Exploration, an international comprehensive journal sponsored by Henan University (HENU), published the first article online on August 17, 2021. The article, titled From Mouse to Mouse-Ear Cress: Nanomaterials as Vehicles in Plant Biotechnology, is an interdisciplinary first journal article review concerning biotechnology, nanomaterials and medicine.

The review systematically summarizes a range of materials used as nanocarriers, properties of target plant bodies, technology breakthroughs and representative results in plant genetic engineering technologies. It mainly expounds the endocytosis and translocation pathways of nanocarriers at the subcellular level and in vascular transport systems of plants after nanocarriers are absorbed by roots and leaves of plants. This review is strategic, instructive, directional, forward-looking and transformative for the customized design of functional nanocarriers and their application in plant biotechnology.

Led by Prof. Chun-Peng Song, the review was co-authored by leading researchers in various disciplines and fields from multiple countries, including Academician Benzhong Tang and Academician Chunhai Fan from Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academician Paul S. Weis from National Academy of Sciences, United States, Academician Ashley I. Bush, Academician John W. PatricK, and Academician Martina M. Stenzel from Australian Academy of Science. The first author of the review is Dr. Xue Xia from School of Life Sciences, HENU, and the co-corresponding authors are Prof. Chun-Peng Song, Prof. John Patrick and Prof. Tina Offler, members of Australian Academy of Science.

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Programme of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities” (111 Program), Key Project of Technology for Cultivating New Varieties of Genetically Modified Organisms granted by Ministry of Agriculture, Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Targeted Bio-nanomedicine and so on.

As a new open access journal, Exploration is sponsored by HENU and launched by Wiley. It focuses on interdisciplinary sciences and technologies, exploring new insights and methods to overcome the obstacles to a sustainable future at the nanoscale, and aims to build a top comprehensive international academic journal with Chinese characteristics and HENU’s influence.

Full text:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/EXP.20210002