Innovations in Plant Cell and Tissue Cultures: Unlocking the Production of High-Value Compounds

Plants produce a variety of secondary metabolites that play essential roles in defense, symbiosis, and reproduction. Many of these compounds, such as shikonin, rosmarinic acid, and saponins, hold significant industrial value across pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food sectors. However, their availability is limited by the low yield in natural plant tissue.

Plant cell and tissue cultures (PCTC) offer a promising alternative to traditional agriculture and microbial production. These cultures overcome seasonal dependencies, provide standardized production, and reduce environmental impact by optimizing water usage and eliminating pesticides. Unlike microorganisms, PCTC address challenges such as substrate, chaperone availability, and protein modifications.

Advancements in genome editing have expanded PCTC capabilities, allowing for the production of both native and foreign metabolites. Recent approvals, like Canada's authorization for plant-based vaccine production, underline PCTC's potential.

With rising demand for plant-derived compounds and rapid progress in genome editing technologies, PCTC emerge as a crucial platform for high-value production. This special issue explores groundbreaking research, technological advancements, and innovative applications of PCTC, focusing on state-of-the-art genome editing techniques like CRISPR, TALENs, and ZFNs.

We invite submissions of original research, reviews, and methodologies on topics including, but not limited to:

- Cutting-edge bioengineering tools for PCTC development
- Gene-edited PCTC with significant potential
- Enhancements in gene-editing technologies for PCTC
- Novel bio-products from gene-edited PCTC

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Secondary Metabolites, Plant Cell Cultures, Genome Editing, Industrial Applications, CRISPR Technology, Sustainable Production

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.