The potential of wheat spatial omics

Abstract

Wheat is a major staple crop for over one-third of the world’s population, crucial for global food security, economic stability and cultural traditions. Recently, single-cell and spatial omics approaches have transformed biological discovery, primarily in medical and animal sciences, and they are now beginning to be applied in plant research. Here we summarize the technical innovations and feasibility of spatial omics applications in wheat research, particularly for understanding developmental and environmental responses, thereby potentially enhancing wheat breeding. We highlight how these tools can reveal spatial and temporal patterns in gene expression, cellular heterogeneity and tissue or..