About this Research Topic
Wood, a dominant terrestrial biomass, provides mechanical strength to the tree, performs the function of liquid transport and storage of reserve food supplies. Wood is a renewable, sustainable and easily workable material that has been used in construction, paper making, furniture, and as a feedstock for biofuels. Its formation is the result of a highly ordered and finely regulated process of cell division, cell differentiation and secondary cell wall thickening and death, initiated from the vascular cambium and resulting in thick-walled xylem cells. Wood cell walls are composite materials containing cellulose crystals and a tri-component interstitial gel, composed of water, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Moreover, wood structure varies greatly between, and within, tree species. There is a lot of challenges for the studies on wood regulation in trees in contrast to annual crops that have benefited from extensive mutant collections and omics resources. This Research Topic aims to collect recent advances made through experimental analyses to improve our understanding of wood biology (anatomy, structure and function).
One important goal of this frontiers Research Topic is to explore the mechanisms of wood formation and the interaction between xylem development and stress tolerance with a combination of approaches of genetics, optics and chemistry. Also, new technologies and resources used for wood biology research is of equal importance as basic science.
We welcome original research articles focused on understanding the development and structure of wood in model and non-model tree species, the following topics are welcome:
• Understanding the molecular mechanisms of wood formation and properties in different tree species using genetic, metabolic or chemical approaches
• Environmental control of wood formation, the impact of environmental stress on wood formation, and insights wood structure can provide about the surrounding environment
• Understanding woody tree evolution based on wood characteristics
• Functional characterization of novel wood-associated genes and biotechnological applications
• New technologies and resources for wood research
We also welcome submissions of Reviews, Perspectives and Opinion articles with a focus on current challenges, outstanding questions and future directions in the field of wood biology and application.
Studies falling into the categories below will not be considered for review, unless they are expanded and provide insight into the biological system or process being studied:
i) Descriptive collection of transcripts, proteins or metabolites, including comparative sets as a result of different conditions or treatments;
ii) Descriptive studies that define gene families using basic phylogenetics and the assignment of cursory functional attributions (e.g. expression profiles, hormone or metabolites levels, promoter analysis, informatic parameters).
One important goal of this frontiers Research Topic is to explore the mechanisms of wood formation and the interaction between xylem development and stress tolerance with a combination of approaches of genetics, optics and chemistry. Also, new technologies and resources used for wood biology research is of equal importance as basic science.
We welcome original research articles focused on understanding the development and structure of wood in model and non-model tree species, the following topics are welcome:
• Understanding the molecular mechanisms of wood formation and properties in different tree species using genetic, metabolic or chemical approaches
• Environmental control of wood formation, the impact of environmental stress on wood formation, and insights wood structure can provide about the surrounding environment
• Understanding woody tree evolution based on wood characteristics
• Functional characterization of novel wood-associated genes and biotechnological applications
• New technologies and resources for wood research
We also welcome submissions of Reviews, Perspectives and Opinion articles with a focus on current challenges, outstanding questions and future directions in the field of wood biology and application.
Studies falling into the categories below will not be considered for review, unless they are expanded and provide insight into the biological system or process being studied:
i) Descriptive collection of transcripts, proteins or metabolites, including comparative sets as a result of different conditions or treatments;
ii) Descriptive studies that define gene families using basic phylogenetics and the assignment of cursory functional attributions (e.g. expression profiles, hormone or metabolites levels, promoter analysis, informatic parameters).
Keywords: wood physiology, tree evolution, wood biotechnology, wood formation, metabolism
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.
