Forest Genomics and Transcriptomics

Dear Colleagues,

Forest genomics and transcriptomics, disciplines that study the genetic composition of trees and the methods required to modify them, began over a quarter of a century ago with the development of the first genetic maps and the establishment of early methods of genetic transformation. Since then, genomics and transcriptomics have impacted all research areas of forestry. Genome analyses of tree populations have uncovered genes involved in traits of economic importance, primarily growth and wood quality, pest and diseases resistance, and adaptation and response to biotic and abiotic stress. Genes that regulate growth and development have been identified, and in many cases their mechanisms of action have been described. Genomics is now making it possible to rapidly improve knowledge and develop tools to accelerate breeding programs. However, in contrast to many annual crops that have benefited from centuries of domestication and extensive genomic and biotechnology research, in forestry, the field is still in its infancy. Bioinformatic analyses derived from RNA-seq of forest trees are particularly challenging because of the massive genome length and the absence of annotated reference genomes. Thus, tremendous opportunities remain unexplored.

The present Special Issue in the journal Forests, entitled "Forest Genomics and Transcriptomisc" encourages the submission of research as well as review papers dealing with new advances in tree genomics and transcriptomics that could be related to new perspectives in tree breeding and management.

Prof. Dr. Tadeusz Malewski
Guest Editor

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. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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.