Smart Nano-delivering Genetic Engineering for Agricultural Sustainability

Nanotechnology is revolutionizing plant genetic engineering by overcoming persistent challenges in gene delivery that have impeded advances in crop enhancement, functional genomics, and precise genome editing. Traditional transformation techniques, such as Agrobacterium-mediated transfer, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based transfection, electroporation, biolistic bombardment, and viral vectors, are limited by species specificity, low efficiency, tissue damage, and the labor-intensive nature of regeneration. These issues are particularly problematic for CRISPR-Cas applications, which require effective intracellular transport of nucleic acids and ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). Recent findings suggest that nanomaterials can penetrate plant cell walls, shield biomolecules from degradation, and facilitate the delivery of DNA, RNA, proteins, and CRISPR/Cas-gRNA complexes in a transgene-free manner. Key platforms, such as mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and layered double hydroxides (LDHs), have achieved transient expression, stable genomic integration, germline modification, and targeted editing of plastids and mitochondria. Their adjustable physicochemical properties enable controlled cargo loading, low cytotoxicity, and species-independent uptake, offering advantages over conventional methods. This chapter synthesizes recent advances in nano-enabled plant genetic engineering, encompassing gene delivery for transformation, gene silencing, and genome editing, with emphasis on structure–function relationships, rational nanocarrier (NC) design, and integration with CRISPR-based technologies. Collectively, these developments underscore the transformative potential of nanotechnology to enable efficient, precise, and broadly applicable genetic manipulation for next-generation crop improvement.