Call for papers - Human microbiome in health and disease

Guest Editors

Ana Santos Almeida, PhD, Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine, Portugal
Sahar El Aidy, PhD, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Torben Sølbeck Rasmussen, PhD, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 31 October 2025

BMC Biology is calling for submissions on our Collection on Human microbiome in health and disease. This Collection invites researchers to contribute their findings on the human microbiome's role in health and disease. We welcome studies that explore microbiomes and their interactions with various physiological processes and disease states. By showcasing innovative research, we aim to enhance our understanding of the microbiome's potential as a therapeutic target and its implications for personalized medicine.

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

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Ana Santos Almeida, PhD, Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal

Dr Ana S. Almeida is a Principal Investigator at the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine and an Invited Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon. She leads the GIMM-CARE Colorectal Cancer Mission, supported by a €500,000 Horizon Europe grant (2023–2029). Dr Almeida holds a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Lisbon and a PhD in Health Sciences from Université Pierre et Marie Curie, where she studied immune evasion by Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis. Her postdoctoral research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory focused on macrophage-T cell interactions in tumors using intravital imaging. In 2017, Dr Almeida joined APC Microbiome Ireland as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, leading a key study on microbiota and colorectal cancer. She later became Director of R&D at Tiny Health, and now serves on its Scientific Advisory Board.

Sahar El Aidy, PhD, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Prof El Aidy’s academic journey spans continents, from studying Pharmaceutical Sciences in Alexandria, Egypt, to her MSc and PhD in Microbiology in Wageningen, the Netherlands. Following postdoctoral research at University College Cork, Ireland, she held positions including a Rosalind Franklin Fellow and Associate Professor at the University of Groningen. Prof El Aidy secured various research grants, including from NWO and the Parkinson Fonds, and engaged in multiple industrial collaborations. Recognized for her achievements, she was appointed to the Young Academy Groningen and received the prestigious Athena Award from NWO. Her contributions extend to diverse activities, including regular contributions to newspapers and magazines, participation in health science channels and professional outreach programs, delivering public lectures, and being involved in impactful projects such as a commissioned film exploring the microbiome's impact on mental health. Additionally, her expertise on the gut microbiota's influence on medication efficacy was featured in ‘Gut Health For Dummies’.

Torben Sølbeck Rasmussen, PhD, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Dr Torben Sølbeck Rasmussen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen. His research focuses on bacteriophage-based therapies for gut-related diseases, recently supported by an early-career grant. His interest in bacteriophages began at the Technical University of Denmark (2011–2016) during a project isolating phage from cystic fibrosis patients. Fieldwork in Greenland and a master’s project in biophotonics at the University of Cambridge explored other microbiological topics. Later, PhD (2016–2020) and postdoc (2020–2023) positions at the University of Copenhagen established his expertise in using bacteriophages to modulate the gut microbiome.

About the Collection

BMC Biology is calling for submissions on our Collection on Human microbiome in health and disease. The human microbiome plays a crucial role in maintaining health. Comprising trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and archaea, the microbiome influences various physiological processes, such as metabolism, immune function, and even mental health through pathways like the gut-brain axis. Recent advances in sequencing technologies and bioinformatics have enabled researchers to explore the intricate relationships between the microbiome and human health, revealing its potential as a target for therapeutic interventions.

Continuing to advance our understanding of the human microbiome is essential for developing novel strategies to prevent and treat diseases. Significant progress has been made in identifying specific microbial signatures associated with conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer, as well as understanding the impact of antibiotics on microbial diversity. These insights have opened new avenues for personalized medicine, where microbiome profiling could guide treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes.

As research in this field progresses, we can anticipate exciting developments, including the potential for microbiome-based therapies, such as probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation, to become mainstream treatments. Furthermore, ongoing studies may uncover the role of the microbiome in modulating responses to immunotherapy in cancer patients, leading to more effective and tailored treatment approaches.

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

The role of the gut, oral, skin, and vaginal microbiome in health and disease
Microbial ecosystems and their impact on the immune system
The gut-brain axis: implications for mental health
Evolution of the human microbiome across different populations
Effects of antibiotics on microbiome diversity

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.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research and Methodology Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Human microbiome in health and disease" from the dropdown menu.

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.