Perspectives on the basic and applied aspects of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) research

•CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing and high-throughput phenotyping have great potential for CAM functional genomics research.•Challenges and solutions of multi-scale metabolic modeling of CAM systems are highlighted.•The strategy for CAM pathway engineering in C3 plants is emphasized.•CAM plants are emerging sources for food, pharmaceuticals, fiber and biofuels.•CAM crops provide aesthetic and ecological benefits.