Call for Papers: Synthetic Biology in Food Production

Zero Hunger is one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: with 600 million people globally projected to face hunger in 2023, and 1 in 3 people afflicted with moderate-to-severe food insecurity, food scarcity is an issue which must be tackled. The field of synthetic biology represents a major opportunity for approaching this goal; from innovations in protein production to crop optimization, synthetic biology can offer adaptive, individualized applications that would bring equity to food supplies globally and improve planetary sustainability.

Through this upcoming Special Issue, ACS Synthetic Biology, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, and ACS Food Science & Technology seek to encourage and highlight researchers’ efforts towards implementing synthetic biology methodologies toward improving nutrient and crop yield.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Food safety and quality assurance through synthetic biology
• Systems biology and computational design in food production
• Synthetic microbes and microbiomes to improve plant and animal productivity
• Microbial production of food ingredients
• Plant synthetic biology for food production
• Animal synthetic biology for food production
• Microbial synthetic biology for protein production
• Genetic engineering and optimization of crops
• Sustainable and resource-efficient food production
• Food provenance

Organizing Editors

Claudia Vickers, Guest Editor
Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Coralia Osorio Roa, Deputy Editor, ACS Food Science & Technology
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia

Ee Lui Ang, Guest Editor
Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, Singapore

Rodrigo Ledesma Amaro, Guest Editor
Imperial College London, United Kingdom

Thomas Hofmann, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Technische Universität München, Germany

Submission Information

We welcome submissions for this Special Issue through July 30, 2025. For more information on submission requirements, please visit the Author Guidelines page.

Manuscripts accepted for publication for this Special Issue will be available ASAP (as soon as publishable) online. After all submissions have been published, they will then be compiled online on a dedicated landing page to form the Special Issue. Manuscripts submitted for consideration will undergo the full rigorous peer review process expected from ACS journals.

Authors are encouraged to adhere to FAIR Data Principles when submitting research.

ACS Synthetic Biology considers studies on the design and synthesis of new biological or biohybrid systems, computational methods in the design of biological or biohybrid systems, and the application of synthetic biology in various areas. Submissions should clearly state the application of biological or biohybrid design.

ACS Food Science & Technology considers manuscripts related to the characterization, development, processing, and/or safety of foods that assure food security. Submissions across all areas of fundamental and applied research in food sciences are welcome. The relevance to food science and technology should be clearly stated.

The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry considers high-quality, original research representing complete studies and scientific advances dealing with the innovative application of chemistry, biochemistry and biological sciences to increase the molecular understanding of product attributes, processes, technologies, and health aspects encompassing the agricultural-food-nutrition continuum.

Open Access: There are diverse open access options for publications in ACS Publications journals. Please visit our Open Science Resource Center for more information.

How to Submit

• Log in to the ACS Publishing Center.
• Select the "Journals" tab.
• Choose ACS Synthetic Biology, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, OR ACS Food Science & Technology. See above for information on where to submit.
• Click "Submit."
• Select your manuscript type, and, under "Special Issue Selection," choose “Synthetic Biology in Food Production."

If you have any general questions regarding submission to this Special Issue, please contact managing.editor@synthbiol.acs.org.

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