Genetic, Genomic and Molecular Advances in Plant Stress Resilience

Plant stress biology examines how plants perceive, respond to, and adapt to adverse environmental conditions, including drought, salinity, temperature extremes, pests, and pathogens. Increasing climate variability and pressure on agricultural production have intensified the need to understand the genetic, molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms that enable plants to maintain growth, reproduction, and productivity under stress. Recent advances in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, phenomics, and gene-editing technologies have provided new insights into stress perception, signal transduction, regulatory networks, and plant–microbe interactions. However, major gaps remain in linking molecular variation to complex stress-resilience traits, particularly under combined and fluctuating stresses. Further investigation is also needed across diverse crops, wild relatives, underutilized species, and natural plant populations to distinguish broadly conserved mechanisms from species- and environment-specific adaptations.This Research Topic aims to advance understanding of the genetic and molecular foundations of plant resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. It will highlight discoveries that connect genetic diversity and genome function with stress-related traits, regulatory pathways, plant performance, and long-term adaptation. The Research Topic will also consider how integrative and functional approaches can support the development of stress-resilient cultivars and improve the application of laboratory findings in breeding and field environments. Particular emphasis will be placed on studies addressing single and combined stresses, genotype-by-environment interactions, and the translation of mechanistic knowledge into practical strategies for sustainable crop production and ecosystem resilience.To gather further insights into the genetic, molecular, and applied dimensions of plant stress resilience across experimental, breeding, and ecological contexts, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Discovery and functional characterization of genes, alleles, and molecular pathways associated with stress tolerance or susceptibility.o Genetic diversity, population variation, adaptation, and evolutionary responses to environmental stress.o Genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, epigenomic, and other multi-omics approaches to plant stress biology.o Regulatory networks, transcription factors, phytohormone signaling, and cellular mechanisms underlying stress responses.o Genetic and molecular mechanisms of tolerance to drought, salinity, heat, cold, flooding, nutrient limitation, and other abiotic stresses.o Plant immunity, pathogen resistance, pest interactions, and molecular responses to biotic stress.o Combined and sequential stresses, genotype-by-environment interactions, and stress memory.o Comparative studies involving model plants, crops, wild relatives, underutilized species, and natural plant populations.o Plant–microbe interactions, including rhizosphere, endophytic, mycorrhizal, and other beneficial or pathogenic associations linked to plant resilience.o Gene editing, RNA interference, transgenic approaches, molecular breeding, genomic selection, and precision breeding for stress-resilient cultivars.o Phenomics, high-throughput screening, remote sensing, and field-based methods for evaluating stress-related traits.o Integration of genetic discoveries with crop improvement, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem adaptation. Topic editors: Cinzia Montemurro, Kazutoshi Okuno Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85438/genetic-genomic-and-molecular-advances-in-plant-stress-resilience