Emerging Frontiers in Plant Cell Wall Research

The plant cell wall is a highly organized extracellular matrix that plays essential roles in plant growth, development, reproduction, and environmental adaptation. Beyond providing structural support, cell walls regulate cell expansion, differentiation, intercellular communication, mechanical properties, and signaling. Their architecture arises from the coordinated assembly and remodeling of cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectins, lignin, and structural proteins. Over recent decades, major advances have transformed our understanding of plant cell walls, revealing a highly dynamic and heterogeneous structure at nano- and microscale levels, with specialized domains contributing to distinct cellular functions. The increasing integration of computational modeling and artificial intelligence is enabling multiscale interpretation of cell wall organization and dynamics. Despite these advances, fundamental questions remain regarding how cell wall composition, structure, and sensing mechanisms are integrated to control plant form and adaptation, highlighting the need for integrated approaches to understand cell wall function and its applications.This Research Topic aims to bring together cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of plant cell wall biology, from molecular mechanisms governing cell wall formation and function to emerging applications in agriculture, biotechnology, and sustainability. By integrating discoveries from diverse disciplines, we seek to promote new perspectives on the dynamic roles of plant cell walls and foster collaboration within the international plant cell wall research community. This collection will highlight recent progress in cell wall biosynthesis, organization, signaling, and mechanics, while also addressing how advances in experimental, imaging, and computational approaches are reshaping the field. Together, these contributions will help identify key challenges and opportunities, ultimately supporting the development of more integrated frameworks to understand cell wall function and its implications for plant performance and adaptation.This Research Topic welcomes various article types, including Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Methods, Perspective, Brief Research Report, General Commentary, and Opinion articles that address fundamental or applied aspects of plant cell wall biology.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:• Cell wall biosynthesis, assembly, and remodeling• Cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin, and cell wall proteins• Cell wall signaling and biomechanics• Cell wall functions during plant growth and development• Cell wall responses to biotic and abiotic stresses• Advanced imaging, omics, and computational approaches for cell wall analysis• Evolution and diversity of plant cell walls• Cell wall engineering and synthetic biology• Applications in crop improvement, bioenergy, biomaterials, and sustainable agriculturePlease note:This Research Topic is in collaboration with the XVII Plant Cell Wall Meeting in Porto, Portugal. Topic editors: Silvia Vieira Coimbra, Ana Marta Pereira, Diana Moreira Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82551/emerging-frontiers-in-plant-cell-wall-research