Chemical Biology and Coordination Chemistry II

This second edition of "Chemical Biology and Coordination Chemistry" follows the strong community response to the first edition, launched in collaboration with ICCC45. The 46th International Conference on Coordination Chemistry (ICCC46) will take place in Odense, Denmark (2026) as part of the longest-running international chemistry conference series, with a history dating back to 1950. For over seven decades, the ICCC has helped to shape coordination chemistry and its interfaces, including research in bioinorganic and medicinal inorganic chemistry. The meeting in 2026 spans the full breadth of coordination chemistry in themes on biological and medical applications, making it an ideal platform to connect advances presented at ICCC46 with broader developments across chemical biology—and providing a timely context for this second edition. The following symposia, under theme Coordination Chemistry in Biology and Medical Applications, are particularily relevant to this collection: • Advances in the design of anti-cancer and other therapeutics• Novel Approaches to MRI and PET Diagnostic and Theranostic Applications• Metal Ions in Neurodegenerative Diseases (MIND) (Our symposium)• Novel Approaches to MRI and PET Diagnostic and Theranostic Applications• Inorganic chemistry for radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine• Metallo-supramolecular chemistry meets biology• Metal-Modified Nucleic AcidsThe inaugural collection of “Chemical Biology and Coordination Chemistry” highlighted how metal ions, complexes, and coordination-driven reactivity can illuminate biological mechanisms and inspire therapeutic and diagnostic innovation. This continuation reflects both the vitality of the field and the sustained engagement of the coordination chemistry community, while placing a stronger emphasis on current advances and upcoming conference-driven discussion.This Research Topic therefore aims to showcase new coordination compounds, concepts, methods, and mechanistic insights that deepen our understanding of biological and biomedical systems, while emphasizing rigorous characterization, quantitative biology, and clear links between molecular structure, synthesis, characterization and function.Contributions that address (but are not limited to) the following themes are encouraged:• Coordination compounds in therapy and diagnostics: mechanism of action, selectivity, resistance, pharmacology and toxicity• Coordination chemistry of metals in the brain including mechanism of action and potential treatment of neurodegenerative diseases• Metalloproteins and metalloenzymes: structure–function, reactivity, biomimetic and model systems• Metal ion trafficking and homeostasis: speciation, sensing, metallomics/ metalloproteomics and cellular regulation• Metal-based probes and imaging agents: luminescent probes, MRI/PET/SPECT tracers and activity-based reporters• Bioorthogonal and catalytic strategies in living systems: prodrug activation, artificial metalloenzymes and controlled reactivity• Supramolecular/coordination assemblies in biology: cages, responsive materials, delivery systems and biomolecular recognition• Analytical and structural toolkits: spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, in-cell/in vivo measurements and quantitative workflows• Theory, modelling, and structure prediction: mechanistic calculations, data-driven design and structure–property relationshipsWe welcome Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Perspectives, and Methods articles. Submissions from ICCC46 speakers, presenters, and attendees are particularly encouraged, alongside contributions from the wider communities of coordination chemistry, bioinorganic/medicinal inorganic chemistry, chemical biology, structural biology, spectroscopy, analytical chemistry, and computational modelling.By explicitly linking coordination chemistry innovation with biological mechanisms and biomedical applications, this second edition aims to strengthen cross-disciplinary standards and accelerate the development of robust, interpretable, and impactful metal-centered tools for chemical biology. Topic editors: Isabel Correia, Debbie C. Crans, Craig C. McLauchlan Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77880/chemical-biology-and-coordination-chemistry-ii