Transcriptome data modeling for targeted plant metabolic engineering

The massive data generated by omics technologies require the power of bioinformatics, especially network analysis, for data mining and doing data-driven biology. Gene coexpression analysis, a network approach based on comprehensive gene expression data using microarrays, is becoming a standard tool for predicting gene function and elucidating the relationship between metabolic pathways. Differential and comparative gene coexpression analyses suggest a change in coexpression relationships and regulators controlling common and/or specific biological processes. In conjunction with the newly emerging genome editing technology, network analysis integrated with other omics data should pave the way for robust and practical plant metabolic engineering.