Plant Physiology Scope May 2023

Plant Physiology scope, revised on 5/4/2023
Scope
Plant Physiology is an international journal that publishes on the broadest

aspects of plant biology. The journal welcomes original submissions that offer
new and fundamental insights into the origins, development, and function of
plants from the molecular to the whole organism and its interactions within the
biotic and abiotic environment. Plant Physiology encourages submissions that
span a range of technologies, including those of structural, molecular, and
cellular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, bioenergetics, genetics, physiology,
and field-based approaches as well as those making use of the tools of
synthetic biology, modeling, bioinformatics, and all types of “omics”.
Manuscripts submitted to Plant Physiology must not be under simultaneous
consideration or have been published elsewhere, either in part or in whole. Prior
publication on preprint servers, as a poster abstract or an oral presentation or
as thesis for a degree is not considered previous publication of the research.
Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Welcomes manuscripts that have uncovered the chemical/physical/structural
features of plant molecules and that contribute to important mechanistic insights
into biological processes in plants. This section considers various in vitro and/or
in vivo studies of plant macromolecules including their synthesis, degradation,
transport, targeting, and interaction/reaction with other molecules. Reports of
macromolecule structures (such as protein complexes, protein-DNA/RNA
complexes) that bring new functional and mechanistic perspectives into plant
biology are also welcome.
Breakthrough Technologies, Tools, and Resources

Addresses the development and application of new experimental or
theoretical methods, tools, and resources that are frequently the key for
new insights into physiological processes. This area provides a platform
for developments in theoretical, analytical, and experimental
methodologies, and for enabling tools and resources that will find wide use
within the plant research community. Such technologies, tools, and
resources are expected to go beyond incremental improvements to what
currently exists and should enable major advances in addressing
fundamental questions in plant physiology.
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Cell Biology
Publishes on specialized functions of different cell types that support all
aspects of plant physiology, signaling, development, morphogenesis, and
the interactions of plants with their environment. The Cell Biology area
welcomes manuscripts that address the cellular mechanisms behind these
processes across the scales from molecules to organelles, cells, and
tissues, as well as manuscripts that integrate these topics with dynamic
processes relevant to homeostasis, growth, and development. Work that
addresses fundamental questions through quantitative analysis of cellular
activities and that provides mechanistic insight into plant functioning is
especially welcome.
Ecophysiology and Sustainability

Focuses on plant physiology as it synthesizes genetic, biochemical,
biophysical, cellular and tissue level concepts in a whole plant context.
The area of Ecophysiology and Sustainability is home for physiological
work that can include plant responses to environment in a laboratory
setting and/or under natural field conditions. It welcomes submissions
within the plant side of a continuum that extends to ecology and to crop
improvement.
Genes and Development

Addresses the fundamental questions of genes and pathways in plant growth,
development, and the relationship between form & function, including but not
limited to stem cell maintenance, differentiation, tissue patterning, and
morphogenesis in vegetative and reproductive stages as well as during
regeneration. Molecular and genetic studies, as well as those using approaches
such as quantitative imaging, mathematical modeling, and genomics/epigenomic
approaches, are highly welcome. This section also considers manuscripts
reporting the role of abiotic and biotic factors influencing plant development and
function.
Genomics and Evolution
Focuses on plant evolution at both molecular and organismal levels. Topics

include (but are not limited to) the diversification of genome structure, genomic
components, epigenetics, chromatin biology, and mechanisms underlying the
emergence of morphological, physiological, and biochemical diversity of plants.
Comparative analysis of omics data or first-time genome sequences of plants or
alternative ecotypes of a reference organism is welcome if it provides new
mechanistic insights about one or more aspects described above.
2
Membranes, Transport, and Bioenergetics
Focuses on the basic physiological processes that generate biological energy
and utilize it to carry out work that underpins cellular homeostasis, plant growth
and development. Manuscripts addressing fundamental aspects of these
processes, including transport of solute/solvent, photosynthesis, and respiration,
across scales using biophysical, biochemical and physiological approaches are
encouraged.
Metabolism
Includes work on primary (including photosynthetic and respiratory
metabolism) and specialized (secondary) metabolism. Submissions must
make a significant advance and provide an insight into function. Use of
large-scale datasets is encouraged, provided that they contribute insight
into biological pathways. The design and applications of new molecules
through synthetic technology is of interest, as are new methods, especially
those that, in the longer term, will allow the production of plants that work
more effectively for us.
Signaling and Response

Is home for basic research into the molecular mechanisms by which plants
perceive, transduce, and convert signals into responses across scales from the
molecular and cellular to the whole plant. Manuscripts are particularly welcome
that address questions pertaining to plant growth and development, responses to
biotic and abiotic stress, and to symbiotic and endophytic interactions.
Submissions are encouraged that broaden our mechanistic understanding of
receptors, biomechanical/mechano-sensing, second-messenger systems,
hormone signaling, and transcriptional regulation.
Systems and Synthetic Biology

Features articles in plant-related synthetic biology, i.e. research involving
radical redesign or repurposing of function, including:
- Rational engineering and directed evolution of photosynthetic organisms
at all levels from enzymes and sensors to protein complexes, microcom-
partments, and metabolic, signaling, and regulatory pathways
- Engineering plant-microbe interactions and reconstructing plant pathways
in microbes
- Informatic tools, precise genome editing, and other technologies that
support synthetic biology of photosynthetic organisms
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Systems and Synthetic Biology also encourages submissions of work on
computational analysis and modelling in all areas of plant sciences,
including ‘omic’ and other system-wide datasets.
Reviews
Reviews are commissioned by invitation only.
Plant Physiology normally will not publish work that is:
• Confirmatory, preliminary, or incomplete, including research based primarily

on analysis of a single allele or a single transgenic line.
• Report of an additional case or cases of processes that are already well

understood in another species without providing species-specific insights.
• Primarily descriptive in content; i.e. papers are expected to go beyond

documenting observations and to contribute significantly to explaining the
relationships between them in a way that advances our understanding of
plants and/or their interactions with their environment
• Report of a bioinformatic or –omic analysis, macromolecule structural

models (e.g. Alphafold prediction of protein structures), or genetic
association study, without functional validation and new insights.
• Report of a new genome sequence and assembly unless the assembly is

used to address a broad biological or evolutionary question.

Plant Physiology Scope May 2023

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Plant Physiology scope, revised on 5/4/2023

Plant Physiology is an international journal that publishes on the broadest

Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Breakthrough Technologies, Tools, and Resources

Ecophysiology and Sustainability

Genes and Development

Genomics and Evolution

Focuses on plant evolution at both molecular and organismal levels. Topics

Signaling and Response

Systems and Synthetic Biology

Plant Physiology normally will not publish work that is:

• Confirmatory, preliminary, or incomplete, including research based primarily

• Report of an additional case or cases of processes that are already well

• Primarily descriptive in content; i.e. papers are expected to go beyond

• Report of a bioinformatic or –omic analysis, macromolecule structural

• Report of a new genome sequence and assembly unless the assembly is

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