Engineering plant biosensors: recent advances in design and applications

Plants have evolved sophisticated molecular switches to perceive and respond to both endogenous and exogenous signals, enabling changes in form and function in response to environmental and developmental cues. As autotrophic, multicellular organisms, plants represent promising platforms for designing and engineering sense-and-report modules. Advances in protein engineering and functional screening have facilitated the reprogramming of native switches into biosensors capable of detecting novel small molecules. These sensors can be incorporated into plants to activate signaling cascades or to control new biological functions. This review highlights recent advancements in plant biosensor engineering for small molecules, discusses emerging applications, and provides insights into biotechnological uses. Additionally, it explores the challenges and opportunities of using plant-based biosensors in agriculture and environmental contexts. •The development of synthetic plant biosensors is progressing in model plants.•More orthogonal protein scaffolds are needed to detect structurally diverse molecules.•Plant biosensors have significant potential for real-world applications.