Special Topic Editors
Saeid Kadkhodaei
Guest EditorSynthetic biology, genome engineering
Ali Movahedi
Guest EditorGenome Editing, Genetic Engineering, Gene Expression, Abiotic Stresses
Hadia Hussain
Guest EditorPlant Molecular Biology, Functional Genomics, Gene Editing, ABA Signaling Pathway, Abiotic Stress Responses
Special Topic Information
This special issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research and practical innovations that leverage CRISPR systems (including base editing and prime editing) to reprogram plant traits and to engineer metabolic/signaling pathways for strong, high-value, and sustainable crops and forest trees.
Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
- CRISPR/Cas genome editing in plants: design, validation, and optimization (Cas9, Cas12, Cas13; PAM engineering).
- Multiplex editing and trait stacking for complex quantitative traits.
- Base editing and prime editing for precision allele engineering.
- CRISPR-mediated transcriptional regulation (CRISPRa/CRISPRi) and epigenome editing (e.g., targeted DNA methylation/demethylation).
- Pathway engineering for specialized metabolites, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and industrial bioproducts.
- Delivery technologies: Agrobacterium, protoplast/RNP delivery, viral vectors, nanoparticles, and tissue-culture-free approaches.
- Off-target assessment, genotyping pipelines, and genome-scale validation; safe-by-design editing strategies.
- AI/ML-assisted gRNA design, pathway prediction, and genotype-to-phenotype modeling for engineering decisions.
- Case studies in crops and forest trees addressing climate resilience (drought/heat/salinity), biotic resistance, quality traits, and sustainability.
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Topic
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Topics support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Topics are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Topics facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Topics are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Topics with more than 7 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Submission Information
The submission platform (ICCK JMWS) for this journal is now open for submissions to the current special topic. Please select the submission type of "CRISPR-enabled genome editing and pathway engineering in plant biotechnology" when submitting your manuscript online.
* Please note that the manuscript must fall within the scope of this special topic.
Published Articles
There are no accepted submissions to this special topic at this moment.
Check back later for published articles.