MDPI

We're pleased to share the September 2026 edition of MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter. Highlights include: Peer Review Week: September was an opportunity to recognize the researchers who dedicate their time and expertise to reviewing manuscripts, while reflecting on how we can better support their contributions. At MDPI, our priorities include protecting reviewers' time and judgment, maintaining high-quality and efficient processes, and recognizing the important role reviewers play in safeguarding the quality and integrity of published research. Welcoming Dr. Constanze Schelhorn as MDPI's Chief Publishing Officer: Constanze joined MDPI in 2016 and has taken on responsibilities across editorial, indexing, and publishing over the past decade. Her appointment as CPO is an important step for MDPI and a great example of someone developing alongside the organization. A Decade of the Tu Youyou Award: Ten years after MDPI established the Tu Youyou Award, we continue to recognize outstanding achievements in natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. Inspired by Professor Tu Youyou's remarkable journey, the award celebrates not only scientific excellence, but the impact research has on people's lives. Nominations for the 2026 award are open until 31 October. OASPA 2026: Stefan recently attended the OASPA Conference in Zagreb, where discussions ranged from sustainable publishing and research assessment to open infrastructure, and AI. One discussion he particularly enjoyed asked how OA adapts in a GenAI world, raising questions around trust, provenance, governance, and responsibility as AI increasingly becomes an interface through which people interact with research. AI is Making Science More Accessible. How do we Keep it Trustworthy? Our Scientific Communications Lead, Dr. Giulia Stefenelli, recently explored this question in Research Information. As one line from the article puts it: "Generation is becoming cheap, but verification is not." It's a reminder that technology can support scientific communication, but people must remain accountable for the decisions that shape the scientific record. A common thread running through these stories is that trust in scientific communication ultimately depends on people. Reviewers contribute their expertise, researchers advance knowledge, colleagues take on new responsibilities, and communities across publishing come together to work through shared challenges. Thank you to everyone contributing to that work. Read the full September CEO Letter here: https://brnw.ch/21x6lOt

All articles published in Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309) are free to access, read, share and download.

Find below a range of top cited research articles published in Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825) ⬇️ Actuators is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on the science and technology of actuators and control systems, published monthly online by MDPI

Discover below an engaging series of papers published in Fire (ISSN 2571-6255). ⬇ Fire is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal about the science, policy, and technology of fires and how they interact with communities and the environment, published monthly online by MDPI.

We would like to extend our wholehearted congratulations to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai, winners of The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 🏅 The laureates were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discoveries showing how homochirality can emerge. This has been particularly decisive for chemists who design reactions to make pharmaceuticals, where often only one mirror image of a molecule has the desired effect ⌬ MDPI is proud to have published a review co-authored by Professor Soai, one of this year's laureates, in the journal Symmetry MDPI (ISSN 2073-8994) in 2019. Find out more about this year's winners and their research: https://brnw.ch/21x6f3p #MDPI #OpenAccess #NobelPrize #Chemistry #Research

2026 has marked milestone anniversaries for 19 of MDPI's international, open access, peer reviewed journals 🌟 In the decades following the publication of their inaugural issues, these journals have built research communities, made knowledge openly accessible, and earned the trust of scientific authors worldwide. We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to each of the Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Board Members, authors, editors and reviewers that have contributed to their success and longevity 🙌 Find out more about how each journal is marking this celebration: https://brnw.ch/21x5qxv #MDPI #OpenAccess #AcademicPublishing #Research