Call for papers - Small RNA structure and regulation

Guest Editors

Mukesh Dubey, PhD, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
Tuan Anh Nguyen, PhD, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Peter Sarkies, PhD, University of Oxford, UK
Xiang Zhou, PhD, Fudan University, China

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 4 January 2026

BMC Biology is calling for submissions for the Collection on small RNA structure and regulation. This Collection aims to gather innovative research focused on small RNA structure and regulation, emphasizing their roles in gene silencing and post-transcriptional regulation. We invite submissions that explore the functional dynamics of small RNAs, their structural characteristics, and their interactions with key regulatory proteins. The goal is to advance our understanding of small RNA biology and its implications for health and disease across species.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Mukesh Dubey, PhD, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

Dr Mukesh Dubey is an Associate Professor of Plant Pathology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden. His research aims to advance the field of molecular plant pathology, primarily focusing on functional and comparative genomics and small RNAs (sRNAs) within the context of fungal interactions and their implications for plant disease management in agriculture. Dr Dubey's work investigates the ability of sRNAs produced by biocontrol fungi to target pathogenic fungi through mechanisms of cross-species RNA silencing. He also examines the transfer of sRNAs between mycoparasitic fungi and their associated fungal and plant hosts, exploring how these interactions can influence the effectiveness of biocontrol strategies. Through his research, Dr Dubey seeks to leverage sRNA-based mechanisms for sustainable crop protection, contributing to the development of innovative RNA interference strategies for disease control in agricultural practices. Website.

Tuan Anh Nguyen, PhD, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

Dr Anh Nguyen earned his PhD in Biochemistry from KAIST, focusing on DNA replication and repair, and completed postdoctoral research at Seoul National University, studying the molecular mechanisms of microRNA biogenesis. He is now a faculty member in the Division of Life Science at HKUST, where his lab integrates biochemistry, cryo-EM, and bioinformatics to study RNA-interacting proteins. His research focuses on microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and are linked to diseases like cancer and neurodegeneration. By exploring how miRNA precursors’ sequence and structure influence their expression, his team aims to uncover mechanisms critical to health and disease. Website.

Peter Sarkies, PhD, University of Oxford, UK

Dr Peter Sarkies did his PhD in Molecular Biology at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge in the laboratory of Julian Sale, and his postdoc with Eric Miska at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, UK where he became interested in the evolution of epigenetic mechanisms across species. In 2014, Dr Sarkies started his own lab at the London Institute of Medical Sciences at Imperial College London, and developed a program to investigate the evolution of epigenetic mechanisms across species, with a particular interest in small non-coding RNAs. In 2021, he moved to the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford. Website.

Xiang Zhou, PhD, Fudan University, China

Dr Xiang Zhou is currently a professor/principal investigator at Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences of Fudan University. He specializes in fundamental and translational cancer research, with a particular emphasis on elucidating p53's function in cancer metabolism and programmed cell death, assessing the impact of p53-related noncoding RNAs on cancer, determining the mechanisms underlying nucleolar stress during cancer progression and treatment, and evaluating the possible therapeutic utilities of extracellular vesicles. Prof Zhou has published over 30 papers as the corresponding author in scientific journals, including Cancer Cell, Molecular Cell, PNAS, Cell Reports, and Adv Sci. Website.

About the Collection

BMC Biology is calling for submissions for the Collection on small RNA structure and regulation.

Small RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), piwi interacting small RNAs and tRNA-derived small RNAs are crucial regulators of gene expression in a variety of biological processes. These short, non-coding RNAs play a significant role in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, influencing pathways that govern development, differentiation, and cellular responses to environmental stimuli. As they are involved in the modulation of gene silencing and regulatory networks, understanding their structure and function is essential for elucidating their contributions to cellular homeostasis, host-microbe interactions, and disease.

Research in small RNA biology has made significant strides in recent years, unraveling the complexities of small RNA pathways, their biogenesis and their regulatory functions across different species. Advances in multiple cutting-edge technologies, including high-throughput sequencing, massively parallel enzymatic assays, Cryo-EM, and computational tools such as artificial intelligence, have facilitated the identification and characterization of novel small RNAs across diverse organisms. These technologies have also enabled the exploration of detailed and exciting mechanisms of small RNA pathways at cellular, molecular, and atomic levels on a large scale. Furthermore, studies on miRNA functions in various cellular and organismal contexts have deepened our understanding of their roles in health and disease. These developments underscore the importance of continued research into small RNA mechanisms to unlock their therapeutic potential.

As research in this field progresses, we anticipate breakthroughs that could revolutionize our understanding of regulation of gene expression involving small RNAs. Future studies may uncover novel small RNA species, elucidate their roles in complex regulatory networks, and inform innovative therapeutic strategies for diseases linked to dysregulated small RNA pathways.

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

Mechanisms of small RNAs biogenesis
Structural insights into small RNAs
Epigenetic modifications regulating small RNAs
Functional genomics of small RNAs
Roles of RNA-binding proteins in shaping small RNA function
Mechanisms of miRNA and siRNA regulation
Cross-talk between different small RNA pathways
Gene expression regulatory networks involving small RNAs
Advanced methods for small RNA sequencing, analysis and gene target prediction
Extracellular small RNAs: secretion mechanisms and potential functions
Therapeutic potential and applications of small RNAs

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 "Small RNA structure and regulation" 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.