Dear Colleagues,

Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) are microorganisms that use sulfate as terminal electron receptors with a variety of compounds serving as electron donors. Numbering 220 species across 60 genera, SRBs are found across many different environments including soils, landfills, bodies of water and even within the oral cavity and the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans. Since the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a byproduct of the dissimilatory sulfate reduction pathway of the genus Desulfovibrio, initial interests in SRBs centered around the problem of corrosion of iron, copper, steel and concrete pipes exposed to H₂S-producing SRBs, a challenge faced by sewer systems and petroleum processors. Since souring of crude oil by SRBs adversely impacts the operation and economics of commercial petroleum drilling, research was initially directed at the biology of SRBs, how their growth and metabolism could be controlled and even their use in the bioremediation of toxic materials. It is, however, the discovery of their outsized roles in health and disease that has generated the most excitement in SRBs. The dental community has reported the role of SRBs in periodontitis and halitosis along with the effects of H₂S-generating SRBs on orthodontic devices. Physiologists have observed the essential function of SRBs as key hydrogen consumers in supporting fermentation. More recently, researchers have reported the contribution of SRBs to intestinal inflammation, colorectal neoplasms, leaky gut, slowing of intestinal transit and impaired learning and other critical functions. These and other advances in our understanding of SRBs will be the focus of this special issue of Microorganism.

Prof. Dr. Henry Lin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• gut microbiome
• dysbiosis
• hydrogen sulfide
• gastrointestinal tract