Advances in Plant Molecular Biology and Gene Function
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 February 2026 | Viewed by 227
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Research on plant molecular biology and gene function represents a cutting-edge frontier in modern life sciences, with its central aim being to unravel the fundamental principles of plant life processes through elucidating the molecular mechanisms of genes. The rapid advancement of high-throughput sequencing, gene editing, and multi-omics technologies has propelled this field from single-gene functional characterization to a new era of systematically investigating gene regulatory networks. Gene function studies not only provide crucial theoretical foundations for understanding fundamental biological processes such as plant growth and development, environmental adaptation, and secondary metabolism, but also pioneer novel approaches for crop genetic improvement, medicinal plant development, and synthetic biology applications.
Contemporary plant gene function research has evolved into a multidimensional, interdisciplinary technological framework. Genomic methodologies, including genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, serve as powerful tools for identifying genes associated with important traits, while proteomics and metabolomics technologies reveal the molecular basis of gene function across different biological layers. Nevertheless, the field continues to face significant challenges that necessitate the development of more precise gene-editing tools, the establishment of more efficient functional validation systems, and the in-depth exploration of the dynamic characteristics of gene regulatory networks.
This Special Issue aims to compile the most recent advances in plant molecular biology and gene function research, with particular emphasis on the following: (1) the development of novel gene function analysis technologies, (2) the investigation of key gene regulatory mechanisms, and (3) applications in molecular breeding. We particularly encourage submissions employing innovative approaches such as integrated multi-omics analysis and AI-assisted prediction, as well as functional characterization of genes governing important agronomic traits and secondary metabolic regulation. By serving as an important platform for theoretical innovation and technological breakthroughs in plant gene function research, this Special Issue will contribute significantly to sustainable agricultural development and the efficient utilization of plant resources.
Prof. Dr. Ying Chang
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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. Plants 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 2700 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
- plant molecular biology
- gene function
- gene editing
- multi-omics technologies
- gene regulation
- molecular breeding
- agronomic traits
- secondary metabolism
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