Advances in Pollinator Research

Pensoft launches a new journal: Advances in Pollinator Research

Pensoft launches Advances in Pollinator Research, a diamond open-access journal unifying diverse pollinator science efforts.

In collaboration with the European Union pollinator projects community, scholarly publisher and technology provider Pensoft launched Advances in Pollinator Research, a new multidisciplinary, community-driven peer-reviewed journal set to transform how pollinator science is shared and translated into real-world action.

Advances in Pollinator Research (APR) is designed as an innovative platform for the full spectrum of pollinator science, from pollination ecology and pollinator-plant interactions to molecular ecology, conservation and more. A core mission of the journal is to champion research from underrepresented regions, taxa, and ecological contexts.

APR will be led by two Editors-in-Chief: Dr. Alexis Beaurepaire (University of Bern and Agroscope) and PD Dr. Lars Straub (University of Bern).

Mock-up cover of the APR journal. — Advances in Pollinator Research

As a diamond open-access journal, APR is currently free to publish and free to read, ensuring that all published research is openly accessible to the global community. The first editorial of the journal is available here.

In response to the global crisis of pollinator decline, APR moves beyond traditional data silos. It is the first comprehensive platform to unify the biological, environmental, socio-economic, and governance dimensions of pollinator health.

It embraces transdisciplinary collaboration and research between scientists, industry, and society with the aim of finding and amplifying solutions to real-world problems.

Cover mock-up of the Advances in Pollinator Research journal with key information. — APR journal with key information.

Furthermore, the journal welcomes research on conventional approaches while highly encouraging publications that apply innovative methods, such as automated monitoring systems, AI-assisted analytics, molecular and genomic tools, as well as large-scale network initiatives and open databases that advance FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data dissemination across regions and taxa.

Figure illustrating the scope and publishing process of the APR journal, showing the diversity of pollinators, the multitude of stressors affecting them, and the various stakeholders interacting with them. Credit to Beaurepaire et al., 2026

The journal will utilise Pensoft’s innovative ARPHA platform, known for its robust support of academic publishing and efficient dissemination of research. Thanks to this one-stop publishing solution, the new journal offers a seamless, end-to-end publishing experience, encompassing all stages between manuscript submission and article publication, indexation, dissemination and permanent archiving.

The publishing services provided by ARPHA also include a variety of human-provided services and support and integrations with third-party providers, intended to maximise the reach and usability of scholarly knowledge published in Advances in Pollinator Research.

“We are excited to launch Advances in Pollinator Research. This ambitious journal is set to drive more innovative and interdisciplinary approaches within the field of pollinator science,”
says Prof. Lyubomir Penev, founder and CEO of ARPHA and Pensoft

“With Advances in Pollinator Research, we aim to build an integrative and inclusive home for pollinator science that dissolves disciplinary and geographic silos and connects knowledge from genes to landscapes. Beyond a journal, APR is envisioned as a participatory forum where researchers, practitioners, and communities worldwide co-produce knowledge and accelerate solutions for pollinator health,”
comments Dr. Straub

“We are truly delighted to launch this new transdisciplinary journal focusing on pollinators. Through this effort, we aim to bring our diverse research community together and provide a dynamic platform for scientists and stakeholders to exchange knowledge, ultimately deepening our understanding of and commitment to protecting these precious and fascinating species.,”
adds Dr. Beaurepaire

Advances in Pollinator Research joins a number of open-access entomology journals published by Pensoft.

For more information on the journal’s focus and scope and guidelines to authors, visit APR’s website, subscribe to the journal’s newsletter and follow it on BlueSky, Facebook and Linkedin.

ResearchGate and Pensoft Publishers announce expansion of their Journal Home partnership

The partnership now expands to 40 journals, covering the majority of Pensoft’s and partner’s journals.

Berlin (Germany) and Sofia (Bulgaria), 10th February, 2026 – ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and Pensoft Publishers, an independent open access publisher and provider of high-quality scholarly publishing services, today announced an expansion of their Journal Home partnership. Building on an earlier collaboration announced in 2023, the list now expands to 40 journals, covering the majority of Pensoft’s and partners’ journals using the publisher’s ARPHA Publishing Platform.

Amongst the journals now enjoying increased visibility across the ResearchGate’s community of 25+ million researcher members are well-renowned scholarly titles affiliated with the Natural History Museum in Berlin, Swiss Academy of Sciences, International Association for Vegetation Science and The International Biogeography Society, as well as recently launched Pensoft journals, such as Individual-based Ecology, Natural History Collections and Museomics, and Food and Ecological Systems Modelling Journal.

With most of Pensoft’s eligible partner journals choosing to participate, the expansion reflects strong demand for greater exposure and engagement opportunities, particularly among smaller and developing journals in niche research areas. Through Journal Home, partner publishers can reach more relevant audiences, improve discoverability, and connect more effectively with researchers worldwide.

Participating Pensoft journals will also benefit from:

Increased usage and readership, with full-text open access journal content seamlessly surfaced to highly relevant researcher communities across the ResearchGate platform.
Stronger engagement from new and returning authors, connecting partner journals, including specialist and emerging titles, with targeted researchers and potential authors throughout the research lifecycle.
Dedicated Journal Profiles and prominent placement of Pensoft journals to enhance visibility and branding, boosting recognition of partner journals with researcher communities around the world.
Improved author experience, with the automatic addition of published articles to author profiles, clearer insight into reader engagement, and greater opportunities for meaningful collaboration.

“Journal Home allows us to provide our partner journals with improved visibility and stronger connections with global researcher communities. Many of these journals serve highly specialised fields, and Journal Home helps make sure their articles reach the right researchers, who will benefit from them most.”
Lyubomir Penev, CEO and founder of Pensoft Publishers

“We’re pleased to expand our Journal Home partnership with Pensoft to support an increasing number of partner journals. By bringing these journals onto the platform, smaller and emerging titles can expand their reach, attract high-quality submissions, and connect with the most relevant researcher communities at key moments in their research journey.”
Robyn Mugridge, Head of Partnership Development at ResearchGate

For more information about Journal Home, please visit www.researchgate.net/journal-home.

For more information about ResearchGate, please visit www.researchgate.net.

For more information about Pensoft Publishers, please visit www.pensoft.net.

About ResearchGate

ResearchGate is the professional network for researchers. Over 25 million researchers use researchgate.net to share and discover research, build their networks, and advance their careers. Based in Berlin, ResearchGate was founded in 2008. Its mission is to connect the world of science and make research open to all.

About Pensoft Publishers

Pensoft is an independent, open-access scholarly publisher and technology provider, best known for its 40+ biodiversity journals, including ZooKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, PhytoKeys, MycoKeys, One Ecosystem, and Metabarcoding and Metagenomics. Ever since becoming the first to introduce semantic enrichments and hyperlinks within a scientific article in the field of biodiversity in 2010, Pensoft has been working on various tools and workflows designed to facilitate data findability, accessibility, discoverability and interoperability.

Pensoft and the University of Zurich sign strategic OA Agreement to support Swiss research

The agreement encompasses five key research and medical bodies, and allows corresponding authors to publish their findings without individual Article Processing Charges.

Pensoft and the University of Zurich have signed a comprehensive Open Access (OA) agreement, starting a partnership that enables researchers at participating institutions to publish their findings in Pensoft’s peer-reviewed journals without incurring individual Article Processing Charges (APCs).

The agreement encompasses five key research and medical bodies, namely the University of Zurich, the University Hospital of Zurich, Balgrist University Hospital, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, and the Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik.

Researchers from these institutions can now publish without worrying about APCs in 65 peer-reviewed journals published by Pensoft or hosted on its advanced ARPHA platform, including flagship titles such as ZooKeys, PhytoKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, NeoBiota, and IMA Fungus.

Under this new framework, publishing costs for corresponding authors affiliated with the respective institutions are 100% covered by a centralised institutional deposit secured by the University of Zurich. By removing financial barriers, the agreement encourages scientists to disseminate their work to both the academic community and the wider public, making research immediately and freely available upon publication.

This initiative ensures that research is shared under open licences in strict accordance with the FAIR principles—making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.

“We are excited to start this partnership with the University of Zurich and sign an agreement that reflects our strong commitment to inclusive and equitable open science. By supporting researcher-driven publishing, we continue to foster a sustainable environment for high-impact scientific communication.”
Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO of Pensoft

“We are pleased to extend our portfolio of gold open access journals, in which our researchers can publish their findings without paying individual APCs. We thereby strengthen our commitment to open research information.”
University Library Zurich

Are you affiliated with a research institution operating with OA agreements? Is your institution interested in helping resident researchers navigate the complex processes underpinning academic publishing and knowledge sharing? Reach out to <publishing@pensoft.net> to discuss a potential collaboration.

Pensoft and Bibsam Consortium announce new OA agreement to advance scholarly publishing in Sweden

The agreement covers almost 100 institutions, including Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Uppsala University, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Pensoft and the Bibsam Consortium, operated by the National Library of Sweden, are pleased to announce the signing of a comprehensive Open Access (OA) agreement, marking a significant step in the transition towards a more transparent and open scholarly publishing landscape in Sweden.

Thanks to this move, researchers at participating institutions will be able to publish their findings in 65 journals published by Pensoft or using its advanced publishing platform ARPHA, including flagship titles such as ZooKeys, PhytoKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, NeoBiota and IMA Fungus, without incurring individual article processing charges (APCs).

The agreement encompasses 97 research bodies, including Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Uppsala University, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

All authors affiliated with participating institutions can benefit from this agreement, with publishing costs 100% covered by an institutional deposit secured by the National Library of Sweden.

Unlike subscription-based systems, an OA framework ensures that scientific findings are immediately and freely available to the global community, supporting the global shift toward accessible science and adhering to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).

OA agreements like this one reduce the financial burden on scientists and encourage them to share their work with both academia and the wider public, ultimately lowering barriers to sharing knowledge in a time when scientific input is key to resolving global challenges.

“We are excited to start this partnership with Bisbam and sign an agreement that reflects our strong commitment to open science. By supporting researcher-driven publishing, we continue to foster a sustainable environment for high-impact scientific communication.”
Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO of Pensoft

“We are delighted to announce the addition of Pensoft Publishers to our portfolio of nationally funded agreements for 2026. This represents an important step towards achieving full open access to scientific publications in Sweden.”
Niklas Willén, License Manager at Bibsam Consortium and National Library of Sweden

Are you affiliated with a research institution operating with OA agreements? Is your institution interested in helping resident researchers navigate the complex processes underpinning academic publishing and knowledge sharing? Reach out to <publishing@pensoft.net> to discuss a potential collaboration.

Insects and innovation: Pensoft in Portland 2025

Pensoft attended the Entomological Collections Network Annual Meeting and Entomology 2025, both held in Oregon’s largest city.

In November 2025, Pensoft’s Chief Communications Officer, Teodor Metodiev, crossed the Atlantic to represent the publisher at two entomology events in Portland, Oregon: the Entomological Collections Network (ECN) Annual Meeting (8–9 November) and the Entomology 2025 conference (9–12 November).

Entomological Collections Network Annual Meeting

Held at the Hyatt Regency in Portland, the ECN 2025 annual meeting brought together professionals dedicated to the care, management, and use of entomological collections. The hybrid event featured live talks, pre-recorded lightning presentations and a silent auction in support of collection initiatives.

Pensoft’s stand at the ECN meeting.
Natural History Collections and Museomics featured prominently at the event.
Deborah Paul, one of the Editors-in-Chief for Natural History Collections and Museomics, with Teodor Metodiev.

At ECN 2025, Pensoft spotlighted its journals in entomology, particularly the newly launched diamond open-access journal Natural History Collections and Museomics (NHCM), which welcomes research on the preservation, digitisation and analysis of natural history collections. Building on last year’s successful collaboration, the meeting again highlighted the Topical Collection “Entomological Outreach Collections and Community Engagement,” published in NHCM and inspired by the 2024 ECN programme.

Entomology 2025

Pensoft joined more than 3,200 insect science professionals at the Entomological Society of America’s annual meeting, Entomology 2025 (Ento2025), hosted at the Oregon Convention Center. Over four days, the conference offered symposia, workshops, networking sessions, mixers and a busy exhibit hall.

Pensoft exhibited at booth #715, showcasing the publisher’s portfolio of entomology journals and promoting two key EU-funded projects on pollinators: VALOR and AGRI4POL. Featuring professional scientific illustrations, attractive open-access publishing opportunities, and results from Pensoft-partnered EU projects, the booth attracted considerable interest from attendees.

A highlight of Pensoft’s presence at Entomology 2025 was the participation of Lars Straub, Editor-in-Chief of the newly launched Diamond Open Access journal Advances in Pollinator Research (APR). Straub moderated two student 10-minute presentation competitions and presented his own research, “Neonicotinoid exposure reduces fitness of a widespread butterfly, Vanessa cardui.”

Dr Alfred Daniel Johnson, a Journal of Hymenoptera Research author.
Dr Kevin Li, a One Ecosystem author.
Dr Claire Rutledge, a NeoBiota author.
Dr Lars Straub, Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Pollinator Research .
Dr Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu, an Advances in Pollinator Research editor.
Dr Yihang Li, a ZooKeys author.
Dr Jose ‘Joe’ Martinez, a ZooKeys author.
Yeshwanth, H M, a ZooKeys author.

–

Following a fantastic week in Portland at both ECN 2025 and Entomology 2025, Pensoft looks forward to continuing its close collaboration with the entomological and collections communities. The Entomological Society of America’s next annual meeting, Entomology 2026, will take place on 8–11 November in Columbus, Ohio, where Pensoft plans to create more partnerships and continue its support for open science in insect research.

Pensoft showcases open science and restoration innovation at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

Pensoft joined thousands of global conservationists, policymakers, and researchers in Abu Dhabi for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress, the world’s largest and most influential event dedicated to safeguarding nature and shaping a sustainable future.

The grand opening ceremony of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025.

Held from the 9th to 15th of September 2025, the event brought together over 10,000 participants from 189 countries under five central themes: Scaling Up Resilient Conservation Action; Reducing Climate Overshoot Risks; Delivering on Equity; Transitioning to Nature-Positive Economies and Societies; and Disruptive Innovation and Leadership for Conservation.

Numerous concrete steps towards advancing conservation were taken at the event, from the adoption of a 20-year Strategic Vision for the Union, to the Abu Dhabi Call to Action outlining key global priorities, to announcing Panama as the host of the next World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress in 2027.

Pensoft’s involvement

Represented by Prof Lyubomir Penev (Founder and CEO), Maria Kolesnikova (Marketing and Sales Manager), and Denitsa Peneva (Scientific Illustrator), Pensoft took part in the Congress with a dedicated booth, engaging attendees in conversation about how open science, innovative publishing, and collaborative research can drive conservation.

Denitsa Peneva (left) and Maria Kolesnikova (right) representing Pensoft at the event.

Pensoft’s exhibit placed a strong emphasis on restoration and ecological research, showcasing the publisher’s active role in international initiatives supporting biodiversity recovery and sustainable ecosystem management. Numerous illustrated materials were available for attendees to browse through and take home.

A key feature of the booth was Pensoft’s participation in Horizon 2020 projects such as REST-COAST, which aims to restore and safeguard coastal ecosystems through innovative, large-scale nature-based solutions. Alongside the company’s project involvement, visitors explored Pensoft’s diverse range of open-access journals, including Nature Conservation, One Ecosystem, Estuarine Management and Technologies, NeoBiota, and the newly launched Individual-based Ecology.

A selection of Pensoft’s materials at the congress.

Two sessions at the event presented Pensoft-partnered EU projects, highlighting the critical connection between science, policy, and practice: the first, Bridging Science and Policy: European Action for Biodiversity and Climate Goals was a collaborative effort of the COOP4CBD, BIOAGORA, RESPIN, and TRANSPATH projects; and the second was REST-COAST’s Advancing Large Scale Restoration Programmes Through Sharing Insights of EU Funded Nature Restoration Projects.

Maja Vasilijevic opening the session, Bridging Science and Policy: European Action for Biodiversity and Climate Goals..
Keynote speaker Musonda Mumba at Advancing Large Scale Restoration Programmes Through Sharing Insights of EU Funded Nature Restoration Projects.

A platform for lasting impact

One of the most anticipated events on the calendar, the IUCN Congress was a fantastic event that looked to the future of collaborative global conservation. For Pensoft, participation in Abu Dhabi reaffirmed its mission to foster open, accessible, and data-driven knowledge to support efforts to protect and restore our planet’s ecosystems.

Letsema Adontsi, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Lesotho.
Visitors at the Pensoft booth.
Taxonomist Korsh Ararat.
Kostas Triantis, author of several articles in Frontiers of Biogeography.
Nature Conservation author Kristijn Swinnen.
Sana Taktak, part of REST-COAST project.
IMA Fungus author Jonathan Cazabonne..
Nature Conservation author Neil D’Cruze.
Elisa Furlan and Elena Alegri from REST-COAST.
Sofia Paredes Maury and Claudia Garcia Barrios from the Guatemalan Association of the Private Nature Reserves.
Maggie Kilian, botanist and Director of Engaging Heritage Consulting.
Guido Berguido, who recently had a new species named ater him in PhytoKeys.
Srijana Joshi Rijal and Bandana Shakya from GBIF Nepal, with Pensoft’s Maria Kolesnikova.
Julia Sigwart, Senckenberg Research Institute. with Prof Lyubomir Penev.
BDJ author Rachel Haderle.
NeoBiota author Ana Nunes.
Pensoft Founder and CEO Prof Lyubomir Penev.
Matthieu Lapinski and Mathilde Michaud from REST-COAST.

The conversations, collaborations, and commitments shared at IUCN 2025 will continue to shape the publisher’s approach to science communication and innovation going forward.

Relive highlights of the conference on Bluesky and LinkedIn using the hashtag #IUCNcongress.