This Frontiers Special Issue is intended as a collection of high-quality research and review papers highlighting innovative technologies, their challenges, and their applications in plant science and crop improvement. More particularly the focus of this issue will be on genomic and metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, epigenetics, and gene drives. These technologies hold great promise but at the same time, their novelty requires careful consideration of potential risks that may arise from their application. More particularly, in this issue we welcome original articles dealing with applications intended to:
• Re-engineer metabolic pathways in plants aiming at increasing the production of valuable metabolites
• Engineer the introduction of entirely novel metabolic pathways to produce novel compounds
• Engineer or modulate symbiotic interactions between plants and beneficial microbes to enhance nutrient uptake and improve soil health and plant productivity
• Improve the efficiency of photosynthesis by optimization of light capture, or engineering novel carbon fixation pathways
• Develop plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses or the ability to act as biosensors to detect environmental changes
• Develop epigenomic editing tools with the ability to modify gene expression and phenotype and allow stable transmission of beneficial traits
• Applications of gene drives for pest control or the control of invasive species and weeds, as well as enhancing disease resistance
• Application of gene drives for the improvement of crop yield and quality through the spread of beneficial genes

For this Special Issue, we also encourage articles dealing with regulatory challenges, including the biosafety assessment of these technologies and their products considering implications for regulators. More particularly:
• Data requirements for risk assessment, risk management, and containment
• Methods for conducting pre and post-release studies of modified organisms and gene drives in the environment
• Physical and biological containment, including reversibility of genetic and epigenetic modifications
• Management and assessment of long-term environmental impacts of gene drives
• Risk-benefit analyses of new biotechnology products, including the consideration of ethical values
• Public acceptance of new biotechnology products particularly synthetic biology applications and gene drives
• Regulatory implications regarding the products/applications derived using the above technologies

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Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

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