ncRNAs in Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants

ncRNAs in Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants offers a timely and comprehensive examination of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and their pivotal role in regulating plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. As research continues to uncover the functional versatility of small RNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs in plant genomes, this volume provides a focused and integrative perspective on how ncRNAs orchestrate gene expression under stress conditions, including drought, salinity, temperature extremes, pathogen attack, and nutrient deficiencies.

Covering both foundational concepts and cutting-edge research, this book explores the biogenesis, classification, and molecular functions of ncRNAs, while highlighting the experimental and computational approaches used to study them. It further examines the cross-talk between ncRNAs and other regulatory layers such as transcription factors, epigenetic marks, and hormonal signaling pathways—offering insights into the multilayered regulatory networks that underlie plant resilience.

Written by leading experts from diverse research institutions, this volume bridges molecular biology, plant physiology, and stress genomics. It serves as a valuable reference for plant molecular biologists, agronomists, biotechnologists, and graduate students working at the interface of RNA biology and crop improvement. As climate change and global food insecurity intensify, ncRNAs in Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants is an essential resource for developing innovative, RNA-based strategies to enhance crop resilience and sustainability.

Dr Muhammad Waseem is Associate Professor/Researcher at College of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China. He earned his PhD, specialization in Plant Molecular Biology, from the School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China. He has five years of research experience including postdoctoral. His interests include transcriptional regulation of flowering time regulation, fruit ripening and development, and abiotic stresses such as salinity and drought. In addition, he has hands-on experience in next-generation sequencing data analysis, transcriptomics, and data visualization. Currently, Dr. Waseem is actively investigating flowering time regulation in Brassica crops. He has been awarded with a National Science Foundation Project, RFIS-I in 2023. In brief, he has published more than 58 research articles, 5 review articles, and 9 book chapters in various high-impact factor publications including New Phytologist, International Journal of Macromolecules, Planta, GM Crops & Food, Environmental and Experimental Botany, Physiologia Plantarum and Frontiers in Plant Science. He has also edited books with Springer publisher.

Dr. Sajid Fiaz, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology at The University of Lahore, Lahore. He has scientific collaboration with King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Saudi Arabia, and Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China Dr. Fiaz earned his PhD in Crop Genetics and Breeding from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Dr. Fiaz’s research interests include marker assisted selection for agronomic traits, mutation breeding for biotic and abiotic stress resistance, QTL mapping and genome editing for yield and quality traits in cereals. Dr. Fiaz is actively supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students. He has been awarded with a Start-Up Research Grant Project from Higher Education Commission of Pakistan worth 1.0 Million PKR. He has published more than 135 research papers, 10 book chapters and 10 review articles with prestigious scientific magazines including International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Frontiers in Plant Sciences, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry and Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. He is working as academic editor for PLOS ONE, guest associate editor for Frontiers in Plant Sciences, review editor for Frontiers in Genetics and editorial board member for GM Crops and Food. He has recently edited three books with Springer and one book with Wiley publishers. Currently, his lab group is working to explore genetic factors controlling traits with economic importance in cereals.

Pingwu Liu is a full professor at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, where he also serves as a master’s supervisor in horticultural sciences. He earned both a Bachelor’s and PhD in Agronomy from Huazhong Agricultural University, completing a combined-degree program between 1995 and 2004. Professor Liu's research expertise spans Brassicaceae vegetable germplasm innovation, protected horticulture techniques, and biological control strategies. He has led multiple competitive research projects funded by provincial and national programs, including key R&D projects in ornamental rapeseed breeding and gene mining for agronomically important traits. His work integrates molecular breeding, plant physiology, and applied crop improvement, with a strong focus on tropical agricultural systems. He has published extensively in leading peer-reviewed journals, contributing to the understanding of non-coding RNAs in stress responses, QTL mapping in sugarcane, and molecular diversity in vegetable crops. His most recent publications address genome-wide analysis of long non-coding RNAs in Brassica napus under abiotic stress and marker-assisted breeding strategies. As an editor, Professor Liu brings a wealth of academic experience, a deep understanding of plant molecular biology, and a commitment to bridging fundamental research with practical agricultural applications. His editorial contributions aim to advance knowledge in the areas of plant stress biology, molecular breeding, and sustainable crop production in the context of climate-resilient agriculture.