Plant genome editing has rapidly evolved into a transformative technology in plant biology, offering novel and effective approaches for functional genomics and molecular breeding research. The increasing use and development of CRISPR-Cas genome-editing technologies have indeed enhanced our understanding of gene functions and regulation, and facilitated the development of crops with improved yields, nutritional characteristics or resilience to environmental stress. As the global populations is rising and climate change poses new challenges, the ability to bioengineer and enhance specific plant traits has become essential to achieve sustainable agricultural practices, and food security and nutrition.

In support of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2: Zero Hunger), BMC Plant Biology is launching the Collection ‘Plant Genome Editing: Advances and Applications in Plant Biology’. This collection invites submissions that highlight current research and future perspectives in plant genome editing, covering e.g. advances in gene-editing techniques (e.g. CRISPR/Cas systems) and their applications in plant functional genomics and molecular breeding, as well as biotechnological applications aimed at enhancing crop productivity. We invite researchers and experts in the field to submit research articles that explore, but are not limited to, the following topics:

Advances in CRISPR/Cas9-based genome engineering in plant biology

Advanced CRISPR/Cas variants: CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cas12a systems in plant genome editing

Applications of engineered Cas9 and newly discovered RNA guided DNA endonucleases in plants

Novel approaches for tissue culture-free genome editing in plants

Targeted epigenetic modifications using CRISPR/Cas

RNP-mediated genome editing

Applications of prime editing in plant molecular breeding and crop trait improvement

CRISPR/Cas applications in plant biotechnology: improving crop yield, quality and stress-resistance

Advances in genome editing technologies for next-generation plant breeding

Emerging technologies for delivering the CRISPR/Cas system in crop species

CRISPR/Cas applications in plant synthetic biology

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

Leaf senescence is a complex biological process that involves the degradation of chlorophylls and the eventual death of leaf tissues, affecting plant growth and yield. As the final, postmitotic stage of plant life, leaf senescence is a crucial functional shift from nutrient assimilation to remobilization, critical for plant survival. Its timing is regulated by age, hormones, and environmental stress. Consequently, researchers are intensively devising strategies based on known regulatory mechanisms to manipulate initiation and progression of leaf senescence for enhancing crop resilience and productivity.

While many Senescence-Associated Genes (SAGs) have been identified, fundamental knowledge gaps persist, such as: when exactly is leaf senescence initiated? How are signals transmitted between organelles, cells, and tissues? How can we fully map the molecular pathways of cell senescence? Recent advances in genomics and molecular biology have revealed complex regulatory networks that govern this process, enabling to investigate the interactions between molecular, genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. The integration of single-cell, multi-omics and CRISPR/Cas9 approaches now enables deeper mechanistic exploration and more precise manipulation of senescence pathways.

At the same time, molecular breeding for optimized or ‘stay-green’ traits is rapidly accelerating, driven by the global demand for climate-resilient and high-yielding crops in support of the United Nations’ SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). Combining mechanistic insights with genome engineering, precision editing, pan-genome–informed allele mining, high-throughput phenotyping, and genomic selection has opened new opportunities to design crops with fine-tuned senescence timing, improved nutrient-use efficiency, and enhanced stress tolerance and photosynthetic productivity. In this context, BMC Plant Biology invites submissions to the Collection Leaf senescence and molecular breeding, aiming to gather research that advances our understanding of senescence mechanisms and translates this knowledge into crop improvement. We invite researchers and experts in the field to submit research articles that explore, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Multilayered regulation of leaf senescence
• Genetic and epigenetic control of leaf senescence
• Post-transcriptional and post-translational regulation of leaf senescence
• Hormonal regulation of leaf senescence: regulation by classical and peptide hormones
• Regulatory functions and mechanisms of non-hormonal small molecule signals (e.g. NO, H2S) in leaf senescence
• New mechanisms for stress-induced leaf senescence
• Role of environmental factors on the regulation of leaf senescence
• Role of reactive oxygen species in leaf senescence
• Plant metabolic changes during leaf senescence
• Subcellular structural dynamics and functional remodelling in chloroplast and mitochondria during leaf senescence
• Novel signaling components in regulating leaf senescence in crops
• Integration of leaf senescence traits in molecular breeding programmes
• Pan-genome, GWAS, and QTL analyses for senescence traits
• Marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and genome editing for senescence improvement
• High-throughput and image-based phenotyping of senescence in crop breeding

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.