Climate change is affecting the types of plant varieties we can cultivate, as well as how and where we can do so. A new collection of…
Earth & Environment
Engineering plants for a changing climate
As the climate changes, so too must the relationship between humans and the plants we use for food, medicine, tools, shelter, fuel and clothing. What, how and where we cultivate plants will change, as will the potential biotic and abiotic stresses faced by cultivated plants. This collection of articles explores engineering strategies to help us adapt plants to a changing climate, including breeding techniques, genome engineering, synthetic biology and microbiome engineering, with a focus on creating climate-resilient varieties and increasing the carbon-capture potential of croplands.
Image Credit: Plants by Joanna Clarke, CC BY 4.0
PLOS Biology
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PLOS Biology Engineering plants for a changing climate
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PLOS Biology An integrated, systems-wide approach is needed for public–private partnerships to drive genetic innovation in crops
Public–private partnerships are key to successfully translate knowledge to products, but current frameworks do not foster the systems-wide…
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PLOS Biology Engineering photosynthesis, nature’s carbon capture machine
Mitigating climate change and sustainably feeding our growing population in the changing climate are 2 significant challenges facing the…
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PLOS Biology Can we manipulate the soil microbiome to promote carbon sequestration in croplands?
Manipulating the microbiome of cropland soils has the potential to accelerate soil carbon sequestration, but strategies to do so need to…
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PLOS Biology Policy makers, genetic engineers, and an engaged public can work together to create climate-resilient plants
As climate change affects weather patterns and soil health, agricultural productivity could decrease substantially. Synthetic biology can…
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PLOS Biology Tools for using the International Rice Genebank to breed for climate-resilient varieties
Traditional rice varieties have been critical for developing improved stress-tolerant rice varieties. Tools to analyze the genome…
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PLOS Biology How to engineer the unknown: Advancing a quantitative and predictive understanding of plant and soil biology to address climate change
Our basic understanding of carbon cycling in the biosphere remains qualitative and incomplete, precluding our ability to effectively…
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PLOS Biology Diamonds in the not-so-rough: Wild relative diversity hidden in crop genomes
Crop production is becoming an increasing challenge as the global population grows and the climate changes. Modern cultivated crop species…
Featured Editors
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Guest Editor Dr. Pamela Ronald
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Senior Editor, PLOS BIology Joanna Clarke