Introduction pages, Notulae Scientia Biologicae 18(1), 2026

Notulae Scientia Biologicae (http://www.notulaebiologicae.ro), Issue 1, Volume 18, 2026. The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in various topics of the life sciences. Among the exciting research articles and reviews, we invite readers to discover news about: Host responses and pathogen strategies: tree decline and dieback etiology by bacterial and fungal pathogens; Silicon in agriculture: role, mechanisms, and applications for climate-smart crop production; Spirulina allergy: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment methods; Phytochemical screening and bactericidal activity of three Algerian medicinal plant extracts against nosocomial multidrug-resistant enterobacteria; Antidepressant potential of Musa species peel extract in a rat model through modulation of oxidative stress, neurotransmitters, and CREB signaling pathway; Polyphenol content, antioxidant and antibacterial activity of Salvia officinalis L. leaves from the Ouled Tebben Highlands, Algeria: a preliminary assessment; Lignin and chitin-based biostimulants from agro-industrial residues improve growth in lettuce plants under salt stress; Fungal community structure, irrigation water chemistry, and antioxidant responses in Capsicum annuum and C. chinense under contrasting field conditions; Comparative analysis of essential oil composition and phenolic content in five Artemisia species; Phytochemical and rhizosphere microbial responses of crops on acidic post-gold-mining soils with low mercury levels in West Kalimantan, Indonesia; Neighbourhood-based spatial patterns of forest structure in Picea mexicana stands of northern Mexico.