As a result of recent advances in MEMS/NEMS and systems biology, as well as the emergence of synthetic bacteria and lab/process-on-a-chip techniques, it is now possible to design chemical “circuits”, custom organisms, micro/nanoscale swarms of devices, and a host of other new systems at small length scales, and across multiple scales (e.g., micro to macro). This success opens up a new frontier for interdisciplinary signaling techniques using chemistry, biology, novel electron transfer, and other principles not previously examined.

This journal is devoted to the principles, design, and analysis of signaling and information systems that use physics beyond conventional electromagnetism, particularly for small-scale and multi-scale applications. This includes: molecular, quantum, and other physical, chemical and biological (and biologically-inspired) techniques; as well as new signaling techniques at these scales.

As the boundaries between communication, sensing and control are blurred in these novel signaling systems, research contributions in a variety of areas are invited. Original research articles on one or more of the following topics are within the scope of the journal: mathematical modeling, information/communication-theoretic or network-theoretic analysis, networking, implementations and laboratory experiments, systems biology, data-starved or data-rich statistical analyses of biological systems, industrial applications, biological circuits, biosystems analysis and control, information/communication theory for analysis of biological systems, unconventional electromagnetism for small or multi-scale applications, and experiment-based studies on information processes or networks in biology. Contributions on related topics would also be considered for publication.

Special Issue on Feedback Control in Multicellular Molecular Communication Systems
Submission Date: 2024-11-15

The advancement of synthetic biology has enabled the construction of intricate biomolecular circuits spanning multiple layers, from the level of genes to cells, tissues and organs facilitated by molecular-based communication at the cellular population level. The multilayer control and communication of biocircuits have opened the opportunity to harness the collective power of individual molecular components and elevate them into sophisticated dynamical systems capable of orchestrating complex behaviors, such as pattern formation, spatial organization, and collective decision-making.

The field of control engineering is increasingly important in advancing the rational design of even more sophisticated dynamic molecular communication (MC) systems. In particular, control theory can provide valuable insights for the design of regulatory mechanisms achieving stable and robust coordination of MC systems.

The aim of this Special Issue is to facilitate the interaction of researchers from the MC and the control community. The Special Issue focuses on control aspects of multicellular MC systems, ranging from fundamental theory to experimental applications. We invite submissions on the following topics (but are not limited to):

    Fundamental control and communication theory for multi-cellular control systems
    Modeling of reaction, diffusion and signal propagation kinetics at the level of cell populations, tissues and organs
    Analysis methods of spatio-temporal kinetics at the level of cell populations, tissues and organs
    Design of molecular feedback controller for multi-cellular control systems
    Computational toolkits for analyzing and optimizing multi-cellular control systems
    Multi-cellular control systems using Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT)
    Engineering multi-cellular control systems using synthetic biology
    Experimental testbeds for actuating and measuring multicellular control systems
    Experimental verification of design/control strategies of multi-cellular control systems

Submission Guidelines

Prospective authors should submit their manuscripts following the IEEE TMBMC guidelines. Authors should submit a manuscript through Manuscript Central. 

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 15 November 2024
First Notification: 15 February 2025
Acceptance Notification: 31 April 2025
Final Manuscript Due: 15 June 2025
Publication Date: June 2025

Accepted papers will be published Early Access on IEEE Xplore immediately after acceptance, and then included in the Special Issue planned for June 2025.

Guest Editors

Yutaka Hori (Lead Guest Editor)
Keio University, Japan

Giulia Giordano
University of Trento, Italy

Christopher Rose
Brown University, USA

Ken Duffy
Northeastern University, USA

Special Issue on The Internet of BioNanoThings – Applications, Components, and Challenges
Submission Date: 2024-12-15

One of the most fascinating envisioned applications of Molecular Communications (MC) is the realization of the Internet of BioNanoThings (IoBNT) which is expected to significantly extend the reach of digitalization and to have a strong influence on the evolution of digital health in society. The IoBNT should allow the detection and treatment of diseases inside the human body based on the communication between an in-body network of nanodevices and an external control unit. The in-body network includes synthetic or biological sensors and actuators fixed in or moving through the cardiovascular system to detect biomarkers and provide localized and personalized treatment.

The technical feasibility of the IoBNT requires the deployment of an MC network inside the body, a gateway between the inner and the outer network, and suitable and secure communication protocols for the involved monitoring and control processes. Next to these technical challenges, also societal questions concerning the privacy of sensitive data and ethical issues have to be taken into account. All of these challenges are of interdisciplinary nature and their solution requires the close collaboration of researchers from engineering and life sciences.

This Special Issue aims to address the topic from a holistic point of view and to facilitate the interaction between researchers from MC and life sciences. Therefore, we welcome a variety of topics related to applications within the IoBNT. To this end, we invite submissions on the following topics (but are not limited to):

    Applications and concepts for the IoBNT
    Communication protocols for the IoBNT
    Gateway design and communication interfaces for the IoBNT
    Information theoretical limits of in-body to out-of-body communication
    Experimental design of communication nodes (transmitters, receivers, relays) for the IoBNT
    Security and privacy issues in the IoBNT
    Edge and Cloud Computing for IoBNT
    Materials and devices for IoBNT
    Engineering biosensors for IoBNT
    AI and Machine Learning in IoBNT

Submission Guidelines

Prospective authors should submit their manuscripts following the IEEE TMBMC guidelines. Authors should submit a manuscript trough Manuscript Central.

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 15 December 2024
First Notification: 12 February 2025
Acceptance Notification: 15 April 2025
Final Manuscript Due: 1 May 2025
Publication Date: July 2025

Guest Editors

Maximilian Schäfer
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

Robert Schober
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

Laura Galluccio
University of Catania, Italy

Falko Dressler
Technical University of Berlin, Germany

Stefan Fischer
University of Lübeck, Germany

Cyrus Khandanpour
University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Germany 

Special Issue on Microphysiological Systems to Study and Experiment Bio-molecular Communications and Computing
Submission Date: 2025-02-01

This Special Issue (SI) focuses on microphysiological systems that can be used to characterize, study and experiment natural bio-communications, as well as artificial molecular communication and computing. Microphysiological systems are infrastructure that interconnects a sequence of organs-on-chips or in vitro constructs to enable deep understandings of two- or three-dimensional cellular models. Such systems can facilitate deep understandings of molecular communications not only within homogeneous tissues, but also between different organs. The SI aims to attract submissions on the use of microphysiological system to understand molecular communication, as well as new technologies that can be integrated into microphysiological system to sense communication molecules. 

We wish to investigate using microphysiological systems that can be used for studying biological intelligence. The concept revolves around using in vitro models to extract natural computing functions and one example is organoid intelligence. This can be used for natural cell models or engineered synthetic systems that lead to new forms of biological computations. This can result in new understanding of how synthetic biology used to engineer biological communications, can lead to new insights for biological intelligence, which can lead to new discoveries for the field of Artificial Intelligence. The SI is also open to using microphysiological systems to understand the underlying principles that control life based on cell communication. The knowledge gained from works on this SI has the potential to lead to revolutionary advancements in a variety of fields, including medicine, environmental science, and information technology. 

To this end, we invite submissions on the following topics (but are not limited to):

    Using microphysiological systems to understand natural and engineered bio-molecular communications
    Advanced design and new technologies for microphysiological systems 
    Integration of AI and machine learning tools with microphysiological system for bio-molecular communications and computing analysis
    Organoid and biological intelligence
    Novel applications and paradigms in biological AI
    AI in imaging and molecular data analysis of bio-molecular communications
    Ethical and safety considerations of using microphysiological systems for studying bio-molecular communications

Submission Guidelines

Prospective authors should submit their manuscripts following the IEEE TMBMC guidelines. Authors should submit a manuscript through Manuscript Central.

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 1 February 2025
First Notification: 1 April 2025
Acceptance Notification: 1 June 2025
Final Manuscript Due: 1 July 2025
Publication Date: September 2025

Guest Editors

Michael Barros (Lead Editor)
University of Essex, UK                        

Reinhold Scherer
University of Essex, UK 

Jari Hyttinen
Tampere University, Finland 

Gabriella Panuccio
Italian Institute of Technology, Italy