Plant Synthetic Biology: Quantifying the “Known Unknowns” and Discovering the “Unknown Unknowns”

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Our knowledge of plant biology has reached the point where we can begin to rationally engineer plant form and function to meet our needs. From a bioengineer's or synthetic biologist's point of view, the goal of studying developmental biology is to generate a predictive model that specifies the molecular circuitry required to move a cell from one state to another. This model could then serve as a guide for harvesting the most useful parts and logic to enable the engineering of novel states and multi-cell behaviors. Among the most critical parts to understand from this perspective are the signaling molecules that enable intra-and intercellular communication. Several biosensors have been developed in recent years to detect plant-specific signals and secondary messengers. Many other general biosensors have been successfully implemented in plant systems. These biosensors, in combination with single cell 'omics techniques and predictive statistical frameworks, are providing the type of high resolution, quantitative descriptions of cell state that will ultimately make it possible to decode and re-engineer traits associated with higher yields and stress tolerance.