Special Issue on Probiotics and Health Benefits (PHB)
Published 23 March, 2026
Guest editors:
Jiachao Zhang
Hainan University, China.
Professor Zhang's research primarily focuses on the biomanufacturing of tropical health foods. He has been awarded funding by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Youth Science Fund (Categories A, B, and C). Additionally, he has presided over two sub-projects of the National Key Research and Development Program and nine provincial and ministerial-level projects. He is distinguished as a Class B High-Level Talent of the Hainan Free Trade Port. In recent years, Professor Zhang has published over 70 SCI papers as the corresponding author in prestigious international journals, including Cell Host & Microbes, Nature Communications, Cell Reports, Microbiome, and The ISME Journal. He holds 13 authorized national invention patents. His academic contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Second -Class Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, the First-Class Prize of the Hainan Provincial Natural Science Award, the Second-Class Prize of the Hainan Provincial Natural Science Award, the 10th Hainan Provincial Youth Science and Technology Award, and the Hainan May 4th Youth Medal.
Shi Huang
The University of Hong Kong, China
Professor Shi Huang is an Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Faculty of Dentistry and Assistant Director of the Global Hub of Future Dentistry. His research pioneers advanced methods for human microbiome analysis, focusing on chronic disease prediction, probiotics mining and applications, Raman-activated single-cell sorting, and low-biomass microbiomes. After earning his Ph.D. from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, he conducted postdoctoral research in Professor Rob Knight's team at UCSD. Dr Huang's work has led to high-impact publications in journals such as Nature Methods and Cell Host & Microbe (3), Microbiome, mBio, JDR, etc.. He has been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (top 1%) in 2023 and 2024 and is a Finalist for the 2025 IADR Joseph Lister Award for New Investigators. An active editor for journals like mSystems and iMeta, he also holds 7 invention patents. He has successfully secured and managed numerous competitive research grants. These include projects funded by the NSFC, the Hong Kong Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), and the HKU Large Research Equipment Fund, underscoring his leadership in securing support for cutting-edge dental microbiome research.
Special issue information:
The symbiotic relationship between the human host and its resident microbiota is a critical factor in both health maintenance and disease pathogenesis. Within this ecosystem, probiotics have garnered major scientific and clinical attention in recent years. The study of probiotics has expanded beyond traditional digestive health to encompass a wide range of physiological and metabolic benefits, including immune modulation, mental health, metabolic syndrome management, and personalized nutrition.
This Special Issue on "Probiotics and Health Benefits" aims to collate the latest research that advances our understanding of how probiotics interact with the host to promote well-being. We invite researchers to contribute original research articles and reviews that explore the mechanistic underpinnings, clinical applications, and future frontiers of probiotic science. We are particularly interested in studies that elucidate the causal relationships between probiotic intervention and specific health outcomes.
In line with the evolving landscape of microbiome research, this Special Issue also welcomes submissions on a broad range of topics including, but not limited to:
- Mechanisms of action of probiotics on gut microbiota and host health.
- Clinical evidence and trials on probiotic efficacy for specific health conditions.
- Novel probiotic strains, next-generation probiotics, and engineered probiotics.
- Probiotic stability, delivery systems, and food/pharmaceutical formulations.
- The health benefits of non-viable microbial cells, bacterial lysates, and purified metabolites (postbiotics)
Manuscript submission information:
Eligible manuscript types: full-length original research papers, review articles.
Authors are encouraged to submit their papers via https://www.editorialmanager.com/foodw/Default.aspx and make sure to select the article type "VSI: PHB" when submitting.
The submission portal will be open until the 30 September 2026.
If you have any queries, please contact the above Editors directly.