Skin cancer development is part of the risk when sunburnt but with considerable advantages to our systemic health, sun exposure becomes a risk versus benefit equation. There is now an awareness internationally that insufficient sun exposure is a public health problem. Latitude gradients for many human diseases exist. Non-burning sun exposure has been shown beneficial for our mental, immune, bone and skeletal, cardiovascular, metabolic and ocular health. This collection of articles will highlight the growing evidence of the systemic benefits of moderate sun exposure.

The growing challenge of microbial resistance to conventional treatments has fueled the search for innovative, effective, and versatile therapeutic alternatives, especially as the need for alternative therapies that bypass traditional resistance mechanisms is urgent. Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) has emerged as a promising solution - offering not only a novel mechanism of action but also a unique platform for targeted delivery of therapeutic agents, with a wide range of potential applications - in human and veterinary medicine, agriculture, surface and environmental disinfection. Aiming to highlight the research teams working on a more efficient and controlled delivery of light and / or photosensitizers, PPS publishes this Topical Collection, under the title “Delivering light and molecules to pathogens: rising strategies on Antimicrobial PDT”, providing an scenario for original research and literature reviews, and contributing to the advancement and evolution of this technique. This topical collection explores the cutting edge of aPDT, with a particular focus on the dual delivery systems crucial to its success: photosensitizers (PS) and light. We invite contributions that advance our understanding and application of delivery strategies in aPDT, encompassing both PS formulations and sophisticated light-delivery methodologies. Importantly, this collection aims to challenge the oversimplification often seen in light delivery approaches. Precision in light application is just as critical as PS optimization, especially when moving beyond the laboratory bench. Contributions that present novel materials, delivery vectors, mechanisms, or application techniques - either separately or in combination - are especially welcome. By bringing together interdisciplinary research on light and molecular delivery in aPDT, this collection seeks to redefine how we approach infectious disease treatment in the era of antibiotic resistance.