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PubMed2026

Plant-derived and microbial biostimulants in sustainable agriculture: mechanisms, applications, and challenges.

Plant biostimulants have emerged as transformative and sustainable tools for improving crop productivity, resource-use efficiency, and resilience under rapidly intensifying environmental stresses. Unlike conventional agrochemicals, biostimulants function by activating physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes that optimize plant performance without directly supplying nutrients or exerting pesticidal effects. This review comprehensively examines the integrated roles of plant-derived and microbial biostimulants in sustainable agriculture, with particular emphasis on microbial-mediated mechanisms underlying plant stress adaptation and rhizosphere functioning. Plant-derived biostimulants, including seaweed extracts, humic substances, protein hydrolysates, amino acids, and chitosan, enhance nutrient acquisition, root architecture, hormonal regulation, and antioxidant defense systems. More importantly, microbial biostimulants, such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), endophytic microorganisms, mycorrhizal fungi, actinomycetes, yeasts, and cyanobacteria, exert multifunctional effects through biological nitrogen fixation, mineral solubilization, phytohormone biosynthesis, volatile signaling, osmolyte accumulation, pathogen suppression, and modulation of stress-responsive genes. These beneficial microorganisms reshape rhizosphere microbial communities, improve nutrient cycling, and enhance plant tolerance to drought, salinity, heat, and heavy metal toxicity. Emerging evidence from genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbiome-based investigations has further revealed the molecular networks and signaling pathways governing biostimulant-induced resilience and plant-microbe interactions. Despite their substantial promise, inconsistent field performance, formulation instability, regulatory limitations, and inadequate mechanistic understanding continue to restrict their large-scale adoption. This review highlights recent advances in microbial and plant-derived biostimulants while identifying critical knowledge gaps and future opportunities for precision biostimulant engineering, microbiome manipulation, and climate-resilient crop management. The integration of next generation biostimulant technologies into sustainable agricultural systems may significantly reduce dependence on agrochemicals while improving crop productivity, environmental sustainability, and global food security.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2026

Genomic insights into local adaptation of indigenous chickens.

Indigenous chickens are an essential part of biodiversity and a vital protein resource to humans, yet global warming and environmental changes pose serious threats to their survival and productivity. Therefore, assessing population adaptive capacity under shifting environments is crucial for breeding resilient animals, and guiding conservation strategies. Here, we integrated ecological and whole-genome resequencing data from 1 022 chickens from 44 Chinese indigenous populations to reveal genomic signatures of local adaptation. From 87 agroclimatic variables, we identified eight dominant environmental factors including solar radiation, precipitation, diurnal temperature range, and five landcover variables (cropland areas, water areas, trees coverage, bare ground and shrubs coverage) that shape ecological niches of indigenous chickens. Landscape and comparative genomics analyses revealed both known and novel candidate genes, such as UNC80, PTPRO, NCOR2, CSF2RB, NXT2 and PALLD for the solar radiation, precipitation, diurnal temperature range, cropland areas, trees coverage and bare ground, respectively. Particularly, adaptive non-coding variants harbored in these genes exhibited spatial allelic changes across populations and acted as regulatory elements via chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation, influencing adaptation in a tissue-specific manner. Our findings underscore the rich genetic diversity of Chinese indigenous chickens and provide new insights into genomic mechanisms of local adaptation, offering valuable references for domestic animal breeding, conservation, and climate resilience.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

ClearDepthIAS enables automated high-throughput quantification of roots in soil-grown taproot crops.

Understanding root system architecture is critical for improving crop productivity and resilience, yet phenotyping root traits such as root growth angle and rooting depth remains technically challenging, especially at high throughput. Here, we present ClearDepthIAS, a high-throughput imaging and analysis platform that enables nondestructive, automated quantification of root architecture traits in taproot system crops. By capturing and stitching 360° images of roots growing along the transparent walls of pots and applying deep learning-based segmentation (ClearDepth-WRT), we measured wall root shallowness (WRS)-a proxy for root growth angle-with high precision. We demonstrated for the tap root systems of soybean and canola that the system accurately detects root tips, quantifies their vertical distribution, and extracts biologically meaningful traits such as root area, distribution indices, and growth angles. Validation experiments in canola and soybean demonstrated that WRS can correlate with root crown architecture in mature plants, both in greenhouse and field settings. Furthermore, WRS and root distribution indices derived from ClearDepthIAS are predictors of early root architecture and can be correlated with root biomass distribution across soil depths under field conditions; however, environmental interactions may influence these relationships and weaken or even negate such correlations, as observed when comparing field to field variation in root system architecture. Our system enables efficient phenotyping of genetically diverse populations, with medium to high trait heritability, supporting its utility for genome-wide association studies and breeding. ClearDepthIAS accelerates the development of root ideotypes for improved resource acquisition and carbon sequestration, offering a scalable tool for supporting climate-resilient agriculture.

Plant Roots↗

PubMed2026

Combining ability and gene action for grain yield and biofortification traits in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]: implications for breeding high-yielding biofortified hybrids in arid regions.

Hybrid RIB-9184 × RIB-15131 combines high yield (18.84 g plant⁻¹) with iron (46.16 mg kg⁻¹), zinc (38.86 mg kg⁻¹), and protein (11.91%); Fe-Zn correlation (rg = 0.82) permits simultaneous biofortification. Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br., syn. Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone] is a climate-resilient cereal with inherently high micronutrient levels, making it a priority crop for biofortification. Understanding gene action for yield and nutritional traits is essential for designing effective breeding strategies. Ten diverse inbred lines were crossed in a half-diallel design (Griffing's Method 2, Model 1), and the 55 entries (45 F1 hybrids + 10 parents) were evaluated across two sowing-date environments in a randomised complete block design with three replications at Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Biofortification traits (Fe, Zn, protein) showed predominantly additive gene action (Baker's ratio 0.71-0.91) with high heritability (0.90-0.94). G×E interaction was significant for Fe and Zn but genotypic variance was substantially larger, maintaining high heritability; protein showed no G×E interaction. Grain yield was governed largely by non-additive effects (Baker's ratio 0.54) with significant G×E interaction, favouring hybrid breeding. Among parents, RIB-9205 had the highest GCA for Fe (6.65, P < 0.001), RIB-9184 for Zn (3.85, P < 0.001) and protein (0.78, P < 0.001), and RIB-9185 was a balanced combiner for yield (1.39, P < 0.001) and micronutrients. The hybrid RIB-9184 × RIB-15131 ranked first across all five weighting schemes of the multi-trait performance index (1.31), combining grain yield of 18.84 g plant⁻1 with Fe of 46.16 mg kg⁻1, Zn of 38.86 mg kg⁻1, and protein of 11.91%. The strong Fe-Zn correlation (rg = 0.82, P < 0.01) permits simultaneous micronutrient improvement. An integrated approach combining hybrid development for yield with population improvement for micronutrient density is recommended for biofortified pearl millet cultivars in arid regions.

Pennisetum↗

PubMed2025

Replacement of chromosome 3D with Thinopyrum chromosome 3St led to increased drought tolerance during the flowering stage in wheat.

The stable 3St(3D) substitution line offers promising genetic potential for improving drought tolerance in wheat during critical reproductive stages. The flowering stage is highly susceptible to drought, which significantly reduces wheat grain yield globally. Low genetic diversity in wheat further limits the discovery of optimal gene variants for breeding climate-resilient varieties. The substitution of chromosome 3D by a group 3 chromosome pair from Thinopyrum intermedium × Th. ponticum artificial hybrid was identified using in situ hybridization and genotyping-by-sequencing. This homoeologous substitution showed good functional compensation for grain yield and fertility, similar to the wheat parents ('Mv9kr1' and 'Mv Karizma') in field and greenhouse trials. The substitution line exhibits a semidwarf phenotype due to the Rht8 and Rht2 dwarfing alleles. Automated shoot phenotyping after a 10-day water withdrawal at flowering revealed efficient water preservation allowing to maintain photosynthetic functions, sustained photosynthetic activity, and less chlorophyll degradation, indicated by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and modified Normalized Difference Index (mND705) values and moderate level of protective functions shown by the expression of stress-related genes. Compared to the wheat parents, the substitution line developed thicker roots with increased volume under drought, resulting in a lower surface-to-volume ratio. This may enhance water storage efficiency and help reduce yield loss under drought conditions.

Triticum↗

PubMed2026

Rapid Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and high-efficiency regeneration of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) for crop improvement.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is a nutritionally important and climate-resilient cereal cultivated in rainfed regions of India and Eastern Africa, yet its genetic improvement has been limited by the lack of efficient and reproducible transformation systems. In this study, we developed a rapid and efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation and regeneration system using shoot apical meristem (SAM) explants, enabling direct, callus-free shoot organogenesis. Optimal regeneration and shoot elongation were achieved on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3.5 mg L⁻1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 1.5 mg L⁻1 kinetin, 0.1 mg L⁻1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and 0.2 mg L⁻1 gibberellic acid (GA₃). Genotype-dependent responses were observed, with PR-202 requiring 2 mg L⁻1 AgNO3 to reduce phenolic browning, whereas VL-376 regenerated efficiently without AgNO3. Transformation efficiencies of 30-32% were achieved in PR-202 and VL-376, respectively, by optimising infection and co-cultivation conditions, including reduced MS salt strength and pre-incubation of Agrobacterium. Molecular analyses, including PCR and Southern blot hybridisation, confirmed stable T-DNA integration in independent lines, while segregation analysis of T₁ progenies demonstrated Mendelian inheritance of the transgene. In addition, CRISPR/Cas9 constructs targeting EcCKX2 were successfully introduced via Agrobacterium, demonstrating the suitability of this system for genome engineering applications. Overall, this optimised SAM-based protocol provides a rapid (45-50 days), efficient, and reproducible platform for stable genetic transformation in finger millet and establishes a strong foundation for transgenic research and future genome editing studies in this underutilized crop.

Eleusine↗

PubMed2026

Risk governance of transgenic plants: bridging science, policy, and public trust.

Transgenic plants and genome editing technologies are revolutionizing agriculture through sustainable approaches to food security, pest management, and adaptation to climate change; but their widespread use is hampered by regulatory systems that are fragmented, ethics considerations, and an ongoing lack of trust from the general public. In contrast to other literature that evaluates regulation processes and public acceptance separately, our review paper introduces a new, holistic approach that includes both technical risk assessment from a scientific perspective, and Codex Alimentarius and OECD standards, and the socio-legal and judicial environment of how the national policy decisions are actually made. The paper provides a comparative, historical analysis of the key difference between product- and process-based risk governance in the USA, the EU, and India. Through the use of case studies with global significance like MON810 maize, Bt Brinjal, and the April 2024 Philippine Court of Appeals' order for cease-and-desist of Golden Rice, we discuss the increasing tension between administrative scientific approvals and precautionary judicial orders. We further explore the emerging exemptions to regulation of Site-Directed Nuclease (SDN-1 and SDN-2) genome edited crops which led to India's revolutionary 2025 commercialization of climate-resilient rice crops. Our review ends with a forward-looking approach to biotechnology regulation policy, making an appeal to shift from static historical dichotomies towards flexible risk-proportionate and internationally coordinated regulatory systems. Finally, we show that global success of agricultural biotechnology is not just about safety verification, but rather about establishment of transparent and communicable institutions that can transform scientific risk assessments into legitimate risk management decisions.

Plants, Genetically Modified↗

PubMed2026

Mining the sHSP20 (small heat-shock protein) gene family in finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.): structural, evolutionary and predicted abiotic-stress-responsive insights.

Small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs, the HSP20 family) are ATP-independent molecular chaperones that hold partially unfolded substrates and protect the proteome during heat and other abiotic stresses; every member is defined by a conserved α-crystallin domain (ACD). Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is a climate-resilient, calcium-rich allotetraploid cereal of the semi-arid tropics whose HSP20 repertoire had not been catalogued. The present study is an entirely computational (in silico) analysis of the chromosome-scale reference genome of finger millet (NCBI GenBank assembly GCA_032690845.1, cultivar KNE 796-S). Mining the predicted proteome with the ACD profile (Pfam PF00011) and confirming every candidate by NCBI CD-search recovered 76 non-redundant ACD-bearing HSP20 genes (EcHSP20-1-EcHSP20-76). Based on phylogeny and TargetP-predicted localization, the members were classified into ten subfamilies: seven cytosolic/nuclear classes (C-I to C-VII, 60 members) together with chloroplastic (11), mitochondrial (3) and endoplasmic-reticulum (2) groups. The proteins ranged from 110 to 355 amino acids (12.1-39.2 kDa) with theoretical pI of 4.85-9.69. The 76 loci were distributed over 14 of the 18 chromosomes and were conspicuously absent from chromosomes 8 A, 8B, 9 A and 9B, with pronounced clustering on chromosomes 1, 2, 3 and 6. Duplication analysis detected 149 paralogous pairs (49 homoeologous, 80 segmental/dispersed and 18 tandem); 147 of 148 pairs for which substitution rates could be calculated returned Ka/Ks < 1 (mean 0.20), indicating strong purifying selection consistent with retention after whole-genome/allopolyploid duplication. Promoter analysis (PlantCARE) revealed enrichment of abscisic-acid-responsive (ABRE), MYB/MYC drought-related, STRE, DRE, low-temperature (LTR) and methyl-jasmonate/salicylic-acid elements, whereas canonical heat-shock elements (HSE) were not recovered. Expression profiling against a public drought transcriptome (SRP081350) showed that about half of the genes (39 of 76) are transcribed in leaf tissue, the expressed fraction being dominated by the cytosolic class C-I. This first finger-millet HSP20 catalogue provides a verified, reproducible framework and nominates computationally predicted candidate genes for future functional work on thermotolerance in cereals.

Allotetraploid↗

PubMed2026

Current landscape of Cys-OxiPTMs in plants: from hormone signaling to phenotypic control and their potential in sustainable agriculture.

The integration of environmental and developmental cues into coherent physiological responses is fundamental to plant survival. Reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur species (ROS/RNS/RSS) are now recognized as essential signaling molecules, not merely cytotoxic byproducts. Their specificity is largely achieved through reversible, site-specific cysteine oxidative post-translational modifications (Cys-OxiPTMs), which constitute a dynamic and sophisticated "redox code". This review provides a systematic synthesis of the current landscape of Cys-OxiPTMs in plants, bridging chemistry, hormone biology, agronomy, detection, and engineering. The chemical and enzymatic basis of major Cys-OxiPTMs is detailed, along with a discussion of how their spatiotemporal interplay orchestrates signaling specificity. A critical examination is then presented on how these modifications decode and integrate plant hormone signaling networks to regulate key agronomic traits. Cutting-edge proteomic technologies that have revolutionized the identification of redox-sensitive cysteines are also evaluated. Finally, forward-looking strategies to "write" the redox code are explored. By moving the field from descriptive cataloging to predictive "redox breeding", this review establishes a foundational framework for manipulating Cys-OxiPTMs to develop climate-resilient, high-yielding crops for sustainable agriculture.

Agronomic traits↗

PubMed2026

Identification of the BrSK gene family in flowering Chinese cabbage and functional characterization of BrSK2 subfamily involvement in heat stress.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) kinases are evolutionarily conserved regulators of plant development and stress signaling, yet their contributions to thermotolerance in cool-adapted Brassica crops remain poorly understood. Here, we identified 16 BrSK genes in the Caixin (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis var. parachinensis) genome, all harboring intact catalytic motifs indicative of functional kinase activity. Spatiotemporal expression profiling revealed preferential accumulation of BrSK transcripts in stem apices and floral organs during reproductive transition, while promoter analysis identified abundant heat- and abiotic stress-responsive cis-elements. Under heat stress, BrSK21, BrSK22, and BrSK23 displayed striking genotype-specific expression dynamics. BrSK21/22/23 transcripts were stably suppressed in the heat-tolerant cultivar '49-19' but transiently declined before rapidly rebounding in the heat-sensitive 'Liuye 50', mirroring RNA-seq profiles. Protein-protein interaction assays (Y2H, BiFC, and LCI) demonstrated specific associations between BrSK kinases and BrHSFA1. Functional validation via VIGS revealed that silencing of BrSK21 significantly enhanced thermotolerance, with triple silencing of BrSK21/22/23 conferring additive protection, indicating functional redundancy within the BrSK2 subfamily. Collectively, these findings establish the BrSK2 subfamily as negative regulators of heat tolerance in Caixin, likely via modulation of BrHSFA1 expression. This work identifies high-priority targets for molecular breeding of climate-resilient Brassica vegetables.

Plant Proteins↗

PubMed2026

Ancient polyploidization waves as evolutionary shields for angiosperms.

Chen et al. identified 132 whole-genome duplications (WGDs) clustered around environmental crises. We highlight how, over longer evolutionary timescales, ancient WGDs convergently retained MADS-box, MYB, WRKY and HSF transcription factors, building stress-adaptation networks. These insights guide climate-resilient crop improvement through comparative genomics and CRISPR engineering.

MADS-box↗

PubMed2026

Population and landscape genomics provide insights into the adaptive genetic variation and future climate-induced vulnerability of the endangered tree species Phoebe bournei.

Elucidating the genomic underpinnings of adaptive variation is highly important for the conservation, landscape application, and management of ornamental trees against the backdrop of global climate change. However, research on the genetic mechanisms underlying climate adaptation in Phoebe bournei-a near-threatened subtropical tree species endemic to China, which is endowed with exceptionally high ornamental and ecological value-remains scarce. Whole-genome resequencing was conducted on 362 individuals from 27 natural populations across the geographical range of the species. Genome-environment association analyses were employed to identify 1556 climate-associated variants and 167 candidate genes associated with temperature and precipitation variables. Through functional annotation and expression profiling, pivotal genes, including TRX-M4 and FBD1, were identified as integral to drought and heat stress responses, with adaptive alleles displaying distinct geographic frequency distributions and significant phenotypic differentiation. Divergent evolutionary trajectories were deduced among populations, with southeastern populations distinguished by elevated genetic diversity and strong signatures of local adaptation. Nevertheless, projections derived from the Risk of Non-Adaptedness and gradient forest models suggest that these southeastern populations will face substantial genomic offset under future climate scenarios, signaling heightened vulnerability and the need for prioritized conservation and management. This study provides the first genome-wide perspective into the adaptive evolution of P. bournei and offers a robust foundation for its conservation and climate-resilient management.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Rhizosphere Dialogue: Microorganisms Mediated by Root Exudates Alleviate Drought Stress in Grasses.

Drought stress threatens the ecological functions and economic value of grasses, posing a major challenge to their sustainable production. Plants co-evolve with rhizosphere microbial communities, sometimes described as the plant's second genome, that can contribute to drought adaptation. Drought alters root architecture, hormonal and redox regulation and belowground carbon allocation, thereby modifying the quantity and composition of root exudation and reshaping the rhizosphere environment. This review uses the rhizosphere dialogue as an integrative framework to link these plant responses with microbial recruitment and subsequent feedback to the host. We summarise three linked stages of this dialogue: drought-induced changes in root exudation; microbial recruitment and colonisation through chemotaxis, attachment, biofilm formation, and root colonisation; and microbiome-mediated feedback that improves plant water relations, hormonal and redox homoeostasis, nutrient acquisition, and root function. We highlight microbial extracellular polymeric substances, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase, and microbial volatile organic compounds as key mediators of drought alleviation. We then discuss how this framework may inform rational synthetic microbial community (SynCom) design, microbiome-informed breeding, artificial intelligence and machine-learning assisted strain prioritisation, rhizosphere legacy effects, and real-time monitoring. Future work should distinguish active exudate-mediated recruitment from drought-driven environmental filtering and integrate multi-omics, plant genetics, functional validation, and multi-location field trials to determine whether rhizosphere dialogue can become a predictive framework for climate-resilient grass production.

drought stress↗

PubMed2025

Synthetic allopolyploidy unveils hybridization-driven transcriptional reprogramming underlying thermal adaptation in Cucumis.

Both heterosis (hybrid vigor) resulting from hybridization and genetic plasticity conferred by whole-genome duplication (WGD) are recognized as drivers of evolutionary success and ecological adaptation in plants. Allopolyploids, which combine both hybridization and WGD, are widespread in both natural and agricultural settings and often exhibit superior performance. However, the relative contributions of these two elements to the success of allopolyploids remain poorly understood. Here, we employed an experimentally reconstructed allotetraploid Cucumis species (C. × hytivus, 2n = 4x = 38) and its diploid interspecific hybrid progenitor (allodiploid, 2n = 2x = 19) to decouple and investigate the distinct and combined contributions of hybridization and whole-genome doubling to immediate genetic and phenotypic consequences of allopolyploid formation under environmental stress. Both C. × hytivus and the allodiploid exhibited superior heat tolerance compared with the parental species with significantly higher semi-lethal temperature and enhanced physiological acclimation capacity. While the allodiploid and allotetraploid retain transcriptomic features where differences persist (e.g., WGCNA modules), comparative analysis of the 15,680 homoeologous gene pairs in the allodiploid and allotetraploid under heat stress (45°C) versus control conditions (28°C) revealed conserved heat-responsive transcriptional plasticity, suggesting that enhanced thermotolerance in C. × hytivus is presented as consequences arising dominantly after interspecific hybridization. This study provides mechanistic insights into allopolyploid adaptation through experimental reconstruction of allopolyploid genomes, demonstrating that hybridization initiates key transcriptional and physiological advantages under stress, subsequent WGD stabilizes these adaptations and contributes to the full phenotypic realization. This work decouples the roles of interspecific hybridization and WGD and proposes a synthetic biology approach for developing climate-resilient crops.

Hybridization, Genetic↗

PubMed2025

Turbo-charging crop improvement: harnessing multiplex editing for polygenic trait engineering and beyond.

Multiplex CRISPR editing has emerged as a transformative platform for plant genome engineering, enabling the simultaneous targeting of multiple genes, regulatory elements, or chromosomal regions. This approach is effective for dissecting gene family functions, addressing genetic redundancy, engineering polygenic traits, and accelerating trait stacking and de novo domestication. Its applications now extend beyond standard gene knockouts to include epigenetic and transcriptional regulation, chromosomal engineering, and transgene-free editing. These capabilities are advancing crop improvement not only in annual species but also in more complex systems such as polyploids, undomesticated wild relatives, and species with long generation times. At the same time, multiplex editing presents technical challenges, including complex construct design and the need for robust, scalable mutation detection. We discuss current toolkits and recent innovations in vector architecture, such as promoter and scaffold engineering, that streamline workflows and enhance editing efficiency. High-throughput sequencing technologies, including long-read platforms, are improving the resolution of complex editing outcomes such as structural rearrangements-often missed by standard genotyping-when targeting repetitive or tandemly spaced loci. To fully realize the potential of multiplex genome engineering, there is growing demand for user-friendly, synthetic biology-compatible, and scalable computational workflows for gRNA design, construct assembly, and mutation analysis. Experimentally validated inducible or tissue-specific promoters are also highly desirable for achieving spatiotemporal control. As these tools continue to evolve, multiplex CRISPR editing is poised to become a foundational technology of next-generation crop improvement to address challenges in agriculture, sustainability, and climate resilience.

Gene Editing↗

PubMed2026

CRISPR-Cas technologies for precision genome editing in plants: advances, applications, and future perspectives.

Developing climate-smart crops with enhanced crop productivity, nutritional quality, resistance to biological and environmental stressors is vital for global food security. While hybrid breeding forms the cornerstone of modern crop improvement, conventional breeding approaches are limited by genetic barriers and prolonged breeding cycles. CRISPR-Cas based genome editing has revolutionized plant biology by allowing precise, efficient, and multiplex genetic modifications. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of a recent advances in CRISPR-Cas technologies and their strategic applications in crop genetics and hybrid breeding. We summarize major genome-editing strategies, including gene knock-out, base editing (BE), knock-in, gene replacement, epigenome editing, and transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, we contrast stable, transient, and DNA-free delivery systems, highlighting ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-mediated delivery for minimizing off-target effects and avoiding transgene integration. We showcase how these technologies accelerate hybrid breeding by engineering male sterility systems, fixing heterosis, and generating high-throughput mutant libraries for trait discovery. Finally, we synthesize major bottlenecks in tissue culture-independent transformation and delivery systems, while outlining how emerging paradigms like de novo domestication and synthetic biology will shape the future of climate-resilient agriculture.

CRISPR/Cas↗

PubMed2026

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Non-Model Species: Applications and Challenges.

Induced pluripotent stem cells have revolutionized biomedical research-yet the vast majority of life on Earth remains beyond their reach. Non-model species lack the annotated genomes, validated reagents, and species-specific culture infrastructure that make iPSC technology routine in humans and mice, and this infrastructure deficit, compounded by genuine biological differences in pluripotency network architecture across taxa, is what has kept the field narrow. The deep conservation of the core pluripotency network across vertebrates suggests that reprogramming may, in principle, be achievable across a far broader range of species than currently demonstrated-though the extent to which this holds across more divergent taxa remains to be established. This review consolidates current progress and future potential of iPSC technology across five domains: technical reprogramming challenges and advances; conservation applications including genetic rescue, in vitro gametogenesis, and de-extinction; medical applications within a one medicine framework; agricultural applications spanning disease resistance, climate resilience, and cultured meat; and species-specific iPSC-derived systems in ecotoxicology. Throughout, we distinguish what has been demonstrated from what remains aspirational and identify the priorities that will determine whether the iPSC revolution can be extended-rigorously and at scale-beyond model organism research.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells↗

PubMed2026

Molecular and Physiological Insights into CAT- and SOD-Associated Redox Homeostasis Under Salt Stress in Artemisia argyi.

Soil salinity disrupts redox homeostasis and limits plant growth and development. Although catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) are key enzymatic antioxidants, the CAT and SOD gene families have not been characterized in Artemisia argyi (A. argyi), a species of medicinal and ecological importance. While SOD and CAT serve as the primary enzymatic scavengers for reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification, their genomic architecture and stress-responsive regulatory networks in A. argyi have remained uncharacterized. In this study, we conducted the first comprehensive genome-wide analysis of these gene families in A. argyi, identifying 22 structurally conserved members (8 AarCATs and 14 AarSODs). Collinearity and synteny analyses revealed strict lineage-specific evolutionary conservation, while tertiary protein modeling and subcellular localization illustrated a highly organized multi-organelle defense compartmentalization. High salinity (up to 200 mM NaCl) reduced the stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate. Salt stress reduced growth and increased osmoprotectant and antioxidant accumulation in A. argyi. Furthermore, histochemical staining using nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and 3,3'-Diaminobenzidine (DAB) provided comprehensive evidence of significant accumulation of ROS in leaves, which indicates the intense oxidative stress triggered by ionic stress. Tissue-specific analysis revealed that AarCAT1, AarCSD1, and AarFSD2 were 3.9-, 7.9-, and 12.7-fold higher in leaves than in roots, respectively. Under stress, AarCAT6 and AarCSD1 were strongly repressed in leaves by ~50% and ~46-70%, respectively, whereas AarMSD2 and AarMSD3 were significantly induced in roots by ~2.2- and ~1.8-fold. These distinct expression patterns suggest their potential involvement in tissue-specific stress adaptation and ROS homeostasis. These findings uncover the evolutionary and physiological basis of salt tolerance in A. argyi, providing genetic targets for climate-resilient breeding.

Artemisia↗