BMC Biology is calling for submissions to our Collection on Evolution of immunity. Evolution of immunity happens on many timescales and encompasses the development of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. The innate immune system provides an immediate response to pathogens often involving phagocytic processes, whereas the adaptive immune system responds after pathogenic invasion has begun, with the Toll pathway, a very ancient signaling pathway, which long predates the adaptive immune system linking the two.

For this Collection, we invite immunity-related submissions with high impact from diverse research fields including evolutionary biology, genetics, and ecology. We are interested in research on evolutionary origins of immune cell types, viral DNA integration, how pathogens co-evolve with their hosts adapting to host immune defenses and shaping the trajectory of infectious diseases. We also welcome studies with insights from evolutionary immunology that are crucial for vaccine development, disease surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, and ecosystem health, offering innovative approaches for disease prevention and biodiversity conservation.

Potential topics for submission include, but are not limited to:

Adaptive changes in immune systems across species over time

The evolution of intrinsic immunity

Evolutionary dynamics of host-pathogen interactions

Evolutionary origins of immune cell types

Evolutionary aspects of macrophages polarization

Genetic basis of immune system variation within populations

Evolutionary perspectives on matters of public health such as vaccine development, disease surveillance, or antimicrobial resistance

Evolutionary ecology of infectious diseases

Eco-immunology: linking immune function to ecological interactions

Novel biological insights from phylogenetic analyses or comparative immunogenomics

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

BMC Biology is calling for submissions to our Collection on Synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory.

Synaptic plasticity constitutes a fundamental process crucial for shaping the brain's ability to adapt and encode experiences. At the molecular level, it involves the dynamic modulation of synaptic strength and efficacy, mediated by neurotransmitter receptors, intracellular signaling pathways, and synaptic proteins. Understanding these mechanisms has provided insights into how memories are formed and stored within neural circuits, with key brain regions such as the hippocampus and amygdala playing pivotal roles. Additionally, dysregulation of synaptic plasticity has been implicated in various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia.

This Collection aims to further the understanding on the fundamental processes that govern neural circuitry dynamics from molecular signaling to behavioral outcomes. We invite contributions from diverse vertebrate and invertebrate model systems that investigate the hallmarks of synaptic processes, including synaptic plasticity, memory formation, associative learning, long-term potentiation (LTP), long-term depression (LTD), engram formation, initial consolidation, and the role of neuromodulators such as dopamine.

Additionally, we welcome submissions exploring the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in synaptic transmission and plasticity, including the role of neurotransmitter receptors such as AMPA and NMDA, as well as the contributions of specific neuronal cell types such as pyramidal neurons and interneurons.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

Mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in learning and memory formation

Role of neurotransmitter receptors in synaptic plasticity

Neural circuits underlying memory consolidation and retrieval

Implications of synaptic dysfunction in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases

Impact of synaptic alterations in motor learning

Role of synaptic transmission in cognitive development

Therapeutic strategies targeting synaptic plasticity

Synaptic remodeling after traumatic injury and implications on memory

Using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons to study mechanisms of synaptic plasticity

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.