Plant engineering is central to advancing sustainable and resilient agriculture in the face of global climate challenges. In this talk, I will present the development of nanomaterial-enabled platforms that interface non-destructively with living plants across a wide range of species to enable novel plant biotechnology and agricultural capabilities. Specifically, I will describe the engineering of carbon nanomaterials as versatile nanocarriers for plant genetic modification. These nanocarriers can penetrate plant cell walls and deliver DNA into specific organelles, enabling transient protein expression without the need for transgenic approaches. Beyond genetic delivery, I will highlight the use of fluorescent nanoparticles as optical nanosensors for real-time monitoring of plant defense signaling pathways triggered by environmental stresses. Embedded within plant tissues, these sensors enable non-destructive, species-independent access to internal plant states using portable electronics - capabilities currently unattainable with conventional tools. Together, these advances demonstrate the potential of nanotechnology as a powerful and generalizable platform for plant engineering, with significant implications for sustainable agriculture.
