Toward an integrated omics approach for plant biosynthetic pathway discovery in the age of AI.

Summary: Plants are nature’s best chemists, producing complex compounds used in medicines, flavors, and materials. Scientists want to recreate these valuable chemicals in the lab using synthetic biology, but figuring out the exact genetic "recipes" (biosynthetic pathways) plants use is incredibly difficult. While researchers have gathered massive amounts of data on plant genes and chemicals, much of it remains like a jumbled puzzle. This review explains how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced computer modeling are now acting as master detectives. By combining different types of biological data—like gene activity and chemical structures—these new tools can map out these pathways much faster. This breakthrough promises to unlock a sustainable "bioeconomy," allowing us to manufacture nature’s best products efficiently and without harvesting rare plants.