# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Plant tissue culture and regeneration Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/plant-tissue-culture-and-regeneration/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Plant tissue culture and regeneration research in the Class of 2026?

CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and hairy root transformation dominate the 2026 cohort, showing a clear shift towards precision genome engineering. Traditional tissue culture methods are declining, while rapid transformation techniques like RUBY reporters and Agrobacterium-mediated methods are surging.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Plant tissue culture and regeneration |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 6,609 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, Hairy root transformation, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 18–399 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | High Efficiency In vitro Whole Plant Regeneration via Desiccated Callus in Oryza sativa cv. MTU1010 | Anjana Priyadarshani Kanathala, Srinivas Naik Kethavath, Prashanth Bollempally, Anjana Wahengbam, Prashant Singam, Sriya Reddy Patlolla | Anjana Priyadarshani Kanathala | Unknown, Unknown | International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) | 399 | 10.38124/ijisrt/ijisrt24mar1492 |
| 2 | An efficient genetic transformation system mediated by <i>Rhizobium rhizogenes</i> in fruit trees based on the transgenic hairy root to shoot conversion | Lin Liu, Jinghua Qu, Chunyan Wang, Miao Liu, Chunmeng Zhang, Xinyue Zhang, Cheng Guo, Changai Wu, Guodong Yang, Jinguang Huang, Kang Yan, Huairui Shu, Chengchao Zheng, Shizhong Zhang | Chengchao Zheng, Shizhong Zhang | Shandong Agricultural University, China | Plant Biotechnology Journal | 41 | 10.1111/pbi.14328 |
| 3 | A simple and efficient in planta transformation method based on the active regeneration capacity of plants | Guoguo Mei, Ao Chen, Yaru Wang, Shuquan Li, Minyi Wu, Yilong Hu, Xu Liu, Xingliang Hou | Xu Liu, Xingliang Hou | Chinese Academy of Sciences, China | Plant Communications | 39 | 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100822 |
| 4 | A method of genetic transformation and gene editing of succulents without tissue culture | Jinghua Lu, Shanshan Li, Shuai Deng, Mugui Wang, Yinghuang Wu, Ming Li, Jinsong Dong, Suhui Lu, Chunli Su, Guofu Li, Zhaobo Lang, Jian-Kang Zhu | Jian‐Kang Zhu | Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, China | Plant Biotechnology Journal | 39 | 10.1111/pbi.14318 |
| 5 | Green synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles as a potential regulator of callus growth, plant physiology, antioxidative and microbial contamination in Oryza sativa L. | Jawad Ullah, Afia Gul, Ilham Khan, Junaid Shehzad, Rehana Kausar, Muhammad Shahzad Ahmed, Sana Batool, Murtaza Hasan, Mansour Ghorbanpour, Ghazala Mustafa | M. Ahmed, Murtaza Hasan, Mansour Ghorbanpour, Ghazala Mustafa | Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan | BMC Plant Biology | 34 | 10.1186/s12870-024-05627-y |
| 6 | Binary vector copy number engineering improves Agrobacterium-mediated transformation | Matthew J Szarzanowicz, Lucas M Waldburger, Michael Busche, Gina M Geiselman, Liam D Kirkpatrick, Alexander J Kehl, Claudine Tahmin, Rita C Kuo, Joshua McCauley, Hamreet Pannu, Ruoming Cui, Shuying Liu, Nathan J Hillson, Jacob O Brunkard, Jay D Keasling, John M Gladden, Mitchell G Thompson, Patrick M Shih | Mitchell G. Thompson, Patrick M. Shih | Joint BioEnergy Institute, United States | Nature Biotechnology | 33 | 10.1038/s41587-024-02462-2 |
| 7 | Enhancing Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation efficiency through improved ternary vector systems and auxotrophic strains | Ephraim Aliu, Qing Ji, Anna Wlazlo, Sehiza Grosic, Mercy K Azanu, Kan Wang, Keunsub Lee | Kan Wang, Keunsub Lee | Iowa State University, United States | Frontiers in Plant Science | 31 | 10.3389/fpls.2024.1429353 |
| 8 | <scp>PfGSTF2</scp> endows resistance to quizalofop‐p‐ethyl in <i>Polypogon fugax</i> by <scp>GSH</scp> conjugation | Wen Chen, Dingyi Bai, Yuxi Liao, Qin Yu, Lianyang Bai, Lang Pan | Qin Yu, Lianyang Bai, Lang Pan | Hunan Agricultural University, China | Plant Biotechnology Journal | 28 | 10.1111/pbi.14491 |
| 9 | Efficient and multiplex gene upregulation in plants through CRISPR-Cas-mediated knockin of enhancers | Qi Yao, Rundong Shen, Yang Shao, Yifu Tian, Peijin Han, Xuening Zhang, Jian-Kang Zhu, Yuming Lu | Qi Yao | Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China | Molecular Plant | 26 | 10.1016/j.molp.2024.07.009 |
| 10 | Synergistic induction of fertilization-independent embryogenesis in rice egg cells by paternal-genome-expressed transcription factors | Hui Ren, Kyle Shankle, Myeong-Je Cho, Michelle Tjahjadi, Imtiyaz Khanday, Venkatesan Sundaresan | Imtiyaz Khanday, Venkatesan Sundaresan | University of California, Davis, United States | Nature Plants | 26 | 10.1038/s41477-024-01848-z |
| 11 | A highly efficient soybean transformation system using GRF3‐GIF1 chimeric protein | Ying Zhao, Peng Cheng, Ying Liu, Chunyan Liu, Zhenbang Hu, Dawei Xin, Xiaoxia Wu, Mingliang Yang, Qingshan Chen | Xiaoxia Wu, Mingliang Yang, Qingshan Chen | Northeast Agricultural University, China | Journal of Integrative Plant Biology | 25 | 10.1111/jipb.13767 |
| 12 | Advanced materials for intracellular delivery of plant cells: Strategies, mechanisms and applications | Yingying Zhang, Chaobo Huang, Ranhua Xiong | Chaobo Huang, Ranhua Xiong | Nanjing Forestry University, China | Materials Science and Engineering R Reports | 25 | 10.1016/j.mser.2024.100821 |
| 13 | Use of <scp>GRF</scp>‐<scp>GIF</scp> chimeras and a ternary vector system to improve maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) transformation frequency | Wout Vandeputte, Griet Coussens, Stijn Aesaert, Jari Haeghebaert, Lennert Impens, Mansour Karimi, Juan M Debernardi, Laurens Pauwels | Laurens Pauwels | Ghent University, Belgium | The Plant Journal | 24 | 10.1111/tpj.16880 |
| 14 | Lignin reduction in sugarcane by performing CRISPR/Cas9 site-direct mutation of SoLIM transcription factor | Chanakan Laksana, Onsulang Sophiphun, Sontichai Chanprame | Sontichai Chanprame | Burapha University, Thailand | Plant Science | 23 | 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.111987 |
| 15 | Optimized dicot prime editing enables heritable desired edits in tomato and Arabidopsis | Tien Van Vu, Ngan Thi Nguyen, Jihae Kim, Young Jong Song, Thu Hoai Nguyen, Jae-Yean Kim | Tien Van Vu, Young Jong Song, Jae‐Yean Kim | Gyeongsang National University, South Korea | Nature Plants | 23 | 10.1038/s41477-024-01786-w |
| 16 | Identification of pathogenicity determinants in ToLCNDV and their RNAi-based knockdown for disease management in Nicotiana benthamiana and tomato plants | Mehulee Sarkar, Dipinte Gupta, Oinam Washington Singh, Samrat Paul, Ravinder Kumar, Bikash Mandal, Anirban Roy | Bikash Mandal, Anirban Roy | ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India | Frontiers in Microbiology | 23 | 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1481523 |
| 17 | Elicitation strategies for enhanced secondary metabolite synthesis in plant cell cultures and its role in plant defense mechanism | Nidhi Selwal, Khojin Supriadi, Farida Rahayu, Deden Sukmadjaja, Aniswatul Khamidah, Kurniawan Budiaarto, Sri Satya Antarlina, Mustika Tripatmasari, Atif Khurshid Wani | Atif Khurshid Wani | Lovely Professional University, India | Plant Gene | 20 | 10.1016/j.plgene.2024.100485 |
| 18 | Exploring an economic and highly efficient genetic transformation and genome‐editing system for radish through developmental regulators and visible reporter | Xiaofang Yi, Congcong Wang, Xiaoqi Yuan, Mi Zhang, Changwei Zhang, Tiaojiao Qin, Haiyun Wang, Liang Xu, Liwang Liu, Yan Wang | Yan Wang | Nanjing Agricultural University, China | The Plant Journal | 20 | 10.1111/tpj.17068 |
| 19 | An inducible CRISPR activation tool for accelerating plant regeneration | Cuimei Zhang, Yajun Tang, Shanjie Tang, Lei Chen, Tong Li, Haidi Yuan, Yujun Xu, Yangyan Zhou, Shuaibin Zhang, Jianli Wang, Hongyu Wen, Wenbo Jiang, Yongzhen Pang, Xian Deng, Xiaofeng Cao, Junhui Zhou, Xianwei Song, Qikun Liu | Junhui Zhou, Xianwei Song, Qikun Liu | Peking University, China | Plant Communications | 18 | 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100823 |
| 20 | Developmental regulators in promoting genetic transformation efficiency in maize and other plants | Yilin Jiang, Xun Wei, Meirui Zhu, Xiaoyan Zhang, Qingping Jiang, ZiXiao Wang, Yanyong Cao, Xueli An, Xiangyuan Wan | Xueli An, Xiangyuan Wan | University of Science and Technology Beijing, China | Current Plant Biology | 18 | 10.1016/j.cpb.2024.100383 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 in plant tissue culture and regeneration is heavily dominated by precision genetic engineering and advanced transformation techniques. **CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing** leads as the most prominent topic, indicating its central role in modern plant biotechnology. This is closely supported by high frequencies of **hairy root transformation** and **Agrobacterium-mediated transformation**, highlighting a sustained focus on efficient gene delivery systems. Additionally, topics such as the **RUBY reporter** system and **betalain biosynthesis** reflect a growing interest in non-destructive, visually trackable markers and specialized secondary metabolites. The persistent reliance on fundamental media, such as **Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium**, underscores that while the field is advancing rapidly toward molecular breeding, it still fundamentally depends on robust in vitro propagation foundations.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

The transition from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 reveals a significant shift away from traditional, descriptive tissue culture towards targeted genome modification. The most dramatic riser is **betalain biosynthesis**, which surged from almost no mentions to become a top topic, likely driven by its utility as a novel visual marker like the RUBY reporter. **CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing** and **Agrobacterium-mediated transformation** both saw marked increases in frequency, solidifying the field's trajectory toward functional genomics. Conversely, broader, more foundational concepts such as **embryogenic callus** and **micropropagation** experienced substantial declines, indicating that the frontier of high-impact research has moved beyond basic propagation protocols toward sophisticated genetic applications. This cohort shift highlights a rapidly maturing discipline that is increasingly integrating molecular tools directly into established regeneration workflows.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Plant tissue culture and regeneration Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/plant-tissue-culture-and-regeneration/2026. Accessed 2026-07-15.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```