This Research Topic is part of the article collection series -
Metabolomics in Crop Research – Current and Emerging Methodologies.
Metabolomics in crop research is a rapidly evolving field that focuses on the comprehensive analysis of metabolites within crop plant species. The plant metabolome, consisting of over 200,000 metabolites, plays a crucial role in plant development, stress responses, and the production of compounds beneficial to human health. Despite significant advancements, there remain gaps in our understanding of how these metabolites function and interact within the plant system. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of characterizing the plant metabolome to improve crop quality, engineer metabolic pathways, and ensure food safety. However, the complexity of the metabolome and the vast amount of data generated pose significant challenges, including the high complexity of metabolomic data, data integration from different omics platforms, and the need for robust computational models to interpret these large datasets. These challenges necessitate the development of advanced analytical and bioinformatics tools. Innovations in analytical techniques and bioinformatics are crucial for overcoming these challenges and unlocking the full potential of metabolomics in crop research.
By advancing our understanding of plant metabolomics, this research has the potential to revolutionize agricultural practices, enhance crop yield and quality, and contribute to global food security. This research topic aims to explore recent methodological advances in crop plant metabolomics and their applications in crop biotechnology. The primary objectives include addressing specific questions related to the identification and quantification of metabolites, understanding their roles in plant development and stress responses, and integrating metabolomics data with other omics data through systems biology approaches. By testing hypotheses related to these areas, the research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of metabolic network regulation and cellular functions in crops.
To gather further insights into the boundaries of crop plant metabolomics, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Metabolomics in crop development, crop productivity, and quality improvement
• Metabolomics in plant-pathogen interactions
• Metabolomics in the detection of pesticides
• Systems biology approaches combining metabolomics with proteomics and/or transcriptomics
• Bioinformatics tools for plant metabolomics
We encourage the submission of Original Research, Reviews, Perspective, and Methods articles that contribute to these themes and advance our understanding of metabolomics in crop research.