About this Research Topic
Forest trees play a key role in terrestrial biodiversity and contribute to carbon sequestration. Forest trees also exhibit a rich array of agronomic and economic traits, making them ideal as important species for studying functional genes for the unique characteristics of forest tree species. Fast-growing forest plantations are sustainable feedstocks of plant biomass that can serve as substitutes for fossil carbon resources for materials, chemicals, and energy.
The first annotated whole genome sequence of the model woody plant, Populus trichocarpa, was published in 2006. Since then, many forest tree species have been sequenced and annotated, which has facilitated the development of functional genomics, GWAS, genetic tools, and new biotechnologies in tree research. Targeted functional genomics allows us to identify genes that affect traits of interest, such as agronomic and economic traits, wood properties, and biotic stress resistance. Molecular biology-based biotechnologies allow us to manipulate these genes and traits. The breakthroughs in biotechnology approaches, together with accelerated genomic breeding, will be crucial for the functional revealing of important genes for key traits and the development of a new generation of woody crops, helping us to keep up with the growing demand for wood fiber and other bioproducts from forest trees.
This Research Topic aims to explore the molecular mechanisms of key biological processes in model and non-model forest tree species with a combination of approaches of genetics, omics, and chemistry. Also, new technologies and resources used for forest tree species research are of equal importance to basic science. We encourage fundamental research in the field of forest tree genomics, genetic studies in revealing the genes and pathways associated with key agronomic and economic traits in forest trees, molecular mechanisms of secondary growth regulation in tree species, and the potential utilization of biotechnologies in genetic improvement of woody crops.
We welcome all types of submissions, including original research, reviews, methodologies, mini-reviews, perspectives, and opinion articles in this field, including (but not limited to) research covering:
• Genetic and functional characterization of genes regulating perennial tree secondary growth.
• Genetic improvement in woody tree crops using gene editing and other modern biotechnologies.
• Discovery, characterization, and application of germplasm resources with agronomic and economic traits.
• New technologies and resources for forest tree research.
The first annotated whole genome sequence of the model woody plant, Populus trichocarpa, was published in 2006. Since then, many forest tree species have been sequenced and annotated, which has facilitated the development of functional genomics, GWAS, genetic tools, and new biotechnologies in tree research. Targeted functional genomics allows us to identify genes that affect traits of interest, such as agronomic and economic traits, wood properties, and biotic stress resistance. Molecular biology-based biotechnologies allow us to manipulate these genes and traits. The breakthroughs in biotechnology approaches, together with accelerated genomic breeding, will be crucial for the functional revealing of important genes for key traits and the development of a new generation of woody crops, helping us to keep up with the growing demand for wood fiber and other bioproducts from forest trees.
This Research Topic aims to explore the molecular mechanisms of key biological processes in model and non-model forest tree species with a combination of approaches of genetics, omics, and chemistry. Also, new technologies and resources used for forest tree species research are of equal importance to basic science. We encourage fundamental research in the field of forest tree genomics, genetic studies in revealing the genes and pathways associated with key agronomic and economic traits in forest trees, molecular mechanisms of secondary growth regulation in tree species, and the potential utilization of biotechnologies in genetic improvement of woody crops.
We welcome all types of submissions, including original research, reviews, methodologies, mini-reviews, perspectives, and opinion articles in this field, including (but not limited to) research covering:
• Genetic and functional characterization of genes regulating perennial tree secondary growth.
• Genetic improvement in woody tree crops using gene editing and other modern biotechnologies.
• Discovery, characterization, and application of germplasm resources with agronomic and economic traits.
• New technologies and resources for forest tree research.
Keywords: forest trees, agronomic and economic traits, genomics, biotechnology, tree breeding
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.
