A Molecular and Structural Approach to Deciphering and Combating Infectious Pathogens

Microbial infections are a major global health concern, causing worldwide millions of deaths per year. These infections, caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, contribute to a wide spectrum of diseases, ranging from acute respiratory and bloodstream infections to chronic conditions, such as tuberculosis and hepatitis. The rise of multidrug antimicrobial resistance together with the emergence of novel pathogens make the fight against microbial infections even more challenging. Microbial pathogens rely on intricate molecular mechanisms to invade host cells, evade immune responses, and establish infections. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for identifying key virulence factors and potential drug targets.

This Research Topic aims at highlighting cutting-edge research on molecular and structural approaches to deepen our understanding on infectious pathogenesis and support the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Structural biology, genomics, proteomics, and computational modeling are revolutionizing our ability to decipher mechanisms of infection and of immune stimulation. High-resolution techniques for protein structure determination, such as cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallography, provide atomic-level insights into essential proteins and their interactions with host cells, enabling for the rational design of next-generation antimicrobial agents, improved vaccine antigens, and precision-targeted therapies.

Sub-topics of interest for this Research Topic include but are not limited to:

· Structural and functional characterization of virulence factors and elucidation of resistance mechanisms

· Structure-based drug and vaccine discovery and molecular approaches to antimicrobial development

· Host-pathogen interactions and their role in disease progression and immune evasion

· Innovative therapeutic strategies

· AI-driven drug discovery, computational modeling, and machine learning in antimicrobial research

· Pathogen detection and characterization for emerging infectious diseases

We invite researchers from diverse disciplines, including microbiology, structural biology, bioinformatics, medicinal chemistry, to contribute to this Research Topic. By leveraging molecular and structural insights with cutting-edge technologies, we aim to address the ever-evolving landscape of infection and resistance mechanisms by dangerous pathogens.

We welcome the following article types: Mini Reviews, Opinions, Original Research, Perspectives, Reviews, and Systematic Reviews.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Microbial infections, structural biology, antimicrobial resistance, emerging pathogens, drug discovery, antimicrobial therapies

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.