Plant Synthetic Biology Takes Off: Bryophytes Onboard with New Tools, Systems, and Opportunities

Plant synthetic biology is a highly innovative field that aims to better understand, redesign, and reprogram plants. Progress in recent years has been driven by technical developments such as modular cloning, gene circuits, genome editing, and synthetic genomics, which have expanded the field beyond traditional single-gene strategies. However, most efforts remain focused on angiosperms, leaving much of plant diversity underexplored and limiting potential applications due to the inherent complexity of these systems. Simpler, underutilized plant systems, particularly bryophytes, provide an alternative experimental platform for rapid tool development and, more broadly, for the establishment of universal as well as synergistic bioengineering approaches across different plant lineages. This review highlights recent advances that underscore the importance of bryophytes as plant synthetic biology systems. Progress across mosses, hornworts, and liverworts is discussed, with particular emphasis on Marchantia polymorpha as a leading model.