Call for papers - Genomics of amphibians

Guest Editors

Tiffany Alison Kosch, PhD, University of Melbourne, Australia
María Torres-Sánchez, PhD, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 21 March 2025

Amphibians possess a remarkable evolutionary history and ecological significance. They not only offer insights into adaptation and evolution but also serve as vital indicators of ecosystem health, highlighting broader environmental threats. Advancements in amphibian genomics promise to uncover new genetic resources, technologies, and conservation strategies, benefiting both our understanding of amphibians and broader biodiversity conservation efforts. BMC Genomics welcomes submissions across various genomic topics, such as immune responses, coloration patterns, limb regeneration, skin microbiomes and adaptation to climate change.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being, SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water, SDG 15: Life On Land.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Tiffany Alison Kosch, PhD, University of Melbourne, Australia

Dr Tiffany Kosch is a Research Fellow with One Health Research Group at the University of Melbourne where she is investigating the genomic architecture of resistance to the fungal disease chytridiomycosis in endangered frogs such as the Australian Southern Corroboree frog. She applies approaches from genomics, quantitative genetics, synthetic biology, and animal breeding to develop methods to increase chytrid resistance in frogs and improve the success of reintroduction programs. Tiffany is also the Founding Director of the Amphibian Genomics Consortium (AGC) which aims to bring together people with an interest in amphibian genomics and functional research, and to increase the generation of amphibian genomics resources.

María Torres-Sánchez, PhD, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

María Torres-Sánchez is an early career researcher currently working as a María Zambrano postdoctoral fellow at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. She is broadly interested in amphibian ecology and evolution, and has worked with caecilians, salamanders, and frogs using mainly genomics tools.

About the Collection

BMC Genomics is calling for submissions to our Collection on Genomics of amphibians. Amphibians possess a remarkable evolutionary history and ecological significance. From the ancient origins of their lineage to their role as indicators of environmental health, amphibians provide a diverse range of subjects for biological inquiry. In the modern era, genomics has emerged as a powerful tool to unravel the mysteries of amphibian biology, providing insights into their adaptation, evolution, and conservation.

Advancing our understanding of amphibians is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, amphibians serve as vital indicators of ecosystem health, with their declines often signaling broader environmental threats such as habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Additionally, studying amphibians provides insights into fundamental biological processes, such as embryonic development, immune function, and physiological plasticity, which are relevant across diverse taxa, including humans. Research into amphibians has already yielded significant discoveries, such as insights into the evolution of vertebrate limbs and the development of novel medical treatments derived from amphibian toxins. Looking ahead, continued advancements in amphibian genomics hold promise for uncovering new genetic resources, bio-inspired technologies, and conservation strategies. By exploring the genomic landscapes of amphibians in more depth, we can reveal valuable knowledge that not only improves our understanding of amphibians but also helps us protect biodiversity and maintain planetary health.

We invite contributions spanning a wide array of topics, including but not limited to:

Transcriptomic analysis of amphibian immune responses
Comparative genomics of amphibian coloration patterns
Developmental genomics of amphibian limb regeneration
Population genomics of endangered amphibian species
Landscape genomics of amphibian habitat fragmentation
Epigenomic regulation of amphibian metamorphosis
Evolutionary genomics of amphibian reproductive strategies
Genomic insights into amphibian adaptation to climate change
Functional genomics of amphibian skin microbiomes
Genomic tools for amphibian conservation prioritization

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being, SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water, SDG 15: Life On Land.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Genomics of amphibians" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.