Advances in Molecular Research on Vegetables
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2026 | Viewed by 22
Special Issue Editor
Interests: vegetable breeding; genetics and genomics; marker‑assisted selection; gene/QTL mapping; distant hybridization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Vegetables are indispensable to global food security, human nutrition, and agricultural sustainability. In recent years, breakthroughs in molecular technologies—such as high-throughput sequencing, CRISPR-Cas genome editing, multi-omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) integration, and single-cell molecular profiling—have revolutionized our understanding of vegetable biology. These tools have elucidated key genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying development, stress resilience, nutrient accumulation, postharvest traits, and domestication, laying the groundwork for accelerating vegetable breeding and enabling more sustainable production systems. However, critical gaps remain, including the functional validation of novel genes, molecular regulation of complex traits, and translation of molecular insights into practical agricultural solutions, highlighting the need for a dedicated platform to showcase cutting-edge progress.
This Special Issue aims to compile high-quality original research, reviews, and perspectives that capture the latest advances in vegetable molecular research. The scope includes (but is not limited to) the following: molecular dissection of agronomically important traits (e.g., stress tolerance, flavor, nutritional quality); genome editing and molecular breeding technologies for vegetable improvement; multi-omics analysis of vegetable development and response to environments; functional characterization of key genes/regulatory networks; and molecular mechanisms underlying vegetable–microbe interactions. By bringing together contributions from interdisciplinary researchers, this Issue seeks to bridge basic molecular research and applied vegetable agriculture, offer a comprehensive update on the field, and inspire future directions to tackle global vegetable production challenges.
Prof. Dr. Yangyong Zhang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- vegetable molecular research
- multi-omics
- genome editing
- functional gene characterization
- biotic/abiotic stresses
- vegetable breeding
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
