions. As we continue to uphold rigorous standards and support groundbreaking research, we look forward to further advancing the field of microbiome science through collaboration and innovation.

Editor: Louise Xu
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Yan Zhang
Respectfully submitted by the Editorial Office of Microbiome Research Reports