Harnessing Marine Biodiversity for Novel Antimicrobial Agents Against Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens – Volume II

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents one of the most pressing global health threats, surpassing mortality rates associated with HIV and malaria, with projections estimating up to 10 million deaths annually by 2050. The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, exacerbated by biofilm-associated infections and healthcare challenges intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscores the urgent need for novel antimicrobial agents.

Marine biodiversity is recognized as a vast, largely untapped source of potent bioactive compounds characterized by unique chemical structures and novel mechanisms of action. Building upon our previous volume, this second volume broadly explores marine organisms—including bacteria, fungi, dinoflagellates, marine invertebrates, and marine algae—as promising sources of antimicrobial agents. Marine algae stand out particularly due to their abundance and renewable nature, producing diverse bioactive metabolites that exhibit strong antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities, thus presenting a sustainable and eco-friendly solution to combat AMR.

This Research Topic invites original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and methodological advances spanning interdisciplinary fields—from marine biology and natural product chemistry to clinical pharmacology and biotechnology.

Contributions are encouraged in the following areas:

• Isolation, characterization, and structural elucidation of novel antimicrobial compounds from marine organisms.

• Advanced bioassays and high-throughput screening techniques targeting multidrug-resistant pathogens.

• Application of omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) and bioinformatics in discovering and
characterizing antimicrobial agents from marine organisms.

• Biosynthetic pathways and sustainable methods for enhancing the production of marine-derived antimicrobials.

• Mechanisms of action and strategies to circumvent resistance mechanisms for marine-derived compounds.

• Pharmacological studies, including pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and in vivo efficacy assessments.

• Ecological sustainability, environmental impacts, and scalable sourcing strategies for algal-based antimicrobials.

• Translational research connecting laboratory discoveries with clinical applications and trials.

• Comparative analyses between marine-derived antimicrobials and conventional antibiotics.

• Reviews and perspectives on challenges, future directions, and policy implications for marine-derived antimicrobials.

By highlighting innovative research and multidisciplinary insights, this volume aims to accelerate the translation of marine-derived antimicrobial discoveries into practical clinical applications, significantly contributing to global efforts against antimicrobial resistance. The emphasis placed on algae underscores their potential as a sustainable, renewable, and environmentally friendly source of bioactive antimicrobials, aligning with global initiatives aimed at sustainability and conservation.

Article types and fees

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

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... 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:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, marine biodiversity, seaweed, marine algae, bioactive compounds, multidrug-resistant pathogens, sustainable antimicrobials, natural products, biofilm inhibition, marine biotechnology, clinical translation.

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.