Precision Genome Editing in Crops: The Pathway from Discovery to Application
A special issue of Crops (ISSN 2673-7655).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2026 | Viewed by 107
Special Issue Editors
Interests: genomics; biochemical pathways; biochemical networks; endocannabinoid system; marker assisted and genomic selection; natural products discovery
Interests: cannabis genomics; cannabinoid biosynthesis; molecular diagnostics; genotyping methods; plant breeding; terpene profiling; sex determination
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Precision genome editing is transforming modern crop science, shifting the field from single-reference descriptive genomics to truly predictive and programmable genetic engineering. As the complexity of plant genomes becomes increasingly clear, integrated approaches—combining de novo sequencing, pangenomics, functional genomics, and AI-assisted target discovery—are now essential for identifying meaningful genetic variation and designing accurate editing strategies. At the same time, next generation editing tools such as base editing and prime editing enable precise nucleotide changes without double strand breaks, significantly reducing off target effects and improving genomic stability. These advances, together with improvements in delivery systems and transformation efficiency, are rapidly accelerating the development of climate resilient, disease resistant, and high-performing crop varieties.
The objective of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive exploration of the complete precision genome editing pipeline, from initial genome characterization to the safe and effective execution of targeted edits. We welcome original research articles, reviews, policy analyses, and opinion papers across the following eight sections:
- Section 1: Sequencing and de novo genome assembly;
- Section 2: Pangenomics and genome diversity;
- Section 3: Target selection and functional genomics;
- Section 4: Editing methodology selection and comparison;
- Section 5: Delivery systems and regeneration;
- Section 6: Pitfalls, risk mitigation, and biosafety;
- Section 7: Regulatory landscape and policy perspectives;
- Section 8: Future directions in precision genome editing.
By integrating technological innovations with responsible research practices, this Special Issue aims to highlight the key breakthroughs shaping the future of precision genome engineering and its critical role in global agricultural resilience.
Dr. Reginald Gaudino
Anthony Torres
Dr. Jason Argyris
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crops is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- genome editing
- pangenomics
- transformation methods
- pest and pathogen resistance
- crop yield
- stress tolerance
- trait development
- directed evolution
- CRISPR
- base editing
- prime editing
- omics
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