The Editors-in-Chief of The ISME Journal, ISME's flagship society journal, are committed to promoting excellence in microbial ecology and publishing research that advances our understanding of the microbial world. This includes ensuring rapid handling of manuscripts and high-quality peer review, while recognising and celebrating outstanding scientific contributions published in the journal.
The Editors-in-Chief of The ISME Journal, Jillian Petersen, Lisa Stein, Trinity Hamilton, Thulani Makhalanyane and Josh Neufeld, are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2025 Best Paper Awards. These awards recognise three articles for their outstanding scientific quality, significance and impact, highlighting important advances in microbial ecology published in the journal during 2025:
- Intikhab Alam, Ramona Marasco, Afaque A Momin, Nojood Aalismail, Elisa Laiolo, Cecilia Martin, Isabel Sanz-Sáez, Begoña Baltá Foix, Elisabet L Sá, Allan Kamau, Francisco J Guzmán-Vega, Tahira Jamil, Silvia G Acinas, Josep M Gasol, Takashi Gojobori, Susana Agusti, Daniele Daffonchio, Stefan T Arold, Carlos M Duarte, Widespread distribution of bacteria containing PETases with a functional motif across global oceans, The ISME Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1, January 2025, wraf121
- J Alfredo Blakeley-Ruiz, Alexandria Bartlett, Arthur S McMillan, Ayesha Awan, Molly Vanhoy Walsh, Alissa K Meyerhoffer, Simina Vintila, Jessie L Maier, Tanner G Richie, Casey M Theriot, Manuel Kleiner, Dietary protein source alters gut microbiota composition and function, The ISME Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1, January 2025, wraf048
- Shilong Duan, Zexing Jin, Lin Zhang, Stéphane Declerck, Mechanisms of cooperation in the plants-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi-bacteria continuum, The ISME Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1, January 2025, wraf023
The selection process began with a shortlist based on a range of article-level metrics, including citations, social media mentions, blog posts and article accesses. The shortlisted papers were then evaluated by the Editors-in-Chief, taking into account their scientific quality, significance and contribution to advancing microbial ecology, as well as their impact in raising the profile of The ISME Journal.
With so many important discoveries published in the journal each year, selecting just three articles was no easy task. We warmly congratulate the authors of the award-winning papers and thank all contributors for the outstanding research they publish in The ISME Journal.