Editorial: Women in Plant Science—Linking Genome to Phenome

Authors

• Villő Bernád, University College Dublin, Ireland
• Jennifer L. Clarke, Institute for Bio- and Geosciences, Germany and University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Sónia Negrão, University College Dublin, Ireland

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2024

Citation

Frontiers in Plant Science (2024) 15: 1454686

doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1454686

Comments

Open access

License: CC BY 4.0

Abstract

The escalating impacts of climate change are intensifying the urgency for plant scientists to identify and breed plant varieties that are able to withstand increasingly harsh environmental conditions while supporting a growing human population. A key area of focus is in assessing plant performance and linking it with genomic data to speed up breeding efforts and bridge the gap between the lab and field. In recent years, the development of new technologies have led to a rapid drop in the cost of genotyping paired with increased speed (Pootakham, 2023; Thomas et al., 2023; Scheben et al., 2018). The development of high-throughput crop phenotyping technologies has lagged, creating the so called phenotyping bottleneck (Ninomiya, 2022). Traditional phenotyping is slow, destructive, and susceptible to human errors (Gill et al., 2022). The field of plant phenomics aims to overcome these limitations by utilising imaging technologies and high performance computing to make phenotyping faster, cheaper, and more accurate (Kumar and Kaushik, 2023). This special edition underscores research endeavours aiming to achieve these advancements through various means, including the construction of platforms for image capture, the development of segmentation tools for precise data extraction, and the creation of data analysis and management tools to optimize data utilization and accessibility. Moreover, it emphasizes the integration of these tools with genotypic analysis to synergize both fields and extract biologically significant information for plant science and breeding.

Additionally, this Research Topic aims to highlight the invaluable contributions of women in the field. The 2021 UNESCO science report highlights the continued underrepresentation of women in the sciences, particularly in computer science and computational biology (Lewis et al., 2021; Bonham and Stefan, 2017). Deep-rooted biases and gender stereotypes persistently discourage girls and women from pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Therefore, this Research Topic seeks to prominently showcase the outstanding research conducted by female researchers in these domains, shedding light on their significant contributions and advocating for greater gender inclusivity in science.