Journal of Oral Microbiology

Oral Microbial Resources

The oral cavity harbors one of the most diverse and dynamic microbial ecosystems in the human body, yet its full potential as a resource for advancing health and disease research remains underexplored. With the development of high-throughput sequencing, new microbial isolation and cultivation methodology, advanced technologies in microbial research, more and more new oral microorganisms have been discovered and isolated; their biology and ecological/pathogenic impact characterised. This Article Collection seeks to compile cutting-edge research on the generation and application of oral microbial resources. These resources, including genomic databases, strain repositories, and bioinformatics platforms, are critical for decoding oral microbial diversity, function, and interactions. Despite advances, gaps persist in standardized methodologies, and integration of multi-omics insights. This collection will highlight innovations in resource creation (e.g., culture collections of oral bacteria, annotated metagenomic datasets) and their applications in mechanistic studies, diagnostics, and therapeutics. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among microbiologists, bioinformaticians, and clinicians, this initiative aims to establish a foundational toolkit for accelerating discoveries in oral and systemic disease research.

Oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide, while emerging evidence links oral pathobionts to systemic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Effective management of oral microbiome-related diseases calls for a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the oral microbiota on host health and disease. High-quality, accessible oral microbial resources are essential to unravel these connections and develop targeted interventions. For example, microbial resources such as annotated genomes and metabolomic datasets facilitate a better understanding ofhow pathogens evade immunity, degrade tissues, or influence distal organs, which could help unlocking disease mechanisms. Saliva-based biomarkers, probiotics, and phage therapies rely on well-characterized microbial strains and reference databases. Furthermore, integrating artificial intelligence with oral microbial datasets could predict disease risks or therapeutic outcomes. This collection emphasizes the urgency of translating basic research into clinical solutions, ultimately bridging the gap between microbiome science and public health impact.

This collection invites submissions across the following interests, but are not limited to:

• New methods of isolation and culture of oral microorganisms.
• Discovery and characterization of new oral microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and viruses (including bacteriophages).
• Oral microbial biobank and database.
• Application of oral probiotic microbial resources and bacteriophages in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases.

All types of articles that meet the requirements of the journal are welcome.

Keywords

• Oral microbiome
• Oral diseases
• Oral bacteriophages
• Oral probiotics
• Oral microbial dark matter

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 1^st February 2026.

Please contact Zhiyuan Zhang at zhiyuan.zhang@taylorandfrancis.com with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the drop-down menu in the submission system.

Guest Advisors

Xuesong He, PhD. DDS. is currently a Professor at the ADA Forsyth Institute in Boston. Dr. He has a broad background and expertise in Microbiology, particularly oral microbiome. His research interests include: 1) Host-associated “microbial dark matter”,2) The ecological and social aspects of the microbial community. 3) The role of host-derived small RNA in modulating host-oral microbial interaction; 4) Developing novel approaches for combating oral diseases, and 5) Oral microbiome and systemic links.

Yuqing Li, Ph.D. is a Professor at State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University. The research in Dr. Li’s laboratory leverages emerging technologies in sequencing, genetics, and biochemistry to answer fundamental questions regarding the physiology, ecology, and pathogenic mechanisms of the human oral microbiome.