Genome and Epigenome Editing for Stress-Tolerant Crops

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Authors:

Jen-Tsung Chen

• ISBN: 9781394280018
• Published: June 2025
• Format: Hardcover (also available as eBook)
• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiley (Wiley-Blackwell)

Description:

Climate change, population growth, and resource constraints are forcing agriculture to evolve fast. Genome and Epigenome Editing for Stress-Tolerant Crops brings together advanced approaches to develop crops that perform under pressure—combining genome editing (CRISPR/Cas) with epigenome regulation and non-coding RNA (ncRNA) strategies. The book connects molecular innovation with real-world crop improvement goals: stronger resilience, better yield, and higher quality.

Key Features:

• In-depth overview of CRISPR/Cas and non-coding RNA strategies to develop stress-tolerant crops.
• Integrates omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics) for comprehensive crop improvement.
• Covers resilience against abiotic and biotic stresses: drought, salinity, pests, and pathogens.
• Practical applications of CRISPR and RNA technologies for high-yield, high-quality crop development.
• Recent research in epigenetic regulation to fine-tune plant stress responses.
• Future directions in plant science to inspire new research and experimental design.

Coverage:

• CRISPR/Cas genome editing pipelines for crop trait improvement
• ncRNA and epigenetic regulation linked to stress tolerance
• Multi-omics integration for actionable breeding and biotech decisions
• Abiotic stress: drought, heat, salinity and related physiology
• Biotic stress: pests, pathogens, and defense response optimization
• From lab strategy to field impact and sustainable agriculture goals

About the Authors:

Jen-Tsung Chen is Professor of Cell Biology. His work spans plant molecular biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, and plant biotechnology, with publications and books in areas including functional genomics and CRISPR-based plant genome editing.

Table of Contents (Summary):

This volume is organized into 17 chapters that move from fundamentals to applications, showing how CRISPR/Cas genome editing and epigenome regulation (especially via noncoding RNAs) can be used to build crop resilience against heat, drought, salinity, pests, and diseases.

• Front matter: List of Contributors, Preface
• Part I — Heat, temperature, and climate-driven stress:
  • Ch. 1: Heat stress mitigation through CRISPR/Cas editing and altered expression of noncoding DNA
  • Ch. 12: “Temperature-smart” crops via ncRNA editing for cold and heat tolerance
• Part II — Reprogramming noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) for abiotic resilience:
  • Ch. 2: Designing future stress-resilient crops by reprogramming ncRNAs with CRISPR/Cas
  • Ch. 3–4: Editing and modifying long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) to strengthen abiotic stress responses
  • Ch. 9: Salinity-tolerant breeding through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated ncRNA reprogramming
• Part III — Understanding and engineering noncoding regions & regulation:
  • Ch. 5: Functional analysis of plant noncoding genomes using CRISPR-Cas9 approaches
  • Ch. 10: Engineering cis-regulatory elements (promoters, introns, intergenic regions) for crop improvement
  • Ch. 13: Technical advances in functional mutagenesis of plant lncRNAs using CRISPR/Cas
• Part IV — Small RNAs, gene silencing, immunity, and disease resistance:
  • Ch. 6: Small RNA-mediated plant protection engineered via CRISPR/Cas
  • Ch. 7: Enhancing plant immunity by modifying lncRNAs with CRISPR/Cas
  • Ch. 11: Editing ncRNAs for improved disease resistance in crops (benefits and limits)
  • Ch. 14: CRISPR/Cas-reprogrammed siRNAs for gene silencing and abiotic stress regulation
  • Ch. 15: Functional analysis and modification of microRNAs for stress tolerance
  • Ch. 16: RNA interference (RNAi) plus CRISPR/Cas for crop disease resistance
  • Ch. 17: CRISPR/Cas-edited small RNAs to boost abiotic stress capacities in crops
• Part V — Stress memory and epigenetic programming:
  • Ch. 8: Editing and “rewriting” plant stress memory through CRISPR/Cas-mediated approaches
• End matter: Index

In short: the book progresses from climate and stress biology foundations into practical CRISPR/Cas strategies targeting noncoding DNA, cis-regulatory elements, and multiple classes of noncoding RNAs (lncRNA, miRNA, siRNA, sRNA), ending with forward-looking themes like stress memory and ethical/regulatory considerations.

Why buy this book?

• Learn how CRISPR and epigenome tools are being used to engineer climate-resilient crops.
• Get an integrated view: genome editing + ncRNA + multi-omics (the “full stack” of modern crop improvement).
• Translate research into practical strategies for yield stability and quality under stress.
• Ideal as a reference for teams working on food security, resilience, and sustainable agriculture.

Keywords:

CRISPR/Cas, genome editing, epigenome editing, non-coding RNA, ncRNA, plant stress tolerance, climate-resilient crops, abiotic stress, biotic stress, drought tolerance, salinity tolerance, pests, pathogens, multi-omics, genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, agricultural biotechnology, plant breeding

Target Audience:

Researchers, plant breeders, crop scientists, agricultural biotechnologists, graduate students, advanced undergraduate students, R&D teams in seed/biotech/agritech

Genre:

Agricultural Biotechnology, Plant Science, Molecular Genetics

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